Inflammatory Bowel Disease Expert Hope Trachtenberg-Fifer shares Inflammatory Bowel Disease management news and commentary at MyIBDCentral.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855 http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855 http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855/52050/fda-warnings-cleansers Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:15:34 -0500 Hope Trachtenberg-Fifer According to Associated Press business writer Matthew Perrone:   Federal health officials said today, that they will add the sternest safety warnings available to drugs used before colonoscopies, following reports of kidney damage in several patients. The Food and Drug Administration said it has received more than 20 reports of a serious form of kidney failure among patients taking the bowel-cleansing drugs, known as oral phosphate... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855/52050/fda-warnings-cleansers http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855/50037/bathroom-urgent-stops Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:09:00 -0500 Hope Trachtenberg-Fifer Whether you're Grandma bound for the holidays, or hitting that long and winding road with another destination in mind, face it--you're going to have to "stop" sometime. Perhaps, another time. Maybe, once more. All right; even a few more times!   Cease the needless worry. I offer you my top five off-road pit stops, in order of general ease of highway exit access, and then, access to rest rooms.   All are non-smoking, guaranteed to... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855/50037/bathroom-urgent-stops http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855/48998/aren-special Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:55:00 -0500 Hope Trachtenberg-Fifer Ladies, yes; we have yet another reason to feel "special": according to a report just published in the November issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch, a new study indicates that women may have a harder time prepping for colonoscopies, than men.   Apparently, this is largely because women are more likely to suffer constipation and/or irritable bowel syndrome, resulting in gas, bloating, abdominal pain or spasm.   Since patients must... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855/48998/aren-special http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855/40126/ten-ways-ibd-changed Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:28:00 -0400 Hope Trachtenberg-Fifer #10-I used to think that "Culturelle" was a moisturizer for dry, chapped hands and flaky elbows.   # 9-I thought "probiotic" described members of the Republican Party.   # 8-Despite my liberal nature, I have come to terms with the fact that I'm not a bad person just because I'm lactose intolerant.   # 7-I've learned that there actually are some definite advantages to being growth delayed-getting the "IBD rate" at the movies... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855/40126/ten-ways-ibd-changed http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855/38963/gotta Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:12:00 -0400 Hope Trachtenberg-Fifer So, I drive, two hours, straight, between Roanoke and Charlottesville. And, I'm feeling pretty smug and full of myself (literally), because I didn't stop even once--not to fill up my cute, little, blazing red, Jeep Liberty Sport, or to unfill my little, now bursting, middle aged bladder.   I'm proud of myself because, by not stopping, I had "made good time." Also, recently, during long car rides, I've been having contests (OK. I know;... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855/38963/gotta http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855/38367/intentioned-skewed Sun, 24 Aug 2008 23:03:00 -0400 Hope Trachtenberg-Fifer One example of well intentioned--yet skewed--advice, is "the coconut macaroon prescription," for common diarrhea AND Crohn's disease, popularized in the nationally syndicated newspaper column, "The Peoples' Pharmacy."   Every so often, the column mentions this alleged miracle cure.   Several years ago, when my youngest son was at his worst, in terms of his, severe, refractory Crohn’s, more than a few folks-- clearly... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855/38367/intentioned-skewed http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855/38076/thing-question-talking Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:57:00 -0400 Hope Trachtenberg-Fifer I'm very happy to come on board as a new IBD expert. As an RN, health educator, and medical writer, I guess, on paper, I'm a credible enough "expert." But, to tell you the truth, what turned my personal and professional interest to the area of inflammatory bowel disease--in particular, pediatric IBD--is that three of my four children (my boys, now ages 18, 23, and 30 years), have IBD. My youngest son was the first of his brothers to be... http://www.healthcentral.com/ibd/c/74855/38076/thing-question-talking