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Category Archives: Drug Side Effects

Ketamine cousin rapidly lifts depression without side effects, study suggests

Posted: Published on May 31st, 2013

May 30, 2013 GLYX-13, a molecular cousin to ketamine, induces similar antidepressant results without the street drug side effects, reported a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) that was published last month in Neuropsychopharmacology. Major depression affects about 10 percent of the adult population and is the second leading cause of disability in U.S. adults, according to the World Health Organization. Despite the availability of several different classes of antidepressant drugs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), 30 to 40 percent of adults are unresponsive to these medications. Moreover, SSRIs typically take weeks to work, which increases the risk for suicide. Enter NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor modulators. In the 1970s, researchers linked the receptors to learning and memory. Biotech and pharmaceutical companies in the 1980s attempted to apply chemical blockers to these receptors as a means to prevent stroke. But blocking these receptors led to the opposite effect -- --the rise of cardiovascular disease. Research in the field dampened until a glutamate receptor antagonist already approved for anesthesia, and known on the streets as "Special K," ketamine, made headlines in the early 2000s. Human clinical studies demonstrated that ketamine can ward off major and bipolar depressive … Continue reading

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RxISK Announces New Tools to Decipher Drug Company Speak

Posted: Published on May 31st, 2013

Toronto, Canada (PRWEB) May 31, 2013 RxISK stories Narratives shared by patients with their permission and without personal identifiers, will now be available. According to Dr. Dee Mangin, RxISK.orgs Chief Medical Officer, the best way to understand the impact of drug side effects is to read personal stories. Stories have the details that matter to people, that they can relate to. People notifying their drug side effects have given permission to share, in the hope that this will be helpful to others. She adds, a description of somebody elses experience on a drug is more helpful to both patients and doctors than just reading numbers and statistics it provides meaning. This will help people understand whether what they are experiencing is the same as others, what to expect and what may be helpful. Established side effects RxISK will now indicate which drug side effects have an officially acknowledged causal link. RxISKs CEO, Dr. David Healy, says: our new content comes from a database of established side effects created by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and updated to 30 June 2012. It has been compiled by EMA and partners from the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) for medicines authorized in the … Continue reading

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Ketamine cousin rapidly lifts depression sans 'street drug' side effects

Posted: Published on May 31st, 2013

Washington, May 31 (ANI): GLYX-13, a molecular cousin to ketamine, induces similar antidepressant results without the street drug side effects, according to a study. Major depression affects about 10 percent of the adult population and is the second leading cause of disability in U.S. adults, according to the World Health Organization. Despite the availability of several different classes of antidepressant drugs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), 30 to 40 percent of adults are unresponsive to these medications. Moreover, SSRIs typically take weeks to work, which increases the risk for suicide. Enter NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor modulators. In the 1970s, researchers linked the receptors to learning and memory. Biotech and pharmaceutical companies in the 1980s attempted to apply chemical blockers to these receptors as a means to prevent stroke. But blocking these receptors led to the opposite effect---the rise of cardiovascular disease. Research in the field dampened until a glutamate receptor antagonist already approved for anesthesia, and known on the streets as "Special K", ketamine, made headlines in the early 2000s. Human clinical studies demonstrated that ketamine can ward off major and bipolar depressive symptoms within 2 hours of administration and last for several days. Ketamine is fraught with serious … Continue reading

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DrugRisk Update Shows Experts May Testify NuvaRing Estrogen Bursts Led to Blood Clots

Posted: Published on May 30th, 2013

Kansas City, MO (PRWEB) May 30, 2013 The birth control safety advocates at DrugRisk.com are announcing new information on the site for women who have used the vaginal ring contraceptive NuvaRing. A judge has ruled that doctors can allege in testimony that estrogen bursts from NuvaRing contributed to patient blood clots*. DrugRisk was created to improve the safety of patients using popular prescription drugs and devices by providing the latest warnings, research, legal news and recalls. Visitors can find out if others are experiencing similar side effects and decide if they need legal advice. Health experts have linked contraceptives like NuvaRing to higher risks of blood clots than traditional birth control pills. Last year, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study finding vaginal ring contraceptives could relate to a 2.5 to 3-fold increased risk of blood clots**. With over a thousand patients filing a NuvaRing lawsuit alleging blood clots, many cases were consolidated to a special federal court in Missouri, with trials set to start in October***. The formal case is known as In re: NuvaRing Products Liability Litigation, No. 08-md-1964, JPML, Eastern District Missouri. Now, DrugRisk has learned that Judge Sippel, who will oversee the litigation, has … Continue reading

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Professor Green Suffers Side Effects From Pain Pills

Posted: Published on May 29th, 2013

British rapper Professor Green is battling unusual side effects from his pain medication following his terrifying traffic accident on Friday (24May13). The Read All About It hitmaker was hospitalised to treat injuries he sustained when he was pinned between two cars, and he was subsequently discharged with a cocktail of painkillers to take as he recovers at home. However, the musician has now revealed he is suffering a barrage of bizarre side effects from the medicine, including itchy skin and a bout of hiccups which lasted more than 12 hours. In a series of posts on Twitter.com, he writes, "The itching is unreal, tramadol (pain killer) is one hell of a strange drug... "I have hiccups... I've tried a lot of methods to get rid of the hiccups. It's been quite a while now... Reaction to the co-codamol (pain killer). Wonderful... Wicked, 12 hours with hiccups... It's a reaction to the painkillers. I get it from general anaesthetic as well." Link: Professor Green Suffers Side Effects From Pain Pills … Continue reading

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DrugRisk Adds Study Alleging New Pradaxa Bleeding Dangers

