March 2024
Metformin is a recommended first-line treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes who are not able to control their blood sugar through diet and exercise alone. Metformin, however, has important drug interactions and can cause a serious condition called lactic acidosis, a buildup of lactic acid in the blood. Learn about metformin’s drug interactions.
January 2024
Osteoporosis occurs when there is a decrease in bone mineral density and bone quality that can weaken bones, making them susceptible to fracture easily. Learn about drugs that are associated with osteoporosis and related fractures.
October 2023
In 2022, the FDA approved tirzepatide (MOUNJARO) as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Learn about the evidence for the use of tirzepatide for diabetes and chronic weight management. As of mid-September 2023, the FDA had not approved tirzepatide for chronic weight management.
August 2023
Semaglutide, an injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist, is having its moment as a drug for weight loss. Learn about the substantial risks of semaglutide, including weight regain if the medication is stopped.
June 2023
Public Citizen’s Health Research Group has designated the chronic weight-management drug liraglutide (SAXENDA) as Do Not Use for all age groups. This article discusses the lack of strong evidence showing long-term, lasting and clinically meaningful benefits that outweigh the drug’s risks, both in obese adolescents and adults.
April 2023
As seven years have passed since Toujeo’s approval without new major safety concerns being identified, Public Citizen’s Health Research Group has now designated it as Limited Use — a treatment for diabetes that should be used only if treatment with less concentrated and cheaper forms of insulin have first been tried and found to be inadequate.
March 2023
A recent study showed that, compared with other diabetes drugs, gliptins (or dipeptidyl peptidase 4 [DPP-4] inhibitors) put patients at a higher relative risk of a range of gallbladder or biliary diseases, such as gallstones (cholelithiasis) and gallbladder inflammation (cholecystitis).
February 2023
In his editor’s column, Dr. Carome discusses the implications of new research documenting the extent of insulin rationing by diabetes patients in the United States due to Big Pharma’s relentless price gouging.
June 2022
Learn about several drugs that can promote the formation of gallstones — stones in the gallbladder (a condition known as cholelithiasis) — and what you can do about it.
February 2022
It is estimated that more than a quarter of adult Americans take a magnesium supplement. However, preference should be given to relying on dietary sources of this critical mineral whenever possible to avoid adverse effects.
November 2021
Patients often wonder what steps they can take to minimize their chances of suffering a serious adverse drug reaction. This article reviews 10 simple rules developed by Public Citizen’s Health Research Group for ensuring safer drug use.
November 2021
Patients taking the oral antifungal drug itraconazole (SPORANOX, TOLSURA) should be aware that it has clinically important interactions with many other prescription medications that can affect the safety or effectiveness of itraconazole or the interacting drugs.
August 2021
Patients taking the widely prescribed calcium channel blocker nifedipine (PROCARDIA, PROCARDIA XL) should be aware that it has clinically important interactions with many other prescription medications.
August 2021
In this article, we discuss the most recent smoking-cessation recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the underlying research supporting these recommendations.
October 2020
Learn why patients with type 1 diabetes should never use any of the type 2 diabetes drugs known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, which are often referred to as “flozins” or “gliflozins.”
August 2020
Patients taking the commonly used blood thinner warfarin (COUMADIN, JANTOVEN) should be aware that it has clinically important interactions with numerous other prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as some dietary supplements.
December 2019
Learn about results of two large, well-designed, randomized clinical trials funded by the National Institutes of Health demonstrating that high-dose vitamin D supplementation was not useful for preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
December 2019
In his editor’s column, Dr. Michael Carome discusses the failure of drug companies, researchers and the FDA to recognize the overwhelming evidence dating back to the early 1900s demonstrating that the new diabetes drugs known as “flozins” can cause life-threatening ketoacidosis.
August 2019
Most U.S. adults drink alcohol at least occasionally. Many also take prescription or over-the-counter drugs that have the potential to inter¬act adversely with alcohol. Avoid serious harm by knowing which drugs should not be taken in combination with alcohol.
