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Archive for the ‘Medication’ Category

You Heard The Bad News: TwicePerhaps you, or someone you know, have received the lab report from the physician's office. The report indicates a high serum cholesterol level. You may be curious, as to the possibility of how to lower cholesterol without medication. Your physician seems very willing to recommend a regimen of statins to lower the high LDL (low density lipoprotein: the "bad stuff" circulating in your bloodstream). One of the prime concerns some conscientious patients have in this potential situation, is the issue of dealing with statin-generated side effects such as muscle pain and joint damage. In addition, you run some long-term risks that these medications can carry such as liver damage. It's also possible, though as yet unconfirmed, that you may be placing yourself at some risk for contracting the crippling and deadly amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Are there effective alternatives?There Is Some Good News!The good news is that there are effective options that will have a marked improvement on both LDL and HDL (high density lipoprotein: read "good") readings. Below are 8 of the most effective means for bettering your heart health that don't involve any dangerous drugs that cause you .. more»

If you are like me, when you first heard about ADHD medication, you were very concerned about giving it to your child. ADHD is an issue that a rapidly growing number of families are facing in the western world. They have experienced the stress and frustration that accompanies ADHD and are looking for the best solution for their child-one that is both safe and effective. Many choose medicine for ADHD, but a growing number of families are choosing to address ADHD issues from a natural approach.Typically when a doctor diagnoses ADHD in an individual, he will immediately recommend stimulant ADHD medication. Doctors will tell you that children with ADHD make a complete turn around in school. For many children, it is true that grades and behavior improve when a child begins taking medicine for ADHD. The conflicts decrease, and grades increase, but at what cost.It is unbelievable to me how little a doctor will discuss the importance of sleep and nutrition to a child with ADHD. Some professionals believe that 80% to 90% of ADHD issues are due to poor nutrition. Since most medicine for ADHD actually acts as an appetite suppressant, it may only make things worse.The result is .. more»

Insurance companies are now being mandated by many states to provide mental health coverage to their customers. However, having to provide this coverage doesn't guarantee that customers won't face rate hikes, stigmas, and other issues because they have mental healthcare services on their record. Insurance companies can see this history and often use it to label people as a higher risk to their insurance company because they have a medical history that is significant. When it comes to mental health, it seems like the risk is increased ten-fold, which is difficult for many people to handle.When you are being treated for depression and other mental health issues, a common medication that is used is Prozac. However, this is one medication that may or may not be covered depending on your insurance company. If you do get prescription coverage for Prozac, it will likely be with strict regulation or some type of stigma that follows you for the rest of your insured life. Many therapists and psychiatrists will no longer accept patients that cannot pay cash, even on a sliding scale, because they don't want to ruin their reputation when it comes to their health insurance coverage.Mental health has become much .. more»

Because stress can readily lead to anxiety and depression, any stress medicine is really treating some form of anxiety or depression. This is when stress has reached the point of interfering with your life in some way.You may not even realize that your stress has progressed to something more serious. Stress and hectic lifestyles are very common in our society. Unfortunately this means many people ignore the warning signs that stress is evolving into the next stage. Be sure to know the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders. Stress medicine (this isn't a medical term; just a simple reference within this article) is one of the best forms of treatment for these mental health conditions.There are four major categories of medications for psychiatric symptoms; two of which correlate closely to stress: Antidepressants (covered in another article with a very similar title) and anti-anxiety medications. The remaining two categories will only be touched on.Anti-anxiety and sedative medications: These help reduce anxiety and feeling overly stimulated. Some of these meds also help people sleep.These particular meds are unique because they take only one or two hours to take effect. Also be aware some of them can be addictive and long-term .. more»

Many voice professionals feel that when they are getting sick the only remedy for their ailment is prescription or over the counter medication. Unfortunately, choosing this path can actually have a worse effect on our voices than we may know. In an article entitled "Common Medications and Their Effects on the Voice" by Dr. Robert T. Sataloff, Professor and Chairman, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Academic Specialties, Drexel University College of Medicine, effects of medication on the throat and voice can do more harm than good.Dr. Sataloff is also a professional singer. In this article are outlined the most commonly used medications and their potential side effects.Common medications and Maintaining vocal healthAspirin and Anti-inflammatory medicationsAspirin is commonly used by millions of people every day. However, aspirin "can cause platelet dysfunction which is the primary means of interfering with a blood clotting mechanism." Here it is recommended to avoid the use of aspirin to prevent possible vocal fold hemorrhage. I would suggest trying Bromelian, found in pineapple or Turmeric for pain and inflammation.AntihistaminesIt is well known that Antihistamines can have a drying effect on the throat and respiratory tract. If clogged nasal passages, one .. more»

Expired medications are commonplace and inertia notwithstanding, many of us tend to rely on an intuitive sense of their value in continuing to store and use them. Such drugs can be harmful to health in several ways; they can be unpredictable in effectiveness, simply ineffective, or even toxic.The formal way of classifying a medication as having expired is through it's labeled expiry date. This date is often set based on a combination of the common properties of the dosage form as well as the stability and expiration studies of the product that have been conducted by the manufacturer. Importantly, this expiry date is contingent on specific storage conditions of the product. Although a medication may pass it's labeled expiry date, it may not necessarily be any less effective or dangerous to consume depending on the product itself, the storage conditions and the circumstances leading up to expiry.When most medications pass their expiry date under appropriate storage conditions, they are generally taken to have become so variable in effectiveness as to have become unsuitable for use. This often comes about as a result of the degradation of the active ingredients of the medication with exposure to physical, chemical or microbiological variables .. more»