FitSugar

Don't Let These Meds Dampen Your Sex Drive

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 03:00:13 PDT

Sometimes we're just not in the mood for sex, but a persistent lack of sexual desire is a bigger issue. Numerous factors can contribute to low libido, including common prescription drugs.

If you've been battling a weak libido, maybe your meds are to blame. To see which drugs can decrease a woman's sex drive,

Allegra, Claritin, and other allergy meds. Certain antihistamines, both over the counter and prescription, can lead to vaginal dryness. If you use these drugs, you may need to supplement your sex with lubricants.
Antidepressants. SSRI drugs like Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft can prompt orgasmic dysfunction in women and lessen desire for sex. If you experience this side effect, talk to your doctor about adjusting your dosage. Since depression can also interfere with sex drive, you don't want your meds working against you!
Antianxiety drugs such as Xanax. Like antidepressants, too much of these medications could decrease sex drive and delay orgasms.
Hormonal birth control. In addition to other side effects, birth control pills and Depo Provera can decrease a woman's sexual desire and arousal. If this happens to you, consider switching to a nonhormonal birth control method.

5 Things: EpiPens

FitSugar — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 05:50:09 PDT

I have a friend who is allergic to peanuts, so she carries an EpiPen wherever she goes. When people catch a glimpse of the injection, it prompts inevitable Pulp Fiction jokes, but there's nothing fun about having to use an EpiPen.

Commonly known by its brand name, this epinephrine autoinjection is used to treat anaphylaxis, a sudden and severe allergic reaction that can be life-threatening. Certain foods, such as eggs and peanuts, can cause an anaphylactic reaction, as can bee stings and certain medications, particularly penicillin. Symptoms of anaphylaxis include hives, swelling, and itching that gives way to shortness of breath, chest tightness, and increased or irregular heartbeat.

For five essential facts about this allergy-kit essential,

Each injection comes with easy-to-follow instructions, which the allergy sufferer should familiarize herself with. Here's a helpful video if you ever have to use one.
Most injections have a safety cap on the opposite end of the needle end. Once the cap is removed, the injection should be pressed needle-end first into the outside of the patient's thigh. The needle will eject when pressed into the skin.
Each injection contains one premeasured dose of epinephrine; some liquid will remain after it's injected, but you should dispose of it after one use.
Users should make sure their injections are not past their expiration date and that the liquid has not changed color. EpiPens are not effective after the expiration date and should be replaced.
Take all used or expired autoinjectors to a hospital or pharmacy for proper disposal.

Have you ever used an EpiPen? Have tips? Share them below.

Prescription Drugs' Expiration Dates, Explained

FitSugar — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 13:30:24 PDT

I've always wondered what exactly an expiration date means on a drug. Does it become less effective? Could it poison me? Obviously, there's a big difference in those two things, so I was glad to see this NPR story that sheds some light on drug expiration dates.

Just because a drug is past its expiration date doesn't necessarily mean you should toss it. Many states require drug labels to carry an expiration date just one year past the date of sale, but drug manufacturers often set dates two years later, based on testing.

The FDA's Ilisa Bernstein says there are no guarantees that drugs will be effective after the expiration date but that medications stored in a cool, dry place can last much longer. Does that mean we should focus on decoding drug names and drug interactions and not worry about the expiration dates?

If the drug is used to treat something commonplace, such as headaches or heartburn, you're probably safe using it past the date. But for medications your life depends on - particularly meds for severe allergic reactions such as EpiPens - you should not use them past the expiration date.

Are We More Anxious? Or Just Popping More Pills?

TresSugar — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:30:45 PDT

Feeling anxious? You are not alone. Antianxiety drug Xanax is the top-popped pill among psychiatric drugs in the US, according to IMS Health's list of the 25 most prescribed psychiatric medications in 2009. Antianxiety drug Ativan jumped from the number five spot in 2005 to number three last year. Interestingly, Xanax and Ativan prescriptions were up 29 and 36 percent since 2005, while Prozac and Zoloft were down.

Are doctors more likely to prescribe anxiety drugs than they used to be? Or - I'm just gonna throw this out there - perhaps the recreational and/or casual popping of antianxiety pills helps propel them to the top of the list. Andrew on Kell on Earth was keen on handing Ativan out like candy, and he's not the only one.

This doesn't necessarily mean Americans are more anxious than we are depressed. For more insight and to see the full list,

Antidepressants Lexapro, Zoloft, and Prozac still rounded out the top five most-prescribed meds, and for women in particular, depression may be the bigger problem. A story in today's Guardian, about yet another female author 'fessing up to depression, cites decades worth of studies indicating that women are diagnosed with depression at twice the rate of men, across economic brackets. From 1993 and 2007, the incidence of depression and anxiety rose by a fifth in women ages 45 to 64, but for men stayed the same.

