Category Archives: Drug Side Effects

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) May 08, 2013 The medication resource center DrugRisks.com is announcing new information on the site for patients taking the blood thinner Pradaxa. The maker of the drug recently updated label warnings to include the risk of a blood platelet disorder*. DrugRisks was created to improve the safety of patients taking popular prescription drugs by providing the latest warnings, recalls, studies and legal news. Visitors can see if others are experiencing similar side effects and decide if they need legal advice. Health experts have disagreed over whether Pradaxa has higher risks of internal bleeding than traditional anticoagulants. The FDA has stated the drug is as safe as warfarin**. However, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices recently ranked drugs like Pradaxa among the most dangerous, and warned that Pradaxa bleeding may be 5 times as likely to result in death than bleeding from warfarin or Coumadin***. The resource center has also added a study from the University of Illinois at Chicago suggesting the data used by the FDA may be flawed, and the risk for Pradaxa bleeding may be higher than expected****. Now, DrugRisks has learned that the maker of the drug, Boehringer Ingelheim, recently added a new Pradaxa … Continue reading →

MADISON, Tenn., May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Since 2007, the total cost of diabetes treatment in the United States has risen from $174 billion to $245 billion. Nearly 26 million adults and children currently live with the disease. Per capita medical expenditures now total $7,900. Chronic pain and neuropathy necessitate a steady regimen of prescription pain relief medications, which is one of the more significant factors contributing these numbers. These findings are the result of a comprehensive study authored by the American Diabetes Association. AminoActiv, a non-prescription, non-toxic pain reliever produced by Vireo Systems, Inc., offers a safe and cost-effective solution to diabetes-related pain (www.aminoactiv.com). Diabetic and AminoActiv customer Brian Hoffman had the following praise: "My kidney doctor told me to cut out all ibuprofen. In searching for safe alternatives, I found AminoActiv through a friend. When I work out at the gym, I need something for aches and pains. AminoActiv works just as good as or better than the Advils I had been taking and it's safe for the kidneys." Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often the first line of treatment for chronic pain. Examples include aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, sold under a variety of brand names. Unfortunately, NSAID side … Continue reading →

(PRWEB) May 06, 2013 Marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi Pharmaceuticals and currently the second most commonly prescribed drug on the U.S. market, Plavix is used to prevent heart attacks and stroke. Also known as a "clopidogrel," the blood-thinner, Plavix, belongs to a category of drugs called antiplatelets, which are intended to prevent the formation of blood clots within the patient's arteries. Bristol-Myers Squibb has since lost its patent to Plavix, The New York Times reported in a December 2012 article that The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave numerous drug companies the right to sell their own generic, over-the-counter versions of the blood-thinning drug (i). Advertised as a way to combat and prevent heart attacks and strokes, Bristol-Myers Squibb recommends supplementing Plavix with aspirin. However, according to a recent study undertaken by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Plavix offers no further benefits than any other competing antiplatelet medications and demonstrated that it may actually increases the chance of heart attacks or strokes (ii). Most alarming is that the study, which began in 2003 and was examining the effects of a combination of Plavix and aspirin regime versus solely an aspirin regime, had to be suddenly … Continue reading →

Attorney (866) 735-1102 Ext 530 Are you reading the inserts that come with prescription drugs? The pages of fine print about side effects, precautions and potential drug reactions? You should be reading, particularly if youre taking sleeping aids like Ambien or the generic version zolpidem. Last week ABC and CBS news reported about an alarming increase in the number of patients seen in the ER, as a result of taking zolpidem medications. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that zolpidem, Ambien's active ingredient, was connected to roughly 19,500 ER visits in 2010 compared with 6,111 in 2005. Half of all ER visits tied to zolpidem in 2010 involved another drug. Anti-anxiety medications and narcotic pain relievers intensify the sedative effects of drugs like Ambien. The FDA expresses specific concern about women, whose adverse reactions to zolpidem have risen substantially in the last several years. From 2005 to 2010 there was a 274% increase in number of women in the ER because of the medication68% of all cases. Women clear the drug from their system more slowly than men, putting them at increased risk. The extended-release form of the drug is considered more worrisome according to the … Continue reading →

By Roz Lewis PUBLISHED: 16:00 EST, 4 May 2013 | UPDATED: 16:00 EST, 4 May 2013 For the thousands of Britons who suffer life-threatening blood clots, warfarin is a lifeline. However, the potent 65-year-old drug is made from the same chemicals found in rat poison, and some users need to be monitored at a GP surgery up to three times a week. They can also suffer dramatic side effects, including spontaneous heavy bruising, internal bleeding and hair loss. Tough times: Deep-vein thrombosis sufferer Hannah Rogers, 34, from Chelmsford, suffered a number of side effects from warfarin, including her hair falling out But now a new range of blood-thinning drugs that eliminate the need for regular testing has been given NHS approval for patients who suffer a deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), the often dangerous blood clots that develop in the legs and pelvis. Rivaroxaban, Dabigatran and Apixaban have the same benefits as warfarin but do not have such severe and unpredictable side effects. For Hannah Rogers, 34, from Chelmsford, Essex, taking Rivaroxaban is a welcome relief, especially as warfarin made her hair fall out. Here is the original post: At last, an alternative to taking rat poison: The side effects of blood-thinner … Continue reading →

