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Category Archives: Drug Side Effects

Drug's side effects outweigh relief

Posted: Published on September 26th, 2012

A Flinders University study has found that, after decades of use, cancer pain drug ketamine delivers more side effects for patients than relief. Source: Herald Sun AN anaesthetic drug widely used for decades to treat pain related to cancer has no overall clinical benefit, Flinders University researchers have found. The national study of 185 patients found significantly higher rates of toxicity and other side-effects among the 93 patients given pain drug ketamine as part of their treatment, compared with the 92 who were given a placebo. Chief Investigator and Professor of Palliative and Supportive Services at Flinders University, David Currow, said the results highlighted the potential harm which can be caused by prescribing drugs in ways other than they were originally intended without adequate trials - as ketamine was used. "At sub-anaesthetic doses, ketamine has been shown to help in post-operative pain relief," he said. "So the trial of it in cancer-related pain, where the nerve itself is damaged, was a very logical step." But, he said despite great hope for the drug, the role of ketamine in routine clinical care for chronic, complex cancer pain was "not in any way supported by this study". "The result is resoundingly negative," … Continue reading

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Z-Pak could have deadly side effects

Posted: Published on September 22nd, 2012

Since it hit the market under the brand name Zithromax in 1991, the antibiotic became a popular fix for bacterial infections. But researchers at Vanderbilt University found the commonly prescribed Z-Pak could have deadly side effects. For more than two decades, doctors have prescribed Zithromax to fight infections, particularly common ones like sinus infections. Dr. Frank McGrew, a cardiologist from Memphis, never leaves home without a Z-Pak. "I carry one in my brief case when I travel," he said. But a 14-year study of medical records in Tennessee suggests a rare, yet deadly risk associated with the antibiotic. Researchers at Vanderbilt University discovered a 2.5 percent increase in heart related deaths among patients within the first five days of taking Zithromax. Dr. McGrew says several antibiotics in the same class can interact with certain heart conditions. But he was surprised the Zithromax seemed to have more of an effect than the others. "I think the take-home message from that is people with heart disease or who are on heart medications probably need to think about what antibiotics they're on. The world of drug interactions is growing all the time," said Dr. McGrew. That's why it's important to inform your doctor … Continue reading

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Synthetic Street Drug Camouflaged as Bath Salts Has Dangerous, Bizarre Effects

Posted: Published on September 21st, 2012

JUDY WOODRUFF: And we turn to a story we posted online earlier today. We have done extensive reporting on a set of drugs commonly known as bath salts. These street drugs have been on the rise in recent years and pose serious problems for law enforcement. They are packaged to look like common household products with names like Lady Bubbles or White Dove. But the chemicals in them and the high they produce can be devastating for lives and communities. Their effects can be stronger and longer-lasting than other drugs like amphetamines and cocaine. Researchers are trying to understand how they work and how the chemistry behind them continues to change. Louis De Felice is one of those researchers studying this new class of substances at Virginia Commonwealth University. And he joins me now from Richmond. Thank you for being with us. And let me just start by saying, when people hear the term bath salts, maybe they think of Epsom salts, which you would buy at a pharmacy, in a drugstore, but this is very different. Tell us what they are. LOUIS DE FELICE, Virginia Commonwealth University: Well, you're right. It's very different than the name implies. It's a … Continue reading

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Medtronic seeks drug company partner for Alzheimer's tests

Posted: Published on September 19th, 2012

MINNEAPOLIS How much more effective would Alzheimer's medications be if they could travel directly into the brain? Medtronic is hoping to find out, and the Fridley, Minn.-based med-tech giant is looking for partners from the pharmaceutical industry to help. In the same way that Medtronic is working with Eli Lilly & Co. on research into treatment for Parkinson's disease, Medtronic officials say they also are ready to reach out to drug companies developing medications to combat Alzheimer's. Lisa Shafer, director of Medtronic's Central Nervous System drug therapy research and development, said she believes Medtronic's implantable pump technology could help those medications become more effective and have fewer side effects. Shafer said less than 1 percent of intravenous drugs are able to cross what is called the blood-brain barrier, a layer of protection in the vessels within the brain. But if Alzheimer's drugs could be administered directly to the brain actually, to the fluid-filled ventricles within the brain 100 percent of the drug could reach its intended target. That could mean tenfold to hundredfold lower doses, and fewer side effects, than with drugs taken orally or intravenously, Shafer said. And that could save money, too. Medtronic has done what is called … Continue reading

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Potential Mirena IUD Side Effects Include Dangerous Uterine Peforations

Posted: Published on September 18th, 2012

Uterine peforation, or perforated uterus, is a possible side effect of the Mirena IUD (intrauterine device). In fact, about 2 in 1,000 women who use the Mirena device and other IUDs have reported cases of uterine perforation. About Mirena IUD The Mirena IUD is a hormone-based contraceptive device that is inserted into the uterus, where it can remain for up to five years. The device releases levonorgestrel, which is a form of the hormone progestin. A plastic string tied to the end of the Mirena IUD hangs down through the cervix into the vagina. Women who have received the Mirena IUD are instructed to check the string to ensure the device is in place. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration says that Mirena has been associated with a number of serious side effects, including: In 2009, the Department of Health and Human Services Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications (DDMAC) found that claims made via Bayers Simple Style Program which marketed Mirena to busy moms, were unsubstantiated, noting that the program failed to mention side effects such as weight gain, acne and breast tenderness. Mirena IUD and Uterine Peforations Mirena uterine peforation is a serious, life-threatening complication that often … Continue reading

