The FDA has issued yet another warning about drug interactions with antidepressants that raise serotonin levels, and in particular the SSRI and SNRI antidepressants. (See list below) The new FDA warnings are about interactions with the antibacterial drug Zyvox (linezolid), one of the few antibiotics left that is still effective against infections such as MRSA […]
A new study from Emory University published in the journal Molecular Medicine shows that high doses of progesterone inhibited the growth of neuroblastoma tumors in mice without killing healthy cells. Neuroblastoma is a cancer that develops from nerve tissue, and is the most common cancer in small children. The Emory researchers are investigating whether progesterone […]
Doctors at teaching hospitals have known for decades that July is not a good time to be hospitalized because that’s when the newbie “trainees” (e.g. doctors-and-nurses-in-training) arrive, wide-eyed, intense and sleep-deprived. Poor decisions and misdiagnoses abound. In the US it’s known as the “July Effect,” and in the UK it’s known as the “August Killing […]
Health Watch Q&A Q: I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s and their frozen fish, but lately there’s been news about imported fish being toxic. Virginia, would you buy tuna from Thailand? A: Sometimes, but eating fish from anywhere has become a risky business. Fish in the US is commonly mislabeled. Swordfish may really be […]
Health Watch Q&A Q: I know that sitting too much is bad for me, but what’s a middle-aged gal to do? I go to the gym for an hour three times a week, and ride my bike on weekends, but I also commute 40 minutes each way to work, sit at a desk or meeting […]
Health Watch Q&A Q: I am a retired RN and would like more info on use of progesterone cream to normalize cycles in teens. One thing I have discovered with both my girls (teens and 20s) is the great benefit progesterone has in the latter half of the cycle to normalize cycles when they are […]
An interesting little study from Belgium gives us more insight into the ways in which progesterone helps us sleep. It shows that women who took a 300 mg progesterone pill before bed got to sleep faster, stayed asleep better, had increased growth hormone and more stable thyroid levels. This result is in contrast to other […]
The FDA announced a label revision for the 5-alpha reductase inhibitor (ARI) prostate and hair loss drugs, including finasteride (Proscar) and dusteride (Propecia). The revision follows the results of two large studies that looked at using these drugs for preventing prostate cancer. Both studies found that while the ARIs lowered the risk of low grade […]
One of the perks of summer is sandals, but unsightly dry and painful heel cracks, or heel fissures, cause many women to hide their feet even in balmy weather. Especially as we age, just applying body lotion to the heels and scrubbing with a pumice stone now and then may not be enough to prevent […]
Does niacin help slow the progression of heart disease and reduce the risk of dying from it? Yes, if you give it to the right group of people and take it in the right form and dose. Last week it was announced that a large and expensive study (AIM-HIGH), funded by U.S. taxpayers and Abbot […]