Monday, August 3rd, 2009 on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on Doctor Radio: Sirius 114 and XM 119

August is here. Before I head out to a brief vacation in Montana (any tips: let me know!) we have a "can't miss" summer show planned!

First: thyroid medication controversy. Did you know there may have been slip-ups in a factory making generic thyroid medication....listen to me and Dr. Bert Agus discuss this and find out what happened and how it can affect you. Call us with your thyroid and medication questions at 1-877-NYU DOCS!

After Dr. Agus, our medication theme continues! Many medication can pull double duty: did you know that you can use a transplant anti-rejection drug for a common skin condition! Join me and Amin Emamifar, Pharm D. MBA, of Emory University in Atlanta to discuss "double-duty" drugs! How double duty? How about Botox for Migraines!

Call us with you medication questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Reflux is a common condition (I often joke that my children are going to college because of it!). New research from right here at NYU-Langone may change how we think about this incredibly common condition. Join me and NYU researcher Dr. Zhiheng Pei as we talk about new research, what it means to you and your family!

Call us with your questions about reflux...hear answers from the laboratory bench to the office! at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

Of course, we will finish the show with Ask Doctor Ira, where I will answer any medical question at all! I would like to thank everyone for emailing their questions to us as well...it really helps us plan show topics that we know you want to hear...call us at 1-877-NYU-DOCS or you can email me at irabreite(AT)yahoo.com

You can also follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/doctorira.

Monday, July 27th, 2009 on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius 114 and XM 119: Doctor Radio!

Although you wouldn't know it in the North East, summer is well on its way (as I write this, it raining yet again). Continuing our summer theme of prevention and health, we have a whole slew of great guests for tomorrows show ready to talk with me and answer all of your questions.

Celiac disease has been in the news recently. A recent study shows the incidence of this disease going up significantly since the 1950's. We have Laurie Higgins, a registered dietician at the Joslin Diabetes Center (and an expert on Celiac), will be joining us from 8 to 8:30 Eastern.

Call us with your questions on Celiac disease at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

After this we have the one-two punch of prevention and cardiology. First, we have Dr. James Underberg on: he is an expert on cholesterol and we will be talking about that as well as the trickiest of those numbers: the triglyceride! Then we will have Dr. Dennis Goodman, who will talk about preventitive Cardiology and Complementary Medicine (don't know what it is....then listen!)

Call us from 8:30 to 9:30 with your cardiology questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

We will end the show, as usual, with Ask Dr. Ira, where I will answer any question on any medical topic at all...just like my real office. If you forgot to ask your own doctor, give me a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Monday, July 20, 2009 on the Doctor Ira Breite Show: Sirius 114 and XM 119 DOCTOR RADIO!

Chronic pelvic pain is a miserable problem with very few good treatments available. So it is with some excitement that natural Doctor Geo Espinosa of the NYU-Langone Medical Center will be with us again to talk about NOT using medication to treat chronic pelvic pain, chronic urinary tract infection, and interstitial cystitis. If you have been suffering from these problems you are going to want to call and hear Dr. Espinosa's advice on an "alternative" view!

Call us with you pelvic pain and interstitial cystitis questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Michael Jackson may be gone, but the problems he suffered from continue. Join me and pain expert Doctor David Kloth to talk about addiction issues: from who can become an addict after using pain medication legitimately to doctor shopping and worse.

If you have any questions about the safety of pain medications or anesthesia, or are worried about a loved ones use of pain pills, give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

Then its the hives!!! Doctor Alan Kaplan an allergist at the Medical University of South Carolina will be on the air to discuss hives, rashes and lumps: learn to why that type IV hypersensitivity reaction may be worse than you think (and what it is, of course!)

Call us with your allergy and skin rash questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Of course, we will have ask Dr. Ira, where I will answer all of your questions on any medical topic at all...call me with any question you forgot to ask your own doctor at 1-877-NYU-DOCS

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Monday, July 13th, 2009 on the Doctor Ira Breite Show: Sirius 114 and XM 119, Doctor Radio!

Here I sit, recovering from a night of barbecue and homemade bread, while in a lab somewhere, rhesus monkeys that were starved are living longer than those that ate a "normal diet." What does this mean. Join me tomorrow and hear about this latest research and call with your questions for me and Keri Gans, Dietitian, about this interesting issue!

As a gastroenterologist, I spend a lot of time thinking about gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), but my practice consists of adults. GERD is increasing as a problem in younger people as well. I'll be discussing this problem with Beth Anderson, of the Pediatric Adolescent Gastroesophageal Association.

