Some American girls are developing breasts as young as age seven, researchers have found. Although there’s no conclusive evidence as to what is causing girls to develop early signs of puberty, environmental exposure to estrogens and chemicals that mimic estrogen are among the key factors suspected. The early onset of puberty may lead to obesity, hormone imbalances and cancer.

A new study, published in the August 9, 2010, online issue of the journal Pediatrics, looked at more than 1,200 girls age six to eight examined between 2004 and 2006, in New York, Ohio and California. It compared the age when the girls showed early signs of puberty with the results of a similar study from 13 years ago.

Over that time period, the age at which girls began showing early signs of puberty decreased significantly among all races:

Among 7 year-olds, about 10.4% of white girls, 23.4% of black girls and almost 15% Hispanic girls had started developing breasts.

Among eight-year-olds, 18.3%of white girls, nearly 43% of black girls and just under 31% of Hispanic girls showed evidence of breast development.

The rate has about doubled since 1977, when 5.0% of 7 year-old white girls showed signs of breast develoopment and 15.4% of black girls. No comparison data was available for Hispanic girls.

“The proportion of girls who had breast development at ages seven and eight years, particularly among white girls, is greater than that reported from studies of girls who were born 10 to 30 years earlier,” the study’s authors concluded.

Lead author Dr. Frank Biro of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and his co-authors explained that the stage of development in which a girl’s breasts begin to “bud” is considered the onset of puberty, not her first menstrual cycle.

The average age of the first period has declined as well, says Nickel. “Girls used to get their first menstrual period at 14 or 15,” she says, but now the average is closer to 12.

Previous research on puberty, specifically the menstrual cycle, has indicated that girls who start menstruating at age 11 or younger have an increased life-long risk of breast cancer.

Suspected Cause: Environmental Exposure to Estrogens

The researchers have no conclusive evidence about what could be causing girls to develop teenage bodies earlier. They postulated that obesity could be a factor since girls who developed breasts early tended to have a higher body-mass index than those who didn’t.

New research shows that chemicals in plastics may lead to obesity, early puberty, endocrine disruption and cancer.

Chemicals in Plastics mimic Estrogen

Dr. Frank Biro of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital said no matter where they are found, pollutants that mimic the female hormone estrogen might also be contributing to early puberty. Whether these pollutants are found in the food that they’ve eaten, products used for personal care, or even products used at their homes they are all contributing factors.

Estrogenic Compounds in Plastics Linked to Cancer

Chemicals in the environment – most notably bisphenol-A (BPA), and Polythylene Terephthalate (PETE), are found in many plastic bottles widely used for water, sodas, fruit juices, sports drinks, ketchup, mayonnaise, peanut butter, vinegar and just about every other food you can think of.

These estrogenic chemicals leach into the bottles’ contents and they have now been linked to the disruption of both male and female hormones and may be a significant reason for the early onset of puberty and the dramatic increase in PMS, uterine fibroids, endometriosis and breast and ovarian cancer.

Researchers at the University of Missouri found that one bottled water brand spurred a 78% increase in the growth of the breast cancer cells compared to the control sample, with 1,200 initial breast cancer cells multiplying to 32,000 in 4 days, versus only 18,000 for the control sample.

This study indicates that chemical contaminants in the bottled water sample stimulated accelerated division of cancer cells. When estrogen-blocking chemicals were added, the effect was inhibited, showing that the cancer-spurring chemicals mimic estrogen, a hormone linked to breast cancer.

While the specific chemical(s) responsible for this cancer cell proliferation were not identified in this pilot study, ingestion of endocrine-disrupting and cancer-promoting chemicals from plastics is considered to be a potentially important health concern (Naidenko O, Leiba N, Sharp R, Houlihan J. 2008. Bottled water quality investigation. Ref.: http://www.ewg.org/reports/bottledwater).

A growing body of research links PETE from plastics with a variety of adverse outcomes, including increased body fat and insulin resistance (Grün and Blumberg 2009), decreased anogenital distance in male infants (Swan et al. 2005), decreased levels of sex hormones (Pan et al. 2006), and other consequences for the human reproductive system, both for females and males (reviewed by Hauser and Calafat 2005). Infants and children may be especially vulnerable to the toxic effects of PETE (Sathyanarayana 2008).

All of this indicates that early onset of puberty and childhood obesity may be the result of environmental exposure to plastics during early childhood or from prenatal exposure during pregnancy.

Estrogens also found in Dairy products and Beef

The synthetic drug 17-beta-Estradiol is fed to beef cows in the U.S. to make them put on more weight so they can get them to market sooner and sell them for more money.

Estradiol is also concentrated in milk due to modern dairy farming techniques designed to boost milk production, including feeding cows hormones and milking pregnant cows until very late in their pregnancy.

Unfortunately, the trade-off we suffer is a higher rate of Estrogen induced disease, including cancer, which is not recognized or at least not admitted by the Dairy and Beef Industry.

Dr. Hansen’s Rx

To protect yourself and your family here’s what Dr. Hansen recommends:

1. Avoid environmental estrogen exposure wherever possible.

Eliminate or reduce exposure to plastics, especially PETE (Recyclable #1) and BP-A (Recyclable # 7).

Make your own at home or look for products that come in glass jars, e.g. Apple Juice, Spaghetti Sauce, Water, etc.

If you use bottled water, make sure not to store your bottles in your hot garage. Heating plastic bottles will greatly increase the amount of estrogenic chemicals that leach into the water or soda, etc.

Eat beef and dairy sparingly and eat only organic beef and dairy products (hormone and antibiotic free) when you do eat them.

2. Eat Brassica family vegetables (broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower) often. They contain Indole-3-carbinol, which activates rapid clearing of estrogens out of the body.

3. Test your hormones, especially if you have any symptoms of Endocrine Disruption, including PMS, Irregular Menstrual Cycles, Heavy Periods, Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids, Hot Flashes, Osteopenia, Osteoporosis, etc.

4. Take natural bio-identical progesterone to counteract the harmful effects of the environmental exposure to estrogens. Progesterone activates Tumor Suppressor Protein. Breast cancer cells do not multiply when women have a sufficient supply of progesterone. Progesterone likewise also prevents cancer of the ovaries and uterus as well as the lungs.

To learn more about Natural Bio-Identical Progesterone, click here.

To learn more about how PETE plastics may affect your health, click here.

As many as 50 million Americans have allergies, including 36 million who suffer from seasonal allergies and at least 14 million who have food allergies.

Seasonal Allergies, also known as hay fever, can make you miserable. Millions of Americans hate the springtime because for them it means constant sneezing, congestion, watery, itchy eyes, runny nose, mental dullness, poor concentration, headaches and fatigue.

Most Americans reach for a prescription drug or OTC anti-histamine to treat their allergies, however, these drugs often cause significant adverse effects and unwanted symptoms that can be worse than the allergies.

What does Dr. Hansen Recommend for Seasonal Allergies?

Dr. Hansen says, “If you want to stop allergic symptoms fast without resorting to taking drugs, you can take the formula that I prescribe to my patients called Flavinox™. It contains a combination of Leucoselect® grape seed extract (equivalent to 4 lbs of seeded grapes), green tea extract, quercitin from onion skins and Vitamin C.

Leucoselect® grape seed extract is sold as a prescription drug in France and Germany, but is available without a prescription in Flavinox™.

I have seen many patients who come to my office in the spring carrying a box of Kleenex and their Claritin or Zyrtec who are still sneezing incessantly, and unable to see out of their watery red eyes and unable to think due to hay fever congestion.

Some are skeptical to learn that their allergies are due to a deficiency of bioflavonoids, but they are quickly convinced when their hay fever symptoms clear up within 15 minutes after taking their first dose of Flavinox™.

For more information and the recommended dose for Flavinox™, the natural alternative to Allegra, Claritin and Zyrtec®, click here.

What Causes Seasonal Hayfever Allergies?

People who have allergies have an immune system that is over reacting to a normally harmless substance such as pollen, mold, animal dander, etc. These substances are called allergens.

Mast Cells are the cells of the immune system that release histamine and other allergic chemicals that cause allergic symptoms, including a runny nose, sneezing, watery, itchy eyes, itchy throat and swelling of the mucous membranes when triggered by antigens.

