Druggist For The People

Send us Fan Mail     Summary: This podcast addresses the overlap seen in depression and psychosis, and how the second generation antipsychotic meds have expanding FDA-approved indications.      Topics: ·       This little light of mine 01:10 ·       Advertising through you 02:20 ·       Dopamine 04:00 ·       Homeostasis-Balance 04:50 ·       Participate & Communicate 07:00 ·       Decreased D...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:  The right medication at the right dose at the right time, with the patient actively participating in that choice, may provide an incredible benefit.  But there are many ways to change your chemistry, amongst them being laughter and music, two essential ingredients of a good party.  Genuine Laughter stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles while also increasing the endorp...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:  Politics and opinion in healthcare is full of bias, which obscures objective truth.  This podcast calls for calm, evidence based medicine, following the most reliable data.  And as usual, a reminder for the patient to participate in their care, sharing in decision making with their healthcare team.     Topics: ·      Keep Medicine out of Politics 01:50 ·      Bias = Opin...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:  Laughter:  don’t take it too seriously.  Topics: ·       Benefits of Laughter 02:00 ·       Ranting & Raving 06:00 ·       Leaf Blowers 07:45 ·       AI Recommendations 08:45 ·       Meditation – Mindfulness-Laughter 10:10         (Changing Your Chemistry) ·       Short-term Benefits = stimulate heart, lungs & muscles 11:00 -              Increase endorphins -   ...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:  This episode is about taking a toxin, isolating it, purifying it and then injecting it into your face; or other parts of your body.  Safe use of botulism toxin A relies upon its local activity.  The indications include cosmetic smoothing, excessive sweating, eye disorders, chronic migraines, and overactive bladder.  Assessing the Benefit-Risk of Botox is also discussed,...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:  Journavx was born of the search for an option to opioids for moderate to severe pain relief.  The early results are mixed, some claiming it to be a miracle drug, others dismayed with its lack of effectiveness and its side effects.  Since Journavx utilizes a novel (non-opioid) approach to severe pain relief, the drug was fast-tracked by the FDA, which is a process used to...

Send us Fan Mail  Summary:  Panic attacks are real and more common than you might think.  This is a discussion of the possible causes of panic attacks and when a panic attack becomes part of a panic disorder.  Psychotherapy and medications, both first-line treatments, are considered here.  The importance of compassion is essential:  be kind to yourself and others.      Topics: ·       Panic Attack...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:   This podcase provides a review of GLP-1 medications, from describing what they are, how and where the work in the body, and emerging new uses for this class of drug.  The potential benefits of the GLP-1 drugs, coupled with their high cost, have spawned the compounding of these meds, raising legal and safety questions about this process.  Even with the excitement of what...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:  An epidemic of Isolation and Loneliness?  Recent studies have found this to be true, and the subsequent effects upon the mental and physical health of the isolated & lonely person are significant.  They include an increased risk of dementia, heart disease, stroke, diabetes type II, obesity, depression and anxiety and the risks of the medications used to treat these a...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:  There are a lot of options in the supplements aisle, because there’s a lot of money in it.  Supplements might contain vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals, amino acids (part of protein), enzymes and probiotics, as well as binding agents, preservatives, flavoring agents etc.  The label claims for ingredients are required by the FDA to be “truthful and not misleading.”  I...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:  The off-label use of naltrexone for chronic pain and inflammatory conditions is built upon observing patients being weaned from high dose naltrexone for alcohol abuse disorder, as well as its experimental use in boosting the immune system of HIV patients in the 1980s.  Though the long-term use of LDN for chronic pain and the other inflammatory conditions has not been est...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:  Rooting for your favorite team may very well influence your opinion of the referees in the game.  Leave bias there.  In healthcare, double-blind placebo-controlled trials and the metanalysis of studies are attempts to remove bias, so that objective reasoning can rule the day.  JFK Jr. exhibited significant bias about vaccines prior to his confirmation as Secretary of Hea...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:   Slinging ugly, triggering words – like “psycho-emotional problems” - is an effort to awaken stigmas in the public against a person.  Reject it.  Mental Health, like our physical health, is an ever-changing dynamic.  Though we expect mental and emotional health and stability in our leaders, the assessment of that issue should be objective and based on the best medical pr...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:  This episode attempts to clarify how vaccines are made, how they are intended to interact with the immune system, and how important it is to obtain an unbiased source of information about the risks and benefits of a vaccine.  Utilize your healthcare team.   Topics: ·       Polio Vaccines 01:00 ·       Risk-Benefit 02:00 ·       Vaccines-Autism 03:00 ·       Modern Medici...

