Striking increases in postmortem compared to antemortem drug concentrations in a suicidal overdose: a case report - McIntyre IM, Mallett P, Stolberg S, Haas EA, Mena O.
Toxicology testing revealed dramatic increases in whole-blood concentrations of verapamil and diphenhydramine in the short time between hospital admission and death (53 min) in a subject (with a history of overdosing) found unresponsive. While some degree ... (Source: SafetyLit)
Source: SafetyLit - August 12, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Tags: Alcohol and Other Drugs Source Type: news
What If It Is Not Your Sleep? Exploring Other Causes Of Daytime Fatigue
By Brandon R. Peters, MD
When sleep is not refreshing, the feelings of tiredness and fatigue can undermine your daytime function. Beyond common sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia, what are some of the reasons for feeling tired? Explore some of these potential causes, ranging from medications to diet and exercise, and try to discover what you can do to feel better.
Understanding the Role of Sleep Disorders
First, it is important to recognize that there is a difference between sleepiness and fatigue. Sleepiness is the strong desire for sleep that often immediately precedes falling asleep. It is some...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - June 28, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Nighttime sleep-aid helps people experiencing occasional sleeplessness, study suggests
New research shows that an over-the-counter sleep aid helps people suffering from occasional sleep difficulties fall asleep in less than 20 minutes, on average, and improves their reported quality of sleep. The first-of-its-kind study characterizes the sleep benefits of diphenhydramine HCI (DPH), marketed for decades as a sleep-aid. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)
Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - June 14, 2016 Category: Science Source Type: news
New study shows nighttime sleep-aid helps people experiencing occasional sleeplessness
(Spectrum) New research presented today at SLEEP 2016 shows that an over-the-counter sleep aid helps people suffering from occasional sleep difficulties fall asleep in less than 20 minutes, on average, and improves their reported quality of sleep. The first-of-its-kind study characterizes the sleep benefits of diphenhydramine HCI (DPH), marketed for decades as a sleep-aid. The study also demonstrates that the liquid product ZzzQuil helped people with occasional sleeplessness achieve significantly better sleep. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - June 14, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news
8 Remedies for Minor Pet Emergencies
1. Problem: Nail injury. Dogs and cats can slice up their nails in a variety of ways - everything from a too-close nail trim that nicks the quick, to running outdoors over sharp rocks.
Solution: Styptic powder. If you don't have styptic powder on hand, for minor bleeding grab either cornstarch or flour from your kitchen, pour some into a small bowl, and dip the injured paw into the powder to stop the bleeding.
2. Problem: Bee sting. Most bee stings occur on a paw or the face. Not only are bee stings painful, but your pet could also have an allergic reaction.
Solution: Credit card and quercetin. If you need to remove ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - June 1, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Thomas’ story: Overcoming Kawasaki, a rare pediatric heart disease
Thomas after his second round of treatment for Kawasaki
It took three trips to the doctor’s office and consults with four different providers for Valerie Flynn to finally get to the bottom of her son’s suffering.
Thomas’s confluence of symptoms was puzzling: a high fever that wouldn’t go away for five days, all-over itchiness with a head-to-toe rash; bloodshot eyes and absolute exhaustion.
“Thomas’ doctors kept telling me it must be a virus and to give him Benadryl for the itch and Tylenol for the fever, but those did nothing to help,” says Valerie. “That’s very scary as a mom, to see all thes...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - May 24, 2016 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Erin Horan Tags: Diseases & Conditions Annette Baker Dr. Jane Newburger Heart Center Kawasaki Disease Program Source Type: news
3 Surprising Things That Increase Your Dementia Risk
SPECIAL FROM
“As many as five million Americans age 65 and older may have Alzheimer’s Disease, and that number is expected to double for every five-year interval beyond age 65.” — the National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke.
While Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, it is not the only form.
Risk factors for all kinds of dementia include, age, alcohol use, smoking, atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, and genetics. However, researchers have found some startling connections that show other surprising factors that can heighten your risk:
Risk Factor #1: Antic...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - May 6, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
9 Hacks To Get Your Best Sleep This Allergy Season
Seasonal allergies or asthma affect more than 60 million Americans, according to estimates, and more than 75 percent of those people report their allergies cause them to lose sleep, resulting in drowsy days.
Unfortunately, it’s easy to bring lots of allergens from the outside into our bedrooms. They unknowingly cling to our clothes, hair and pets, and can land on our garments in closets and drawers, carpeting, drapes and upholstery (did somebody say “dust ruffle”?).
