Category Archives: Drug Side Effects

CTVNews.ca Staff Published Monday, Oct. 1, 2012 3:09PM EDT Last Updated Monday, Oct. 1, 2012 11:50PM EDT An experimental breast cancer treatment that directly targets disease cells appears to shrink tumours and improve survival rates, according to new Canadian research, and could one day lead to more effective treatment of other types of cancer with far fewer side effects. The treatment is a three-drug combination called T-DM1, which is formulated to attack cancer cells and leave healthy cells untouched. The cocktail is designed to treat women who are in the latter stages of HER2-positive breast cancer, a type of cancer in which the protein HER2 plays a role in tumour growth. Nearly 20 per cent of women with breast cancer have tumours with high levels of HER2. The new drug combines Herceptin, a drug already used to treat HER2-positive cancer, with a powerful chemotherapy drug called DM1. The third drug is a chemical that prevents the chemotherapy from becoming active until it reaches the targeted cancer cells. In a study of 991 women with HER2-positive breast cancer, patients were randomly assigned to receive either the new treatment, or standard therapy in the form of the drugs Tykerb and Xeloda. All … Continue reading →

MONDAY, Oct. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Cancer treatment could one day be more effective and less difficult to endure if an experimental breast cancer therapy that offers high-precision targeting of tumors proves successful. The new approach uses a unique three-pronged combination of agents that simultaneously attack cancer cells but prevent the release of chemotherapy until the drug reaches its specific target, said the authors of a new study on the technique. As a result, the treatment attacks cancer with greater power and effectiveness, yet less toxicity, so patients experience fewer side effects, such as nausea and vomiting, hair loss and infections, the study authors said. The drug therapy, called T-DM1, appears to be effective in prolonging life and reducing tumor growth with less impact on the body's healthy cells in a significant proportion of women in the late stages of a specific kind of breast cancer known as HER2-positive. It has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. T-DM1 is what's known as an "antibody-drug conjugate," designed to deliver potent anti-cancer drugs to tumors while limiting toxicity to healthy cells in the body. "This is a new model for attacking cancer," explained study author Dr. Sunil … Continue reading →

Parker Waichman LLP reports that Propecia (finasteride 1mg), a drug used to treat male pattern baldness, may lead to sexual side effects such as erectile dysfunction, diminished sex drive and orgasm problems. According to two studies published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, these potential complications may persist even after Propecia is stopped. Recent research also suggests that use of the drug is linked to depression. New York, New York (PRWEB) October 01, 2012 Last March, the Journal of Sexual Medicine published a study linking Propecia to persistent sexual dysfunction. The study interviewed 71 Propecia users who reported new-onset sexual side effects, such as: Low sex drive The participants used Propecia for an average of 28 months. Persistent sexual side effects lasted an average of 40 months from the time the drug was discontinued. In July, the Journal of Sexual Medicine published another study confirming these earlier findings. According to the study, 96 percent of men who experienced sexual side effects after taking Propecia continued to suffer these symptoms one year after stopping treatment. The following month, the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry published a study linking the drug to depression. Researchers compared men who experienced sexual side effects for at … Continue reading →

The Rottenstein Law Group, which represents clients with claims stemming from the severe side effects of the drug Fosamax, stresses that a confidential agreement on damages between Merck and an ONJ victim does not moot a jurys verdict finding the company liable for the claimants injuries. New York, NY (PRWEB) October 01, 2012 Rochelle Rottenstein, principal of the Rottenstein Law Group, stresses that Ms. Boles, who, according to court documents, passed away in September 2011, had proved her case against the pharmaceutical giant. The jury found for Ms. Boles, Rottenstein notes. That jury awarded her $8 million in damages. The court, deeming that award to be excessive, gave the plaintiff the choice between a reduced award of $1.5 million and a new trial on damages. But Mercks wrongdoing and liability were proven as matters of fact and law. Boles chose a retrial on damages, which was scheduled for September 10, 2012, then adjourned to September 18, 2012, according to court documents. The parties had been submitting to Judge Keenan of the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York motions regarding the evidence to be presented at the new damages trial. Early this month, plaintiffs counsel made … Continue reading →

Re: Side effects of ADHD drugs shock parents, Sept. 27 It makes me so angry that doctors and pharmaceutical companies heavily influence vulnerable parents who are desperately seeking help for their children. Do they really know the true side effects of these drugs? Or do they actually believe they work well? Parents will never know. From my experience, nothing is more disturbing than asking the right questions about side effects and being arrogantly told by medical professionals: How are we supposed to know when we have only begun using this drug two years ago? Yes, parents, we and our children are their guinea pigs! Parents must have all the facts about this issue. Not just the side effects of drugs but also of options that are out there for them. There is more than one path to take besides the medical one. Do your research by asking pharmacists, teachers, behaviour therapists, naturopaths or occupational therapists about managing ADHD. These sources are extremely useful and it will help make drug-related decisions easier. M. Kohek, Whitby See the article here: Parents must have all the facts … Continue reading →

