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  View the entire March 2010 issue in PDF format

• Digoxin Drug Interactions
  (March 2010)
  The article lists 35 different interacting drugs that can either increase blood levels of digoxin, leading to the serious problem of digitalis toxicity or decrease blood levels, causing the drug to be less effective.
• A New Old Drug for Depression: Desvenlafaxine (PRISTIQ)
  (March 2010)
  Find out how Pristiq and the older antidepressant drug, Effexor are, essentially, the same and why not to use the new one.
• Liver Toxicity With Topical Diclofenac Sodium (VOLTAREN)
  (March 2010)
  Although skin application of drugs usually results in lower blood levels than oral use, cases of liver toxicity have been found with topical diclofenac Sodium (VOLTAREN). The article lists other names of these products and explains the warning signals that may indicate liver toxicity.
• Europe Moves to Ban Sibutramine (MERIDIA): FDA Should Ban Weight-Loss Drug
  (March 2010)
  In the first study to examine the long-terms consequences of using any diet drug, sibutramine (MERIDIA) actually increased the risk of stroke, heart attack, resuscitated cardiac arrest or cardiovascular death in patients taking the drug, compared to those taking a placebo. The results of this study properly caused European drug agency to recommend banning the drug. In this country, the FDA recklessly decided to leave it on the market for now.

  View the entire February 2010 issue in PDF format

• Quetiapine (SEROQUEL) Interactions With Other Drugs
  (February 2010)
  Quetiapine (SEROQUEL) can interact with 26 different drugs, increasing its blood levels and causing dangerous side effects such as slowed breathing, dizziness and fainting. The article also lists 10 other interacting drugs that can result in lower blood levels, rendering the drug less effective.
• A Review of Drugs for Overactive Bladder
  (February 2010)
  The newest FDA-approved drug for treating overactive bladder, TOVIAX (fesoterodine) is no more effective than the older five drugs, reducing the number of urinations a day by only one. In addition, since it is a new drug, we recommend not using it now because more will be known about its dangers after it has been on the market for a longer time.
• Black Box Warnings Updated on Tumor Necrosis Factor Blockers
  (February 2010)
  New warnings are being required on CIMZIA, ENBREL, HUMIRA, EMICADE and SIMPONI because of evidence that lymphoma (tumor of lymph tissue) and other malignancies, some fatal, have been reported in children and adolescents treated with TNF blockers.
• Type 2 Diabetes Drugs Fail to Improve the Most Serious Long-Term Complications
  (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.

  View the entire January 2010 issue in PDF format

• New Black Box Touts Old Warning: Drug-Induced Movement Disorders with Metoclopramide (REGLAN)
  (January 2010)
  The FDA has belatedly required a black box warning that treatment with metoclopramide (a drug for heartburn unresponsive to conventional therapy and for the symptoms of gastroparesis, a condition in which the stomach takes too long to empty its contents) can cause tardive dyskinesia, a serious movement disorder that is often irreversible. The risk of developing tardive dyskinesia increases with duration of treatment and total cumulative dose. We have warned Worst Pills readers about this for 21 years.
• A Review of ADHD Drug Lisdexamfetamine (VYVANSE)
  (January 2010)
  We list this amphetamine-like drug as DO NOT USE because it is more expensive than (and does not treat ADHD better than) older, safer alternatives (such as methylphenidate [RITALIN]).
• Lithium Toxicity Due to Drug Interactions
  (January 2010)
  This article lists a large number of drugs, used to treat high blood pressure and other carediovascular disease, that can interact harmfully with lithium (ESKALITH; LITHOBID; LITHONATE;generic lithium carbonate), drugs used to treat bipolar (manic/depressive) disorder. This may result in a dangerous condition known as lithium toxicity because these drugs stop the body from getting rid of lithium and lithium blood levels are increased; in severe cases, this can cause seizures, coma and even death. The article also lists other symptoms of lithium toxicity.

   View back issues January 2004 - present

• Letter to FDA Praising Food Safety Cautiousness, Attacking Drug Safety Recklessness (HRG Publication #1903) (March 8, 2010)
  In contrast to becoming more active and cautious in enhancing food safety by removing potentially dangerous products before they have caused harm, several FDA decisions in the past year regarding prescription drugs can only be described as reckless.
• Petition to Ban Fibromyalgia Drug Milnacipran (Savella) (HRG Publication #1900) (January 19, 2010)
  Milnacipran (Savella) has highly questionable clinical efficacy and has been associated with a large number of potentially serious adverse reactions including hypertension, increased heart rate and an increased incidence of suicidal ideation.