Author: Jonathan Block

Jonathan Block

Jonathan Block is a freelance writer and former MedShadow content editor. He has been an editor and writer for multiple pharmaceutical, health and medical publications, including BioCentury, The Pink Sheet, Modern Healthcare, Health Plan Week and Psychiatry Advisor. He holds a BA from Tufts University and is earning an MPH with a focus on health policy from the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy.

Opioids After a C-Section vs Non-Opioid Analgesics Women who have a cesarean delivery may experience less pain by taking a non-opioid analgesic rather than taking opioids after a c-section. Researchers enrolled about 200 women who were going to have a c-section. The women were randomized to receive either opioids or a combination of Advil (ibuprofen) every six hours and Tylenol (acetaminophen) every four hours. Mothers in the second group could ask for an opioid if pain was still significant. Results, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, found that two to four weeks after giving birth, women who…

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By David Armstrong ProPublica This story was co-published with STAT. Not content with billions of dollars in profits from the potent painkiller OxyContin, its maker explored expanding into an “attractive market” fueled by the drug’s popularity — treatment of opioid addiction, according to previously secret passages in a court document filed by the state of Massachusetts. In internal correspondence beginning in 2014, Purdue Pharma executives discussed how the sale of opioids and the treatment of opioid addiction are “naturally linked” and that the company should expand across “the pain and addiction spectrum,” according to redacted sections of the lawsuit by…

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Survey Results About Opioid Use In Children A new survey finds that parents are conflicted about opioid use in children. While more than half are concerned that their child could be at risk for opioid addiction, about two-thirds believe that the strong painkillers are more effective in controlling pain than over-the-counter medications or other therapies. The survey, commissioned by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), involved 1,000 parents of children between the ages of 13 and 24. One-third of those children were prescribed opioids. Results also found that only one-third of parents whose children were prescribed opioids even asked their…

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The FDA has approved Xofluza, the first new antiviral flu drug in almost 20 years. Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil) is taken as a single pill and within 48 hours of experiencing flu symptoms. In a clinical trial, Xofluza reduced the duration of the flu by just a little over a day. Xofluza was also compared against Tamiflu (oseltamivir), an older flu drug now available as a generic. Xofluza alleviated symptoms only eight hours sooner compared to Tamiflu. Tamiflu, however, is taken twice daily for five days. The most common side effects seen with Xofluza are diarrhea, bronchitis, common cold symptoms and…

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Despite efforts to reduce the use of prescription opioids, a significant number of seniors continue to take them, and an increasing number of seniors are landing in the hospital because of opioid-related complications. Between 2010 and 2015, the number of emergency room (ER) visits among seniors related to taking opioids more than doubled, while hospitalizations increased by 54%, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). In 2015, there were more than 124,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 ER visits as a result of complications from opioids. Researchers said that as seniors tend to be prescribed…

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People with ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) that have taken stimulant medications for a long time also have a higher likelihood of being on an opioid for the long term. Researchers looked at a sample of more than 66,000 Medicaid enrollees diagnosed with ADHD. About one-third of those adults – 21,723 — were on a stimulant medication. Of those on a stimulant, 16.5% were also long-term users of an opioid, according to results published in JAMA Network Open. Researchers noted that concurrent use of stimulants and opioids is a concern because people with ADHD are at an elevated risk of developing…

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Dementia patients given a prescription opioid for pain experience many more severe side effects, such as confusion, personality changes and sedation, compared to those who received a placebo. In a trial, researchers examined 162 residents in care facilities who were diagnosed with advanced dementia and depression. Patients who were then prescribed buprenorphine, an opioid, for pain had a risk of experiencing severe side effects more than triple compared to those who were given a placebo. The results were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. Tylenol (acetaminophen) is usually the first-line treatment for treating pain in dementia patients. Although opioids…

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Patients who need Rx opioids for chronic pain say it has been getting harder to obtain them. How do you fight opioid abuse without harming patients? When it comes to the debate over what to do about the nation’s prescription opioid epidemic, there is a group of people whose voice on this topic typically doesn’t get the attention it deserves: patients who legitimately need strong painkillers who do not abuse opioids. As federal agencies continue to explore ways to stem the opioid crisis, the FDA last week held a meeting focused on getting patients’ perspectives on chronic pain. Although a…

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Patients who use medical marijuana tend to cut down on their use of prescription drugs, and the reason for many is that cannabis has fewer side effects. Researchers from DePaul University and Rush University in Chicago interviewed 30 people who were receiving medical marijuana legally through an Illinois program that allows those with certain conditions to receive cannabis for their ailment. About 40 chronic conditions, such as cancer, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS and post-traumatic stress disorder, qualify for medical marijuana treatment in the state. Many of the illnesses involve inflammation, pain or seizures. Survey questions in the study were open-ended.…

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Other methods to lower cholesterol may be just as effective as statins in also reducing cardiovascular events. Researchers recently analyzed 49 trials involving more than 300,000 people that looked at different ways of lowering cholesterol. The trials were sorted into 4 groups: Those that examined statins; nonstatin treatments that work to lower LDL “bad” cholesterol levels such as diet and the drug Zetia (ezetimibe); fibrates and niacin; and the newest class of cholesterol-lowering drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors. Statins and nonstatin interventions had similar reductions in the risk of a heart attack, stroke or need for a stent, according to…

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