Addiction Abuse
Hardly a day goes by without a report in the press about some new addiction. There are warnings about addiction to coffee. Popular psychology publications talk of “extreme sports addiction. ” Some news reports even alert us to the perils of chocolate addiction. One gets the impression that life is awash in threats of addiction. People tend to equate the word “addiction” with “abuse.” Ironically, “addiction” is a subject of abuse.The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as a “chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry…characterized by the inabilit...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - September 13, 2018 Category: American Health Authors: Jeffrey A. Singer Source Type: blogs
Fight Aging! Newsletter, August 27th 2018
Fight Aging! provides a weekly digest of news and commentary for thousands of subscribers interested in the latest longevity science: progress towards the medical control of aging in order to prevent age-related frailty, suffering, and disease, as well as improvements in the present understanding of what works and what doesn't work when it comes to extending healthy life. Expect to see summaries of recent advances in medical research, news from the scientific community, advocacy and fundraising initiatives to help speed work on the repair and reversal of aging, links to online resources, and much more.
This content is...
Source: Fight Aging! - August 26, 2018 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs
The Antidepressant Fluoxetine Restores Some Lost Neuroplasticity in Old Mice
There is a fair amount of evidence in mice for antidepressants to work via increased plasticity in the brain. This means greater generation and integration of new neurons, and more restructuring of synaptic connections between neurons. In mice, plasticity is lost with age, and here researchers show that a commonly used antidepressant can restore some of that loss. It remains an interesting question as to how much of this mouse research does in fact translate to humans; of late the data regarding plasticity of the human brain has been mixed, suggesting that there may be significant differences between humans and mice in thi...
Source: Fight Aging! - August 22, 2018 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs
Might Depression Be Linked to One of These Popular Medications?
If you’re taking beta blockers, certain kinds of anxiety drugs, certain types of painkillers (including ibuprofen), proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) (used to treat acid reflux), ACE inhibitors (used to treat high blood pressure), or anti-convulsant drugs, you may be at greater risk for depression. That’s according to a new, large-scale study published earlier this week in JAMA.
However, this was a correlational study, so it can’t say that these medications actually cause depression or not. It may be that people with greater health problems are more likely to take one of these medications and be depressed abo...
Source: World of Psychology - June 15, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Tags: Depression General Medications Psychiatry Research Drugs cause depression popular medications Source Type: blogs
Seroquel, Atypical Antipsychotics for Insomnia, Dementia?
I’m a little dumb-founded whenever I run across a prescribing trend that goes against all of the available empirical evidence for common sense use of a medication. Nowhere is this more evident than with the prescription of atypical antipsychotic medications. It wouldn’t be too far a stretch to suggest that such prescriptions have become like Prozac prescriptions in the 1990s, the latest medication fad.
But atypical antipsychotics, like Seroquel (quetiapine fumarate), are far more complex with far more problematic side effects than drugs like Prozac, and should only be prescribed for on-label use.
The Washingto...
Source: World of Psychology - April 7, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Tags: Antipsychotic General Medications Policy and Advocacy Adverse Effects Atypical Antipsychotic Bipolar Disorder Insomnia movement disorder Seroquel side effects Weight Gain Source Type: blogs
Top 25 Psychiatric Medications for 2016
Most people understand that the role of psychiatric medications is to help alleviate the symptoms associated with different types of mental disorders, such as depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, schizophrenia, anxiety, and more. Psychiatric medications are an important part of a comprehensive treatment plan for effectively treating people who have a mental health concern or mental illness.
It’s good to know what drugs are being most-often prescribed for mental disorders in the U.S. These are the top 25 psychiatric medications by number of U.S. prescriptions dispensed in 2016, according to QuintilesIMS, a global infor...
Source: World of Psychology - October 12, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Tags: General Medications Psychiatry Treatment medications for mental illness Psychiatric Drugs Psychiatric Medications psychiatric meds top psychiatric medications Source Type: blogs
The truth about long-term antidepressant use
A great piece today in the Guardian by Aida Edemariam. Good to see such a comprehensive piece of reporting in the mainstream media.
