Drug Information
GLP-1 Depression Warning: Weight-Loss Drugs May …
Weight loss drugs such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) continue to set record sales. Most people assume that the side effects of medicines prescribed for weight l…
Do Tamiflu Side Effects Outweigh Its Benefits?
Viruses are on the move…though the air and on surfaces. Subclade K type A H3N2 influenza is spreading. People catch it primarily by inhaling invisible viral particles. Public health authorities are …
Prednisone Withdrawal: Why Stopping Steroids Can…
Prednisone can feel like a lifesaver when symptoms are spiraling — but stopping it can plunge people into a physical and emotional tailspin. I have often characterized corticosteroids as powerful do…
What’s the Story on Metformin for Diabetes?
Metformin has become the go-to drug for type 2 diabetes. It's easy to understand why. The drug works to control blood sugar and it is incredibly inexpensive compared to many of the newer diabetes drug…
Why Don’t Doctors Like to Prescribe Desicc…
The thyroid gland is small and unassuming, so it doesn't usually command a lot of attention. When it misbehaves, though, its owner suffers. That happens more often than you might imagine. The American…
FDA Approves Heart Benefits for Wegovy Weight Lo…
Obesity is a world-wide problem. It’s no wonder, then, that injectable drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) have become incredibly popular. Last year, Wegovy…
How Well Does the New Weight Loss Medicine Work?
When the weight-loss drug Wegovy (pronounced wee-GOH’-vee) became available in the United States a few years ago, it captured plenty of social-media buzz. People like Elon Musk lost weight while sel…
Bioidentical Hormones: Estrogen, Progesterone &#…
The FDA is removing the boxed warning from hormone replacement therapy (HRT). What about the bioidentical hormones? Does the green light for HRT include the bioidentical hormones estrogen, progesteron…
Rosuvastatin Linked to High Blood Sugar
Statin medications lower cholesterol; doctors prescribe them to lower the risk for a heart attack. While people likely to suffer a heart attack generally welcome the protection, others may weigh the c…
Can GLP-1 Agonists Fix What Ails You — and War…
Popular drugs approved for diabetes control and weight loss produce many other effects in the body as well. Drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) have helped some people cut back on alcohol consump…
Pomegranate Juice and Rosuvastatin…a Surpr…
Do you know which foods might react badly with your medications? As a graduate student in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Michigan over 50 years ago I was intrigued by food and dru…
Wegovy Shots vs. Wegovy Pills for Weight Loss an…
Semaglutide has gotten a lot of attention over the past few years. If you don’t recognize this generic drug name, you probably do recognize the brand names: Ozempic for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy fo…
Why Full and Meaningful Disclosure About the Ris…
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 …
Are Menopausal Women Taking a Big Risk with HRT?…
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been controversial for decades. Many gynecologists told women that estrogen-containing pills would eliminate hot flashes, night sweats and other symptoms of menop…
How To Stop Venlafaxine: Very, VERY Slowly!
It has taken the medical profession a very long time to acknowledge that many of the most popular drugs in the pharmacy can cause a kind of dependence. By that we mean such drugs can precipitate serio…
The Report of Drug Ads’ Death Was Greatly Exag…
Mark Twain is often quoted to have said something like “Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” It would appear that the same could be said for prescription drug ads’ death. Back in Septem…
Estrogen and Breast Cancer: Yes – NO! R…
There are few controversies in medicine that have been as long-lasting and confusing as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The Food and Drug Administration approved Premarin (conjugated estrogens) ear…
The Vaccine Controversy Is Dividing America
We have written hundreds of articles on divisive health topics. They include cholesterol and heart disease, seed oils, statins, opioids for pain, COVID treatments, food fights, vitamins, home remedies…
Is Lp(a) Contributing to Unexplained Heart Attac…
Are physicians overlooking a key risk factor for heart disease? Is Lp(a) contributing to unexplained heart attacks? For decades, doctors have focused primarily on LDL cholesterol as a determinant of c…
Is There a Natural Herbal Remedy for Colds or Fl…
Colds that hit late in the season can be especially nasty. Might an herbal remedy for colds offer relief? Several readers suggest recipes for remedies you can make at home. Easing Sore Throat with Sli…
Common Lack of Vitamin B12 Linked to Depression …
