The People's Perspective on Medicine, since 1976
Helping you to make informed decisions about both traditional and alternative treatments.
Show 1145: Are Big Corporations Hacking the Amer…
The distinction between pleasure and happiness might seem like a philosopher’s quibble. Fat Chance author Dr. Robert Lustig tells us why this difference is vitally important to our national wellbein…
Did the Maker Recall Ibuprofen for Your Baby?
Parents across the country have been alarmed today to hear that some brands of ibuprofen sold as fever medicine for infants have been recalled. What led the manufacturer, Tris Pharma Inc., to recall i…
How Safe Are Mail-Order Medicines If Not Tempera…
We know we sound like a cracked record when it comes to mail-order medicines. That's because no one seems to want to take responsibility. The FDA has very strict guidelines for temperature fluctuation…
Can You Kill Lyme Bacteria with Essential Oils?
Lyme disease can sometimes be hard to treat because the bacteria that cause it, Borrelia burgdorferi, can go dormant. When Lyme bacteria are not actively reproducing, antibiotics can’t kill them. Es…
CAR-T Immunotherapy Produces Stunning Results vs…
We have been waiting for long-term survival data from a pricey new immunotherapy called CAR-T. That stands for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy. Patients donate blood so that their white blood…
People Are Dying Because of the High Cost of Med…
In the movie Wall Street we are told by actor Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko) that “greed is good, greed is right, greed works, greed clarifies, cuts through and captures the essence of the evolution…
Do Personal Care Products Speed Up Puberty?
Many personal care products such as soaps, shampoos, deodorants, perfumes and cosmetics contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals. These include phthalates, parabens and phenols such as triclosan, which …
Does Fructose Raise Your Risk for Diabetes?
Do people who often indulge in sugary soft drinks sweetened with fructose have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes? Previous studies have suggested a link. Processed Foods and Diabetes: An ana…
Shingrix: Should You or Shouldn’t You? A Pharm…
Currently, in community/retail pharmacy, there is a large focus on immunizations. Especially in the fall months, much time is spent on vaccinating patients against influenza (flu) and pneumonia. Recen…
Can Clonazepam Increase the Risk for Dementia?
Millions of people take benzodiazepines every day. Such drugs are variously described as anti-anxiety agents, sedatives, hypnotics (to aid sleep) or benzos for short. At last count about five million …
Why Would a Veterinary Office Use Coca-Cola?
For decades, we have been warning people not to drink sugar-sweetened soda pop. Not only is it bad for teeth, those liquid calories sneak in too easily and add up too readily. However, we recently wro…
Did Turmeric Help Man Overcome Dupuytren’s…
Middle-aged and older men sometimes suffer from a condition known as Dupuytren's contracture. Their fingers may curl in to the palm. They may find it difficult if not impossible to open the hand fully…
Iodine for Scans Triggers Hyperthyroidism
Americans undergo an enormous number of scans each year. It is estimated that over 80 million CT scans are performed annually. That doesn’t include other scans such as coronary angiography, arthrogr…
Will CBD for Pain Make You Fail the Marijuana Te…
One lesson learned from the terrible opioid crisis of the past few years: a lot of Americans are in a lot of pain. With doctors increasingly reluctant to prescribe narcotics for pain relief, people ar…
Save Your Lips While Saving Money Too!
Are your lips dry and cracked or moist and kissable? At this time of year a lot of people are suffering from dry cracked lips. That’s because the weather has turned cold and the heat is on. Humidity…
All Calories Are Not the Same
For decades, nutrition dogma has held that all calories are equal. It was not supposed to matter if the energy came from a bottle of Coke or a carrot. People were told that if they wanted to lose weig…
Show 1144: New Ways to Heal Your Digestive Tract
Heartburn is a common problem. Many people take powerful acid-suppressing drugs like Nexium or Prilosec every day to treat gastro-esophageal reflux disease or GERD. If untreated, chronic irritation of…
Probiotics Failed to Help Kids’ Gastroente…
Probiotics have been gaining a reputation as a way to treat a wide variety of digestive upsets. Many of the studies to back up this recommendation have been small or not well done. Now, a careful plac…
Are You Lying to Your Doctor?
Are you lying to your doctor? Or do you answer all your doctor’s questions truthfully? If you do, you are unusual. Why You Might Be Lying to Your Doctor: A new study published in JAMA Network Open s…
Does Too Little Sleep Make You Quicker to Anger?
Sleep deprivation has been linked to diabetes, weight gain, high blood pressure, forgetfulness, accidents, lowered immunity and delayed reaction times. Now, add grumpiness and anger to the list of con…
C Diff Infections Are No Longer Limited to Hospi…
C diff infections, caused by bacteria known as Clostridium difficile, were once thought to be limited to hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities. Such infections can cause severe, o…
How Common Is Autism Spectrum Disorder in the US…
Is a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder becoming more common? Due to differences in past and current methodologies for diagnosing autism and measuring its prevalence, scientists can't truly answer …
Anticholinergic Drugs | Dry Mouth and Alzheimer …
Anticholinergic drugs are generally bad for the brain. They affect the crucial neurochemical acetylcholine. One worry about anticholinergic drugs is a link to memory problems or Alzheimer's disease (J…
Do Sunflower Seeds Keep You Alert Behind the Whe…
How do you stay alert when you are driving? Some people listen to the radio or to audiobooks. Others sip on a travel mug full of coffee. One interesting tactic that some readers use is munching on sun…
Can Fish Oil Really Help Your Heart?
Fish oil is one of the most popular supplements on drugstore shelves. People take it to promote heart health, ease joint pain and relieve dry eyes. The value of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil has b…
Vicks on Soles of Feet Calmed Grandkids’ C…
When young children cough all night, they may not be awake themselves, but their parents and grandparents won't be able to sleep well. Little ones don't respond well to conventional cough medicines. W…
Do You Swallow a Spoonful of Mustard for Heartbu…
Do you suffer from heartburn? Many people do, judging from the popularity of acid-suppressing drugs such as esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid) or omeprazole (Prilosec). Antacids like Maalo…
Is New Aimovig Migraine Medicine an Advance or a…
There have not been many new advances in migraine treatment until recently. The triptans, starting with sumatriptan (Imitrex), were the last so-called breakthroughs against migraines. That was 25 year…
Bad Thyroid Dose Causes Nasty Symptoms
Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians make an unbelievable number of mistakes. It is the dirty little secret that most patients never hear about. And the profession of pharmacy is not anxious to study …
Will Pumpkin Pie Help You Sleep All Night?
How often do you have to get up in the night and trek off to the bathroom? Nocturia (nighttime urination) is a pesky problem for a lot of people. We recently heard from a reader who reported that taki…