The Stress Epidemic and the Search for the Modern Cure
We are living in an epidemic of stress. The people who walk into my office on a daily basis - busy successful New Yorkers with full lives and a lot going on -- look to the world like they have it all. But more often than not they are deeply stressed out. They are not alone. In 2011, nearly 75 million unique prescriptions were written for Xanax and Ativan, two anti-anxiety medications, in the United States, indicating our country has a serious problem with stress. Furthermore, one in 10 Americans now takes an antidepressant medication -- and among women in their 40s and 50s, that number is one in four. From, what I see...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - July 14, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
These Special Omega-3s Beat Depression
Over the years, I’ve seen an increasing number of patients at my wellness clinic suffering from depression – many without even knowing it.
This terrible rise is a reflection of a growing epidemic of depression that’s happening all over the Western world.
Depression is often hard to diagnose, because the individual symptoms often point to so many other things.
Psychiatrists often talk about chemical imbalances in the brain – as if they really know what the right balance should be. They don’t. In fact, they’re guessing.
And it’s hard to calculate the very real impact of spending every weekda...
Source: Al Sears, MD Natural Remedies - April 24, 2015 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Dr. Al Sears Tags: Brain Health Nutrition antioxidant astaxanthin depression DHA EPA krill oil omega-3 fatty acids suicide Source Type: news
Medication and Anxiety
Medication can be an effective approach for managing various types of anxiety such as panic, hyperarousal, and constant worry. However, contrary to popular belief and subtle messages from pharmaceutical companies, medication is far from a cure. In fact, when it comes to “cures” for most psychiatric conditions, the data tends to support psychotherapy.
For example, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) responds very well to psychotherapy, whereas the positive effects of medication are somewhat limited. The same is true for panic disorder. Although certain types of medication are very good at relieving panic sympt...
Source: Psych Central - March 11, 2015 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Bret Moore, PsyD Tags: Anti-anxiety Antidepressants Benzodiazepines Disorders General Medications Panic Disorder anti-anxiety medications Drug Dependency Fear Hyperarousal Sedatives Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor snri Ssri Substance Abuse Source Type: news
Well: A Time to Avoid Anxiety Drugs
People sometimes take Valium or Ativan to relieve anxiety before having surgery, but a new study suggests that these drugs have little beneficial effect and may even delay recovery. (Source: NYT)
Source: NYT - March 9, 2015 Category: Nutrition Authors: NICHOLAS BAKALAR Tags: Mind Featured Source Type: news
Well: A Time to Avoid Anxiety Drugs
People sometimes take Valium or Ativan to relieve anxiety before having surgery, but a new study suggests that these drugs have little beneficial effect and may even delay recovery. (Source: NYT Health)
Source: NYT Health - March 9, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: NICHOLAS BAKALAR Tags: Mind Featured Source Type: news
Well: A Time to Avoid Anxiety Drugs
People sometimes take Valium or Ativan to relieve anxiety before having surgery, but a new study suggests that these drugs have little beneficial effect and may even delay recovery. (Source: NYT)
Source: NYT - March 9, 2015 Category: American Health Authors: NICHOLAS BAKALAR Tags: Mind Featured Source Type: news
Administering sedatives for patients receiving general anesthesia questioned
Although sedatives are often administered before surgery, a randomized trial finds that among patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia, receiving the sedative lorazepam before surgery, compared with placebo or no premedication, did not improve the self-reported patient experience the day after surgery, but was associated with longer time till removal off a breathing tube (extubation) and a lower rate of early cognitive recovery, according to a study. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)
Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - March 3, 2015 Category: Science Source Type: news
The New Old Age: Continued Questions on Benzodiazepine Use in Older Patients
A new reports that among 65- to 80-year-old Americans, close to 9 percent use drugs like Valium, Xanax, Ativan and Klonopin. (Source: NYT Health)
Source: NYT Health - February 13, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: By PAULA SPAN Tags: Pain-Relieving Drugs Sedatives Elderly Drugs (Pharmaceuticals) Source Type: news
Nicotine poisoning from an asparagus look-alike
This report, from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, describes two patients who developed symptoms consistent with nicotinic poisoning after ingesting foraged B australis.
Patient 1 was an 85-year-old woman developed nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal distress, and dizziness within 15 minutes of ingesting what she took to be “wild asparagus.” Patient 2, her 48-year-old daughter, developed similar symptoms plus vertigo within a similar time frame after ingestion. Each patient was described as having severe truncal ataxia and was not able to stand unassisted.
The patients were treated with fluids, anti...
Source: The Poison Review - December 30, 2014 Category: Toxicology Authors: Leon Tags: Medical asparagus baptisia look alike nicotine toxicity Source Type: news
Anxiety Medications Ativan, Xanax, And Valium May Increase Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease
Valium, Ativan, Xanax, and Klonopin are some of the anxiety meds linked to Alzheimer’s risk. (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News)
Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News - September 10, 2014 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Alice G. Walton Source Type: news
Breakthrough study sheds new light on best medication for children with seizures
(Wayne State University - Office of the Vice President for Research) A recently published clinical study in the Journal of the American Medical Association has answered an urgent question that long puzzled ER pediatricians: Is the drug lorazepam really safer and more effective than diazepam -- the US Food and Drug Administration-approved medication as first line therapy most often used by emergency room doctors to control major epileptic seizures in children? (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - June 11, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news
Episode #4: Poisoning and the diagnosis of brain death
Conclusion: unclear how long to wait before pronouncing brain death as many factors such as pharmacogenetics can alter normal metabolism
Summary
Drug overdose can mimic brain death
Be especially cautious in overdose involving the scary B’s: baclofen, barbiturate, benzodiazepine
The 3-5 half life rule for drug clearance cannot be applied in the cases of overdose
Half lives are measured at therapeutic levels
Multiple other factors can alter metabolism in overdoses, such as pharmacogenetics, and cross reactivity with other ingestants
Consult a toxicologist if there is any question regarding possible overdose in the ...
Source: The Poison Review - May 20, 2014 Category: Toxicology Authors: LeonThe Poison Review Tags: Podcast Source Type: news
Widely used drug no more effective than FDA approved medication in treating epileptic seizures
Lorazepam -- a widely used but not yet Food and Drug Administration approved drug for children -- is no more effective than an approved benzodiazepine, diazepam, for treating pediatric status epilepticus, a study shows. Status epilepticus is a state in which the brain is in a persistent state of seizure. By the age of 15, 4 to 8 percent of children experience a seizure episode, which can be life threatening if they aren't stopped immediately. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)
Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - May 14, 2014 Category: Science Source Type: news
What Are the Top Anti-Anxiety Medications?
Antianxiety medications help to calm and relax the anxious person and remove the troubling symptoms. There are a number of antianxiety medications currently available. The preferred medications for most anxiety disorders are the benzodiazepines such as Valium, Xanax/Zanex, and Ativan. (Source: About.com Mental Health)
Source: About.com Mental Health - May 13, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: mentalhealth.guide at about.com Tags: health Source Type: news
Lorazepam, Diazepam Similar in Pediatric Status Epilepticus Lorazepam, Diazepam Similar in Pediatric Status Epilepticus
Results of a controlled trial do not support the superiority of lorazepam over diazepam as a first-line agent for pediatric status epilepticus. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Neurology and Neurosurgery Headlines)
Source: Medscape Neurology and Neurosurgery Headlines - May 1, 2014 Category: Neurology Tags: Neurology & Neurosurgery News Source Type: news
