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Monday, July 27th, 2009
It has been brought to my attention that two popular supplements on this site are known to contain steroids. These products are legal to purchase in the United states but may not be for long. With the recent increase in popularity of Tren products, there has been more scrutiny of their uses and side effects. Read the entire article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/24/sports/24steroids.html?_r=2&hpw
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009
This was recently brought to my attention by a visitor of the site. The companies involved are ASN, QFL and SNI: FDA Takes Enforcement Action Against Three New Jersey Dietary Supplement and Protein Powder Manufacturers The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has filed a complaint for permanent injunction against Quality Formulation Laboratories, Inc., American Sports Nutrition Inc., Sports Nutrition International LLC and Mohamed S. Desoky, who oversees operations at all three companies. The companies, located in Paterson, N.J., manufacture dietary supplements and protein powders and distribute them throughout the United States. The companies also export powder mixes and dietary supplements for sale by private label customers. The government\’s complaint, filed July 1, 2009 in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey, alleges that the companies have failed to follow current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) by manufacturing and storing food under filthy conditions and in conditions that may cause major food allergens to enter into products not intended to contain them. The complaint also alleges that the companies failed to disclose major food allergens on the product labels and have other labeling problems. During a recent inspection, FDA investigators found that several of the companies’ products contained milk ingredients that were not declared on the product labels. In addition, the company failed to clean processing equipment between batches and control allergens in the facility. FDA investigators also discovered live and dead rodents and rodent urine, feces and gnaw holes on bags of product. In three inspections, FDA investigators noted deviations from GMP standards. The companies promised to make corrections, but they failed to do so. The complaint requests a court order to stop the companies and its officer from manufacturing and distributing the products until needed corrections are made. “This company has consistently failed to correct filthy conditions in their plants and to make sure that allergens are appropriately declared on the labels, despite frequent warnings to do so,” said Michael Chappell, the FDA’s acting associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. “The FDA will not tolerate companies that fail to provide adequate safeguards.” Consumers with allergies to milk ingredients who have used these products and are experiencing any symptoms should contact their health care professional. Consumers can report problems with FDA-regulated products to their district office consumer complaint coordinator.
Monday, December 29th, 2008
The swelling is starting to go down and I am really getting some mobility back in my knee. I have been going to physical therapy which has been helping a whole lot. I am back on the stationary cycle with no pain at all. There is still a little limp going down the stairs, and a little pain while squatting, but other than that it is mostly healed. The incisions have closed up and are slowly disappearing. The whole surgery cost a ton, but I saved a ton of money by having insurance. I would have been out a ton of money if I hadn’t signed up for an insurance plan a few months ago, right before the injury. I posted about the meniscectomy cost. I should be back to hockey and running in a few weeks. I am excited about ending my recovery and getting back to my normal active life!
Monday, December 8th, 2008
I went in for the meniscus repair surgery last Thursday. I was nervous since the only other time that I had surgery was when I got my wisdom teeth removed. I thought I would be sitting in a waiting room for a while just jittering the whole time, but they moved me through pretty quickly. I wasn’t waiting for more than a few minutes before they called me into pre-op. I was given an IV, then they shaved my knee, and they asked some general questions about my health. They wheeled me into the operating room, strapped me down, then knocked me out. It felt like it was only moments later when I woke up. I felt fine, except my leg was all bandaged up. I was released about an hour later, got a ride home and rested. I still can’t really walk. The problem is that my knee is really swollen so I don’t have a full range of motion with my knee. I used the crutches for the first few days, but yesterday and today I started walking without them. I still can’t walk even close to correctly, but I figure that will change once the swelling goes down. I am glad I got the surgery over with. I will finally be able to play sports and run again. I go in for my follow-up appointment tomorrow, so I should get an idea of how much longer I will be limping around.
Monday, December 1st, 2008
After going into the doctor and getting an MRI on my injured knee, it has become clear that I have a torn meniscus and I will need surgery. Since my yearly deductible for my health insurance is pretty high, I decided to have the surgery ASAP, so I would get maximum health insurance coverage for the costs associated with the procedure. There are two possible outcomes of the surgery. One is that I have part of the meniscus removed, and the other possible outcome is that I have it repaired. If I have the damaged part removed, I will be back on my feet in no time, but I will have an increased chance of getting arthritis when I get older. If I have part of it repaired, I will be on crutches for six weeks. I really don’t know which one will be better. Obviously, the repair will be better for the long run, but being on crutches for six weeks will be a big pain. At least my knee won’t hurt anymore and I will eventually be back to the things I love, like hockey, running, walking without a limp, etc.
Monday, November 10th, 2008
Well it has been over a week and my knee still isn’t all the way better. Everyone keeps telling me that I should see someone, and that I can’t self-diagnose my own knee injury, but I just can’t afford to go to the doctor and have him tell me something I know I will hear. He will either tell me to rest my knee, wear a brace and give it time, or he will tell me that I need a surgery that I can’t afford. So, I went and bought a knee brace a few days ago. It really helps keep my knee from bending in any directions that would cause discomfort, but also helps stabilize the entire thing and keep it from hurting when I walk. I have been using it a lot the past few days, and my knee is really starting to feel better. I think that I should just give it some more time and use the brace anytime I want to use my knee a lot. I was reading some more online and the general rule of thumb for needing surgery is if the knee has overall stability or not. I can easily walk on my knee, stand, and do pretty much anything easily. The online resources suggested that I probably won’t need surgery because my knee is still in tact. They recommended some knee-strengthening exercises. Once I get back into town, I will see what exercises I should be doing and try to start doing them regularly. As far as the joint support supplements, I haven’t placed an order for any yet. I keep thinking that by the time that they arrive, my knee will be better and I won’t need them anymore. Also, I am not convinced that they will do anything as it could be a pulled muscle, sprain, legitimate injury, etc. Anyway, my outlook is looking more positive as my knee is finally showing signs of improvement.
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
Well I am not exactly sure what did it, but something really screwed up my knee. I worked out my legs for the first time in a little bit on Friday, and woke up the next morning with terrible knee pains. It has been a few days and I haven’t been seeing much improvement. Too bad my health insurance sucks. I can still walk around and move my knee for the most part, which make me think that it will probably just get better in time. I am taking the week off Hockey (which really pains me), but I think it is for the better. The last thing I want to do is make the situation worse. I read online that I should be keeping it elevated and icing it, but I don’t want to lay around in bed all day. Its not like it hurts thaaat bad, its just that I can’t run or skate or anything too fun. I will be ordering some Joint Support supplements in the next few days, hoping that it will somehow help keep my joints nice and strong. I have had problems with shoulders in the past, and the only thing that really helped was taking time off and letting them heal on their own. |