But what if the problem lies elsewhere? Let’s put it this way. If a patient who has just had a heart attack comes to his doctor to ask if he can resume being intimate with his partner, that means that the sex drive is there and that they want it and are just looking for the OK to resume again.

But, if they are not asking, doesn’t that give a hint that maybe that’s not what they are concerned about. Maybe it’s something else. What if their sex drive has simply dropped off, not just their activity?

If that’s the case, then it might be time to look into testosterone deficiency. After all, testosterone is also linked to heart health and could be one of the reasons for the heart problem in the first place!

If testosterone is low there may not be any sex drive. Sex and sex drive stimulates testosterone and promotes heart health, so if a patient, heart attack or not, is suffering from low sex drive it’s time to get the testosterone levels checked out.

More testosterone is attributed to better survival rates, better success, and better sex. Besides making you heart healthier, studies show that men who have higher testosterone also make more money, and other information shows that those who have more sex are likely to live longer. (http://www.doctorkalitenko.com/blog/general-health/how-often-should-you-have-sex).

Do you feel like you just don’t want to have sex as much anymore? Would you like to get your sex life back?

When was the last time you got your testosterone checked? ]]> http://www.doctorkalitenko.com/blog/hormones/s-e-x-after-a-heart-attack-can-be-frightening-2/feed 0 http://www.doctorkalitenko.com/blog/general-health/antidepressants-do-not-prevent-suicide http://www.doctorkalitenko.com/blog/general-health/antidepressants-do-not-prevent-suicide#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:42:07 +0000 Sergey Kalitenko MD http://www.doctorkalitenko.com/blog/?p=1819 Even though antidepressants are much more often prescribed today, and mostly to the baby boomer generation, the statistics show that the rate of suicide among those between 45-54 are still the highest. Why is that? Shouldn’t easier accessibility and more drugs be solving our problems.

Actually, instead, it proves the point exactly, that medication and magic pills don’t really solve everything.

In years past, according to a New York Times article published about the findings, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/us/06suicide.html?ref=health, it has been those that are over 80 that accounted for most suicides. But that all changed five years ago when the numbers started to show that men and women (more men than women) were committing suicide between the ages of 45 and 54.

As baby boomers, the rise in numbers was attributed to easier accessibility to guns and prescription drugs, as well as a higher rate of depression. But why can’t these suicides be prevented, and what’s really causing people at that age to feel depressed.

The Center for Disease Control’s information can be found here http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/statistics/aag.html#3, and it will show that even with the access to more antidepressants, we are still more depressed. Why is that?

The important thing to know here is that you should not always believe what you read. The New England Journal of Medicine recently published information that notes that many pharmaceutical companies simply choose not to publish articles that don’t show antidepressants positively. As a matter of fact, after looking into 74 studies published about 12 various antidepressants. The study showed a scary figure that 22, all without positive results, were simply not published. How can they do this? (http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/358/3/252).

The safest thing that we can do is to try to make ourselves as healthy as possible without relying on medication. For example, here are four things that we can work on to try and make ourselves a little bit healthier and happier:

• make sure that you get enough light during the day. Getting enough Vitamin D has proven to be healthy for so many reasons, from mood boosters to prevention of cancer.
• stress management: try to reduce the stress in your life with natural exercise and breaks, as well as time to relax and enjoy.
• Sleep: sleep is such a problem for many of us. Whether there is too much light that causes interrupted sleep or lack of sleep, we, as Americans, tend to not sleep properly.
• Eating the wrong foods: This is a major cause of how we act and feel. I always encourage a caveman diet of no wheat or dairy, plenty of leafy greens, water, and lean meats. Organic if possible.

Do you feel symptoms of depression but are worried about being on medication? Is the medication you are on not working for you?

Do you think that getting a few tiny wrinkles around your eyes is not a bid deal.  What you do not know is: a few wrinkles may portend a big disaster in your life — aging with hormonal imbalance.

You wake up one day and you really look at yourself in the mirror. It didn’t happen overnight, but it sure feels like it did. You got old! Your wrinkles are prominent, your skin in sagging, you have bags under your eyes from lack of sleep, and you look tired and haggard. What caused this, and how did it happen to you? You are not ready to think of yourself as old, yet.

