Popular Allergy Drug Under FDA Inspection
Singulair is a very popular medication prescribed for allergies; it is used with much success for both typical allergy reactions and in preventing asthma attacks. As such, it is a medication that both physicians and patients have been pleased to have available.
Unfortunately the old saying of when something seems too good to be true, it probably is, may also hold true with Singulair. There is a possible link between Singulair and suicide ideation as well as mood swings, anxiety and depression. Merck, the manufacturer of Singulair, points out that these are reactions received by report only and have not been observed in clinical testing.
”We have no indication that anything about the mechanism of Singulair is consistent with these events,” said George Philip, Director of Research and Product Development, Merck & Co, Inc. ”But because suicide is a life-threatening event we thought it was important to provide this information in the product label.”
Further information can be found at the link below. It is important that patients not discontinue Singulair suddenly without a physician’s guidance. Patients on Singulair who are concerned about these side effects should talk with their medical care provider as soon as possible.
FDA Early Communication Report on Singulair
FDA Investigates Merck Drug - Suicide Link
Health News and Fears - Don’t Let it Scare You
I have been writing about healthcare for a long time. It is a dynamic topic that always has news and information about new discoveries. It also is enough to scare the wits out of some people. I think in many ways all of the Internet coverage on health is a double-edged sword; it informs us of what we need to know but in the process, may be creating a nation of hypochondriacs!
I know of someone who gets, or worries about getting, every single health topic I have ever covered. That is a lot of worry. A concern is normal. Informing yourself by reading an article is normal. But if normal reading turns into obsessive worrying, then it is time to refocus on the realities of what health news is telling us.
Being worried and fearful of diseases that we may or may not face at some time in our life can interfere with the quality of our lives. They may become self-fulfilling prophecies as well, since stress is a major exacerbation in so many conditions. If you find yourself too preoccupied with healthcare topics, back off reading every single article that crosses your computer monitor. If you find this is difficult or impossible, talk to your doctor.
Check out this article I have linked below. It presents some conditions that are big in the news right now, and shows the odds of an individual actually having one of these conditions occur. And remember, it is all a matter of common sense and perspective.
Don’t Worry So Much About Scary Diseases
World Water Day
World Water Day is set aside to bring to the public eye the plight of those in the world who do not have safe drinking water. 20% of the world, according to a report on Care 2, do not have safe water to drink.
The WHO estimates that 3900 children die each day from a lack of safe drinking water. 1/6 of our planet is without a resource that most of us take for granted. Without a doubt, water is essential for health and the economy of all people.
Water is a valuable resource and one that we must protect for ourselves and the generations that come after us. The issues of health are dependent on it.
WorldWide and Internet Events for World Water Day
WHO - Water Sanitation and Health
Recalls - Chicken in Alabama and Empanadas in Southern States
Cagle’s Inc., a Collinsville, Ala., establishment, is voluntarily recalling approximately 943,000 pounds of various fresh and frozen poultry giblets and fresh carcasses with giblets inserted that may be adulterated due to improper disposition of the giblets, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced on March 14th. This is considered a Class I recall (High Health Risk).(FSIS)
Publix Super Markets is issuing a voluntary recall on all codes of prepackaged 2 and 4-pack Apple, Pineapple and Pumpkin Empanadas sold in retail bakeries due to the undeclared milk ingredient. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.(FDA)
Brain Injury Awareness Month
The CDC has announced that March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. Traumatic brain injuries are much more common than generally realized, and one of the greatest dangers with a TBI is that it may well be overlooked by a physician.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI)—which is caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head—is a special health concern for older adults; however, they are often missed or misdiagnosed among this group.
CDC
Why is this such a risk? Falls are common in the older adult population. This population group often takes medications that can increase dizziness, therefore increasing the risk for falls. Other medical conditions can cause falls as well, and although the risks of a broken hip are understood, the risks of a TBI are less known and recognized.
Falls are a risk for younger adults as well. Athletes have an obvious risk, but younger adults are at risk as well. Car accidents are a common cause of head injuries and the closed head injury could easily be overlooked in an accident with more overt injuries.
Although we should all be aware of hazards that increase the risk of head injury, March reminds us to check the homes of loved ones who may be at risk of falling. It is also wise to check the entrance to a person’s home; steps and garden overgrowth may cause a fall as well. A little common sense can protect our population from a serious injury.
The Brain Injury Recovery Network
March - Brain Injury Awareness Month
Unsafe Water Found in AP Probe: No Area Unaffected
Update: Now we know why New York is the city that never sleeps! (3-11-08)
What tastes better on a hot summer day than a tall glass of cold water? Spend an hour or two mowing the lawn in the heat, and the only thing that is going to quench that thirst is water. But 
this news is enough to make you avoid your home tap water for a very long time. Or at least, make you wish you could avoid it. Human beings must have water in order to live. Consequently this problem is one that affects every one of us.
A probe has discovered that our drinking water supplies are contaminated with drugs. All kinds of drugs: Anti-epileptics, hormones, heart medications, antibiotics, steroids and even over the counter medications.
While there isn’t exactly a “cover-up,” the water companies have not been terribly forthcoming about this problem. The AP probe found that this information isn’t just handy for the average person and it took a little pressure to find the results of the testings. One authority in the water supply business said, that the public “doesn’t know how to interpret the information” and might be unduly alarmed.”
???? Unduly? We are drinking unknown amounts of unknown medications and doing it for a lifetime? That just can’t be good for anyone.
“We know we are being exposed to other people’s drugs through our drinking water, and that can’t be good.”
