Monday, November 11, 2013 on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on SiriusXM 81: Doctor Radio!

Happy Veteran's Day everyone.  I would like to say thank you to all of the men and women who serve our great nation and help keep us safe and secure. 

So of course, our first segment is about, well, poison.  The American Museum of Natural History is having a new exhibition about "The Power of Poison."  In addition, they have invited me to be part of the associated lecture series and talk about "Microbes, Toxins and You."  Join me and exhibition curator Dr. Mark Siddall as we talk about poison in the natural world and at the hands of humans.  We will even talk about some of the good of poison (and its not just Botox!)

Poison questions?  Give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

After this, we will have Gastroenterology Upate, where I will tell you some of the latest and greatest news from the world of digestive disease (the hot news is clearly in hepatitis C this week) as well as answering your questions on all things GI related.  Give us a tweet or a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

HBO has long had a series of fascinating documentaries.  Join me, as we speak to Ric Esther Bienstock, an Emmy award winning investigative journalist and Canadian Filmmaker, who is here to tell us about her latest investigative project and new documentary film, "Tales From the Organ Trade."  The documentary is currently airing on HBO.  Find out about the black market for organs such as kidneys, corneas and more.  Don't judge until you see this. 

We will end the show with Ask Doctor Ira, where you can ask me any questions on any medical topic at all...give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Monday, November 4th on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on SiriusXM 81: Doctor Radio

I had a great time doing "Weekend Housecalls" Saturday:  I would like to thank my producer Melanie Kron, Dr. Marc Siegel and everyone who called in and helped make it such a great show. 

But onto the future.  And the future is scary.  Or at least the horror movies coming out are. Why do we like them?  Join me and English Professor Paul Patterson of St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia as we talk about how horror helps us face our fears.  Dr. Patterson is teaching a graduate course on the subject and I'm still getting flashbacks from "The Shining." 

Join us by calling in with your favorite horror movie moments at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

After this we are going to have Gastroenterology Update, where I will tell you some of the latest and greatest news in the world of digestive disease, and answer your tweets and calls at 1-877-NYU-DOCS. 

We're going to continue the digestive disease conversation after this.  We all talk about the H. pylori bacteria, but, in fact, despite all the guidelines we physicians have, there has been a poor sense of whether treating people without ulcers is really a good idea.  Join me as I talk with one of the world's leading experts on this bacteria and we try to get to the bottom of "To treat or not to treat (that is the question).

We will end the show with Ask Doctor Ira, where you can ask me any question on any medical topic at all: it does not matter what it is.  Anything you forgot to ask your doctor, ask me!  Give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Monday, October 28, 2013 on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on SiriusXM 81: Doctor Radio.

Its Halloween.  Apparently its been Halloween in NYC all weekend, with parties costumes, and very large quantities of candy for kids and more adult oriented snacks for everyone else.  Which brings us to our show tomorrow.

For the snacks: GERD.  But while reflux is always a trick and never a treat, for those people with Barrett's esophagus and dysplasia it is especially so.  Join me and Dr. Nicholas Shaheen of UNC as we talk about RFA ablation for Barrett's and how ablating the bad cells appears to keep working.  Call us with your Barrett's questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

After this we will expand the conversation to not just GERD and Barrett's but to all of gastroenterology.  Join me for Gastroenterology Update, where I will tell you some of the latest and greatest news in the world of digestive disease and answer your tweets and questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Now more the more adult oriented.  As I was getting around NYC, I saw hundreds of ghosts, ghouls, zombies and some costumes that clearly shouldn't be described in oriented health blog. But what I didn't see was costume contact lenses.  Honestly, I didn't think anyone besides actors ever wore them.  It took me long enough to realize people wore contacts to change their eye color.  Join me and NYU Ophthalmologist and Doctor Radio Show Host Dr. Elisabeth J. Cohen as we talk about costume contact lenses: who knew anyone would stick something like that in their eyes?  How safe are they?  We'll find out!

We will end the show with Ask Doctor Ira, where you can ask me any questions on any medical topic at all and I'll be glad to answer it...anything that you forgot to ask your doctor ask me!  Give me a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

Monday, October 21, 2013 on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on SiriusXM 81: Doctor Radio!

I'm watching the Denver Broncos play the Indianapolis Colts as I write this.  Looks painful.  Particularly, at this moment, if you are an Indy fan.  Speaking of pain, Dr. Sanjay Bakshi of the CRPS Institute in NY will be joining me to talk about chronic regional pain syndrome.  Find out about this poorly understood syndrome which may affect millions of Americans.