“Every wrinkle has a reason,” says Sergey Kalitenko, MD, an Anti Aging Holistic Physician, practicing in Great Neck, Nassau county, Long Island, as well as Brooklyn and Manhattan. “There are several reasons why wrinkles happen, and it’s important to know that they cannot all be treated the same way.  You need to know the reason for wrinkles to treat them appropriately.”

At Dr. Kalitenko’s offices in Great Neck, they use biofeedback and other tests to look into the root cause of your aging problems, and find the right ways to identify, diagnose, and treat them.

Appropriate history taking, physical exam and tests will show that your wrinkles came from either:

1. Loss of skin thickness — your skin just isn’t as thick anymore, as you age.
2. Loss of volume — this has nothing to do with the skin actually, but rather with the fat underneath the skin and needs to be treated differently.
3. Excessive muscle pull — when the skin mimics the muscle pull and is working too hard.
4. Loss of normal skin texture — when the elastic fibers are gone and no longer in shape.

Each of these needs to be treated in the appropriate way. This is not a “one treatment fits all” plan.

“The first few wrinkles around your eyes are so small and can barely be noticed,” says Dr. Kalitenko.  “And you do not usually pay too much attention to them. So what? A little bit of makeup and you are ok.  But soon your problems start to pile up and soon disaster starts.”

Treatments are becoming too expensive. Visits to the makeup counter at department stores are costing hundreds of dollars but the results are almost a joke. You could be missing one approach that could prevent disaster.

Functional medicine can save you from that disaster, because it looks for the root cause of your problem and treats it. At our offices we look into the reason for your problem. We examine why your skin is wrinkled, we look into your diet, into vitamins, and we look to treat you to make the whole you feel younger and better.

Dr. Kalitenko has also teamed up with the healing services offered at Margaret’s Paradise, to offer a full, natural beauty experience. The office makes sure that you are taken care of inside and out.

Committing to look and feel younger is not an easy process. We encourage you to learn more by signing up for one of Dr. Kalitenko’s many free e-seminars. We feature in-depth articles about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, neurotransmitters, beauty, detoxification, and living longer.

“Most importantly, I ask that you come and see me personally for a consultation,” says Doctor Kalitenko. “There is no better way for me to tell you what I think would be the best for you, other than to meet you. I work with each patient, not their numbers, and every patient is different.”

Do you want to look and feel 10 years younger? Make an appointment for a consultation with Doctor Kalitenko: 718-382-9200.

What you need to do to get better:

1. Listen what your body is telling you: wrinkles? tired? no sleep? no energy?
2. if yes, then does your problems make your life harder, even miserable? if yes, then call us at 516 467 0253 or 718 382 9200 and schedule an appointment online

Our guarantee:
We do not share your personal information with anybody unless it is authorized by you or required by law.
More information? Get online workshops now:
You may also find interesting:

• Can Botox Help With Migraines?
• Can a Thread Lift Up Your Survival Rate?
• Four Tips On How To Improve the Look of Your Eyes

If you are interested in finding out more about looking and feeling younger, as well as available testing and treatments for Wrinkles or any other beauty issues, call Doctor Kalitenko at 516-467-0253 718-382-9200 to schedule an appointment.

Doctor Kalitenko is Board Certified in Anti-Aging and Regenerative, Holistic and Integrative Medicine. His Long Island practice is located at 17 Maple Drive at Middle Neck Road, 2nd floor, Great Neck, NY. He can be reached at 516-467-0253.  Ample parking is available, or the LIRR is a short walk away. He also serves the NYC area with offices in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Dr, Kalitenko works with women and men from all over the tri-state area. For more information about his services and to get free proven tips on how to lose weight, how to look and feel 10 years younger visit www.doctorkalitenko.com.  For medical news, read his anti-aging blog at http://www.doctorkalitenko.com/blog, or sign up for valuable e-seminars that can help you achieve your anti-aging and health goals in the most natural way.

Please note that anti aging and holistic boards not recognized by the american board of medical specialities.  Opinions in this press release do not reflect the opinion of american boards of medical professions, FDA or othe government agencies.

