Americans have a strong Puritan ethic. They figure that if it hurts or tastes bad it must be good for you. That may partially explain the earnest embrace of prohibitions in our quest for good health. For decades people in... (Read More)
Our award winning radio show is heard on 128 public radio stations nationwide. Each week you can tune in to learn about everything from home remedies to the latest breakthroughs in medicine. You can find a list of public radio... (Read More)
Louis Pasteur was a 19th century microbiologist. He helped develop germ theory and invented pasteurization to keep milk from spreading disease. One of his most famous sayings was, "Where observation is concerned, chance favors only the prepared mind." Readers of... (Read More)
Joe and Terry will be speaking about herbal remedies at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center in Cary, NC, on Friday evening May 4 at 7 pm. Guests will have an opportunity to meet the Graedons at a wine and... (Read More)
Is there an invisible epidemic sweeping the country? Thyroid dysfunction is one of the most common health problems in America and no one knows why it has become so widespread. At last count, about 100 million prescriptions were filled annually... (Read More)
Are you following us on Facebook? If not, here's what you could be missing: In addition to important health news updates and links to health research and news you can use, you too can be a part of the conversation.... (Read More)
Doing cartwheels, riding rollercoasters or spinning until they're dizzy makes children scream with delight. For older people, though, dizziness is a disaster. When adults feel dizzy, they frequently become nauseated. Nausea may be harder to handle than pain. It can... (Read More)
Our award-winning radio show is heard by 200,000 listeners on more than 125 radio stations nationwide. Tune in each week to hear the latest expert opinions on cutting edge medical research and real news you can use to take control... (Read More)
Bathroom functions make us uncomfortable and as a result people tend to crack jokes about them. Euphemisms for diarrhea--the runs, the trots, Montezuma's revenge or the squirts--tend to minimize digestive distress. Diarrhea, however, is no laughing matter. Far too often... (Read More)
Mixing household cleaners can be deadly. Putting ammonia and bleach together generates potentially lethal gas. Mixing medications can be equally dangerous. Yet physicians still prescribe combinations such as Viagra and nitrate heart medicines or the antibiotic cotrimoxazole (Bactrim or Septra)... (Read More)
Are you following us on Facebook? If not, here's what you could be missing: In addition to important health news updates and links to health research and news you can use, you too can be a part of the conversation.... (Read More)
There are few drugs in modern history that have stimulated greater controversy than Premarin. Since its FDA approval in the early 1940s more than 30 billion doses have been dispensed. The estrogens in this hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are made... (Read More)
Physicians assess treatment success by looking at numbers. Blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and thyroid function are all tracked with numbers. The goal is usually to get these measurements into a normal range. It's too bad there is no simple... (Read More)
Drug companies are great at creating new diseases or problems that many people never knew existed. Several years ago we learned about "social anxiety disorder." Not surprisingly, there was a drug to treat this problem. Back when we were kids,... (Read More)
For most people maggots and leeches are gross and disgusting. Even though they were once used medically, most modern practitioners are put off by these creatures as much as their patients are. But the loathsome leech and the lowly maggot... (Read More)
Are you dying for a good night's sleep? If you rely on sleeping pills, you might literally be putting yourself at risk of premature death. That's the conclusion from a careful analysis of the records of more than 30,000 people... (Read More)
Doctors know better than to prescribe certain dangerous drugs to pregnant women. Medications like thalidomide (Thalomid) or isotretinon (Accutane) can cause tragic birth defects. The ulcer medicine misoprostol (Cytotec) can trigger premature labor. Packaging and prescribing instructions for these drugs... (Read More)
Thanks to all who subscribed to our email newsletter during the month of February. Each week 10 of you were chosen at random to receive our book, Favorite Foods from The People's Pharmacy. Last week's winners included Donna P. from... (Read More)
Ask any hospital pharmacist in America about current drug shortages and you are likely to hear a tale of woe and intrigue. Most have never seen anything like this crisis during their professional careers. The latest disaster was triggered by... (Read More)
The FDA has just updated its warnings on cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins. These include Altoprev (lovastatin extended-release), Crestor (rosuvastatin), Lescol (fluvastatin), Lipitor (atorvastatin), Livalo (pitavastatin), Mevacor (lovastatin), Pravachol (pravastatin), and Zocor (simvastatin), as well as the combination products Advicor... (Read More)
Tinnitus is an invisible disorder. Others cannot see or hear the buzzing, chirping, hissing or ringing sounds that affect tens of millions of Americans. That is why it is so hard for people with tinnitus to explain the dreadful toll... (Read More)
If you were rating health problems on a scale of 1 to 10, fingernail problems would rank down near the very bottom. Compared to cancer or Alzheimer's disease, brittle nails are a trivial complaint. But if you ask people about... (Read More)
There are few relationships with a greater power differential than doctor and patient. Traditionally, the doctor is perceived as having all the knowledge as well as the power of life and death. There is also a tremendous amount of vulnerability... (Read More)
Many people like to wear black because they believe, rightly or wrongly, that dark clothing makes them look thinner and more elegant. Millions spoil the stylish image they seek, though, when white flakes of dandruff show up on their shoulders.... (Read More)
Congratulations to new newsletter subscribers Susan F of Boardman, OH, Jennifer L of Blacksburg, VA, Pat D of Duncanville, TX, Mary Ann L of Toronto, ON, Canada, Mary C of Dallas, TX, Joanne R of Cheektowaga, NY And rick M... (Read More)
The Food and Drug Administration routinely approves medications that are barely effective. That's because a drug company only has to prove its product is better than an inactive placebo. Some medicines approved by the FDA can cause serious side effects,... (Read More)
Women rely on their birth control pills to prevent pregnancy, and for the most part that confidence is well placed. But a manufacturing error by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer could lead, experts surmise, to unintended conceptions. The birth control pill Lo/Ovral-28... (Read More)
This website has become a community where people share their favorite home remedies and natural food therapies. If you would like to keep up with the unusual remedies that other people have found helpful, you might consider subscribing to our... (Read More)
As the adage goes, "There's no such thing as a free lunch." This phrase dates back to the 19th century when bars would offer their patrons a "free lunch" so long as they bought something to drink. The meals were... (Read More)
The modern pharmacy is big and busy. Hundreds of prescriptions are filled daily in a typical chain drugstore. Everyone is in a hurry. Pharmacists and technicians work at maximum speed with limited time for lunch or bathroom breaks. Drive-through windows... (Read More)
Recent Comments