Dear Patient, If You Have to Treat a Cold, Know This:
BY HANS DUVEFELT
Americans hate being sick. There are too many cold medicines out there to remember by name. But there are really only a handful of different drug classes to consider.
In order to choose any one of them, be clear about what you want to accomplish. It’s actually very simple.
1) Make my cold go away faster: Zink, echinacea, visualization/manifesting, sauna, prayer (may be mostly placebo effect ).
2) Stop my nose from running (including post nasal drip): You’ll want the crud to leave your body as soon as possible, so turning off the drain pipe that your nose has become can increase the risk of ...
Source: The Health Care Blog - February 9, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Ryan Bose-Roy Tags: Medical Practice Cold Hans Duvefelt Medical Education Source Type: blogs
New migraine drugs are game changers for some patients | Science News
Hayley Gudgin of Sammamish, Wash., got her first migraine in 1991 when she was a 19-year-old nursing student."I was convinced I was having a brain hemorrhage," she says."There was no way anything could be that painful and not be really serious."She retreated to her bed and woke up feeling better the next day. But it wasn't long until another migraine hit. And another. Taking a pill that combines caffeine with the pain relievers acetaminophen and codeine made life manageable until she got pregnant and had to stop taking her medication. After her son was born, the migraines came back. She started taki...
Source: Psychology of Pain - March 28, 2021 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: blogs
Vicodin Withdrawal: Symptoms, Timeline and Treatment
What is Vicodin and What Does It Do?
According to MedicineNet, Vicodin is a combination of Hydrocodone and Acetaminophen. Hydrocodone is a narcotic pain-reliever and a cough suppressant, similar to codeine. Hydrocodone blocks the receptors on nerve cells in the brain that give rise to the sensation of pain. Acetaminophen is a non-narcotic pain reliever and fever reducer. Acetaminophen works by elevating the threshold to pain. Essentially, in order for pain to be felt, s greater stimulation of the nerves responsible for the sensation of pain is necessary. It reduces fever through its action on the temperature-regulating ce...
Source: Cliffside Malibu - October 30, 2019 Category: Addiction Authors: Jaclyn Uloth Tags: Addiction Addiction Recovery Detox Resources for Alcohol and Drugs/Opiates Drug Rehab Information Drug Treatment anxiety in withdrawal vicodin withdrawal symptoms Source Type: blogs
Opioids for acute pain: How much is too much?
In this study, the researchers looked at opioid prescriptions in 2016, and the numbers are shocking. In the US, 22% of prescriptions written by dentists were for opioids, compared with just 0.6% for British dentists, and US dentists prescribed about 35 opioids per 1,000 population, compared to just 0.5 opioid prescriptions per 1,000 population in England. Additionally, the opioid prescribed in England was a relatively weak codeine-like drug, whereas in the US the majority of prescriptions were for hydrocodone, a stronger opioid with greater abuse potential.
When does an opioid prescription make sense?
It is simply impossib...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - July 24, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Scott Weiner, MD Tags: Addiction Pain Management Source Type: blogs
Racemic Epinephrine Deserves More Respect
Some medications enjoyed years of glory but later ended up on the trash heap of clinical medicine, often put there by a systematic review or small case series of adverse outcomes or complications that led to black box warnings and a culture of fear and rejection. Still, the heyday lasted for years for some medication outcasts, such as acetaminophen with codeine, promethazine (Phenergan), aminophylline, droperidol, and meperidine (Demerol).Of course, a few of these medications probably deserved their bad rap, but most of them served us well for many years when we had few other options. Medications like racemic epinephrin...
Source: M2E Too! Mellick's Multimedia EduBlog - May 1, 2019 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs
Drugstore pain pills as effective as opioids in ER patients - AP
Emergency rooms are where many patients are first introduced to powerful opioid painkillers, but what if doctors offered over-the-counter pills instead? A new study tested that approach on patients with broken bones and sprains and found pain relievers sold as Tylenol and Motrin worked as well as opioids at reducing severe pain.The results challenge common ER practice for treating short-term, severe pain and could prompt changes that would help prevent new patients from becoming addicted.The study has limitations: It only looked at short-term pain relief in the emergency room and researchers didn't evaluate how patient...
Source: Psychology of Pain - November 7, 2017 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: blogs
A hidden reason for electronic prescribing of controlled substances
As of July 1, pharmacies in Maine cannot honor paper or telephone prescriptions for controlled substances, from OxyContin down to Valium, Lyrica, and Tylenol with codeine.
EPCS, or electronic prescribing of controlled substances, is a double security step in the prescription process built into EMRs, electronic medical records. It involves another password entry and the use of one-time passwords from a small number generator issued to each prescriber.
It has been said that this will prevent fraudulent prescriptions via phone or on stolen prescription pads, as well as altering of legitimate prescriptions.
Continue reading .....
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - July 18, 2017 Category: General Medicine Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/a-country-doctor" rel="tag" > A Country Doctor, MD < /a > Tags: Meds Medications Pain management Source Type: blogs
Opioid prescribing: Doctors need to do a better job, but they can ’t do it alone
I recently took a three hour online course on something I learned to do when I was a medical student.
