Depression
Exercise Is Effective Treatment for Psychologica…
Exercise may help people overcome mild to moderate depression. Previous studies have shown that younger and middle aged people benefit. (Keep reading for more details on those.) Scientists have eviden…
Will SAMe Combat Depression?
A dietary supplement called SAMe, also known as S-Adenosyl Methionine, may be helpful against resistant depression. SAMe is available without prescription and has long been used to relieve arthritis p…
Show 1368: Why Overcoming Loneliness Is Crucial …
In this week’s interview, Dr. Robert Waldinger of Harvard University explains why overcoming loneliness is essential for our health. His research, summarized in The Good Life, shows that close relat…
Cough Remedy Plus Antidepressant Spark Scary Ser…
Chances are good that you’ve heard of serotonin. It is a neurotransmitter in the brain that has been linked to mood. Fluoxetine (Prozac) and its antidepressant chemical cousins (citalopram or Celexa…
Antidepressants and Suicide: Why Don’t Peo…
Antidepressants are, by definition, supposed to improve mood. They are prescribed to lift people out of psychological depression. In theory, drugs like fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil) and sert…
Long COVID Is Common and Scary!
The immediate threat from a COVID infection is readily understood now. Most people who catch COVID-19 recover within a few weeks. However, doctors are still struggling with a different problem patient…
Duloxetine Recall: FDA Flags Carcinogenic Risk f…
Not Again! We have had it with carcinogenic contamination of pharmaceuticals. This has been happening far too often. The latest scandal involves more than 7,000 bottles of generic duloxetine (Cymbalta…
Doctors Still Doubt Antidepressants Can Trigger …
Most healthcare professionals have a hard time believing antidepressants can trigger suicide. It seems implausible that medications which are supposed to help relieve depression might make some people…
Beware of Sudden and Unexpected Psychiatric Side…
If you develop a rash within hours of starting a new medicine, you don't need Sherlock Holmes to help you make the connection. Some drug side effects are harder to identify. Psychological reactions ca…
The Burden of Being 100% Accurate in Filling Pre…
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 …
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…
Are There Toxins in Your Drinking Water?
Does your drinking water contain contaminants you don't know about? Too many municipalities do dispense water with dangerous impurities. Even more alarming, the toxins you encounter in your water or a…
Why Is Antidepressant Withdrawal So Hard?
A few years ago it was estimated that one out of eight Americans took an antidepressant medication (JAMA Internal Medicine, Feb. 2017) daily. According to my current calculations, 46 million people no…
Will You Gain Weight on an Antidepressant?
Antidepressant medications are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the United States. People who take antidepressant medications for many years often complain that they gain weight. Several year…
Oral Ketamine vs. Depression! What Took So Long?
Drug discovery can sometimes seem interminably slow. A small study published in Biological Psychiatry (Feb. 15, 2000) was one of the first placebo-controlled trials to demonstrate that low-dose ketami…
Duloxetine (Cymbalta) Side Effects & Withdr…
We have received so many complaints about duloxetine (Cymbalta) side effects that we have lost count. Far more disturbing are the number of people who tell us how hard it is to discontinue this drug. …
Does Your Medicine Have a Boxed Warning? Why You…
When people are poised to participate in risky activities, they are supposed to follow safety protocols. For example, sky divers exercise proper precautions and procedures before each jump. No commerc…
Show 1315: Are We Medicating Normal Emotions? (A…
This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we examine the consequences of prescriptions for anxiety or grief. All of us, at some point in our lives, will experience some of these emotions. If …
Show 1383: How to Calm Your Mind with Food
Plenty of issues in the public eye could well make anyone anxious. Some people suffer more than others, however. What we feed our gut microbes–and ourselves–can make a big difference. In this epis…
Can Lithium in Water Supply Prevent Dementia?
