Blood Pressure Meds vs Blood Thinners: What ’ s The Difference?
Conclusion In conclusion, while blood pressure medicines and blood thinners are both crucial to heart health, their roles and mechanisms of action are notably distinct. Blood pressure medication works primarily on the vascular system, aiding in reducing blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels or altering the heart’s function. On the other hand, blood thinners target the blood itself, working to prevent the formation of potentially dangerous blood clots. Throughout this article, one thing becomes undeniably clear: the importance of regular consultations with your healthcare provider. When it comes to managing m...
Source: The EMT Spot - July 20, 2023 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Michael Rotman, MD, FRCPC, PhD Tags: Blood Pressure Source Type: blogs

Senators Bennet and Collins Have Their Hearts in the Right Place, But Their Eyes on the Wrong Target
Jeffrey A. SingerSenator Susan Collins (R ‑ME) wrote anop ‐​ed for Seacoastonline this week expressing her concerns about skyrocketing drug overdose deaths. According to the most recentdata from the National Center for Health Statistics, 90 percent of opioid ‐​related overdose deaths involve illicit fentanyl, and 15 percent involve diverted prescription pain pills. In her column, Senator Collins expressed pride in a proposal aimed at reducing overdoses that she co‐​sponsored with Senator Michael Bennet (D‑CO). Unfortunately, while the legisla tion was well‐​intended, it placed too much emphasis on educ...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - February 9, 2023 Category: American Health Authors: Jeffrey A. Singer Source Type: blogs

How drug distributors contributed to the opioid crisis
A recent headline in my neighborhood newspaper read,“A Dentist Became a Top Opioid Buyer in W. Va. Now a Drug Firm Faces Penalty for Ignoring Red Flags.” The drug firm sent 25,400 hydrocodone pills and 3,600 Xanax to one Huntington, WV area dentist. The DEA raided the dentist’s office and shut it down. TheRead more …How drug distributors contributed to the opioid crisis originally appeared inKevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - December 28, 2021 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/rebecca-thaxton" rel="tag" > Rebecca Thaxton, MD < /a > < /span > Tags: Meds Medications Pain Management Source Type: blogs

What you need to know about the updated benzodiazepine boxed warning [PODCAST]
“The FDA recommended an updated boxed warning and standardization of product labels across the drug class. They recommended judicious prescribing and a gradual taper to mitigate withdrawal reactions. While I am optimistic about these changes, the updated warning doesn ’t tell the whole story. After reviewing the newly updated Xanax Medication Guide, I have some concerns.”Read more …What you need to know about the updated benzodiazepine boxed warning [PODCAST] originally appeared inKevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - July 16, 2021 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/the-podcast-by-kevinmd" rel="tag" > The Podcast by KevinMD < /a > < /span > Tags: Podcast Medications Psychiatry Source Type: blogs

CBD and other medications: Proceed with caution
Products containing cannabidiol (CBD) seem to be all the rage these days, promising relief from a wide range of maladies, from insomnia and hot flashes to chronic pain and seizures. Some of these claims have merit to them, while some of them are just hype. But it won’t hurt to try, right? Well, not so fast. CBD is a biologically active compound, and as such, it may also have unintended consequences. These include known side effects of CBD, but also unintended interactions with supplements, herbal products, and over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications. Doubling up on side effects While generally considered safe...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - January 11, 2021 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Katsiaryna Bykov, PharmD, ScD Tags: Drugs and Supplements Marijuana Medical Research Safety Source Type: blogs

Top 25 Psychiatric Medications for 2018
Psychiatric medications are an important part of treatment for many people with mental disorders, such as depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, schizophrenia, anxiety, and others. They play an important role in helping to alleviate the most serious symptoms, allowing people to better focus on their lives and on other treatment types, such as psychotherapy. Psychiatric medications are an important part of many people’s treatment plans for obtaining the most effective treatment for a mental health concern or mental illness. It’s good to know what drugs are being prescribed most often for mental disorders in the U.S...
Source: World of Psychology - December 15, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: John M. Grohol, Psy.D. Tags: General Medications Psychiatry psychiatric meds psychiatric prescriptions Source Type: blogs

How to Be Happier at Work
You're reading How to Be Happier at Work, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles. Let’s face it - work isn’t always fun and games. Between stress, deadlines and occasional long hours, your job can start to feel more dreadful than enjoyable, and more meaningless than fulfilling. However, as working takes up so much of our lives – for Americans roughly 1,700 hours per year – feeling happy and less stressed at work is important. The negativity that you have at work can begin to affect other aspects of your l...
Source: PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement - July 12, 2019 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: kateowilson Tags: career featured happiness happiness at work work life balance workplace Source Type: blogs

How Do I Detox From Benzodiazepines?
Detox from Benzodiazepines Benzodiazepines are highly addictive medications. They are used to help treat anxiety, sleep issues, and even seizures. They work to calm the body and can be a great, helpful tool for many people when used as prescribed. There are many different types of Benzodiazepines, as they differ in strength and onset time. Some Benzodiazepines, such as Librium, is used to help treat symptoms associated with alcohol withdrawal. Detox from Benzodiazepines can be difficult, but it is possible. The names that people know most commonly know Benzodiazepines as include: Xanax Valium Ativan Klonopin They are onl...
Source: Cliffside Malibu - April 26, 2019 Category: Addiction Authors: Jaclyn Uloth Tags: Addiction Addiction to Pharmaceuticals Detox Resources for Alcohol and Drugs/Opiates Substance Abuse benzo benzodiazepines medical detox Source Type: blogs

