Meridia Lawyer: Meridia Diet Pill Side EffectsWritten by Anna Henningsgaard
Following recall of Fen-Phen and Redux in 1999 (two diet drugs that cause heart valve diseases) Meridia was released. Meridia is a diet drug similar to ones that were recalled. Like recalled drugs, it releases serotonin into brain to trick patient’s body into feeling full and choosing to eat less. These drugs do not so much remove weight from body as they do encourage and facilitate a lifestyle involving lower caloric intake.Meridia is different from older drugs, however, because its interaction with brain is more localized. While Fen-Phen released serotonin into bloodstream where it flooded and damaged heart, Meridia acts only on localized areas of brain where serotonin chemical is needed. People taking Meridia or considering Meridia should be aware that Meridia is part of a healthy lifestyle choice, not merely an easy road to diet street. More serious side effects could be suffered by patients who are taking drugs called monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or MAOI’s. MOAI’s are taken to treat depression, Parkinson’s disease, and other such disorders. Serious, sometimes fatal, reactions can occur if Meridia and monoamine oxidase inhibitors are taken at same time. It is also important not to take Meridian along with other serotonin-regulating drugs. This can cause a rare but serious condition called “serotonin syndrome”, which requires immediate medical attention.
| | Medical Malpractice Suits: Death By MedicineWritten by Anna Henningsgaard
A recent report has found that Americans are more frightened of dying at hands of their doctor than they are of a plane crash. The overwhelming majority of those who participated in survey said that information about malpractice suits and medical errors would be single most deciding factor in trusting a healthcare provider. These people must have heard that medical errors cause more deaths in United States every year than car accidents, AIDS, or breast cancer.In fact, for airline industry to parallel medical errors in mortality rates a 280-person jet would have to crash every day of year. This would account for over 100,000 people who die annually due to complications in medical care, not to mention nearly 2 million who are maimed and disabled. This malady is called iatrogenic disease, a disease that is a direct result of medical care. What is causing this epidemic? Many agree that cause is over-treatment. More medicine is administered than necessary, people are hospitalized unnecessarily, and doctors prescribe drugs instead of healthy lifestyle choices. This is a major problem and it shows no signs of stopping. In ten year period between 1983 and 1993 incidence of death by medical error, or iatrogenic disease, jumped 260% overall and 850% among patience receiving outpatient care. These statistics could only be an indication of true numbers, because medical error is not often recorded on death certificates. Some people blame increased number of deaths on a greater number of prescriptions, but number of prescriptions issued has increased less than 40% in 10 years, compared with 260% increased death rate. Instead, some doctors blame increased usage of anesthesia, especially among those receiving outpatient care.
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