2017 ends with yet more grim news about the nation’s opioid drug epidemic — not only that its toll keeps rising, it now is afflicting African Americans as never before. They had been less harmed by this crisis but the scourge is spreading to them, notably in spots like the District of Columbia and Baltimore…..
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FDA warns against prescribing of opioids with anti-anxiety pills
The federal government has issued one of its toughest warnings against the dual prescribing and use of opioid painkillers like oxycodone and hydrocodone with benzodiazepines. Benzos are muscle relaxants and anti-anxiety meds more commonly known by brand names like Valium and Xanax. The Food and Drug Administration said tandem prescriptions of these medications soared 41 percent….
Continue ReadingTylenol’s Dangers Are Back in the News
This is an old story, but a new one too. Tylenol and store-brand versions of acetaminophen (Tylenol’s active ingredient) are the leading cause of acute liver failure, leading to death or transplant, in the United States. That’s been known for a decade, thanks to pioneering work by Dr. William Lee of University of Texas-Southwestern Medical….
Continue ReadingFDA Warns Companies About Powdered Caffeine
We Americans love our energy-boosting drinks, never mind that so many have been shown to pose threats of heart disease, high blood pressure and other problems for some people. The newest form of caffeine-infusion is a powder that the FDA has determined is potentially harmful enough to issue a warning. The feds sent the letter….
Continue ReadingDoctor Who Defrauded and Disabled Is Sentenced to Prison
In a particularly offensive and harmful misuse of professional authority, a doctor in Detroit was sentenced earlier this month to 45 years in prison for defrauding insurance companies of millions of dollars and poisoning hundreds of patients with chemotherapy treatments when they didn’t even have cancer. Those weren’t the only crimes committed by Dr. Farid….
Continue ReadingFDA Expresses E-Cigarette Concerns for Kids
The popularity of electronic cigarettes has grown a lot faster than the body of science about their potential health effects. But the toxicity of nicotine is well known, and the FDA is raising concern about how e-cigarette nicotine could affect children. The agency has put the e-cig industry on notice that it plans to require….
Continue ReadingMRI Contrast Drugs Might Harm Your Brain
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a body scan that provides detailed images particularly good for viewing soft tissue (versus a traditional X-ray that’s better for seeing bone). Sometimes, drugs are injected before you have an MRI to add contrast, making the images sharper. But some of the drugs in those agents might be toxic. We….
Continue ReadingFDA Wants to Revise Food Safety Regulations
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was passed in 2011, but it has yet to be fully enacted. And as of last month, the FDA announced plans to revise rules for its implementation after getting complaints by the agricultural industry that the food safety rules proposed earlier this year are too harsh. The FSMA was….
Continue ReadingCarbon Monoxide Poisoning — Are You at Risk?
Cold weather invites more danger than just frostbite and a bad back from shoveling snow. And the danger is invisible, and deadly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 430 people are killed each year from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that can….
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