Initially, they usually tell me, they put up with it for their mate’s sake. They do not want their partners to think that it was anything that their partners are doing. But eventually, they started avoiding intimacy, or coming up with excuses to not have it.  They tell their mates the truth and tried various positions, but eventually they get turned off at always being hurting their partners.  And they do not enjoy intimacy any more. Such patients are desperate.

Back pain is a very big issue for women when it comes to intimacy. Many women with hormonal imbalances complain of generalized pains, at least  80 percent of them. When a woman lays down, the constant movement and tension during love making is very painful and she cannot perform. A woman who is post-menopausal or has had an accident with back pain as a symptom, can put her totally out of business and make her partner crazy.

Another reason for pain during intimacy is vaginal dryness.  With age a woman’s estrogen level goes down, making her vagina dry.  This is  very uncomfortable for both the man and the woman.

Sometimes endometriosis (a condition in which the tissue that behaves like the cells lining the uterus (endometrium) grows in other areas of the body, causing pain, irregular bleeding, and possible infertility.) can cause severe pain during intimacy.  The pain can be so severe, that it can ruin any relationship.

So, what is the solution?

• First of all, the hormones should be balanced, because it will truly reduce the pain and brings comfort.  For vaginal dryness estriol vaginal cream works very well.  Long foreplay is also important.

• Another approach is to reduce the inflammation in your spine or joints, which is what causes the pain. The easiest way to do it — lose weight.  Sometimes you cannot do it without hormone balancing.

• Position is important too.  Two positions are known to help women who have back  pain during sex:

1. Woman on top. The movements here are minimized and pressure on the back is relieved.
2. More ferarum (most commonly known as doggie style in America). This position takes all the pressure off the back and relieves back pain, as the woman is on  her hands and knees.

Now what about you?

• Do you have pain during intimacy?
• Is it vaginal dryness?
• Back or joint pain?

Back pain can ruin your sex life and a bad sex life can ruin a relationship. Put a stop to it now. Dr Kalitenko’s website at For more information, www.doctorkalitenko.com to make an appointment or call our offices at 718-382-9200.

You may also find interesting:

• Menopause and Sex Drive
• How Does Low Testosterone Affect Women?
• Can Surgery Help Back Pain From Lumbar Stenosis?

Most people live with depression. Some seek counseling, while others just suffer through the symptoms. Many learn to live with the symptoms until life is only a shell of what it used to be. But this is not how to handle depression. Even treatment, with a psychiatrist and medication, may not always help the ways that one may expect.

Some of the basic signs of depression include:

1. Feeling helpless and hopeless
2. No interest in usual daily activities
3. Weight loss or gain
4. Changes in sleep patterns
5. Restlessness or irritability
6. No energy
7. Lack of concentration
8. Unexplained aches or pains

Just like there is no switch to turn depression on, there is also no switch to turn depression off. There are pills, but they are not magic.
A recent article published in the Huffington Post, talks about how some of these drugs that are often prescribed for depression, don’t actually even work. Read the full story here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/depression-medication-why_b_550098.html.

Drug companies published several articles recently stating the benefits of some of these medications, only to get caught lying. The truth is that some of these drugs were actually ineffective but the companies chose never to publish those reports. In the end, it was shown that about 80 percent of people showed no improvement on these medications.

What does it mean to you?  It means that may be you should not rely on drugs alone.

Depression is always a serious matter.  This is the way your body tells you that something is very wrong.  It was shown repeatedly that depression is associated with heart disease and cancer survival.  What is means is: depression is not only in you brain, it is everywhere.  It affects whole your body.

Depression usually is a neurotransmitter problem: serotonin or dopamine or both.  To solve the problem you need to find out the root case ad treat it if possible.  Seeing a physician is a must.  You should not make any decisions about your health care without consulting physician.  Remember: depression is a deadly disease.