Indeed, one of the worst offenders is dust. Did you know that up to 80 percent of the dust in your bedroom either was or still is alive, and is a majo...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - April 29, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Do hay fever tablets shrink your brain?
A new study suggests that some popular medicines – including allergy pills – could be harmful. But wait before you sneeze your way through the summer …Those planning a bathroom cabinet clear-out following headlines about a range of popular over-the-counter medicines causing brain shrinkage might want to reconsider.New research has concluded that people regularly taking popular drugs including Clarityn and Piriton for hay fever and other allergies, the sleeping tablet Nytol, and Night Nurse Liquid containing promethazine did worse in cognitive tests and showed signs of loss of brain cells and connections. Continue rea...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 19, 2016 Category: Science Authors: Nic Fleming Tags: Drugs Health & wellbeing Life and style Science Source Type: news
[Research Article] On-demand continuous-flow production of pharmaceuticals in a compact, reconfigurable system
Pharmaceutical manufacturing typically uses batch processing at multiple locations. Disadvantages of this approach include long production times and the potential for supply chain disruptions. As a preliminary demonstration of an alternative approach, we report here the continuous-flow synthesis and formulation of active pharmaceutical ingredients in a compact, reconfigurable manufacturing platform. Continuous end-to-end synthesis in the refrigerator-sized [1.0 meter (width) × 0.7 meter (length) × 1.8 meter (height)] system produces sufficient quantities per day to supply hundreds to thousands of oral or topical liquid d...
Source: ScienceNOW - March 31, 2016 Category: Science Authors: Andrea Adamo Source Type: news
Spring health cheat sheet
The beginning of spring often brings warm weather and hours of outdoor fun, and many common winter infections recede.
Unfortunately, spring weather can bring its own health challenges. As soon as the trees and flowers bloom, flowers bud and the grass grows, susceptible children will start to display symptoms of seasonal allergies. Seasonal allergies cause sneezing, runny nose and itchy red eyes and can trigger flares of asthma and eczema.
As children spend more time outdoors, parents also need to watch for exposure to ticks, poison ivy and excess sun.
Read on for the parents’ guide to spring health.
Seasonal allergies: ...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - March 29, 2016 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Carolyn Sax Tags: Health & Wellness Parenting allergies asthma Carolyn Sax conjunctivitis lyme disease poion ivy sunburn Source Type: news
Can a heartburn drug cause cognitive problems?
A new study has shed light on one of the long-term effects of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). These drugs are commonly used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), heartburn, and peptic ulcers. PPIs (omeprazole, lansoprazole, esomeprazole, pantoprazole, and others) help reduce the amount of stomach acid made by glands in the lining of the stomach.
Research published online on February 15 in JAMA Neurology showed that there may be an association between chronic use of PPIs and an increased risk of dementia. Experts compared prescription PPI intake and diagnosis of dementia among approximately 74,000 adults ages 75 a...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - March 21, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Matthew Solan Tags: Brain and cognitive health Digestive Disorders Drugs and Supplements Healthy Aging Memory Mental Health heartburn PPIs proton pump inhibitors Source Type: news
More than 500 drugs may face ban
Health ministry, which banned 344 fixed-dose combinations including cough syrups like Phensedyl, Corex and Benadryl, is evaluating a list of over 6,000 products. (Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News)
Source: The Economic Times Healthcare and Biotech News - March 15, 2016 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
Medications May Cause Dementia, But It Could Be Untreated Sleep Apnea
By Brandon R. Peters, M.D. The news was enough to give you indigestion: Some of the over-the-counter and prescription medications most widely used to treat heartburn and acid reflux are linked to the development of dementia. The research suggesting a possible association is the latest in a string of implicated drugs over the past few years, including medications taken to treat anxiety, seizures, insomnia, and allergies. What is going on? Before emptying out the medicine cabinet, take a moment to consider the role of untreated obstructive sleep apnea. Scientific research can be difficulty to contextualize, especially when...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - February 27, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Lyme: The Infectious Disease Equivalent of Cancer, Says Top Duke Oncologist
Last week, I mentioned the case of Dr. Neil Spector, whose long-undiagnosed Lyme Disease resulted in irreversible heart failure and ultimately, a heart transplant. Dr. Spector, author of Gone in a Heartbeat: A Physician's Search for True Healing, is the Sandra Coates Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke University School of Medicine. As the Director of Developmental Therapeutics at the Duke Cancer Institute, he's a leader in applying translational research to the clinical development of molecularly targeted personalized cancer therapies. Here, Dr. Spector shar...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - February 19, 2016 Category: Science Source Type: news