Posted: Published on May 29th, 2013

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) May 29, 2013 The prescription drug resource center DrugRisk.com is alerting patients taking the blood thinner Pradaxa of updated safety information on the site. A new study warns that patients may not be taking the drug correctly and there may be an added risk when switching from other blood thinners*. DrugRisk was created to improve the safety of patients taking popular prescription drugs by providing the latest warnings, recalls, studies and legal news. Visitors can see if others are experiencing similar side effects and decide if they need legal advice. Pradaxa was launched in 2010 to prevent strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation. Experts disagree, however, about whether it has more risk for internal bleeding. The FDA recently advised that Pradaxa is no more dangerous than traditional blood thinner warfarin**. However, DrugRisk contains information from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, who warned that patients suffering Pradaxa bleeding are nearly 5 times as likely to die than those with bleeding from Coumadin or warfarin. They also named anticoagulants like Pradaxa among the most dangerous drugs available***. The resource center also contains research from the University of Illinois at Chicago suggesting the data used by the FDA may … Continue reading

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DrugRisk Announces Yaz Settlements Leading to Drop in Lawsuits

Posted: Published on May 24th, 2013

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) May 24, 2013 The birth control information center at DrugRisk.com is announcing new information on the site for women who have taken the contraceptives Yaz or Yasmin. Records show the number of pending cases filed alleging blood clots has decreased as Bayer continues to settle claims*. The goal of DrugRisk is to improve the safety of patients taking popular prescription drugs like Yaz and Yasmin, by providing the latest research, safety alerts, recalls and litigation news. Visitors can determine if others have experienced similar side effects and decide if they need legal advice. The resource center has added warnings from health experts like the British Medical Journal** and FDA*** that birth control pills containing the hormone drospirenone, such as Yaz and Yasmin, can increase the risk of blood clots, DVT and pulmonary embolism by as much as 74%. When thousands of patients came forward to file a Yaz lawsuit alleging blood clots, cases were consolidated to a special federal Multi-District Litigation court in Illinois (Yasmin and Yaz (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 2100, Southern District Illinois)). DrugRisk has gathered information from Bayers latest annual report, showing the company faced claims from as … Continue reading

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'Side effects' sly and surprising, 'True Blood' fun

Posted: Published on May 24th, 2013

New and notable this week on DVD: Side Effects (Rated R for sexuality, nudity, violence and language; Open Road, $29.98): Nothing is ever all that simple when it comes to director Steven Soderbergh and that certainly holds true in this fine psychological thriller. The wife (Rooney Mara) of a financier (Channing Tatum) convicted of fraud becomes severely depressed when he comes home from prison. A psychiatrist (Jude Law) prescribes a new drug that leads to an enthralling and unexpected spiral of violence and betrayal. Sly, surprising and so well-made. GRADE: B+ True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season (Not rated; HBO, $59.99): The supernatural series bounced back strong after wandering in its fourth year, taking on the idea of religious devotion while still having lots of fun. Bill (Stephen Moyer) and Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) become partners with captives of an all-powerful council of vampires that may or may not believe in their own divinity. The worldwide supply of True Blood is threatened, which may turn vamps back to their human-eating ways. And, of course, there are about 250 crazy side stories as well. Tasty stuff. GRADE: B+ Stand Up Guys (Rated R for language, sexual content, violence and brief drug use; … Continue reading

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Antibiotics: A new understanding of sulfonamide nervous system side effects

Posted: Published on May 24th, 2013

Public release date: 23-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Nik Papageorgiou n.papageorgiou@epfl.ch Ecole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne Since the discovery of Prontosil in 1932, sulfonamide antibiotics have been used to combat a wide spectrum of bacterial infections, from acne to chlamydia and pneumonia. However, their side effects can include serious neurological problems like nausea, headache, dizziness, hallucinations and even psychosis. In a recent Science publication, EPFL researchers have shown for the first time how sulfonamides can interfere with a patient's nervous system. The problem is that, even though we know how sulfonamides work, we do not understand the actual molecular mechanics behind their side effects. Consequently, it is difficult to modify drug structure or customize therapeutic regimes in order to better serve the needs of patients. That is the critical issue addressed by a team of EPFL scientists lead by Kai Johnsson at EPFL's Laboratory of Protein Engineering. The team drew from previous research showing that blocking the activity of a certain enzyme (sepiapterin reductase) affects the levels of an important molecule called tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) in cells. BH4 is critical for the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, and BH4 deficiency causes similar neurological problems to those … Continue reading

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DrugRisk Adds Court Updates Calling For More Female Involvement in Mirena Lawsuits

Posted: Published on May 23rd, 2013

New York, NY (PRWEB) May 23, 2013 The birth control safety advocates at DrugRisk.com are announcing new information on the site for women using IUD contraceptive Mirena. In the first hearing of a special federal court created to handle Mirena lawsuits, a judge called for more female lawyers to help with the cases*. The goal of DrugRisk is to improve the safety of patients using popular medication devices like IUDs by providing the latest safety alerts, recalls, studies and legal news. Visitors can determine if others are experiencing similar side effects and decide if they need legal advice. The resource center has added warnings from health experts about the risk of perforation from IUDs such as Mirena. The FDA has warned that the procedure of inserting the Mirena IUD can result in perforation of reproductive organs**. DrugRisk also contains a study published by the Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, which warns patients about migration and perforation of Mirena IUDs after implantation***. With a growing number of patients filing a Mirena lawsuit, federal cases have been consolidated to a special multi-district litigation court in the Southern District of New York (In Re: Mirena IUD Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. … Continue reading

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