April 2019
Many diabetes patients, including some with health insurance, can no longer afford to take the dosage of life-saving insulin prescribed by their doctors because of price gouging by the pharmaceutical industry. For some of these patients, the rationing of unaffordable insulin has proved to be fatal.
January 2019
In response to a reader’s question about our article “Metformin: First-Choice Drug for Type 2 Diabetes” in the August 2018 issue, we discuss the risk of diarrhea and other adverse gastrointestinal effects that may occur when taking metformin.
January 2019
Learn about a rare but potentially fatal bacterial infection in the area of the genitals that has been linked to the diabetes drugs known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, commonly called “flozins.”
December 2018
In his editor’s column, Dr. Michael Carome, prompted by a recent letter from one of our readers, discusses why our recommendations and designations for specific drugs sometimes change based on new information.
August 2018
Learn why metformin is the drug of choice for the initial treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes who are not able to control their blood sugar through diet and exercise alone and who do not have severe kidney impairment.
March 2018
Patients often wonder what steps they can take to minimize their chances of suffering a serious adverse drug reaction. This article reviews 10 simple rules developed by Public Citizen’s Health Research Group for ensuring safer drug use.
December 2017
In this article, we explain why the serious adverse effects of the injected diabetes drug pramlintide far outweigh the drug’s limited benefits.
October 2017
Canagliflozin is one of three medications in the newest diabetes drug class. In this article, we discuss why the FDA recently required that a black-box warning about the risk of amputations be added to the product labeling of canagliflozin.
June 2017
Many adverse drug reactions are severe enough to cause serious injury, hospitalization and even death. Find out which outpatient medications are most likely to cause adverse events that necessitate a visit to the emergency room.
June 2017
The food and dietary supplement industries have been swift to capitalize on the excitement surrounding the microbes living on or within our bodies by selling products that contain probiotics, or live microor¬ganisms purported to improve health by altering the microbiome. In this article, we explain which claims about probiotics have been tested in clinical trials — and why many probiotic supplements are very likely a waste of money.
January 2017
Falls remain by far the leading cause of injuries among adults age 65 and older in the U.S. In this article, we identify many of the drugs that can increase your risk of falling and offer advice on how to protect yourself from fall-related injuries.
November 2016
TOUJEO is a newer, long-acting, once-daily insulin approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in adults. Learn why you should avoid using this drug until at least 2022.
October 2016
Over the past year, the Food and Drug Administration has issued a series of new warnings about serious and, in some cases, potentially fatal events linked to the newest class of diabetes drugs. These drugs, known as "flozins," are being heavily promoted in TV ads. Learn more about these newly identified dangers and why you should avoid all flozins.
August 2016
In this month's news briefs, we report on the FDA's decision to require new black-box warnings in the labeling of all immediate-release opioid drugs about the risks of abuse, addiction, overdose and death, as well as the agency's recent drug safety alert reminding consumers not to purchase over-the-counter chelation products. We also discuss the decision of a major drugmaker to terminate its involvement in the marketing of an inhaled form of insulin.
August 2016
Incretin mimetics, one of the newer classes of diabetes drugs, are widely prescribed in the U.S. Find out why Public Citizen's Health Research Group recommends against using any of these medications.
February 2016
In our news brief this month, we report on two recent warnings issued by the Food and Drug Administration about the diabetes drugs known as SGLT2 inhibitors, more commonly known as “flozins.” This family of drugs, all designated as Do Not Use, includes canagliflozin (INVOKAMET, INVOKANA), dapagliflozin (FARXIGA) and empagliflozin (JARDIANCE).
January 2016
Learn why Health Canada, an agency similar to the Food and Drug Administration, warned Canadian consumers not to combine repaglinide-containing diabetes medications (PRANDIN or PRANDIMET) with the anti-platelet drug clopidogrel (PLAVIX).
December 2015
Find out why this new form of insulin, which is inhaled as a powder, is a dangerous alternative to injected forms of insulin and never should have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of diabetes.
August 2015
The airwaves are filled with ads promoting the newest class of diabetes medications, often referred to as “flozins.” In this article, we review the serious safety concerns that have prompted us to designate all flozins as Do Not Use.