Pain syndrome in your extremities that no one can figure out?  Want to avoid narcotics?  Give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

GI Update follows.  Find out the latest and greatest news in the world of digestive disease, and ask me your questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.  You can tweet me as well!  We will get to all of that at 8:30 AM ET.

I won't lie.  I am eating barbecue as I watch the football game and get this together.  I'm trying to lose weight, but, well, sometimes I get a little weak.  So I am very excited to hear from Dr. Deborah Levine, a medical historian at Providence College in Rhode Island.  She will tell us about her work on President William Howard Taft, who I will forever think of after this as "Modern Dieter Zero."

We will end the show with Ask Doctor Ira, where you can ask me any question on any medical topic at all...anything you forgot to ask you doctor, ask me at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

Image Source.

Monday, October 13th on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on SiriusXM 81: Doctor Radio!

Greetings from Foxboro, MA.  I am writing this in the Snack Bar of a Hockey Rink, where one of my sons is participating in a tournament and I am working on my food poison talk at the American Museum of Natural History this November.  Which brings us to our first topic: GERD, and how diet can effect it.  Join me and reflux expert and otolaryngologist Dr. Jamie Koufman as we talk about all things reflux and I point out to my friend the ENT how our Radiofrequency Ablation Procedure really seems to work in patients with Barrett's esophagus and dysplasia!

After this, we will expand the topic to GI update, where I will tell you some of the latest and greatest news in the world of digestive disease.

Questions?  Give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Tomorrow is Columbus Day.  And what would Doctor Radio be without an in depth discussion of how whomever's holiday it was either got sick or died?  Joining us to talk about Christopher Columbus is Dr. Phillip Mackowiac, Professor of Medicine, Medical Historian and Author!

We will end the show with Ask Doctor Ira, where you can ask me any questions on any medical topic at all: anything you forgot to ask your doctor ask me!  Give me at call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS or tweet me at @doctorira!

Monday, October 7th on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on SiriusXM 81: Doctor Radio!

Its Flu Shot Season.  And yes, Doctor Marc K. Siegel, the Medical Director of Doctor Radio, will be coming on the air to give me mine.  High dose?  Tetravalent?  Quadravalent?  Find out with us tomorrow (and feel my pain) during our second hour.

As a physician, I recommend and am often asked about obesity surgery options.  One step before getting the surgery is a "psychological evaluation."  Patients and physicians often think of it as just a hoop to jump through to make the insurance company happy: but is it?  Join me and Psychologist Dr. Leslie Heinberg of the Cleveland Clinic as we talk about eating disorders before and after Bariatric Surgery.

We have a solid hour of Ask Doctor Ira and Gastroenterology Update as well.  Find out some of the latest and greatest news in the world of digestive disease, and have your questions answered on any medical topic at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Monday, September 30th on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on SiriusXM 81: Doctor Radio!

New week.  New fear of Contagion.  (Ironic Doctor Radio Fact: I have not seen the movie Contagion because I don't like scary movies).  We have talked a lot about C. difficile, the bacteria that is not easily killed by normal antibiotics.  The assumption has always been that transmission of C. diff occurred because the normal gut flora was depleted due to antibiotic use.  But a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that transmission can occur in a variety of ways.  Join me and Mayo Clinic C. diff expert Dr. Sahil Khanna as we talk about this latest study and learn what you can do to avoid to this growing pathogenic pest and new ways to treat it if you do get it.

C diff questions: 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

We will expand the digestive disease conversation after this with Gastroenterology Update.  Find out some of the latest and greatest news in the world of digestive disease and call me with your questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.  You can also tweet me a short question (or picture) to @doctorira.

Exercise.  Exercise.  Exercise.  Its like a mantra out my mouth.  But, if you're pregnant, is there too much of a good thing?  How much is too little and how much is too much.  Join me and NYU OB/GYN Dr. Daniel Roshan as we about about exercise in pregnancy.

Pregnant?  Pregnant relative?  Want to know how much they should (or shouldn't) do.  Give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

We will end the show, as always, with Ask Doctor Ira, where you can ask me any questions on any medical topic at all....anything you forgot to ask your doctor ask me!  Give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.  If you can't reach me live, tweet me or send an email (with my name in the subject heading) to docs@siriusxm.com!


photo via "Crossfit" Facebook page via the NY Times