Drugs/Medical Archive

Prescription Drugs as Birth Control

June 8th, 2010. By Hunter West

Can a medication designed to minimize epileptic seizures, serve as birth control? 

Can an antidepressant, also serve as birth control? 

Indirectly, yes—if women who depend on various drugs to stabilize their lives opt to shun having children rather than risk the possibility of birth defects. 

It’s an interesting conundrum—that a society that depends more and more on various drugs to treat our diseases and keep us living longer, might suffer a detrimental effect on birth rates and experience a shrinkage of the population. 

But while the long-term effect may be less dramatic, the short-term debate is no less real. 

There are various drugs that are designed to treat specific conditions, such as valproate for the treatment of bipolar disorder, or migraine headaches. While the drug, marketed as Depakote, is without doubt effective for the treatment for that for which it was intended, it can also have a devastating effect on a fetus if taken by an expectant mother. 

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) noted in December of last year, “Valproate use during early pregnancy increases the risk of major malformations in the baby,” the FDA said. “The rates for neural tube defects in babies exposed to valproate during the first trimester are 30 to 80 times higher than the rate for neural tube defects in the general US population. In pregnant women with epilepsy, valproate monotherapy is associated with a four-fold higher rate of major malformations than other antiepileptic drug monotherapies. 

“Healthcare professionals should counsel women of childbearing potential taking valproate about the increased risk of major malformations…” 

A far more common drug is the SSRI antidepressant. Critics of antidepressants and the doctors who prescribe them, say that antidepressants are over-prescribed. While there is little doubt many individuals would not be able to get through the day without potentially doing harm to Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Antidepressants, depakote, SSRI, valproate
Posted in Drugs/Medical | No Comments »

Stevens Johnson Syndrome Increasing?

June 8th, 2010. By janem

Many health practitioners still believe that Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a “rare skin disorder” but with the increase in adverse drug reactions (Health Canada reports adverse drug reactions are up 35 percent), this life-threatening disease is not as rare as we have been led to believe.

The Stevens Johnson Syndrome Foundation says it hears of 15 new cases a week and that is likely the tip of the iceberg—not everyone diagnosed with SJS has internet access or is aware of the foundation. As well, drug companies are required to tell the FDA (and other health agencies, such as Health Canada) about any reports of serious adverse reactions they receive, but not every doctor or patient takes the time to report side effects. This means that adverse reactions to certain drugs can go unnoticed for a long time.

And to this day, some doctors don’t know what SJS is, even when it’s staring them in the face. When their patient is covered in the most horrific sores and blisters, they might even prescribe the same medication to treat the disease that caused SJS in the first place!

According to Public Citizen, about 1.5 million hospitalizations a year were caused by adverse drug reactions—that’s more than 4,000 patients per day. It gets worse: 57 percent of these adverse drug reactions were not recognized by the attending physician at the time of admission. Many of these admissions should have been prevented. And many patients develop adverse drug reactions while they are in hospital.

“770,000 additional patients a year—more than 2,000 patients a day—suffer an adverse event caused by drugs once they are admitted,” said the not-for-profit agency.  In 2004, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that more than 40 percent of Americans were taking at least one prescription drug. People develop SJS from commonly prescribed drugs, including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, and non-steroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), including over-the-counter drugs such as Ibuprofen and Motrin.  Age is no barrier: Numerous children’s medications have caused SJS.

But countless medical facilities and doctors don’t recognize SJS in the early stages because they aren’t familiar with the symptoms. Until SJS turns into TEN and usually by that time, it’s too late. It boggles the mind: why aren’t all health practitioners given mandatory training to recognize this life-threatening disease? Don’t they read drug labels or their Blue Book before prescribing drugs? It’s like a toss of the dice. When a drug such as Bextra has been known –since 2002—to cause SJS, perhaps the doctor believes the good outweighs the risk.

Just last August Tibotec Therapeutics reported postmarketing cases of SJS with its Intelence drug and the FDA’s MedWatch said “Intelence therapy should be immediately discontinued when signs and symptoms of severe skin or hypersensitivity reactions develop.” How about adding, “get thee to a burn unit, fast.”  And bring along a list of drugs that may have caused the reaction.

Tags: adverse drug reactions, Bextra, SJS, Stevens Johnson Syndrome
Posted in Drugs/Medical | 1 Comment »

Worth a Read – Fosamax Article in More Magazine

June 7th, 2010. By AbiK

Finally got to catch up on some reading this weekend and found myself flipping through the latest More magazine. The one with Sharon Stone on the cover—looking great at 52 (not to take away from Stone’s smarts or her three adopted children, but my response to any “hot body over 40” (or 50) press is, ok, but has she gone through childbirth?—and sans plastic surgery? if so, then let’s talk; otherwise, get real.) But I digress.

What I really want to talk about is the article by Katharine Davis Fishman that’s a bit further back in the June issue. Page 119, to be exact. Title: Boning Up on Bone Drugs. It’s about Fosamax and femur fractures.

And it’s worth a read—particularly if you’re a woman, of a certain age—or nearing that age, or one who’s been taking bisphosphonates—either as a result of a diagnosis of osteoporosis, or as a preventative measure against such bone degeneration.

