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- Broadcast from KSQD, Santa Cruz on 8-20-2026: An emailer asks about amlexanox for mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). Dr. Dawn first walks through MCAS diagnostic criteria—requiring symptoms across at least two of four categories (skin, low blood pressure, abdominal, respiratory), with serum tryptase testing performed both during and after a flare. She grades amlexanox as a C: originally FDA-approved only as a topical paste for canker sores, later approved in Japan as an asthma treatment, but never validated for MCAS and pushed largely by a single compounding pharmacy and its influencer clones. She recommends conventional agents first—antihistamines, montelukast, cromolyn, quercetin, aspirin for flushing, and Xolair anti-IgE antibodies for severe cases—plus microcrystalline cellulose as the safest capsule filler if compounding of amellanox is pursued. Most ovarian cancers—including nearly all fatal cases—actually originate in the fimbriae of the fallopian tubes rather than the ovaries themselves. Opportunistic salpingectomy tacks a five-minute fallopian tube removal onto any abdominal surgery (tubal ligation, hernia repair, gallbladder, appendectomy), potentially reducing lifetime ovarian cancer risk by 65% -80% based on epidemiological data from Swedish, Canadian, and Danish registry studies. Dr. Dawn recommends particular consideration for non-childbearing women with BRCA1/2 or family history of breast or ovarian cancer. Deep brain stimulator devices manufactured after 2020 (about 40,000 U.S. patients) contain adaptive-DBS capability that can be activated via firmware upgrade without additional surgery. Rather than delivering constant stimulation like older devices, adaptive DBS reads beta oscillations (13-30 Hz motor-control brainwaves) in the basal ganglia and modulates output in real time—reducing stimulation as L-DOPA peaks from drugs and increasing it as medication wears off, smoothing the swings between agitation and freezing. Sleep improvement has emerged as a notable secondary benefit, potentially slowing disease progression. The technology is also being investigated for dystonia, essential tremor, OCD, and Tourette's syndrome. Chinese company StarMed is developing brain-computer interfaces closely resembling Neuralink designs, benefiting from aggressive government funding, large patient populations, and reduced tort liability. One trial uses an eight-probe device placed atop the dura mater (avoiding brain penetration) connected to a pneumatic glove that has restored eating and drinking function in about twenty paralyzed patients over twenty months. A more invasive Shanghai trial implanted 256 probes on the neural cortex of a woman with epilepsy who could operate social media and control a wheelchair within two weeks; a related U.S. system using 65 hair-thin sensors enabled speech with just ten-millisecond delay. An emailer describes recurring two-week viral illnesses (sore throat, swollen glands, congestion, cough, body aches) recurring every 4-6 weeks. Dr. Dawn frames the question as either impaired immunity or changed exposure. She recommends starting with a CBC to rule out blood dyscrasias like leukemia, checking urine mycotoxins for mold exposure, then examining behavioral changes—new job, handling cash before eating, and the well-documented protective effect of masking in public that dramatically reduced cold rates during COVID. Dr. Dawn covers three health policy items. The good: new USDA dietary guidelines flip the food pyramid, putting protein, dairy, healthy fats, vegetables, and fruits at the top, with whole grains reduced to a small band, and it's recommendation 1.2 g/kg protein daily. The bad: an executive order attempting to reduce childhood vaccines from 18 to 11 and separate MMR into individual components—impossible since no U.S. manufacturer makes the individual antigens, and misguided since infant hepatitis B vaccination prevents mother-to-child liver cancer transmission. The ugly: a 26-year-old heart transplant recipient whose insurer initially dropped coverage of her generic anti-rejection drug, then "ghost approved" it at $1,000 for 90 days versus the previous $180. Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Pharmacy now supplies her the same medication for $300 (cost plus 15% profit plus 5% handling), highlighting the massive markups embedded in the standard pharmacy chain. For a time before that, the mother of the heart donor stepped up and paid for the recipients anti-rejection drugs to keep her son's heart beating.
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