Author: Tori Rodriguez

Tori Rodriguez

Tori Rodriguez, MA, LPC, AHC, is an Atlanta-based journalist, licensed psychotherapist and Ayurvedic health coach, creator of the body-positive wellness company Bettie Page Fitness, and author of two books – The Little Book of Bettie: Taking a Page from the Queen of Pinups and Bettie Page: The Lost Years. She holds a BS in psychology from Georgia State University and an MA in counseling psychology from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology. Tori has also managed a medical practice and was instrumental in developing Georgia’s multi-specialty telemedicine program.

Wouldn’t it be great if there were some sort of test you could take to predict which medications are likely to work best for you and which could hurt you with an adverse reaction? Good news: There is such a test, and it’s not some out-of-reach possibility for future use – it’s starting to pop up at medical centers around the country. These tests are known as PGx (pharmacogenetic) tests; they are DNA tests that look specifically at the genes that predict a person’s drug responses. Just as your genes determine traits like eye color and whether you have dimples…

Read More

Some of the most common drugs can mess with your digestion, leaving you backed up or making a run for it. Here’s how to cope. Plus, a new test that can help. When your stomach gives you trouble, you might naturally think back to your last couple of meals to try to pinpoint the cause. But it could be your medication that’s giving you gastrointestinal side effects. Medications can mess with your digestive system in a variety of ways, from irritating your esophagus or stomach lining to causing stomach bleeding and ulcers. “With over 6 billion prescriptions dispensed in 2021…

Read More

Anxiety is a Symptom of Certain Meds If you find yourself feeling anxious or on edge for no apparent reason while taking a cold medicine or diuretic, you most likely wouldn’t connect the two. However, anxiety happens to be just one of many mood-altering symptoms that can be brought on by certain meds. “Many medications, whether prescribed or found over the counter, can cause psychiatric symptoms,” says Shiyun Kim, PharmD, BCACP, BCPP, CDE, a clinical pharmacist and clinical assistant professor at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System, and a spokesperson for the American Pharmacists Association. She explains…

Read More