Health Canada has detailed records of probes into ADHD drug safety, including fatalities, that it is keeping secret from the public. Every six months to a year, drug companies submit summaries of side effects suspected to have been caused by their drugs worldwide, information Health Canada says it evaluates. These summaries, called periodic safety update reports, are not available to the public. They may contain personal or confidential business information, Health Canada said in an email to the Star. That means parents of kids taking ADHD drugs are being kept in the dark about what the makers of these drugs are revealing to Health Canada about their safety. Health Canada said the drug company reports can be requested under access to information legislation, adding details could be blacked out on a case-by-case basis if released. Health Canada is claiming privileged information? How does that trump the health of my son? said Christopher Folz, a special-education teacher from Sault Ste. Marie whose 9-year-old son tried to hurt himself while on ADHD drugs Strattera and Biphentin. Folz said his son suffered headaches last year that made him double over in pain and gag. Hes had these really troubling depressive outbursts in class … Continue reading →

Its becoming increasingly clear that men who use Propecia run the risk of developing severe sexual side effects, including impotence, erectile dysfunction, lower sex drive, infertility, testicular pain and genital shrinkage. Unfortunately for many men, recent research indicates that Propecia sexual side effects often continue long after they stop taking the baldness drug. Propecia belongs to a class of drugs known as 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, or 5-ARIs. The active ingredient in Propecia can interfere with male hormones, including testosterone derivatives. According to a report from the Brisbane Times, a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in July found that the majority of men who report Propecia sexual side effects continued experiencing problems for at least three months after they discontinued the medication. The most common problems reported included: These Propecia sexual side effects can take a tremendous toll on the people who suffer them A second study authored by the same researcher and published in August found nearly 44 percent of 61 young, healthy Propecia patients reported suicidal thoughts, while 36 percent had symptoms of severe depression. Dr. Michael Irwig, the author of both studies, published a previous study in 2011 which also found that men using finasteride … Continue reading →

Kim Colliers 7-year-old daughter could not stop crying. Less than 24 hours earlier, the child had started taking Vyvanse, a drug prescribed for the treatment of ADHD. The distraught mother suggested a bike ride to distract the inconsolable child. The two set out for a park near their home outside Alliston, Ont. The girl pedalled and sobbed. Then, Collier recalled, She screamed at me. She said, I want to die. A car drove toward them along the residential street. She looked at me and she said, Im going to ride my bike into that car. And then she said to me, You dont care if I live or die. I literally had to restrain her. I took her off of the drug. Collier, who did not want her daughter named, is one of scores of parents who contacted the Star after its investigation Wednesday found nearly 600 cases of Canadian kids suffering serious, sometimes fatal side effects suspected to have been caused by ADHD medications in the past 10 years. Read the original here: Side effects of ADHD drugs shock parents … Continue reading →

Back at home, I googled the drug to find that these are: depression, sleeping difficulties, nausea, insomnia, a potentially dangerous increase in heart rate, feelings of hostility, suicidal thoughts and nightmares. Other than that, it sounds like a real life-enhancer. If my husband had fathered a love-child with our housekeeper (its not impossible shes an attractive woman, and the way she vacuums borders on indecent), I think Id like to know before a marriage therapist. Id see that as the bare minimum in terms of respect, really. Because to find out at the same time as some bespectacled, 100-quid-an-hour outsider well, that might be a little humiliating. Apparently, Maria Shriver doesnt share my viewpoint. In his new memoir, Arnold Schwarzenegger says that he was forced to come clean about his love-child with his housekeeper, Mildred Baena, by his wife during their couples counselling session. The minute we sat down, he writes, the therapist turned to me and said, 'Maria wanted to come here today and to ask about a child whether you fathered a child with your housekeeper. Now, Im sure marriage therapy works for some, but this kind of interventionism just reminds me of playing the invisible sibling game … Continue reading →

HOUSTON, Texas, Sept. 24, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - The popular online medical injuries legal team of McDonaldWorley.com, has announced they have begun accepting new Yaz lawsuit claims and are offering a free initial case review to women who qualify. The attorneys are providing the legal review to women who suffered injuries believed to be the result of taking the popular birth control medication Yaz. Qualified individuals are asked to provide the details of their situation, using the secure and confidential online form at http://www.McDonaldWorley.com and a Yaz lawsuit lawyer will review the details of their case and respond as soon as possible. "People may not have been adequately warned of the side effects associated with the birth control pills. Very serious complications that may have harmed many women unknowingly," stated Michelle Eddington, attorney with the firm. The risks of side effects alleged to result from taking the medication include: Applicants are asked to provide their name, phone number, and a brief description of the health problems they experienced. The details are reviewed by the attorneys with the firm to see if legal remedies are available to help hold the manufacturer of the popular medication responsible. The Food … Continue reading →