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Sanofi multiple sclerosis pill gets US approval

Posted: Published on September 13th, 2012

Sanofi SA has won U.S. approval for its multiple sclerosis pill Aubagio - one of the two treatments for the chronic disease that could return the French drugmaker to growth after several blockbuster drugs lost patent protection. The drug has been shown to be less effective than some rivals but has milder side effects and analysts say it could find favor among newly diagnosed patients. Around 35 percent to 40 percent of multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferers prefer to take no medication rather than face unwanted side effects. "In a clinical trial, the relapse rate for patients using Aubagio was about 30 percent lower than the rate for those taking a placebo," Russell Katz, director of the Division of Neurology Products at the Food and Drug Administration, said in a statement on Wednesday. Aubagio is expected to launch on the U.S. market in a few weeks, a spokeswoman for Sanofi unit Genzyme said. Multiple sclerosis, which has no cure, affects 2.5 million people worldwide. It is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system and can lead to numbness, paralysis and loss of vision. MS drugs Gilenya by Novartis and Biogen Idec Inc's BG-12 are expected to dominate … Continue reading

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Side effects of anti-malaria drug avoided

Posted: Published on September 13th, 2012

Published: Sept. 13, 2012 at 1:52 AM NOTTINGHAM, England, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Side-effects caused by quinine, a drug to treatment of malaria, could be controlled by what patients ate, researchers in Britain said. Study leaders Dr. Simon Avery and Dr. Kang-Nee Ting of the University of Nottingham in Britain and Malaysia, in collaboration with Richard Pleass now at the University of Liverpool, indicated the natural variation of a patient's levels of the amino acid, tryptophan, had a marked bearing on how they responded to quinine treatment. It appeared the lower the levels of tryptophan, the more likely it was the patients would suffer side-effects and because tryptophan is an essential amino acid -- which the body cannot produce -- it must be gotten from food. An earlier study of the researchers found quinine -- used in a yeast model -- could block take-up of tryptophan, causing quinine toxicity in cells. The study, published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, discovered quinine levels in patients receiving treatment for malaria were linked to the patients' levels of tryptophan. They were also able to show that the incidence of adverse reaction to quinine was significantly lower in patients with high levels of … Continue reading

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Treating chronic diseases: Medications and side effects

Posted: Published on September 12th, 2012

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic diseases (i.e. heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.) are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. The CDC further states that 7 out of ten deaths each year are from chronic diseases, with heart disease, cancer and stroke accounting for more than 50 percent of all deaths each year. A majority of these diseases have numerous causes, most preventable; lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption are the most common culprits. For those chronic conditions which cannot be treated with lifestyle remedies, medications are often prescribed. With 133 million Americans having at least one chronic disease, it should not come as a surprise that many of these people are on multiple medications for these conditions. Furthermore, each medication has its own side effects; so in combination, some medications may interact with another, thus rendering one ineffective or even hyper-effective. Here we will discuss the most common chronic diseases, the most common medications and their associated side effects. Heart disease Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women. Hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, and diabetes, in addition to … Continue reading

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UPDATE 1-Failed Alzheimer's drug showed signs of working-studies

Posted: Published on September 12th, 2012

* Significantly cut levels of Alzheimer's related proteins * Findings suggest drug may work in earlier-stage disease * Dose, side effects may be an issue (Adds analyst's, expert's comments, background) By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO, Sept 11 (Reuters) - New data on Pfizer Inc and Johnson & Johnson (TLO: JNJ-U.TI - news) 's Alzheimer's drug, bapineuzumab, show the treatment reduced underlying markers of the disease in some patients, suggesting the failed medication might work at an earlier stage. The findings from two large studies, presented at a European neurology meeting in Stockholm on Tuesday, followed the companies' announcement last month that they were scrapping large-scale clinical trials of the drug after it failed to improve memory or thinking skills in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's. Many researchers had expected bapineuzumab to fail this test because they believe that Alzheimer's starts years before memory problems become apparent, and that treatment when patients already have dementia may be too late. But they have been eagerly awaiting the so-called biomarker results, which measure fluids and tissues in the body, to see if the drug hit its biological targets and therefore, could work at an earlier stage of the disease. The biomarker results show … Continue reading

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Diet could combat adverse side-effects of quinine

Posted: Published on September 12th, 2012

Public release date: 11-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Lindsay Brooke lindsay.brooke@nottingham.ac.uk 44-011-595-15751 University of Nottingham Scientists at The University of Nottingham say adverse side-effects caused by the anti-parasitic drug quinine in the treatment of malaria could be controlled by what we eat. The research, carried out by Nottingham scientists on the University's campuses in the UK and Malaysia, indicates that natural variation in our levels of the amino acid, tryptophan, has a marked bearing on how we respond to quinine treatment. It appears that the lower our levels of tryptophan the more likely it is that we would suffer side-effects. And because tryptophan is an essential amino acid the body cannot produce it we get it from the food we eat. Discovered back in the 1600s, quinine is still used for anti-malaria treatment. However, it is associated with a long list of side effects ranging from sickness and headaches to blindness, deafness and in rare cases death. This latest study, published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, could offer a cheap and simple way of combating our adverse reaction to quinine treatment and improving the performance of this important drug. The study, funded by The University of … Continue reading

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