Monday, December 19th on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius XM 81: Doctor Radio

Holidays coming. Feel the pinch financially? And you need to have a special diet, such as gluten free. Did you notice how expensive quinoa is? Join me and author Nicole Hunn as we talk about gluten free on a shoestring. Its more than a phrase, its her new book! Learn how to save money while still enjoying what you eat!

Questions? Call us at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

After this we have a full half hour of Gastroenterology Update! Call me with your questions on gastroenterology and digestive disease. You can also tweet me directly at @doctorira

We are really excited that NY Times Bestselling Author Dr. Robin Cook will be joining us to talk about his latest book "Death Benefit." The book involves brilliant medical students, stem cell research, Wall Street Guys, and a potential plot to make money off of "The Death Benefit."

We will end the show with Ask Doctor Ira, where you can ask me about any medical question on any topic at all. (Don't ask me about structured life insurance policies, please!). Anything you forgot to ask your doctor, ask me! Give me a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Monday, December 12th On the Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius XM 81: Doctor Radio!

Monday's show starts with a combination of two of my favorite things: hard to diagnose medical conditions and funky new technology. Join me a University of Chicago Gastroenterologist Dr. David Rubin as we talk about Crohn's disease and the use of the "Pill-Cam" in diagnosing this condition.

After this, we will have Gastroenterology Update, where I'll tell you some of the latest news in Gastroenterology and answer your questions on digestive disease. Whether its your stomach, your colon, or even your liver, give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS.

Did you ever notice those President's getting grayer as they stay in office? Ditto the wrinkles and worry lines. That's why I'm happy I'm not the President! But it turns out that, despite these outward signs of aging, US President's live longer than their peers. Join me and study author Dr. Jay Olshansky as we talk about this interesting phenomenon.

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! Call us at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

image courtesy of Given Imaging.

Monday, December 5th on The Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius XM 81: Doctor Radio!

We have quite the Gastrointestinal show lined up for Monday. The stress and eating of the holidays clearly can hit people in the gut and we want to talk about it.

Abdominal discomfort in adults is often difficult to diagnose and treat. Teens and tweens, not a group known for their excellent communication skills, are even more difficult. Join me and Dr. Joseph Levy, Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Gastroenterologist at the NYU-Langone Medical Center, as we talk about abdominal pain in adolescents.

Questions about abdominal pain and your teen or child...give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Gastroenterology Update follow this. I will be reviewing some of the latest news in Digestive Disease and answering any questions you have on digestive disease at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

We always talk about the H. pylori bacteria, but does killing it help with anything besides ulcer disease. If you have pain and no ulcer, will treatment help? Its a tough question, and experts disagree. Join me and Gastroenterologist Dr. Paul Moayyedi of McMaster University in Hamilton, ON as we talk about the role of treating H. pylori.

Any questions on H. pylori...give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

We will end the show, as always, with Ask Dr. 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 a call at 1-877-NYU DOCS. And it doesn't have to be gastroenterology...it can be anything!

Monday, November 28th, 2011 on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on SiriusXM 81: Doctor Radio

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Weekend. I am currently on call, so tomorrow is a "Post-Call" Doctor Ira Breite Show! Nothing like a bit of exhaustion to make the show more entertaining!

Abby Ellin is joining us first. She recently wrote an article on trucker and exercise for the New York Times. She is also the author of "Teenage Waistland: A Former Fat Kid Weighs in on Living Large, Losing Weight, and how Parents Can (And Can't) Help. Whether you are a trucker or a parent of a kid with a weight problem you are not going to want to miss what she has to say.

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

Gastroenterology Update is back! Call me with any questions on digestive disease at 1-877-NYU-DOCS from 8:30 to 9 EST Monday. We will also talk about some new interesting studies, including

1. Statin drugs & NSAIDS (ie lipitor & advil) may slow the progression to cancer in those with #Barrett's esophagus.
2. Precancerous changes such as Barrett's may stay hidden after "ablation" therapy

Vitamins and supplements are big: figuring out which ones (if any) work is bigger. Still harder is trying to figure out which brands are honest and which ones less so: supplements are not FDA monitored! Join me and Dr. Tod Coperman of Consumerlab.com, the leading provider of independent test results and information on health, wellness and nutrition products, as we talk about what's out there and what to look for.

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

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

image source:

Monday, November 21, 2011 on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius XM 81: Doctor Radio!

Thanksgiving is in the air here in New York City. The crowds are back and the kids are smelling a four day weekend. I am getting my gravy recipe ready for the big day.

