FitSugar

What Do You Use For Birth Control?

FitSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:30:19 -0700

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 . . .

Stranger Than Fiction: Spider Venom For Erectile Dysfunction

TresSugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:00:00 -0700

How desperate are some men to cure their erectile dysfunction, otherwise known as impotence? They might be desperate enough to use spider venom - as a drug ingredient, of course.

Researchers in Brazil are looking closely at the Brazilian wandering spider. Its bites are extremely painful and can cause priapism, which is basically a painful erection that could last for hours. (I'm wondering who the poor research subject was who led them to this conclusion!) The researchers purified the toxin, tested it in rats and mice, and found that it causes a chemical reaction that helps blood flow in penile tissue.

Since erectile dysfunction is the result of an inadequate supply of blood flow in the penis, the venom is a promising treatment for the condition. See, people? Although many of you are afraid of them, spiders can be your friends!

A Noseful of Air Makes the Medicine Go Down

PetSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:00:12 -0700

It's funny how dogs who would normally devour any meal seem to know when you try to sneak in some meds. Even the teeny tiniest pill imaginable. True story, it happened to a friend of mine. Concerned that lil Chico wasn't ever going to budge, she tried everything from the popular peanut butter coating to pill pockets, but her pup refused and the daily battle began.

Just when it seemed that her min pin's determination won out, she called the vet, who recommended this simple trick that actually worked: after placing the pill in the dog's open mouth, hold him and lightly blow on his nose. For some reason, this prompts the pet to swallow and helps the medicine go down. It's probably for the best - a spoonful of sugar wouldn't be good for canines anyway.

Source: Flickr User Mark Watson

Mommy's Lil Helpers For Tough Hygiene Tasks

LilSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:00:26 -0700

Babies needing their temperature taken or their noses cleared don't intimidate mamas who have the right tools. Handy parents who have gone though the trials of helping their tots have created products that get the jobs done. Take a look at some of the more interesting inventions that were made to assist fellow moms and dads.

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FDA Takes a Closer Look at Tylenol

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:16:06 -0700

I've never been able to get a clear answer on whether Tylenol plus alcohol can harm your liver. Though acetaminophen can lead to liver damage when taken in large doses, many questions remain about its short-term dangers, particularly when combined with recreational drinking. Now, the FDA wants some answers.

The agency is meeting to determine if and how it should revise its guidelines on acetaminophen, including recommended dosage and the possibility of pulling "combination drugs" like NyQuil from shelves. Here's why:

. . . overdoses of acetaminophen have been linked to 56,000 emergency room visits, 26,000 hospitalizations and 458 deaths during the 1990s, according to the FDA, citing one study.

The agency cited another study, a 2007 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention population-based report, that estimated that acetaminophen was the likely cause of most of the estimated 1,600 acute liver failures each year.

Especially troubling are products such as NyQuil and Pamprin that aren't expressly sold as pain relievers but which contain acetaminophen. With those scary statistics, it sounds like it's high time the FDA addressed this issue. Do you worry about your acetaminophen intake?

KidKupz: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding?

LilSugar — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 05:00:57 -0700

Maybe Mary Poppins was right . . . a spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down! Seeing how hard it was for children to take bad-tasting medicine, a mom and grandma developed an idea for candy-coated medicine cup rims to help ease the sting of the elixir. KidKupz ($7 for six) combines a standard medicine cup with either sour cherry, blue raspberry, watermelon or green apple candy rims, making taking medicine less of a chore, and more fun. Like other medicine tricks we've seen, this one tries to mask the taste with something tots are familiar with taking. Would you try this trick?

Healthy and Unwealthy: 20-Somethings DIY Health Care

CitizenSugar — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:01:29 -0800

Trading prescriptions. Self-diagnosing on the Internet (guilty!). Skipping doses to make prescriptions last (I've done that with insurance?). Setting broken bones (ack! not guilty). These are just some of the Band-Aids, the 13.2 million young people, ages 19-29, without insurance have applied.

Maybe we need more doctors like this? Dr. Jay Parkinson (MD!) treats uninsured Internet lovers (but not old ones, he only sees people under 40) via IM, email, and in person through house (or coffee house) calls for a $200 fee per visit. Not exactly cheap, but certainly better than the emergency room.

Most insurance companies cut dependents off at 19 or after college graduation, but more than two dozen states have increased the cutoff age to well into the 20s. Where are these magical lands? Get the list here.

The health care industry calls uninsured 20-somethings the "young invincibles," which makes the industry sound like an old irascible. While some certainly see themselves as young, healthy - invincible? - others live uninsured in fear while focusing on their careers, using the little money they earn interning and working odd jobs for rent and food. Though, in fairness, I've been there and threw a credit card set on automatic payment at the problem.

But I never did use that insurance that I still pay for, so I can't blame those who live without it. Are you sympathetic, or should the young invincibles swallow an adult-sized pill and deal with it?

Source

10 Ways to Help the Medicine Go Down!

LilSugar — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 07:00:13 -0800

In the heart of flu season, children are frequently coming down with colds and other ailments, which means there are prescriptions to fill. Babies, toddlers and even older kids can put up a fight when it's time for their daily dose. Follow these tips to help make the medicine go down.

For lil ones, try a medicine dispenser like the Kidz Med Medicine Dispenser ($10) to help get the dose in.
For babies, use a dropper or syringe and squirt it towards the back of their cheeks and then blow on their face. This helps them swallow the medicine instead of spitting it out.
Sit your lil one in an upright position, and dangle a toy over her head. When she looks up, her mouth will open, and you can sneak in the remedy.

To see other options, read more.

Tell your tot to hold his nose while he swallows the medicine. Not being able to smell the medicine can make it easier to swallow.
Pretend with a favorite baby doll or stuffed animal first. It can help ease the anxiety they have about taking the meds.
Have your child suck on an ice cube for a minute or two before taking the medicine. The cold tends to tone down the taste buds so the medicine doesn’t taste as bad. (This is not recommended for babies or toddlers because it's a choking hazard.)
Find out if the prescription can be flavored by the pharmacist with FlavorRx. For just a few more dollars the medicine can go from yuck to yummy with one of their 42 flavors.
Check with your doctor to see if the medicine can be mixed with any liquids or food. Yogurt, smoothies, or any thick fruit flavored drinks are good options to help mask the flavor of most medicines. Like a spoonful of sugar, try mixing it with a teaspoon of chocolate, applesauce or gelatin.
Offer rewards like stickers or treats to entice your tot to take the meds.
Giving control to your child will help alleviate the power struggle. Let him help pour the medicine or hold the spoon.

Source

Kiddie Wellness: Medicine You Should Avoid Giving to Your Tot

LilSugar — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:00:57 -0800

Tis' the season for your lil one to catch a cold or the flu. Before you reach into the medicine cabinet to treat him on your own, read this list of medicines to avoid giving your child from BabyCenter. Best practice says when in doubt, contact his pediatrician, but check out the slideshow for a few tips before even picking up the phone.

Source

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Medibottle: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding?

LilSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:00:43 -0800

Does a swig of the bottle help the medicine go down? With the onset of cold and flu season, sixty-five percent of you will give your children medicine and trying to get your darling to take his full dose can be a battle. The creators of the Medibottle ($15) have designed a bottle with a syringe attachment that tricks the tot into swallowing meds. The novel approach allows the tyke to take his prescription without ever tasting it.

Would you buy this bottle?