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Dec. 26, 2023 - Dr. Oz Podcast
42:37
Trading Opiates for Marijuana to Treat Pain | Dr. Oz | S6 | Ep 95 | Full Episode
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Today on Oz, is pot a safer alternative to codeine, Vicodin, or OxyContin?
Dr. Oz weighs in.
More doctors are prescribing medical marijuana.
But what are the risks?
Plus, breaking news from Consumer Reports.
Are you eating toxins?
The high-risk pesticides in your favorite fruits and veggies.
What you need to know to stay safe.
Coming up next on Dr. Oz.
Codeine, Vicodin, OxyContin, Hydrocordone.
They're some of the most prescribed drugs in America.
And for one reason.
These opiates are our most powerful weapon to treat chronic pain.
But now, some doctors are prescribing another drug.
Pot.
Chronic pain in the U.S. is a big problem.
And the abuse of prescription opiate drugs to manage that pain has become an epidemic.
Here are the hard facts.
More than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain.
Each year, over 250 million prescriptions are written for opiate drugs to treat that pain.
And 12 million abuse those prescription painkillers, with nearly 50 dying every day from overdosing.
Marijuana could be a safer alternative to painkillers.
Research shows states where medical marijuana is legal have nearly 25% fewer prescription pill overdoses.
That translates to 1,700 fewer deaths so far.
Today, why I believe trading opiates for pot could be the future of chronic pain management.
So what makes medical marijuana a potent tool in treating pain?
Let me show you how these two drugs work differently in your body.
The active ingredient in pain pills like Vicodin and Codeine and OxyContin is something called an opiate.
When you have back pain, you don't feel good, you've got that ache, you take one of these pills, it goes down into your stomach and it's rapidly broken down and then absorbed through the bloodstream where it goes up to the brain and affects a very specific area of the brain.
So it dulls your responsiveness to pain coming from, in this case, your lower back.
Now, sometimes you gotta take extra pills because your body tends to be resistant to these opiates over time, which of course creates some of the addiction problems that we see.
But eventually, you get the pain relief.
Now, let's turn to marijuana.
The active ingredient in marijuana is called THC. It gives you a euphoric feeling, but instead of going to your stomach, it goes to your lungs, where it's very quickly pulled into the bloodstream and travels to the brain to the exact same spot pretty much.
Many of the same spots that infect opiates are also affected by THC. And that discomfort from the back, in a similar fashion, the body seems to not be as affected by it.
So for that reason, it seems to give you the same type of relief from chronic pain.
Now, Dr. Devi is a pain specialist who's been monitoring chronic pain patients taking opiates and marijuana.
Seth Jaffe is a former addict who specializes in adult interventions.
Dr. Devi.
Hi, nice to see you.
Good to see you as well.
So, this whole issue of using marijuana for pain, it's been talked about a lot by patients, by people having pain, but as a specialist in the area, is it as effective as the opiates?
Well, it really depends what type of pain we're talking about.
So, if someone just had major surgery, if they just had labor, like they gave birth, then opioids are really the standard of care.
That's what we would use.
But there's a lot of evidence suggesting that cancer-related pain, pain from HIV or AIDS, You know, pain related to multiple sclerosis, that medical marijuana might be more effective at treating that.
So there are certain indications.
And also, a lot of people who have chronic pain, sometimes they suffer from nausea, maybe related to the medications or to the disease.
They also may have loss of appetite.
So in those cases, medical marijuana may be more effective.
A lot of times, again, as a heart surgeon, I've got to give opiates for folks who have pain.
The biggest problem is the nausea you described.
That's why I'm intrigued by the possibility of using something that doesn't have that side effect.
Exactly.
So this issue of side effects, though, across the board is one that's sort of mysterious with pot.
I know what they are for opiates.
What are they for pot?
Well, so it's hard to say, actually, because since they have been illegal, it's been difficult to do the studies.
We don't have as much research.
I mean, anecdotally, people talk about marijuana being a gateway drug.
So they're not necessarily talking about medical marijuana.
They're just talking about, across the board, pot being a gateway drug to other drugs.
So that's something that we have to be concerned about.
I mean, when we talk about people smoking marijuana, whether it's medical or otherwise, you always worry about things like asthma or other breathing problems, the same things that would happen to people who smoke cigarettes.
And then, of course, there is some evidence that it might cause heart disease.
So, in the short term, what you think about is, you know, whether it would make people confused or tired or less motivated.
In the long term, you might look at things like that.
I'm still left with a much softer perspective of the side effects than I have with opiates, which I personally have seen cause problems so often.
Seth, you deal with addicted folks all the time.
Do we have appropriate reason to be fearful that marijuana might make it a bigger problem?
Well, you know, anytime you use a mind or mood-altering substance, there's always a great chance for abuse and or addiction.
And with people who have what you refer to as addictive-type personality, yeah, there's no doubt about it.