All of these symptoms are produced by the body to attempt to remove the allergen from the body. When you get into a dust storm or walk through a field of weeds with lots of pollen blowing in your eyes, nose and lungs, you want your immune system to react to wash the pollen out of your eyes, blow it out of your nose, or cough it out of your lungs. However, you certainly don’t want your Mast Cells over reacting to every single pollen or every food.

When the Mast Cells are healthy they have a thick membrane around them like a thick peel on an orange. However, when the Mast Cells are deficient in bioflavonoids their membranes are very thin. And just like a thin peeled orange that breaks open too easily and squirts its juice all over, a Mast Cell that is lacking bioflavonoids is so thin that it breaks open much too easily and releases its histamine and other allergic chemicals far too easily.

That is why two people who go outside together can have such opposite reactions to inhaling the same air in the Spring. Standing side-by-side, one will take a deep breath and proclaim how much he loves the smell of citrus blossoms in the Spring, while the other stands there sneezing, and wiping her watery itchy eyes, cursing the smell and the wind.

Natural Bioflavonoid Stops Allergy Symptoms Fast!

New research indicates that allergies are caused by a deficiency of specific bioflavonoids known as Proanthocyanidins that are found in fruits and vegetables such as grapes, cranberries, plums, blueberries, raspberries, apples, cherries, pomegranates, tomato skins, green tea and onions. Proanthocyanidins stabilize over reactive Mast Cells and thereby prevent histamine from being released too easily.

When you eat foods rich in Proanthocyanidin bioflavonoids they actually get incorporated directly into cell membranes throughout the body, including Mast Cells. When the Mast Cells are healthy they have a thick membrane around them like a thick peel on an orange. However, when the Mast Cells are deficient in bioflavonoids their membranes are very thin. And just like a thin peeled orange that breaks open too easily and squirts its juice all over, a Mast Cell that is deficient in bioflavonoids is so thin that it breaks open much too easily and releases its histamine and other allergic chemicals far too easily.

When you have enough of these bioflavonoids in your cell membranes the Mast Cells don’t over react. you don’t need a drug to block the histamine. Here is a list of great tasting foods that contain

Table 1. Proanthocyanidin Content of Selected Foods (Units = mg per 100 grams)

Food Proanthocyanidin Grape seeds, raw 373 mg Chocolate, dark 198 mg Plums, red with peel, raw 72 mg Grapes, green, raw 53 mg Cranberries, raw 52 mg Plums, black, with peel, raw 47 mg Apple, Red Delicious, with peel, raw 33 mg Raspberries, raw 17 mg Apple, Golden, with peel, raw 17 mg Strawberries, raw 14 mg Blueberries, raw 13 mg Tea, brewed 13 mg Cherries, raw 10 mg Blackberries, raw 10 mg Wine, sherry 9 mg Grape juice, purple, bottled, unsweetened 7 mg Cranberry juice, bottled 6 mg Pomegranates, raw 1 mg Grape juice, white, canned 0.41 mg

Source: USDA Database for the Proanthocyanidin (monomers-trimers) Content of Slected Foods 2004

Patient Success Stories: Stopping Allergies Fast with Natural Medicines

Deborah, Phoenix, AZ

I had recently purchased your product Flavinox for my 12 year old son who has always suffered from allergies. For years I have been giving him allergy medicine - Claritin, Tylenol, Zyrtec - all types of medicines that didn’t really work and made him very tired and drugged out. I saw Dr Hansen on our morning news show here in Arizona as he was talking about Flavinox, a natural allergy product, and explaining how it works and it really made sense to me. I drove over to the Scottsdale office that morning to get a bottle and went directly to my sons school to start him on these capsules.

When he came home from school about 3 hours later he was like a different person than when he left that morning. I could see it in his face and eyes. He was feeling 100% better and he told me about an hour after he took the capsule he could feel the difference and he kept feeling better as the day went on. Since then I have been giving him about 3 capsules a day and he’s a baseball player so sometimes before a game I give him an extra one and I am truly amazed at how Flavinox has really made a difference in his allergies. No more drowsy, drugged out state. No more sneezing 20 times in a row or constant watery eyes and runny nose. I have recommended this to everyone I talk to and know this product has been the answer for my son.

Anne Marie, Scottsdale, AZ

All three of my sons have been suffering from sinus allergies for years. After two weeks on Flavinox herbal allergy formula the boys no longer have any sniffling, sneezing or congestion. Flavinox has stopped the sinus allergy reactions in all three of my sons-a special blessing to my 6-year-old because I was afraid that I was going to have to give away our cats to stop his allergies. The kids are most grateful. They now call you the doctor who saved our cats! Thank you!

I have battled skin allergies for year. After two weeks on Flavinox my skin cleared up completely and has stayed clear. As soon as I feel any food allergy symptoms I now take the Flavinox and it stops the itching without the side-effects that allergy medicines cause. Thanks so much!

Missy Gilliland, Phoenix, AZ

I am a horse trainer and I run a Dressage Horse Training Stable. I spend most of my time outdoors every day riding horses and giving lessons. Every spring, my hayfever allergies flare up. They are horrific when the dust, the wind and the pollen combine. I have tried all of the anti-allergy drugs, including Allegra, Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec, etc. and they just don’t stop my eyes from itching, burning and watering. At times my allergies get so bad that I can barely see or think. But within 15 minutes of taking my first dose of Flavinox my hayfever symptoms completely stopped and I could see and think clearly again. Flavinox is simply fantastic.

John, Phoenix, AZ

I work in the home inspection business and spend a lot of time outside. Every year I suffer with seasonal hayfever allergies. I have tried almost every medicine on the market. None of them seem to work very well and they make me feel drowsy and irritable, so I usually just suffer through the springtime with a drippy nose and tearing eyes that itch and sting. Fortunately, last spring, a very nice lady saw me suffering while I was working at her home. She offered to share her Flavinox herbal allergy formula with me. She said here take this and you’ll clear up in a few minutes. I was skeptical, but she was so nice and assuring that I said okay. Sure enough, within 15 minutes, before I had finished my inspection, my drippy nose and watery, itchy eyes had all cleared up. I had been suffering with allergies for so long that I had forgotten how good it felt to be clear headed. I will be forever grateful for the kind lady who cured my allergies by telling me about the Flavinox natural allergy formula.

Don’t do Drugs!

Most drugs work by blocking a normal body function rather than correcting the problem and they all have side effects. The top selling allergy drugs are no exception, including Allegra, Benadryl, Claritin, and Zyrtec. They all work by blocking histamine, which temporarily relieves some of the symptoms but often cause headaches, dry mouth, fatigue and drowsiness as well. Some side-effects can be life-threatening. Seldane (terfenadine) was taken off of the market because it was found to cause fatal heart irregularities. It was replaced by Allegra (fexofenadine) which is a metabolite of Seldane.

Anti-histamine Drug Side-Effects:

Common side-effects include headaches, fatigue, drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness, cough, upper respiratory infections, back pain, painful menses and hyperactivity in children; very young children are usually more sensitive to the effects of anti-histamines; symptoms may include increases in blood pressure, nightmares or unusual excitement, nervousness, restlessness, or irritability.

Additionally, anti-histamines have side-effects that are not reported in the patient information or in the physician’s drug reference manual because the clinical trials used by the drug companies to establish the effectiveness of the drugs are often too short and conducted on too few patients.

The average clinical trial for the current anti-histamine drugs lasted only 2-4 weeks and included only 2500 to 5000 patients. It is only when these drugs are used for longer periods of time on millions of people that we discover the true and complete list of side-effects.

Additional Side-Effects discovered after the initial clinical trials include depression, irritability, uncontrollable crying, anxiety, irrational behavior, rage, aggression, muscle and joint pain, erratic sleep, fatigue on waking. Here is a representative sample of side-effects registered by patients after the initial clinical trials.

Patient Reported Side-Effects (See www.AskaPatient.com to view more patient reports)

Zyrtec Side-effects (3/31/2010): heart palpitations-rapid and irregular heartbeats; severe muscle pain-leg cramps and bursitis; chronic fatigue-felt exhausted all the time; nosebleeds; mental fog-unable to concentrate; difficulty finishing a sentence because I would forget what I was saying. The palpitations caused me to be diagnosed with atrial fibrillation in the ER a month ago. My leg muscle pain was so bad I couldn’t walk 1/4 of a block. Bursitis so bad at night I couldn’t sleep. I stopped taking Zyrtec 4 days ago and everything except the palpitations has disappeared. AVOID ZYRTEC !!!

