Category Archives: Drug Side Effects

Posted by Eric ChaffinJuly 31, 2012 9:45 AM Most of us know that our country is in the grips of an obesity epidemic. Doctor recommended diet and exercise programs have not controlled the problem, so pharmaceutical companies are hard at work coming up with other solutions. Last month, the FDA approved Belviq (lorcaserin) as a weight-loss drug for those with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater. More recently, the FDA approved Qsymia (phentermine and topiramate extended-release) for chronic weight management in addition to a reduced-calorie diet and exercise. These drugs come with potentially serious side effects, and it seems like once again the public is taking part in a giant experiment. For example, federal officials are requiring post-marketing studies to look for evidence of increased heart disease or stroke risk in those who take Qsymia. Concerns About Cardiovascular Risks It was only about a year-and-a-half ago that the FDA rejected manufacturer Vivus first petition to approve Qsymia (pronounced kyoo sim EE uh). Among other things, the agency was concerned that the drug could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. The FDA rejected Belviq in an earlier request for approval because of similar concerns. Experts believe … Continue reading →

July 29, 2012 redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports Your Universe Online According to new research, alcohol combined with certain medications not only opens up the risks of liver damage, stomach bleeding and other side effects, it also makes those drugs three times more available to the body, effectively tripling the original dose. Reporting in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics, Christel Bergstrm and colleagues explain that drinking alcohol can increase the amount of non-prescription and prescription drugs that are available to the body after taking a specific dose. Some drugs do not dissolve well in the gastrointestinal tract, and alcohol, or ethanol, can change how enzymes and other substances in the body interact with these medicines. Because of this, the researchers looked in to whether ethanol made these drugs dissolve more easily, which could make the drugs more readily available in the body, thereby increasing their effects. On order to test this, the scientists used a simulated environment of the small intestine to test how rapidly 22 different medications dissolved when alcohol was and was not present. To their surprise, almost 60 percent of the medications dissolved much faster when taken with alcohol. In addition, they found that certain types of substances, … Continue reading →

China has vowed to gradually phase out the AIDS drug D4T, which the World Health Organisation recommended early in 2009 be phased out worldwide because of its long-term and irreversible side effects. "As the country is further expanding antiretroviral therapy among sufferers under the treatment as prevention strategy now recognised worldwide, the drug regimen will also be optimised," Wu Zunyou, director of the National Centre for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, said on Friday. Since WHO's recommendation in 2009, China has already taken steps to reduce the use of D4T, said Zhao Yan, deputy director of the AIDS treatment and care division of the centre. Several years ago, about half of AIDS patients on the Chinese mainland were using the drug, Zhao said. She expected that by the end of 2013, China would no longer be using D4T for AIDS treatment on the mainland. In July, 10 to 15 per cent of new AIDS patients in Wuhan, Hubei province, were prescribed D4T, mostly in rural areas, a source close to the situation said. Currently, about 26 per cent of the more than 140,000 AIDS patients on antiretroviral therapy, are still receiving D4T on the mainland, statistics from the NCAIDS showed. To … Continue reading →

TEMPE, Ariz. - Police say drugs like "bath salts" can mimic the effects of crack cocaine and even meth. We've had a number of incidents involving bath salts recently, and one valley police department is seeing more and more cases of bath salts, enough to call it an epidemic. Just this week, Tempe police have encountered suspects in three separate cases who told them they were on bath salts. What's really scary about this stuff for them is that because the drug is modified so often -- sometimes they're not sure what they're dealing with. The behavior is bizarre. You may remember this case from last month -- 38-year-old Chris Brown, high on bath salts, took a swim in Tempe Town Lake naked. Every time firefighters got close to rescue him, he would swim away. "We've had several cases of individuals becoming violent," says Lt. Noah Johnson, Special Investigations Bureau. Just this week, rescue crews fished out a 33-year-old swimmer from Tempe Town Lake. He was rambling and incoherent and admitted he'd ingested bath salts. He also told police there was another swimmer with him in the water. Crews searched for hours, but never found anyone. Lt. Noah Johnson tells … Continue reading →

SCIENTISTS believe they may have found the right recipe for an obesity drug to help people lose weight and keep it off, without nasty side effects. The drug, which is yet to be tested in humans, increases sensitivity to the body's appetite-suppressant hormone, leptin. "By sensitising the body to naturally occurring leptin, the new drug could not only promote weight loss, but also help maintain it," said study author George Kunos of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in the US. The drug works by reversing desensitisation to leptin, a process scientists think is caused by receptors that mediate hunger sparked by marijuana use and naturally occurring cannabinoids in the body. Scientists have previously developed anti-obesity drugs to target cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R), but one, rimonabant, was taken off the market in Europe because of serious side effects including anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. Dr Kunos and his team minimised the side effects by developing a drug that targets CB1R without entering the brain. Obese mice given the drug lost weight after their appetites were suppressed by increasing their sensitivity to leptin. The mice did not express anxiety or adverse behavioural side effects. "Obesity is a growing … Continue reading →

