Some People Don ’t Think Like Doctors (!)
By HANS DUVEFELT This may come as a surprise for people with business degrees: Doctors don’t really care when a test was ordered. We care about our patient’s chest X-ray or potassium level the very moment the test was performed. We also don’t care (unless we are doing a forensic review of treatment delays) when an outside piece of information was scanned into the chart. We want to know on which day the potassium was low: Before or after we started the potassium replacement, for example. In a patient’s medical record, we have a fundamental need to know in what order things happened. We don’t prefer to see...
Source: The Health Care Blog - May 3, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Christina Liu Tags: Health Tech Physicians EMR Hans Duvefelt Workflow Source Type: blogs

Doxepin, a Little Known Super Drug in My Personal Black Bag of Tricks
By HANS DUVEFELT A while back I was able to completely stop my mastocytosis patient’s chronic hives, which the allergist had been unable to control. I did it with a drug that has been on the market since 1969 and is taken once a day at a cost of 40 cents per capsule at Walmart pharmacies. Hives are usually treated with antihistamines like diphenhydramine (Benadryl). My super drug has a 24 hour duration of effect and is about 800 times more potent than diphenhydramine, which has to be taken every fours hours around the clock. Histamine is involved in allergic reactions, but it also plays a role ...
Source: The Health Care Blog - April 9, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Christina Liu Tags: Medical Practice Physicians Primary Care Hans Duvefelt Source Type: blogs

Prescription Drugs That Block Weight Loss
A number of drugs prescribed to treat common conditions, such as hypertension, allergies, depression, inflammation, and diabetes, block your ability to lose weight. Several of these drugs actually cause weight gain, and most doctors fail to inform their patients of such side effects. Among the drugs that block weight loss are: Beta-blockers: metoprolol, atenolol, carvedilol, and propranolol  Antidepressants: amitriptyline (Elavil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), doxepin, paroxetine (Paxil), trazodone, and others Steroids: prednisone and hydrocortisone (but not inhaled or nasal steroids for allergies) Antihistamines: diphenhydr...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - May 7, 2019 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: News & Updates blood sugar drugs failed weight loss fatigue weight loss hypertension insulin prescription drugs undoctored wheat belly Wheat Belly Total Health 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

Are these prescription drugs preventing your weight loss?
A number of drugs prescribed to treat common conditions, such as hypertension, allergies, depression, inflammation, and diabetes, block your ability to lose weight. Several of these drugs actually cause weight gain, and most doctors fail to inform their patients of such side effects. Among the drugs that block weight loss are: Beta-blockers: metoprolol, atenolol, carvedilol, and propranolol  Antidepressants: amitriptyline (Elavil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), doxepin, paroxetine (Paxil), trazodone, and others Steroids: prednisone and hydrocortisone (but not inhaled or nasal steroids for allergies) Antihistamines: diphenhydr...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - September 13, 2016 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Depression Dr. Davis Drugs and wheat Nutritional supplements Weight loss Wheat Belly Wheat Belly Lifestyle Wheat Belly Total Health Wheat-Free Lifestyle anxiety 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

Longing for the QT
A 58-year-old man presented to the ED with a reported overdose of an unknown medication. The patient was agitated, combative, and altered. Initial vital signs included a heart rate of 115 beats/min, blood pressure of 154/93 mm Hg, respirations of 22/min, and temperature of 99.5°F. The patient was difficult to evaluate because he was agitated, and he was given 5 mg of haloperidol IV and 2 mg of lorazepam IV. The patient continued to be agitated, and was given another 10 mg of haloperidol IV, followed by a repeat dose of 10 mg IV 15 minutes later. The patient then became unresponsive, and his cardiac monitor demonstrated th...
Source: The Tox Cave - March 1, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs

I lost the wheat, but didn’t lose the weight: Updated version
Yes, it happens: Rid your life of all things wheat and you get relief from acid reflux, joint pain, and high blood sugars . . . but not weight loss. While most people enjoy rapid and dramatic weight loss with wheat elimination due to the loss of the appetite-stimulating effect of gliadin-derived opiates, the loss of repetitive glucose-insulin provocation of amylopectin A, the reduction of inflammation from the combined effects of gliadin/wheat germ agglutinin/amylopectin A, and reversal of the leptin-blocking effect of wheat germ agglutinin, this doesn’t happen to everybody. Or you lose, say, 20 pounds, only to have...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - May 7, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Lifestyle carbohydrates gluten grains insulin low-carb Thyroid Weight Loss whey Source Type: blogs

Drugs that block weight loss
Following the Wheat Belly lifestyle of wheat and grain elimination results in weight loss in the majority of people in short order. But there are exceptions. The exceptions should not be interpreted to mean that this lifestyle does not work; it should initiate a search for why the weight loss effect of wheat and grain elimination is being blocked. Iodine deficiency, for example, is a common cause for failed weight loss, no matter how perfect your diet and how much you exercise. Another common cause for failed weight loss are prescription drugs and a few over-the-counter drugs. Among the common drugs that will block your...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - February 15, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Lifestyle gluten grains prescription drugs Weight Loss Source Type: blogs

You May Likely Gain Weight on these 6 Psychiatric Medications
I had been on the drug Zyprexa (olanzapine) for four weeks and had already gained 15 pounds which, you know, didn’t help my depression. After going to a wedding and catching a side view of myself, I called my doctor and told him that my name was now Violet Beauregarde, you know, the gum chewer in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” who becomes a blueberry balloon. Except that when I rose to the top of the room I was crying. “The two most common questions that patients ask me are, ‘Will I become dependent on the medications?’ and ‘Will I gain weight?’” says Sanjay Gupta, M.D. It’s a serious concern fo...
Source: World of Psychology - June 28, 2013 Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Therese J. Borchard Tags: Antidepressant Antipsychotic Disorders General Health-related Medications Mental Health and Wellness Self-Esteem Treatment Anticonvulsant Charlie And The Chocolate Charlie And The Chocolate Factory Chemical Compound Clozaril De Source Type: blogs

Medications that Increase the Risks of Patient Falls
Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries for adults 65 and older. Alzheimer's Reading Room “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 – perhaps two to three times greater,” said Susan Blalock, Ph.D., an associate professor at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. In 2007, more than 21,700 Americans died as a result of falls and more than 7.9 million were injured by a fall including over 1.8 million older adults who had a fall-rela...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - February 14, 2013 Category: Dementia Authors: Bob DeMarco Source Type: blogs