Zyrtec Side-effects: My 5-year-old developed extremely volatile mood swings, including tearfulness, depression and erratic sleep patterns. They began the day I started giving him Children’s Zyrtec and ended the day after I stopped giving it to him.

Zyrtec Side-effects (3/27/2010): I gave this to my 9 year old son who just struggles with awful allergies to everything. 1 tsp about 6 pm. He went to sleep at 8pm and slept soundly for a while with no sneezing but still sniffling. Woke up around 2 am and was just angry. Yelling, stomping, gritting his teeth mad at everything. Couple hours later fell asleep .Got up for breakfast in a worse rage. Went from room to room forgetting why he went there.

I kept him home from school, he fell back asleep after breakfast and woke up at 1:30pm (when I woke him up) Wow, that was scary. Never again. This completely changed his personality in one dose and he was very, very sleepy with it. I really was hoping we had found something to help him. I’m angry I wasn’t warned.

Zyrtec Side-effects:My 7 year old daughter took Zyrtec for 1 1/2 weeks. I am sorry that I ever put her on it. She is a sweet, loving child who behaves very well. She turned into a demon child. She lost her appetite and would not eat anything at all. She complained about stomach aches and dry throat. She was afraid to eat or drink because she said her throat felt as if it would close up.

This drug should be taken off of the market immediately. I spoke to several moms tonight at a PTA meeting and they had the same complaints about their children. My daughter would scream at me and tell me that I don’t understand her. She would wake up and just start yelling at me. Normally she would wake up happy every day. She was not herself in anyway. I took her off of the Zyrtec and within 4 days her appetite came back and my sweet, loving, caring child came back. It breaks my heart that I put her through that grief. Never again.

Claritin Side-effects: Cleared my sinuses but caused foggy head, inability to complete fairly simple tasks, sweating and sense of not feeling like myself. Possibly also caused bouts of short temper and snapping at my family. This drug should not be OTC. There should be a very clear warning about possibility of ‘foggy head’, and depressive symptoms in particular.

IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE TO MARKET THIS DRUG AS NON-DROWSY as it easily leads the consumer to believe there is little danger of not being able to function normally at home and at work, NOT TO MENTION DRIVING A VEHICLE.

BE VERY CAUTIOUS WHEN TAKING THIS DRUG. I would start taking it over the weekend or when you can stay home for a couple of days to be able to assess what side effects you may experience. Also, if you have family, it would be good to have another grownup around to care for the kids in case you feel foggy or have depressive symptoms. DO NOT GIVE CLARITIN TO KIDS.

Allegra Side-Effects: So glad I found this site!(www.askapatient.com) I to was perfectly fine till I started taking allegra. I experienced weakness, insomnia, problems with my stomach, confusion, depression, mood swings, extreme tiredness, heart palpitations, tremors, leg pain. I still do not feel quite myself. I would rather suffer with all the symptoms of allergies than face what I have over the last month. Wish I would have found this site before I started taking the allegra. If taking this drug and you experience any unusual symptoms “STOP TAKING THIS DRUG” This has been a nightmare!

Allegra Side-Effects: Extreme anxiety, panic attacks, hopelessness, depression, crying, general paranoia and feeling on the brink of craziness. I wish I had found this site (www.askapatient.com) earlier - I have had the most horrible 7 months (emotionally) while taking this drug - the only time I felt like “myself” was when I was not taking it, but since it is an allergy drug I never made the connection. It works wonderfully to deal with allergies, but it seems to amplify all sorts of emotions to a dangerous level (for some people). Wow, after seeing other similar reviews, I am stopping IMMEDIATELY.

How to Stop Hay Fever Allergies Fast

Unlike the drugs that only block histamine or histamine receptors but never cure the problem, nature makes some great tasting foods that actually stop the symptoms by correcting the cause of the allergic hypersensitivity.

If you want to stop Hay Fever symptoms fast you can take the formula that I prescribe to my patients. It is called Flavinox^TM and it contains a combination of Leucoselect® grape seed extract, green tea extract, quercitin from onion skins and vitamin C.

Leucoselect® grape seed extract is sold as a prescription drug in France and Germany, but is available without a prescription in Flavinox^TM.

I have seen many patients who come to my office in the Spring carrying a box of Kleenex and their Claritin or Zyrtec who are still sneezing incessantly, and unable to see out of their watery red eyes and unable to think due to Hay Fever congestion. Some are skeptical to learn that their allergies are due to a deficiency of bioflavonoids, but they are quickly convinced when their Hay Fever symptoms clear up within 15 minutes after taking their first dose of Flavinox^TM.

For more information about Flavinox™, the natural alternative to Allegra, Claritin and Zyrtec®, click here.

How About Food Allergies
Unlike airborne allergies and a few food allergies that are associated with IgE antibodies that cause immediate hypersensitivty reactions, most food allergies are associated with IgG antibodies and cause delayed hypersensitivity reactions that typically take 8 to 72 hours to manifest.

Food allergies may be the cause of your fatigue, moodiness, eczema, asthma, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches and even weight gain, as well as your child’s temper tantrums or ADHD and auto immune disorders including multiple sclerosis. You can reduce your food allergy symptoms by getting more proanthocyanidin bioflavonoids but to eliminate them completely you need to avoid them for 120 days.

Food Allergy Success Stories

Delaney was only 2 1/2 years old when her mom first brought her to see me. She had severe mood swings and temper tantrums. At times she would screech non-stop every 30 seconds for hours, or slap hands in the air repeatedly for hours. She would fly into a rage within 45 minutes of eating wheat and became a little devil. Once we determined her allergy foods and eliminated them she turned into an angel. She is a different person now, sweet and patient and helpful. The transformation was truly amazing.

Donna was a 45 year old woman who suffered from Multiple Sclerosis. She was always fatigued and had been plagued by weakness and numbness for years before her diagnosis. Once we tested and eliminated her food allergies all of her symptoms went into remission. She felt so great and had so much energy that she asked if she could stay on the allergy elimination diet forever.

Katherine came to see me because she was stressed out. She was anxious, depressed and overweight. A 34 year old hair dresser, she had tried to lose weight but couldn’t. She was working out and eating next to nothing but still couldn’t lose weight until we discovered the foods that she was allergic to. Once she eliminated those foods, the pounds just seemed to melt away and she went from size 12 to size 4 in four months on the allergy elimination diet. She looks sensational and feels great.

Heather is a 35 year old mom of 3 who was 70 lbs over weight and could not lose the weight even though she ate very few calories and exercised daily. After testing and finding out that she was allergic to she lost 70 lbs in 5 months. She couldn’t believe how easy it was once she eliminated the trigger foods that were causing her body to hold onto the extra weight.

Food Allergy Testing
If you or your family members have any of these conditions you should get tested. At the Hansen Clinic we perform an advanced allergy test that requires only one tube of blood to test both IgE and IgG allergies in 100 foods. The old-fashioned scratch test is inferior because it only measures IgE allergies only. It is also barbaric because it requires 100 different injections of the suspected allergens under the skin to test 100 items.

For more information about our advanced allergy testing, click here.

Stop Your Allergies Fast Without Drugs

Seasonal Allergies can make you miserable. Millions of Americans hate the springtime because for them it means constant sneezing, congestion, watery, itchy eyes, runny nose, mental dullness, poor concentration, headaches and fatigue. Most Americans reach for a prescription drug or OTC anti-histamine to treat their allergies, however, these drugs often cause new symptoms that can be worse than the allergies.

New research indicates that allergies are due to a deficiency of specific bioflavonoids found in certain fruits and vegetables. This is good news for millions of allergy sufferers because it means that if they correct the deficiency in their diet they may be able to cure their allergies completely. As many as 50 million Americans have allergies, including 36 million who suffer from seasonal allergies, or hayfever and 14 million who endure food allergies.

