Most of us are familiar with the placebo effect––the benefit patients sometimes receive from a treatment that has no active components. But did you know there is also a nocebo effect? The nocebo effect occurs when patients experience negative side effects from a treatment that has no active components.
It has long been believed... Read more
Some chronic pain patients, particularly in Florida, are finding it difficult to fill their oxycodone prescriptions at their local pharmacies. Pharmacists are telling them they don't have any oxycodone. But is that true? Maybe, maybe not.
Technically, according to the DEA, there is no shortage of oxycodone. Pharmaceutical companies are... Read more
The toll continues to grow from the meningitis outbreak which has been linked to three lots of the steroid methylprednisolone acetate, an injectable medication primarily used for back pain. To date, there have been a total of 254 cases of fungal meningitis reported from 16 states, including 20 deaths. Additionally, there have also been reports of... Read more
A rare fungal form of meningitis has sickened 121 people in 10 states, killing 12. Sadly, officials say that count is certain to rise. Thus far, the majority of cases reported have been in Tennessee. The tally as of early this morning is 39 cases in Tennessee, 24 in Virginia, 25 in Michigan, 12 in Indiana, eight in Maryland, six in Florida, three... Read more
SAD is the acronym for “seasonal affective disorder,” a type of depression that typically occurs in the winter months when there are fewer hours of daylight. Most people have heard of the winter form of SAD but did you know there is also a summer version of SAD? I only recently discovered this.
My Encounters with Summer... Read more
