Drug Search and News

Acne Drug Accutane No Longer Sold

2009-07-08T18:15:00.000-04:00

Acne Drug Accutane No Longer Sold: "Accutane won't be sold any more, drug giant Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. has announced.

Generic versions of the acne drug, called isotretinoin, are still available from several manufacturers. But Roche, which has sold the drug to 13 million patients since 1982, will not be one of them."

"Adderall alert" | Students use drug to stay sharp, but it comes at a price

2009-07-05T17:17:00.000-04:00

The Register-Guard "It was fall term when Christian first heard about the magic pill.

Midterms were coming, and weeks of parties and booze were about to catch up with him.

It didn’t matter, a neighbor told him. This pill could solve his problems.

The University of Oregon freshman downed the first orange-and-white tablet the night before his first midterm and stayed up all night reading."

Michael Jackson drug reports prompt doctors' warning

2009-07-05T17:11:00.000-04:00

Reuters: "'Numerous bottles,' of Diprivan without labels were found at the mansion, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Diprivan, the brand name of propofol, is an anesthetic that 'should never be used outside of a controlled and monitored medical setting,' the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) said in a statement, noting that its members have not studied the particulars of Jackson's death.

Patients can have extremely variable responses to the drug and some patients can become completely anesthetized, including losing the ability to breathe, the group said."

Controlling Asthma

2009-07-03T06:59:00.000-04:00

Yahoo! News: "(HealthDay News) -- Medication used to control asthma may be used every day, without the fear of becoming addicted, the American Academy of Family Physicians says.

So-called controller medications help prevent inflammation, so users feel better and breathe easier. The academy says the following people may be candidates for a daily controller medication:"

FDA weighs options to reduce painkiller overdoses

2009-06-30T04:20:00.000-04:00

Yahoo! News: "ADELPHI, Md. – The makers of Tylenol, Excedrin and other medications are trying to dissuade regulators from placing new restrictions on their popular painkillers, including possibly removing some of them from store shelves.

The Food and Drug Administration has assembled more than 35 experts to discuss ways to prevent overdose with acetaminophen — the pain-relieving, fever-reducing ingredient in Tylenol and dozens of other prescription and over-the-counter medications."

After Jackson DEA republish prescription drug abuse warning

2009-06-27T13:36:00.000-04:00

examiner.com: "The celebrity gossip site TMZ.com reported Friday that about an hour before Jackson lost consciousness, he had been administered an injection of the powerful painkiller Demerol by his doctor (Dr. Conrad Murray) who had been living with him in his rented home."

Did Michael Jackson die from prescription drug use?

2009-06-27T09:20:00.000-04:00

Did Michael Jackson die from prescription drug use?: "With the death of Michael Jackson probably on everyone's mind right now, the answer to the question of how he died has most eagerly awaiting the results of the autopsy. Already there are rumors circulating the narcotic pain killer Demerol may have been a factor in his death.

Demerol is a potent pain killer that is administered by injection. The drug also has many side effects and certainly could have caused Jackson's death, especially if his health was already compromised."

Anti-inflammatory Drugs May Defeat Treatment-resistant Type Of Cancer

2009-06-25T17:53:00.000-04:00

Anti-inflammatory Drugs May Defeat Treatment-resistant Type Of Cancer: "Effective drugs for treating a chemotherapy-resistant form of lymphoma might already be on the market according to a study that has pieced together a chemical pathway involved in the disease."

video--Scientists' 'delight' over new cancer drug

2009-06-25T08:25:00.001-04:00

Taking Aspirin daily may be harmful....

2009-06-24T16:59:00.001-04:00

An Aspirin a day, for some people, could pose risks that seriously outweigh the health benefits.

Suicides down after painkiller axed

2009-06-24T06:20:00.000-04:00

The Press Association: "An end to prescriptions for a common painkiller has led to a drop in suicides involving the drug - without a rise in deaths from other painkillers.

Co-proxamol was once the most common prescription drug used in suicides and between 1997 and 1999 was behind 766 deaths in England and Wales, according to the study published on bmj.com."

Some Medications Can Help Trigger Heat-Related Illness

2009-06-17T10:04:00.000-04:00

Yahoo! News: "Heat exhaustion and heatstroke occur when the body becomes overheated and can't cool itself back down.

Some medications may increase your risk of heat-related illness. The American Academy of Family Physicians offers this list:"

Study links some ADHD meds to rare deaths

2009-06-17T09:56:00.000-04:00

CNN.com: "After years of speculation and rare case reports, a study suggests that stimulant medication -- mostly used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder -- may have played a role in a handful of cases of sudden, unexplained death in children and adolescents."

Chemotherapy drug a new age-reversing face cream?

2009-06-17T09:53:00.000-04:00

Los Angeles Times: "For all but one of 20 subjects (aged 56 to 85 years old) at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Fluorouracil, a chemotherapy agent formulated as a topical cream, improved the texture and look of sun-damaged facial skin after subjects applied it twice daily for two weeks, reports a study published in this week's Archives of Dermatology. The subjects' own assessments were seconded by the clinical observations of the study authors, as well as by a committee of dermatologists who reviewed photos of the subjects' faces, as well as by a molecular assessment of the patients' facial skin by researchers."