Which brings us to the first topic of our show. How do you do Thanksgiving right if you or one of your guests have allergies, celiac disease, or gluten sensitivity? Join me and Rachel Begun, MS, RD as we talk about just that! We will also be talking about any digestive issues you may have in light of the excessive amounts of food most of us (including me) tend to eat.

Call us with your holiday cooking tips for those with health problems at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

I heard on TV this weekend that the original Thanksgiving consisted of three days of gluttonous eating by a bunch of mostly men. What really happened? Join me and Mary Gunderson, who brings her practice of paleocuisineology(R) with a Thanksgiving twist to the beginning of our second hour. Mary will highlight the meats and veggies at our Thanksgiving table that are modern as well as ancient traditions in North America.
Mary writes about food history and culture, health and wellbeing at historycooks.com and marygunderson.com and is the author of The Food Journal of Lewis & Clark: Recipes for an Expedition (History Cooks(R) 2003) and other food and history books.

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 at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

image source:

Monday, November 14, 2011 on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on Sirius XM 81: Doctor Radio!

I am so far beyond potty training as a parent that its just a blip on my memory. Having said that, the memories are vaguely uncomfortable at best. Join me and Dr. Sandy Lee Chung, pediatrician in private practice if Fairfax, VA, and the the author of the blog Doctor Sandy: Mom First, Pediatrician Second, as we talk about potty training: what to do and when to worry.

Potty training questions: give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

I remember when contact lenses that allowed you to change your eyes came out: I was both impressed and a bit mystefied by the whole concept. But what if you could change your eye color entirely. A surgeon in California is working on this concept. Join me and ophthalmologist Dr. Robert Cykiert as we talk about how this procedure works, what it means, and whether taking a risk with your eyes is worth it just to "turn my brown eyes blue."

Dr. Cykiert is a laser eye specialist: call him with your questions about this or other eye procedures such as LASIK, give us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Thanksgiving is coming! Twenty years ago this year, I spent my first Thanksgiving with the woman who became my wife's family. And survived! But they're lovely, and I had to work in the hospital that night so the event was somewhat time limited. What do you do at Thanksgiving when your new boy or girlfriend wants to "take you home?" Join me and Gregg Stebben, editor at Men's Health Magazine, as we talk about this little dilemma and how to make the most of a "hot-button" situation.

Relationship advice for us? Bad Thanksgiving stories? We want to hear them at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

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 us a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Follow me on twitter (@doctorira)

Monday, November 7th,2011 on the Doctor Ira Breite Show on SiriusXM 81: Doctor Radio!

I hope everyone is having a good day. The American College of Gastroenterology Meetings are over. We have lots of new GI news to talk about from these meetings. This is also my first post on my new computer, with its new (improved?) keyboard and trackpad instead of a mouse. I'm not sure I like it better, but it does bring to mind how various workplace issues that seem minor can have a profound effect. And some of the topics we are talking about show the same thing in caring for patients with digestive disease.

Starting with music. When I do procedures such as colonoscopies, we often have music playing in the background. I often ask patients what they want to hear: their inevitable response is "whatever makes you work better!" But what if what made me work better was not something I particularly wanted to hear: what if it was, well, Mozart? Join me and Dr. David Wolf, a Gastroenterologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Dr. Noelle O'Shea, A GI Fellow there, as we talk about their new study on the "Mozart Effect" and colonoscopy polyp detection.

What was going on in the room right before you had your colonoscopy? Call us at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a vexing problem for doctors and patient's alike. Its cause is unclear and it can be difficult to treat. Join me and Dr. Yuri Saito-Loftus of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, as we talk about her new study looking at the link between psychological issues, trauma and the development of IBS that she just presented at the ACG meeting. Dr. Saito-Loftus is a member of the Clinical Enteric Neuroscience Translational and Epidemiological Research (CENTER) Program at Mayo as well.

IBS? Call us with your questions at 1-877-NYU-DOCS!

I don't "do" my nails. Heck, I have so little hair I hardly get it cut anymore. But are you at risk for infectious diseases from getting your nails done? Can you get hepatitis? Join me and former ACG President Dr. David Johnson as we talk about studies presented at the ACG talking about just that!

Call us with any questions about personal safety and beautification at 1-877-NYU-DOCS

We will end the show with Ask Doctor Ira, where you can ask me any questions on any medical topic at all give me a call at 1-877-NYU-DOCS! Anything you forgot to ask your doctor: ask me!

Follow me on twitter at @doctorira