The web is now used for all kinds of illness tracking, notably during flu season. By analyzing when people search for, or tweet about, symptoms, its possible to build maps of how people are affected during epidemics. That can help professionals size up the problem, and prepare for the worst. But flu-mapping is likely just a forerunner of the Internets health sensing potential. Now, researchers have shown its usefulness for something even more helpful, and previously unknown: drug side effects. In time, their techniques could give earlier warnings of when drugs, or combinations of drugs, are causing problems, and alert regulators to action. Researchers at Microsoft, Columbia, and Stanford had a hunch that all the searching people do for health information online could throw up some insights. In particular, they were interested in patients who take both an antidepressant called paroxetine, and a cholesterol medicine called pravastatin, and whether the mixture caused an increase in the rate of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). To find out, they mined 82 million searches across Google, Bing, and Yahoo. First, they identified searches for paroxetine and pravastatin, and then how likely people were to search for "hyperglycemia," or one of its symptoms. They found … Continue reading →

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) May 02, 2013 The diabetes drug safety advocates at DrugRisk.com are announcing new information on the site for those taking the medication Januvia. A recent study suggests the drug may have higher occurrence rates of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer than traditional pills****. DrugRisk was created to improve patient safety by providing the latest warnings, recalls, studies and legal news to those taking popular prescription drugs. Visitors can see if others are experiencing similar side effects and decide if they need legal advice. Januvia is a once-a-day pill introduced in 2006 to help those with type-2 diabetes control blood sugar. It has become Mercks best-selling drug, with sales of over $4 billion last year*. However, a 2011 study from UCLA indicated the drug could increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by 272% and thyroid cancer by 148%**. The Journal for the American Medical Association also recently warned Januvia could double the risk of pancreatitis, a major risk factor for pancreatic cancer***. Now, DrugRisk has added a new study by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, which found in an analysis of FDA reports that patients were 20.8 times as likely to report pancreatitis or pre-cancerous growth from … Continue reading →

New York, NY (PRWEB) May 02, 2013 The diabetes drug safety advocates at DrugRisk.com are announcing new information on the site for patients who have taken the diabetes medication Actos. A jury in the first Actos trial last week decided that the maker of the drug didnt properly warn patients of bladder cancer risks****. The goal of DrugRisk is to improve the safety of patients taking popular prescription drugs by providing the most up-to-date warnings, recalls, studies and legal news. Visitors can determine if others have experienced similar side effects and decide if they need legal advice. DrugRisk contains warnings from experts such as the FDA and European Medicines Agency*, who have warned that long-term use of Actos may be associated with an increased bladder cancer risk. The drug has also been banned in France and Germany**. Although Actos remains on the market in the United States, the resource center notes that as many as 3,000 patients have filed an Actos lawsuit against drug maker Takeda Pharmaceuticals alleging they developed bladder cancer***. Now, DrugRisk has learned that, in the first of those lawsuits to go to trial, a jury last week decided that drug maker Takeda failed to properly warn … Continue reading →

St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) May 03, 2013 The birth control safety advocates at DrugRisk.com are announcing updated news for women who have used the contraceptive NuvaRing. Financial records released by Merck this week show sales of the device have slowed from the end of last year*. The goal of DrugRisk is to improve the safety of patients using popular prescription drugs and devices by providing them with the latest drug news, warnings, research and legal news. Visitors can find out if others are experiencing similar side effects and decide if they need legal advice. Health experts have linked contraceptives like NuvaRing to higher risks of blood clots than traditional birth control pills. Last year, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study finding vaginal ring contraceptives could relate to a 2.5 to 3-fold increased risk of blood clots**. So far, nearly 1,100 patients have filed a NuvaRing lawsuit alleging blood clots in a special federal court in Missouri. The formal case is known as In re: NuvaRing Products Liability Litigation, No. 08-md-1964, JPML, Eastern District Missouri. U.S. District Judge Rodney Sippel recently scheduled the first trial to start in October***. Now, DrugRisk has obtained the latest financial records from … Continue reading →

Miami, FL (PRWEB) April 30, 2013 Recently the Mercury News shared tips from several skin experts on how to reduce the effects of Rosacea by making changes in ones diet and lifestyle. Probiotic Action shares new tips on how to limit the side effects of the skin condition through the use of probiotics, and other preventative measures. The article from Mercury News consulted several skin care professionals who suggested that the 13 million Americans who currently are diagnosed with Rosacea, should stay away from triggers like: alcohol, harsh scrubs, overexposure to sunlight, and spicey foods. While some feel that Rosacea is hereditary and others say the causes are unknown, many believe that it has the same origins as acne and that bacteria is the root of redness, swelling, and outbreaks. For those that have studied rosacea extensively, treating the condition with an acne cream or antibiotic acne treatment has been the trend. Probiotic Action, best known for their probiotic acne cream, has recently been toted as the best acne treatment, and a great solution for those suffering from bacteria driven Rosacea. Fernando Perez, a Spokesman for Probiotic Action, shares tips on using probiotics to fight bacteria and inflammation causing the … Continue reading →