Drugs/Medical Archive

Why exactly is Oral Sodium Phosphate so bad?

July 23rd, 2009. By AbiK

After following the OSP (oral sodium phosphate) story—where the FDA required a black box warning for colonoscopy prep solutions containing OSP, such as Osmo-Prep and Visicol, as they were found to potentially increase the risk of kidney failure, I started to wonder just what the heck OSP does when it’s in your system. 

Here’s what it does. According to a “Dear Mayo Clinic” column answered by Dr. Stephen B. Erickson of the Mayo Clinic’s Nephrology department (mayoclinic.org, 4/15/07),

“The problem occurs when phosphates, which should pass through the kidneys, collect there instead. As a result, areas of the kidneys become calcified—in effect, “turn to stone.” This can damage the kidneys in two ways: by clogging some of the organ’s ducts, and by disabling some kidney tissue, which is essential for filtering out toxins from the blood. Both kinds of damage are permanent.

While this damage is said to occur “rarely,” that’s because only the worst cases present symptoms. What concerns me is that we may be recognizing just the “tip of the iceberg”.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Oral Sodium Phosphate, OSP
Posted in Drugs/Medical, Personal Injury | 3 Comments »

An Internet Community for Avelox Sufferers

July 21st, 2009. By LucyC

Have you suffered an adverse event such as tendon rupture, from taking Avelox? Or any other of the myriad of side effects it’s associated with? If so, you may already be aware of the online community that exists to support people who have suffered or are still suffering from flouroquinolone adverse events.

Sifting through the information available on the internet about Avelox was an educational experience for me. I had no idea this community existed. And it seems as if it’s necessary. While there have been reports of tendon ruptures associated with the drug, it’s not exactly mainstream news. Nevertheless, it seems like pretty serious stuff.

For example, on the website fqvictims.org, several people have posted information about their experience with Avelox adverse events. One man described his problems this way, “Severe pain from left hip through left foot, left leg from mid-calf to foot reddened, severe burning pain in tendons, muscle spasms, depersonalization, anxiety, panic, increasingly severe CNS symptoms with floaters in my eyes which are very dense and almost curtain-like along with anxiety and insomnia which requires three 3 mg melatonin at bedtime, severe photophobia.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Avelox, Tendon Rupture
Posted in Drugs/Medical, Personal Injury | 2 Comments »

Colonoscopy Prep: the more palatable, the more risk

July 21st, 2009. By AbiK

Having a colonoscopy is a weird sort of rite of passage. Once you’ve had one, you can give your colon-checking compatriots that knowing nod when they mention the procedure. Guaranteed after that nod, someone will bring up “prep”—it’s the point of convergence for all colonoscopy conversation. And for good reason: it’s the worst part of the procedure and it’s the only part for which you’re entirely too conscious.

So weren’t we all filled with glee when we learned there was an oral sodium phosphate pill—a pill!—we could take rather then slugging back a 4-liter jug of Golytely? Well, with recent reports, maybe not. 

There are 3 basic options for colonoscopy prep: Golytely (also Colyte, Nulytely), Fleet Phospho-soda EZ Prep, and Oral Sodium Phosphate (Osmo-Prep and Visicol). The problem with them (aside from the fact that you have to take one of them) is that there’s an inverse relationship between their palatability and their associated risks. Here, an overview of the options—not to be construed as medical advice; for that, see your doctor. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Colonoscopy, Oral Sodium Phosphate, OSP
Posted in Drugs/Medical, Personal Injury | 4 Comments »

Paxil Birth Defects: Baby Beware!

July 20th, 2009. By LucyC

 

Depression during pregnancy is a health risk not only for the mother, but also for her baby, yet it’s not widely publicized.  According to information on the March of Dimes website—the March of Dimes being a leading non-profit organization for pregnancy and baby health—two of every 10 women experience symptoms of depression during pregnancy. That’s considerable.

So where’s the health risk to the baby? You get a prescription for an antidepressant and hope for the best, right? Wrong. The fallback treatment for depression has become antidepressant drugs, the most common type being selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs. SSRIs, such as Paxil (paroxetine) which are associated with serious cardiovascular malformations, primarily ventricular septal defects (VSDs) and atrial septal defects (ASDs). The risk for these birth defects is so serious that GlaxoSmithKline’s (the maker of Paxil) own publicly available literature states:

For women who intend to become pregnant or are in their first trimester of pregnancy, paroxetine should only be used after consideration of the other available treatment options. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: paxil, Paxil birth defects
Posted in Drugs/Medical, Personal Injury | No Comments »

Darvon Risk Reviewed in 2006 VHA Study

July 20th, 2009. By AbiK

Back in March 2006, the VHA Pharmacy Benefits Management Strategic Healthcare Group and the Medical Advisory Panel conducted a review of the Efficacy and Safety of Propoxyphene (aka, Darvon). The study concluded that the group…

found no substantive evidence to alter our previous conclusions about the efficacy and safety of propoxyphene relative to other opioids. Our recommendations on the use of propoxyphene in the Veterans Health Administration remain essentially the same as in the previous review.

In the majority of VA patients with mild to moderate acute pain and who do not have certain characteristics associated with intentional or unintentional overdose, single-dose or short-term therapy with DPP+/-APAP probably provides adequate analgesia with an acceptable safety profile. The efficacy and safety of long-term therapy with DPP+/-APAP for treatment of chronic pain has not been adequately studied. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: darvocet, darvon, propoxyphene
Posted in Drugs/Medical, Personal Injury | No Comments »