Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them: Health care screwups are one of the leading causes of death in America, killing as many as 750,000 people annually. That’s more than heart attacks or cancer. And yet most people don’t know this, including most physicians. From diagnostic disasters to deadly drug interactions, the bestselling authors of The People’s Pharmacy expose the alarming epidemic of medical mistakes in America—and offer a lifesaving prescription to make the healthcare system safe again. Only $26.00 +s/h
Q. I was very upset to read your response to a question about the blood thinner Coumadin. You listed several drugs that may interact with Coumadin; one of them was Tylenol. I am a heart valve patient. My cardiologist is... (Read More)
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Pharmacy Q&A
Q. I'm not one to take pills. I don't even keep aspirin in my house. But I have medicine in the barn for my horses and use it when I've got to have some for myself. I have a bad... (Read More)
Q. I take simvastatin, and I am concerned that my cholesterol may be too low (143, HDL 46, LDL 75). My mother died at age 64 from a massive stroke. Somewhere I read that very low cholesterol increases the risk... (Read More)
Q. I am 55 and was diagnosed with osteoporosis last April. I just learned that I am deficient in vitamin D. I have felt fatigued and mentally foggy as long as I can remember. Could I have been vitamin D... (Read More)
Q. I have been diagnosed with pruritus ani, itching around the anal area. This condition causes itching so intense that it can keep me up at night. My doctor ruled out hemorrhoids and other causes. I was told to stay... (Read More)
Q. I have had COPD for decades. After taking azithromycin for about 15 weeks I am feeling well for the first time in over 20 years. A. A placebo-controlled study found that the antibiotic azithromycin can reduce flare-ups associated with... (Read More)
Q. I have a long history of anxiety and panic attacks. I am also a performing musician, which can often cause performance anxiety. I have been prescribed Xanax (alprazolam) off and on over the years along with a myriad of... (Read More)
Q. I need a past article from you about Celebrex (celicoxib). Someone had complained that it made her nipples hard or something like that. I had a similar problem so I cut my dose from 200 to 100 and my... (Read More)
Q. I was alarmed to read that eating canned soup can raise body levels of BPA. If this is true for canned soups, wouldn't it follow that other canned foods would pose the same problem? A. Bisphenol A (BPA) is... (Read More)
Q. My skin turns to sandpaper in the winter. I get all sorts of cracks, just like a paper cut, and they can be incredibly painful. They are worst on my fingertips, knuckles and thumbs. The heels of my feet... (Read More)
Q. I am an international flight attendant. I was pleased to read in your column that coffee might be used for asthma in an emergency. I think we have some kind of asthma medication in our enhanced medical kit, but... (Read More)
Q. My father has atrial fibrillation and is treated with a pacemaker and digoxin. His heart doctor ordered amitriptyline because of a burning sensation in his feet. He had fainting spells within two weeks of starting on the amitriptyline. With... (Read More)
Q. My husband was on Lipitor for three years. One day, out of the blue, he lost his memory. He knew his name but not the date or where he had been the day before. He was able to tell... (Read More)
Q. Earlier this year I saw one of your articles about the use of nitroglycerin patches for osteoporosis. Are there any further studies on this? I have severe osteoporosis and have used most of the available treatments without success. I'll... (Read More)
Q. I take metoprolol for blood pressure, and lately I have had trouble with cold hands and feet. I also have joint pain and shortness of breath. Am I right to suspect the drug? A. Metoprolol is a beta blocker... (Read More)
Q. I have been on Catapres patches for several years to help control high blood pressure. My insurance company switched me to generic clonidine patches without my knowledge. Within 36 hours of switching to the generic, my blood pressure was... (Read More)
Q. Are there any simple treatments for severe eczema other than steroids? I just hate to keep smearing steroid cream on my skin all the time. A. Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a skin inflammation that may be... (Read More)
Q. Is it true that you should not drink cranberry juice if you are on Coumadin to thin the blood? A. Several years ago British regulatory authorities issued a warning to patients taking warfarin (Coumadin) not to drink cranberry juice.... (Read More)
Q. I always thought celiac disease was extremely rare and only affected young children. I was told that I had celiac sprue as a child but that I had outgrown it. I suffer a lot of digestive tract discomfort and... (Read More)
Q. In an earlier column, you told a reader not to be afraid of the blood pressure pill lisinopril. I believe you should have warned her about the side effect I experienced. My face and lips swelled severely. Apparently the... (Read More)
Q. My mother has taken the stop-smoking drug Chantix for nearly a month. She no longer has any desire to smoke, but she has had severe side effects. They were nausea, a bad taste in her mouth, stomach cramps, gas,... (Read More)
Q. My father takes Niaspan and Lipitor, which have lowered his cholesterol to 110. Isn't that too low? He has severe arthritis, memory problems and debilitating fatigue. I worry that he is taking too much medicine, but he says the... (Read More)
Q. My girlfriend is very allergic to shrimp and crab and, I suspect, lobster as well. I love them but have avoided eating them since we have been together. We will soon be sharing a vacation at a resort beach... (Read More)
Q. My doctor always washes his hands before an exam, but he never seems to wipe down his stethoscope. This makes me nervous, but perhaps I am being silly. Should I ask about the stethoscope next time? A. Stethoscopes can... (Read More)
Q. At age 49 I still had a thick head of long wavy hair. Then I was prescribed the blood pressure drug lisinopril with HCT. Within three weeks my hair was falling out, along with my eyelashes and eyebrows. My... (Read More)
Q. I have been seeing a dermatologist for years for my rosacea. Nothing really helps much, and many things irritate my skin. I saw my neurologist for headaches, and he asked what I was doing for my face. I told... (Read More)
Q. I can't believe so many people complain about generic drugs on your website. Generics are required by law to contain the exact same active ingredients in the same quantities. What does it matter if the inactive ingredients differ? They're... (Read More)
Q. I have struggled my whole life with an itchy scalp. Prescription Nizoral shampoo offered a little relief, but it was expensive. I tried amber Listerine followed by a vinegar rinse, but that dried my hair out. Then my hairdresser... (Read More)
Q. Before I was put on levothyroxine for underactive thyroid I was irritated by even the smallest things. I felt so tired and depressed that I was always crying. I couldn't sleep or lose any weight and I always felt... (Read More)
Q. I have taken a number of statins to help control cholesterol and am currently on simvastatin. Over the years my blood sugar levels started to climb despite my efforts to eat a healthy diet and exercise. My doctor recently... (Read More)