This what you and I know has happened to many of us, but at the same time GSK continues to deny is a major health crisis because of Seroxat (and other SSRIs). In the UK, as the High Court action moves ever closer to trial, GSK and their expensive legal team still have their collective head in the sand – at least that’s their public stance. I believe that for many years GSK has known about the problems Seroxat causes while you take it, about the terrible problems people have wit...
Source: seroxat secrets... - May 6, 2017 Category: Addiction Authors: admin Tags: Anti-depressant David Healy GSK Seroxat SSRI Source Type: blogs
If you have low back pain try these steps first
Low back pain, the scourge of mankind: it is the second leading cause of disability here in the United States, and the fourth worldwide. It’s also one of the top five medical problems for which people see doctors. Almost every day that I see patients, I see someone with back pain. It’s one of the top reasons for lost wages due to missed work, as well as for healthcare dollars spent, hence, a very expensive problem.
Looking at two kinds of back pain
Let’s talk about the most common forms of back pain: acute (which lasts less than four weeks) and subacute (which lasts four to 12 weeks). Most of these cases (approximate...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - April 3, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Monique Tello, MD, MPH Tags: Back Pain Managing your health care 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
Can genetic testing help determine the best medications for you?
The saying “if it seems too good to be true, it likely is” applies to so many things in life. As the director of the Clinical Pharmacogenomics Service at Boston Children’s Hospital, I spend a significant amount of time discussing what pharmacogenomics testing cannot tell us. I am sure you are wondering why I would take a negative approach instead of touting the miracles of pharmacogenomics testing, since after all, that is my job. Well, as with many things, it is complicated.
Pharmacogenomics can potentially guide drug choices
Pharmacogenomics is the study of gene expression on the ability to metabolize or break down...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - December 16, 2016 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Shannon Manzi, PharmD Tags: Drugs and Supplements Genes Health Managing your health care Source Type: blogs
The Future of Work Part I
Have you ever taken some time to think about what work will look like 5, 10 or even 20 years from now? If you haven’t, it is probably worth the effort because a changing work environment may have dramatic implications for how you are employed in the future. In these two posts, I want to talk about some of the trends I’m seeing and how they may play out in the coming years.
Outsourcing
Companies are getting better and better at spinning off specific business functions and letting them be handled by others. For example, many businesses can’t justify running payroll in-house. It is cheaper to hire a company...
Source: Productivity501 - September 20, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Mark Shead Tags: Misc Source Type: blogs
Mockingbird #1: Medical Annotations
I hope everyone has been reading Mockingbird, which recently finished its first storyline. It’s a fun comic featuring an enjoyable character, good writing, and great art. Since much of the first story takes place in a SHIELD medical clinic — and since Bobbi keeps reminding us she has a doctorate in biology — I thought the series was ripe for some elucidating medical annotations. Since I don’t want this post to drag on forever, I’m going to break the storyline down into three separate posts. This first one will just deal with the first issue.
Mockingbird #1
Chelsea Cain, writer
Kate Niemczyk, a...
Source: Polite Dissent - September 12, 2016 Category: Primary Care Authors: Scott Tags: newtag 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
Antidepressants seem to weaken bones
I just read this bit of news: it looks as though antidepressants have a negative impact on bones.
A Columbia University study found that people who took Prozac for at least a year were at a higher risk of bone fractures and depletion. So if you are taking “some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI),” especially any containing fluoxetine, you should definitely have a look at this “New Scientist” article: goo.gl/gYr8hs
Note that not all SSRIs have a similar effect on bones… (Source: Margaret's Corner)
Source: Margaret's Corner - September 7, 2016 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Margaret Tags: Blogroll Source Type: blogs
Is It Withdrawal Symptoms or a Depression Relapse
Four years ago, a good friend of mine put her 10-year-old son on Prozac (fluoxetine). He had always suffered from anxiety and anger outbursts, but at age 9, his behavior turned violent, and his ruminations were keeping him up at night. My friend and her husband went to a variety of child psychologists, but the cognitive behavioral therapy wasn’t enough. Finally, they got a referral to a psychiatrist, who diagnosed the boy with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The doctor prescribed both Ritalin (methylphenidate) and Prozac.
The bo...
Source: World of Psychology - August 30, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Therese J. Borchard Tags: Depression Medications Mental Health and Wellness Personal Bipolar Disorder Mood Disorder Prozac withdrawal Source Type: blogs