Addiction is addiction, you know, whether it's the marijuana or opiates.
If you look at today's medical marijuana, The easiest thing to do is get a medical marijuana card.
In fact, there's doctors who advertise in newspapers that they give out medical marijuana cards.
So someone walks into an office and says, I feel anxious.
There's a lot of anxiety I'm having.
Medical marijuana card.
They walk in and, oh, my neck hurts every third week.
I can't turn it.
Medical marijuana card.
Now they go into the medical marijuana dispensary and there's these incredibly powerful Marijuana with high THC. I mean, it's all up the charts.
It's getting closer to mushrooms.
I mean, that's how powerful the marijuana is today.
But if I've got chronic pain, and I've already seen firsthand how sometimes opiates can lead to dependence, even if it's a powerful dose of THC, of pot, I see potential benefit there.
In particular, this issue of tolerance.
So you don't need a ton more, I would gather, if it's working for you.
Do you find that or not?
Yeah, no.
No doubt about it.
You know, again, opiates, the tolerance level, for instance, if you start taking whether it's Percocet, Percodan, all the way up, If you start taking in April, April 1st, by the end of the month, you're going to need at least two or three times the amount of pills to get the same type of effect.
Two to three times?
Oh, yeah.
If you're taking it daily, if you're taking it daily, and you're looking for a certain escape from the pain, or not pain elimination, but pain management, yeah, the tolerance increases very quickly.
Where in marijuana, the tolerance levels do not exist like they do in opiates.
So let me ask the question of both of you.
Are we trading in one problem for a big-time addiction complication?
Yes.
We are.
Well, you're trading one addiction, possibly trading one addiction to another.
But the difference is, is that opioids has both a physical and psychological addiction.
The withdrawal from long-term opioid use or heavy opioid use, I would not wish on my worst enemy.
Marijuana does not have a physical withdrawal.
It has the same psychological withdrawal.
After 20 years of smoking pot, when I finally stopped, there was not one physical aspect of withdrawal at all.
And again, addiction is addiction.
It's not the substance you use, but opioids is much more dangerous, much more addictive, and the tolerance level increases, increases, and then it, of course, leads to, I believe, stronger drugs like we once did, heroin and things like that.
I think we have to be careful and separate these two out, chronic pain and addiction.
They are related, but it's a little bit different.
So a person who has an addictive personality, like you said, or maybe predisposed to that, they could get addicted to either substance.
That is possible.
But at the same time, you know, when we talk about the complications of addiction, what are we worried about the most?
We're worried about drug overdoses, at least in the short term.
Then opioids tend to be safer.
You know, a person can have an accidental drug overdose even if they're not addicted.
It might just be the side effects of the drugs or they had severe pain and took a little bit more than they were prescribed.
Now the other thing is, in terms of the long term, the long term effects of addiction, it's hard to know because it's only been legal for a short period of time in certain states.
So we don't really have the studies to say for sure.
I'd like to introduce everyone to a woman, Michelle is her name.
She's had chronic pain for years.
In fact, four years ago she herniated a disc in her neck, and her doctor prescribed Vicodin, morphine, and coating, a pretty typical combination.
But you switched to medical marijuana, thanks for being here, two years ago.
Why?
Well, on the prescription medications, I felt like I was in a daze.
Like, the world was passing over me.
Like, I couldn't manage my own money.
I couldn't function with handling bills, things like that.
And then I was told about medical marijuana.
And has it worked?
It's worked amazing.
It has.
I feel like I'm alive again.
Before I felt like I was a zombie and I was in this dark place that I was confused, couldn't get out of, and now I can function, I can pay my bills, take care of my kids.
And how do you know how much of the pot to take?
So you don't feel, because that can obviously affect your consciousness level as well.
Exactly.
Well, when it comes to doing it, if you keep it in moderation and keep it in low amounts, you can say you are smoking a joint, you can just have a couple of puffs a couple of times a day, and that'll be almost the equivalent of just taking a couple of the prescription pills.
I'm just amazed.
And I also want to applaud you for doing the experiment, because a lot of folks are going to learn through your experience.
So medical marijuana, it turns out it is illegal in about half the states in the country.
I've outlined the ones there, and some of them are surprising.
You know, from East Coast to the South, a lot of states still have problems.
Dr. Debbie, you practice in one of those states where it is illegal to prescribe marijuana.
For example, if Michelle benefited, you wouldn't be allowed to do that if someone came to you with those kinds of pains.
Would you fight in your state to allow it to be legalized for pain management, or is it too early?
Well, I have advocated actually for more research to be done to make it more available.
We have the ability to then treat people, you know, like in this situation where the pain is so unbearable, but we also then can do the study so we can have more standardized guidelines.
We have a little bit more information to be able to tell when a person should get a medical marijuana card, like you said, or what we should actually dose them at.
Well, Dr. Debbie, until it's legal, you can't do those studies.