And I thought it was something I had been doing fairly well for the past 20 years.
New regulations have come down requiring all practitioners to take a CME-certified course on safe and effective management of opiates for acute and chronic pain. This has clearly come about in response to revised prescribing regulations and the tragic epidemic of opioid overdoses and misuse/overuse, so it’s not a bad thing to help us learn to do this better.
Long, long, (long) ago, when I was a medical student, I remember a jaded thir...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - May 18, 2017 Category: General Medicine Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/fred-n-pelzman" rel="tag" > Fred N. Pelzman, MD < /a > Tags: Meds Pain management Source Type: blogs
Medications that Increase the Risks of Falling
Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries for adults 65 and older, and research suggests that those taking four or more medications are at an even greater risk than those who don ’t.ByAlzheimer's Reading RoomWhat ’s the Difference Between Alzheimer’s and DementiaHow to Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's and DementiaHow to Get Answers To Your Questions About Alzheimer's and Dementia“Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries for adults 65 and older, and research suggests that those taking four or more medications are at an even greater risk than those who don’t – perhap...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - February 1, 2017 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's care care of dementia patients dementia care health help alzheimer's help with dementia care medications falls Prescription Medications Risks risk of falling senior care Source Type: blogs
Dementia Care, Which Drugs Increase the Risk of Falling
Medications can increase the risk of falls and falling; and, are a major cause of injuries and death in older adults.By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomDuring the entire 8 and a half years, 3,112 days, that I was taking care of my mother, I worried about her falling.Falls can result in hip injuries, head injuries, or something worse.If you loved one is falling, or complaining of "dizziness" check out the list of medications below; and then, consult with your personal care doctor.Problems with Balance, Walking, Falling an Early Sign of DementiaThe drugs older people take can make them more susceptible to falling.Research...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - September 7, 2016 Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's care Alzheimer's Dementia dementia care dementia falls dementia help for caregivers family caregiving help alzheimer's help with dementia care memory care searches related to falling Source Type: blogs
One Way to Cure a Drug Seeker’s Back Pain
A gentleman in his 40s limped into the emergency department for evaluation of severe back pain.
He had a chronic history of back pain, but had decided to forgo recommended surgeries because he was told that there was a chance his pain could worsen. He reportedly had multiple MRIs in the past … all of which showed “severely” bulging discs. He also just moved to the area the evening prior to his visit. In all of the excitement and heavy lifting, he strained his back, he couldn’t find his pain medications, AND he lost his wallet. That meant he had no ID and he couldn’t remember his address becaus...
Source: WhiteCoat's Call Room - July 1, 2014 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: WhiteCoat Tags: Patient Encounters Source Type: blogs
No Needle, but the Damage was Done - A New Example of Suppression of Research about Adverse Effects of Prescription Narcotic Analgesics
This story feels personal, since as a physician who trained starting in the 1970s, figuring out how to manage patients who desperately wanted narcotics, whether to relieve pain, relieve addiction, or relieve financial distress has been a constant challenge.Background - Treating Pain while Avoiding "the Needle and the Damage Done"Almost as soon as I started clinical training in medical school I came up against the problem of narcotics. In the 1970s, narcotic addiction was a pressing problem that threw a dismal shadow over society.. In the hospital and emergency room we daily saw overdoses and the complicat...
Source: Health Care Renewal - December 26, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Tags: conflicts of interest deception Janssen Johnson and Johnson key opinion leaders narcotics suppression of medical research Source Type: blogs
Alzheimer's and Advocacy for Audrey
"The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest." -- Thomas Moore
By Pamela R. Kelley
+Alzheimer's Reading Room
Forget Me Not
The State Flower of Alaska
If you’re like me, you’ll have heard it a thousand times before arriving at the end stages of Alzheimer’s with your loved one:
You have to be their advocate when dealing with the medical community.
But what does that mean? What does it look like?
How do I know when I’m advocating in the right way?
Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room
Email:
*Pamela R. Kelley is th...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - October 24, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs
Alzheimer's and Advocacy for Audrey
"The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest." -- Thomas Moore
By Pamela R. Kelley
+Alzheimer's Reading Room
Forget Me Not
The State Flower of Alaska
If you’re like me, you’ll have heard it a thousand times before arriving at the end stages of Alzheimer’s with your loved one:
You have to be their advocate when dealing with the medical community.
But what does that mean? What does it look like?
How do I know when I’m advocating in the right way?
Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room
Email:
*Pamela R. Kelley is t...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - October 24, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs
i can tell when it hurts
Having been a patient for most of the last seven years, I can tell how some things have changed.One thing that seems quite different is pain management. After my mastectomy and my diagnosis of metastasis in 2006, I was given loads of painkillers - morphine, Oxycontin, percocet, Tylenol with codeine and others - all in small amounts. I never finished a prescription and I always brought the leftovers to the drug store for disposal.Fast forward to my brain surgery last fall. I was fortunate to be sent home after two nights in the hospital (you heal much better at home). The last thing that they sorted out was pain manage...
Source: Not just about cancer - September 20, 2013 Category: Cancer Tags: metastatic guilt breast cancer brain metastasis community my friends mastectomy pissed off cancer blog rants chronic illness Source Type: blogs