Dr. David Carpenter, Institute for Health and the Environment of the State University of New York at Albany
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There are a couple of arguments that come along with this very disturbing situation:
- What is the long term effect of a lowered, yet steady, dose of multiple medications?
- How do we get those medications out of drinking supply?
The answers aren’t quite as easy. As of this date, the government has not required testing for medications in our drinking supply and even if they did, they have not established the numbers that would determine whether a particular water sample is contaminated or not.
“There’s no doubt about it, pharmaceuticals are being detected in the environment and there is genuine concern that these compounds, in the small concentrations that they’re at, could be causing impacts to human health or to aquatic organisms.”
Mary Buzby, Director of Environmental Technology for Merck & Co. Inc.
Wow! An employee of a major pharmaceutical company is saying that their drugs let loose in the water supply might not be safe? I can’t help but wonder if she still has a job.
The probe uncovered that 41 million people are subjected to “recycled” medications in their water. 41 million is going to end up to be a conservative estimate however, because not all of the major metropolitan areas were tested. It is safe to assume this is a nationwide, if not worldwide, problem.
And if you are thinking that you are safe because you only drink bottled water, you’re wrong. Many bottled water companies are simply bottling tap water. Others still have to get their water from the same basic sources that all water originates from. The contamination is everywhere. Private wells are affected too; it isn’t just major metropolitan areas. There is just no hiding from this problem.
As with most studies and reports, more questions have been raised than answers. What we are going to do about this is unknown, but the alarms are sounding. Meanwhile people are sicker than ever, more prescriptions are given than ever, and the water just keeps taking the excess.
AP Probe Finds Drugs in Drinking Water
Clinic Caught Reusing Syringes
UPDATE: The problem worsens as health officials find the patient lists are incomplete.
Vegas Hepatitis Exposure List Incomplete
It must be one of the CDC’s worst nightmares and it seems impossible that in this day and age, it could happen. What is it? A clinic in Las Vegas, Nevada, has been discovered to be reusing syringes and vials of medication. What this means to the average person outside of the medical field is that an injection was given, then the syringe (including the needle) after use, was reinserted into the medication vial, and an injection was given to another person.
The risk to patients is potentially fatal. Through this practice, patients would be potentially exposed to hepatitis B and C, and to HIV as well. The beginning of this investigation has revealed that the reuse of needles and vials has been occurring in this clinic for four years. This is also the largest public health investigation in U.S. history.
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At this point:
- The surgical center has been closed
- Five affiliated clinics have been closed
- Six confirmed cases of hepatitis C have been confirmed
- Thousands of patients will be tested
- 80% of hepatitis C cases are asymptomatic
The reason given by the clinic for reusing needles and vials was to cut costs. The owner of the clinic has declined comment but it is interesting to note that he is a member of the governor’s commission on health care, in the state of Nevada.
“I find it baffling, frankly, that in this day and age anyone would think it was safe to reuse a syringe.”
Michael Bell, Associate Director for Infection C, CDC
The report has made worldwide news and comments abound on health forums. The concensus of opinion is that this practice is without excuse and the harshest penalties as allowed by law, should be imposed on physicians involved in this practice. This scandal, as it can only be considered, not only breaks down the safety of the healthcare system, but destroys the trust the public has in medical facilities and personnel.
With hepatitis C only displaying symptoms in 20% of all cases, any patient seen at one these clinics needs to contact their local public health department, or their own physician (unaffiliated with the clinics in question, of course).
Vegas Clinic May Have Sickened Thousands
More Information Including Clinic Names and Addresses
An Ethical Can of Worms
I have often said that if I could do it all over again, I would study and major in medical ethics. It is a fascinating field that grows in complexity everyday. Medical research is growing exponentially and with it are growing questions.
How do we ever strike a balance between what we learn intellectually and what we question morally? A situation is now receiving public attention that centers around two topics that would seem to be unrelated: Superbugs and Alzheimer’s.
To bottom line it, the question is, “Do we administer antibiotics to someone with a disease such as Alzheimer’s, when we might be creating superbugs by doing so?”
That is a slippery slope and one I am glad I don’t have to try to navigate.
One side of the discussion says that patients with advanced dementia should not be given antibiotics when they contract an infection; pneumonia is a good example of a disease that can be treated. As most of the patients with severe dementia live in nursing homes, the patients and the environment have become the perfect breeding ground for bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics.
Therefore not treating the individual with an infection, prevents the bacteria from evolving into a superbug. The downside is that the lack of treatment is very likely the mechanism that kills the patient. The public’s health is protected but at what cost?
We believe that the widespread use of antibiotics in advanced dementia may pose a potential public health risk through the emergence of antibiotic resistance.
Archives of Internal Medicine, 2-16-08
The other side of the discussion takes the traditional approach: Life is sacred, we treat what we can and we don’t allow people to die due to lack of treatment. However, in doing so, we are likely creating bacteria that will reach the general population; these antibiotic resistant infections will then not be responsive to treatment and deaths will occur because of treatment (as opposed to the lack of treatment discussed above).
The problem centers around defining what end-stage diseases are; obviously the final days of cancer are end-stage. And most physicians treating Alzheimer’s feel it too is a terminal condition that once in an end-stage status, differs little from cancer.
This issue has by no means been settled. The study that was conducted was just published last month. But it has opened the dialog about how we handle less tangible, but equally devastating, diseases. Without a doubt end-of-life decisions are made all over the country, privately in hospital and nursing home rooms, between families and doctors; perhaps now some real and honest discussions can occur and some conclusions reached.
Study Suggests Antibiotics Are Overused
Antibiotics Overused in Dementia Patients
Antibiotics May Be Overused Near the End of Life
AMA Medical Ethics