Alan Erdmann, MD

12/25/2023

Wishing you a season filled with joy, laughter, and good health! Happy Holidays from all of us at Revere Health. 🎄

05/12/2023

Did you know that worldwide it’s estimated that 5-10% of the population has Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?

Some symptoms of IBS include gastric distress, abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation, and bowel urgency.

If you or a loved one might be suffering from IBS, talk to your doctor today. Living with IBS can be a daily struggle, but it’s important to know that you’re not alone. At Revere Health, we’re here to help you manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

05/08/2023

Did you know that colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second deadliest cancer in the United States?

Screening is an effective and life-saving tool in preventing CRC. While many screening tests are now available for CRC, a colonoscopy remains the gold standard because it is sophisticated enough to find issues that other tests may miss.

Don’t skip your next colon cancer screening. Visit our blog post to learn more about CRC and screenings. Read more here:

The American Cancer Society recommends starting routine colorectal cancer screenings such as a colonoscopy at age 45 for average-risk individuals. Learn more about the causes and risk factors for colon cancer and how regular screenings can save your life.

09/05/2020

Things to do: get screened for colon cancer!

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths and is preventable or curable if found early during a screening exam. It is my enemy.

I am saddened by the passing of Chadwick Boseman. We are seeing more colon cancer in younger people and so age based start times for screening have been lowered to age 45 in the past few years. I don’t know Mr. Boseman’s medical history but I do know that he would have been diagnosed with colon cancer around age 39 which is below typical age based screening recommendations. Often colon cancer is silent but there are certain things to be aware of that would prompt a colonoscopy to look for colon cancer prior to the usual screening age:

1) Low blood levels (anemia) due to iron deficiency. Pro tip: go donate blood and the donation site will let you know if you have anemia for free.
2) Re**al bleeding of any kind
3) Family history of colon cancer or large polyps in a first degree relative i.e. mother, father, sibling.
4) Chronic diarrhea is another reason to get a colonoscopy but is not usually related to colon cancer – standby for more reasons to get upper/lower endoscopy done coming in a future post.

The bottom line is that you should absolutely get screened for colon cancer. If you are at high risk for colon cancer based on the issues listed above then you should get a colonoscopy as soon as possible. With cases rising in younger people I tell patients that they should take any excuse to get a colonoscopy. Colon cancer is curable when found early.

Dr. Erdmann’s rating for colonoscopies: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As always, these posts are not meant to replace your physician so reach out to your doctor or contact us if you have any other concerns or click the link above on my page to get in contact, especially if you need to get a colonoscopy done and we can help facilitate this. If you are interested in learning about what screening entails, then look forward to future posts. For now, I can tell you that colonoscopy is the way to go and what I recommend for everyone, including myself, my friends, and my family.

08/12/2020

Things to not do: NSAIDs

Just don’t. Pretty much ever.

Let’s be clear about this: NSAIDs (non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs) are a typical part of NEARLY EVERY over-the-counter pain or migraine medication. NSAIDs increase your risk of heart attacks and death. They are directly responsible for kidney failure (sometimes irreversible – requiring dialysis), stomach ulceration, bleeding, and perforation. They also directly lead to scar formation in your intestines that can completely block your intestinal tract which may require surgical removal of your intestines. I unfortunately see quite a lot of these complications and they are 100% preventable by NOT TAKING NSAIDs.

So what to do for pain?

1) Tylenol, without alcohol use, when used as directed is safe for your GI tract
2) NSAIDs short term only – I’ve seen bleeding ulcers within only days of regular use. Use at as low of a dose as is possible.
3) See your doctor for non-pharmacologic alternatives for pain (i.e. lifestyle changes, physical therapy, or other treatments to target the underlying problem)
4) If NSAID use is necessary, then discuss celecoxib, a special type of prescription NSAID, with your doctor if you have ZERO risks for heart attack and are not taking aspirin.
5) If NSAID use is necessary, then prescription strength acid reducing medicines such as high dose famotidine or omeprazole can prevent some harmful side effects.
6) Some people on NSAIDs should be tested for an infection called helicobacter pylori which can accelerate ulcer formation when NSAIDs are used.

Dr. Erdmann rating for NSAID use: ☠️

If you have any other concerns then reach out to your physician or contact us. If you are looking for more in-depth information on NSAIDs then I recommend this article from the AGA:
http://agaperspectives.gastro.org/nsaids-and-the-gut-what-do-i-need-to-know-now/

And tag a friend who uses too many NSAIDs so they can avoid unnecessary complications and expense!