FDA: Zicam Nasal Spray Can Cause Loss of Smell

2009-06-16T21:39:00.001-04:00

Federal health regulators say consumers should stop using Zicam Cold Remedy nasal gel and related products because they can permanently damage the sense of smell, federal health regulators.

Appetite-Stimulating Hormone is First Potential Medical Treatment for Frailty in Older Women

2009-06-13T07:44:00.000-04:00

Newswise Medical News "Ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite, was administered to older women diagnosed with frailty, a common geriatric syndrome characterized by unintentional weight loss, weakness, exhaustion and low levels of anabolic hormones which increases risk of falls, hospitalizations, disability, and death. Those who received ghrelin infusions consumed 51 percent more calories than the placebo group, with an increase in carbohydrate and protein intake, not fat. Their growth hormone levels were also higher throughout the ghrelin infusion."

Merck Statement in Response to the FDA's June 12, 2009 Communication with Updated Information on Leukotriene Inhibitors, Including SINGULAIR® (montelu

2009-06-13T07:42:00.000-04:00

Merck News Item: "Merck is confident in the efficacy and safety of SINGULAIR, a medicine that has been prescribed to tens of millions of patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis since its approval more than 11 years ago.

'For the millions of people suffering from either asthma or allergic rhinitis, SINGULAIR is an important treatment option for appropriate patients,' said Scott Korn, M.D., vice president, Clinical Risk Management and Safety Surveillance, Merck Research Laboratories."

Prescription drugs leading killer in NWNC

2009-06-12T13:09:00.000-04:00

GoDanRiver: "Drugs of choice such are opiate-derived painkillers as Oxycodone, which includes such forms as OxyContin, Percocet and Percodan, as well as Hydrocodone, sold under trademarks including Vicodin.

“Prescription drugs right now are the No. 1 problem,“ Wilkes Sheriff Dane Mastin said. “Not cocaine. Not meth. It’s generating lots of break-ins, home invasions.“"

Have Unused Medications?

2009-06-12T13:02:00.000-04:00

Yahoo! News: "While flushing unwanted or expired medications down the toilet is common practice, Health Canada says this may harm the environment.

Here's how to properly dispose of medications:

* Check to see if your pharmacy has a drug recycling program.
* See if your municipality incinerates drugs. If so, take your unused medications to your municipality's waste disposal depot.
* At least once a year, go through your medicine cabinet and remove prescription drugs that are old or that you no longer take. Dispose of them as suggested above."

Novartis produces first batch of swine flu vaccine

2009-06-12T06:28:00.000-04:00

Yahoo! News: "BASEL, Switzerland (AFP) – Swiss drugs giant Novartis has completed a first batch of swine flu vaccine for pre-clinical trials and aims to make a version available in the fall, the company said.

'Novartis has successfully completed the production of the first batch of influenza A(H1N1) vaccine, weeks ahead of expectations,' the company said in a statement."

Should you padlock your medicine cabinet?

2009-06-11T13:17:00.000-04:00

Healthbeat: : "While your medicine cabinet may be out of reach for your toddler, it is well within arm's length of your teen-ager and it houses many substances that can be extremely harmful to their health, especially if misused. In fact, teens abuse prescription drugs more than any illicit drug except marijuana."

Study finds little risk from a morning sickness medication

2009-06-11T13:14:00.000-04:00

Los Angeles Times: "The drug, metoclopramide -- sold generically and under the brand names Reglan, Octamide and Maxolon -- is occasionally used for more severe cases in this country. It is used more commonly in Europe and Israel, although there has previously been little information about its safety. The drug speeds emptying of the stomach and reduces heartburn.

In this country, the medications Compazine, Phenergan and Zofran are the most frequently prescribed for morning sickness."

GTx muscle drug boosts lean body mass in mid-stage trial

2009-06-11T13:12:00.000-04:00

Reuters: "LOS ANGELES, June 11 (Reuters) - GTx Inc (GTXI.O) said patients with cancer-induced muscle loss, or cancer cachexia, gained as much as 1.5 kilograms of muscle in a mid-stage trial of its experimental drug Ostarine."

Vivus says obesity drug helps diabetics

2009-06-10T08:39:00.000-04:00

Reuters: "LOS ANGELES, June 8 (Reuters) - Drug developer Vivus Inc (VVUS.O) said on Monday said that its experimental drug Qnexa was shown to improve blood sugar control through weight loss in obese patients with type 2 diabetes."

Prescription Drug Warning: Xanax

2009-06-10T08:36:00.000-04:00

Prescription Drug Warning: Xanax: "'We need to get on top of this extreme situation now. Kids need to be educated on the risks involved, not only in taking Xanax, but in suddenly discontinuing it without the help of a physician. Withdrawal symptoms can be severe and include agitation, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting and convulsions. It is one of the most difficult drugs to withdraw from, once addicted. Many cases require a medically supervised detox from Xanax addiction, as withdrawal symptoms can be deadly.'"