The seven ways you can help to make your life better:

1. Fix your gut first.  Serotonin, responsible for depression, is produced in the gut.  What antidepressants do? Raise serotonin level.  But instead of taking Prozac may be you should take care of your gut first?  There is no such thing as Prozac deficiency.  Also you need to make sure that your gut is working properly so that if you are taking vitamins or supplements and they are not being absorbed, you may not be getting the treatment that you need.
2. Sun exposure but in moderation.
3. Get enough sleep: when you sleep you synthesize neurotransmitters.
4. Make sure, that you are checked for heavy metal toxicity: mercury blocks SAMe which is necessary for cathecholamine O Methyl transferase which degrades adrenaline.
5. Make sure that your partners are not toxic and that they don’t suck life out of you, but rather bring you more and better life
6. More love making (intimacy) can help with depression.
7. Diet: what you eat can make you feel physically and emotionally sick. Make sure that you stick to a diet of lean meats and green vegetables, as well as fruits. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, dairy, wheat.  Carbs in moderation actually can help with depression.   Want to help a depressed friend?  Give him something sweet.  Or potato. See more on my website about the caveman diet.

What about you?

• Are you suffering from depression?
• Did you lose interest in your life?
• Did you lose your sex drive?
• Are you fatigued all the time?

If you feel like you are suffering from depression and want to seek a natural and effective solution, call Dr. Kalitenko at 718-382-9200 to make an appointment.

Parkinson’s is an awful, debilitating and deadly disease and while it was once believed that there may be no way to lower your risk, we now see that there can be a way to help you protect yourself from getting it.

A new study now says that women’s fertility can actually keep them from getting Parkinson’s Disease. The longer than span from first menstruation to menopause can now help in the fight against Parkinsons in women.

http://www.usnews.com/health/family-health/womens-health/articles/2009/02/25/hormones-may-help-shield-women-from-parkinsons.html

According to the study, though it has long been believed that women’s hormones have an effect on whether or not they develop Parkinsons, this study looked at 82,000 menopausal women.

So what does this mean practically?

There are several things that we can do to try and prevent Parkinson’s disease, and although, there is obviously no way to ensure that you do not get  the disease, leading a healthy lifestyle always helps in the prevention of not only Parkinson’s but many dieases.

1.    Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy: since fertility can be linked to the prevention of the disease, replacing hormones lost with ones identical to your body makeup can help.
2.    Brain health, with things like vitamin B complex, fish oil, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidyl serine, inositol, etc.

You can learn more about Parkinson’s disease here:

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/parkinsons_disease/detail_parkinsons_disease.htm.

If stress lowers testosterone, how come people in very high stress work places seem to have more of it?  Boosting your testosterone level may be good for sexual performance and this seems to be a well known theory. So, men look to keep their testosterone up, hoping that it will keep their sexual prowess at peak.

A study in London done in the last few years found that men who worked at the London stock exchange had a higher level of testosterone based on the amount of money they made. More money = more testosterone. The suggested explanation of this is that testosterone begets aggressiveness, resulting in more risky decisions. Another possible explanation is that thinking about money and sex ignites the same areas of the brain. Therefore there is the possibility that testosterone stimulates sex areas, which are at the same time the areas responsible for money making.

But studies also show that stress can reduce testosterone levels. How is that possible? One would assume that someone working as a broker is bound to be super-stressed? However, it is known that stress can work its way into cortisol and testosterone levels.

So, it seems that may be while mild to moderately intense physical stress, as in sports and sex, may actually boost testosterone production, severe mental and emotional stress can inhibit it.

So, it seems there is a debate on the issue. How do you keep yourself healthy, and your levels right? First of all, try to control stress in your life, eat right, sleep well and surround yourself with people who will add to your life not suck the energy out of it. Keep active. Testosterone is not just for fun, it is for survival.

It’s become almost commonplace to say that we should be medicated.
“You’re crazy.”
“I’m Crazy.”
“We’re all nuts”

These statements are more severe than we think. We assume that there is something wrong with us and we look immediately to medication to fix it. Our doctors prescribe something to calm us down, lift us up, help us become normal again.

But what they don’t truly do, is look into the cause of our problems. Even a diagnosis of depression or anxiety can have an underlying physical cause that no one even gets to the bottom of.

You see, not everyone who is crazy, is really crazy.

Two reasons can be hormonal imbalance, or what we eat.

Hormonal imbalance, such as that which occurs during menopause, can cause us to feel so many emotions, running the gamut from happy to sad, hurt to upset. But it is possible to feel normal again, to control your emotions and stabilize them so we feel more in control of ourselves.

