Drug Information
Rediscovering Low-Dose Lithium for Mood Disorder…
Lithium is a chemical element that is widespread in nature. You can find it in the earth's crust, in water and even in the food you eat. Depending upon where you live, there is a good chance that ther…
Diabetes Drugs That Can Trigger Flesh-Eating Dis…
If you watch any TV you have probably seen commercials for type-2 diabetes drugs such as Jardiance (empagliflozin) and Farxiga (dapagliflozin). You have heard the refrain, right? "Jardiance is a littl…
Drug Ads’ Death Watch: What Happened to the FD…
I like to think of myself as an optimistic person. That's why I was so gratified to read FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary's article in JAMA (September 12, 2025) titled: “The FDA's Overdue Crackdown…
Does Everyone Over 75 Need Statins to Lower Chol…
The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology have just issued new guidelines for preventing heart disease. Presumably, these organizations expect doctors to follow their new r…
Who Should Be Taking Metformin Against Cancer?
Metformin was created in the 1920s by chemists who were working with the French lilac plant (Galega officinalis). That's because healers had been using French lilac (aka goat's rue) for centuries to c…
Pain Is Personal: Unexpected Gabapentin & T…
Pain is highly subjective. An event that causes excruciating agony for one person might be perceived by another as distressing but bearable. Even the same individual may experience pain differently fr…
Should You Fortify Your Life With Vitamins and M…
Many medical professionals are skeptical about the value of multivitamins. We have heard from some health professionals that vitamins and minerals are a total waste of money. Research is accumulating,…
Health in a Hurry: Important Medical & Phar…
Health in a Hurry – March 13, 2026 Welcome to another edition of Health in a Hurry, our quick scan of medical news that might otherwise slip under the radar. This week we look at troubling pesticide…
Restless Legs Drugs and Compulsive Gambling: A H…
Most Americans assume that bad habits come down to willpower. If someone gambles away their savings, binges on food or shops compulsively, the typical response is simple: they should have exercised mo…
PPI Side Effects: Fearmongering or Legitimate Wa…
Millions of people rely on proton pump inhibitors to calm heartburn and heal ulcers. But when researchers warn about possible PPI side effects, are they offering prudent advice, or just fearmongering?…
Unexpected GLP-1 Side Effects: Fragile Bones to …
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound are transforming medicine. They help people with type-2 diabetes control blood sugar and often lead to dramatic weight loss. Researchers are als…
Nighttime Restless Legs Wreck Lives, Sleep, and …
Have you ever heard of Willis-Ekbom disease? Most people haven’t—even though millions live with it every day. Better known as restless legs syndrome (RLS), this condition is frequently dismissed o…
Falling Asleep with Zolpidem—and Waking up wit…
What do you do when you are caught on the horns of a dilemma? We describe such situations a couple of ways: “Between the devil and the deep blue sea” is one. A similar saying goes: “between a ro…
Health in a Hurry: The Week’s Most Important M…
Last week we launched a new section for our newsletter and website: Health in a Hurry! This week we bring you stories about Hospital Air. Why is the air in emergency rooms so worrisome? You will find…
How to Sleep During Anxious Times
There is no good time to be an insomniac, but these are terrible times. Headlines are designed to provoke anxiety or fear. Contentious political clashes and war make the nighttime news distressing. Wh…
Warned But Not Informed: The Truth About Drug Si…
Do you pay attention to the side effects listed on any of those new drugs being advertised on TV? It may seem as if such medications could be a good solution for your health problem, but the long list…
Is Diphenhydramine Sabotaging Your Brain While Y…
Do you ever forget the name of someone you know well, or struggle to retrieve a simple word mid-sentence? What about birthdays, anniversaries, or passcodes you’ve used for years? Many people dismiss…
FDA Commissioner Makary Wants to Make Most Drugs…
Dennis Miller, R.Ph. is a retired chain store pharmacist. His book, The Shocking Truth About Pharmacy: A Pharmacist Reveals All the Disturbing Secrets, can be downloaded in its entirety at Amazon for …
If You Take Paxlovid, What’s the Cost? Wil…
It appears that most people have put COVID out of mind. That’s because 99% of people shopping, traveling and attending events are no longer wearing masks. We get it. DONE with COVID seems to be the …
Are Statin Side Effects “Fake Medical News…
Doctors dislike drug side effects. After all, physicians prescribe medications to help people, not to hurt them. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, left an enduring caution: “first, do no harm.”…
Bupropion Helps With Mood, Sex and Quitting Smok…
Bupropion (Wellbutrin) was first approved by the FDA in 1985 to treat depression. It remains a totally unique antidepressant. There is no similar antidepressant on the market. Unlike SSRI and SNRI ant…
Curing Cracks at Corners of the Mouth Saved Mom…
We have been writing about a common condition called angular cheilitis for years. Other names for this skin complaint include cheilosis, perleche, angular stomatitis and rhagades. They all refer to in…
Can You Get Shots to Protect You from Alzheimer …
Have you ever heard the old story about a person searching for lost keys under a streetlamp? When asked why look there, the answer was simple: “That’s where the light is.” Researchers studying A…
“PM” Pills, Brain Fog, and Risk: America’s…
The very first prescription antihistamine approved in the United States by the FDA was diphenhydramine (DPH). The compound was created in 1943, and the Parke-Davis pharmaceutical company brought it to…
Will Certo and Grape Juice Help Your Sore Knees?