Exactly.
So I do think that we need to make it available for that.
We do need to make medical marijuana legal.
So we reached out to the FDA and asked about the use of medical marijuana to treat chronic pain.
Here's what they said in part.
Although the FDA has not approved any drug product containing or derived from botanical marijuana, the FDA is aware that there's considerable interest in its use to attempt to treat a number of medical conditions.
So if I can give you my final thoughts here.
I respect the law, but I also respect the need for chronic pain medication that really works.
Marijuana is actually less addictive and ultimately I think safer than opiates than are currently the standard of treatment.
And as a physician, I'd opt for the safer choice given that option.
We'll be right back.
Next.
Are you concerned about pesticides on your produce?
How do you know if the food at your supermarket is even safe?
Consumer Reports reveals which fruits and vegetables are at high risk for pesticide exposure, which to avoid, and which are safe.
Next.
All new Oz.
Think fast.
Someone collapses.
You have seconds to act.
It's cardiac arrest.
I wouldn't have a clue what to do.
Learn how to save a life.
That's coming up tomorrow on Dr. Oz.
Breaking news from Consumer Reports and Today they share their findings on the highest and lowest risk of pesticides found in your produce.
Ravashi Rangan from Consumer Reports is joining us.
So what did this investigation reveal?
It's a big thing you did.
We did do a big thing.
The government puts out data every year about the pesticide residues they find on a variety of fruits and vegetables out there, and they just put the data out there.
But what we did is we took the data and we took a closer look at it and did some analysis.
We looked at the amounts of the pesticides that they found, how many they found, How frequently they encountered them on the produce.
And then we took some government toxicity data and we overlaid that to kind of gauge exactly how toxic it might be.
And we calculated a risk index and we basically provided classifications of risk for different produce items depending on where they come from and what type they are.
For a child, that's the absolute risk.
But you can also read those charts for relative risks for an adult to know what's higher risk than others.
Let me shake you guys up a little bit.
This is data from the Centers for Disease Control.
The average person, you can hear my voice right now, has traces of 29 different pesticides in their body.
Think about that.
It's a lot of different things and we don't actually understand these chemicals that well at a time.
So Ravashi, start us off with this discussion.
What surprised you the most of all the things you learned about?
For us, what surprised us the most was when we looked at the produce, a third of the produce we found had two or more residues on it.
Sometimes some had even 50 residues on it.
When we set safety limits or we're thinking about the toxicity of these things, we are gauging it for one, not really looking at the effect of two together or three together or 29 together.
And, you know, there are government panels that say, look, we're concerned about that.
We're concerned about the potential additive effects and the potential synergistic effects, meaning the total of the toxicity can be greater than the sum of the parts.
So in other words, uncharted territory, everybody.
We really don't know.
No one does.
So come on over here.
Based on your findings, you broke it down, Consumer Reports did, into fruits and vegetables that have high and low risks for pesticides.
For some of the questions we addressed earlier, this is a big deal.
Obviously, you can find foods that have lower risk.
You're not going to have to worry about how you clean them up quite so much.
So walk us through some of these different categories as we answer our audience's questions.
The high-risk fruits.
Yeah, so when it comes to choices you can make, we wanted to break that down for people.
And just before we get into this, organic is always a better option, not just for residues, but the people who work with the food and the environment.
Now, that said, we know you can't always afford organic, and so we wanted to give you a way to prioritize based on just the level of pesticide residue.
So what we're looking at here are the fruits that we identified that are particularly higher risk.
Peaches, nectarines, tangents.
Tangerines, cranberries and strawberries, these are the fruits that we recommend you always buy organic when you can.
And when you can't, look at our list for some other lower risk options.
So, for example, with strawberries, you can substitute in other things like blueberries or raspberries.
And when it comes to the rest of these, we think you should always buy organic.
I don't understand.
I always thought that if somebody had a rind, like a tangerine, take the rind off, the food should be safe.
Isn't that what you all thought?
Yeah.
Why is that not true?
That's right.
And I think be careful of that rule of thumb.
If you peel it, then there's no problem.
In this particular case with tangerines, we treat them with fungicides, and that's what contributes the most to the risk from tangerines.
And those things can permeate the peel, or if they're Sprayed on the plant as the fruit is growing, they can be taken up on the inside.
Now when the government tests these things, they actually take inedible peels off the fruits and vegetables.
So what we're looking at in terms of risk is actually what's inside that tangerine.
That's right.
Alright, let's go with the vegetables.
These are the higher risk ones for pesticide exposure.
That's right.
So when it comes to vegetables, the high risks are really these green beans, sweet bell peppers, hot peppers, sweet potatoes, and carrots.
These are the most common foods we eat.
They're really, really common.
And, you know, what's really interesting in the data that we looked at for the high risk is it's probably about half a dozen pesticides that are contributing to the most risk.
