Category Archives: Drug Side Effects

Americans who enjoy using recreational drugs probably don't like to imagine the ripple effects in Mexico: the predatory narco gangs and corrupt cops in Ciudad Jurez, the bullet-riddled bodies and ravaged neighborhoods in Tijuana and Michoacn. But at a recent rehearsal of "Timboctou," a darkly comic, disquieting play set against the backdrop of the Mexican drug wars that's having its world premiere through Sunday at REDCAT, director Martn Acosta reflected on the bloody connective tissue that the experimental drama weaves between Mexico's ruthless narco lords and their naive and insatiable U.S. customers. "I believe it's a question of binational responsibility," said the Mexican director, speaking in Spanish. "I don't think the play analyzes who is responsible. But it assumes there's a very direct link, looking from the Mexican side." "Timboctou," a bilingual, multimedia piece by the precocious 27-year-old Mexican playwright Alejandro Ricao, is one of a proliferating number of plays, movies and television series that address the volatile and complex subject of Mexican narco-terrorism. In it, the fates of a lovelorn Spanish tourist, a well-meaning Mexican official, two rather clueless U.S. dudes on spring break and twin sibling narco-thugs reminiscent of Samuel Beckett's tramps in "Waiting for Godot" all collide … Continue reading →

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Powers Taylor, LLP, a plaintiffs pharmaceutical law firm, has begun an investigation in potential lawsuits against the manufacturers and distributors of Pradaxa, a prescription drug that was approved to reduce the risk of strokes in high-risk patients. Although the drug was only approved for use in the United States in October 2010, it has already generated an abnormally high number of adverse-event reports. These reports include 260 fatalities from people who have bled to death while using the drug, which have triggered several outcries for a Pradaxa recall. Pradaxa has been shown to inhibit the release of a key protein that is essential to the formation of blood clots. Because of this effect, patients who have ulcers or who suffer internal injuries may suffer much greater blood loss than persons who are not on Pradaxa. This problem is magnified exponentially by the fact that there is no anecdote or reversing agent that can eliminate Pradaxas inhibition of blood clot formation. Some of the Pradaxa bleeding deaths have occurred while the patient was in the hospital, with doctors helpless to reverse Pradaxas effect. Despite mounting evidence of these hazards, which include a January 2012 study in the Archives of Internal … Continue reading →

Two years ago a series experiments to develop a new prescription drug that would successfully alleviate the pain caused by arthritis, conducted by some of the world's biggest pharmaceutical companies, was put on hold by the United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after reports revealed that the drugs were causing bone decay and joint deterioration. On Monday, March 12, Pfizer Inc., Johnson & Johnson and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals will argue that they should continue to study the drug, while taking the necessary safety precautions to protect their patients. The FDA's proposed questions seem to attempt to continue to keep the companies from moving forward with their experiments and limit future testing. "Considering what is known thus far about the risks and benefit associated with this class of biologic agents, are there any populations for which further clinical development would be acceptable?" asks one agency discussion question, according to AP. If the drugs are approved by the FDA their use may be more narrowly defined than originally intentioned. The drugs were once touted by pharmaceutical companies. They are known as nerve-growth-factor inhibitors, and considered to be potential breakthrough for treating osteoarthritis, back pain and chronic pain conditions. For over a century … Continue reading →

By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff When the US Food and Drug Administration told the makers of cholesterol-lowering statins to add new side effect warnings to their labels last week, many of the 40 million statin users may have been unaware of the extent of the risks associated with these drugs that have been touted by some cardiologists to be safer than aspirin. No question, statins -- which include Lipitor (atorvastatin), Zocor (simvastatin), and Crestor (rosuvastatin) -- are relatively safe drugs, and theyve saved thousands of lives over the past 20 years, particularly in men with established heart disease. But like any drug they can cause problems in some, including muscle aches, an increased risk of diabetes, and, gaining recent attention, memory loss. University of California-San Diego researcher Beatrice Golomb published a paper two years ago describing 171 statin users who reported that they had developed memory problems and dementia-like symptoms that they attributed to their use of the medications. The vast majority experienced an improvement in their symptoms after stopping the drugs and many saw their symptoms return after going back on statins. Robert Grindell, a state employee from Makinen, Minn., told me his short-term memory began to deteriorate after … Continue reading →

Have a heart: A common heart drug could have the side effect of reducing racist attitudes. Source: Supplied A COMMON heart disease drug may have the unusual side-effect of combating racism, a new study has suggested. Volunteers given the beta-blocker, used to treat chest pains and lower heart rates, scored lower on a standard psychological test of "implicit" racist attitudes. They appeared to be less racially prejudiced at a subconscious level than another group treated with a "dummy" placebo pill. Scientists believe the discovery can be explained by the fact that racism is fundamentally founded on fear. Propranolol acts both on nerve circuits that govern automatic functions such as heart rate, and the part of the brain involved in fear and emotional responses. The drug is also used to treat anxiety and panic. Experimental psychologist Doctor Sylvia Terbeck, from Oxford University, who led the study published in the journal Psychopharmacology, said: "Our results offer new evidence about the processes in the brain that shape implicit racial bias. "Implicit racial bias can occur even in people with a sincere belief in equality. "Given the key role that such implicit attitudes appear to play in discrimination against other ethnic groups, and the … Continue reading →

