Editorial Note: This post by Harriet Rosenberg aims at getting some debate going about medication and birth defects. We will run a survey early next week on this issue Right-to-Know (R2K). A recent post on RxISK, The dark is for mushrooms not for women features responses on Mumsnet to the issue of prescribing SSRIs during pregnancy. Johanna Ryan comments at the end of the … [Read more...] about Preventing Precaution
Cardiac
The Dark is for Mushrooms, Not for Women
The pre-pregnancy puzzle This post contains a comment by Neil Gorman on Humira in Ulcerative Colitis backed up by material criticising a BBC Panorama program on antidepressants in pregnancy retrieved from the link to Mumsnet mentioned by Neil. This link illustrates beautifully why Pharma has such an easy ride. There is a mythic element here. Where men are accused of seeing … [Read more...] about The Dark is for Mushrooms, Not for Women
Swimming with Great Whites? If you’ve got “Diabetes” look away now.
After its launch in the late 1950s, Upjohn’s Orinase (tolbutamide) became the first blockbuster hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) drug. Its success was born of failure. It wasn’t a replacement for insulin. Even if used early, it didn’t stop people from becoming insulin dependent. But attempts to create an early use market led to a focus on raised blood sugar levels and the … [Read more...] about Swimming with Great Whites? If you’ve got “Diabetes” look away now.
SoS: Anti-clotting drugs – Fiona’s story
Editorial note: Fiona's story (FB) was the first RxISK story filed. It is reproduced here. Data from FDA's MedWatch system noting withdrawal problems on clopidogrel and Plavix are laid out in the Table at the bottom. Fiona's story I had a heart attack two years ago and was prescribed Clopidogrel and low dose Aspirin as my after care. Several months ago it was decided that I … [Read more...] about SoS: Anti-clotting drugs – Fiona’s story
Maclean’s magazine: There’s a pill for that
A B.C. class-action suit against the makers of Paxil is putting the spotlight on a controversial issue: the growing use of antidepressants during pregnancy. ...Yet a rising chorus of researchers is questioning Motherisk’s stance on SSRI use in pregnancy. One of the most vocal is psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist David Healy, director of the North Wales department of … [Read more...] about Maclean’s magazine: There’s a pill for that
Sudden Cardiac Death: Vanessa’s Story
Editorial Note: This post is excerpted from After the Error: Speaking Out About Patient Safety to Save Lives by Susan McIver, Ph.D. and Robin Wyndham. © 2013 Susan McIver and Robin Wyndham. Published by ECW Press Ltd. ecwpress.com Special recognition The day after Terence Young’s 15-year-old daughter, Vanessa, suddenly died on March 19, 2000, he began his journey to find out … [Read more...] about Sudden Cardiac Death: Vanessa’s Story
Lipitor from 1997
Editorial note: This post is by Dr. Duane Graveline, Author of Lipitor Thief of Memory (referred to in an earlier post), and other books. The original of this post is on his website. Dr. Graveline has sent this account of what can be found in FDA's Medwatch system for Lipitor. RxISK makes data like this available for free and in easy to use form. It lets you explore what might … [Read more...] about Lipitor from 1997
Sudden Cardiac Death: Jeannie’s Story
Editorial Note: This RxISK story written by Jeannie's mother records a growing epidemic of sudden unexplained cardiac deaths. These are linked to the effects of a range of drugs on the cardiac QTc interval. There is considerable evidence that pharmaceutical companies have known about these risks for years and sometimes before drugs like citalopram are marketed. The risks can … [Read more...] about Sudden Cardiac Death: Jeannie’s Story
The Legacy Effects of Statins: A Role for RxISK
Editorial Note: This chilling account of the effects of statin drugs brings out a key role for reporters to RxISK.org - we need good data on how long the after-effects of drug treatment can last. This data is rarely collected but is of critical importance when it comes to insurance and disability assessments. A statin is a lipid-lowering agent and although the mechanism is not … [Read more...] about The Legacy Effects of Statins: A Role for RxISK