And that's kind of good news in a way, because maybe that's a roadmap for our government to focus on those things as being particularly problematic.
But green beans, for example, really topped our list.
And that risk level hasn't really changed in the last 20 years.
And so one serving of green beans, for example, is 200 times riskier than one serving of broccoli.
200 times?
200 times.
So if you've got little kids, remember especially, those are the ones you really want to pay attention to on that list.
You really want to choose organic green beans or you want to choose another green vegetable.
Well, giving kids are an excuse.
All right.
Now, there's good news to deal with those excuses.
I want you to walk us through the fruits and veggies that tend to have the lowest risk for pesticides.
Right.
So, you know, obviously, if you can't buy all organic all the time and season matters and we have some tips for how to really maximize, there are some really good low...
Risk options when it comes to conventional produce.
And one really interesting thing we found was that sometimes even for the same commodity, it can vary by which country it comes from.
So really pay attention to our list.
But grapes, bananas, pineapples, cabbage, mushrooms, onions, avocado, all good examples of when it comes to pesticide residues, low risk options.
But remember, even when food is low risk, It doesn't mean pesticides weren't used.
And so again, kind of going back to how we think our whole farming system ought to be moving, it's in the direction of organic.
And that's really better for the people who are producing our food, who may be exposed to pesticides we don't see on the final product.
Someone asked about detergent, which I do think makes a difference, but it's not going to be easy to wash your tangerines with detergent.
Mushrooms are hard to clean with detergent.
Thankfully, they're already low, so it's a nice little rule of thumb, but I've learned today that these rules of thumb can be misleading for us.
They can!
Remember, in addition, and we don't even necessarily recommend detergent, there's a study that shows that just water alone with a good brush is good enough.
And there are mushroom brushes and there are even harder brushes.
When it comes to tangerines, for example, we want you, if you buy conventional or any citrus, wash it before you peel it because there can be stuff on the outside.
And if you're zesting any citrus, just go for organic.
It really makes the best sense.
You can find Consumer Reports' list of their high- and low-risk produce on Dr. R's.com.
This list we've been talking about, it's super easy to use.
Print it out and share it with your friends.
We'll be right back Coming up next Are your knees aching?
Is it uncomfortable to walk or even stand?
It may not be old age.
The surprising condition many knee pain sufferers may actually have.
The home test you can do yourself and simple ways to find relief.
Coming up next.
Are your knees aching?
Is it uncomfortable when you walk around?
Well, before you chalk it up to a sign of old age, today I'm going to reveal what the real reason for your knee pain may be.
But first, I need my assistant to the day.
So whoever's sitting in seat, 148. 148, come on down.
You're not arrogant.
Oh, we got a winner!
We got a winner!
She's going to crush those poor people!
She's crushing them!
I'm gonna hug!
I am good!
I'm so excited!
How are you?
How are you?
I'm good.
I'm so happy you came.
It's so nice to meet you.
It is an honor to meet you, too.
Meet with the sounds.
Everyone can hear you.
Who's up there with you?
My friends, Krista and Amy.
Hi, Krista and Amy.
What's your name?
Diana.
Okay.
I like being here.
I love being here.
That's awesome.
Thank you.
I'm so happy you're here too.
Now you came down, you bounded down those steps so beautifully.
I bet your knees feel pretty good because you wouldn't be able to run that fast normally.
They feel okay.
They feel okay?
They feel okay.
So when do you get knee pains?
Did it ever happen to you?
Yeah.
Actually, I tore my ACL a couple years ago.
Ooh.
How'd you do that?
Well, I went to a high university and I was in the marching 110 and we go back every year for homecoming.
You march like this?
Well, and I'm not 18 anymore.
No.
So at a performance, I tore my ACL, kind of wimped out on the surgery.
You haven't had it yet?
No.
It's been almost two years.
Let me see the motion, though.
What is it?
Oh, no, no, no.
Like this.
Like that.
Oh, you stagger a little bit.
Yes, yes.
All right.
So that actually caused a little bit of wear and tear on your knees.
Right.
And so some folks developed the problem I'm going to talk about today because of that.
So may I have the permission to examine your knees?
Can I examine yours?
You can examine mine, too.
Okay, yeah.
Well, we just met.
Well, it always has to be a first time.
That's true.
Okay.
Make it not so painful.
No, it won't be.
So, turn and face your friends.
Okay.
Because actually, this has to do with the back of your legs.
Okay.
Okay, so...
My gown is blocking the view a little bit.
There we are.
Okay, so, if you look at the back of anyone's legs, you'll see a nice little crease there.
A beautiful crease, by the way.
And there's a little fullness here.
Thank you.
Does that hurt at all?
No.
Okay, good.
Now, let me just stand on the other side.
Okay.
One other side.
Can you pull the other side up?
Sure.
I'm glad you're wearing capris.
This would have been tough.
Yeah.
This is not really the most comfortable position to be in with you, Dr. Austin.