Vitamin deficiencies are supposed to be a thing of the past. But a lack of vitamin B12 may be surprisingly common. Most people don't think twice about this nutrient, also known as cobalamin. Vitamins …
Problems with Generic Wellbutrin (Bupropion)? No…
Eighteen years ago we received a message from J. in Danville, New York about her antidepressant--generic Wellbutrin (bupropion). She said: "I have been taking Budeprion XL 300 mg for three months inst…
Will the FDA Ban Armour and Other Natural Thyroi…
Levothyroxine, a synthetic version of the thyroid hormone known as T4, is at or near the top of the list of most prescribed medications. Millions of Americans need to take this medication because thei…
Joint Pain Solutions When NSAIDs Kill Your Stoma…
NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are best sellers in the pharmacy. According to our calculations, over 10 million people take prescription-strength celecoxib, diclofenac or meloxicam. We …
The Amazingly Variable Downsides of Antidepressa…
At last count, nearly 50 million Americans swallow an antidepressant medication daily. The top 6 drugs are in order: sertraline (Zoloft), escitalopram (Lexapro), bupropion (Wellbutrin), fluoxetine (Pr…
Has Your Atorvastatin Been Recalled? Better Chec…
About 30 million Americans swallow atorvastatin every day to lower their "bad" LDL cholesterol. In this article I will not get into the pros and cons of statins to reduce the risk of heart disease. Yo…
Is Your Medication Made in a Contaminated Factor…
by Debbie Cenziper and Megan Rose of ProPublica This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter…
Ketogenic Diet Advantages and Disadvantages
Although the ketogenic diet is now in vogue, it is by no means a new phenomenon. Doctors began prescribing ketogenic diets containing few if any carbohydrates in the early 1920s. At that time, they ha…
Did 15 Years Taking Aspirin Prevent Colorectal C…
Sometimes an anecdote or personal experience has a strong basis in science. You will shortly read a story from a reader about his family history with colon cancer. He suspects that his recent good new…
TRAMADOL Is a Pain Reliever that Brings Relief o…
We rarely observe a medication that has such staunch supporters — or bitter critics — as tramadol. This is truly a love-hate pharmaceutical relationship! As you will shortly read, tramadol is a pa…
Ibuprofen and High Blood Pressure: A Dangerous R…
Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been increasing for several years (Open Heart, April 28, 2017). We're talking about drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen. Such pain relievers are …
Show 1448: How to Stop Suffering with Sinusitis
If you have ever suffered with sinusitis, you know how terrible it can make you feel. Breathing is difficult; smelling and tasting anything is impossible. What are the causes of sinusitis and what can…
The Post-Opioid Pain Problem: Gabapentin and Tra…
Americans are suffering! That's because 60 million people—nearly 1 out of 4—must deal with chronic pain. One of the country's leading pain experts, Sean Mackey, MD, PhD, goes even farther. He esti…
Do Treatments for Knee Arthritis Do More Harm Th…
Steroid shots and arthroscopic surgery have been mainstays in the treatment of pain and inflammation brought on by knee arthritis. Many people try to delay knee replacement as long as possible, especi…
Sleeping Pills for Seniors: A Scary Solution for…
Do you have trouble sleeping? That’s just a natural outcome of accumulating lots of birthdays, right? Actually, insomnia is not a normal consequence of aging. According to the National Poll on Healt…
Alka-Seltzer — Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz: Is It t…
We recently received a basic question from a reader about Alka-Seltzer for indigestion. That sent me on a trip into the Wayback Machine. Actually, I just reached on my bookshelf for the very first edi…
Does Evenity Build Bone Against Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis, a condition in which bones lose density and become fragile, is a serious health risk for older people. There are now, however, a number of medications that can slow or possibly even re…
Will Drug-Resistant Infections Kill Millions?
Infectious disease experts have been concerned about drug-resistant bacteria for years. Back in 2019, researchers at the United Nations issued an alarming analysis about drug-resistant infections. It …
Stopping Tramadol + Acetaminophen (Ultracet) Led…
You have heard an awful lot about the opioid epidemic. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Opioids are addictive. People can quickly lose control over their opioid use and need to ke…
Can You Manage Your Blood Sugar Naturally?
Metformin is a first-line medication for people with type 2 diabetes. Although doctors also prescribe it for different disorders, from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) to prostate cancer, the majori…