Most drugs work by blocking a normal body function rather than correcting the problem and they all have side effects. The top selling allergy drugs are no exception, including Allegra, Benadryl, Claritin, and Zyrtec. They all work by blocking histamine, which temporarily relieves some of the symptoms but often cause headaches, dry mouth, fatigue and drowsiness as well. Some side-effects can be life-threatening. Seldane (terfenadine) was taken off of the market because it was found to cause fatal heart irregularities. It was replaced by Allegra (fexofenadine) which is a metabolite of Seldane.

Anti-histamine Drug Side-Effects:

Common side-effects include headaches, fatigue, drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness, cough, upper respiratory infections, back pain, painful menses and hyperactivity in children; very young children are usually more sensitive to the effects of anti-histamines; symptoms may include increases in blood pressure, nightmares or unusual excitement, nervousness, restlessness, or irritability.

Additionally, anti-histamines have side-effects that are not reported in the patient information or in the physician’s drug reference manual because the clinical trials used by the drug companies to establish the effectiveness of the drugs are often too short and conducted on too few patients. The average clinical trial for the current anti-histamine drugs lasted only 2-4 weeks and included only 2500-5000 patients. It is only when these drugs are used for longer periods of time on millions of people that we discover the true and complete list of side-effects.

Additional Side-Effects discovered after the initial clinical trials include depression, irritability, uncontrollable crying, anxiety, irrational behavior, rage, aggression, muscle and joint pain, erratic sleep, fatigue on waking. Here is a representative sample of side-effects registered by patients after the initial clinical trials.

Patient Reported Side-Effects (See www.AskaPatient.com to view more patient reports)

Zyrtec Side-effects: My 5-year-old developed an extremely volatile mood swings, including tearfulness, depression and erratic sleep patterns. They began the day I started giving him Children’s Zyrtec and ended the day after I stopped giving it to him.

Zyrtec Side-effects:My 7 year old daughter took Zyrtec for 1 1/2 weeks. I am sorry that I ever put her on it. She is a sweet, loving child who behaves very well. She turned into a demon child. She lost her appetite and would not eat anything at all. She complained about stomach aches and dry throat. She was afraid to eat or drink because she said her throat felt as if it would close up. This drug should be taken off of the market immediately. I spoke to several moms tonight at a PTA meeting and they had the same complaints about their children. My daughter would scream at me and tell me that I don’t understand her. She would wake up and just start yelling at me. Normally she would wake up happy every day. She was not herself in anyway. I took her off of the Zyrtec and within 4 days her appetite came back and my sweet, loving, caring child came back. It breaks my heart that I put her through that grief. Never again.

Claritin Side-effects: Cleared my sinuses but caused foggy head, inability to complete fairly simple tasks, sweating and sense of not feeling like myself. Possibly also caused bouts of short temper and snapping at my family. This drug should not be OTC. There should be a very clear warning about possibility of ‘foggy head’, and depressive symptoms in particular. IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE TO MARKET THIS DRUG AS NON-DROWSY as it easily leads the consumer to believe there is little danger of not being able to function normally at home and at work, NOT TO MENTION DRIVING A VEHICLE. BE VERY CAUTIOUS WHEN TAKING THIS DRUG. I would start taking it over the weekend or when you can stay home for a couple of days to be able to asses what side effects you may experience. Also, if you have family, it would be good to have another grownup around to care for the kids in case you feel foggy or have depressive symptoms. DO NOT GIVE CLARITIN TO KIDS.

Allegra Side-Effects: Extreme anxiety, panic attacks, hopelessness, depression, crying, general paranoia and feeling on the brink of craziness. I wish I had found this site (www.askapatient.com) earlier - I have had the most horrible 7 months (emotionally) while taking this drug - the only time I felt like “myself” was when I was not taking it, but since it is an allergy drug I never made the connection. It works wonderfully to deal with allergies, but it seems to amplify all sorts of emotions to a dangerous level (for some people). Wow, after seeing other similar reviews, I am stopping IMMEDIATELY.

Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”

Natural Allergy Treatment
Unlike the drugs that only block histamine or histamine receptors but never cure the problem, nature makes some great tasting foods that actually stop the symptoms by correcting the cause of the allergic hypersensitivity without causing any side-effects. Fruits and vegetables that contain proanthocyanidin bioflavanoids strengthen the Mast Cells of the immune system and stop them from releasing histamine and other allergic chemicals that cause the symptoms of a runny nose, sneezing, tearing, itchy eyes, itchy throat and swelling of the mucous membranes, etc. These unique bioflavonoids, found in grapes and grape seeds, apples, tomato skins, green tea and onions stabilize hypersensitive Mast Cells and thereby prevent histamine from being released too easily. When you have enough proanthocyanidin bioflavonoids in your cell membranes you don’t need a drug to block the histamine.

Why You Need Procyanidin Bioflavonoids
When you eat foods rich in proanthocyanidin bioflavonoids they actually get incorporated directly into cell membranes throughout the body, including Mast Cells. When the Mast Cells are healthy they have a thick membrane around them like a thick peel on an orange. However, when the Mast Cells are deficient in bioflavonoids their membranes are very thin. And just like a thin peeled orange that breaks open too easily and squirts its juice all over, a Mast Cell that is deficient in bioflavonoids is so thin that it breaks open much too easily and releases its histamine and other allergic chemicals far too easily.

How to Stop Hay Fever Allergies Fast
To stabilize your Mast Cells and stop them from releasing too much histamine and other allergic and inflammatory chemicals you need to build up your Mast Cell membranes by eating proanthocyanidin rich foods every day. It will take several months to correct a proanthocyanidin deficiency by diet alone. However, if you want to stop allergic symptoms fast you can take the formula that I prescribe to my patients. It is called Flavinox and it contains a combination of Leucoselect® grape seed extract (equivalent to 4 lbs of seeded grapes), green tea extract, quercitin from onion skins and vitamin C. Leucoselect® grape seed extract is sold as a prescription drug in France and Germany, but is available without a prescription in Flavinox.

I have seen many patients who come to my office in the Spring carrying a box of Kleenex and their Claritin or Zyrtec who are still sneezing incessantly, and unable to see out of their watery red eyes and unable to think due to Hay Fever congestion. Some are skeptical to learn that their allergies are due to a deficiency of bioflavonoids, but they are quickly convinced when their Hay Fever symptoms clear up within 30 minutes after taking their first dose of Flavinox.

Patient Success Stories: Stopping Allergies Fast with Natural Medicines

Deborah, Phoenix, AZ

I had recently purchased your product Flavinox for my 12 year old son who has always suffered from allergies. For years I have been giving him allergy medicine - Claritin, Tylenol, Zyrtec - all types of medicines that didn’t really work and made him very tired and drugged out. I saw Dr Hansen on our morning news show here in Arizona as he was talking about Flavinox, a natural allergy product, and explaining how it works and it really made sense to me. I drove over to the Scottsdale office that morning to get a bottle and went directly to my sons school to start him on these capsules.

When he came home from school about 3 hours later he was like a different person than when he left that morning. I could see it in his face and eyes. He was feeling 100% better and he told me about an hour after he took the capsule he could feel the difference and he kept feeling better as the day went on. Since then I have been giving him about 3 capsules a day and he’s a baseball player so sometimes before a game I give him an extra one and I am truly amazed at how Flavinox has really made a difference in his allergies. No more drowsy, drugged out state. No more sneezing 20 times in a row or constant watery eyes and runny nose. I have recommended this to everyone I talk to and know this product has been the answer for my son.

Anne Marie, Scottsdale, AZ

All three of my sons have been suffering from sinus allergies for years. After two weeks on Flavinox heerbal allergy formula the boys no longer have any sniffling, sneezing or congestion. Flavinox has stopped the sinus allergy reactions in all three of my sons-a special blessing to my 6-year-old because I was afraid that I was going to have to give away our cats to stop his allergies. The kids are most grateful. They now call you the doctor who saved our cats! Thank you!

I have battled skin allergies for year. After two weeks on Flavinox my skin cleared up completely and has stayed clear. As soon as I feel any food allergy symptoms I now take the Flavinox and it stops the itching without the side-effects that allergy medicines cause. Thanks so much!

