Feb282018 by DocNo Comments

Lyrica | Useful in Relieving Pain?

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Is Lyrica useful in relieving pain? Heavily promoted as treatment for relieving pain due to diabetic neuropathy and fibromyalgia, Lyrica advertisements blanket the airways. While some studies demonstrate a small benefit when compared to an inactive placebo, others fail to show any difference. Marketed both as an anticonvulsant and as an antidote to nerve related pain, this drug finds indiscriminate use in for a wide assortment of painful conditions in addition to diabetic neuropathy, infuriating discomfort after the shingles and fibromyalgia. While the drug may indeed offer an alternative to narcotic pain medicines, its ability to improve pain appears almost indistinguishable from a cheap placebo.  Lyrica seems more likely to lead to side effects, dependence and abuse.    It can lead to lack of coordination, loss of sexual desire, muscle…
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Feb282018 by DocNo Comments

High Blood Pressure | When to Treat

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 HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE | WHEN TO TREAT  When to treat high blood pressure (HBP) remains a major topic of conversation with confusing recommendations issued by different organizations.  Without question HBP ranks as a major cause of hardening of the arteries, stroke, heart attacks, heart failure, kidney malfunction, cardiovascular related death and dementia.  Actually HBP related conditions represent the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States behind only cigarette smoking. While medical experts express unanimity in their clarion call to treat HBP with appropriate therapy, agreement falters and arguments begin over the most basic elements on what constitutes HBP, how to measure it, when does the risk of harm become sufficiently great to warrant treatment and whether to begin a regimen of lifestyle modification versus oral medication. BLOOD…
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Feb282018 by DocNo Comments

Migraine Headaches | Imperfect Understanding

Blogs
MIGRAINE HEADACHES | Imperfect Understanding  Our understanding of migraine headaches in currently imperfect.  While headache remains the most recognizable symptom of a migraine attack, it represents only one part of the disease process.  Migraine headaches typically incapacitate the sufferer, disrupt other activities and demand immediate attention.  Among people between ages 15-49, migraine represents the third leading cause of disability. Although middle aged women bear the brunt of this disease, it tends to begin during late childhood affecting up to 10-15% of adolescents.  As many as 1 in 6 women develop migraines; among men the incidence is 1 in 12.  Overall 36 million Americans experience periodic migraine attacks.  The incidence and severity of attacks tend to peak around age 40 with a flare during the peri-menopausal years.  Infrequently the condition begins after…
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