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73 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, April 4, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend March 14, 2004 Preliminary screening finds hidden ailments By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune Lloyd Sorensen just wanted to try a new medicine. He had open-heart surgery instead. Sorensen had to have a physical exam before he could enroll in a study for an emphysema medicine. Nurses noticed a peculiar heart rhythm during his exam. "They couldn’t take me (for the drug trial) because I had an unusual heartbeat," said Sorensen, 77, a retired microbiologist. "They told me I should see my doctor. My doctor told me I should see a cardiologist. The cardiologist told me three arteries to my heart were blocked. Two were 90 percent blocked; one was 70 percent. I didn’t have a clue. "Within a very short time I had open-heart surgery," the Medford man said. "If I hadn’t been doing that study, heaven only knows what would have happened." Pharmaceutical companies draw up rigid rules (a "protocol") for each drug they study. People who want to enroll in any trial must have a physical exam to determine whether they meet the criteria. Hidden ailments like Sorensen’s blocked arteries sometimes surface during the exams. Advertisement "We’ve found lumps in lungs and aneurysms," said Jean Hall, research director at Medford Medical Clinic. "We just found a patient with a tubal ligation who is pregnant. She didn’t know there’s a 2 percent failure rate." Enlightened self-interest lures some people into drug trials. "Diane" and "Steve" (who asked that their real names not be used) both enrolled in trials because they could not afford health care. "We made too much to qualify for Oregon Health Plan, and we didn’t qualify for food stamps," said Diane, who suffers from chronic back pain. She earned $400 by enrolling in a study on the effects of a pain medication on bowel habits. (Opiate drugs tend to cause constipation.) Steve, who has asthma, was paid $800 for a three-month asthma study. "We looked (for a study) so we could get some medicine," Diane said. Others are attracted to trials that might offer relief from a chronic medical condition. Melanie Dines, a Medford nurse, joined a study for a drug that shows promise in treating uterine fibroids. "Being a nurse I know how beneficial this could be," she said. Many people enroll in trials because they like the notion of helping scientists cure disease. Helen Russ of Medford, for example, enrolled in a study for osteoarthritis drugs after seeing a newspaper ad. "I really couldn’t tell if (the drug) helped," she said, "but if it can benefit future generations, I wanted to do it." Some studies involve a certain amount of discomfort or adverse side effects. Dines had to have an endometrial biopsy prior to enrolling in the uterine fibroid study. Lyle Walker of Medford got "sick as a dog" in a pain medication study. "I was so sick the cure was worse than the disease," Walker said. "I dropped out of that one." He had happier results in two earlier studies for medicines to treat hypertension and high cholesterol. "I’d do those again. I probably will do those again." Walker said people who don’t like the sight of blood might not want to enroll in a drug study because patients usually have blood drawn every time they report for a physical. "If you’re scared of needles," he said, "don’t do it." Thanks to the many readers who shared their personal experiences from clinical trials. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times