Missy Gilliland, Phoenix, AZ

I am a horse trainer and I run a Dressage HorseTraining Stable. I spend most of my time outdoors every day riding horses and giving lessons. Every spring, my hayfever allergies flare up. They are horrific when the dust, the wind and the pollen combine. I have tried all of the anti-allergy drugs, including Allegra, Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec, etc. and they just don’t stop my eyes from itching, burning and watering. At times my allergies get so bad that I can barely see or think. But within 15 minutes of taking my first dose of Flavinox my hayfever symptoms completely stopped and I could see and think clearly again. Flavinox is simply fantastic.

John, Phoenix, AZ

I work in the home inspection business and spend a lot of time outside. Every year I suffer with seasonal hayfever allergies. I have tried almost every medicine on the market. None of them seem to work very well and they make me feel drowsy and irritable, so I usually just suffer through the springtime with a drippy nose and tearing eyes that itch and sting. Fortunately, last spring, a very nice lady saw me suffering while I was working at her home. She offered to share her Flavinox herbal allergy formula with me. She said here take this and you’ll clear up in a few minutes. I was skeptical, but she was so nice and assuring that I said okay. Sure enough, within 15 minutes, before I had finished my inspection, my drippy nose and watery, itchy eyes had all cleared up. I had been suffering with allergies for so long that I had forgotten how good it felt to be clear headed. I will be forever grateful for the kind lady who cured my allergies by telling me about the Flavinox natural allergy formula.

Food Allergies
Unlike airborne allergies and a few food allergies that are associated with IgE antibodies and cause immediate hypersensitivty reactions, most food allergies are associated with IgG antibodies and cause delayed hypersensitivity reactions that typically take 8 to 72 hours to manifest. Food allergies can be the cause of your fatigue, moodiness, eczema, asthma, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches and even weight gain, as well as your child’s temper tantrums or ADHD and auto immune disorders including multiple sclerosis. You can reduce your food allergy symptoms by getting more proanthocyanidin bioflavonoids but to eliminate them completely you need to avoid them for 120 days.

More Patient Stories
Delaney was only 2 1/2 years old when her mom first brought her to see me. She had severe mood swings and temper tantrums. At times she would screech non-stop every 30 seconds for hours, or slap hands in the air repeatedly for hours. She would fly into a rage within 45 minutes of eating wheat and became a little devil. Once we determined her allergy foods and eliminated them she turned into an angel. She is a different person now, sweet and patient and helpful. The transformation was truly amazing.

Donna was a 45 year old woman who suffered from Multiple Sclerosis. She was always fatigued and had been plagued by weakness and numbness for years before her diagnosis. Once we tested and eliminated her food allergies all of her symptoms went into remission. She felt so great and had so much energy that she asked if she could stay on the allergy elimination diet forever.

Katherine came to see me because she was stressed out. She was anxious, depressed and overweight. A 34 year old hair dresser, she had tried to lose weight but couldn’t. She was working out and eating next to nothing but still couldn’t lose weight until we discovered the foods that she was allergic to. Once she eliminated those foods, the pounds just seemed to melt away and she went from size 12 to size 4 in four months on the allergy elimination diet. She looks sensational and feels great.

Heather is a 35 year old mom of 3 who was 70 lbs over weight and could not lose the weight even though she ate very few calories and exercised daily. After testing and finding out that she was allergic to she lost 70 lbs in 5 months. She couldn’t believe how easy it was once she eliminated the trigger foods that were causing her body to hold onto the extra weight.

Allergy Testing
If you or your family members have any of these conditions you should get tested. At the Hansen Clinic we perform an advanced allergy test that requires only one tube of blood to test both IgE and IgG allergies in 100 foods. The old-fashioned scratch test is inferior because it only measures IgE allergies. It is also barbaric because it requires 100 different injections of the suspected allergens under the skin to test 100 items.

For more information about our advanced allergy testing, or Flavinox, the fast acting natural alternative to Allegra, Claritin and Zyrtec®, go to www.drhansen.com.

ZYRTEC Side Effects

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=19835&name=ZYRTEC

For years I have been giving my 12 year old son lots of different allergy drugs, including Claritin, Tylenol, Zyrtec and others. None of them really worked and they all made him very tired and drugged out. Recently, I saw Dr Hansen on our morning news show here in Arizona as he was talking about a natural allergy product named Flavinox and explaining how it works and it really made sense to me. I drove over to his Scottsdale office that morning to get a bottle and went directly to my sons school to start him on the capsules. When he came home from school about 3 hours later he was like a different person than when he left that morning. I could see it in his face and eyes. He was feeling 100% better and he told me about an hour after he took the capsule he could feel the difference and he kept feeling better as the day went on. Since then I have been giving him about 3 capsules a day and he’s a baseball player so sometimes before a game I give him an extra one and I am truly amazed

My child had been taking Zyrtec for 3 years. It was a fluke that we discovered her behavior was related to her taking zyrtec. We had run out and skipped a couple of days. Over the last year, we had been having problems with her at school/home with defiant/violent behavior. She’s such a sweet child. Most of the time she didn’t know why she was doing what she was doing. She began to tell us she hated herself because she couldn’t “be good”. It broke out hearts. We had been taking her to a counselor and were getting her screened for ADHD. Don’t give this drug to your children! My beautiful little girl is back to being her sweet self. Is anyone suing???? I can’t believe something isn’t being done. My poor baby suffered for 3 years!!!

My 10 year old son had been taking Zyrtec for the better part of 5 years. He developed intermittent facial and body tics. If we were ever late on picking up his refill for Zyrtec, his tics would stop. Upon restarting the medication the tics would reappear. Although this medication worked wonderfully for his allergies, I don’t think it’s worth any risks.

My 5-year-old developed an extremely volatile mood tending toward tearfulness, depression, erratic sleep patterns. This occurred on the day I started giving him Children’s Zyrtec and ended the day after he ceased to take it.

My 7 year old daughter took this for 1 1/2 weeks. I am sorry that I ever put her on it. She is a sweet, loving child who behaves very well. She turned into a demon child. She lost her appetite and would not eat anything at all. She complained about stomach aches and dry throat. She was afraid to eat or drink because she said her throat felt as if it would close up. This product should be taken off of the market immediately. I spoke to several moms tonight at a PTA meeting and they had the same complaints about their children. My daughter would scream at me and tell me that I don’t understand her. She would wake up and just start yelling at me. My daughter usually wakes up sooo happy every day. She was not herself in anyway. I took her off of the Zyrtec and within 4 days her appetite came back and my sweet, loving, caring child came back. It breaks my heart that I put her through that grief. Never again.

Zyrtec was prescribed years ago by my ENT Doctor and I said I’d never take it again because it made me very drowsy… I did. I really made a bad mistake. In December 2008, it made me act worse than having had several drinks. My friends stayed away from me. Eventually, I passed out. It made sense if years before it made me drowsy, passing out seems like a logical step. I dumped the pills. My perspective: DON’T TAKE IT. We’re inundated with side-effects from drugs so we think, what the heck, they all have side-effects. BUT THIS IS WORSE THAN MANY. You can also forget what the FDA approves or doesn’t and you know how effective governmental oversight has been for years. People taking the drug know best.

 