A common heart disease drug may also alter subconscious racial attitudes, a new study has found, leading scientists to suggest that racism is based on fear. Tests on volunteers who took the beta-blocker propranolol showed they were less racially biased than those who took a placebo, the Independent reported. Propranolol acts on nerve circuits that govern automatic functions such as heart rate, as well as those that govern the part of the brain involved in fear and emotional responses. For that reason, it is also used to treat anxiety and panic. According to the Australian Associated Press, the scientists conducting the study believed the discovery could be explained by the fact that racism was fundamentally founded on fear. AAP cited experimental psychologist Doctor Sylvia Terbeck, from Oxford University, who led the study published in the journal Psychopharmacology, as saying: "Our results offer new evidence about the processes in the brain that shape implicit racial bias. Implicit racial bias can occur even in people with a sincere belief in equality." According to the Associated Press, two groups of 18 volunteers were involved in the study, with each being asked to undertake a "racial Implicit Association Test" (IAT) one to two hours … Continue reading →

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Full details from a pivotal trial of Gilead Sciences Inc experimental Quad HIV pill show that it caused fewer adverse side effects than the company's current three-drug pill, Atripla. Gilead said last year that the trial had met its goal of showing that the four-drug Quad worked as well as Atripla in controlling levels of the virus that causes AIDS. The safety data, presented here on Wednesday at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, showed that patients on Atripla had significantly higher rates of dizziness, abnormal dreams, insomnia and rash, compared with the Quad. The experimental pill did result in higher rates of nausea, 21 percent vs 14 percent. The study found that at 48 weeks of treatment, 88 percent of Quad patients, compared with 84 percent of Atripla patients, achieved target levels of HIV virus. Discontinuation rates were similar for both arms of the study, said Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and the study's lead investigator. He said 1.4 percent of patients in the Quad group dropped out due to kidney abnormalities, while 1.4 percent of the Atripla group discontinued due to … Continue reading →

A common heart disease drug may have the unusual side effect of combating racism, a new study suggests. Volunteers given the beta-blocker, used to treat chest pains and lower heart rates, scored lower on a standard psychological test of "implicit" racist attitudes. They appeared to be less racially prejudiced at a subconscious level than another group treated with a "dummy" placebo pill. Scientists believe the discovery can be explained by the fact that racism is fundamentally founded on fear. Propranolol acts both on nerve circuits that govern automatic functions such as heart rate and the part of the brain involved in fear and emotional responses. The drug is also used to treat anxiety and panic. Experimental psychologist Dr Sylvia Terbeck, from Oxford University, who led the study published in the journal Psychopharmacology, said: "Our results offer new evidence about the processes in the brain that shape implicit racial bias. "Implicit racial bias can occur even in people with a sincere belief in equality. Given the key role that such implicit attitudes appear to play in discrimination against other ethnic groups, and the widespread use of propranolol for medical purposes, our findings are also of considerable ethical interest." Two groups of … Continue reading →

The product liability and dangerous drug lawyers of Watts Guerra Craft LLP have filed the first three federal Pradaxa injury and death cases in the country. Mikal C. Watts and Ryan L. Thompson are proud to handle what is believed to be the largest Pradaxa injury and wrongful death docket in the United States. San Antonio, TX (PRWEB) March 06, 2012 Watts, known internationally for his handling of vehicle rollover cases and the BP Multidistrict Litigation (MDL No. 2179), and his Pradaxa team of nearly 60 dedicated pharmaceutical defect staff members, all led by Thompson, are closely watching the ongoing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigation into Pradaxa and its potentially deadly side effects. The FDA is now investigating post-marketing reports of serious bleeding events and deaths in patients taking Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate). Pradaxa was approved in October 2010 by the FDA for the prevention of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm condition in the world. Patients with this condition typically require blood-thinning medications such as the well-known warfarin. Pradaxa was the first alternative to warfarin approved in nearly 60 years. Problems were quick to follow. In November 2011, Boehringer … Continue reading →

Alonso Krangle LLP is now evaluating lawsuits on behalf of Actos side effect victims who have been diagnosed with bladder cancer that may be related to their use of Actos. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) warned last year that use of Actos may increase the risk of bladder cancer in people who use the type 2 diabetes medication for more than one year. Melville, NY (PRWEB) March 06, 2012 Actos Lawsuit Claims and What to Do Alonso Krangle LLP is now offering free Actos lawsuit evaluations to anyone who believes they developed bladder cancer side effects because of Actos or a related drug, including Actoplus Met, Actoplus Met XR and Duetact. To discuss a potential Actos bladder cancer lawsuit claim with one of the experienced and compassionate Actos lawyers at Alonso Krangle LLP, please contact us at 1-800-403-6191 or visit our website, http://www.FightForVictims.com. Actos Bladder Cancer Side Effects Actos, known generically as pioglitazone, is an oral diabetes medication marketed by Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Actos was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 1999, and has since become the best-selling type 2 diabetes medications in the world. [bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-31/takeda-suits-on-actos-diabetes-drug-combined-in-one-louisiana-court.html]. Pioglitazone, the active ingredient in Actos is also sold … Continue reading →