The chances are good that you are exposed to some lithium almost every day of your life. That's because this natural element is plentiful in nature. It is found in rocks and soil all over the earth. T…
Show 1350: Why Psychotherapy Matters: Lessons fr…
If you tell your healthcare provider that you’re feeling anxious or depressed, chances are they will prescribe you a medication. Millions of people take anti-anxiety pills or antidepressants, and ma…
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…
Authorized Generic Drugs Offer Quality and Affor…
Have you ever heard of authorized generic drugs? Most people, including some physicians and pharmacists, have no idea what they are. That’s largely because the Food and Drug Administration tells the…
Do Doctors Know How to Help Patients Stop Medica…
Imagine for a moment that you are the CEO of a major drug company. What is the ideal product? Sadly, it’s all about money. In other words, what would be a highly profitable medication that doctors w…
Show 1367: How to Evaluate Prescription Drugs
In this week’s interview, Dr. Aaron Carroll of Indiana University discusses what we should take into account when we evaluate prescription drugs. How can we tell if the benefits would outweigh the r…
Why You Should Eat the Mediterranean Way
The Mediterranean diet has been associated with a number of health benefits. We have written previously about studies showing that a Mediterranean-style eating plan can protect the brain, reduce arthr…
When a Drug Like Buproprion Smells Bad
Some drugs have a distinctive odor. That’s a nice way of saying that some medications naturally smell nasty. For example, we have seen complaints that the blood pressure medicine diltiazem has a str…
Do Conflicts of Interest Distort Antidepressant …
How reliable are studies of medicines used to treat psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, panic or depression? A quick count of popular antidepressants reveals that more than 40 million Americans fi…
What Should You Know about New Antidepressant Sp…
The Food and Drug Administration approved a completely new type of antidepressant on March 4, 2019. The nasal spray called esketamine is supposed to help people who have not responded to standard anti…
How to Fight Back Against SAD This Winter
As the weather changes from a welcome chill in the air to wet and nasty to cold and icy, many people discover that they are spending more time inside. During short days, they get relatively little sun…
Which Medicines Can Cause Severe Depression? Weg…
Most people experience sadness or depression sometime during their lives. Divorce, the death of a loved one, work-related problems or financial setbacks can all trigger severe depression. Once the cri…
Antidepressant Combination (Amitriptyline &…
Mixing and matching medications can lead to pharmaceutical mess ups. This is especially true when the drugs do not go well together. We have been writing about dangerous drug interactions for about 50…
Psilocybin from Mushrooms Can Ease Depression
Psilocybin is the psychoactive compound in hallucinogenic mushrooms. Humans have used this "magic" mushroom compound in rituals for thousands of years. Psilocybin from mushrooms alters sensory percept…
Can Chantix Cause Depression?
The stop-smoking drug varenicline (Chantix) was first approved by the FDA on May 11, 2006. It wasn't long before millions of people were taking this oral medication to help them quit cigarettes. The i…
Usual Antidepressants Don’t Help New Type …
According to the CDC, 16 million adults will suffer from depression this year. This illness has a negative impact on mood, thinking and behavior. It takes the joy out of activities that are normally p…
How Long Will Dizziness Last After Stopping Lexa…
It is always smart to have an exit strategy. That is just as true when you begin taking a prescription medication as when you take a new job that might or might not be quite suitable. Doctors and phar…
Prednisone Can Cause Anxiety, Depression and Ins…
Corticosteroids are both a blessing and a curse. They can calm a serious allergic reaction and reduce inflammation. People with asthma may profit from a drug like prednisone during a flareup. Patients…
Vitamin D Supplements for Babies May Boost Kids&…
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for both children and adults. Long ago, scientists dubbed it the "sunshine vitamin" because skin can synthesize it in the presence of sunlight. Doctors in northern c…
Will Ketamine Really Battle Life-Long Depression…
People with depression have a really tough time. Not only does the condition suck all of the joy out of life, the medications used to treat it have some potentially serious side effects. Moreover, ant…
Are You “Addicted” to Your Prescription Medi…
Before you read another word, rethink the term addiction! It is loaded with emotional baggage and is a terrible description of drug dependence. It often implies character flaws or vulnerability and fr…