Drug Information
Could Hypotension Be the Other Silent Killer? Di…
Doctors worry a lot about high blood pressure, and understandably so. Hypertension has long been called the “silent killer” because it can damage blood vessels, the heart, kidneys and brain withou…
Estradiol Patch Shortage: Why Are Women Still Hu…
Women who rely on estrogen patches to control hot flashes, night sweats and other symptoms of menopause have been discovering something disappointing at the pharmacy: their medicine may be unavailable…
Hallucinogenic Toad Venom Eases Treatment-Resist…
Depression is more than a simple case of the blues. A serious disruption in mood can also affect sleeping, eating, interest in sex and numerous other aspects of health. For many people, antidepressant…
Mother Nature, Fever and Immunity: Did Modern Me…
For thousands of years, the human body has responded to infection by turning up the heat. Fever is not an accident or a design flaw. It is part of an ancient defense system that evolved to help us fig…
What George Orwell Might Say About Today’s Pha…
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 …
When Good Doctors Give Bad Advice: How to Trust …
Almost anyone who watched television in the 1970s remembers Marcus Welby, M.D. Robert Young played the kind, wise family doctor who seemed to have unlimited time for his patients and almost always kn…
When Topical Pain Relief Gets Under Your Skin: T…
If you can't tolerate ibuprofen, naproxen, celecoxib, meloxicam or other oral anti-inflammatory drugs, rubbing a medicine onto an aching joint instead of swallowing a pill sounds like an ideal solutio…
Beware of Serotonin Syndrome from Cough Remedy I…
Chances are good that you’ve heard of serotonin. Scientists have linked this neurotransmitter in the brain to mood. Fluoxetine (Prozac) and its antidepressant chemical cousins (citalopram or Celexa,…
Women Have New Options to Treat Symptoms of Meno…
Many women find the hot flashes and night sweats of menopause uncomfortable, but for some women these symptoms are unbearable. The standard treatment is estrogen replacement therapy, which has been th…
What Can You Use for Psoriasis If You Can’…
Although no one knows precisely what causes psoriasis, most experts believe this skin condition gets worse when the immune system is especially stressed. Skin cell growth goes into overdrive, and cell…
Shots vs. Wegovy Pills for Weight Loss and Heart…
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…
New Ways to Get Rid of Skin Tags
Skin tags have a fancy medical name: acrochorda (a single tag is called an acrochordon). Dermatologists also call them fibroepithelial polyps. These are soft, fleshy growths that often show up in armp…
Can You Overcome Long-Term Laxative Addiction?
Good digestive function is widely recognized as a cornerstone of good health. As a consequence, some people who have trouble with constipation may be tempted to use laxatives. If they do so repeatedly…
Show 1491: Would Eating Better Reduce Brain Fog?
Do you run out of go-power in the middle of the morning? Maybe you find it hard to focus and your ability to call on your memory is strained. Or perhaps you suffer from an after-lunch slump. Some peop…
Blood Pressure Treatment Tradeoffs: Balancing Be…
How low should your blood pressure go? That seems like such a simple question. There are many healthcare professionals who believe that intensive cholesterol and blood pressure (BP) control is highly …
Don’t Eat After Dinner if You Love Your Li…
The Blondie comic strip featuring Blondie Boopadoop and her playboy husband Dagwood Bumstead is one of the longest running funnies in American newspapers. It was launched on September 8, 1930 and is s…
Should We Laugh or Cry About Generic Drug Qualit…
Something strange is happening around our concerns about generic drug quality. After decades in which this topic seemed capable of putting almost anyone to sleep, suddenly people are making highly ent…
Fecal Transplant: From “Yuck” Factor to FDA-…
There are some medical treatments that sound perfectly reasonable when a doctor explains them. A fecal transplant is generally not one of them. The idea of transferring poop from a healthy person int…
How Can You Ease Heartburn Symptoms?
