Author: Emma Yasinski

Emma Yasinski

I am a freelance science and medical journalist, fascinated by how the scientific process leads to incredible discoveries, but also can lead to publication bias leaning toward positive findings and minimizing negatives. With a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Lafayette College and a Master’s in Science and Medical Journalism from Boston University, I’ve written about clinical trial transparency, organ donation, and basic molecular biology for publications like The Scientist, The Atlantic, Undark.org, Kaiser Health News, and more. At MedShadow, I research and write about the sometimes unexpected ways that medicines can affect us, and what we can do if and when it does.

A well-known diabetes drug has gotten a lot more popular over the last two years. In June 2021, Wegovy, a new formulation of semaglutide, the active ingredient in the diabetes drug, Ozempic, was approved for weight loss, even in those who don’t have diabetes. While it’s only indicated for people with obesity, celebrities with seemingly healthy weights have claimed to be giving themselves the at-home injections in hopes of fitting into particularly form-fitting outfits for special events. If you so much as Google “Wegovy” even once, you’ll likely start seeing ads on social media for telehealth companies that help manage…

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has repeatedly advised the majority of the population to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19. Florida’s surgeon general, on the other hand, rejected that advice in September 2023, and told Floridians that healthy people under the age of 65 didn’t need the vaccine. More experts came out dismissing the Florida surgeon general’s advice, siding with the FDA. Still, the disconnect between the experts caused confusion. The debate about whether or not we should get COVID-19 booster shots may have been more public and passionate than most medical debates, but it is not entirely…

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Antipsychotic side effects may include excessive gambling, impulsive behavior, and even suicidal ideation, according to several black box warnings the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has slapped on the drugs over several years. Still, the drugs haven’t been removed from the market. That’s because they’re a crucial class of drugs despite the risks, as the psychosis they treat can be exceptionally dangerous. Here’s what you need to know. What Are Antipsychotics? Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat psychosis, a situation in which a person loses touch with reality.  “Here in my room, I have a smoke detector,” says Maximilian Huhn,…

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There’s a shortage of the weight-loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide) and compounding pharmacies have been stepping in to manufacture their own versions and fill the gap. Unfortunately, not all compounding pharmacies are the same, and some specialists fear that patients are getting dangerous or inappropriate versions of the drug.  MedShadow reached out to Dan Lynch, PharmD, Director of Regulatory Services at Symphony Pharmacy, to discuss what compounding pharmacies are and if your healthcare provider prescribes a compounded a drug, how to make sure you’re working with a reputable pharmacy that will provide safe compounded medicines. MedShadow: To start off, what is…

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​Early in Dee Mangin’s career as a primary-care physician, she noticed that many people, especially older adults, were prescribed large numbers and doses of drugs, which, in some cases, might actually be detracting from their health rather than improving it. Then, she realized that even when polypharmacy (being prescribed five or more medications simultaneously) was recognized as a problem, there wasn’t any systematic way to help patients and healthcare providers assess which medicines might be most effective in a lower dose or discontinued altogether.  Mangin is an MBChB (the New Zealand equivalent of an MD) and DPH (doctor of public…

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A common side effect of antipsychotic medications is that they can cause users to gain weight. Now researchers believe they have found a way to counteract that weight gain. Scientists from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center discovered that serotonin 2C receptors interacting with antipsychotic medications for schizophrenia and depression leads to the increase in weight. Similar side effects occur with other metabolic changing drugs, such as many types of birth control and thyroid medications. According to the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, many people who use antipsychotics have found that after using these drugs for…

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