Be informed about the Medications You Take.Written by Charles Essmeier
The recent withdrawal of prescription drugs Vioxx and Bextra have arthritis patients concerned about their health, lawyers busy with lawsuits, and Congress poring over thousands of pages of documents obtained from manufacturer. The drugs, part of a family of medications known as COX-2 inhibitors, have recently been shown to increase risk of heart attacks and strokes among users who take drugs for long periods of time. These findings have more and more people starting to pay more attention to drugs that are prescribed for them.
Many people, when ill, see their doctor and ask them to prescribe something that will make them feel better. When appropriate, their physicians will do so, and patients typically run down to their pharmacy to get that prescription filled. They then take their medication as prescribed, usually without giving it much thought. This is probably not wise, especially in view of recent findings with Bextra and Vioxx. Patients would be well advised to become more informed about medications prescribed for them. Here are some things you can do to be more informed about medicines you take:
Ask your doctor questions. Make sure he or she knows about any allergies you might have
| | The Basics of Alcohol Abuse: Recognizing the SignsWritten by Paul Johnson
Alcohol consumption is not necessarily a problem. We've all heard that drinking should be done in moderation. And, while many of us are able to control our drinking (whether social or not), others cannot. In fact, National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence believes that there are nearly 20 million people who are dependent upon alcohol in United States alone. The definition of alcoholism is quite specific. It states that if a person feels cravings or urges, has a loss of control over how much they drink, has a physical dependence and/or a high tolerance level, s/he is known as "alcohol dependent". An alcohol dependent person feels that need of alcohol in order to cope or operate with day-to-day life. An alcoholic dependent person has therefore developed disease of alcoholism. The abovementioned Council agrees that it is a major public health concern, and is something that should be dealt with on a national level. And, like any disease, it can last a person's lifetime, is debilitating, and has possibility to cause death.
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