If you suffer from heartburn, you might describe it as a burning sensation under the breastbone. People with recurrent reflux can usually also talk about the types of foods that trigger their discomfo…
Is Lp(a) Contributing to Mysterious Heart Attack…
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…
Can PM Sleeping Pills Cause Memory Problems?
Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) have been around for decades. They are found not only in allergy medicines but also in many nighttime sleep aids and “PM” pain relievers. Could re…
Can You Make Your Lashes Grow Longer and Eyebrow…
Some very interesting drug developments have happened by accident. Think Viagra, Rogaine and Botox as prime examples. These are now household brands, but they were each developed from something else. …
Unexpected GLP-1 Side Effects: Can Eye Doctors a…
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. As a result, they h…
U.S. Blocking Brand Name Drugs from Canada! Will…
If you have tried to buy brand name medicine in the US, you know that prices can be unbelievable. Most generic drugs are cheap by comparison. Imagine trying to buy a box of Kleenex only to discover th…
What to Do About Arthritis Pain When NSAIDs Are …
Tens of millions of people suffer constant arthritis pain. Many of them have severe joint deterioration. The usual recommendation is to take NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). You know: ib…
Devastating Hair Loss Side Effect from Beta Bloc…
Most medications come with a long list of potential adverse reactions. When a health professional prescribes a medicine, such as a beta blocker for high blood pressure, the chances are that she will f…
Drinking Coffee with Synthroid Undermines a Morn…
How do you take your Synthroid, the levothyroxine medication used to treat an underactive thyroid gland? Usually, people are urged to take it first thing in the morning. Ideally, it is taken at least …
Potty Mouth Mischief: Did Stop-Smoking Chantix M…
Americans like to believe that we are fully in charge of our own behavior. We choose what we say, how we drive and whether we pick a fight. So it can be unsettling to imagine that a medicine might alt…
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…
Generic Drug Quality Quagmire: Do You Know Who M…
Most of us pick up a prescription, swallow the pills and never give much thought to generic drug quality. We assume that if a medicine made it onto an American pharmacy shelf, someone has made absolu…
NasalCrom Is a Forgotten Allergy Treatment That …
People who suffer from allergies rarely get the respect they deserve. Complain about arthritis, chest pain or diabetes and you will get lots of sympathy. Describe your drippy nose or ask about effecti…
Aspirin vs. Xarelto (Rivaroxaban) or Eliquis (Ap…
People who undergo hip or knee replacements are at high risk for developing blood clots during the first several weeks after surgery. How serious is this complication? A research paper published in Cu…
What’s In Your Armpits: Magnesium or Alumi…
Most people rarely read labels. Do you have any idea what's in your toothpaste, shampoo or sunscreen? What about your antiperspirant or deodorant? Be honest, now. Have you ever checked your antiperspi…
Show 1487: Hair Loss and Nail Problems: A Dermat…
Do you worry that your hair is thinning? You may wonder what treatments could make a real difference. After all, you wouldn’t want to spend money on something that has no chance of helping. Many peo…
Coping with Anxiety: Could One Dose of LSD Chang…
What if severe anxiety could someday be treated with a single, medically supervised dose of LSD rather than a pill taken every day? New Phase 3 research suggests that possibility may be getting closer…
There Are No Side Effects
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 …
Zyrtec Withdrawal Is a Nightmare
Cetirizine (Zyrtec) is an antihistamine often used to treat allergies, nasal congestion or hives. It is considered a second-generation non-sedating antihistamine. In other words, it doesn't make you d…
Is There a Danger from Xylitol?
There is a strong consensus that Americans get too much sugar in our diets. As a result, manufacturers have turned to sugar substitutes for some popular foods and beverages and also some medications. …
Tylenol & Alcohol: Devastating Acetaminophe…
We keep getting questions from readers who want to know about taking Tylenol & alcohol together. You might think that this question would be easily resolved. The various Tylenol labels are a bit c…
Why Drug Benefits and Harms Cannot Be Untangled
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 …