MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'effects'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:51:47 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174612&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fchinese-study-compares-flu-treatments-prescription-drug-vs-herbal-remedy%2F2011.08.29 During the early days of the 2009 H1N1 influenza A pandemic, the popular herbal formula maxingshigan–yinqiaosan was used widely by TCM practitioners to reduce symptoms. (It’s hard to pronounce and spell, so I’ll refer to it as M-Y.) A new study was done to test whether M-Y worked and to compare it to the prescription drug oseltamivir. It showed that M-Y did not work for the purpose it was being used for: it did not reduce symptoms, although it did reduce the duration of one sign, fever, allowing researchers to claim they had proved that it works as well as oseltamivir. “Oseltamivir Compared With the Chinese Traditional Therapy: Maxingshigan–Yinqiaosan in the Treatment of H1N1 Influenza” by Wang et al. was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine earlier this month. The stu... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174612 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:00:51 +0100 5174612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174866&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSuboxoneTalkZone%2F%7E3%2Fb7cMgoHVGao%2F Discussions about chewing or crushing buprenorphine provide examples of the doublespeak that only confuses people.  My own recent discussion with another Suboxone prescriber went like this: “I don’t want patients to crush or chew the tablet because that will make it get absorbed too quickly.  In fact,  I usually recommend the film, because it dissolves much more quickly than the tablet.”  Say what?  Do we want it to dissolve more quickly or not?  The truth is that it really does not matter.  The dissolving of buprenorphine— or the film– is the LONG part of the process. The veins under the tongue absorb the drug in Suboxone. Actually, buprenorphine passes through all of the surfaces in the mouth, eventually entering capillaries under the surface.  The veins under t... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174866 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:20:49 +0100 5174866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174618&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fplastic-surgeon-discusses-safety-and-effectiveness-of-new-anti-wrinkle-product%2F2011.08.28 The FDA has granted a license to the maker of laViv which is said to improve the appearance of smile lines without freezing the muscles of your face. Have you heard of this new drug? Does it work like it claims? Are there any side effects that are worrisome? Source: dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2028456/New-biological-wrinkle-cure-touted-alternative-Botox-frozen-face.html Maybe. As we have discussed before, FDA approval is not a stamp of approval that a drug is effective. It just means that as far as current studies show, it is not harmful. Some drugs are FDA approved for years until later the FDA reconsiders and removes them from the market. Look at the relatively recent removal of Darvocet from the market after many years of FDA approval. LaViv is an interesting concept. (more…) ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174618 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 16:35:43 +0100 5174618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139604&cid=t_101788_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2011%2F08%2F16%2Fpedal-board-2011-update-4%2F The Final Update Well here it is – what is hopefully my final pedal board update for the rest of the year. My list is empty. I now have no further Pedals that I’m intending to get. I have sold a lot of guitar gear this year including pedals and amps and have arrived at a rig that I am truly happy with. The final pieces of the puzzle were the awesome Strymon Timeline delay, and finally a new tube amp – a Vox AC15C1. To complement the amp I also added a footswitch to toggle the amp reverb and tremolo, and a Lehle Little Dual A/B/Y switch so I can switch between the “normal” and “top boost” amp channels or use them together. Put the new rig through it’s paces on Sunday, using almost all of the pedals, and I have never been more contented with my... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139604 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:32:12 +0100 5139604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107518&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fplastic-surgeon-weighs-in-on-anti-aging-medicine%2F2011.08.08 Reader Question: Do you do anti-aging medicine? I do not see it on your web site. If not, what is your opinion of it? I am not a fan or follower of the anti-aging medicine fad in so much that it promotes what I believe to be a false concept. An older person cannot be made into a younger version of herself by boosting certain hormones. There is really no good evidence that it works. Patients don’t live any longer. It might also be found to be harmful in the long run. Plastic surgeons will differ in their opinions as to what works with low risk to improve things. To me (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107518 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:00:57 +0100 5107518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096941&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39213&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbeingcancer.net%2F2011%2F08%2F03%2Fcancer-quantity-or-quality-guest-post%2F NOTE: a reader notified me that he was unable to leave comments.  The “Register” option has disappeared from the “Meta” sidebar section.  I don’t know why.  No one can “Log In” because no one can register.  I changed my settings so that you do not have to login in order to comment. Hopefully this will work.  If we start getting hit by spammers and bots, I may have to look for another solution.  Currently we block hundreds of spam hits every week.   Dennis I sometimes think that we expect our cancer bloggers to lift us up, to make us feel more courageous, to point out the best parts of bad situations.  But anyone who has been through it, anyone who has battles the Beast knows that for every transformative moment, there are at least a dozen dismal and desparate ones. ... Being Cancer Network blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096941 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 04:02:44 +0100 5096941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077868&cid=t_101788_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FbVs7OP1xH_I%2F In recent years, we have witnessed the beginnings of a revolution in education.  Technology has fundamentally altered the way we do many things in daily life, but it is just starting to make headway in changing the way we teach.  Just as television shows like Sesame Street enhanced the passive learning of information for kids by teaching in a fun format, electronic games offer to greatly enhance the way kids and adults are taught by actively engaging them in the process. The Entertainment Software Association estimates that sixty-seven percent of American households play video or computer games [1].  They are especially popular among young males, with a recent study of teenagers by researchers at Yale reporting that 76.3% of male (and 29.2% of female) teens play video games [2].  These... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077868 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:36:31 +0100 5077868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077688&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcan-pharmacogenomic-tests-help-to-improve-public-health%2F2011.07.29 Adverse drug events are a serious public health problem. Consider the following facts: an estimated 82% of American adults take at least one medication and 29% take five or more; 700,000 emergency department visits and 120,000 hospitalizations are due to adverse drug events annually; $3.5 billion is spent on extra medical costs of adverse drug events annually; at least 40% of costs associated with adverse drug events occurring outside hospitals can be prevented. How can genomics help? Pharmacogenomics is the study of genetic variation as a factor in drug response, affecting both safety and effectiveness. The intended applications of pharmacogenomics research include identifying responders and non-responders to medications, avoiding adverse events, optimizing drug dose and avoiding unnece... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077688 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:00:10 +0100 5077688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069395&cid=t_101788_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2011%2F07%2F26%2Frandom-reviews%2F Time for another one of those posts where I list a few things I’ve been into lately. Work is a little quiet today, which I’m blaming on being the first day of school term. It’s been busy the last few weeks so hopefully today is just a temporary blip. Music / Entertainment - Bon Iver – loving the new album by Bon Iver – very atmospheric stuff; it’s like post-rock with vocals; and the first song is named after Perth - Wicked – we saw this show last weekend at Burswood. Very entertaining. If you get the chance to see it then make sure you do. - West Wing – watching our DVD collection of this show again. Definitely one of the best shows ever. Computing / Tech - Lion – the new Mac OS seems noticeably zippier, but I’ve had a few random... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069395 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 04:13:52 +0100 5069395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050942&cid=t_101788_127_f&fid=38260&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amacf.org%2F2011%2F07%2Fmeditation-and-the-immune-system.html After my first year in Saybrook’s Mind-Body Medicine Ph.D. program (research track) my mission becomes a little clearer. I am still not quite clear on what my dissertation will be about, but I know it will involve Guided Imagery as... (Source: Alternative Medicine Blog) Alternative Medicine Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050942 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 04:40:21 +0100 5050942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036227&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcurious-about-herbal-medicine%2F2011.07.17 So, you’re curious about herbal medicine. Is there any truth to this stuff? Uncle Howie tells you that he read in the National Enquirer about an herb that has better antibacterial effects on cuts and scrapes than Neosporin ointment — never mind that Neosporin is composed of three different antibiotics that come originally from bacteria themselves. So you set out on a quest to purchase some of this herb, known colloquially as goldenseal. When you go to your local Whole Hippie Dump-a-Load-of-Cash Emporium you find goldenseal alright, in about twenty different forms. On one side of the aisle are containers with loose, crushed up leaves and roots that look like medical marijuana. On a shelf, you find see-through capsules that seem to contain a powdered version of the herb. Down the aisle a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036227 Sun, 17 Jul 2011 21:00:14 +0100 5036227 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028071&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fguest-blog-health-care-in-dangerous.html Health Care Renewal presents another guest blog by Steve Lucas, a retired businessman who formerly worked in real estate and construction who has a long standing interest in business ethics, and has long observed the health care scene.Health Care Renewal has often covered the disconnect between the stated goals of companies and the realities of their day to day operations. This raised the following question: Has medicine moved from being dysfunctional to being dangerous?There is certainly no lack of material to support this question as in the last two weeks we can find examples of pharma/biotech/device companies all engaged in questionable behavior. Medtronic and Manipulation of Study DataIn the print media, The Wall Street Journal, a pro-business newspaper regularly highlights storie... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028071 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 20:02:00 +0100 5028071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029226&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSuboxoneTalkZone%2F%7E3%2Fy5ayPpVzbt8%2F Last night I came across a medical student web site that included a link to a post of mine from a couple years ago, that described my feelings about Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, and other benzodiazepines.   The people commenting at that site appreciated my comments, and my comments were ‘seconded’ by other physicians.  Here’s the post again, for those who missed it the first time: Twelve Things I Hate About Benzodiazepines Author: Jeffrey Junig MD PhD Because of several highly publicized deaths from combining Suboxone with benzodiazepines or “benzos”—a class of sedative medications that includes Xanax and Valium—I am frequently asked about the safety of combining Suboxone with those medications. The risk of life-threatening respiratory depression can be mitigate... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029226 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 19:17:17 +0100 5029226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984448&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fosteoporosis-treatment-with-bisphosphonates-is-exercise-good-or-dangerous%2F2011.06.30 My 86 year-old mother, who is generally in good health, slipped and fell recently and suffered a fractured femur. She was unfortunate to have suffered the accident, but had the good fortune to be discovered quickly, treated promptly and well by the paramedics who responded to her, and then to have a swift and skillful operation by an orthopedic surgeon to repair the fracture. Almost miraculously, she was standing upright (with a considerable amount of pain) the next day and had begun the rehabilitation process. At her age—indeed at any age—a fractured femur is a very significant injury. This past year, I have learned of friends and others who have suffered falls and broken their legs, ankles, or backs, as well as others who suffered “pathological fractures.” The latter group had th... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984448 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:00:00 +0100 4984448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976056&cid=t_101788_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-medication%2Fdo-adhd-meds-without-side-effects-really-exist.php If you have a child who is being treated for symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), you probably wonder if it is possible to find ADHD meds without side effects. While there are some ADHD medications with less side effects than others, it is difficult to treat the condition with meds without negative effects at all. The most common medications used to treat ADHD include Aderall, Strattera, Ritalin and Concerta. Many children experience one or more side effects from these medications. Common side effects include nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, stomach pain, nausea, headache, abnormally fast heartbeat and dry mouth. The symptoms of ADHD interfere significantly with a child’s academic and social skills. Children with ADHD have difficulty concentrating, are often no... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976056 Sun, 26 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4976056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968542&cid=t_101788_105_f&fid=36987&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FIvorKovicMd%2F%7E3%2Fv_fF9FquzRA%2F Just recently my colleague and I have published two research papers. I am very proud of the first one titled “Mobile phone in the Chain of Survival”, which was published after a lot of research in the Resuscitation journal. This short paper gives an overview of vast possibilities possessed by mobile phones to be of assistance in medical emergencies. It represents a continuation of my work with CPR mobile applications. I have also now published a video of the lecture I gave during the Resuscitation 2010 congress about the same subject. You can watch my 10 minute lecture here, and read our paper at the Resuscitation website. The second paper we wrote appeared in the Croatian journal Lijecnicki Vjesnik (in English this would be something like Physician’s Newsletter). It i... Ivor Kovic, M.D. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968542 Sat, 25 Jun 2011 09:54:12 +0100 4968542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960068&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhow-your-diet-might-interfere-with-prescription-medications%2F2011.06.22 When people talk about prescription medications, everyone is familiar with the concept of side effects from medication. But, did you know that there are things in your diet that may interfere with your prescription medication? In addition, your prescription medication may interfere with over the counter medications. In this video, there are two interviews recorded on Wednesday, June 8, 2011 on local TV news. If you find the information above helpful, I invite you to check out other TV interviews on medical/health issues at MikeSevilla.TV *This blog post was originally published at Family Medicine Rocks Blog - Mike Sevilla, MD* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960068 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:00:54 +0100 4960068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953156&cid=t_101788_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-drugs%2Fside-effects-of-medication-for-adhd-people-ask-yourself-these-questions.php When children and adults take medication for ADHD, it usually means that they are on amphetamines, high blood pressure drugs or simply antidepressants, depending on what type of ADHD they have. The side effects of medication for ADHD people are wide ranging and sometimes dangerous. Ask yourself this question. Why does the FDA put warning box labels on these medications? Simply because these medications are risky and can cause serious problems in some patients. Ask yourself another question. What if the warnings by the FDA were not the whole truth? Let’s have a look at amphetamines. Most ADHD drugs are based on this substance and are marketed under names such as Adderall, Ritalin and Metadate. Amphetamines are basically your good old ’speed’ and it is absolutely fabulous f... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953156 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4953156 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953364&cid=t_101788_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fxf82daLCbCo%2F And now, a study confirms what many people probably already knew - those brief summaries about drug side effects, contraindications and effectiveness that appear in print advertisements can be hard to fathom. Or to put it another way, “the traditional method of conveying information in the brief summary is neither the most comprehensible nor the most preferred by consumers.” That’s the conclusion reached by a study in Medical Decision Making. The researchers asked 300 consumers who were in shopping malls and, at one time, had been told they overweight and told they needed to lose more than 15 pounds were qualified. About half were female. These people were shown four different brief summary formats as alternatives to the existing approach that usually has two pages in a p... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953364 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 19:08:47 +0100 4953364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4945208&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSuboxoneTalkZone%2F%7E3%2FVpNNB4h6x5I%2F I received the following e-mail a couple days ago: Hi I had been on Suboxone for 9 years. I was put on it the week it was approved by FDA. I found your posts in a blog. I was looking for a class action suit against this terrible drug. That man who said he was enjoying a Suboxone was right. I was on it almost 9 years and did get high and stay high all day, just like methadone. It causes depression and brain damage. I have been off it for 2 months now and am very sick with depression, panic attacks, and have not been able to even take care of myself. Please, if people want to get off drugs help them and send to treatment and AA NA. thanks nancy Those of you who have read this blog for a while may remember the posts ‘back in the old days’—a few years ago—when I would get these kinds o... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4945208 Sat, 18 Jun 2011 23:50:00 +0100 4945208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4883906&cid=t_101788_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F0AeYJTTYrjk%2F Over the past several years, Congress has regularly considered legislation to restrict direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs, perhaps for the first couple of years after a med has been approved by the FDA. The rationale has been that DTC ads encourage unnecessary use of some meds and lead to usage before risks are fully known. Nothing has passed yet, but the idea lives on. And so the US Congressional Budget Office has issued a brief and found drugmakers would probably expand marketing to docs in order to substitute for any banned ads; the number of prescriptions filled for some drugs would probably decline, but for others, scrips may not change, since there would be other forms of promotion, and any change in prices would depend on changes in demand. Moreover, a moratorium c... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4883906 Tue, 31 May 2011 13:57:51 +0100 4883906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862922&cid=t_101788_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FWOR8kB8UEnM%2F In response to regulatory demands and mounting litigation, drugmakers have puffed up their product labeling to the point where the verbiage occupies numerous pages and contains a laundry list of possible side effects. Yet all these warnings have a down side, because they may undermine patient adherence and overwhelm docs as they try to find suitable treatments, according to a new study. In fact, the study found that the list of potential side effects averaged 70 per drug, and the 200 most widely prescribed meds averaged 105 possible adverse events, leading to what the researchers labeled (pun intended) overwarning. The study, which analyzed 5,602 labels and was published in The Archives of Internal Medicine, even found one label listing 525 possible side effects. “The idea that lab... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862922 Wed, 25 May 2011 12:03:18 +0100 4862922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862928&cid=t_101788_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FYbxeh9RwSNI%2F While the FDA continues to ponder rules for social media, Facebook is now changing its own rules and will no longer allow drugmakers to disable comments posted on newly created pages. And existing pages will no longer be able to do so as of August 15, according to InTouch Solutions. The move reportedly came by way of email last week: “As you know, Facebook Pages are a free product for organizations, public figures, businesses, and brands to express themselves and have an authentic, engaging, two-way dialog with people on Facebook…We think these policy changes support consistency for the Facebook Pages product and encourage an authentic dialogue between people and businesses on Facebook.” The social media gorilla goes on to acknowledge the changes may cause pharma to &#82... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862928 Tue, 24 May 2011 13:19:52 +0100 4862928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4853219&cid=t_101788_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F0YpF1gE-5K8%2F Could data mining medical literature uncover side effects before they cause serious harm to patients? A new study maintains the effort could effectively complement existing methods, such as combing through the FDA’s Adverse Events Reporting database, because prior research suggests that up to 98 percent of searches are irrelevant to side effects and may skew results toward false positive links. To prove the point, two researchers from the Rank think tank developed an algorithm to sift through the PubMed literature and searched for mentions of least one of 38 drugs and 55 side effects. From there, they determined the relevance of the articles and forecast expected rates of adverse events. They would up analyzing 9,133 articles published between 1949 and September 2009, plus others tha... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4853219 Mon, 23 May 2011 14:18:21 +0100 4853219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4853027&cid=t_101788_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-medication%2Fadhd-medication-long-term-effects-looking-at-the-risks-and-a-much-safer-option.php ADHD medication long term effects have been the subject of a heated debate. The sad fact is that while the short term side effects are well known and documented, there is a dark cloud of mystery over the long term effects. The first fact is that while Ritalin has been on the market for about half a century, there are no long term studies at all to discover what these may be. Well, maybe they exist but they have not been published with the exception of one or two, as far as I know. That is very suspicious, I must say. The short term effects are bad enough. However, as regards ADHD medication long term effects, we have to be aware of what risks amphetamines may or may not have. As they are still classed as Schedule II drugs, they are strictly controlled and there is a very good reason for th... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4853027 Fri, 20 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4853027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841885&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F05%2F19%2Fasco-2011-genetic-biomarker-predicts-taxane-drug-induced-neuropathy%2F A new study has identified the first genetic biomarkers for taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy, a potentially severe complication of taxane chemotherapy that affects nerves in about one-third of patients with cancer receiving such treatment. ASCO Releases Studies From Upcoming Annual Meeting – Important Advances in Targeted Therapies, Screening, and Personalized Medicine The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) today highlighted [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841885 Thu, 19 May 2011 23:39:33 +0100 4841885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841366&cid=t_101788_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fsuccinylcholine-adverse-effects%2F Succinylcholine is a widely used drug in the operating room and intensive care units for intubation. It is considered a depolarizing muscle relaxant and thus causes fasciculations. It has a rapid onset (40-60 seconds) and is short-acting (10-15 minutes). The adverse effect most classically associated with the use of succinylcholine (aka “sux”) is malignant hyperthermia. A partial list of other adverse effects is below 1. hyperkalemia (increase in serum potassium by 0.5 meq/L) which is exaggerated in patients with burns, myopathies, crush injuries, and denervating injuries 2. arrhythmias – can be either bradycardia from the parasympathetic/muscarinic effect or tachycardia from the sympathetic/nicotinic effect 3. elevated intracranial pressure – use is contraindicated... Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841366 Thu, 19 May 2011 06:00:22 +0100 4841366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841989&cid=t_101788_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FTUOHhGEtWzc%2F Adverse event data from the third quarter of 2010 show the risks of serious psychiatric side effects of Chantix, the smoking-cessation drug, were previously underestimated because Pfizer apparently failed to correctly submit hundreds of these episodes to the FDA, according to an analysis by the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices, a non-profit that regulary reviews the FDA adverse event database. Notably, the ISMP found 150 cases of completed suicides, some of which dated back to 2007, that were not reported promptly as suicides within 15 days as required. Instead, the drugmaker apparently coded the suicides as “expected adverse events” among 26,000 such events, and added these to a quarterly periodic report, which is how less important, non-serious side effects are sent to t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841989 Wed, 18 May 2011 16:02:13 +0100 4841989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4795029&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39212&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbahtocancer.com%2F2011%2F05%2Fwhoosh%2F I’ve talked about the Tamoxifen-induced medical menopause before, usually to say it’s not too much of a big deal, and I’m quite glad to be getting it out of the way when there’s so much else going on that I don’t notice it too much. All of which is true. To a point. Or, it was. This last week, hot flushes are back with a vengeance. I had a few when I first started taking Tamoxifen, and the occasional one – maybe every week or so – since. But now, they’re coming at me thick and fast. I’ve heard menopausal and post-menopausal women talk about hot flushes. ‘Whoosh!,’ they often say, ‘Whoosh, it just comes over you’. And, I must admit, ‘Whoosh!’ is the word. A hot flush is like having a bucket of red hot... Bah! to cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4795029 Sat, 07 May 2011 08:06:32 +0100 4795029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794954&cid=t_101788_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fmay-2011-how-is-your-crohns-today%2F Hello Everyone! I hope that you are doing well today! It is time for us to have another edition of How Is Your Crohn’s Today?. For those of you who are new to the blog, every now and then I like to check in with everyone for updates and your Crohn’s is holding up. I’ll tell you how I am doing, and you reply in the comments section about your current status. I finally went to see my rheumatologist and did my yearly bone scan. I was reluctant to go because I was so afraid that my bone density would be worse and I have been anxious about taking the Reclast medication again. As I wrote in a previous blog, I have been worried about some of the side effects of the medication. The bone scan actually showed that my bone density improved by 7.2 percent, which is really a lot if you think abo... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794954 Fri, 06 May 2011 17:59:30 +0100 4794954 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4768113&cid=t_101788_117_f&fid=37824&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.doctorkalitenko.com%2Fblog%2Fmedicine%25e2%2580%2599s-effects-harmful-helpful%2F It is common to see medication commercials during prime time TV. While some of us take a bathroom break or quick trip to the fridge, those who stay notice a footprint-like segment in the end talking about possible side effects. Some of these side effects have become national fodder for comedians. But this isn’t funny. As a matter of fact, they sometimes make taking the drug not even worth it. Ratio of dangerous vs helpful sometimes has a negative balance. And again, this is according to the publicly available information. But what about facts we don’t know? Are we supposed to be told everything? Surprisingly, the fact is that we are definitely left in the dark most of the times according to the recent article in the Wall Street Journal  http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB1229... Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4768113 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:24:55 +0100 4768113 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4758709&cid=t_101788_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F27%2Fjournal-of-the-american-medical-association-2011-vol-305-no-5%2F The objective of this study is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of published randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to determine the overall risk of fatal adverse effects (FAEs) associated with bevacizumab, an angiogenesis inhibitor, used in conjunction with chemotherapy. The article concludes that in a meta-analysis of RCTs, bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy or biological therapy, compared with chemotherapy alone, was associated with increased treatment-related mortality. An NHS Athens password is required to access this article online, alternatively contact the Library for a copy of this article Filed under: Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals, Journals Tagged: Bevacizumab, Cancer, Drug Therapy, Fatal Adverse Effects, Randomised Controlled Trials (Sourc... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4758709 Wed, 27 Apr 2011 10:26:16 +0100 4758709 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4742622&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fmind-of-confused-patient.html I have decided that when doctors go through medical school, they take special classes designed to 'help' their patients. There must be a special class on how to confuse patients. Sometimes I leave the doctor's office and think, wait, what the heck am I supposed do? I am confused.Now I really know most doctors mean well and are highly trained and have the patient's best interest at heart but sometimes I think they are there to drive me crazy. My latest doctor interaction is leading me to question my doctor's thought process. I am on Savella for back pain. This was prescribed by my back pain doctor - Dr. G. Previously I was on Cymbalta and Lyrica for back pain and nerve pain but they also treated my depression. So I went back to my psychiatrist, Dr. S., for a new anti depressant and she put ... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4742622 Fri, 22 Apr 2011 09:38:00 +0100 4742622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734432&cid=t_101788_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FCQ8IXUUvbqU%2F Last week, I wrote that I didn’t really know what Reiki was (“It sounds like gardening to me“).  Afterward, I thought that statement might be a bit unfair, seeing as how Reiki has been receiving a lot of media hype lately as an alternative path to healing. Which got me to thinking: maybe I should give Reiki a whirl. I’m open minded and willing to try anything, so why not discover for myself what this practice is all about? In my research, I came across an article in Alternative Therapies magazine, written by Ph.D Gala True, in which she defines Reiki as: “A vibrational, or subtle energy, therapy most commonly facilitated by light touch, which is believed to balance the bio-field and strengthen the body’s ability to heal itself.  Although systematic stu... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734432 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:29:37 +0100 4734432 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734704&cid=t_101788_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2Fa8_nrj_Dabs%2Fessure-side-effects-occasionally-pain-and-regret.html Essure coils can be removed and the Essure procedure can be reversed. Most women will not have any problem after Essure but a few will have either regret or side effects after Essure and will wonder if Essure is reversible. The personal stories of other Essure reversal couples are shared for the benefit of readers. (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734704 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 18:56:36 +0100 4734704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734358&cid=t_101788_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-medication%2Fadhd-medication-long-term-effects-what-every-parent-needs-to-know.php Why do you think Ritalin is called ‘kiddies’ coke’? Because it is drug based on a type of amphetamine which is known as methylphenidate. As an amphetamine that means it is a Schedule II controlled substance and is available only on prescription and its use is tightly controlled (in theory). Forgive me if I laugh as we now know that it is widely abused by teenagers and adults. ADHD medicine long term effects have been studiously ignored by the manufacturers. They do admit though this drug can lead to dependency although other studies hotly deny that ADHD children who have been on Ritalin and other drugs have no more probability of ending up as drug users as normal kids. This is just one in a long list of ADHD medication long term effects. Whatever the truth, I, personally ... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734358 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4734358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709363&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39212&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbahtocancer.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fslowly-but-surely%2F Some things take a deal of time, but eventually, they get there. Like post-chemotherapy nails. Still not in great shape, but I have to tell you, these are the longest and the healthiest-looking that they’ve been in more than two years. They don’t break or split, the bit coming in at the bottom is a pretty, happy pink, and my manicurist says that in a few weeks I’ll be able to have a French manicure. This has been my ambition, nail-wise, since they started to disintegrate under the cosh of chemo. When the day comes, there will be champagne to go with those French-polished nails. Oh yes there will. And while we’re talking of slow but sure, let’s take a look at my hair. Yes, there’s loads of it, yes, it’s looking like a normal person’s hair&#8... Bah! to cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709363 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 08:05:19 +0100 4709363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704791&cid=t_101788_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-in-the-classroom%2Fside-effects-of-medication-for-adhd-people-three-uncomfortable-questions-that-need-to-be-answered.php Have you heard of ABC? No, not the first three letters of the alphabet! This is part of the program developed by Dr. David Katz of Yale University. He has set out to show that because of the issues connected with side effects of medication for ADHD people, there are non drug solutions for ADHD. The ABC program which stands for Activity Bursts in the Classroom shows teachers how to deal with short activity bursts in the classroom so that their hyperactivity, restlessness and general fidgeting cam be released in a harmless and non disruptive way. It is fascinating to learn how Dr. Katz was almost forced to develop the program as his son had ADHD and the promises and risks of ADHD stimulant and non-stimulant drugs were anything but convincing. Going back to the whole question of the side effe... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704791 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4704791 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696689&cid=t_101788_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F09%2Fthe-longevity-project-an-interview-with-howard-s-friedman%2F We present many examples showing that this is how the long-lived participants lived. However if your coworkers are making you miserable, and you do not have the adequate resources to do your job properly, then it is time to look for a new job when possible. 3. Also interesting to me was the discussion of marriage. It’s not necessarily that a person is married, but the quality of relationships in his/her life. What are some characteristics of a healthy marriage that lead to longevity? Dr. Friedman: We are still looking in more detail at the characteristics of a healthy marriage. We know that divorced men fared poorly in terms of their future health and longevity. We know that the overall marital satisfaction of the man is more important to the future health of both the men and the wom... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696689 Sat, 09 Apr 2011 11:26:07 +0100 4696689 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4677055&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39212&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbahtocancer.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fthats-no-way-to-talk-to-a-lady%2F It’s only when something unexpected happens that I realise how much of coping with cancer, for me, comes down to preparedness. So getting a letter, out of the blue, from my consultant at the RVI (Royal Victoria Infirmary) threw me a little bit. The tone is, I have to say, a little high-handed. I am, apparently, to be tested for ‘residual ovarian function’, and if I don’t have any, I’ll be taken off Tamoxifen and given aromatase inhiitors instead. These too block the uptake of oestrogen by the body, and could, according to my conultant, be even more effective than Tamoxifen in protecting me from a return of cancer. (I always get a bit of a shock when I realise people are serious about stopping cancer from returning. In my head, it’s soooooo not an option.... Bah! to cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4677055 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:52:13 +0100 4677055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670230&cid=t_101788_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-drugs%2Fthe-effects-of-adhd-drugs-on-children-why-we-must-choose-a-safer-option-to-protect-our-kids.php The effects of ADHD drugs on children is a major concern from the FDA down to every parent in the nation. The reasons are simple. Psychotropic drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall are made from amphetamines. There are no long term studies on these drugs which are given to children at a very tender age. We should not be surprised that there is a confidential report at the FDA which states that these drugs taken over a long period could actually lead to drug dependency. Perhaps Wikileaks will be able to reveal more about this in the coming months. That would be helpful to know exactly what is going on in the pharmaceutical jungle which is raking in enormous profits and has not really been hit by the recession at all. There are other alarming reports too numerous to mention here. But the one co... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670230 Sat, 02 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4670230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622471&cid=t_101788_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2011%2F03%2F22%2Fselected-highlights-from-the-2011-retrovirus-conference%2F This article also has an embedded video interview with Duke University researcher Dr. Bryan Cullen who spoke at CROI about miRNA research and its potential application to HIV.   See also: 32. Drug Resistance and Treatment Failure Is HIV Drug Resistance Spreading? Early Warning Signals Say ‘Yes’  (from aidsmap.com).  Surveys conducted by the Netherlands-based PharmAccess Foundation have found evidence of increasing HIV drug resistance in Sub-Saharan African nations.  The survey looked for trends in drug resistance among ‘treatment-naïve’ HIV-infected persons – those who have never been on ARV treatment. When drug-resistant HIV is found in treatment-naive persons, it is a sign that they were originally infected with resistant virus from someone already taking ARVs.  ... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622471 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 21:20:00 +0100 4622471 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4580989&cid=t_101788_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-drugs%2Feffects-of-adhd-drugs-on-children-some-facts-and-figures.php About 10% of all American children have been prescribed some sort of psychostimulant or psychotropic drugs for some type of attention disorder such as ADHD, ODD or CD. It has now reached epidemic proportions yet the effects of ADHD drugs on children has been minimized by the drug companies who make these drugs. Are you surprised? The fact that ADHD homeopathic cures have no side effects and that relatively few people know about this should not surprise us either, given the powerful influence Big Pharm has at its disposal. All you have to do to get an idea of what is going on is to Google the FDA site where you will see under ADHD meds, a whole list of side effects and warnings. One of the most alarming effects of ADHD drugs on children involves cardiac arrest and the lowering of blood pres... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4580989 Sun, 13 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4580989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570586&cid=t_101788_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F10%2Fare-rich-people-more-depressed-than-poor-and-other-depression-factoids%2F I taped a radio show the other day with Court Lewis of American Variety Radio in which he wanted me to cover the demographics of depression. So here we go. Many of these stats I assembled from the book Understanding Depression by J. Raymond DePaulo Jr., MD, Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Others I picked in articles here and there. Depression and Gender More women are depressed than men because women have more to be depressed about than men. Kidding, of course. But I still don’t understand how our gender got stuck with labor pains and all that. Almost one in five women in the US will have one or more episodes of clinical depression, which is TWO or THREE times the rate of depressive illness that men have. Some say the discrepancy can be attr... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570586 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:15:30 +0100 4570586 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560447&cid=t_101788_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-drugs%2Feffects-of-adhd-drugs-on-children-parents-on-high-alert.php One of the most alarming effects of ADHD drugs on children is the fact that they may well start them down the awful road of drug dependency. Children who have used Ritalin (one of the most widely prescribed ADHD drugs) may be predisposed to using street drugs such as cocaine, crack cocaine, meth and amphetamines in general. This should mot surprise us given that the main ingredients of these drugs are amphetamines and methylphenidate. Both act on the brain’s central nervous system. They have been proven to be addictive. A survey done by the National Institute of Drug Abuse showed that 15% of 12th graders had used a prescription drug for a non-medical reason. Guess which prescription drugs are at the top of the list for teenagers ? Morphine and ADHD drugs (Ritalin, Wellburtin, Conce... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560447 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4560447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4554765&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39212&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbahtocancer.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fmwahahahaha%2F That, my friends, is the sound of my arch-enemy, Captain Cramp. Yes, he’s back, with his evil laugh and his shiny spurs and his frankly ridiculous moustache. He’s mainly going for my left hamstring, but occasionally the hamstring and calf. From 5am onwards he goes for the arch of my foot and I can’t work out how to stretch it out when I’m still quite asleep, so I just spend a couple of hours drifting and feeling uncomfortable. In a completely new and worrying development, my right shoulder has been cramping too. But, I have a plan. 1. I will keep drinking my daily tonic water. Sometimes with gin. 2. I will go to my GP and get some quinine tablets, which are absolutely brilliant. You’re supposed to take them as a preventative measure, but I sometimes forget and... Bah! to cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4554765 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 07:23:06 +0100 4554765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4536024&cid=t_101788_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2011%2F03%2F02%2Fpedal-board-2011-%25e2%2580%2593-update-2%2F Time for another pedal board update – I expect this will be the last for a little while, since I have much fewer gear purchases in the pipeline as I get serious about paying off debt and saving for Ethiopia… Pedal Board March 2011 - Click for larger image Signal path is as follows : Line6 Relay G50 wireless Korg PitchBlack Plus Tuner – also acts as an A/B switch so I can plug in a second guitar in addition to my wireless Boss AW-3 Auto-wah – with manual control by Boss FV-500L (right one – uses as expression pedal) Wampler Ego Compressor Wampler Paisley Overdrive MXR Distortion III Tim (Paul Cochrane) Boss FV-500L Volume (the left one) Strymon El Capistan (tape echo) – with Favourite Switch TC Nova Modulator (mods including chorus, tremolo, flange, vibr... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4536024 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:06:29 +0100 4536024 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4536205&cid=t_101788_129_f&fid=27216&url=http%3A%2F%2Flifewithadhd.com%2Fadhd-drugs%2Fscary-adhd-drug-side-effects-%25e2%2580%2593-what-concerned-parents-need-to-know.php ADHD drug side effects are a frightening reality for many children and their parents. As a matter of fact, the danger of traditional ADHD medications has become such a concern that many parents are searching for other alternatives. Fortunately for them, the makers of homeopathic products have been listening and they now offer a range of possibilities, all of which are side effect free. The main symptoms of ADHD, including hyperactivity, lack of concentration, inability to focus and physical tics, can be extremely disruptive, making it nearly impossible for affected children to participate in even the most common of daily activities. As a result, many parents and doctors have desperately sought a quick fix to control symptoms. In most cases, this means stimulant based medications. But deal... Life With ADHD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4536205 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4536205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4507579&cid=t_101788_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FVDH6IuJdeJY%2F You read it here first. In a harsh warning letter, the FDA has reprimanded Sanofi-Aventis for failing to meet regulatory deadlines for reporting serious side effects with many of its drugs, including the Lovenox blood thinner, the Multaq heart drug and the Allegra D allergy pill, and also did not report post-marketing studies or completed, unpublished clinical trials in NDA annual reports. The seven-page missive, which was dated January 28, comes after the agency reviewed Sanofi paperwork last May. And a separate letter dated February 9 notes that a Sanofi plant in Germany has problems with contamination. When it came to reporting adverse events, however, some reporting delays stretched back as far as 2007 - there was a delay of 896 days in reporting side effects associated with the Glybur... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4507579 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:42:33 +0100 4507579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482934&cid=t_101788_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2011%2F02%2F11%2Fpublic-health-alert-rash-of-opiate-related-overdoses-in-greater-boston%2F There are have been a rash of fatal and non-fatal opiate-related overdoses in greater Boston over the past two weeks. We’re not sure what the cause of the overdoses are — whether it’s related to purity or poly-drug use. Whatever the cause, we want people to be safe. Here are tips from the Boston Public Health Commission for opiate users, family, friends, and bystanders: Know your risk for overdose, including low tolerance, mixing drugs, using alone, and having no plan. Then create a plan of action for whan you’re using. Signs of an overdose include shallow breathing, blue lips/fingertips, and being unconscious. What to do if you see an overdose: Yell at the person; rub your knuckles on their breastbone; check their breathing. Call 911 and give rescue breathing and N... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482934 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 22:14:04 +0100 4482934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4460181&cid=t_101788_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FwKUwtDU-Yns%2F The floodgates opened in 1997. That was when the FDA decided to allow direct-to-consumer advertising on television, initiating a great debate about the virtues of such DTC ads for prescription drugs between drugmakers, doctors and patients that, eventually, embroiled legislators, ad agencies and First Amendment lawyers. Why? Doctors have been angry that patients were incorrectly pressuring them for prescriptions. Other critic complained that ads minimized risks, steered patients toward expensive meds and promoted unnecessary usage. Pharma, meanwhile, has pointed out that ads successfully enlighten consumers and drive them to learn more about their health, sometimes having meaningful discussions with docs. Now, though, TV ads may have reached a watermark. Why? Writing in The New York Times,... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4460181 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:26:07 +0100 4460181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4429227&cid=t_101788_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F6enU1acrRKw%2F File this under ‘going from bad to worse.’ Just a few weeks after the FDA decided to rescind the breast cancer indication for Avastin, the med sold by Roche’s Genentech unit is now linked to an increased risk of causing a fatal reaction when combined with chemotherapy, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (here is the abstract). The side effects occurred in 2.5 percent of patients given Avastin and other meds, compared to 1.7 percent for patients treated with just chemo. The study examined 16 clinical trials of Avastin for breast, lung and other cancers involving 10,217 patients. The most common side effects leading to death were hemorrhage, gastrointestinal tract perforation and infections in patients with weakened immune systems. And t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4429227 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:34:26 +0100 4429227 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419287&cid=t_101788_122_f&fid=37835&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iqscorner.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fiq-test-effects.html A practice effect is a major psychometric issue in many Atkins cases, given that both the state and defense often test the defendant with the same IQ battery (most often a Wechsler), and often within a short test-retest interval. Click here to view all ICDP posts that mention practice effects.Dr. Alan Kaufman has summarized the majority of the literature on practice effects on the Wechslers. He published an article in The Encyclopedia of Intelligence (1994; Edited by Robert Sternberg) that summarized the research prior to the third editions of the Wechsler scales. That article is available on-line (click here).The most recent summary of the contemporary Wechsler practice effect research is in Lichtenberger and Kaufman (2009) Essentials of WAIS-IV Assessment (p. 306-309). The tables and tex... Intelligent Insights on Intelligence Theories and Tests (aka IQ's Corner) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419287 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:05:00 +0100 4419287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419383&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39212&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbahtocancer.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fwhat-goes-around-comes-around%2F I’ve been mulling over my health since getting run down last week, and it occured to me that there are a couple of things I could easily do to help myself out. The first is to take a daily dose of vitamin C. I eat almost no fruit since IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) exploded into my life in the autumn. My digestive system has never fully recovered from chemotherapy and remains extremely moody. Fruit is pretty much a no-no and I have to b a bit careful with dairy. Beer can make things go a bit weird too. Wine, fortunately, is usually OK. Although I do eat vegetables and salad every day, I thought some vitamin C wouldn’t do me ay harm. The second idea is to start taking cod liver oil, after a friend told me she was taking it and felt a noticeable difference in her joints. I&#8217... Bah! to cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419383 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 06:57:52 +0100 4419383 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411675&cid=t_101788_135_f&fid=35277&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.aac.org%2Findex.php%2F2011%2F01%2F28%2Fcdc-issues-interim-guidance-for-using-hiv-prevention-pill%2F The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have just released interim guidance on the use of HIV-fighting drugs for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP.  The idea behind PrEP is to give uninfected persons HIV medications – also called antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) – to keep them from becoming infected with the virus. CDC issued the new PrEP guidance in the wake of a major international study called iPrEx whose findings were released in November.  The study showed that taking a once-a-day ARV pill – combined with regular HIV testing, condom use, and other proven prevention methods – could safely reduce rates of HIV transmission among the study participants, which included both men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women who have sex with men.  Although person... AIDS Action Committee's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411675 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 22:17:00 +0100 4411675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411525&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdrug-safety-in-preventing-acute-mountain-sickness%2F2011.01.28 This is a guest post by Dr. Jeremy Windsor. ********** Steroids and Acute Mountain Sickness In recent years, many attempts have been made to identify safe and effective medications to prevent acute mountain sickness (AMS). Acetazolamide (Diamox), currently the “drug of choice” for this purpose, is not perfect and occasionally causes objectionable side effects. Dexamethasone (Decadron), a powerful steroid medication, has become increasingly popular for prevention and treatment in certain circles. While there is ample evidence to suggest that dexamethasone is effective, a recent case report highlights that this drug is not without risk. In the latest issue of the journal Wilderness & Environmental Medicine [WEM 21(4):345-348, 2010] in an article entitled ”Complicat... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411525 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 22:00:00 +0100 4411525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382717&cid=t_101788_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2011%2F01%2F21%2Fpedal-board-2011-update-1%2F Non-guitar playing readers can tune out now (if the title didn’t already switch you off)… It’s time for a long overdue update of the current state of my pedal board (here’s the last update, from Dec 2009). It’s undergone a radical remodelling over the past few months, with a number of new additions, and I’ve got it to a place where I’m pretty happy with the sound… for now. First the basic infrastructure. The board itself is a Diago Tourman hardcase, which I love. Very rugged case, easy to carry around, and to set it up all I have to do is lift off the lid, plug in a couple of power plugs and one lead to my amp and I’m ready to go. Power is the CIOKS DC-10 power-supply, which I have mentioned previously. Heaps of power, no hum. Tremendous. Pedal... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382717 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:55:32 +0100 4382717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372218&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39213&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbeingcancer.net%2F2011%2F01%2F19%2Fbabies-or-not-guest-posts%2F Today was spent updating the Honor Roll page.  I am gratified by the response of all our Guest Bloggers to the new Award Badge.  It is wonderful to be able to lend support to some of the great writing that goes on in personal cancer blogs.  It is also rewarding to see our logo spread across the cancer blogging community. Since news of Being Cancer Network is spreading, bloggers are contacting me asking to be included in our Cancer Blogs Lists.  Recently Amy wrote to let me know about her blog and battle with breast cancer.  She writes at Babies or Not. It Has Begun When the shock that I have breast cancer was still fresh, I had conversations on the phone with many women who had been in my shoes before me, some with diagnoses much worse than my own. “This is the worst part,&#8221... Being Cancer Network blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372218 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:46:30 +0100 4372218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4361312&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSuboxoneTalkZone%2F%7E3%2F2fUYjz31s-8%2F Every now and then I receive an e-mail  or comment that is sufficiently long to warrant a post of it’s own.  Below is the comment without interruption;  a bit lower I repeat parts of the comment, interspersed with my own responses.  I hope you find it interesting. The comment: I am a strange case: vegetarian, healthy, Pilates instructor, good-looking– NEVER A DRUG ADDICT — but i had a secret-  I was badly depressed for years- treatment resistant to over 30 meds, only some helped to a point… I did extensive research into the brain and opiate systems and i wondered if it was possible my endorphin system may be the culprit ( check this primer: http://www.prohibitionkills.blogspot.com/)  I was desperate enough to try out opiates as a final solution ( and I monitored m... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4361312 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 05:53:49 +0100 4361312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337878&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fcurious-case-of-pfizers-asbestos-claims.html Here is a very strange and long-running story that raises some questions about how health care organizations are lead, but seems to have bee covered only in the business press.Pfizer Goes Into the Asbestos Business (in 1968), Faced Hundreds of Thousands of Lawsuits (in the 1980s), Promised to Settle (in 2004)Here is the background, per a 2004 report by the Associated Press, per Fox News:Pfizer Inc. (PFE) Friday said it has agreed to pay $430 million to settle all lawsuits against it alleging injury from insulation products made by a subsidiary.Pfizer and its Quigley Co. subsidiary were named, along with several other defendants, in 171,611 lawsuits claiming personal injury caused by exposure to asbestos, silica or mixed dust.Pfizer acquired Quigley Co. in 1968. It sold some products contai... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337878 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:00:00 +0100 4337878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309853&cid=t_101788_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F9rqVTG8Yxrg%2F Talk about strategic blunders. For a company that prides itself on astute marketing and touts the virtues of expanding in Asia, Pfizer somehow managed to entirely misjudge demand for its Chantix pill for quitting smoking when Japan significantly raised cigarette taxes in October. Yet the move had been telegraphed back in late 2009, giving the drugmaker ample time to boost supplies to a rising number of Japanese who saw the new tax as a reason to quit the habit. But the Pfizer team choked. Less than two weeks after the tax increase went into effect, Pfizer had to suspend sales until production could be increased. Three months later, Chantix is still hard to come by, and this happens at a time when US sales are falling due to side effect concerns that regularly generate negative press. (In t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309853 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:02:20 +0100 4309853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294950&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Flife-without-cancer-what-would-it-be.html Is my husband right? I deny this. He might possibly claim I over did things in the past few days. I am not going to say he's right but I am tired. I am achy. I am exhausted. I am lying around in bed doing a lot of nothing. I have some stuff to take care of today - laundry, wasting time on line, etc.This dealing with my health is wearing me down. But then I stopped to think, if I didn't have cancer, what would my health be like? I mean my thyroid cancer, aside from lifelong vigilance, has left me with a daily thyroid supplement. Has that contributed to my osteopenia issues or not? It depends which medical study you read. Has my breast cancer treatment caused additional health issues? Well the surgery caused lymphedema and a sore shoulder. Chemo has left me with slightly low red cell counts.... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294950 Sun, 26 Dec 2010 12:44:00 +0100 4294950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4275552&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-chemo-brain-and-post-traumatic-stress%2F I have posted tons of blogs over the past few years and one of my favorite still remains the one I did about chemo brain entitled, “You know you have chemo brain when.” The comments are actually hilarious — well, if you are a breast cancer survivor. I doubt if anyone else would find it as funny. I have written about chemo brain in other blogs since then, and I still wrestle with the idea that I am suffering — slowly, hopefully recovering some of my brain functioning affected by what I still call chemo brain. Lately I have had another idea about it. I think a component of the whole chemo brain condition could actually be attributed to post-traumatic stress. Post-traumatic stress has gained a lot of attention lately, especially as we see more and more war veterans returning home with... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4275552 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:29:40 +0100 4275552 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4237895&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcancer-treatment-with-fewer-side-effects%2F2010.12.07 Treating Cancer Better with Reduced Side Effects from Patient Power® on Vimeo. *This blog post was originally published at Andrew's Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4237895 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:00:53 +0100 4237895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233368&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fconsidering-my-options-without-femara%2F After writing my last blog on my decision to stop taking Femara, I wrestled all weekend with whether if that was the right thing to do. Cancer is so ominous and survivors have little recourse once treatment is over for preventing a new cancer or breast cancer metastasis. These hormonal drugs (tamoxifen, Arimidex, and Femara), are truly intended to prevent the return or spread of cancer. It is not my intention when writing about my experience to deter anyone from the protective effects these drugs have to offer — which leaves me with the dilemma of what I plan to do in place of taking them. One real option is lifestyle changes. The benefits of a low-fat diet combined with an extensive exercise regimen are well known to me. I have become soft and discouraged, though, since putting on what ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233368 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:44:36 +0100 4233368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4229169&cid=t_101788_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2010%2F12%2F04%2Fabsolute-power-cioks-dc10%2F Just wanted to mention a phenomenal product I’ve discovered recently. The DC-10 effects pedal power supply from CIOKS. I’m currently three quarters of the way through a major revamp of my effects pedal board, and along the way decided I needed to get a dedicated power supply, for two main reasons. One is so I didn’t have to use 4 separate “wall wart” power adaptors plugged into a power board which was messy and unsightly. Secondly, I discovered a whole lot of hum issues as I added new pedals which were very fussy about which power supply I could pair them with. Theres a number of high quality power supply units out there of which the most popular seems to be the Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2+.  These are quite expensive to buy in Australia but unfortunately sourc... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4229169 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 04:25:56 +0100 4229169 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225572&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fmy-deep-dark-femara-secret%2F Last January, my oncologist gave me a prescription for Femara because my five-year course with tamoxifen had finished. Research shows maximum benefits from hormonal treatment if tamoxifen is followed by an aromatase inhibitor like Arimidex or Femara for five years. I tried Arimidex in 2006 and wrote about how I had to stop because the side effects were so debilitating. So I initially put off taking it and then later blogged about the prescription still stuck to my fridge. Comments from many of you tried to ease my concerns and encouraged me to take it. So I agreed I would. I need to come clean. Until I had the bone cancer scare that I wrote about last week in my blog about pain and breast cancer, I wasn’t taking Femara. I had good intentions — really I did — mostly because of concern... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225572 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 20:24:16 +0100 4225572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214517&cid=t_101788_160_f&fid=38881&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tattooremoval.md%2F%3Fp%3D63 Getting a tattoo triples a person’s risk of acquiring hepatitis C, a large multinational study has found. The odds were even higher when the study’s authors ruled out people already participating in other behaviors that raise the risk of hepatitis C. For example, people who get tattoos but who are not drug users are almost six times more likely to acquire hepatitis C than their peers. The study, which was published in a recent issue of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, analyzed data from 83 published studies from 30 countries. As the study’s background information points out, hepatitis C is a viral disease that attacks the liver. If not diagnosed and treated, it can lead to liver failure. The virus is spread through contaminated blood. Infection is possible among peo... Clinical Research on Laser-Assisted Tattoo Removal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214517 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 22:06:25 +0100 4214517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179535&cid=t_101788_160_f&fid=38881&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tattooremoval.md%2F%3Fp%3D59 In a recent issue of Dermatology, physicians from the Korea University College of Medicine report on what may be the first case of a pseudolymphoma induced by a semi-permanent tattoo. Pseudolymphoma is an inflammatory response that results in benign lymphoma-like cells. The case involved a 49-year-old woman with a 1-year history of linear swelling on both lips. The swelling had developed gradually after the application of a red semi-permanent lip-liner tattoo. A skin biopsy was taken, and it was discovered that the cells in the swollen area consisted mainly of lymphocytes. The physicians were able to obtain and analyze a sample of the semi-permanent dye used in the woman’s tattoo. They found metal iron, copper fumes, metal manganese, and metal cobalt in the dye. Interestingly, the analys... Clinical Research on Laser-Assisted Tattoo Removal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179535 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:21:39 +0100 4179535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175928&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39213&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbeingcancer.net%2F2010%2F11%2F17%2Fpain-and-cancer-guest-post%2F Just added some new blogs, yet again.  The Breast Cancer Blogs section continues though to grow at a faster rate than others.  Another cleverly named blog, another nugget for your consumption – a meditation on the nature of pain.  T.C. writes at Boo Bee Trap. Painful Heart “Living involves being exposed to pain every second—not necessarily as an insistent reality, but always as a possibility,” Pain is often referred to in philosophical discussions concerning the fundamental nature of human experience. The meanings and consequences of pain, and/or suffering, have been a topic of writing by philosophers and theologians alike. The experience of pain is, due to its seeming universality, a very good portal through which to view various diverse aspects of human life. (Wikipedia) ... Being Cancer Network blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175928 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 05:14:51 +0100 4175928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175624&cid=t_101788_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2010%2F11%2F17%2Fdiago-tourman-pedal-board-case%2F Depressingly quiet at work again (where are all the sick people?) so wasting time on the net as usual. Thought I’d post a review of the Diago Pedal Board Case. Recently I started revamping my pedal board and found that I had outgrown my old trusty Gator Pedal tote (with soft case) so I started looking for a bigger alternative. I also wanted one that had a hard case or flight case so as to provide better protection for my gear. I looked at the Pedal Train series but the Pedal Train Pro with flight case was prohibitively expensive and also only marginally bigger than my old board. Then I came close to buying a Road Ready pedal board and case on eBay but I didn’t quite like the structure of it, with these movable foam blocks. And then I discovered Diago, which I believe is a UK co... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175624 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 03:35:26 +0100 4175624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4168091&cid=t_101788_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fwhos-taking-ampyra%2F In January 2010, the FDA approved Ampyra, a timed-release version of the drug 4-aminopyridine for people with multiple sclerosis who have walking difficulties. The clinical trial data showed as much as a 25 percent increase in walking speed and leg strength in patients who responded positively to Ampyra (around 40 percent of people who took it in trials). If there’s one thing we’ve all learned from life with MS it’s that studies say one thing; patients using a newly approved drug say VOLUMES! I have read a peppering of comments throughout the year from people who are taking Ampyra and see improvement in their walking abilities. I cannot bring to mind any posts from people who are not finding the drug helpful. While our “comments” section is hardly any form of scientific data coll... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4168091 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 20:56:28 +0100 4168091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4155363&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fas-legal-system-gets-involved.html I had posted on the long term side effects of prescription drugs and now the legal system is getting involved. I am sure they will figure this out in few decades with millions spent on legal fees. I have great respect for our legal system but sometimes going to court doesn't seem to resolve anything. It makes a bunch of lawyers rich and the drug company loses because they have to pay a fine and pull a drug off the market. The patient loses because their health isn't any better. The woman in the case referenced in the article had her jaw break after taking Fosomax. They fixed it with bone from her arm. Any award is not going to undo it.When you take a drug, they give you lots of fine print about the potential side effects. I think we all think 'that won't happen to me' so we basically ignor... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4155363 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 11:24:00 +0100 4155363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151683&cid=t_101788_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F10%2Fbritish-journal-of-healthcare-assistants-2010-vol-4-no-10%2F Title: Cancer survivorship and the role of support workers Skinny: The National Cancer Survivorship Initiative (NCSI) in England aims to help people with cancer lead as healthy and active a life as possible. Through investment in new models of aftercare for cancer survivors the initiative offers opportunities to improve quality and efficiency of services. Article discusses assessment, care planning, supported self management and physical activity interventions. (Print subscription held at Fade Library) Filed under: Cancer, Journals, Lifestyle, Long Term Conditions, Palliative Care, Quality of Life, Supportive Care Tagged: Cancer, Healthy lifestyles, Outcomes, Quality of Life, Side Effects, Support, Support Workers, Treatment (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151683 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 13:53:48 +0100 4151683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151876&cid=t_101788_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F09%2Fbad-research-texting-health-risks-and-teens%2F I was astounded to read about new survey research from Scott Frank, MD, MS, who — when commenting about his new findings — was widely quoted as saying, “The startling results of this study suggest that when left unchecked texting and other widely popular methods of staying connected can have dangerous health effects on teenagers.” Of course it would indeed be startling if his study had demonstrated a clear causative relationship — you know, like A causes B — between texting and the unhealthy teen behaviors the researchers studied. But of course, this is not what they found. They conducted a survey and, like researchers do, found that a bunch of variables are inter-related. What that relationship exactly is, is anybody’s guess. The headlines say it... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151876 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 01:41:47 +0100 4151876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151675&cid=t_101788_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2010%2F11%2F10%2Fhead-trauma%2F Have you ever hear an old recording of yourself talking and thought “did I really sound like that?”, or read something you’d written many years before and been shocked of how lame or juvenile it sounded? Sadly I had an experience like that last night. I’m in the process of updating my effects pedal board and have my eye on some new effects so figured it was time to dust off some old unsused ones and put them on eBay to raise some funds. Of course I needed to test them out before doing this to make sure they were in working order. The one that disturbed me the most was my Digtech GNX 4 multieffects unit. For well over a year this was my main source of tone – and people back then used to tell me they thought it sounded good. But playing back through some of my o... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151675 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 23:29:50 +0100 4151675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4142966&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fwe-count-too.html Yoo hoo! We are here! Don't forget about us and how we feel and how we are treated! Doctors are just starting to realize that the patient experience is part of the equation. Well maybe not just starting to realize this but more like acknowledging that how we are dealing with results and side effects are important too.I will say doctors are human beings who are caring enough to enter the field of medicine and study for so many years to learn to heal people. But there is science involved in medicine where they are trained to read the pathology reports on cells and look for clear yes/no replied. Not, 'well, I felt pretty crappy after two days on that new medication so I stopped taking it'. Well how is 'pretty crappy' defined. Were you throwing up non stop or did you feel like you wanted to li... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4142966 Sat, 06 Nov 2010 12:05:00 +0100 4142966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4125297&cid=t_101788_160_f&fid=38881&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tattooremoval.md%2F%3Fp%3D37 It’s probably a sign of these economic times, but tattoo-related advertising may be on the upswing, suggests a recent news report in the New York Times. The article focused on people who have shaved their heads to make them available for a temporary tattoo advertisement. Last November, for example, some 30 people volunteered to be “cranial billboards” for Air New Zealand. For two weeks they went about with a brief slogan for the airline and its Web site URL displayed across the backs of their heads. Their payment? A round-trip ticket to New Zealand (worth about $1,200) or a cash payment of $777. Half took the cash. These tattoos involved a henna dye, which, although not risk-free (it can cause allergic contact dermatitis), is at least temporary.  More worrisome are reports of people... Clinical Research on Laser-Assisted Tattoo Removal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4125297 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 02:24:22 +0100 4125297 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4086312&cid=t_101788_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F20%2Fhumor-neuroplasticity-and-the-power-to-change-your-mind%2F A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that we have much more control over our minds, personalities and personal illnesses than was ever believed to exist before, and it is all occurring at the same time that a flood of other research is exposing the benefits of humor on brain functioning. The ability to change the structure and functioning of the brain through experiences and the conscious use of directed thoughts is referred to as neuroplasticity. The latest research indicates that the adult brain not only has the ability to repair damaged regions, but to grow new neurons; that willful activity has the power to shape the brain in new directions far into adulthood. We hear a lot about the effects of illness and old age on the mind, but in the not-too-distant future, we will beg... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4086312 Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:58:10 +0100 4086312 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4082135&cid=t_101788_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F19%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-october-19-2010%2F Try as I might, I could not think of a time when a childhood argument ended a friendship. Can you? I remember squabbles over crayon colors and anger over sharing toys, but that’s it. There’s no recollection of arguments going longer than a day. In fact, what is embedded in my memory is a lot of moments when a heated fight one day was immediately forgotten the next. Why then, as adults, do we hold grudges and find it so hard to forgive? Is it that life suddenly gets more complicated? Is it because knowing more about life makes it harder to forgive transgressions? Or are the wounds deeper and the hurts greater? Whatever the answer, one thing’s for sure, forgiveness heals our own hearts more than anything else. So if you’re in the process of trying to forgive someone, ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4082135 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 11:50:23 +0100 4082135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4045365&cid=t_101788_137_f&fid=39091&url=http%3A%2F%2Falzheimmers.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fsome-things-you-may-not-know-about.html Antidepressants have been around for fifty years. The first one was imipramine. How they work on the brain and central nervous system has not really evolved  much over the last fifty years. Our understanding of why and how they work has evolved, and the bottom line is we still don't know exactly why or how they work. They tend to effect neurotransmitters in the brain, that is the chemical connections between nerves. The three big neurotransmitter we know the most about are serotonin, norepinepherine and dopamine. The old and most of the newer antidepressants inhibit reuptake of these neurotransmitters into the pre-synaptic nerve. The original theory on why they work was related to the fact that you kept more serotonin or norepi around and this somehow helped treat depression. Then in ... Caregiver Survival: I Hate Alzheimers blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4045365 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:22:00 +0100 4045365 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4045094&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-benefits-of-green-tea-omega-3-combo%2F2010.10.08 We have know for some time that there are health benefits from drinking green tea. Research also shows that Omega 3 fatty acids have beneficial effects on a number of organs in the body, including the cardiovascular system, the brain, and even depression. Dr. Fereidoon Shahidi, research professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Memorial University in Newfoundland, Canada, is hoping to show that green tea polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), may also prevent colon cancer and even have anti-viral effects when combined with certain Omega 3 fatty acids. “We know from experience that green tea is not well absorbed by the body,” Dr. Shahidi said. “Our premise was to see if by adding something to it that has its own benefits, like Omega 3 fatty acids, we might g... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4045094 Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:00:00 +0100 4045094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4040562&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fin-the-hospital-to-rest-and-recover-right%2F2010.10.07 Nobody is in the hospital these days feeling good. Regulations have made it so sick people are hospitalized and not-so-sick people are usually outpatients. People who are horizontal are there to have procedures, take heavy duty meds, rest and, hopefully, get better. Hospitals have increasingly put in sophisticated television systems so you can be in bed and distracted and entertained. But that is not restful for everyone. Here’s an example from this past weekend that stands out: Mark Dantonio, the coach of the Big Ten’s Michigan State Spartan college football team, was diagnosed with a heart attack right after last week’s game. Boom. He was hospitalized. Boom. He had a stent put in to unblock at least one artery. This past Saturday he was still in the hospital resting and recovering,... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4040562 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:00:45 +0100 4040562 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4027320&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39212&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbahtocancer.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fstill-paused%2F It’s 19 months since my LMP, as the medical profession calls it: for the uninitiated, that’s Last Menstrual Period. I was going to write a piece about the medical menopause 18 months after it had begun, and I think it’s a measure of exactly how much it isn’t bothering me that I completely forgot. (Or is forgetting things a symptom of the menopause? I don’t recall.) Chemotherapy began the medical menopause, and Tamoxifen, which I will take for another three and a half years and which blocks the body’s uptake of oestrogen, is maintaining it. Although it’s possible that my periods will begin again when I stop taking Tamoxifen, that’s not certain. Here’s what’s happening: - Poor temperature regulation. I am frequently and flashily hot... Bah! to cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4027320 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 07:04:37 +0100 4027320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4023105&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39212&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbahtocancer.com%2F2010%2F10%2Fsaying-it-all%2F On Wednesday in Manchester, I went to get my nails done. I explained to the lovely Amy at nails inc that I’d had acrylic nails for a while and they’d been fab but they’d come off and my nails aren’t in a good state underneath, so I don’t want more acrylics, but naked nails aren’t really an option because they split and break and rip and really, really hurt. I explained the reason for the odd marks and ridges towards the top of my nails as a side effect of cancer drugs. Amy suggested gel nails, I agreed, and the process of putting them on began. Amy: So how long have you been relieved of cancer? Me: That’s a really good way of putting it! It’s nearly 2 years since I was diagnosed and about 6 months since I finished most of my treatment. I stil... Bah! to cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4023105 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 06:10:17 +0100 4023105 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013208&cid=t_101788_94_f&fid=36906&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDoctorDavidsBlog%2F%7E3%2FEO6jk6-jJsU%2Frare-but-serious.html The patient and her parents were hardly focused on what we were saying.  Not surprising, since she was still recovering from the news that the pain in her leg was not from a sports injury, but from osteosarcoma. Kameron was a high school athlete, and now, instead of anticipating a college scholarship to play hockey, she was anticipating a year's worth of chemotherapy and a major leg surgery.  She and her parents were in the office, listening (but probably not hearing) to the side effects she should expect from her upcoming chemotherapy.  At the end of the conference we discussed some of the "rare but serious" side effects, like fertility loss and heart failure. Fertility loss is something that catches people's attention.  To some extent, so does heart failure. ... Doctor David's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013208 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:58:00 +0100 4013208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003254&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Freal-time-drug-safety-reports%2F2010.09.27 Researchers at Children’s Hospital in Boston and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed an iPhone application that keeps you up-to-date with drug safety reports and allows you to submit any side effects directly to the FDA. The app, called MedWatcher can keep a list of medications for which you receive both official FDA alerts and news from other channels. Users can report side effects straight from the app and view other submitted reports. The researchers hope to lower the barrier to reporting side effects, increasing the participation in safety surveillance. Reports of serious adverse events are reviewed by members of the Children’s Computational Epidemiology Group and then submitted to the FDA. The app was developed using technology from the Outbreaks... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003254 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 22:00:14 +0100 4003254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3987056&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdebunking-fake-diseases%2F2010.09.20 Ever heard of adrenal fatigue? Wilson’s temperature syndrome? If not, there’s a good reason: They exist only on the Internet. The Hormone Foundation, an affiliate of the Endocrine Society, recently issued two fact sheets for patients debunking these so-called conditions, which were “apparently conceived only in an effort to sell products promoted to treat them,” the LA Times reported. No medical evidence supports either faux disease and there are no tests or treatments for them, but patients still try to alleviate them with supplements, some of them potentially dangerous, the Times said. Adrenal fatigue is characterized by such “symptoms” as having salt and sugar cravings and needing coffee to get you through the day, while the man who discovered Wilson&... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3987056 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 20:00:00 +0100 3987056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965412&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdo-drug-companies-pay-attention-to-herbal-medicine%2F2010.09.13 I’m only a monthly contributor here, but between being a Science Based Medicine (SBM) reader and having my own blogs, I often grow weary of the blind criticism that researchers and drug companies couldn’t care less about traditional folk medicines as drug products. My laboratory spends every single day working on natural product extracts in the search for compounds that may have selective effectiveness against cancer. So this is a bit of a sore spot for me. Two [recent] papers from Cancer Prevention Research on the potential anticancer effects of a diabetes drug (see Nathan Seppa’s story here) remind me to tell the story of a Middle Ages European herbal medicine used to treat polyuria that gave rise to one of the most widely prescribed drugs in the world, metformin (Glucophage ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965412 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:00:21 +0100 3965412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3946468&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2010%2F08%2F31%2Fepidemic-of-vaccine-suspensions-worldwide-as-adverse-reactions-flood-in-from-around-the-world%2F Christina England vactruth.com 08/31/2010 This year alone has seen India suspend the Measles vaccine, the Cervical cancer vaccine and the HIB vaccine;, Australia, the Flu vaccine;, Sweden, the Swine Flu vaccine along with Finland;, and the USA, Switzerland and Jordan, the Rotavirus vaccine. What is going on? Last year the world faced a ‘so called’ pandemic of Swine flu, this year however, we are faced with an even worse pandemic of vaccine suspensions. Can the companies manufacturing these vaccines be trusted or are they more interested in profit than protecting our health? // With five of the countries suspending vaccines that the giant, GlaxoSmithKline, has developed, it seems that the company GSK cannot seem to get its vaccines right at all this year. The first vaccine ... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3946468 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:14:00 +0100 3946468 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3915261&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39212&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbahtocancer.com%2F2010%2F08%2Five-been-shopping%2F Look what I bought. Look what I did with it. This is the first time I have brushed my hair since December 2008, when I had it cut short in preparation for chemotherapy. Not that I’m a slattern when it comes to haircare, you understand, it’s just that up until now a quick comb through with my fingers followed by a bit of attention with straighteners and wax have done the trick. Not any more. And I have to tell you, brushing my hair gave me a little thrill nothing to with “natural boar bristles to stimulate and massage my scalp” – though it is feeling very stimulated and massaged, since you ask. The whole ‘having hair again’ thing, frankly, never gets old. (I look forward, in due course, to posting pictures of me swishing my hair about, and sitting... Bah! to cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3915261 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:15:18 +0100 3915261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3903137&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSuboxoneTalkZone%2F%7E3%2FngDKLFI5ha8%2F A reader’s question: I have been on Suboxone for 2 years. My addiction was Oxycontin.  I had knee replacement surgery and was successfully able to take pain meds and then get off them and go back to Suboxone. My medical Doc and I noticed that when I restart the Suboxone, I get 2-3 plus pitting edema in my legs, severe enough to require diuretics– and they don’t even work very wel. When I have stopped Suboxone in preparation for surgery, I immediately lose 15 lbs and the edema goes away. My Suboxone Doc says that there are no side efffects. I am 53 and have heart disease, and I know that this extra fluid is not good for my heart. My kidneys are normal. Have you heard other comments of this nature? Is it dose related?  This is a serious situation for me. Reply: I have h... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3903137 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 05:26:01 +0100 3903137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3896092&cid=t_101788_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FjBjuL-iSncE%2F The lemon, of course, is a metaphor and is not a pretty one. But Donald Light, a sociologist and professor of comparative health policy at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, contends that the spate of instances in which drugmakers hid or downplayed info about serious side effects - or overstated benefits - has transformed the market for medicines into one for lemons. “The basic idea is simple but arresting: just as there are hidden dangers and flaws in used cars, so there are in drugs. And just as used car salesmen have an incentive to profit from not disclosing risks the consumer cannot see under the shiny exterior, so drug companies and their reps have an incentive to profit from not disclosing risks the physician and patient cannot see inside a shiny new pill.... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3896092 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:51:03 +0100 3896092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3895925&cid=t_101788_106_f&fid=36682&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSutureForALiving%2F%7E3%2F1yn5of4npC0%2Fmore-on-using-singulair-treatment-for.html Previously I reviewed the literature on the off-label use of zafirlukast (Accolate) and montelukast (Singulair) for the treatment of capsular contracture.  The recent issue (May/June 2010) of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal has an article (full reference below) on the use of Singulair for capsular contracture (CC). Huang and Handel’s article reviews the literature, noting some articles I missed.  Their study is a small (17 patients, 4 with bilateral CC for a total of 21breasts treated with Baker’s Grade II or greater CC).  All of their patients were informed of possible risks associated with the off-label application of Singulair before being prescribed 10 mg of Singulair for 90 days and instructed to massage their breasts twice daily. Unlike Accolate, the adverse event ... Suture for a Living blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3895925 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:10:00 +0100 3895925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3862009&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffda-warning-industrial-bleach-as-a-cure-for-cancer-and-hiv%2F2010.08.12 On the heels of Scott Gavura’s superb post on dietary supplement regulation in the U.S. and Canada, I bring you one of the most egregious and obscene product cases I have seen in 15 years of teaching on botanical and non-botanical products: Miracle Mineral Solution. Please accept my apologies in advance for not having a scholarly post for you – this is just too unbelievable not to share with science-based medicine readers. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3862009 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:00:48 +0100 3862009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3862010&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdevice-shows-concussion-effects-linger-off-the-field%2F2010.08.12 It’s an August tradition: Football training camps open, and we’re treated to warnings about working out in the heat. In the past few years, however, when it comes to football, there’s been a new emphasis on traumatic brain injury (TBI). This has caught our eyes here at MedGadget. We’ve covered innovative impact-sensing helmet technology before (as well as smart helmets for temperature monitoring). But for the athlete with a concussion, what happens off the field? Unless a neurologist is involved, it’s up to the players and trainers to follow guidelines or make guesses about when to return to play. Hopefully that will change, and a device like BrainScope will lead the way. When we first covered BrainScope, they were positioning their new device, based on contro... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3862010 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:00:29 +0100 3862010 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3862189&cid=t_101788_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FXaZa343693Q%2F Why do some people volunteer for clinical trials? Are they aware of the risks? Are they treated properly? What kind of follow up should take place? These are among the issues that Roberto Abadie, a visiting scholar in the health-sciences program at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and a PhD in anthropology, explored in a new book, ‘The Professional Guinea Pig: Big Pharma and the Risky World of Human Subjects.’ He would like to see Phase 1 volunteers be recognized legally as workers, which would offer them protection under labor laws. And he favors the creation of a national registry of Phase 1-trial participants, which prevent people from participating in too many trials and help researchers identify long-term adverse effects associated with certain trials... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3862189 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:59:23 +0100 3862189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3858332&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fwhen-appearance-is-affected-by-disease%2F We attended a great luau this past weekend that was held in place of a bridal shower for a couple getting married in October. The bride is the daughter of my husband’s lifelong friend, so she is basically another niece to him. She looked stunning and happy and the event was just perfect. The mother of the bride is living with a chronic illness and is also a dear friend to my husband, although we haven’t seen her for years. I didn’t recognize her at all and had to ask my husband where she was. When he pointed her out I was shocked and saddened. This once beautiful woman has been completely transformed in her appearance due to the medication she is taking to combat the effects of her disease. She has put on a great deal of weight, but it is mostly her face, which is bloated by steroids... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3858332 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:26:19 +0100 3858332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3854717&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39212&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbahtocancer.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fnot-such-happy-feet%2F Tamoxifen comes with swollen hands and feet. (You may recall that I had to have my wedding and engagement rings removed, and a new wedding ring made.) This is one of those symptoms that are so far beneath the notice of an oncologist that you would be brave indeed to mention it. And if you did, you’d probably get a shrug and “It’s a side effect”. With body language and a subtext that says ‘Why oh why must I be bothered with such ridiculous trivia when I am very busy trying to save your life and, incidentally, the lives of many people with much more impressive and interesting cancers than the one you had, you ingrate’. But – assuming, of course, that you are well enough to be functioning in the world – swollen feet are not to be sniffed at. (In... Bah! to cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3854717 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 06:31:19 +0100 3854717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845289&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fthe-pill-and-depression%2F Depression as a side effect of the contraceptive pill. Millions of women worldwide use the combined oral contraceptive pill as an effective form of contraception. However, the focus on its side effects to date has mainly been on physical aspects, even though the most commonly stated reason for discontinuation is depression. There are surprisingly few large studies investigating depression related to oral contraceptive use. A pilot study was conducted showing that women using the combined oral contraceptive pill were significantly more depressed than a matched group who were not. More research is needed to better inform women and doctors about depression related to oral contraceptive use, and clinical guidelines are needed regarding the different types of oral contraceptives and their ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845289 Sat, 07 Aug 2010 18:04:00 +0100 3845289 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3802384&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhealth-consequences-and-ecological-effects-of-the-oil-spill%2F2010.07.29 The health consequences of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico could be really serious and may include cancer, respiratory diseases, and hormonal disruptions. These health effects and the ecological issues are shown on a new infographic. Click on the image for the full version: *This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3802384 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:00:43 +0100 3802384 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3763063&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FKht2BdnVSpA%2F Vibrator Smile Two Indiana University studies conducted among nationally representative samples of adult American men and women show that vibrator use during sexual interactions is common, with use being reported by approximately 53 percent of women and 45 percent of men ages 18 to 60. Not only is vibrator use common, but the two studies also show that vibrator use is associated with more positive sexual function and being more proactive in caring for one’s sexual health. Men and Women use Vibrators Equally One study surveyed women. The other surveyed men. Both were published this week by the Journal of Sexual Medicine, a leading peer-reviewed journal in the area of urology and sexual health. “The study about women’s vibrator use affirms what many doctors and therapists h... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3763063 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:36:01 +0100 3763063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3754086&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2F3MydPHjD7dE%2F Check This List Before Taking Any Medication There are very few medications that can be safely taken while drinking alcohol. Many prescription drugs and even most over-the-counter medications carry a warning against using the drug while drinking alcohol. Before you take any medication, if you drink alcohol, check this list from the USA National Library of Medicine of more than 9,000 prescription and over-the-counter medications for possible reactions and side effects, if you drink alcohol. The listed drugs also indicate if it has potential for addiction. Drug names starting with –  A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0-9 Suggested reading Alcoholics Anonymous – the Big Book – an Audible MP3 book Hazelden Books and Categories Addiction & Recovery... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3754086 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:23:00 +0100 3754086 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3730103&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fis-diet-cola-bad-for-alcoholics-addicts%2F Conclusion There seems to be a small proportion of people who are sensitive and have side effects from drinking diet colas and eating foods with the sweetener aspartame. Two groups of people who may be sensitive to aspartame, and ethanol in particular, are alcoholics and drug addicts. Indeed anyone who has abused any drug or medication. For these people will have damaged their bodies and especially the liver and kidneys. Some alcoholics / addicts may also have PKU or an inherited sensitivity to phenylalanine. The Cure? The absolute cure is abstinence from all artificial sweeteners. Now this may be hard as most prepared foods contain some artificial sweeteners. You will need to find your own safe level. Detoxification When you stop using aspartame you may experience some acute withdr... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3730103 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:05:59 +0100 3730103 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3726788&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSuboxoneTalkZone%2F%7E3%2FDsxTw29rNSE%2F Something I haven’t yet come across: Acesulfame Potassium Well, i’ve been clean with the help of Suboxone for 14 months now. Throughout my treatment I’d been getting tongue blisters and ulcers at least two at a time. I’ve probably had them six to eight different times in this 14 month period. I realized something wasn’t right, and started investigating, trying to figure out what the problem was. I watched the foods I ate and the things I drank. Nothing seemed to work; they just kept coming back. So, the only thing I could think of was the Suboxone.  I read the pamphlet that comes with the medication. The artificial sweetener in Suboxone (Acesulfame K sweetener) is what I am allergic to. I have been allergic to artificial sweeteners my entire life. I had been taking a... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3726788 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 04:58:43 +0100 3726788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718319&cid=t_101788_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F07%2Flong-term-studies-exxon-valdez-cleanup-workers-guide-care-bp-oil-spill%2F In the growing concern about the possible health effects of long term oil exposure for BP cleanup workers, scientists and physicians are looking at the Exxon Valdez cleanup for help. The only trouble is that there were no studies on the cleanup workers in Alaska. Anchorage, Alaska attorney Michael Schneider claims “We don’t know a damn thing.” (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718319 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:55:26 +0100 3718319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718369&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F186611%2F NRDC Sues FDA: The National Resource Defense Council filed a lawsuit today against the FDA for failing to take action on a petition to ban BPA in materials that come in contact with food. (via Huffington Post) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718369 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:36:21 +0100 3718369 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3678506&cid=t_101788_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fmental-health-experts-warn-psychological-problems-bp-oil-spill%2F University South Alabama Sociology professor J. Steven Picou and Arch Diocese of New Orleans Catholic Charities medical director Elmore Rigamer highlight the likely psychological and emotional effects of the BP oil spill. Related Posts Oklahoma Toxicologists Warn of Decades Long Risk in BP Oil Spill (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3678506 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 14:55:36 +0100 3678506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3676662&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedication-safety-and-ambulance-chasing-lawyers%2F2010.06.18 I don’t know about the rest of you medical bloggers, but I’ve been getting emails from folks who run a website called DrugWatch.com asking for reciprocal links and promoting themselves as the go-to place for patients to get up-to-date information on medication safety. Tucked into the website is this promise: “We will never accept advertising from the pharmaceutical industry.” Right. Because the whole site is a front for a bunch of Orlando lawyers trying to sniff out potential clients for medication-related lawsuits against the pharmaceutical industry. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at The Blog that Ate Manhattan* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3676662 Sat, 19 Jun 2010 01:14:18 +0100 3676662 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671890&cid=t_101788_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fms-pill-approved%2F The first oral, disease-modifying MS drug, Fingolimod, was approved for release and marketing by the FDA’s Advisory Committee on Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs a few days ago! I apologize for the delay my reporting such important news, but my travel schedule has been a bit nutty of late. Data was submitted earlier this year as to the efficacy and safety of the drug and the approval process took a HUGE leap on June 10 this a unanimous, 25-0 vote to allow drug maker, Novartis, to begin the next phase in the long process of bringing new drugs to market. Contacts at Novartis wouldn’t give a firm date as to the release of the drug to the US market, but it will most assuredly be available before for doctors’ prescriptions by the end of the calendar year. A .25mg dose of the dr... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671890 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:26:56 +0100 3671890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3665991&cid=t_101788_94_f&fid=36906&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDoctorDavidsBlog%2F%7E3%2F9ORXyM8Czfo%2Fyoga-not-just-for-skinny-pretty-women.html This study enrolled 410 cancer survivors (96% female, 75% had breast cancer) suffering from moderate or worse sleep disturbance. The participants were randomized to standard monitoring versus a 4 week yoga intervention. Participants in the yoga program had improvements in sleep quality, fatigue, and various measures of Quality of Life compared with the control arm (no intervention). The benefit was significant enough to be covered by mainstream media outlets like CNN as well as web-based media like Breastcancer.org. ASCO president Douglas Blayney, MD, stated that the results are “readily applicable” for a huge patient population. But wait. As we scientists often ask, do the results support the conclusions? I think the answer is a resounding “Maybe.” There is mounting evidence th... Doctor David's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3665991 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 03:10:00 +0100 3665991 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3662922&cid=t_101788_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F1gmHvGi8x14%2F The failure to disclose adverse events can have all sorts of repercussions. Doctors and patents get alarmed. Regulators get upset (see what the FDA told Pfizer last month). And shareholders get steamed. Now, the US Supreme Court will review a case to determine whether drugmakers must disclose all adverse event reports that may not show statistically significant evidence that a side effect is actually caused by a specific drug. The case was brought by investors against Matrixx Initiatives, which was sued for allegedly concealing side effect reports that its Zicam cold med caused people to lose their sense of smell, known as anosmia. For its part, Matrixx is challenging an appeals court ruling last fall that reinstated a 2004 shareholder lawsuit alleging the company received at least a dozen... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3662922 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:00:15 +0100 3662922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3648799&cid=t_101788_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FSb_5e1eTnn0%2F In a stinging, 12-page letter, the FDA has scolded Pfizer for failing to meet regulatory deadlines for reporting serious side effects with many of its drugs, including Lipitor, Selzentry, Lyrica, Camptosar and Viagra, and neglecting to tell the agency about missing samples, some of which may have been stolen, although the FDA wasn’t always informed promptly. The May 26 warning was issued in response to a 6-week audit of Pfizer’s New York headquarters last summer. The delays in reporting adverse events go as far back as 2004 - and accelerated more recently. About 4 percent of 80,560 reports weren’t filed with the FDA on time between March 2006 and December 2008 compared with 9 percent from December 2008 to June 2009. For instance, Pfizer failed to report cases concerning V... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3648799 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:47:54 +0100 3648799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640990&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fwhat-happens-to-your-body-when-you-stop-smoking-part-2-%25e2%2580%2593-new%2F This is the second in a series of posts by Bill from California, a Blisstree reader, former smoker, and active member of our passionate community of commenters. Read Bill’s first post here, where you’ll also find Blisstree’s original smoking post by Liz Lewis. Am I a Former Smoker? Part 2 Bias and Activism In the Public Health Community I’ve been put off by the aggressive efforts from the more extreme elements of the public health community. Though my own field is very different, I’m close to this subject because my wife is a researcher on public health issues. (I hasten to add that she’s not among the radicals I’m targeting here.) In my opinion, the worst of these efforts are biased and even propagandistic. They’re a clear violation of basic s... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640990 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:34:28 +0100 3640990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683884&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSuboxoneTalkZone%2F%7E3%2FpTi9YcGtKZk%2F A person wrote about feeling ill after taking Suboxone, thinking that naloxone is to blame and frustrated that her physician would not prescribe Subutex: I first read your blog last week as I was going through the despair and misery of withdrawal from Percocet, and considered suicide. I didn’t want to die, or create anymore suffering for my family; I just didn’t see any options or hope. Your well written words (I thank you deeply) about the hell of withdrawal got my attention & brought me to tears. I continued to read, found out about Suboxone, which led me to message boards from others like me. For the first time I felt hopeful. I found a doctor and made an appt, and after the initial, office administered dose I found myself feeling the best I had in years– no withdrawal and ... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683884 Mon, 31 May 2010 05:00:56 +0100 3683884 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599752&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FNhSY4iRuu5U%2F What are the long-term effects of stress? The stress response of the body is meant to protect and support us. When faced with a threat, whether it be to our physical safety or emotional equilibrium, the body’s defences kick into high gear in a process known as the "fight or flight” response. The sympathetic nervous system pumps out adrenaline, preparing us for emergency action. Our heart rate and blood flow to the large muscles increase, the blood vessels under the skin constrict to prevent blood loss in case of injury, the pupils dilate so we can see better, and our blood sugar ramps up, giving us an energy boost. The stress response is what helped our stone age ancestors survive, enhancing their ability to fight or flee from danger. But in the modern world, most stressors are ps... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599752 Wed, 26 May 2010 15:34:00 +0100 3599752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3588935&cid=t_101788_111_f&fid=34834&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMentalNurse%2F%7E3%2FnqEq6jj3QKo%2F [Guest post by Rasselas, Prince of Dysthymia] Firstly, my personal motto: I’m not anti-psychiatry, I’m anti-bullshit. So whether you’re talking about so-called laissez-faire economics, the madness of Chavez, or the corrective utility of Seroquel, to me it makes no difference. Bullshit is bullshit, no matter the shape, size and texture, no matter what arsehole it’s extruded from. All bullshit stinks. I have a question. I’m hoping some of you will be willing to give it serious consideration. In the subcultures of criminalised psychoactive drug taking there are many wisdoms. One of them is that you will get the best deals from trusted, established, peer-reviewed dealers who, by and large, will be users themselves. Coleridge knew this, and so did de Quincey, Baude... Mental Nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3588935 Fri, 21 May 2010 17:08:10 +0100 3588935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3573711&cid=t_101788_94_f&fid=36906&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDoctorDavidsBlog%2F%7E3%2FvkebaaFzaMQ%2Fhow-small-chance-is-too-small.html I’ve written about difficult cases before, but this case is really eating at me. It touches on issues of patient autonomy and how much influence we, as physicians, have over our patients. But the real issue is one of futility. How small a chance at survival is too small to offer a very toxic treatment? The patient is a young boy with leukemia. We have been treating him for over a year, and his leukemia just won’t go into remission. For the past 3 months he has been in the hospital, first to receive chemotherapy and then to manage the side effects we caused. His bone marrow is nearly empty, but almost 80% of what few cells are present are leukemia cells. His only potential curative therapy is a bone marrow transplant. Therein lies the problem. Not only does he have refractory leukemia... Doctor David's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3573711 Tue, 18 May 2010 02:51:00 +0100 3573711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3560505&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FhGdGEkPS9Hk%2F A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehaviour and even abuse on the part of individual members of the family occur continually, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is normal. Dysfunctional families are often a result of the alcoholism, substance abuse, or other addictions of parents, parents’ untreated mental illnesses/defects or personality disorders, or the parents emulating their own dysfunctional parents and dysfunctional family experiences. Behavior patterns Dysfunctional family members have common symptoms and behavior patterns as a result of their common experiences within the family structure. This tends to reinforce the dysfunctional behavior, either t... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3560505 Wed, 12 May 2010 21:07:41 +0100 3560505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3560214&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Ftbj9Cdviku0%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsI see that my colleague Sallie James has already blogged on the inherent protectionism in the Senate’s long-awaited cap-and-tax bill.  A summary was leaked last night by The Hill. Well, we now have the real “discussion draft” of  “The American Power Act” [APA], sponsored by John Kerry (D-NH) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT).  Lindsay Graham (R-SC) used to be on the earlier drafts, but excused himself to have a temper tantrum. So, while Sallie talked about the trade aspects of the bill, I’d like to blather about the mechanics, costs, and climate effects. If you don’t want to read the excruciating details, stop here and note that it mandates the impossible, will not produce any meaningful reduction of planetary warming, and it will subsidize just about every fo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3560214 Wed, 12 May 2010 19:42:53 +0100 3560214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552545&cid=t_101788_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FI42DKu7h6mE%2F The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) recently refused to release documents containing suspected adverse reactions caused by Accutane (which is called Roaccutane in the UK), after a law firm in two years ago Ireland requested info that dated back to 1992. At issue were reports linking the acne drug to suicidal tendencies, a topic that has been the subject of controversy and litigation for years (see here). And so European Ombudsman Nikiforos Diamandouros yesterday vigorously disagreed with the EMEA argument that transparency rules do not apply to these reports. “EMEA plays a crucial role in the approval and monitoring of medicines placed on the market,” he said in a statement. “Since its work has a direct impact on the health of European citizens, it is of utmost importanc... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552545 Tue, 11 May 2010 12:42:17 +0100 3552545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3545441&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fyour-health-on-stress%2F2010.05.08 So I’ve been thinking a lot about stress lately. Obviously, it’s because I’m in one of those work/personal periods where the word comes in all capital letters and my dreams seem to be caught on a continual loop of taking-an-exam-in-a-class-I-forgot-to-attend-all-semester (and yes, I’ve been out of school for 26 years now)/realizing-I-just-bought-a-new-house-and-have-to-move/or, finding-that-I-have-10-stories-due-tomorrow (for the newspaper at which I haven’t worked in years). This latter dream comes closest to my own situation at the moment given that I find myself with just a wee bit too much work for the time allotted (ok, maybe a lot too much work). I’m coping — going to bed later, getting up earlier, reaching out to a couple of writer friends f... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3545441 Sat, 08 May 2010 12:00:00 +0100 3545441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542561&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fbp-gulf-oil-spill-you-know-youre-unwell-if-youre-a-sea-turtle%2F photo: Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times Thanks to the idiots at BP, things aren’t looking so good these days for marine life in the Gulf of Mexico. Does this photo make you really, really mad? Check out one way to help by donating your hair (or your pet’s hair) to Matter of Trust, which will aid the oil spill cleanup efforts. photo via The New York Times Post from: BlissTree BP Gulf Oil Spill: You Know You're Unwell If...You're a Sea Turtle (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542561 Thu, 06 May 2010 20:52:44 +0100 3542561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538055&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fuse-your-unwanted-hair-to-clean-up-the-oil-spill-with-matter-of-trust%2F (matteroftrust.org) They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and the same is true for your old split ends: Human hair and pet hair are being used to clean up and contain the BP oil spill off the Gulf of Mexico, and you can send in your unwanted hair to help out. A Matter of Trust, a San Francisco-based organization, is collecting human and pet hair clippings from individuals, salons, and professionals to use in their hair-filled buoys (pictured above), which apparently will soak up the toxic oil. We’re slightly skeeved by the hair sausage imagery, but cleaning up the Gulf is probably worth dealing with our gag reflex for a few moments. Donating is easy: Just go to their website, tell them you’d like to donate, and they’ll email you the address of th... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538055 Thu, 06 May 2010 14:14:45 +0100 3538055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3529753&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Freader-opinion-what-happens-to-your-body-if-you-stop-smoking-right-now-%25e2%2580%2593-part-3%2F This is the third and final post in a series by Bill from California, a Blisstree reader, former smoker, and active member of our passionate community of commenters. Read Bill’s previous post and first post here, where you’ll also find Blisstree’s original smoking post by Liz Lewis. Am I a Former Smoker? Part 3 Is secondhand smoke really as dangerous as they say? The jury is still out, but I expect that the answer is no. At least, I have seen nothing that causes me to think that this particular kind of hand-wringing has merit. I am the first to agree that smoking cigarettes is dangerous to your health. On the other hand, while I cannot say with certainty, I strongly suspect that much of the hand-wringing about secondhand smoke is manipulative B.S. promoted by activists. It is... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3529753 Mon, 03 May 2010 20:19:26 +0100 3529753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3522614&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fwhat-happens-to-your-body-when-you-stop-smoking-part-2-%25e2%2580%2593-new%2F This is the second in a series of posts by Bill from California, a Blisstree reader, former smoker, and active member of our passionate community of commenters. Read Bill’s first post here, where you’ll also find Blisstree’s original smoking post by Liz Lewis. Am I a Former Smoker? Part 2 Bias and Activism In the Public Health Community I’ve been put off by the aggressive efforts from the more extreme elements of the public health community. Though my own field is very different, I’m close to this subject because my wife is a researcher on public health issues. (I hasten to add that she’s not among the radicals I’m targeting here.) In my opinion, the worst of these efforts are biased and even propagandistic. They’re a clear violation of basic s... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3522614 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:52:28 +0100 3522614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508135&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fwhat-happens-to-your-body-if-you-stop-smoking-right-now%2F photo: Thinkstock This is the first in a series of posts by Bill from California, a Blisstree reader, former smoker, and active member of our passionate community of commenters. Am I A Former Smoker? Almost a year ago to this day, after roughly fifty years of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, I launched myself into a cold turkey quit. Despite the fact that my quit has been an imperfect one with warts, I consider it successful – though others may not. This post is about my quit, but mainly it’s about the many things (positive and negative) I’ve learned in the process. Launching My Quit By April 2009, I had tried most of the nicotine replacement therapies in various attempts to quit smoking – Zyban, gum, patches – without success. Then I heard about Champix, which works directly ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508135 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:30:38 +0100 3508135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3490298&cid=t_101788_146_f&fid=38266&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsleepeducation.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fambien-zombies-sleepwalking-fears-and.html (Source: Sleep Education) Sleep Education blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3490298 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:50:00 +0100 3490298 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3483131&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSuboxoneTalkZone%2F%7E3%2FRw-QkOLg8FM%2F Several weeks ago an article with a provocative title was posted at Suboxone Forum.  I don’t remember the exact title, but it was something like ‘Toxicity from High Dose Buprenorphine (HDB).  Before everyone gets too excited, there was nothing all that new in the article, which consisted of three case reports about deaths of people taking buprenorphine.  One case consisted of a suicide from very large doses of buprenorphine, one was a death from combining buprenorphine with other respiratory depressants, and the third death was in a person with liver failure who took buprenorphine with other psychotropic medications.  There are a couple issues brought up in the article that are worth mentioning. First, I appreciate their use of the term ‘high dose buprenorphine,&#8217... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3483131 Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:56:42 +0100 3483131 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3475771&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fromantic-relationships-touch-me-please%2F Ah, affection. In my five-week experience of working through the self-help book, How to Be an Adult in Relationship: The Five Keys to Mindful Loving by David Richo with my BF, we’ve reached the fourth “A” – my fave – “Affection.” I was mostly celibate during my 20s for spiritual (cleansing the palate at the behest of an odd yogi), emotional (had some collegiate trauma-drama), and practical (where did all the hot guys go?) reasons. Though I missed the sex – I’ve always been a fan, with a bigger libido than almost any man I’ve ever dated – I really, really, really missed the affection. Petting, cuddling, massaging, hand-holding – all of it. Without sex, I was perpetually low-grade cranky – even though I was living in Hawaii. The ocean helped (kind of like a full... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3475771 Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:50:40 +0100 3475771 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3476047&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39025&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Feverythingchangesbook%2F%7E3%2F0-haAqqOWxQ%2Fmedication-cancer I’ve long been afraid of medication, even over-the-counter meds.  Since way before my cancer diagnosis, I was scared of what the side effects could do.  I opted for just feeling my pain or taking natural remedies instead.  But having cancer changed some of that for me. I used to not even take Tylenol for a headache.  Now I toss back two extra-strength at the first twinge of pain.  I want to nip pain in the bud because A) Feeling pain sometimes launches me into a cancer PTSD anxiety spiral and B) Since cancer I feel like I have filled my life time quota of pain.  Why have any more than I need? Without going into huge detail about my bowels, I’ll just say that my doctor wants me to start taking a medication that contains aspertame and might make me feel bloated and crap a l... Everything Changes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3476047 Fri, 16 Apr 2010 00:05:51 +0100 3476047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460400&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSuboxoneTalkZone%2F%7E3%2FwlOJtFGT2c0%2F I have been involved in Q and A with a person in another part of the country, and will share some of our exchange after removing the identifying info. BTW, I receive many e-mails from people and I just don’t have time to answer most of them; I DO provide ‘educational consultation’ (not a ‘medical’ relationship) at a rate of $100 per 30 minutes, and anyone is welcome to set that up by writing to appointments@fdlpsychiatry.com. The person below consulted me over her daughter, who is addicted to opiates and on buprenorphine but not doing well. The grown daughter receives some level of support from her parents, who are in that horrible position of trying to pull back to avoid enabling while at the same time fearing that pulling back will cause relapse or worse. The mother has had the... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460400 Sun, 11 Apr 2010 17:09:37 +0100 3460400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3453867&cid=t_101788_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F173957%2F Think Before You Soap: The FDA is investigating health effects of triclosan, a popular anti-bacterial agent which studies show has possible negative health effects. It’s found in many soaps and hand sanitizers, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s found in 75% of the population’s urine. Yikes! Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3453867 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:00:10 +0100 3453867 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3453934&cid=t_101788_106_f&fid=36682&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSutureForALiving%2F%7E3%2FblqJyDzRxYI%2Flipodissolve-too-good-to-be-true.html I have long been skeptical of Lipodissolve claims.  Patients would ask about the injections that dissolve the fat without surgery.  How it worked?  How safe is it?  Do you do it?  Do you know anyone who does? The FDA has finally issued a warning On April 7, 2010, FDA announced it had sent warning letters to six medical spas in the United States—and a cyber letter to a company in Brazil—for making false or misleading statements on their Web sites about drugs used in the procedure, or for otherwise misbranding lipodissolve products. The U.S. medical spas receiving warning letters make various unsupported claims about lipodissolve, such as assertions that the products used in lipodissolve are safe and effective have an outstanding safety record are su... Suture for a Living blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3453934 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:01:00 +0100 3453934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3435253&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fcodependent-and-alcoholic-games%2F Codependents and alcoholics/ addicts adopt behaviours and temporary personality traits. These behaviours are not deliberate or premeditated. They are built up very slowly over a period of time, bit-by-bit. Adult children of alcoholism may have started their process in childhood. Other codependents may have begun adapting when they set out on a relationship with an alcoholic/ addict. Alcoholics, addicts, gamblers, workaholics often report they started changing soon after they began their particular addictive behaviour. All of these people only report their actions in retrospect. That is after they have begun recovery and returned to spiritual lives. While they are practicing these abnormal activities they cannot see their own pain and the effects on others. This is sometimes called denial ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3435253 Sat, 03 Apr 2010 15:06:00 +0100 3435253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429416&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fextraordinary.html Somewhere along the line I decided I was invincible. Oh, I admitted I would someday die, but until then...invincible. It was right around the time I had to face up to the fact that I would someday die. Around age 19. I felt the tautness of youth in my muscles, the energy propelled on by the drugs that kept my heart beating, the refusal to sleep for fear of wasting precious time. I remember wearing a shirt that bore the motto, "You can sleep when you're dead." And I truly believed it. Rest was for the weary, sleep was for the weak, reflection for the elderly.One day, once a year, I resurrect that spirit from the ashes. I rise early, pull on my oldest clothes, forgo my shower, and head outdoors, whatever the weather. My body coils and springs again as I chop wood. I lay down in the dirt, and... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429416 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:24:00 +0100 3429416 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3416330&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fa-problem-shared-is-a-problem-halved%2F This study proves what they have known all along that a problem shared is a problem halved. The other study gives support to the principle of living ‘One day at a time’. Putting feelings into words produces therapeutic effects in the brain. Why does putting our feelings into words — talking with a therapist or friend, writing in a journal — help us to feel better” A new brain imaging study by UCLA psychologists reveals why verbalizing our feelings makes our sadness, anger and pain less intense. Another study, with the same participants and three of the same members of the research team, combines modern neuroscience with ancient Buddhist teachings to provide the first neural evidence for why “mindfulness” — the ability to live in the present moment, without distraction �... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3416330 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:48:13 +0100 3416330 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3385512&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fa-funny-surprise-from-breast-cancer%2F There is one positive thing that I can honestly say came out of chemotherapy. It came up with my hairdresser today when she happened to notice that I have great eyebrows. I know it sounds funny, but hey, let me have this one thing. I have always had darker and thicker eyebrows than most women, but not quite as great as Brooke Shields. I was constantly plucking and shaping them and then breast cancer hit. Chemotherapy thinned them out quite a bit, but it couldn’t quite get rid of them. After my hair grew back, my eyebrows took on a new shape – and I couldn’t be happier. So today, my hair dresser commented on how great my eyebrows looked. When I told her I did not have to pluck or shape them ever, I knew she was impressed. We suffer so much through chemotherapy. Many of us struggle wit... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3385512 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:05:55 +0100 3385512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3359225&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FJ_28ebFlYps%2F Keep an eye on stress levels What are the long-term effects of stress? The stress response of the body is meant to protect and support us. When faced with a threat, whether it be to our physical safety or emotional equilibrium, the body’s defenses kick into high gear in a process known as the “fight or flight” response. The sympathetic nervous system pumps out adrenaline, preparing us for emergency action. Our heart rate and blood flow to the large muscles increase, the blood vessels under the skin constrict to prevent blood loss in case of injury, the pupils dilate so we can see better, and our blood sugar ramps up, giving us an energy boost. Modern Stress is Mostly Psychological The stress response is what helped our stone age ancestors survive, enhancing their ability to f... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3359225 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:20:00 +0100 3359225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3338252&cid=t_101788_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F03%2F06%2Flearning-about-transcendental-meditation%2F Discussion tab makes clear feuding editors battling for control about tone and focus. I don’t know what to make of transcendental meditation personally, but I find studies like the recently published one interesting. I know people who use it and swear by its positive effects (but I also know people who use other techniques and methods and swear by them as well). I suspect some of the skepticism comes from the pseudo-religious nature of technique, or the fact that it costs money to learn it. But in my experience, many things worth learning cost money (look at my graduate education, for instance). My only concern is that if it is something that is “simple, natural, effortless, and easily learned,” why does it cost $1,500 and an entire day to learn? I’ve read enough t... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3338252 Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:32:15 +0100 3338252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3307102&cid=t_101788_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FgW7hybMZPx4%2F Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects.” -Arnold Glascow One of the most amazing experiences in early recovery from alcoholism was the night I told a story against myself. I laughed at my foolishness in a new light and every one at the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting laughed with me. The incident that I reminisced about no longer was painful. I had learnt to laugh at myself. “As we heal we learn to laugh at ourselves with love. We begin to see all the wonderful oddities and contradictions in people – little faults that endear others to us. We see that striving to be perfect is going far beyond the call of duty, and we discover that life does not need to be a duty, that it can be enjoyed. Life can be fun. We are given the gift of laughter to help us survive the tribulati... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3307102 Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:54:39 +0100 3307102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298377&cid=t_101788_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F23%2Fpilfered-lunches-point-to-a-bigger-employee-problem%2F Stealing lunches from the office frig could be a symptom of a more serious problem — low employee engagement. “Hunger does crazy things to you,” was the comment made by an employee interviewed on the Today Show segment, “Pains in the Office.” While physical hunger is one reason employees pilfer lunches, I suspect that employees who steal from each other have a different kind of hunger. If your office is experiencing a rise in the number of stolen lunches, you are not alone. Recently several call center managers told me that they’re getting a lot more “stolen lunch” complaints. It’s no coincidence that these are the same managers who are plagued by low employee morale. Low morale can have disastrous effects. When employees are dissatisfied and chronically unhappy they ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298377 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:05:41 +0100 3298377 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298550&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-and-the-power-of-napping%2F There is new information out of the University of California at Berkley that indicates that napping during the day boosts cognitive power. I like this! I am a napper. I don’t always get the opportunity for a short afternoon nap, but when I need it I take it. It might just be a few minutes before dinner or an evening class but it helps. When we go through chemotherapy or radiation one of the most distressing side effects is fatigue. Usually I worked in the morning and then went to Chemotherapy in the afternoon, returning to work the next day. This resulted in only a half day off from work. After a couple of months I would take the day after chemo off as I began to feel the cumulative effects of months of treatment. That would give me the whole day to rest. I then learned that if I cou... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298550 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:16:14 +0100 3298550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283785&cid=t_101788_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fis-it-seasonal-affective-disorder-or-breast-cancer-depression%2F It’s snowing today. Well, it is Michigan. I keep asking my husband, ‘What self-respecting Canadian (me) moves south of the border and stops in Michigan?’ I grew up in northern Ontario where it snowed a lot more than Michigan. The difference in the winter weather between the two places is huge though. In the little city where I grew up we had tons of snow, but we also got a lot of sunshine. The sun shone almost every day in the winter, so much so that our city was called the sunshine capitol of the North. It made for a fun winter. Even though I had a great weekend skiing in the north part of Michigan and we haven’t had near the snow we had last year, I am finding the gloomy winter almost unbearable this year. Usually I muddle through but I have to say that I am battl... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283785 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:08:07 +0100 3283785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262697&cid=t_101788_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fwhy-do-patients-put-on-weight-after-ivf.html The biggest worry many patients have about doing IVF is that it will cause them to become fat. Lots of women who have done IVF will swear that IVF makes them put on weight - and isn't it well known that the hormonal shots needed for IVF treatment cause weight gain ?This is a myth which I would like to dispel .It is true that women will put on weight due to fluid retention during the superovulation phase of the IVF cycle. The high estrogen levels do cause fluid retention, but this is only temporary. Once the superovulation stops, the hormones get excreted promptly into the urine and do not have any long term effects . This means that most women will promptly lose the fluid they accumulated, and will go back to their normal body weight.What about the ones who do gain weight ? The reason for ... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262697 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:45:00 +0100 3262697