Author: Medshadow Staff

Prescription drug abuse is a massive issue in our country, with an estimated 18 million people misusing these medications, according to 2017 research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Could a so-called “smart” pill bottle make a dent in that harrowing statistic? Scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia hope so. There, researchers are creating a sophisticated yet affordable-to-produce pill bottle that can recognize when someone is tampering with or overdosing on a drug. When it senses such misuse, the smart pill bottle will send wireless alerts. The smart pill bottle can also detect…

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The past two years have been a time of reckoning for pharmaceutical manufacturers over their role in promoting opioid drugs that have fed a national epidemic. Lawsuits and media reports have accused Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, of aggressively marketing the powerful narcotic even after it knew the drug was being misused. Prosecutors have charged the founder of Insys Therapeutics and several of the company’s sales representatives and executives for their roles in an alleged conspiracy to bribe doctors to use its fentanyl spray for unapproved uses. State and local governments have sued a host of drugmakers, alleging they…

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Many factors — including cost, effectiveness, and availability (over-the-counter vs. prescription) — as well as side effects go into the choice of allergy treatments. Consult a medical professional to discuss which option might be best for you. Originally published May 8, 2014. Updated in 2017. –Medshadow Staff Allergy Treatment Antihistamines (Allegra, Claritin, Zyrtec, etc.) How it works Reduce allergy symptoms by blocking the formation of histamines, the chemicals that your body produces in reaction to allergens and that cause a stuffy or drippy nose and watery or itchy eyes Common side effects/other considerations Dry mouth, drowsiness, dizziness Allergy Treatment Decongestants (Afrin,…

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Corticosteroids are used to treat many different medical conditions, from rheumatoid arthritis to allergies to lupus and more. The prescribed medicines include: Celestone (betamethasone), Cortone (cortisone acetate), Decadron/Hexadrol (dexamethasone), Acticort/Aristocort/Cortef (hydrocortisone), Medrol (methylprednisolone), Prelone (prednisolone) and Deltasone/Sterapred (prednisone) Some concerns patients have over long-term side effects of corticosteroids include: uclers / gastrointestinal bleeding osteoperosis increase risk of heart disease decrease in bone density increased risk of infections thin skin, bruise easily, slower healing of wounds These are just some of the concerns, please visit the resources section of this page for more information. See also: Because of the wide variety…

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Doctors often prescribe steroid pills to ease the discomfort of sciatica — back and leg pain usually caused by a herniated disk in the lower back. Researchers from Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center in California randomly assigned 269 people with sciatica to take an oral steroid (prednisone) or a placebo (a dummy medication) for 15 days. The study found that after a year, the likelihood of spine surgery was no less for those who took prednisone than for those who took a placebo. Via U.S. News Health. Posted May 19, 2015. –Alanna McCatty

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According to a new study, intensive-care unit patients who receive steroids have a greater chance of developing delirium. Intensive-care unit patients usually receive steroids to treat septic shock and inflammation. Research has shown that patients were 52 percent more likely to develop delirium if they received steroids. Previous research found that delirium in intensive care unit patients can have lasting effects including mental impairment or mild Alzheimer’s disease. Via U.S. News Posted: May 30, 2014 –Alanna McCatty

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A new study shows that it is safe to use up to 300mg of Topical Steroids creams for psoriasis during pregnancy. Never use any topical creams near the nipple area when breastfeeding. Also, the National Psoriasis Foundation recommends that women who are pregnant or trying to conceive avoid the topical retinoid tazarotene. Via Healthline.com – MedShadow Staff

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The article is generally interesting about CVS’s data-collection on consumers, in a big-brother kind of way. It mentions a side effect of antidepressants that was useful: “With antidepressants pharmacists warn that sleep and stomach issues are common 2 to 4 weeks in, and the patient should keep on going.” (Source: New York Times, Stage-managing Paths to the Prescription Counter)

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Taking High Doses of NSAIDs Increase Cardiovascular Risk Motrin, Advil and Celebrex are all NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflamatory drugs, which are often used for chronic pain. A new study shows that taking high doses of NSAIDs increase cardiovascular risk (heart attacks or strokes) by 30%. Projecting that to the full population indicates that 3 or 4 people out of 1,000 each year will have a stroke or heart attack, one fatal, linked to NSAID overuse. That’s considered a small number. A bit of good news for naproxen (Aleve, etc.), it doesn’t seem to increase cardiac risk and might even lower it.…

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