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=19658&name=CLARITIN

1	allergies,fluid in ear,lightheaded	Paranoia,extreme fatigue,nightmares,very moody. Can’t “let things go”,anxiety,depression,irritability. I did not think it was Claritin until I read everyone having the same symptoms as me. The sniffles went away but lightheadedness is just as bad if not worse.	I am a recovering alcoholic/ addict with 24 yrs of recovery and this stuff is horrid. I could not believe the change in my attitude. This is unacceptable for me. I have probably lost several friends from my actions while on this drug. I will live with my symptoms before I take Claritin again.	M	48	7 days		3/4/2009
1		Seasonal allergy symptoms	My biggest complaint is a dry cotton mouth. After two weeks, I noticed I was constantly sucking or chewing on my tongue or the inside of my mouth! I increased my water intake, but to no avail. Taking a whole dose once a day made my mind race and turned me into a crazy woman. I couldn’t think straight. So I tried taking a half tablet twice a day. I did that for two weeks. I, too, experienced sudden flashes of anger which came out of nowhere. They were fleeting (and didn’t happen every day) but they were frightening. Shortness of breath slowed me down. My husband wasn’t thrilled with my loss of libido. I do have one positive thing to say about it — it DID help with clarity — my brain didn’t feel so fuzzy when I was on it — but it’s not worth the tongue-chewing, dry mouth! I stopped taking it two days ago and got my energy and libido back. My husband is smiling I’m still sucking my tongue, though. It’s quite annoying.	F	55	1 months		3/4/2009
1	extreme post nasal drib	Blocked Eustachian tube, dizziness, painful headaches in the morning but they go away pretty fast after I get up and take a Claritin. Increased blood pressure. Sometimes ringing ears.	After 6 months of taking the daily pill and a benedril at night, I didn’t take them for a couple days and my right Eustachian tube blocked - voices sounded like they were far away down a tunnel, I thought it was excess wax. I went to the doctor and was told that I didn’t have excess wax, the problem was in my inner ear and something to do with a reverse vacuum and to take Claritin and it would be fixed! Doctors know this fixes the problem but don’t tell you that going off of it can cause the problem! But now whenever I try to stop taking Claritin in just one day my ear clogs up again and this doesn’t work for my job that includes a lot of meetings! I am going to try taking the 12 hr kind once a day to slowly get off of it! Benadryl may make me sleepy but coffee helps counteract it and I don’t have side effects when I don’t take it. I don’t take any other medications daily and don’t want to be addicted to Claritin either.	F	53	6 months		3/2/2009
1	for a runny nose	every day i took the drug i’ve gotten a bad bloody nose (im 20 and haven’t had a bloody nose since i was 11)	i do not plan on taking the drug any more I’d rather have a runny nose than a bloody nose	F	20	2 days		2/18/2009 Email
1	Allergies, likely tree pollen	Foggy head, inability to complete fairly simple tasks, sweating, not feeling like myself. Possibly also caused bouts of short temper and snapping at my family.	Cleared my sinuses but did not help with coughing. Spending time in a retail store with superb a/c and ventilation did a better job of stopping symptoms temporarily than Claritin did. Agree with other reviewers this drug should not be OTC but SHOULD require Rx. There should be a very clear warning about possibility of ‘foggy head’, and depressive symptoms in particular. IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE TO MARKET THIS DRUG AS NON-DROWSY as it easily leads the consumer to believe there is little danger of not being able to function normally at home and at work, NOT TO MENTION DRIVING A VEHICLE. BE VERY CAUTIOUS WHEN TAKING THIS DRUG. I would start taking it over the weekend or when you can stay home for a couple of days to be able to asses what side effects you may experience. Also, if you have family, it would be good to have another grownup around to care for the kids in case you feel foggy or have depressive symptoms. DO NOT GIVE CLARITIN TO KIDS WITHOUT CHECKING WITH YOUR DOCTOR FIRST.	F	39	4 days		2/14/2009 Email

1

seasonal allergy

Our 7 year old son had been prescribed claritin for his seasonal allergy. He had been off the medication since last spring and had been a typical fun loving happy boy. I started him back on claritin towards the end of October and I did not put the connection together until tonight as I read all the posts. He has been very irritable, mean, saying he hated himself and he was going to die, he has been having horrible nightmares screaming that big bugs were going to get him and he has been having such drastic mood changes and meltdowns several times a day. We have been so worried, yet at wits end trying to reason with him, Now I feel so bad , as an RN I had not even thought it could be his claritin! Needless to say I just tossed it all down the toilet. I would not recommend this medication for any child!

M

7yr

21 days

11/12/2008 Email

1

seasonal allergies, rhinitis

anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, paranoia, muscle aches, joint pain, backache, neck and shoulder aches, fatigue, listlessnes, disorientation, aggression, thirst, bloating, weight gain, acid reflux, abdominal cramping/pain, gas

I didn’t make the connection that this medicine was causing all of these problems until I came across this site. There was no mention of all the side effects on the packaging. I thought I had some other health problem causing all of this. I ended up at the doctor’s frequently and eventually I was hospitalized. I thought I was becoming mentally ill. I realized that all this started happening after I started taking this medicine on a daily basis. It took me this long to figure out that I was poisoning myself taking this medicine. I would rather suffer with allergies than go through this hell.

F

31

5 months

10/16/2008

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Allegra and Allegra-D (with pseudoephedrine)

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=20625&name=ALLEGRA

1	Sinus infection	EXTREME anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, heart beating out of my chest. (P.S. I have NEVER experienced any anxiety or depression in my lifetime before this medication. I now have a different perspective of what people who are depressed or suffering from anxiety must have to deal with.)	The Allegra D worked extremely well for relieving the nasal congestion, but within 2 weeks I was not sure if I would live. This drug should be banned. My physician only prescribed 2 weeks worth and he stated that Allegra D should not be taken on a regular basis. It’s prescribed use is for a temporary relief such as congestion from a cold, whereas standard Allegra can be taken on a regular basis.	M	46	2 weeks		12/19/2008
1	allergies	My son is 6years old. At the beginning of the month we started him on allegra, due to severe allergies. With in a matter of days his personality changed tremendously. He has always been a high spirited little boy, but rarely got in trouble at school. Within the last two weeks since starting Allegra he has been acting out in class, and acting very strange and silly. the only changes in his life, has been the starting of Allegra. I can say it worked to clear up his allergy symptoms, but it drastically changed his personality. I took him off this weekend and it was the best thing I have ever done.		M	6	3 weeks		11/17/2008
1	Chronic Sinusitis	Craziness, Headaches, Dizzy all the time, Nightsweats and major sleeplessness nights.	This durg SUCKS! Who ever approved this to go on the market should be put in jail. As I read through the comments from other poor souls taking this shit I find everyone is saying the samething. It almost destroyed my life. I HATE Allega-D and the company that makes it. I see a law suite coming!	M	48	7 days		11/14/2008
2	Allergies	Extreme anxiety, panic attacks, hopelessness, depression, crying, general paranoia and feeling on the brink of craziness.	I wish I had found this site earlier - I have had the most horrible 7 months (emotionally) while taking this drug - the only time I felt like “myself” was when I was not taking it, but since it is an allergy drug I never made the connection. It works wonderfully to deal with allergies, but it seems to amplify all sorts of emotions to a dangerous level (for some people). Wow, after seeing other similar reviews, I am stopping IMMEDIATELY.	M	29	7 months		11/1/2008

1

for nasal stuffiness and sneezing

My heart is pounding , I am experiencing tachycardia, restlessness, EXTREME anxiety and worst insomnia.

I took this drug to relieved my nasal congestion, runny nose , frequent sneezing and headache. However the result are extremely bad, right now I am suffering due to lack of sleep, it’s 2am, I am wide awake with my heart pounding right out in my chest.. I feel horrible and so wasted .

F

26

2 days

2/19/2009

1

Severe Allergies & chronic snoring

I started taking Allegra generic 10 days ago to alleviate the constant stuffed head and snoring as a result. By day 8, I found myself irritable, irrational and emotionally depleted finally resulting in screaming at my husband! The only thing that has changed is taking the allegra, so I did some reading on line and luckily, found this blog. It’s very obvious to me, particularly after reading so many reports on this blog, depression can be a side effect of Allegra. I stopped taking it and it’s been 48 hours since my last dose. I’m beginning to feel better. I’ll take the snoring and sniffling over depression any day!

F

46

10 days

2/15/2009

 

Deborah, Phoenix, AZ
I had recently purchased your product Flavinox for my 12 year old son who has always suffered from allergies. For years I have been giving him allergy medicine - Claritin, Tylenol, Zyrtec - all types of medicines that didn’t really work and made him very tired and drugged out. I saw Dr Hansen on our morning news show here in Arizona as he was talking about Flavinox and explaining how it works and it really made sense to me. I drove over to the Scottsdale office that morning to get a bottle and went directly to my sons school to start him on these capsules.

When he came home from school about 3 hours later he was like a different person than when he left that morning. I could see it in his face and eyes. He was feeling 100% better and he told me about an hour after he took the capsule he could feel the difference and he kept feeling better as the day went on. Since then I have been giving him about 3 capsules a day and he’s a baseball player so sometimes before a game I give him an extra one and I am truly amazed at how Flavinox has really made a difference in his allergies. No more drowsy, drugged out state. No more sneezing 20 times in a row or constant watery eyes and runny nose. I have recommended this to everyone I talk to and know this product has been the answer for my son.

