Functional dyspepsia: Causes, treatments, and new directions
Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common condition, loosely defined by some physicians as a stomach ache without a clear cause. More specifically, it is characterized by the feeling of fullness during or after a meal, or a burning sensation in the mid-upper abdomen, just below the rib cage (not necessarily associated with meals). The symptoms can be severe enough to interfere with finishing meals or participating in regular daily activities.
Those with FD often go through multiple tests like upper endoscopy, CT scan, and gastric emptying study. But despite often-severe symptoms, no clear cause (such as cancer, ulcer disease, ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - July 6, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Vikram Rangan, MD Tags: Digestive Disorders Mind body medicine Pain Management Source Type: blogs
Five Facts About Atypical Depression You Need to Know
Despite its name, atypical depression is one of the most common types of depression, affecting between 25 to 40 percent of depressed people. Because the symptoms differ from those of typical depression, this subtype of depression is often misdiagnosed.
Atypical depression was named in the 1950s to classify a group of patients who did not respond to electroconvulsive therapy or to the tricyclic antidepressant Tofranil (imipramine). They did, however, respond to monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) antidepressants.
Some of the same treatments that work for classic depression work for atypical depression, such as selective sero...
Source: World of Psychology - April 16, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Therese J. Borchard Tags: Depression Mental Health and Wellness Atypical Depression Major Depressive Episode Mood Disorder Source Type: blogs
My latest on the NOAC drugs for AFib
Three weeks ago I wrote about the growing dominance of the new oral anticoagulant (NOAC) drugs for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. (Another common name for these drugs is direct acting oral anticoagulants or DOACs.)
The post generated many comments–some privately and some on the blog.
Your responses induced me to think a bit more about the warfarin-substitute drugs. Thanks for that.
More thinking led to my most recent post on theHeart.org, which is titled: NOACs Are Favored Over Warfarin: I’m (Almost) Okay With That
In this column, which is written for a medical audience, I start by noti...
Source: Dr John M - March 3, 2017 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr John 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
Ode to the Duke
I saw my shrink today. I call him “The Duke.”
We had a perfectly fine half-hour meeting. He wrote me some scripts and listened to my current take on my life. Mainly, we talked about my son Tommy’s fear of entering sixth grade. The Duke warned me that the junior high years are awful and to brace myself. The Duke is a straight shooter. At the end of the appointment, I asked him how he thought I was doing.
“Fine,” he said. “You’re doing fine.”
“I think I’ve licked bipolar illness,” I said.
“Don’t say that,” he replied quickly.
Perhaps he was worried that I wasn’t taking my illness seriously en...
Source: World of Psychology - August 18, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Laura Yeager Tags: Bipolar Caregivers Disorders General Personal Psychiatry Treatment Bipolar Disorder Love Medicine Patient Sigmund Freud St. Dymphna 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
Jama jumps the shark
JAMA JUMPS THE SHARKMedical journals are supposed to promote professional values – scientific, social, and ethical. Quality matters, in each of these domains. Lately, however, highly ranked journals are failing in respect of ethics commentaries. Some editors seem happy to publicize or even to co-author commentaries that are dismissive of current ethics initiatives – like transparency of data reporting and disclosure of conflicts of interest (COI). That’s one way for journals to jump the shark in the race for ratings. They surely get attention and applause in some quarters – but those stunts are net negatives for th...
Source: Health Care Renewal - January 25, 2016 Category: Health Management Tags: Anne Cappola Bernard Carroll conflict of interest conflict of interest blog confluence of interest Garret FitzGerald JAMA Source Type: blogs
New Disease Targets for Old Drugs; Another Big Data Initiative
Genomic sciences and the growing interest in precision medicine are having a variety of different effects on healthcare delivery. For example, patients are now being triaged into special clinics focusing on the most aggressive tumor types or tumors of unknown primary (see: New Clinic for High-Risk Prostate Cancer Patients at the University of Michigan; Specialized Clinic Opens for Patients with Cancer of Unknown Primary). We are also now seeing the emergence of hospital executives with portfolio emphasizing precision medicine (see: Do We Need Vice Deans/Vice Presidents for Precision Medicine?; A Closer L...
Source: Lab Soft News - November 21, 2013 Category: Pathologists Authors: Bruce Friedman Tags: Healthcare Information Technology Hospital Executive Management Hospitals and Healthcare Delivery Laboratory Industry Trends Medical Research Pathology Informatics Pharmaceutical Industry 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
The secret history of psychedelic psychiatry – Neurophilosophy
This article will be freely available, with registration, until September 23. See the Table of Contents for more information on this Blog Focus, and read the other blog posts: Serotonin, Psychedelics and Depression (by Neuroskeptic) Ketamine for Depression: Yay or Neigh? (by The Neurocritic) Visions of a psychedelic future (by Vaughan Bell) Update: I summarize all four posts in this article for The Guardian, and there’s more coverage of the Blog Focus at 3 Quarks Daily, The Atlantic (Alexis Madrigal and Andrew Sullivan), Boing Boing and The Great Beyond. ___________________________ ON Au...
Source: PharmaGossip - April 7, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider 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
The Antidepressant Era: the movie
No apologies here, this article (and videos) have been lifted straight from David Healy’s excellent website.
It’s important that as many people as possible have the chance to read the piece and take time to watch the film.
As far as the pharmaceutical industry is concerned, I can tell you from first hand experience that the industry still believes in its own hype… do more, feel better and live longer is Glaxo’s strapline and no one in that company thinks there’s even a hint of irony in that.
Now for Dr Healy’s piece:
The Antidepressant Era: the movie
The Antidepressant Era was written i...
Source: seroxat secrets... - February 3, 2013 Category: Mental Illness Authors: admin Tags: Drug Marketing Glaxo Uncategorized Big Pharma GlaxoSmithKline Source Type: blogs