July 2015
In a recent complaint to the FDA, we took several makers of diabetes drugs to task for direct-to-consumer ads that promote the drugs for unapproved uses. Find out the names of the drugs targeted in our complaint and the nature of the off-label uses being promoted in the ads.
July 2015
Recent research revealed that many patients consume alcohol while using drugs that may can cause dangerous side effects when combined with alcohol. Read this article to learn about the many ways alcohol can adversely interact with prescription and over-the-counter medications.
December 2014
Read about the dangers posed by albiglutide, yet another new diabetes drug designated as Do Not Use by Public Citizen’s Health Research Group because it offers no unique benefits but does pose unique risks.
November 2014
Serious adverse reactions often occur when different drugs are taken together. Find out which antibiotics diabetic patients taking glipizide (GLUCOTROL, GLUCOTROL XL) or glyburide (DIABETA, GLUCOVANCE, GLYNASE) should avoid because of an increased risk of life-threatening drops in blood sugar levels.
September 2014
Learn about the many dangers of one of the newest diabetes drugs approved in the U.S., dapagliflozin, which has been designated as Do Not Use by Public Citizen’s Health Research Group.
August 2014
Learn why Public Citizen’s Health Research Group has designated the following three new Type 2 diabetes drugs as Do Not Use: alogliptin (NESINA), the combination of alogliptin and metformin (KAZANO), and the combination of alogliptin and pioglitazone (OSENI).
May 2014
The treatment options for Type 2 diabetes can be overwhelming. This article provides a comprehensive summary of our independent expert views on the best approaches for preventing and treating this common disease.
March 2014
Learn about new drugs approved by the FDA in 2013 that Worst Pills Best Pills has identified as dangerous or ineffective. The drugs include two for diabetes, two for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and an over-the-counter drug for overactive bladder, among others.
February 2014
Do not use the newly approved diabetes drug INVOKANA. It offers no benefits over existing drugs but can result in serious risks, including hypotension and impaired kidney function, outlined in the article.
September 2013
The FDA is considering relaxing the restrictions on the unacceptably dangerous drug rosiglitazone (AVANDIA) so that more people can access it, even while it remains banned in European countries.
August 2013
Six recently approved diabetes drugs have been linked to an increased risk of pancreatitis and possibly pancreatic cancer.
July 2013
A recently published article mirrors our now-35-year-old publication “Off Diabetes Pills” in suggesting alternatives to pharmaceutical treatment for a large proportion of adult-onset diabetics.
April 2013
Recent evidence points to increased acute kidney injury associated with combining nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with two antihypertensive drugs: a diuretic plus either an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB). Find out the names of these drugs. This is especially important for patients with hypertension, diabetes, congestive heart failure or chronic kidney disease, because such patients are routinely treated with diuretics, ACE inhibitors and ARBs.
March 2012
The article discusses the reasons why we have categorized JUVISYNC as a DO NOT USE drug.
March 2012
Find out why you should not use any of the three recently-approved diabetes drugs known as "gliptins".
January 2012
Find out how to prevent emergency hospitalizations from two commonly used drugs, warfarin (COUMADIN) and clopidogrel (PLAVIX). There are approximately 33,000 emergency hospitalizations a year from warfarin alone. This article includes a list of more than 50 drugs that can have harmful interactions with warfarin and/or clopidogrel.
November 2011
Find out the full list of serious problems with pioglitazone (ACTOS) that cause it to be a DO NOT USE drug, of which bladder cancer is but the latest.
April 2011
This article reviews the safety and efficacy of liraglutide (VICTOZA), a new medication used to treat type-2 diabetes.
February 2011
This article discusses why you should not use this newly approved diabetes drug until more is known about its safety.
January 2011
This article lists 11 of the prescription drugs that we warned Worst Pills, Best Pills News subscribers not to use before they were banned by the FDA. Subscribers knew an average of 3.3 years before the FDA acted that these medications were unsafe to use.
