Popular Articles
A Big Statin Controversy: Do Statins Impair Memory?
Statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs such as atorvastatin, lovastatin, simvastatin and rosuvastatin remain highly popular. Can such statins impair memory?
How Can You Ease Scalp Itchiness?
Persistent scalp itchiness can be extremely hard to treat. Readers offer possible solutions; we advise them to make sure the benefits outweigh the risks.
FDA Slow to Recognize Asbestos Danger in Powder
Although the FDA has known for decades that some talcum powder might be contaminated with asbestos, for most of that time it overlooked the risk.
Substitute Pain Relievers Appear in Suicide Attempts
As doctors turn away from opioids for pain relief, the drugs they are prescribing instead are implicated in more suicide attempts.
Losartan and Suicide: Is This a Real Side Effect?
Losartan is one of the most prescribed blood pressure pills. Is there a link between losartan and suicide? What about ACE inhibitors like lisinopril?
Could Old Drug Offer New Hope for Problem Drinking?
A new study shows that ketamine might help people limit problem drinking. After one dose, when they expected a beer and didn't get one, people drank less.
Horse Pills Make Her Gag: How to Swallow Big Pills
How do you swallow big pills? Do you ever find they make you gag? We have some tricks to swallow big pills, but some medications require special cautions.
The BP Drug Lisinopril Initiates Intestinal Blockage
ACE inhibitors are first-line drugs for hypertension. The BP drug lisinopril is dispensed over 100 million times annually. Angioedema is a bad side effect!
Will Statins Wreak Havoc With Your Memory?
Sometimes people fear that statins wreak havoc with cognitive function. A recent Australian study found no evidence of this effect.
Can PM Sleeping Pills Cause Memory Problems?
Millions of people take PM sleeping pills. These are promoted as nighttime pain relievers. How does the antihistamine diphenhydramine impact the brain?
Supplements to Help Ease Diabetic Neuropathy
Certain supplements such as benfotiamine and alpha lipoic acid may help ease diabetic neuropathy. They do not have the same side effects as approved drugs.
Who Benefits by Taking Repatha for High Cholesterol?
A reader wonders whether the benefits of Repatha for high cholesterol outweigh the risks. This is a decision that should be made on an individual basis.
What Are the Risks of PPIs for Children?
A new study suggests that there may be some unexpected risks of PPIs for young children. They have more infections when they take acid-suppressing drugs.
Are You Taking an Off Label Med for an Unapproved Use?
Doctors routinely prescribe drugs for uses the FDA hasn't approved, but they don't always reveal that. If you're on an off label med, do your own research!
Is Aspirin Cost-Effective Blood Clot Prevention?
Some clinical trials have found that aspirin is just as good as expensive anticoagulants for post-surgical blood clot prevention. And much cheaper!
A Completely New and Unexpected Statin Side Effect
A surprising statin side effect has just been reported. How is it possible that after more than three decades we are still discovering statin side effects?
Will Potatoes Slow Your Recovery from Surgery?
Eggplants, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes all can block acetylcholinesterase. This might slow recovery from surgery in which muscle relaxants are used.
The Zantac – Ranitidine Weirdness Just Got Stranger
What are we to make of FDA flip flop flips on ranitidine/Zantac? For many people the ranitidine weirdness is too much to take. But there are alternatives.
What Other Drugs Boost Antidepressants’ Effectiveness?
A meta-analysis of 30 studies finds that anti-inflammatory drugs such as NSAIDs or statins can improve antidepressants' effectiveness.
ACE Inhibitors Like Lisinopril and Lung Cancer
Tens of millions of people take ACE inhibitors to lower high blood pressure. Is there an association between drugs like lisinopril and lung cancer?