Fishman presents her own incredible journey through osteoporosis, Fosamax prescriptions, and then a seemingly out-of-the-blue femur fracture after tripping on a rug. Her description of the incident is enough to bring on a palpable wince in the reader. Heck, I got up mid-article and popped a Caltrate D.

The part of the article I found most interesting was the delineation of what Fosamax (and others of its ilk like Actonel, Didronel, Boniva, Aredia, Reclast, Zometa, Skelid) was initially intended to treat, and where it’s evolved to. Bisphosphonates are prescribed to help prevent the breakdown of bone—to help prevent hip fractures—which according to Fishman’s article have a harrowing statistic associated with them: Around 24 percent of elderly men and women who suffer a hip fracture die within a year of the fracture; another quarter wind up incapacitated in nursing homes; and the remainder typically never walk “right” again.

With that kind of prognosis, if I hear the word “osteoporosis” uttered in any examination room I’m in, I’m asking for a Fosamax scrip right then and there.

But wait a minute—that’s the problem. Apparently, Fosamax has been prescribed more and more as a preventative measure—it was approved for such in 1997, two years after its Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: femur fracture, Fishman, Fosamax, Fosamax femur fracture, Merck, More
Posted in Drugs/Medical | 2 Comments »

United Healthcare Out of Network Settlement – Progress Update

June 7th, 2010. By AbiK

Ok. So one of our readers, Scott, asked a great question in his comment on my first United Healthcare (UHC) Settlement post. To paraphrase, he asked how you’re supposed to handle dependents for this settlement if you’re the policy holder and you had claims for dependents.

Hey—I’m in the same boat! And I’ve already submitted my request for my information (January 1, 2002 to May 28, 2010 only)—but under MY policy number only. Another “oh crap!”moment in this process. So here we go…

My UHC Out of Network Settlement Experience: DAY 2

Upon scanning the FAQ’s for the UHC out-of-network settlement, I see this one:

(Note: the FAQ’s are not on the unitedUCRsettlement.com website—that would be too easy; they’re over at the Claims Administrator’s website, berdonclaims.com)

Q12: I am a primary insured. Should my claim have information for the medical services and supplies I personally used, or those used by my family (myself and the dependents listed in my coverage)?

A: You need to submit one claim form for each Insurance Policy ID number. Your claim should include information for all family members covered by your policy. 

Hmm. Ok. So the next question is…

What are the Insurance Policy ID numbers for all of my dependents? Do I have them? Where do I find them?

Lucky for me, I’m anal-retentive when it comes to saving files. I hate paper. I hate clutter. I love CYA (“cover your ass” for those of you in the dark on that one). So I go Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: out of network charges, UHC, UHC Settlement, United Healthcare
Posted in Drugs/Medical, Emerging Issues | 25 Comments »

She’s Not Right, She’s Not Right…Cocaine

June 3rd, 2010. By AbiK

“Don’t forget this fact, you can’t get it back…Cocaine…”

This latest bit of news on the cocaine front may just give new meaning to that classic Clapton line.

Speaking of lines, used to be that while coke users would hear stories of blow that had impurities, the worst they’d have to deal with while doing a line might be a nick or a cut. You know, like, “Dang! I just cut my finger when I picked up the blade”. Or some sharp glass-shooting-through-your-nose sensation.

Ok, maybe some folks found themselves on a bad kind of trip from coke that had other crap cut into it.

But now, a report from Annals of Internal Medicine (6/1/10), discusses two cases of coke users who showed up at a hospital with “purplish plaques” (pretty!) on their cheeks, earlobes, legs, thighs and buttocks.

Seems the coke they’d been using had levamisole in it. Levamisole apparently used to be used for cattle, sheep and pigs—as an anti-worming (more pretty!) agent. It was also used on humans to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases and kidney problems—but it’s no longer approved for such. Because of its nasty side effects, which would be…

The purplish plaque which then becomes…rotting flesh.

Yes, rotting flesh. Skin lesions start showing up due to the death of skin tissue—caused by levamisole. This is the type of thing I’m used to reading about in connection with Stevens Johnson Syndrome—not recreational drugs (and, not that I partake—I’m just passing the info along here…)

So levamisole is used outside the US to cut coke before it lands inside the US. On your mirror.

It gets better—here’s the kicker—healthfinder.gov reports that according to Dr. Juliet VanEenwyk, who’s an epidemiologist with the Washington State Dept. of Health, until a few years ago, coke probably had less than 10 percent levamisole in it. Now, experts suspect 80 percent does.

Well, if that ain’t a holy sh!t moment for any coke user out there. 80% suddenly up’s your odds of snorting some levamisole along with your blow. That would give me pause given the rotting flesh thing.

And, hey, I’m smart enough to know that when something’s dead, “you can’t get it back”.

Cocaine…

Note: the author of this post neither approves nor condones the use of illegal, recreational drugs nor does she use them. She prefers Peche Lambic (summer only) or a nice glass of Pinot instead. Take note as the holidays will be here before you know it.

Tags: Cocaine, Levamisole
Posted in Drugs/Medical | No Comments »