Serotonin syndrome, a drug poisoning caused by excessive serotonin in the brain, has made the news again. This is a serious drug reaction that people who take SSRI antidepressants and/or triptans should be aware of. Despite the hype, rest assured that serotonin syndrome is rare…
Medical marijuana* activist group Americans for Safe Access is suing two federal health agencies for arguing that marijuana has no medical benefit. Activists maintain that these are “false and misleading” statements. Decriminalization of marijuana is not the goal of the lawsuit. Instead, the ASA wants…
Opioids were, not surprisingly, a major topic at the American Academy of Pain Management’s annual meeting, which was held last week. The three main areas discussed were opioid therapy and prescribing opioids, as well as the legal implications of both. The role of cannabinoids (more…
Can you believe it? “DTC [direct-to-consumer] ads have ‘limited’ educational value and may ‘oversell’ the benefits of drugs in way that may conflict with promoting health,” according to a study published in The Annals of Family Medicine. Maybe it’s because they are advertisements, which Merriam-Webster…
The typical patient leaves their doctor’s office only remembering about half of the information given. Whether it’s being told too many things at once or not understanding all that you’re told, more than 90 million Americans don’t understand basic health information. And a patient’s level…