Doctors limited experience with vitamins and supplements

Vitamins

Ask Dr. Kaiser

Question:

I have seen and read about a lot of vitamins, minerals and supplements that claim to do great things but I took notice of yours
when you claimed that ADAP would pay for it. I do not qualify for ADAP but I thought it was an endorsement of note.

I started to take them and am only one month into it so I can not make any claims yet but I did ask my doctor and he said that some of the ingredients could be bad for me. I then asked if anything was going to kill me and he said no so I will continue. I am not alone with this. My friends have asked their doctors and the response was the same.

My point is, How can you sell our doctors on the positive affects of micro nutrients for treating HIV? I have never not followed my doctor's advice so I am sticking my neck out here. Help me please.

Dr. Kaiser replies:

You bring up an important point. Most doctors have received very little nutritional instruction in medical school and beyond. In fact, most of what they have been taught about nutritional supplementation is that it can often do more harm than good. The pharmaceutical companies haven¹t helped this situation much in that they would like doctors to focus only on prescribing pharmaceutical medications.

The ways I am trying to correct the above situation are the following.

First, I realize that the only way to change physicians views on
nutritional supplementation is to perform a double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial that shows statistically significant clinical results. This I have already accomplished with the K-PAX study that showed an average 26% increase in CD4 counts in HIV(+) patients already taking HAART. The next step is to get this research published in a high profile, peer-reviewed medical journal which will occur soon.

Second, I have begun traveling the country speaking about my research and clinical experience with K-PAX not only to patient groups but to physicians as well. I have already spoken to Dr. Donald Kotler¹s group at Columbia University Hospital as well as to the treatment providers at the Callen-Lorde Clinic in Manhattan. I am also scheduled to speak at a major HIV research conference in Canada in a couple of weeks.

Third, I plan to convince one of the pharmaceutical companies (as well as government entities) to fund additional clinical trials to build on the initial K-PAX research study and hopefully replicate its results.
Finally, the assistance of a pharmaceutical company will ultimately
increase the chances of getting this formula FDA-approved for the treatment of HIV infection (based on its merits), eventually covered by insurance and government programs (in addition to NY State ADAP), and also get physicians better educated on what it can do to benefit their patients.

Well, there you go. Now you know my plan. Wish me luck and don't
forget to Keep Hope Alive! Please also let me know how K-PAX works for you over the course of the next 4-6 months.

Best regards,

Dr. Kaiser.

Disclaimer: None of the information listed above is meant to provide
diagnosis or treatment of a medical condition. If you are experiencing
any symptoms of ill health please contact a licensed medical doctor to
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