If you have a baby, a child, or a teenager with reflux and need practical questions answered, give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Do you know someone who keeps pulling at her hair? Eat it even? Yes, this is a serious problem for some people (wait till you hear about one of my patients and how she almost ended up in surgery from it!). Join me and Dr. Jon Grant of the University of Minnesota, the author of "Stop Me Because I Can't Stop Myself" to talk about hair pulling and other impulse control issues.

If you or a loved one pulls their hair or has other problems with hair pulling, we have one of the world's experts to help answer your questions! Call us at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Of course, we will have Ask Dr. Ira, where you can ask me any questions on any medical topic at all: as a primary care doctor and gastroenterologist, I love to help you with your medical problems! Give the show a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

PHOTO CREDIT: University of Wisconsin-Madison, photo by Jeff Miller

Monday, July 6th 2009 on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius 114 and XM 119: Doctor Radio

I hope your Fourth of July was great. Mine was, and we just returned from a long weekend of exercise (sort of), eating too much (for real) and eating too much sweet stuff (ditto). Do I have a show for me!

We are going to start off talking about grilling and try to answer a question that seems to afflict some of my guests: What about all the vegetarian food. Keri Gans will be joining us to talk about this issue, and we'll be happy to answer any of your summer grilling questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Can exercise kill you? Although its something I often tell my wife in an effort to get out of it, there is a rare symptom of something called exercise induced anaphylaxis, which very well might. Find out about this scary disorder, and have your summer allergy questions answered by my guests Courtney Roush, who wrote an article about this in Running Times Magazine and Dr. Allen Kaplan, an allergist. Call us at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

You may have thought that you lucked out after that exercise segment (sorry, you still have too), but our third segment promises to be extremely interesting for those of you worried about sugar. Nancy Stedman from More magazine will be here to talk to me about the worrisome relationship of sugar with a variety of diseases.

We will end up the show with "Ask Dr. Ira," where you can call me at 1-877-NYU-DOCS and ask me about any medical problem at all and I will be happy to answer you. When you forgot to ask your own doctor ask me!

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Monday, June 29, 2009 on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius 114 and XM 119, Doctor Radio!

A very brief post today, not because the show is not great (it is), but simply because I sent both of my kids off to sleep away camp today: a long day indeed!

We are starting off the show with TMJ: Joined by Dr. Mark Wolff, we will discuss this extremely important cause of headaches. Difficult to treat, we will answer your questions about this miserable and common condition. Call us at 1-877-NYU-DOCS

After this, we get to Michael Jackson. Although the fan in me remembered his music, the physician in me really wondered what was going on with him. I will be Joined by Dr. Marc K. Siegel, the Medical Director of Doctor Radio, and we will discuss how some of these things which we associate with "oddness" may apply to all of us!

Today was hot. Even riding my motorcycle resulted in serious loss of fluids. Imagine if I actually exercised. Joining me to talk about the summer heat, exercise, and what YOU can do about it is Dr. Dogulas Casa, PhD, of the University Connecticut and the National Atheletic Trainers Association.

We will finish up with Ask Dr. Ira, where I will gladly answer any of your questions on any medical topic at all. Remember, when you forget to ask your Doctor, ask me at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Monday, June 22, 2009 on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius 114 and XM 119, Doctor Radio!

Happy Summer! A wet one here in New York, but you still have to enjoy the daylight and the warmer than winter weather!

We have a great show lined up for everyone on Monday. As everyone knows, I consider myself the consummate professional on all things stool related. I understand why good bowel habits are important and I understand why so many of us are afraid (or just disgusted) to talk about it. So it is always a pleasure to have a guest on the air with a similar mindset. Dr. Anish Sheth, a gastroenterologist and the author of What's Your Poo Telling You will be joining me to talk about everything you ever wanted to know about your stool, but were afraid to ask. If you have any questions about stool that we don't talk about, give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS and we'll answer it!

Most of us don't take the physical punishment that NFL players do, but, if you are active, you are likely to start having some injuries (Did I tell you about my shoulder recently...owww!). And we may have a lot to learn from former NFL players. Joining us to discuss his research is Dr. Andrew Hecht, a spine surgeon, who will talk to us about what the NFL is doing for its former players as well as what you can do for your aching back!!

If you have back pain, give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

And what about Zicam. For years, people have been telling me in the office that they take stuff for a cold and it works. As a physician, I had no cure (else I would be on an Island in the Carribean) and often said "sure! If it works for you!" Joining us will be NYU Assistant Professor and Head of ENT at North Shore University Hospital Todd Schaeffer to talk about Zicam, other over the counter remedies, and what you can do for the common cold, your sinuses and allergies!

If you have any questions about over the counter remedies for colds, the flu and allergies, give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!!

Of course, we will end the show with "Ask Dr. Ira," where I can answer all of the questions that you forgot to ask your own doctor. When your doctor doesn't have the time, we do!!!