Drug Side Effects
Learn what others have experienced when taking medications. Which side effects should you be alert for? Share your own experience so others can learn.
The Never-Ending Breast Implant Scandal
Doctors have been performing “breast enlargement surgery” since the 1950s. One of the earliest implants involved a foam sponge covered by polyethylene. It lost favor pretty quickly because it coul…
Can Tylenol – Acetaminophen Raise Blood Pressu…
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most popular drugs in the pharmacy. That’s because there is a lot of pain out there. Whether it’s from headaches, arthritis or backaches…
What Is the Real World Incidence of Drug Side Ef…
I do not believe that anyone really knows how often drug side effects occur in the real world. That includes the drug companies, the FDA, physicians and pharmacists. And I don’t believe that these g…
Volunteers Describe COVID Vaccine Side Effects
The Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine is on its way to millions of Americans. Front-line medical workers and vulnerable patients in long-term care facilities are first in line. Moderna’s vaccine is close…
Can Your Medicines Cause Insomnia?
Tens of millions of people have trouble sleeping every night. Many just can’t fall asleep. Others fall asleep just fine but wake up after a few hours and have a hard time getting back to sleep. What…
Side Effects of the COVID Vaccine?
Within several weeks millions of people will be lining up to get a coronavirus vaccination. What should they expect when it comes to side effects of the COVID vaccine? We have some sense based on the …
What Are the Best BP Drugs for Hypertension?
The American Heart Association states that over 100 million Americans have high blood pressure (BP). It is defined as at or above 130/80. That means roughly 1 out of every 2 adults in the United State…
Do Statins Save Lives? Doctors Don’t Agree!
Many people wonder how effective statins are for preventing a heart attack in healthy people with high cholesterol. Even more important, do statins save lives in this population? There are few more co…
Critically Important Information You’ll Ne…
This is the third excerpt from Dennis Miller’s new book The Shocking Truth About Pharmacy: A Pharmacist Reveals All The Disturbing Secrets. The entire e-book is available for download from Amazon fo…
Are Statins and Leg Cramps a Neglected Challenge…
Drug companies and the FDA have long recognized that statins such as atorvastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin and lovastatin could cause muscle pain and weakness. What is less clear is the…
Flu Shots Linked to Deaths in South Korea
People are rushing to get their influenza vaccination. That is totally understandable. We have been warned that trying to cope with two different upper respiratory tract infections this winter could b…
Does Genetic Testing Help Avoid Problems With An…
Why do some people sail through surgery that requires general anesthesia, while others have tremendous difficulty recovering? No doubt some of the difference lies in the specific drug the anesthesiolo…
Should We Worry About the New Holds on Vaccine T…
People all around the world are waiting impatiently for vaccines or monoclonal antibody treatments that might help control the pandemic. This week brought bad news on several fronts. Two different com…
Are Popular Drugs Responsible for the Diabetes E…
We’re in the middle of a pandemic, but you already knew that. We’re also in the middle of an epidemic. It has been going on for decades and the long-term health consequences could be even more gra…
Do Your Medicines Suppress Your Vitamin D?
People who are interested in keeping their immune system functioning well–and who isn't, these days–know that vitamin D is critical. But how can you make sure that your level of the sunshine vitam…
Mistakes in the Pharmacy Could be Deadly
Pharmacists used to be one the of most respected group of professionals in America. That was back when there were lots of independent drug stores and the pharmacist knew your name and actually talked …
Will You Lower Your Cholesterol With Milk Thistl…
Is your cholesterol high? If you have a family history of high cholesterol, particularly if you had parents or siblings who died of heart disease, your doctor will do as much as possible to help you c…
18 Pharmacists Discuss Their Most Memorable Medi…
This is another excerpt from pharmacist Dennis Miller’s new book The Shocking Truth About Pharmacy: A Pharmacist Reveals All The Disturbing Secrets. The Kindle e-book is available for download on Am…
The Inside Story on the AZ Vaccine Pause
The world is holding its breath for a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19. This week there was more than enough conflicting information about when a vaccine will become available. In the meant…
Could a Pain Reliever Change How You See Risk?
