Hunter-Hopkins
ME-letter
August 2009
Hunter-Hopkins
Center, P.A.
10344 Park Road,
Suite 300
Charlotte, North Carolina 28210
Tel. (704) 543 9692
á
Fax. (704) 543 8547
The newsletter is back! After a long hiatus, we are once
again planning to provide regular news updates.
This is a text version only. For the
complete version , with photos, go to
http://www.drlapp.net/ME_letterAug09P.pdf
Contents
Weâre Moving!
What To Do About The Swine
Flu?
Help! Weâre Swamped!
Ampligen Update
Tips From Other Patients
*
* *
Weâre Moving!
You may have noticed that Hunter-Hopkins has outgrown its
space at the current location. Research studies, the Ampligen project, and new
services have swelled us to the tipping point, and now we are needing to add a
new provider as well. Unfortunately, sufficient space is not available in our
current location, so we are moving to the RBC Centura Building on the corner of
Carmel Road and Highway 51 (that is, Pineville-Matthews Road). This site is
only 1.5 miles from our current location, and has easy access to I-485.
Our new location is diagonally across from Carmel Commons
Shopping Center; and adjacent to our office is a Caribou Coffee, Panteraâs,
Rotelliâs Italian Restaurant, and a Bonefish Grill.
We think that you will all enjoy the amenities nearby!
Construction has already begun, and we hope to be moving
into our new quarters by October 1. If you have an upcoming appointment, we
will remind you which location to use!
Our new address will be 7421 Carmel Executive Park Drive,
Suite 320, Charlotte, North Carolina 28226. The telephone numbers, website, and
emails will remain the same.
If you want directions from the previous office to the new
one,
click here.
*
* *
What To Do About The Swine Flu?
In June 2009 the World Health Organization declared that
the spread of a novel H1N1 Swine Flu had reached pandemic levels. At the time
of this writing, the swine flu has become widespread in the southern United
States, especially the Southeast. However, the illness prevalence, the number
of doctor visits, and the morbidity is still no worse than the usual seasonal
influenza. It is expected that the number of cases will increase as school
resumes because H1N1 is rapidly spread by coughing and sneezing, hand-to-hand,
or hand-to-body contact.
Many patients have been alarmed by reports of the
seriousness and infectivity of this new flu, and have asked if vaccination is
advisable.
Our usual recommendations on influenza vaccinations are
that they have been known to trigger flares of CFS/ME/FM, that many PWCs to do
not respond to vaccination anyway, and that viral infections are uncommon in
most PWCs due to upregulation of the immune system. Therefore, we would
recommend seasonal flu vaccination only if you have tolerated these well in the
past and if you are at high risk.
Because the current swine flu is so novel, a new vaccine
needs to be produced. This is not expected to be available until late October.
Unlike seasonal influenza, H1N1 mostly attacks younger age groups, particularly
under age 24.
Vaccine availability will be limited, so it will be offered to specific target
groups first. These include pregnant women, people who live with or care for
children younger than 6 months of age, healthcare and emergency medical services
personnel, persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old, and people
ages of 25 through 64 years of age who are at higher risk for novel H1N1 because
of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems. We do NOT consider
the immune system in CFS/ME to be compromised to the point of being ãhigh riskä
unless there is a history of frequent viral infections and/or pneumonia.
Based on information available at this time, H1N1
immunization may not be available to the majority of our patients until late
Fall, perhaps well after the swine flu peak. Therefore, we are recommending
that our patients
á
avoid crowds and sick people (especially coughers and sneezers!)
á
wash your hands frequently or use alcohol-based hand cleansers
á
avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with your bare hands
The symptoms of novel H1N1 flu virus in people include
fever, cough, sore throat, and runny nose, body aches, headache,
chills and fatigue, possibly diarrhea and vomiting. If you suspect that you
have contracted swine flu
á
immediately contact your primary care office or Hunter-Hopkins for
advice and possibly medication
á
avoid contact with others for at least 24 hours after the fever
subsides
á
consider wearing a surgical face mask if others are around you
á
recognize these warnings signs and seek medical assistance
immediately for difficulty breathing or
shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness,
increased confusion, severe or persistent vomiting, and flu-like symptoms that
improve but then return with fever and worse cough
In lieu of swine flu vaccination two antiviral medications
can be taken to reduce the symptoms and severity of the illness. These must be
started within 48 hours of illness onset, and are not recommended for
prevention of the flu. The adult doses of these medications are Tamiflu/oseltamivir
(75 mg tablets taken twice daily for 5 days) or Relenza /zanamivir (two
inhalations twice daily).
For more information go to the Center for Disease Control
website at
www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/
*
* *
Help! Weâre Swamped!
You probably do not realize how many requests
Hunter-Hopkins receives each day for prescriptions, recommendations, letters,
and insurance forms but this picture may give you a clue. An office chart needs
to be pulled for each request we receive, and a typical day of requests is
illustrated here. ö perhaps one hundred unique queries! Our goal is to answer
every request within 24 hours, but sometimes vacation, tight schedules, and
emergencies make this goal impossible to meet. So if you do have a request,
please be patient and understanding with us! Expect 2-3 days for prescriptions
to be filled and up to 4 weeks for forms and letters to be completed.
*
* *
Ampligen Update
I spoke recently with Hemispherx Biopharmaâs medical
director, Dr. David Strayer, who told me that Ampligen was on an FDA fast track
for consideration, and that the deadline for a decision would be August 25,
2009. If the FDA failed to respond by that time, then legally the agency was
under no time constraints and could take months to years to give a final
decision. At the time of this writing (August 29), we have not heard of any
response from the FDA ö postivie or negative ö and so approval of this
medication is currently in limbo.
We continue to offer Ampligen under the cost-recovery (aka
compassionate care) AMP-511 Protocol. Interested individuals should consult the
information on our website at
http://www.drlapp.net/ampligen.htm .
*
* *
Tips From Other Patients
Discounted Generics
With the cost of medication rising regularly, itâs nice to
know that WalMart offers several hundred frequently prescribed generic
medications at a reduced price of $4 per 30-day supply and $10 for a 90-day
supply. A list of these discounted medications can be found at
http://i.walmartimages.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/customer_list.pdf .
Some 90-day prescriptions can be delivered right to your
door!
Other pharmacies have responded to WalMart by offering
similar discounts. These include Target, Bi-Lo, and Kroger pharmacies ö although
you may have to ask for the discount. Walgreenâs offers a similar list of
discounted generics, but there is a ãmembership feeä of $35 annually.
Low Cost Prescriptions
Some of the lowest prescription prices can be found at the
ãclubä pharmacies such as Samâs Club, BJâs, and Costco. We are told that you do
not need to be a club member to use the pharmacy services. If you are stopped
at the entrance for a membership card, just tell them you are only using the
pharmacy.
Get Local Help
Many times we have encouraged ãThe Three Dâsä: Delay
important activities until the best part of your day, Defer activity to
another day if you are not feeling well, and Delegate some of your
work. But how do you find someone to help. Many of our patients are using
internet services such as
www.care.com , Craigâs List, and Angieâs List (www.angieslist.com)
to locate helpers in their area. Care, for example, can recommend
babysitters, care providers, housekeepers, and even special needs specialists.
This email newsletter is published periodically by
Hunter-Hopkins Center, P.A., 10344 Park Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28210,
USA. Telephone (704) 543 9692, Fax (704) 543 8547.
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