Shedding Light on the Risks
& Benefits of Medications
Last year, at my daughter Sawyer’s 8-week appointment, the nurse administered her first round of vaccinations. As the needle pricked her skin, she let out a…
Oct 22, 2024
Last year, Ankit set sail on a cruise to Alaska. He boarded the boat full of excitement and spent the first afternoon and evening playing…
Jan 31, 2023
During your first visit to the dentist’s office, you may have noticed a medical history and medications section in your file. Your dentist will collect…
May 16, 2024
Have you ever had a cough that lingered for days, even weeks, after the congestion and exhaustion of a cold or flu was gone? If…
Oct 23, 2024
All medications can help, heal, or harm. There are nearly always side effects that are unintended when it comes to meds. From drugs prescribed by…
May 28, 2024
In October 2023, I wrote about the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and its unanimous vote that the primary ingredient in Sudafed PE…
Nov 21, 2024
A major issue with many OTC cold remedies is that they can swap cold symptoms with unwelcome (and possibly dangerous) side effects. Wander into the…
Nov 19, 2015
Pain was one of the first sensations Brandy, 44, remembers. Born with spina bifida occulta, a defect that kept part of her spine from fully…
Nov 3, 2025
Safety updates sourced directly from the FDA’s Drug Safety Database, presented in clear and accessible language Welcome to the FDA Side Effects Update. This series…
Mar 26, 2025
Welcome to the FDA Side Effects Update. This series is designed to keep you informed about the latest safety advisories and newly documented side effects…
May 7, 2025
Most parents know that newborn babies, toddlers, and young children go through a litany of vaccines. Very specific schedules are set, and parents are frequently…
Mar 17, 2025
Medicine Dye Take a look in your medicine cabinet and you’ll see artificial coloring dye everywhere: orange ibuprofen, red cough drops, purple syrups. Medicine comes…
Oct 5, 2017
Tired of promising yourself that, this year, you’ll really go to the gym? Or stop eating desserts? Or any of the other actions you should…
Jan 3, 2024
Dicloxacillin led the author to develop small rashes, joint pain, and other unusual effects. Find out the signs of a antibiotic allergy and how to…
Jun 13, 2019
Gabapentin, a drug that’s primarily used to control seizures in patients with epilepsy and to ease nerve pain, is becoming one of the most misused…
Jun 12, 2020
Pros & Cons of Antibiotics: Can antibiotics cure the coronavirus? No. What about from the regular flu? No. But antibiotics can save your life if…
Mar 4, 2020
Adam is the youngest of three children. His older brother and sister came down with a cough and fever when Adam was nearly a month…
Sep 11, 2023
How do you figure out exactly what’s wrong with you if you have symptoms common for a cold, the flu and COVID-19? It’s not always easy to…
Dec 2, 2021
It’s been 16 years since the first vaccine designed to prevent cervical cancer received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The human papillomavirus (HPV)…
Mar 31, 2022
It’s happened to most of us. You’re there for a good time, but end up taking an unwanted “souvenir” home with you. Unfortunately large gatherings…
Aug 14, 2023