People with sore joints face a terrible dilemma. Pain interferes with quality of life. On the other hand, medications like diclofenac and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can make p…
Can You Overcome an Afrin Addiction?
Have you ever become addicted to your nasal spray? Millions of people do. Decongestant nasal sprays can be used safely for only a few days before they start to produce rebound congestion that can be q…
Can Medications Change Hair Color or Curl Your H…
We are always intrigued to read about medications that change hair. Usually people complain that beta blocker heart medicines like propranolol or metoprolol lead to thinning hair or hair loss. Others …
Is the Diabetes Drug Jardiance Better Than Ozemp…
If you watch television, there is a decent chance you have seen a Jardiance commercial. The manufacturer is promoting “Big News” about this diabetes drug. Towards the end of the TV spot, the inter…
Defeating Insomnia Without Medications
Tossing and turning for hours is a frustrating experience. Not only are you unable to sleep; you are no doubt aware that sleeplessness can result in diminished performance over the next day or two. Un…
Is Your Doctor Prescribing Inappropriate Medicat…
Have you ever heard the expression: “Seatbelts save lives”? This public service announcement became popular in the 1980s. It helped increase the use of seatbelts in private vehicles. By the mid-19…
Flu Kills. Antiviral Treatments Exist. Why Don…
In a moment I will ask you to step into my time machine and visit The People's Pharmacy newspaper column 43 years ago on February 7, 1983. But first... Antiviral medications have become standard medic…
Nighttime Nasal Congestion | Is There a Non-Addi…
Do you breathe through your mouth when you sleep? A lot of people do. That’s because they experience nighttime nasal congestion. It’s not pleasant. Your mouth gets terribly dry and scuzzy. Nightti…
Metformin Side Effects | Diarrhea and Other Seri…
Metformin (Glucophage) is a great drug. It is the most popular medicine for treating type 2 diabetes. At last count more than 20 million Americans take metformin daily. It is the # 2 most prescribed m…
Cetirizine (Zyrtec) Withdrawal & Unbearable…
Zyrtec and its close chemical cousin Xyzal are popular antihistamines for allergies. They both used to be available only by prescription. Zyrtec became available over the counter in 2008 and Xyzal we…
Should You Avoid Pain Relievers When Trying to C…
Women who are trying to become pregnant often want to know what they should do to improve their chances for success. Some research suggests that those trying to conceive should avoid taking pain relie…
Who Is Watching Out for Older People’s Med…
As we get older, things change. We can see the gray hair cropping up, and try as we might, we can't hide the wrinkles. (At least, not entirely.) Interior changes aren't so visible, but aging also alte…
BP Drug Lisinopril: Swollen Genitals or Intestin…
Lisinopril is taken by over 18 millions Americans to lower blood pressure. That makes it the most prescribed blood blood pressure medication in the United States. It is a very effective medication. Mo…
Do Statins Lower CoQ10 Levels? Can Supplements C…
Doctors prescribe the cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins as an essential step in treating heart disease. Many physicians also prescribe them for prevention. While many people take these medicin…
Mental Health Funding Chaos Puts Lives at Risk…
For 24 chaotic hours this week, the nation’s mental health system was thrown into mental health funding chaos. Thousands of programs that provide addiction treatment, crisis services, school-based c…
Could Common OTC Drugs Sabotage Cancer Immunothe…
Cancer patients and oncologists are working hard to get the best possible results from immune checkpoint blockade—one of the most promising advances in cancer care. But a new warning from Duke resea…