A popular pain reliever might change how you see risk. That's the conclusion of researchers at the Ohio State University (Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, online July 30, 2020). Acetaminop…
The Shocking Truth About Pharmacy
This is a juicy excerpt from pharmacist Dennis Miller's latest book: The Shocking Truth About Pharmacy: A Pharmacist Reveals All The Disturbing Secrets. It is offered as an e-book on Kindle for 99 cen…
Can CoQ10 Prevent statin-associated muscle sympt…
Did you know that doctors have a name for statin-associated muscle symptoms? It’s called SAMS. You would be surprised how much controversy exists around this adverse reaction. Many clinical trials s…
How Can You Manage Opioid-Induced Constipation?
Opioids have gotten a bad name over the last several years because so many users have overdosed and died. But people have been using these drugs, also known as narcotics, for millennia. The ancient As…
Can You Read the Fine Print on Rx or OTC Drugs?
The FDA has encouraged drug manufacturers to use print that is easy to read. The recommendation is for a font size of 12-point or larger. Oh, how we wish we could read the fine print on over-the-count…
Show 1170: What Makes Your Immune System an Eleg…
This show first aired in June, 2019, before anyone had heard of SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19. Today, understanding how your immune system works to overcome an infection is more important than ever. Just how…
Do Doctors Know Short Term Steroids Are NOT Alwa…
We suspect that most health professionals now realize that corticosteroids (aka steroids, cortisone, prednisone, etc.) have a laundry list of serious side effects when taken for long periods of time. …
Will Ozempic Be Safe Over the Long Term?
Over the past several years, the FDA has approved a number of injectable medications designed to help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar. You may have seen some of them advertised o…
Serious Side Effects of Voltaren Gel Are Scary!
Many people, including some health professionals, believe that the skin is a great barrier to topical drugs. They assume that only a little bit of the medicine gets into the blood stream. We have lear…
Atenolol Side Effects vs. Losartan Side Effects
For decades beta blocker heart medicines like atenolol and metoprolol have been very popular blood pressure medicines. According to a recent analysis, metoprolol is # 8 on the doctors’ hit parade of…
How Can You Ease Heartburn Symptoms?
If you suffer from heartburn, you might describe it as a burning sensation under the breastbone. People with recurrent reflux can usually also talk about the types of foods that trigger their discomfo…
Will Iodine on Nails Upset Thyroid Function?
Iodine is not a glamorous mineral, even though it is essential. Your body cannot make thyroid hormones without iodine. In addition, this mineral may also be critical for mounting a normal immune respo…
What Is the Harm of Putting Petroleum Jelly in Y…
If your nose dries out and becomes painful, you might wish for something to soothe the soreness. Perhaps you have tried putting petroleum jelly in your nose. That may seem like a good idea, but it is …
Low Selenium Makes Liver Vulnerable to Pain Reli…
Acetaminophen has many names, including N-acetyl-para-aminophenol or APAP. Outside North America, people call it paracetamol. Usually, though, people recognize the brand name Tylenol most easily. Many…
Is Your Medicine Making Your Ears Ring? | TINNIT…
There is a silent epidemic in this country. When we say silent, that is actually paradoxical because the condition we are talking about is known as tinnitus. It is silent because only the victims can …
When Vitamin B12 Deficiency Causes Mental Confus…
According to the National Institues of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements: “Researchers have long been interested in the potential connection between vitamin B12 deficiency and dementi…
ACE Inhibitors Like Lisinopril and Hand Tremors
The most prescribed blood pressure medicine in the U.S. is the ACE inhibitor lisinopril. At last count, more than 20 million Americans swallow this BP pill daily. We always thought we knew about lisin…
How to Manage Plantar Fasciitis Pain Without Dru…
Plantar fasciitis pain, which frequently appears as pain in the heel, can really interfere with your activity. Running, tennis, dancing or even walking may be excruciating. Doctors may prescribe pain …
Joint Pain Solutions When NSAIDs Kill Your Stoma…
NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are best sellers in the pharmacy. According to our calculations, over 10 million people take prescription-strength celecoxib, diclofenac or meloxicam. We …
Can You Reverse Tardive Dyskinesia from Abilify?
Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a kind of brain damage. It can be brought on by drugs prescribed for a variety of mental conditions ranging from depression and bipolar disorder to schizophrenia and autisti…
Should the FDA Banish PPIs for Heartburn?
Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) are hugely popular. Doctors routinely prescribe these acid-suppressing drugs. People can also purchase them easily over the counter. No doubt you have seen them on drugst…