The problems with Benzodiazapine drugs.
Xanax is a benzodiazepine drug. There are many others. While we are focused on the opioid epidemic, the abuse of benzos is growing in the U.S. as well. I see many clients who have been prescribed a benzo for anxiety. It is very easy to develop a tolerance, become addicted, and then have worst symptoms than the ones being treated to begin with during withdrawal. (Source: Markham's Behavioral Health)
Source: Markham's Behavioral Health - March 9, 2019 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: David G. Markham Source Type: blogs

In Recovery? Ask Yourself These Questions Before Moving to a New City
Moving might be the right choice, but examine your motives. When we were drinking and using, we were irrational, impulsive, and at the whim of our heartbreakingly horrible decisions. We get into recovery to be more than that. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. – Lao Tzu Wherever you go, there you are. – Unknown We’ve all heard or tried the myth of the geographic cure: that we can change the unmanageability of our addictions simply by changing locations. The program suggests waiting a year to make major changes in our lives, such as moving to a new place or getting divorced. That sugge...
Source: World of Psychology - March 3, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Psych Central Guest Author Tags: Addiction Personal Publishers Recovery The Fix Moving Relocation Sobriety Source Type: blogs

A Xanax prescription that should have been rejected
In hindsight, I should have never accepted a Xanax prescription from my doctor. What followed was catastrophic — rapidly developing tolerance and physical dependence on the drug and a prolonged illness. Three-and-a-half years later, I am still slowly tapering off Valium (having transitioned to a longer-acting benzodiazepine to aid in tapering) and experiencing debilitating symptoms […]Find jobs at  Careers by KevinMD.com.  Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.  Learn more. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - February 28, 2019 Category: General Medicine Authors: < span itemprop="author" > < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/christy-huff" rel="tag" > Christy Huff, MD < /a > < /span > Tags: Meds Psychiatry Source Type: blogs

Will US Drug Policymakers Blow It Again —This Time With Benzodiazepines?
In a recent  column, Maia Szalavitz reports on the rise in overdose deaths related to benzodiazepines (a class of tranquilizers including Xanax, Valium, and Ativan). According to a recent  study in JAMA, the number benzodiazepine prescriptions doubled in the US   from 2003 to 2015. And benzodiazepines are found in the bloodstream of almost a third of all opioid overdose victims—a nearly ten-fold increase since the beginning of this century. Szalavitz reminds us that the US is not the only developed country with an overdose problem from the nonmedical use of prescription drugs: Scotland has been contending with th...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - February 14, 2019 Category: American Health Authors: Jeffrey A. Singer Source Type: blogs

Benzodiazepines and Addiction
What is a Benzodiazepine? Benzodiazepines are a prescription drug sedative used to treat a variety of conditions. They are classified as Schedule IV in the Controlled Substances Act. Some of the conditions that Benzodiazepine can treat include: Insomnia Anxiety Seizures Muscle tension Panic disorders When used as prescribed under the supervision of a medical professional, Benzodiazepines can be very useful in the treatment of these disorders. Many people are able to live healthy, happy lives while taking Benzodiazepines to curb the symptoms of their various conditions. However, because of the addictive nature of Benzodia...
Source: Cliffside Malibu - January 31, 2019 Category: Addiction Authors: Jaclyn Uloth Tags: Uncategorized benzo benzodiazepines prescription drug abuse prescription drug addiction prescription drug use prescription pills Source Type: blogs

Heroin Addiction Explained: How Opioids Hijack the Brain - The New York Times
THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC is devastating America. Overdoses have passed car crashes and gun violence to become the leading cause of death for Americans under 55. The epidemic has killed more people than H.I.V. at the peak of that disease, and its death toll exceeds those of the wars in Vietnam and Iraq combined. Funerals for young people have become common. Every 11 minutes, another life is lost.So why do so many people start using these drugs? Why don ' t they stop?Some people are more susceptible to addiction than others. But nobody is immune. For many, opioids like heroin entice by bestowing an immediate sense ...
Source: Psychology of Pain - December 20, 2018 Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: blogs

We Seem To Have News Thick And Fast On Prescription Monitoring.
First we have:DORA the ignorer: Prescription-tracking system failing to monitor all high-risk addictive drugs Diazepam, quetiapine and fluoxetine contributed to ex-Navy submariner's death, says coronerAntony Scholefield2nd October 2018A coroner has stressed the need for real-time script-tracking software to cover addictive schedule 4 drugs such as diazepam and quetiapine, not just opioids.The Tasmanian coroner made the comments after investigating the 2014 death of 44-year-old ex-Navy submariner Michael Allan Steer, who died from a toxic combination of prescription medication.Toxicology analysis revealed the presence of di...
Source: Australian Health Information Technology - October 12, 2018 Category: Information Technology Authors: Dr David G More MB PhD Source Type: blogs