Health News: Limitation of Over the Counter Antidiarrheal Medication; Depression Prevalence in American Adults; Brain Concussion Blood Test Approved by FDA
*Limitation of OTC Antidiarrheal Medication Doses by FDA* The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that it will work with manufacturers to limit the number of doses in packages of over the counter antidiarrheal medication Loperamide ( Imodium). Loperamide (Imodium A-D) can lead to serious heart problems and even death when consumed in a…
Medical Marijuana – It’s Complicated
Recent approval of marijuana for medical use has brought up more questions than it has answered. The main conundrum is how this substance can be legal in various states – in 29 for medical use and in 7 for recreational use – but still be illegal in the eyes of the federal government. How does…
A Few Thoughts About Supplements
Thanks to Dr. Nathan for bringing our attention to an article in the New York Times on 1/5/2018 titled, “How to Counter the Circus of Pseudoscience,” by Lisa Pryor, a medical doctor and author of “A Small Book About Drugs.” It might lend some insight into the struggles we physicians have with saying yes or no…
MMR and TDAP Vaccines in Young Adults
Do you have family members of college age? In recent years, there have been quite a few mumps outbreaks on college campuses and military compound. From the end of July through September 2017, there were 26 cases of mumps reported in 140 military recruits from a military compound in Switzerland. Vaccinations against measles, mumps and…
Sustainable Transformations for the New Year
It’s one thing to state a ‘resolution’ but another to make it happen. Look at the new year as an opportunity to get a new start on satisfying one of your personal wishes. Using Mindfulness techniques on a regular basis helps keep you present in the moment, focused and aligned with your goals. Yoga, meditation, breathwork, quietude,…
Why Are Your Fingers Turning Colors?
As the cold weather returns, I warn my patients frequently about my cold hands. They’re cold during the summer, but much worse during the winter. Like many of my patients, I not only have cold hands, but I have Raynaud’s. When I’m out in the cold, touch a cold steering wheel, or sometimes walk through…
Staying Calm During the Holidays
This is a very busy time of year filled with extra demands both physically and emotionally. It’s easy to get overloaded and overwhelmed and drawn into the stress and chaos of the holiday season. Using mindfulness strategies can help you to slow down and keep your calm. There are many different programs and apps to…
Exercise Can Prevent Deaths
You may be tired of hearing that exercise is good for you. And you may wonder if it’s too late to start a routine once you’ve already been diagnosed with heart disease. It has been shown many times over that exercise is helpful in both primary prevention (i.e. no known heart disease) and secondary prevention…
Ten Percent Is Nothing To Sneeze At
As you might have read recently, review of the influenza season in the Southern Hemisphere demonstrated that this year’s flu vaccine was only 10% effective there. It is too early in the Northern Hemisphere to predict whether the vaccine that we have been giving will be any more effective. We do know that the vaccine…
New Vaccine for Prevention of Shingles Approved
The FDA approved the use of Shingrix, a recombinant inactivated vaccine, for protection against shingles in patients aged 50 and older on October 20, 2017. The American Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), recommended that Shingrix be given instead of Zostavax, the currently available live, attenuated vaccine which has been on the market since 2006. Shingles…