Author Archives: Tony Breu

Does tryptophan in turkey really cause a food coma? It’s time to talk turkey. Or, more specifically, the tryptophan that we’ve all heard imbues turkey with amazing sedative properties. This episode can provide fodder for Thanksgiving Day dinner table discussions. Many readers have heard of the Thanksgiving food coma and the idea that the tryptophanContinue reading “Episode 38 – Thanksgiving & The Food Coma”

Why does alcohol make one urinate so much? For this episode, we discussed one of the most commonly used diuretics: alcohol. And we started with a very basic question. Can we explain the increased urination seen with alcohol consumption by simply looking at the fluid intake? If someone goes to a bar and has aContinue reading “Episode 37 – Breaking the Seal”

Why can laxatives turn the colon black? For this episode, we investigated the phenomenon of melanosis coli, a benign finding of dark pigmentation of the mucosal lining of the colon, classically associated with long-term use of laxatives. Melanosis coli first appeared in the medical literature in 1830, at which time the French anatomist Jean CruveilhierContinue reading “Episode 36 – The Mystery of Melanosis Coli”

Why do catamenial pneumothoraces almost always occur on the right side? Catamenial pneumothoraces (i.e., pneumothoraces that occur during menstruation) are not particularly common. But, if any reader has seen one it almost certainly occurred on the right side. For this episode we discussed this clear preference and its fascinating explanation. In 1958 a woman presentedContinue reading “Episode 35 – The curious laterality of catamenial pneumothorax”

Most of us have seen a patient with Cheyne-Stokes respirations, whether we know it or not. This pattern of breathing consists of a continuous cycle of hyperpnea (i.e., fast and deep breathing) and apnea. And the cycle just goes back and forth between these two patterns. Cheyne-Stokes is a very old clinical sign. Hippocrates (orContinue reading “Episode 34: Why does severe heart failure lead to Cheyne-Stokes breathing?”