Shedding Light on the Risks
& Benefits of Medications 
The anesthetic ketamine is increasingly being used off-label for depression. The drug seems to work rapidly, but its long-term side effects are unknown. Two decades ago, ketamine was known as two things: an anesthetic used in pet surgery and a party drug nicknamed “special K” that was popular at raves.
Jan 26, 2021
Feeling anxious? Check your medicine cabinet. There are millions of reasons why you might be feeling more anxious than usual, from big life changes to small triggers, dehydration to medical conditions — not to mention COVID-19 and the current political upheaval.
Jan 11, 2021
Shortly after she was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, Sarah Lawrence was prescribed Otezla (apremilast). In less than two months after beginning the drug treatment, she says, she started experiencing suicidal ideation.
Dec 30, 2020
If you suffer from anxiety, panic disorder, or insomnia, your doctor may have prescribed you what’s known as benzodiazepines (or benzos). This class of drugs contains popular brands such as Xanax (alprazolam), Valium (diazepam), Ativan (lorazepam), and Klonopin (clonazepam).
Jul 6, 2020
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 and abused drugs in the country.
Jun 12, 2020
In 2006, as she was preparing for her wedding, panic attacks began to take over Kara Baskin’s life. “I worried constantly that I was on the edge of bankruptcy, or dying of cancer, or that my fiancé was about to be fired from his job,” she explains.
Sep 18, 2019
As physicians, we are experts at prescribing medications. However, we often fail miserably when it comes to recognizing adverse reactions and tapering medications. It’s something that is simply lacking in our medical training.
May 17, 2018
If you’ve seen the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, you may recall the fearsome side effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), as famously depicted by Jack Nicholson: convulsions so violent a patient needs to be physically restrained; no anesthesia; and mental fogginess that lingers long afterwards, even permanently.
Jan 7, 2016