Anne Marie, Scottsdale, AZ

Thank you for your advice and wonderful supplements. The Flavinox is especially helpful. All three of my sons have been suffering from sinus allergies for years. After two weeks on Flavinox the boys no longer have any sniffling, sneezing or congestion. The Flavinox has stopped the sinus allergy reactions in all three of my sons-a special blessing to my 6-year-old because I was afraid that I was going to have to give away our cats to stop his allergies. The kids are most grateful. They now call you the doctor who saved our cats! Thank you!

I have battled skin allergies for year. After two weeks on Flavinox my skin cleared up completely and has stayed clear. As soon as I feel any food allergy symptoms I now take the Flavinox and it stops the itching without the side-effects that allergy medicines cause. Thanks so much!

Michele, Scottsdale, AZ

I sale diamonds and fine jewelery for a living. I have had allergies for years that caused so much nasal congestion that I cold hardly speak to my clients. I was embarrassed by my continual runny nose and constant sneezing. Anti-Allergy drugs didn’t help much and made me drowsy. Finally, I found Dr. Hansen’s natural allergy formula Flavinox, which works better than anything else I have ever taken. Taking Flavinox 3 caps twice a day relieved 80% of my nasal congestion and stopped my constant sneezing and runny nose without causing any drowsiness. Now I feel great.

Missy Gilliland, Phoenix, AZ

I am a horse trainer and I run a Dressage HorseTraining Stable. I spend most of my time outdoors every day riding horses and giving lessons. Every spring, my hayfever allergies flare up. They are horrific when the dust, the wind and the pollen combine. I have tried all of the anti-allergy drugs, including Allegra, Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec, etc. and they just don’t stop my eyes from itching, burning and watering. At times my allergies get so bad that I can barely see or think. But within 15 minutes of taking my first dose of Flavinox my hayfever symptoms completely stopped and I could see and think clearly again. Flavinox is simply fantastic.

Paula, Scottsdale, AZ

There are so many remedies for allergies, but nothing works as well as Flavinox for my system. I have been a fan of this natural allergy supplement for many years. It makes me feel so good that I now take 2 capsules every morning regardless of the season.

Recently, I happened to run into a lady that works at our clubhouse that I have known for years. She was incredibly stuffed up and had red, watery allergy eyes. She looked absolutely miserable. I can’t help myself when I see people in need. So I casually told her about your natural allergy formula that I had been taking for years. Your Flavinox herbal allergy formula keeps all my allergy and respiratory symptoms pretty much under control without making me drowsy. I usually keep a supply with me wherever I go, but today I didn’t have any. So, I went home and came back with 12 capsules for her to try. When I saw her a few days later she looked great, even though allergy season was still in full bloom. The experiment worked. She said that she takes 3 capsules first thing in the morning and is “good to go.” She was so grateful and I was so very happy that she had actually believed me. Thank you for this wonderful formulation!

John, Phoenix, AZ

I work in the home inspection business and spend a lot of time outside. Every year I suffer with seasonal hayfever allergies. I have tried almost every medicine on the market. None of them seem to work very well and they make me feel drowsy and irritable, so I usually just suffer through the springtime with a drippy nose and tearing eyes that itch and sting. Fortunately, last spring, a very nice lady saw me suffering while I was working at her home. She offered to share her Flavinox herbal allergy formula with me. She said here take this and you’ll clear up in a few minutes. I was skeptical, but she was so nice and assuring that I said okay. Sure enough, within 15 minutes, before I had finished my inspection, my drippy nose and watery, itchy eyes had all cleared up. I had been suffering with allergies for so long that I had forgotten how good it felt to be clear headed. I will be forever grateful for the kind lady who cured my allergies by telling me about the Flavinox natural allergy formula.

As many as 50 million Americans have allergies. Seasonal allergic rhinitis, known as Hay Fever affects approximately 36 million people in the U.S., while food allergies affect about fourteen million. Most Americans reach for a prescription drug or OTC anti-histamine to treat their allergies, however, new research indicates that allergies are due to a deficiency of specific bioflavonoids found in certain fruits and vegetables. This is good news for allergy sufferers because it means that if you correct the deficiency in your diet you may be able to cure your allergies completely with foods.

Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”

Allergy Drug Side-effects
Most drugs work by blocking some body function rather than correcting the problem and they all have side effects. The top selling allergy drugs are no exception. They work by blocking histamine, which temporarily relieves some of the symptoms but often cause headaches, dry mouth, fatigue and drowsiness as well. Some side-effects can be life-threatening. Seldane (terfenadine) was taken off of the market because it was found to cause fatal heart irregularities. It was replaced by Allegra (fexofenadine) which is a metabolite of Seldane. The question is will Allegra later be found to cause the same fatal side-effect.

All anti-histamines have side-effects that are not reported in the patient information or in the physician’s drug manual because the clinical trials used by the drug companies to establish the effectiveness of the drugs are often too short and conducted on too few patients. The average clinical trial for the current anti-histamin drugs lasted only 2-4 weeks and included only 2500-5000 patients. Only when these drugs are used for longer periods of time on millions of people do we discover the true and complete list of side-effects. Here is a representative sample of side-effects for Zyrtec registered by hundreds of patients. The full list of these reports can be found at www.AskaPatient.com.

.

Zyrtec Side-Effects	Comments	M/F	Age
Facial and body tics	My 10 year old son had been taking Zyrtec for the better part of 5 years. He developed intermittent facial and body tics. If we were ever late on picking up his refill for Zyrtec, his tics would stop. Upon restarting the medication the tics would reappear. Although this medication worked wonderfully for his allergies, I don’t think it’s worth any risks.	M	10
My 5-year-old developed an extremely volatile mood tending toward tearfulness, depression, erratic sleep patterns. This occurred on the day I started giving him Children’s Zyrtec and ended the day after he ceased to take it.		M	5
My 7 year old daughter took this for 1 1/2 weeks. I am sorry that I ever put her on it. She is a sweet, loving child who behaves very well. She turned into a demon child. She lost her appetite and would not eat anything at all. She complained about stomach aches and dry throat. She was afraid to eat or drink because she said her throat felt as if it would close up.	This product should be taken off of the market immediately. I spoke to several moms tonight at a PTA meeting and they had the same complaints about their children. My daughter would scream at me and tell me that I don’t understand her. She would wake up and just start yelling at me. My daughter usually wakes up sooo happy every day. She was not herself in anyway. I took her off of the Zyrtec and within 4 days her appetite came back and my sweet, loving, caring child came back. It breaks my heart that I put her through that grief. Never again.	F	7
It was prescribed years ago by my ENT Doctor and I said I’d never take it again because it made me very drowsy… I did. I really made a bad mistake. In December 2008, it made me act worse than having had several drinks. My friends stayed away from me. Eventually, I passed out. It made sense if years before it made me drowsy, passing out seems like a logical step.	I dumped the pills. My perspective: DON’T TAKE IT. We’re inundated with side-effects from drugs so we think, what the heck, they all have side-effects. BUT THIS IS WORSE THAN MANY. You can also forget what the FDA approves or doesn’t and you know how effective governmental oversight has been for years. People taking the drug know best.	F	54
Deep depression and muscle and joint pain. Could not walk without pain. Sleep disorder as well. Could not fall asleep and then waking up all through the night.	It helps with the allergies but the side effects are not worth it.	F	53
lethargic		F	50
My daughter was put onto Zyrtec for allergies and she has uncontrollable crying and anxiety.		F	9
Bouts of uncontrollable crying and depression after 3 days of taking Zyrtec.		F	38

Natural Allergy Treatment
Unlike the drugs that only block histamine or histamine receptors but never cure the problem, nature makes some great tasting foods that actually stop the symptoms by correcting the cause of the allergic hypersensitivity without causing any side-effects. Fruits and vegetables that contain proanthocyanidin bioflavanoids strengthen the  Mast Cells of the immune system and stop them from releasing histamine and other allergic chemicals that cause the symptoms of a runny nose, sneezing, tearing, itchy eyes, itchy throat and swelling of the mucous membranes, etc. These unique bioflavonoids, found in apples, grape seeds, tomato skins, green tea and onions stabilize hypersensitive Mast Cells and thereby prevent histamine from being released too easily. When you have enough proanthocyanidin bioflavonoids in your cell membranes you don’t need a drug to block the histamine.

