Weight loss and Weight Chat Blog

Depending on which headlines you’ve seen recently, you may think that some pain relievers are being recalled because they’re dangerous and you might be wondering if you need to clean out the medicine cabinet and throw out any number of these products. I’m going to try to explain this highly complex situation, but the bottom line is that when taken as directed, all of the pain relievers currently on the market, be they prescription or over the counter (OTC), are still considered to be safe and effective and you don’t need to throw them away (and nothing is being recalled at the moment either).
The bottom line problem, however, is that when it comes to pain relievers many people don’t follow directions and wind up taking far more pills than they should. And when those products contain acetaminophen it can lead to toxic levels of that drug, which can and all […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com

As I wrote earlier if you’re an average person living in the U.S. there’s absolutely no reason now to panic about the current swine flu situation in spite of the media hysteria. That may change as time passes, but it could just as easily go the other way and not become a full-blown pandemic. That’s what happened in 1976, when a swine flu scare led to emergency vaccination of some 40 million Americans in 10 weeks but the feared pandemic just never panned out. The Los Angeles Times has a nice piece on that story.
But many people have questions about the flu vaccine right now. Does this year’s vaccine cover the current swine flu strain? Why doesn’t the flu vaccine cover all strains? Why do I need to get a new flu immunization every year when I don’t have to do that for most of the other illnesses I got […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com

A commonly used treatment for acid reflux does not improve asthma symptoms or asthma control in those patients who do not actually have symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux (GER), according to a new study published in today’s New England Journal of Medicine.  This suggests that silent GER (acid reflux that causes only minimal or no reflux symptoms) does not play a role in asthma, as has previously been thought.
Many people with asthma are treated with a combination of medications that includes one designed to reduce excess stomach acid even though asthma is a respiratory and not a digestive disorder. The reason is that stomach acid can lead to GER, which in turn can exacerbate the symptoms of asthma in some people. It is particularly helpful for those whose asthma remains uncontrolled after the usual medications are given and who also have symptoms of GERD such as heartburn. But many people without […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com

Last week’s FDA approval of Lexapro to treat depression in adolescents 12-17 years old got me to thinking both about bureaucratic nonsense and corporate shenanigans. That’s because, in a classic case of bureaucratitis, the FDA approval came just weeks after Justice Department prosecutors, following a 5-year investigation, accused Forest Laboratories of illegally marketing Lexapro for use in these very same children. Of course, such actions are not mutually exclusive because, in fact, it would have been illegal for Forest to promote the use of Lexapro in kids prior to such an FDA approval, but, really, when one arm of the government says it’s now fully convinced of Lexapro’s efficacy in children doesn’t it seem a bit odd that another arm would be spending so much time and effort prosecuting the company for promoting such use? Shouldn’t they be going after companies promoting things that don’t actually work? Maybe yes, maybe […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com

Stem cells have been in the news a lot this week because of President Obama’s executive order lifting the Bush administration’s strict limitations on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. But stem cells are quite confusing because they come in so many different forms, involve such complex terminology, and seem to require an advanced degree in science to understand. So let’s try to focus on some basic concepts that are relatively easy to understand, such as what stem cells are, why they are so important, and just what the differences are between embryonic and adult stem cells.
In order to understand stem cells, you first have to know a bit about cells in general. Cells are the basic functional units of life. There are countless organisms that consist of just one cell, such as bacteria. But most organisms, including humans, are made of many cells. In fact, the human body […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com

If you or someone you know takes Plavix (clopidogrel), which is an anticlotting medication (often referred to as a blood thinner), you should take note of recent findings suggesting a potential problem when it is taken along with other drugs known as proton pump inhibitors. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are drugs that reduce stomach acid and they are often prescribed along with Plavix because it can irritate the stomach in some patients. The PPIs help to reduce the stomach irritation. But recent findings are suggesting that PPIs might reduce the effectiveness of Plavix, which could be a problem since Plavix is most often prescribed for people who are at risk of having a heart attack or stroke and if it didn’t work they could be at risk of serious problems. So if you do take Plavix and if you also take (or are considering taking) a PPI, you should definitely […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com

If you or someone you know takes Plavix (clopidogrel), which is an anticlotting medication (often referred to as a blood thinner), you should take note of recent findings suggesting a potential problem when it is taken along with other drugs known as proton pump inhibitors. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are drugs that reduce stomach acid and they are often prescribed along with Plavix because it can irritate the stomach in some patients. The PPIs help to reduce the stomach irritation. But recent findings are suggesting that PPIs might reduce the effectiveness of Plavix, which could be a problem since Plavix is most often prescribed for people who are at risk of having a heart attack or stroke and if it didn’t work they could be at risk of serious problems. So if you do take Plavix and if you also take (or are considering taking) a PPI, you should definitely […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com

A new medical study has proved what I’ve long held to be true: when it comes to dieting, it’s not what you eat, but how much of whatever it is you do eat that matters. Despite the hype of each new fad diet that comes along, where fats are in one day and out the next, where carbs are bad one day and good the next, etc., etc., ad nauseum, research published in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine has found no difference in weight loss when four very different diets were compared. So long as total calories, regardless of their source, were reduced, and the person stuck to the diet, equal weight loss occurred in all four patient groups. What mattered the most was sticking to the diet. For many of the participants, what helped in this regard was attending counseling sessions – the more they attended the […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com

As Stephen Colbert would say: “Welcome to the Report ladies and gentlemen.” Dr. Z’s Medical Report has a new home here on Everyday Health, and I am happy to welcome both old and new readers to my blog, which began in 2006 on HealthTalk. Although HealthTalk no longer exists as its own website, much of its content has been incorporated into the Everyday Health website, including all the postings of Dr. Z’s Medical Report. You can still search the blog using the little search box on the right side of the page and can still subscribe to it via RSS. Nothing has changed except for the owner of the website; namely, Everyday Health and I’m happy to be part of their team.
For those new to the Report, here’s a brief overview. I usually write twice a week with postings on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s. The easiest way to stay informed is […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com

Two major pieces of news for people afflicted by fibromyalgia have appeared in the past few weeks; namely, the FDA approval of Savella (milnacipran), the third drug to receive federal backing for fibromyalgia, and the publication of a major meta-analysis in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which confirmed that antidepressant medications (including Savella) can improve pain, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and quality of life. Of note, however, is that the JAMA report also concluded that older medications, called tricyclic antidepressants, are most effective for treating fibromyalgia, even though they are not FDA approved for such use. It is often the case that older and now generic medications, such as the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline, can be effective but lack pharmaceutical company sponsors willing to spend the time and money necessary to obtain FDA approval. Physicians are free to prescribe medications, regardless of FDA approval status, as they […]

Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com