With so many competing stats, it's hard to know what's contributing to the rise in antianxiety drugs or the rise in depression. Better diagnoses, more medicating, or a fundamental shift in women's mental health? Tell me what you think - especially if you've taken any of these meds. Here's the full list of the top 25 psychiatric drugs:

Xanax (anxiety)
Lexapro (depression, anxiety)
Ativan (anxiety, panic disorder)
Zoloft (depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, PMDD)
Prozac (depression, anxiety)
Desyrel (depression, anxiety)
Cymbalta (depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, diabetic neuropathy)
Seroquel (bipolar disorder, depression)
Effexor XR (depression, anxiety, panic disorder)
Valium (anxiety, panic disorder)
Amphetamine salts (attention deficit disorder)
Risperdal (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, irritability in autism)
Vistaril (anxiety, tension)
Bupropion (depression, stop smoking)
Abilify (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression)
Concerta (attention deficit disorder)
Celexa (depression, anxiety)
Buspar (sleep, anxiety)
Vyvanse (ADD)
Zyprexa (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia)
Adderall XR (attention defecit disorder)
Wellbutrin XL (depression)
Geodon (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia)
Strattera (attention deficit disorder)
Pristiq (depression)

Are Prescription Drug Ads More Harm Than Help?

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 03:00:43 PDT

Chances are you've seen more prescription drug commercials than you can count - Viagra, Cymbalta, Celebrex, and Yaz are just a few that I can name from memory. The ads are pervasive and influential and pharmaceutical companies know that. From 1997 to 2005, drug companies tripled their spending in television ad campaigns from $1.3 billion to $4.2 billion. In 2006 that number bumped up even further to $4.6 billion.

Though the ads do inform consumers of what's available to them, health advocates say they present drugs and symptoms in very general terms and can confuse consumers into thinking they have something they don't. A national study found that one-third of all Americans have asked for a drug they saw on a commercial and of those that asked, 82 percent were given a prescription of some sort.

To give your opinion and hear more about this issue,

It's hard to say without doubt if doctors are over prescribing these drugs but it's one of the concerns that's being raised. Other concerns include patients asking self-diagnosing and ads increasing medical costs and patient risks - the advertised drugs are usually newer with higher costs and less testing, making them more risky.

I can admit to asking about Yaz after seeing the commercials over and over again. It's the top-selling birth control in the United States due in large part to its marketing campaign - a campaign that is now under question as health experts step forward with claims that the drug is unsafe.

Have you ever asked your doctor about a prescription drug because of a commercial you saw? Did you end up taking the drug?

What Do You Use For Birth Control?

FitSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:30:19 PDT

It might seem like I have ~~sex~~ birth control on the brain. Last week I asked you about your experience or lack thereof with the female condom. Although it's most often talked about in intimate settings, birth control is in the news.

Concerns are being raised about the safety of the Yaz birth control pill, the top selling pill in the US, according to the New York Times. Women taking Yaz might have a higher chance of developing blood clots compared to other birth control pills, a claim that drug maker Bayer disputes. Investigation is ongoing, as are 74 lawsuits charging that Yaz and Yasmin, a similar product by Bayer, created health problems in women taking these pills. The lawsuits are tricky business though, since warnings about clots are presented in the pharmaceuticals' literature. Bayer strongly stands behind its product.

These new fears about the most commonly used contraceptive pill in America emphasize that avoiding pregnancy can be a difficult task, sometimes with medical consequences. I am curious about you . . .

Say What? Paula Abdul Talks Pills

TresSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 08:30:00 PDT

“I could have killed myself. . . . Withdrawal - it's the worst thing. I was freezing cold, then sweating hot, then chattering and in so much pain, it was excruciating. But at my very core, I did not like existing the way I had been."

- Paula Abdul, in the upcoming issue of Ladies' Home Journal, on overcoming her addiction to painkillers last Thanksgiving.

Source

Scientists Say Taking Adderall to Get Through Day May Be OK

CitizenSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:30:38 PST

College students and other concentration seekers know it's not hard to score a 'script for ADHD drugs. Fidgety, disorganized, forgetful. They know the symptoms and they work the system.

But while using Ritalin and Adderall to edge out competition in school and life is nothing new (though the science journal Nature disagrees), a vocal group of scientists supporting it is. They argue that "cognitive enhancement" should no longer be a bad word because it's no different than using education, good health habits, and technology to get ahead. Another similarity? Access to prescription drugs requires a certain degree of privilege, too!

Opponents argue that it's cheating, unnatural, and on par with drug abuse. If they want to curb this trend, I recommend showing young teens Requiem For a Dream at just the right age. But until then, is it just best to accept and regulate it?

Source

FDA Lists Drugs Under Investigation

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 03:00:00 PDT

Ever been prescribed a drug by your doctor and wondered how safe or unsafe it is?

The FDA has recently begun posting a list of prescription drugs under investigation for safety problems on its site. Currently there are only about 20 meds on the list, but the FDA will continue to update it each quarter. If a medication you're currently taking is classified as under investigation, don't freak out. Continue taking your medicine as prescribed and make an appointment to talk to your doctor as the potential risks may not outweigh the benefits of taking the medicine.

For all other prescription drugs check out my new Health Guide where you'll find thousands of overviews of common medications. It's very helpful, especially if you've thrown away the little foldout pamphlet that comes with all prescriptions.

Source

Do You Share Prescription Drugs?

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:00:00 PDT

If you pass the occasional pill to your friends, you are not alone. According to a recent study published in The Journal of Women’s Health, sharing prescription drugs is common among young adults, especially 18- to 44-year-old women. The recent survey of 25,000 people found that more than one-third of the women polled shared prescription drugs with friends or took pills from their pals. The drugs included everything from allergy meds to pain pills. I'm definitely guilty of offering the occasional Allegra to friends who also take the drug, but how about you?

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