March 28th, 2011 by Linda Burke-Galloway, M.D. in Health Tips, News
Tags: Bipolar Disorder, Dr. Linda Burke-Galloway, Drug Safety, FDA, Patient Safety, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia, Uncategorized
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Periodically, the FDA publishes drug warnings that should be shared with the public, especially if it affects pregnant women. Each year, over 4 million babies are born in the US and 43% will continue to be breast fed at 6 months. All of these moms will invariably use meds at some point after birth, so which meds are helpful and which are potentially harmful? These questions may now be answered by the Infant Risk Center, at the Texas Tech University Health Center, in Amarillo, Texas. This center provides up-to-date information regarding the safety of medications that are taken both during pregnancy and after birth.
Most drugs enter breast milk immediately after birth and during the first 4 to 10 days of life at a fairly fast rate based on the physiology of breast cells. New moms must therefore be careful of pain medications that are prescribed during the post partum period. Hydrocodone aka Vicodin is a potentially addictive opiate that is given for pain management. When it is processed by the body, it breaks down into a component called hydromorphone that is even more potent. The University of California at San Diego Medical Center performed a small study to determine how much of the drug is secreted into breast milk and what percentage is absorbed by newborns. 3 to 4% of hydromorphone was found in breast milk which is considered safe. As a rule of thumb, nonopioid medication should be prescribed first during the post partum period for pain relief. If the pain persists, no more than 6 Vicodin (hydrocodone) tablets or 30 mg should be prescribed in one day. Dosages greater than 40 mg should be avoided and the newborn should be monitored carefully for depressed behavior or inadequate breastfeeding.
Recently the FDA sent a drug warning to healthcare providers regarding the risks associated with the entire class of antipsychotic medications such as Haldol, Risperdal®, Risperdal® Consta®, Invega® and Invega®Sustenna, Clozaril, Zyprexa, Seroquel, Abilify, and Geodon. These medications are used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorders but are associated with abnormal muscle movements and withdrawal symptoms of newborns whose mothers took these medications during the third trimester. However it is recommended that patients should not abruptly stop taking these medications without speaking with their healthcare professional first. For further information, readers may go to the FDA website http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/Drug Safety/ucm243903.htm.
Remember, a healthy pregnancy doesn’t just happen. It takes a smart mother who knows what to do.
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Linda Burke-Galloway*
March 28th, 2011 by PJSkerrett in Health Tips, News
Tags: Cardiology, CHF, Death, Elizabeth Taylor, Health, Heart Failure, Heart Health, Women's Health
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The condition that took Elizabeth Taylor’s life affects millions of Americans.
Reports of Elizabeth Taylor’s death focused, as they should, on her life, not on her death from heart failure. But given how common this condition is—the American Heart Association says nearly 6 million Americans are living with heart failure and it kills about 300,000 each year—a little attention to it might be a good idea.
What is heart failure?
The term “heart failure” is a scary one, conjuring up images of a heart that is suddenly unable to work. In truth, it represents a gradual decline in the heart’s ability to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. As the heart weakens, all parts of the body suffer the consequences. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Harvard Health Blog*
March 27th, 2011 by Lucy Hornstein, M.D. in Health Tips, True Stories
Tags: Address, Calling, Credit Card Charge, Medical, Scam, Verification
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There’s a new scam in town.
Company calls over and over again (claiming to be the phone company, actually) just wanting to “verify your address”. Over and over again they get told we aren’t interested, leave us alone, don’t call. Finally, my solitary staffer gets sick of fending them off and goes through their voice activated “address verification”, during which a mechanical voice asks questions, followed by a command to “Say Yes or No, then press the pound key.”
So she goes through the innocuous questions, including her full name, the office address and phone number, plus several iterations of saying “Yes or No, then press pound.” The calls stop; everyone is happy.
Until I get the phone bill six weeks later. Lo and behold, there is an extra $49.99 charge (plus tax) from a company I never heard of. Multiple phone calls reveal it to be a company providing “Internet optimization, web services, and a toll free number,” stuff I neither need nor want. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Musings of a Dinosaur*
March 25th, 2011 by David H. Gorski, M.D., Ph.D. in Health Tips, Opinion, Quackery Exposed
Tags: Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly, Cancer, Earthquake, Hormesis, Is Radiation Good For You, Japan, Radiation, Science And The Media
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Sometimes when a pundit or politician makes claims that are either contrary to or distort science for ideological or political advantage, I feel the need to discuss those claims, sometimes even sarcastically. Such was the case last week, when Ann Coulter wrote a blisteringly ignorant column, entitled A Glowing Report on Radiation. She wrote this article in the wake of the fears arising in Japan and around the world of nuclear catastrophe due to the damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant caused by the earthquake and tsunami that hit northern Japan on March 11. Coulter was subsequently interviewed by Fox News pundit Bill O’Reilly on The O’Reilly Factor on Thursday evening:
Yes, according to Coulter, radiation is good for you, just like toxic sludge! Even more amazing, in this video Bill O’Reilly actually comes across as the voice of reason, at least in comparison to Ann Coulter. He’s very skeptical of Coulter’s claims and even challenges her by saying, “So by your account we should all be heading towards the nuclear reactor.”
So, fellow SBM aficionados, is Coulter right? Are all those scientists warning about the dangers of even low-level radiation all wrong? Should we start hanging out in radioactive mine shafts, as Coulter mentions in her column (seriously) in order to boost our health and decrease our risk of cancer?
Not so fast, there, Ann. Here’s a hint: If Bill O’Reilly can lecture you on science and look more reasonable than you, you’re off the rails. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine*
March 24th, 2011 by Happy Hospitalist in Health Tips, Humor, Medblogger Shout Outs
Tags: Death, Die Healthy, Fitness, Grand Rounds, Healthy Living, Nutrition, Quotes, Weight Loss
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A new blog has entered the medical world. She’s only a couple months old, but she has an awesome name: happy internist. happy internist shows us all how to die healthy:
my patient saw her gynecologist. he told her to eat right, get lots of exercise, and lose weight. that way, he said, you can die healthy.
What a great quote. It’s called finishing strong. Given what I know about the incredible pain and suffering I witness everyday from self induced disease, dying healthy is a goal worth living for. Death is inevitable. Dying healthy takes hard work and personal sacrifice.
She was discovered at this week’s Grand Rounds, where Dr Val has done an excellent job of organizing the best of this week’s Internet medical offerings.
*This blog post was originally published at The Happy Hospitalist*
Periodically, the FDA publishes drug warnings that should be shared with the public, especially if it affects pregnant women. Each year, over 4 million babies are born in the US and 43% will continue to be breast fed at 6 months. All of these moms will invariably use meds at some point after birth, so which meds are helpful and which are potentially harmful? These questions may now be answered by the Infant Risk Center, at the Texas Tech University Health Center, in Amarillo, Texas. This center provides up-to-date information regarding the safety of medications that are taken both during pregnancy and after birth.