All right.
Do you want my phone number?
I'll turn the number with you afterwards.
All right.
So, I'll show you my knees.
I promised you.
See how hairy my legs are?
A little bit.
And then, this side.
I think I have a dollar bill.
All right.
All right, so I have creases too.
Now here's the deal.
Let me show you a picture of what I was looking for.
Okay.
It's an image of something called a baker's cyst.
See that little lump right there in that picture?
Yeah.
Now that is a very common problem, and if we suffer from knee problems, one of three of us have that issue.
And I'm going to show you what that is, how to diagnose it, and what to do about it.
Because I tell you, it's much more common.
Most people have never looked at it.
How many of you look at the back of your knee seriously?
No.
Thank you very much for being honest.
Most honest and beautiful and intelligent audience in television.
Okay, come over here.
So, didn't you ever swell, by the way?
Yes.
It does?
It does, yeah.
What causes it to swell?
When I walk around in it a lot or if I'm running or motion side to side, playing with my kids, things like that.
Alright, so stand right here.
Stand right here.
You can help me with this.
Okay.
How many kids do you have?
Two.
Two.
How old are they?
Fourteen and eleven.
They'll make you run around.
Yes, they do.
So, this is a little image of the knee, but the knee is facing the kneecap on this side.
Okay.
So, normally when you walk after one of those kids of yours, your knee will bend like this.
Alright?
So, what I was examining was the back part of the knee looking for any kind of a buildup of fluid.
Now, you notice there's a little bit of fluid inside the knee.
Feel that.
Oh yeah.
It's supposed to be there.
It cushions our knee.
And that fluid is a lubricant.
It lets you walk freely.
It lets you do this marching band thing that you were teaching me before.
It lets you run after the kids.
All the things you want to do in life.
But let's say you have a little bit of inflammation.
You have inflammation, for example, doing that little activity that, the marching band activity that tore your ACL. Yep.
It'll cause swelling.
So go ahead and push on that if you don't mind.
This right here.
Yep.
Okay?
And when you do that, you start to get a little bit of blowing up here.
And then, let's say you have some wear and tear.
Oh, my goodness.
And then keep going.
The wear and tear is from running around too much.
Then you traumatize your knee once.
Then you carry any extra weight at all.
Every pound of the weight gives you three more pounds.
Oh, just one second.
Oh.
It's this big fluid buildup.
Notice.
You see how much of a bulge there is in the back?
Uh-huh.
And then guess what happens sometimes?
One more time, push it just for...
Oh, jeez.
And you get fluid, explode.
I got it over me, too.
All over you.
Come over here, you're a doll.
All right?
So I'm sorry to get you, but look over here now.
You see that stuff?
Yes.
That stuff drains out of that cyst.
Again, it's called the Baker cyst.
And this material that drains out begins with gravity to go down towards your feet.
And when it happens, it needs a very distinctive color.
Look at this image of a foot that we took.
See a little purplish area?
It's called the crescent sign.
See a little crescent beneath that bony part of your ankle?
And it can cause pain and swelling.
And so it creates a fair amount of discomfort.
So what we're going to do is use this.
This is a compression stocking.
You can actually put this on your knee.
It'll put a little pressure on that bulge that's coming out because that bulge is coming out from inside the knee.
I'll do it later.
Meniscus on your chin.
Do I have meniscus on my chin?
I've never had meniscus on my chin.
Yes, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
So the good news is, although these Baker cysts are annoying, they're usually not dangerous.
Generally speaking, they'll go away, because when the swelling inside the knee goes away, that bulge that I showed in that picture will also start to go away.
So next time you have swelling of your knee, pay attention to it, you'll notice it.
If it continues to be a problem, then that's a concern for us.
Now, then the issue becomes, how do you relieve the pressure?
How do you make a diagnosis?
You relieve the pressure by doing the thing you talk about in the show all the time.
Losing weight helps for everybody because you take off a lot of pressure off the knee generally.
And then some of the wear and tear issues, the inflammation that occurs, if you eat the right foods, you can reduce that a lot.
That's why I talk about the omega-3 fats all the time, etc.
But today I want to focus on one thing, how to diagnose if you have a baker's cyst.
This is called, it's an at-home test.
Let's call it the, I don't know, call it the Dr. Osh Show Test.
Okay.
Okay.
So you take a flashlight.
I mean, this is an example of a Baker's cyst here.
So if you put the flashlight on, and just shine it right through there.
Good.
You see how it looks sort of clear?
Yep.
In fact, if you go through the knee, you probably go at that direction, or like that.
You'll actually see right through the knee.
You all see that in the picture?
All right.
You want to see that, right?
But if you don't see that, but instead see this, see how nothing's going through it?
Oh, yeah.
It's opaque.
That means it could be a tumor, it could be an aneurysm, it could be other things.
So that means you gotta go see a doctor.
Okay.