One possible method, and a very successful one at that, is bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, which helps us get back what we are missing, and what we lose with age. This treatment can make you feel younger, more in control and more positive in your life.

The other cause can be in your gut. Serotonin which is responsible for your mood, is produced in your gut. It is what controls mood, sleep and more. And it is what can make the difference between being “crazy” or not. The key here is to take care of your gut. Make sure that it is functioning properly.
Make sure you are moving your bowels regularly, turn to a more natural diet of meat, fruits and vegetables. Skip the carbs, wheat and dairy, they may not be good for you. It is called the caveman diet. If the caveman didn’t eat it, there is no reason that you should.
Take care of your body physically and you will see results as to what it can do for you mentally. This is not always a cure, but to be healthy throughout can never be harmful.

Right now, the health care debate, as far as breast cancer and mammograms is concerned, is centered around women worried that they will no longer be covered for mammograms between the ages of 40 and 50.

Scores of women came into the public eye to make announcements that if they had not been tested at 40, their cancer would not have been detected and they could have been dead by now. The debate rages on, with the new published guidelines.

But, what’s not so much in the public eye, and never has been, is the rising amount of young teenagers, or teens, with breast cancer. No one seems to be able to come to a consensus as to why women, younger and younger, are getting a disease usually reserved for those near or after menopause.

According to a story on CNN.com, only about seven percent of breast cancer cases occur in patients under the age of 40. Check out the full story here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/26/tweens.breast.cancer/index.html

Though there is no way for sure to tell if you will get breast cancer or not, there are several printed guidelines as to what you can do to reduce your risks. Among those are
1.    maintaining a healthy weight,
2.    eating real foods like fruits and vegetables, and
3.    exercise, as well as
4.    limiting alcohol consumption.

Too much estrogen in the body as well as inflammation and lack of natural protection factors as vitamin D, for example, contributes to breast cancer risks. Checking how your body is at getting rid of excess estrogen can considerably helpful. This works by checking the gut, as it is the gut that estrogen elimination depends on. If the gut is working properly, the right bacteria is helping to get rid of estrogen.

There are tests available to see if estrogen is contributing to your or your child’s breast cancer risk, and they are available at our offices.

It is possible to survive breast cancer at any age. Here is another uplifting story. http://www.wvec.com/home/Teen-breast-cancer-survivor-raises-awareness-raises-concerns-about-panels-findings-70680522.html.

Call the office of Doctor Kalitenko to find out more about checking your child’s estrogen elimination and overall gut function.

There is a very big difference between the wintertime blues and seasonal depression. But the treatments may be more similar than you would guess. Without drugs, without any drastic treatment, sometimes it is possible to to get better.  Of course anything you do for your health or consider to do should be approved or recommended by your doctor.

The key word here is natural. Getting back to nature and giving the body what it is asking for. Here are some simple tips.

There are several reasons for your seasonal depression: lack of light, too much stress, not enough sleep and eating the wrong foods. If you alter these four aspects of your life, you will see the symptoms of depression begin to improve.

For example, it gets darker earlier and this becomes an issue for people who get up when it’s still dark, work all day in an office, and go home in darkness. Artificial light just doesn’t cut it. Take the time out, even if only a little, to take a walk during lunch. If you don’t have time during lunch, make time. It will also reduce your stress to get away from your environment and get some fresh air.

Stress reduction is the second key. Try to limit your stress, try to take time to enjoy yourself, and offer yourself time to relax.  Do not forget about meditations.

Sleep is a huge factor. We normally don’t get enough sleep and that seriously affects how we function. I cannot stress this enough: GO TO SLEEP EARLY. An old proverb says “an hour of sleep before midnight is worth two after midnight.”

Finally, the way we eat can determine whether or not we suffer from depression. If you don’t eat properly, your serotonin level may be low. Pills like Prozac bring tits level up chemically. But serotonin is produced in the gut and if the gut works perfectly, your levels will be normal. In order to achieve this, you may have to give up alcohol, give up dairy, and give up caffeine as well as wheat and other gluten containing foods. Before making any health decision consult your doctor.

Depression can also be caused by hormone deficiencies, so if you feel symptoms, see your doctor.  We also specialize in the treatment of hormonal deficiencies with depression.