Drug Safety

Sick of Drug Ads for Meds? The Rules Are About to Change

If you watch any type of live television, or even streaming services with drug ads, chances are you’ve seen them. Entire ensembles, in coordinated colorful…

Apr 22, 2024

“Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present,” by Harriet A. Washington

Medical Apartheid opens with Harriet A. Washington unearthing a pair of folders in her office, a poison-control center at a teaching hospital in New York.…

Mar 18, 2024

So, You Are 65. Now What? Medications All Seniors Should Know NOT to Take

As you age, things change. You likely notice the little things over time, such as feeling like you pulled a muscle just by sneezing, or…

Feb 16, 2024

Can I Take a Drug After Its Expiration Date?

Tired of promising yourself that, this year, you’ll really go to the gym? Or stop eating desserts? Or any of the other actions you should…

Jan 3, 2024

6 Drugs That Can Make You Gain Weight

For many of us, lowering our risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, or even chronic pain, includes monitoring and maintaining our weight. Frankie Kidd, who takes…

Oct 20, 2023

Can I Take My Medicine or Supplement Before My Blood Test?

There can be real side effects to taking certain OTC and prescription medications before blood tests

Sep 5, 2023

Heart Failure Drug Rejected, Rejected Again, Then Approved, What’s Up?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a drug called Inpefa to reduce the risk of heart failure in people with Type 2 diabetes. The drug…

Jul 13, 2023

Could It Be My Medications?

Modern medications can be miracles that save us or our loved ones.  But they come with complexities.  No medicine goes straight to its desired target…

Jan 23, 2023

8 Drugs That Can Cause Vitamin Deficiencies

A few years ago, my doctor prescribed me high doses of omeprazole (a proton pump inhibitor) to treat acid reflux twice a day. I didn’t…

Nov 16, 2022

Drinking and Drugs: How Alcohol Can Mess With Your Medicine

Mixing Alcohol and Medicine Alcohol has strong associations with fun and relaxation, but it’s just another drug as far as your body is concerned. The…

Feb 8, 2022

HGH: Growth Hormones For Kids, Safe or Not?

Until recently, little was known about the long-term effects of human growth hormones for kids and endocrinologists felt confident there would  be few long-term issues.…

Aug 19, 2021

Is Naloxone Harmful to a Person Not Overdosing?

A drug overdose can happen to anyone, whether you’re taking a prescription after a surgery, suffering from an opioid-use disorder or living in a home…

Jul 14, 2021

Drugs Can Make Skin Sun Sensitive

Samantha Welch spent about 11 months avoiding the direct sunlight as best she could. She had been prescribed isotretinoin, an oral medication that treats cystic…

Jun 8, 2021

Hospital-Induced Delirium

I wasn’t prepared for the late-night call from the hospital. My elderly mother, who’d recently been admitted, was swearing at the nurses, demanding they call…

May 20, 2021

Do Your Psychiatric Drugs Keep You Up at Night?

If you take a medication for a psychiatric condition, you may have experienced troubled sleep — insomnia, daytime sleepiness, or any number of sleep-related disorders. I…

Jan 6, 2021

5 Common Meds That Cause Liver Damage

Your liver is one of the body's most crucial organs. Unfortunately, many drugs can put extra strain on it. Find out which ones do and how to minimize harm.

Jul 25, 2020

4 Drugs That Interact with Anxiety Meds, Benzodiazepines

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…

Jul 6, 2020

Goodbye, Benadryl: It Is Time For You To Retire

Sometimes, old ideas and time-tested treatments remain the best. Newer doesn’t always mean better. Except in the case of one of our oldest antihistamines, tried-and-true…

Feb 26, 2020

What Are the Side Effects of Abilify?

Abilify was Originally Developed to Treat Schizophrenia Abilify (aripiprazole) was developed to treat schizophrenia — but only 1% of Americans have schizophrenia.  A few years later…

Oct 7, 2019

Are Common MRI Contrast Dyes (GBCAs) Safe?

GBCAs Potential Health Risks I’ve undergone at least three – maybe four – breast MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging). And until I started working on this…

Aug 4, 2019