And if you can make that simple little distinction, then you will actually be in a much better shape.
What do you think?
I think that's great.
Good advice.
What has been your favorite part of being up here?
Um, right, it's gonna be the selfie.
The selfie we're gonna take right now?
Yeah.
Is that why you took the phone out?
I did.
She is so clever.
She is so smart.
It's never happened before on the show.
Really?
But you're so smart to do that, I can't help but stop you.
Okay.
Smile.
Smile.
Thank you.
Thank you, Camille.
All right.
You can find an assessment for bakership along with 14 other 10-second health assessments at DrRage.com.
I'll be right back.
You are fabulous.
Thank you so much.
Next, a heightened warning about the safety of energy drinks.
They may be more dangerous than we thought.
See how just one can affect your heart rate, blood pressure and even brain function.
Could you be putting yourself at risk?
Get the facts to protect yourself.
All new Oz.
Think fast.
Someone collapses.
You have seconds to act.
It's cardiac arrest.
I wouldn't have a clue what to do.
Learn how to save a life.
That's coming up tomorrow on Dr. Oz.
Today in the medical spotlight, a warning about popular beverages.
The new study reveals energy drinks may be more dangerous for your heart than originally reported.
The evidence is mounting.
The first headlines.
Two years ago, the FDA investigates 13 deaths tied to five-hour energy products.
Then, a second inquiry.
Five deaths and one non-fatal heart attack linked to Monster Energy drinks.
Now, a major new study out of France, covering three years and more than 250 cases.
The most common problem?
Caffeine syndrome.
Fast heart rate, tremor, anxiety, and headache.
But far more alarming, 46 cases of irregular heartbeat, 13 instances of angina, and at least 8 sudden or unexplained deaths, including some from cardiac arrest.
So here are the facts as we know them.
Energy drinks are projected to be a $20 billion business.
More than 12 million American adults are considered heavy users of energy drinks.
And emergency room visits, not surprisingly, due to energy drinks, have doubled in recent years.
Dr. Lori Moskow is a preventive cardiologist and my colleague at New York Presbyterian.
She's joining me.
This is not the first time that energy drinks have been linked to heart problems.
What makes this study so important?
Well, this study is very alarming.
It's really adding to a growing body of evidence that there's a link between energy drinks and heart problems.
In fact, this data is very consistent with a recent clinical trial that showed that energy drinks can increase your blood pressure and your heart rate by 8 to 10 percent, decreases the blood flow to your brain, and causes dehydration.
So what particularly concerns you about this trial versus the other ones you've seen in the past?
Well, one of the things that really worries me is that this was a national study in France where they just report adverse outcomes and they link it to drinking energy drinks based on a survey.
And it's showing us out in the population that there may be a lot of individuals who are unsuspecting but are susceptible.
And in fact, as you know, when we order a stress test on an individual, what we're trying to do is to raise their heart rate to see if they're going to have problems.
And this study is really showing that in uncontrolled environments, when you're drinking something like an energy drink where your heart rate goes up and there's not a cardiologist present, it could be fatal.
It's basically a liquid stress test.
Think about it that way.
What are the ingredients in these energy drinks that worry you the most?
Well, the biggest ingredient of concern is caffeine.
You know, in fact, a single shot of an energy drink equals about two cups of coffee.
Now, that doesn't sound like a lot, but think about it, you're drinking it all at once.
So it's a really quick bolt, you know, to the heart and to the blood pressure.
So how much do we need to be fearful about these if you have a heart problem?
Well, I think that's the key.
You know, there are some individuals that are susceptible.
People who already have heart disease, that have a history of irregular heart rhythms.
They may have it themselves or in their family.
These are the ones that I feel are most likely to have a problem with these drinks.
For the vast majority of people, you know, it's not going to be an issue.
So, again, I'm thinking about this big trial that you just were discussing today.
I walk away from it thinking there are many more people sensitive to this than we originally thought.
But it's the ones that have heart problems you worry about the most.
Right.
The ones that have heart problems are a history of an irregular heart rhythm in particular, either in themselves or their family.
Because, again, in this study that we were just talking about, these are individuals that are out living in the free world, just don't even know that they have a problem.
Is there any way they would know they're going to have a problem with an energy drink?
Well, that's the point.
You know, we really don't know if you're going to have a problem.
We don't know what a safe amount is.
There are case studies, for example, a 14-year-old girl who had two drinks over two days and had her heart stop.
There's a case of a 19-year-old boy who had been taking energy drinks daily for three years and then suddenly had a cardiac arrest.
So we don't know.
Even if you had one in the past and you were fine, you may not be in the future.
There's a huge spectrum.
I must say, I think if you're taking energy drinks, you're doing an experiment.
Think about it that way.
Now, I have given energy drink guidelines in the past.
I've said that you can have one energy drink a day with no more than 300 milligrams of caffeine in a day, total.