Send us Fan Mail   Summary:  When the president of the United States told his candidate for Secretary of  Health and Human Services to “go wild” on health, food and medicines, I’ll bet he went and celebrated his pick with a McDonald’s cheeseburger and a Diet Coke.  This podcast discusses the danger of placing politics and ideology into the healthcare system, the participants of which currently emb...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:  I received a question about the possible therapeutic pharmacologic benefits of Nicotine, specifically the idea of cutting the Nicotine Patch for help with energy, autoimmune issues, and weight loss.  Answering this question lead into a discussion of new drugs that may emerge from anecdotal evidence.  In this case, how certain elements of Nicotine’s activity might lead to...

Send us Fan Mail Summary :  Not all laxatives are created the same.  Discussed in this episode are the nonpharmacologic options to relieve constipation, and the OTC Laxative options available should nonpharmacologic efforts fail.  Included is a brief explanation of the peristaltic movement that is pooping, and how the different laxative options affect that process.  Though there is often a silly p...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:  The chemistry of your mind and body are almost always changed by the medications you take.  But there is more to it than that.  These changes are changing, in response to both your medications and in response to your thoughts, feelings, food, exercise, and sleep.  About the medications, we focus on the benefit you might receive, and the possible risks associated with a p...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:  Preconceived notions within healthcare professionals about what another person might be, before we have a direct, open and genuine interaction with them, can derail the best treatment for that person.  To provide the best treatment, efforts to effectively communicate continue by healthcare; but the person – the patient – must also make efforts to express themselves openl...

Send us Fan Mail   Summary :  Why have bedbugs reemerged?  What to do if bitten?  And how to manage and prevent possible bedbug infestation.   Topics : ·       Sleep Tight 01:30 ·       Bedbugs 02:00 ·       DDT 03:45 ·       Antihistamine, Topical Steroid Tx 06:15 ·       DDT & Auto-Immune Disease? 06:45 ·       DDT Risk Benefit (Africa) 08:15 ·       Prevention 09:00 ·       Permethrin 10:15...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:  This episode recounts the experience of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, from its arrival to the continued recovery.  Being smart about what's fact or fiction, being there for your neighbors, and being prepared for a potential disaster (which we were not) are discussed here.  Also discussed is a possible cure for the stress in this situation...go help someone.  ...

Send us Fan Mail   Summary:  What’s happening on the other side of the prescription counter?  Probably more than you think.  Safety and appropriateness of the drug regimen is an ongoing process, and it may slow down the speed with which you get your medication, but it’s essential in making sure the drug is safe and efficacious.  The importance of being a good teammate in your own healthcare is wha...

Send us Fan Mail   Summary :  Paying $75,000 dollars for a car because you want to have a back massage between home and work is one thing, but to face exorbitant costs because you want to live a healthy and longer life is a tough pill to swallow.  Discussion of the risks and benefits of any medication with your healthcare provider is essential, and the costs of that therapy should be included in t...

Send us Fan Mail   Summary:  neffy® nasal spray received fast track approval from the FDA on August 9, 2024 for the emergency treatment of type I allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in adult and pediatric patients who weight at least 66 pounds.  This may be a gamechanger in that it provides emergency epinephrine treatment for anaphylaxis without needles.  But, as with all medications, corre...

Send us Fan Mail Summary:  Previous podcasts (July 2023) have covered The Pill and the newly approved, progestin only, OTC oral contraceptive – the Opill.  The Opill is on the shelves and available online now.  This episode provides a brief overview.  For more detailed information about the Opill, consider listening to the July 2023 podcast:  Opill – the OTC Pill.     Topics: ·      Opill-Antibiot...