How many men would willingly trade in their sex drive for a full head of hair? For some, that might seem like a deal with the devil. Evidence is accumulating, though, that at least a few men make such a Faustian exchange when they accept a prescription for finasteride. This medication is used to reverse male pattern baldness (as Propecia) or control the symptoms of prostate enlargement (as Proscar). A related drug, dutasteride (Avodart), is also used to treat an enlarged prostate. These drugs work by blocking the conversion of the male hormone testosterone to its byproduct dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Research has shown that DHT contributes to both male pattern baldness and prostate gland growth. Blocking DHT production can help men hang on to their hair longer as well as keep their prostates from expanding. The problem is that there are side effects. The most notable are decreased libido, trouble with ejaculation and erectile dysfunction. These are thought to be uncommon, however, and physicians have assumed that they would disappear once the drug was discontinued. The official prescribing information for Propecia is confusing on this matter. On the one hand, doctors are told that sexual side effects resolve when the drug … Continue reading →

Steve Silberman(@stevesilberman on Twitter) is a journalist whose articles and interviews have appeared inWired, Nature, The New Yorker, and other national publications; have been featured onThe Colbert Report;and have been nominated for National Magazine Awards andincluded in many anthologies. Steve is currently working on a book on autism and neurodiversity called NeuroTribes: Thinking Smarter About People Who ThinkDifferently (Avery Books 2013).This post originally appeared on his blog, NeuroTribes. Photo by Flickr user Noodles and Beef Your doctor doesnt like whats going on with your blood pressure. Youve been taking medication for it, but he wants to put you on a new drug, and youre fine with that. Then he leans in close and says in his most reassuring, man-to-man voice, I should tell you that a small number of my patients have experienced some minor sexual dysfunction on this drug. Its nothing to be ashamed of, and the good news is that this side effect is totally reversible. If you have any issues in the bedroom, dont hesitate to call, and well switch you to another type of drug called an ACE inhibitor. OK, you say, youll keep that in mind. Three months later, your spouse is on edge. She … Continue reading →

(Adds background on Forest, drug side effects, competitors, shares) WASHINGTON, July 23 (Reuters) - Forest Laboratories Inc's inhaled treatment for smoker's cough, commonly called COPD and the fourth leading killer in America, has been approved by U.S. drug regulators, bolstering the company's plans to grow profits through new medicines. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the twice-daily drug, to be sold as Tudorza Pressair, to treat symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a serious lung disease that makes breathing difficult and is often caused by cigarette smoking. Forest developed the drug, which loosens the muscles around the lungs to improve airflow, with Spanish company Almirall SA and will market it in the United States. "The availability of long-term maintenance drugs for COPD provides additional treatment options for the millions of people who suffer with this debilitating disease," said Dr. Curtis Rosebraugh, director of the FDA's Office of Drug Evaluation II. About 14 million people in the United States and 64 million worldwide have COPD, which worsens with age and can persist even if smokers with the disease quit the habit. The FDA was originally supposed to decide on the drug by April 23, but delayed the decision to … Continue reading →

This baldness cure was a bust. For nine months, William McKee took the generic version of Propecia, the pills that promise to halt hair loss. But the drug had radical side effects: Instead of becoming a better-looking man, he started becoming a woman, he claims. My rock-hard chest from the gym began to soften . . . reaching the point where I had noticeable breasts even under my clothing, he says. Among other changes, the 38-year-old software engineer claims, my shoulders were literally falling into a more feminine position, and my hips were loosening and becoming wider, as on a womans body. ALTER BOY: William McKee goes by Mandi these days; he says a baldness treatment made him a gay cross-dresser. McKee, who says he wasnt inclined to cross-dress before, began feeling like a woman. He is now only attracted to men. After overcoming depression and separating from his wife of 10 years, McKee goes by Mandi. He wears a blond wig, makeup and tight dresses. He plans to get a breast-enhancement job this year, and may undergo sex-change surgery. It felt like the me that Ive always known was not there any more, he told The Post. Propecia inhibits … Continue reading →

Im not saying antihistamines are bad for everyone but there are some nasty side effects, especially if you have to take a lot of them or long term. My latest medication caused my liver enzymes to climb and turned me into Godzilla. On top of that, I was still congested and sneezing my head off. I did some research and found out that antihistamines cause more than the common drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, slow reaction time, and dry mouth, nose and eyes. Some lesser known side effects include: appetite loss or gain confusion constipation or diarrhea poor coordination depression impairment of thinking altered taste or smell irritability or anxiety Here are some antihistamine-free treatments that may provide relief. Vegan/Vegetarian Diet If you suffer from allergies, adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet may offer some relief. Researchers have found that those who exclude animal products from their diet in favor of plant-based foods are less likely to need treatment for allergies or asthma. A vegetarian is someone who does not eat meat, poultry and seafood but instead consumes a plant-based diet, including seeds, nuts, legumes, grains, fruits and vegetables. Some vegetarians will eat dairy and eggs but some do not. A vegan … Continue reading →