Do you think that's a reasonably safe expectation for us to have as being reasonable?
I think it's very reasonable.
Again, you know, caffeine is part of our culture.
For the vast majority of people there's not going to be a problem.
I think your limitations are very wise.
I personally think that there are two groups of people that should avoid these energy drinks.
The first group would be those individuals that are under age 18. And the second group is, as we've been discussing, individuals that already have known problems with energy drinks, their heart rate goes up.
And that's something we should just mention is, you know, people should really know what the warning signs are.
You know, if you have your heart beating fast and hard in your chest, that can be a sign that your heart rate, your blood pressure is too high with the use of these drinks.
Also, the symptoms of a heart attack, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, pain in the chest.
And one other symptom I'd like to point out is headache.
You know, headache, a lot of people are not aware that that's a sign of too high a blood pressure.
So I think if you have, you know, any history of that, you want to avoid these.
Dr. Mosk, thank you very much.
I'll be right back.
What's your favorite natural energy booster?
I found that water gives me a really solid energy boost.
Whenever I'm feeling exhausted, I drink a big cold glass and it gets me going.
Highly recommended.
Share yours on Facebook.com slash Dr. Oz.
Coming up next.
Think you can't do much with $10 these days?
Think again.
From a product that can whiten your teeth and prevent wrinkles, to a gadget that keeps your home germ-free, we have the best ways to stretch your $10.
Coming up next.
Whoever said a doctor's visit isn't fun has obviously never been to the Dr. Oz show.
Is that right?
Make your appointment today.
Go to DrOz.com slash tickets and sign up for free tickets.
Woo!
Woo!
$10 doesn't seem to buy you much these days.
Some might say, but I beg to differ.
I searched the internet high and low.
I spoke with countless experts, even made myself a human guinea pig, all to find the best ways to spend $10 on yourself.
First, a jar of coconut oil.
It's one of the easiest ways to stretch your dollar, and it's only gaining popularity with countless uses.
Folks are using it in all kinds of different ways in an effort to help more people meet the benefits.
I even asked my viewers to submit their favorite ways to use coconut oil.
All these, and many, many more, were listed.
But I asked Erin to join us, because she has a very interesting go-to way to use coconut oil.
Take it away, Erin.
Good morning.
I love coconut oil for whitening my teeth.
So what I do is oil pooling.
Have you heard of it?
I've heard of oil pudding, but not with coconut oil.
Okay, so with coconut oil, you're going to take a big heaping teaspoon in the morning, just like this.
And it should be pretty soft if you put it on your counter by your bed stand or on your bathroom counter.
You don't have to heat it up to make your mouth.
You don't have to heat it because as soon as it hits your mouth, it's going to liquefy.
So get down the hatch.
Only one of us can do it because one of us has to talk.
Okay, you do it.
I'll talk.
All right.
So when you put it in your mouth, it's going to liquefy.
You don't need to gargle with it, but just move it around your mouth.
And coconut oil is a great antibacterial, so it's going to help remove the bacteria and the plaque from your teeth.
And if you do it maybe like twice a week, for around two weeks, you'll start to see great teeth whitening.
And you'll make some funny faces too, so you have to be ready for it.
I'd like to.
How long have you been using it?
I've been doing it for about two years.
I definitely can see an improvement.
And I don't have to spend all the money on those white strips that can cost $10, $20, $50 for a whole box.
Be careful.
It can get kind of messy, but I promise you, you'll really enjoy it.
Here you go.
You'll really enjoy the outcome when you have white teeth.
You know, I've done the pulling with some of the oils, sesame oil like, which don't taste good.
This actually tastes good.
I could have actually swallowed that.
It's like an almond joy.
It's like an almond joy.
You don't want to swallow it, because it pulls the toxins out.
But it's great to do that, and it gives you good breath, too, if you drink coffee like I do.
Well, as you mentioned, particularly for coffee drinkers, but for anybody who's interested in Eastern medicine, this is a very common process.
And maybe some small studies endorsing what you're saying about bacteria reduction.
And your teeth look very white.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Appreciate it.
Marissa, how do you use coconut oil?
Well, one of the many things coconut oil is good for is actually shining your shoes.
They have to be 100% leather, though.
Yeah.
Can I just show people a picture?
This is a picture we got from Mrs. Closet.
I've got a lot of boots there.
I see why you need that shoe shine.
Yes, and the best part about it is I can get more shoes by saving money by using the coconut oil.
Well stated.
So, Deb, how do you do it?
Okay.
So, you get a rag as so.
Nice bit right here.
I thought you were going to put it in my mouth again.
I did that once.
All right.
And you can rub it in a circular motion or just really get in there.
I mean, this is better than going to the shoe shiner.
Oh my goodness!
Oh my goodness!
And it's actually really good for your muscles, too.
Look at this.
Just compare that side to that side.
Who gave me that idea?
That's brilliant.