Table 1. Proanthocyanidin Content of Selected Foods (Units = mg per 100 grams)

Food Proanthocyanidins Grape seeds, raw 373 mg Chocolate, dark 198 mg Plums, red with peel, raw 72 mg Cranberries, raw 52 mg Plums, black, with peel, raw 47 mg Apple, Red Delicious, with peel, raw 33 mg Raspberries, raw 17 mg Apple, Golden, with peel, raw 17 mg Strawberries, raw 14 mg Blueberries, raw 13 mg Tea, brewed 13 mg Cherries, raw 10 mg Blackberries, raw 10 mg Wine, sherry 9 mg Grape juice, purple, bottled, unsweetened 7 mg Cranberry juice, bottled 6 mg Grapes, green or red, raw 5 mg Pomegranates, raw 1 mg Grape juice, white, canned 0.41 mg

Source: USDA Database for the Proanthocyanidin (Monomers – Trimers) Content of Slected Foods 2004

Why You Need Procyanidin Bioflavonoids
When you eat foods rich in proanthocyanidin bioflavonoids they actually get incorporated directly into cell membranes throughout the body, including Mast Cells. When the Mast Cells are healthy they have a thick membrane around them like a thick peel on an orange. However, when the Mast Cells are deficient in bioflavonoids their membranes are very thin. And just like a thin peeled orange that breaks open too easily and squirts its juice all over, a Mast Cell that is deficient in bioflavonoids is so thin that it breaks open much too easily and releases its histamine and other allergic chemicals far too easily.

How to Stop Hay Fever Allergies Fast
To stabilize your Mast Cells and stop them from releasing too much histamine and other allergic and inflammatory chemicals you need to build up your Mast Cell membranes by eating proanthocyanidin rich foods every day. It will take several months to correct a proanthocyanidin deficiency by diet alone. However, if you want to stop allergic symptoms fast you can take the formula that I prescribe to my patients. It is called FlavinoxTM and it contains a combination of Leucoselect® grape seed extract, green tea extract, quercitin from onion skins and vitamin C. Leucoselect® grape seed extract is sold as a prescription drug in France and Germany, but is available without a prescription in FlavinoxTM.

I have seen many patients who come to my office in the Spring carrying a box of Kleenex and their Claritin or Zyrtec who are still sneezing incessantly, and unable to see out of their watery red eyes and unable to think due to Hay Fever congestion. Some are skeptical to learn that their allergies are due to a deficiency of bioflavonoids, but they are quickly convinced when their Hay Fever symptoms clear up within 30 minutes after taking their first dose of Flavinox.

Patient Success Stories: Stoping Hay Fever Allergies with Natural Medicines

Deborah, Phoenix, AZ

I had recently purchased your product Flavinox for my 12 year old son who has always suffered from allergies. For years I have been giving him allergy medicine - Claritin, Tylenol, Zyrtec - all types of medicines that didn’t really work and made him very tired and drugged out. I saw Dr Hansen on our morning news show here in Arizona as he was talking about Flavinox and explaining how it works and it really made sense to me. I drove over to the Scottsdale office that morning to get a bottle and went directly to my sons school to start him on these capsules.

When he came home from school about 3 hours later he was like a different person than when he left that morning. I could see it in his face and eyes. He was feeling 100% better and he told me about an hour after he took the capsule he could feel the difference and he kept feeling better as the day went on. Since then I have been giving him about 3 capsules a day and he’s a baseball player so sometimes before a game I give him an extra one and I am truly amazed at how Flavinox has really made a difference in his allergies. No more drowsy, drugged out state. No more sneezing 20 times in a row or constant watery eyes and runny nose. I have recommended this to everyone I talk to and know this product has been the answer for my son.

Anne Marie, Scottsdale, AZ

Thank you for your advice and wonderful supplements. The Flavinox is especially helpful. All three of my sons have been suffering from sinus allergies for years. After two weeks on Flavinox the boys no longer have any sniffling, sneezing or congestion. The Flavinox has stopped the sinus allergy reactions in all three of my sons-a special blessing to my 6-year-old because I was afraid that I was going to have to give away our cats to stop his allergies. The kids are most grateful. They now call you the doctor who saved our cats! Thank you!

I have battled skin allergies for year. After two weeks on Flavinox my skin cleared up completely and has stayed clear. As soon as I feel any food allergy symptoms I now take the Flavinox and it stops the itching without the side-effects that allergy medicines cause. Thanks so much!

Missy Gilliland, Phoenix, AZ

I am a horse trainer and I run a Dressage HorseTraining Stable. I spend most of my time outdoors every day riding horses and giving lessons. Every spring, my hayfever allergies flare up. They are horrific when the dust, the wind and the pollen combine. I have tried all of the anti-allergy drugs, including Allegra, Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec, etc. and they just don’t stop my eyes from itching, burning and watering. At times my allergies get so bad that I can barely see or think. But within 15 minutes of taking my first dose of Flavinox my hayfever symptoms completely stopped and I could see and think clearly again. Flavinox is simply fantastic.

John, Phoenix, AZ

I work in the home inspection business and spend a lot of time outside. Every year I suffer with seasonal hayfever allergies. I have tried almost every medicine on the market. None of them seem to work very well and they make me feel drowsy and irritable, so I usually just suffer through the springtime with a drippy nose and tearing eyes that itch and sting. Fortunately, last spring, a very nice lady saw me suffering while I was working at her home. She offered to share her Flavinox herbal allergy formula with me. She said here take this and you’ll clear up in a few minutes. I was skeptical, but she was so nice and assuring that I said okay. Sure enough, within 15 minutes, before I had finished my inspection, my drippy nose and watery, itchy eyes had all cleared up. I had been suffering with allergies for so long that I had forgotten how good it felt to be clear headed. I will be forever grateful for the kind lady who cured my allergies by telling me about the Flavinox natural allergy formula.

Food Allergies
Unlike airborne allergies and a few food allergies that are associated with IgE antibodies and cause immediate hypersensitivty reactions, most food allergies are associated with IgG antibodies and cause delayed hypersensitivity reactions that typically take 8 to 72 hours to manifest. Food allergies can be the cause of your fatigue, moodiness, eczema, asthma, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches and even weight gain, as well as your child’s temper tantrums or ADHD and auto immune disorders including multiple sclerosis. You can reduce your food allergy symptoms by getting more proanthocyanidin bioflavonoids but to eliminate them completely you need to avoid them for 120 days.

More Patient Stories
Delaney was only 2 1/2 years old when her mom first brought her to see me. She had severe mood swings and temper tantrums. At times she would screech non-stop every 30 seconds for hours, or slap hands in the air repeatedly for hours. She would fly into a rage within 45 minutes of eating wheat and became a little devil. Once we determined her allergy foods and eliminated them she turned into an angel. She is a different person now, sweet and patient and helpful. The transformation was truly amazing.

Donna was a 45 year old woman who suffered from Multiple Sclerosis. She was always fatigued and had been plagued by weakness and numbness for years before her diagnosis. Once we tested and eliminated her food allergies all of her symptoms went into remission. She felt so great and had so much energy that she asked if she could stay on the allergy elimination diet forever.

Katherine came to see me because she was stressed out. She was anxious, depressed and overweight. A 34 year old hair dresser, she had tried to lose weight but couldn’t. She was working out and eating next to nothing but still couldn’t lose weight until we discovered the foods that she was allergic to. Once she eliminated those foods, the pounds just seemed to melt away and she went from size 12 to size 4 in four months on the allergy elimination diet. She looks sensational and feels great.

Heather is a 35 year old mom of 3 who was 70 lbs over weight and could not lose the weight even though she ate very few calories and exercised daily. After testing and finding out that she was allergic to she lost 70 lbs in 5 months. She couldn’t believe how easy it was once she eliminated the trigger foods that were causing her body to hold onto the extra weight.

Allergy Testing
If you or your family members have any of these conditions you should get tested. At the Hansen Clinic we perform an advanced allergy test that requires only one tube of blood to test both IgE and IgG allergies in 100 foods. The old-fashioned scratch test is inferior because it only measures IgE allergies. It is also barbaric because it requires 100 different injections of the suspected allergens under the skin to test 100 items.
For more information about our advanced allergy testing, or FlavinoxTM, the fast acting natural alternative to Claritin and Zyrtec®, go to www.drhansen.com.