May 2010
After explaining the symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) the article lists 42 prescription drugs that can interact with one or more diabetes drugs to increase the chance of hypoglycemia.
February 2010
The article discusses why all of these 16 diabetes drugs carry a label stating: "There have been no clinical studies establishing conclusive evidence of macrovascular risk reduction [heart attacks, strokes, etc] with oral antidiabetic drug[s]." The article also explains why lifestlyle changes such as diet and exercise to prevent or even treat type II diabetes are not heavily promoted or usually reimbursed.
November 2009
Because exenatide (BYETTA) is a new drug with increasing reports of severe, hospitalization-requiring pancreatitis and offers no significant breakthrough compared to other diabetes drugs, we urge readers not to use it until 2012--seven years after its approval, by which time much more will be known about its dangers.
October 2009
We review recent studies potentially implicating one form of insulin in cancer and conclude that there is insufficient evidence to link the drug to cancer at present.
December 2008
On Oct. 30, Public Citizen formally petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to immediately ban the dangerous diabetes drug rosiglitazone (AVANDIA) because the drug causes multiple types of serious toxicity.
July 2008
An increasing body of evidence documents both the risks and lack of evidence of clinical benefits associated with sitagliptin, and several reviews have cautioned against its use.
February 2008
Recent updates on this diabetes drug that we have urged our readers not to use for three years are reviewed, including the delisting of the drug by the Veterans Administration because of its dangers and warnings by the Canadian government. We are renewing our call for a ban on the drug in the U.S.
July 2007
Yet another reason has arisen to support our several years-old warning not to use the diabetes drugs AVANDIA or ACTOS. Randomized trials of both drugs, compared to other diabetes drugs, showed an increase in fractures in women (not men) using them.
July 2007
In addition to years-old information about increased heart failure in patients using AVANDIA, that Worst Pills readers have been warned about for years, new evidence has emerged about increased heart attacks as well. The article reviews the evidence for both of these serious problems and why we continue to advise people not to use either AVANDIA or the related drug, ACTOS.
June 2007
Worst Pills, Best Pills reviews side effects and long-term effects of type-2 diabetes drug sitagliptin (JANUVIA) in this article.
December 2006
In addition, there was an almost significant 37 percent excess in the rosiglitazone group of what the authors called cardiovascular events composite, comprised of heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular deaths, heart failure, the appearance of new angina attacks, and the need for heart surgery such as bypass or angioplasty. You have a greater likelihood of preventing type 2 diabetes by improving your diet and getting a moderate amount of exercise than by taking a prescription drug. The effects of such a change in lifestyle can last a lifetime.
November 2006
A joint effort of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission(FTC) has resulted in recent warning letters to a large number of companies who are illegally marketing unproven diabetes treatments online. The article lists many of these products.
April 2006
If you experience visual deterioration while taking rosiglitazone (AVANDIA)or the combination of rosiglitazone with metformin (AVANDAMET), report this potential adverse drug reaction to your physician as soon as possible.
September 2003
Government-sponsored research published in the July 2, 2003 Journal of the American Medical Association found that the diabetes drugs metformin (GLUCOPHAGE), rosiglitazone (AVANDIA), and pioglitazone (ACTOS) were being prescribed inappropriately to patients with heart failure and that the inappropriate prescribing of these drugs has been increasing over time.
August 2003
The European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) issued a public warning on May 21, 2003 not to use the combination of repaglinide (PRANDIN), a drug for lowering blood sugar in type-2 diabetics, and the cholesterol drug gemfibrozil (LOPID). The warning was based on a recent publication in the March 2003 issue of the medical journal Diabetologia that found the use of these two drugs in combination can enhance the blood sugar lowering effects of repaglinide and can thereby result in severe blood sugar lowering (hypoglycemia).
September 2002
A new warning was added in May 2002 to the professional product labeling, or “package insert,” for the type-2 diabetes drug chlorpropamide (DIABINESE) concerning its use in the elderly. The new warning cites increased risks of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), low blood sodium levels (hyponatremia), or both in patients aged 65 and over.
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