Monday, August 31st on the Doctor Ira Breite Show: Doctor Radio: Sirius 114 and XM 119.

September is around the corner. With the exception of Labor Day, its really back to work and back to school. We have an excellent show to get you back in the rhythm of things.

Speaking of rhythm, we are going to start out the show by interviewing Dr. Anthony Aizer, a Cardiologist and expert of heart rhythms here at the NYU Langone Medical Center. Many people come to my office complaining of palpitations or a skipped heart beats. Hear from the experts what to look for, and when you should seek the advice of a specialist!

If you have any questions about your heart give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

I don't know about you, but my summer workout routine has left me in some pain. Joining me to talk about pain, including a new study that shows that neck surgery for cervical spine disorders helps alleviate headaches is Dr. David Kloth of Connecticut Pain Care, the Dr. Ira Breite Show's resident pain expert!

If you have had neck or back pain and would like some ideas for relief, give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

The H1N1 Flu is coming back? Well, after seeing many cases in June and early July, I hadn't seen a case all summer: until last week! The kids are back, school is starting, and, well, what's going to happen. If the flu hits, should you pull them out of school? And what about work for you? Is that vaccine going to be ready? Is it going to be safe? So many questions! And to help me answer them are Dr. Philip Tierno, the director of Clinical Microbiology and Diagnostic Immunology here at the NYU Langone Medical Center and Dr. Norman Edelman, the Chief Medical Officer of the American Lung Association. The Lung Association also has a website called Faces of Influenza which has a lot of information.

And then its time for Ask Dr. Ira, where you can ask me any question you want on any medical topic at all! Give me a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Image Source:

Monday, August 17th, 2009 on the Ira Breite Show on Sirius 114 and XM 119: Doctor Radio!

I am back from vacation in beautiful Montana and Idaho and ready to go! As you drive to wherever you are going for work (or hopefully, vacation) we have a great show lined up to help you expand your medical knowledge in interesting, practical and useful ways.

As I was enjoying yet another giant steak in Montana (you can have them for breakfast) I started wondering about some of the things I could do naturally to help reduce my cholesterol after I returned. Joining me again to discuss both the medical aspects of cholesterol as well as some of the alternative products that may help lower it is Dr. Dennis Goodman, Cardiologist.

If you have questions about natural ways to prevent heart disease, give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Speaking of cholesterol, I had seen a young woman in the office with a high number. Interestingly, her thyroid was low as well. When I treated the thyroid, her cholesterol returned to normal! How strange is that. Joining me to talk about that commonly blamed and completely misunderstood organ at the base of your neck is Dr. Kenneth Burman, the Chief of Endocrinology at Washington Hospital in Washington, DC.

If you have ever wondered about your thyroid give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

In our second hour, Keith Siller, MD will be joining me to talk about some new research in Dementia. It seems that, like so many things in health, diet and exercise matter in preventing dementia. Find out all the details, and ask Dr. Siller any questions you want on stroke, Alzheimers, and the current treatments and preventitive strategies for these life alterning medical problems. Call us at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

We have a special Ask Dr. Ira tomorrow as well. In addition to open phones, Dr. Howard Hochster will be joining me to talk about some of the latest findings in colon cancer treatments and prevention. We will both be answering your calls on any medical topic at all. Give us a ring at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

You can follow this blog (and other things that I do) on Twitter. Join the Doctor Ira Tweets!

Image Source:

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

Image Source:

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!

image source: