Today's seniors are taking a variety of medications to keep health issues under control. Many doctors may unknowingly prescribe medications that interact with other medications the patient is taking. A report out of Idaho's Times-News says that drug interactions and overmedicating are growing problems among our nation's aging population.The pharmacist interviewed in the article says that he sees...
A Reuters report Tuesday revealed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) receive a U.S. proposal recommending that over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen, aspirin and acetaminophen to include warnings on labels about possible liver and stomach damage. The proposed new warnings are mostly associated with possible liver damage and stomach bleeding associated with taking these...
Many consumers are unaware of the many disturbing statistics about diseases caused by drugs. Worstpills.org offers an article detailing some of the statistics and drug-induced diseases. They say that more than 9.6 million adverse drug reactions in older Americans happen each year, and many are unreported to doctors.The following national estimates are based on well-conducted studies, mainly in...
An interesting article on Healthday.com discusses a study out of Virginia Commonwealth University in which two physicians looked at research studies, clinical trials and other information related to bronchitis, and determined that antibiotics don't actually help these patients. "Physicians should be encouraged to avoid antibiotics in most cases," said Dr. Richard P. Wenzel, chairman of the...
A group called Public Citizen filed a petition to the FDA in August 2006, urging them to issue a warning about the risks of tendon rupture associated with certain antibiotics called fluoroquinolone antibiotics. One example of this type of drug is ciproflaxacin (Cipro). An article on worstpills.org provides the details:Between November 1997 and the end of December 2005, 794 cases of...
Dr. David Graham's testimony for federal Vioxx trials "goes beyond anything he has said previously and shouldn't be heard by jurors," said Merck's attorneys. Graham alleged that the drug maker dragged its feet about adding a warning label and that Vioxx should not have even been approved when it was. A hearing is scheduled for later this week to decide what part of his depositions will be...
According to the Parmaceutical Business Review online, a study out of Washington University School of Medicine shows that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) can increase liver damage in patients. Here are some details of the study:Using an experimental mouse model of the disorder, the researchers investigated the effects of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) on liver...
Last week the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled 11 million bottles of acetaminophen, sold as store brands at CVS Pharmacy, Wal-Mart and more than 120 other retailers nationwide. The 500 mg caplets made by Perrigo Corp. of Michigan were pulled from the shelves because of the possibility that they might contain metal fragments. A story out of the Montgomery Advertiser reports further...
A number of drugs which are often used to treat osteoporosis and cancer patients are believed to cause a terrible jaw disease called osteonecrosis of the jaw or "dead jaw." Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva, Skelid, Adedia, Bonefos, Didronel and Zometa are part of a drug category called bisphosphonates. These drugs have been increasingly linked to osteonecrosis, a serious disorder in which the bone...
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the United Kingdom is the equivalent of the FDA in the U.S. A new study was reported by MHRA on March 1, 2006, regarding Celebrex. It lists a new study by several authors, including Dr. Brent Caldwell, citing a medical journal. The website summarized, stating the new study is based on data already assessed by regulatory agencies...