Well, actually, you know, I had to go out and my shoes didn't look that great.
And I already used coconut oil for so many other things, so I just decided to try it.
Very smartly done.
I love it.
I love when you guys come up with these ideas.
It's fantastic.
All right, next.
A gadget, this is it, that helps prevent the spread of germs.
Now, you know, I try to keep my house as clean as possible, like all of us.
I want to get the germs out, but how am I doing?
What kind of a job am I accomplishing?
I put this little germ-fighting putty to work to find out.
So I'm here in the kitchen.
I think most of the surfaces at home are pretty clean.
There's a counter.
Whoa!
Look at that.
Ugh!
Keyboard's dirty.
The TV remote should be interesting.
All the jeans touch this.
Yuck!
Jeez, that's on the side of the show.
Let's see where Rosie's been walking.
Are you ready, Rosie?
Got a little stuff in between your toes here, but it could have been a lot worse.
Oh my goodness.
This place is a lot dirtier than I thought.
I had Lisa film National.
She wasn't very happy with the results.
So listen, here's how it works.
It works, I think, best on keyboards, phones, remotes, high traffic items.
You have lots of nooks and crannies.
So you put the putty in there, and you get into the keyboard like this, and then when you pull it up, That's what you see.
Which, by the way, is pretty much what my house looked like.
And you can put it on all kinds of things.
Put it on your remotes for your TV. You think these things are clean?
That's what they look like.
So take advantage of these cleaning putties.
They're online in an office supply store.
They're about five bucks.
I think it's worth the investment.
All right, next.
The best $10 to alleviate back, neck, and muscle pain.
It is a foam roller.
One of the easiest, most cost-effective ways to get rid of your pain right in your home.
Here to show us is physical therapist Peggy Brill.
Thanks for being here.
Thanks.
Thank you, Dr. Oz.
So these women, they're all rolling out their pains in different ways, mostly their lower back.
So how do these foam rollers work?
They're great.
They help to mobilize your mid-back or mobilize scar tissue or adhesions along your iliotibial band, which is very common, especially if people have back or knee problems.
Or desk jobs.
Yes.
All right, ladies, you ready to switch over?
Get in the iliotibial band.
So turn your sides.
So you want to get this up and just below your hip.
And you can balance yourself with one leg in front of you.
Put the bottom leg that you're on straight.
Got it.
And then you're just going to roll back and forth.
Yeah, this bent leg's important.
That was painful before.
It's still sort of painful.
Does it get better with time?
Yes.
As you keep doing this, if you have tenderness, that's quite common.
But as you keep doing this, the tenderness will go away.
How you doing, ladies?
Andrea, how was it?
Amazing.
It's a hurt, but it's a good hurt.
I'd pay for it.
A good hurt.
A good hurt.
All right, you can find these foam rollers at any sporting goods store, department store.
They're about $9.
Worth the investment.
Be right back.
All new Oz.
Think fast.
Someone collapses.
You have seconds to act.
It's cardiac arrest.
I wouldn't have a clue what to do.
What you do next could save a life.
Plus, caught on camera.
Our co-worker is a 24-7 snacker.
We catch viewers' unhealthy habits in the act.
See the plan to break bad eating habits.
All new Oz.
That's coming up tomorrow on Dr. Oz.
Now it is time for, in case you missed it, first, opiates are a powerful weapon to treat chronic pain, and they're some of the most prescribed drugs in America.
But now, doctors are prescribing another drug in their place, pot.
Marijuana has been in the spotlight a lot lately, and I'm respectful of the law, but I also respect the need for chronic pain medication that really works without too many side effects.
Marijuana is actually less addictive and ultimately safer than opiates, according to a lot of experts.
You know, that's why I think, although open to this current standard of treatment, we ought to investigate other options.
As a physician, I would actually opt for the safer choice, if we can get comfortable around that.
Next, a warning about popular beverages.
There's a new study that's revealing that energy drinks may actually be more dangerous for your heart than originally reported.
The bottom line is if you're gonna drink energy drinks, you ought to limit them to one a day.
Be aware of the side effects and signs of caffeine overdose, including dizziness, heart palpitations or pains, and headaches.
Next, for all the OzNation fans out there, I know you're always looking to get the most bang for your buck, so I searched the internet high and low, spoke with countless experts, even made myself a human guinea pig, all to find the best ways to spend $10 on yourself.
One bargain is buying a jar of coconut oil.
It's one of the easiest ways to stretch your dollar, and it's only gaining popularity because of its countless uses.
So here's a bonus tip for you.
You can actually use coconut oil combined with tea tree oil as a bug spray to keep those pesky bugs at bay.
And if a bug breaks through the barrier, use your coconut oil to calm that irritated skin.
So across the board, it ought to be part of your travel plans.
You can find even more amazing uses for coconut oil on DrOz.com.
And finally, be careful of dubious people online that make it seem like I'm endorsing their products, because they do not.
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