If I can give you one piece of advice, it's make sure you trust the doctor who is prescribing your medication. Never accept a prescription because it's what the doctor has samples of.  And if you notice that her office is filled with Cymbalta paraphernalia as she hands you the Cymbalta samples, run as fast as you can in the opposite direction.

Cymbalta:  I am on 60mg daily.  It doesn't work.  I don't feel any less pain.  None.  I HURT.  I want to stop taking it.  He said No to keep taking it.  He also told me that I am on the maximum dose I can take.  I KNOW for a fact that is a LIE.

Lyrica: I was on 75mg twice daily.  He wants me to take 75mg in the AM and 150mg in the PM.  He INSISTS that the combination of Cymbalta AND Lyrica will work for me.  It has to he says.  Well, he's full of shit.  Oh, and now I am having issues with my insurance company covering the new amount of Lyrica.  Greaaaaaaat.

Flexeril: He does not even want to consider giving me something besides the Flexeril for spasms.  I am on 10mg I think.  It does not work.  He refuses to think of anything else to give me.  I wanted to try Zanaflex or Soma or something.  No - NOT an option.

Klonopin: I am on 1mg pill at bedtime.  Well, actually, I take them when extremely stressed out.  I don't take them before bed.  They are NOT covered by my insurance by the way.  He wants to up me to 1 1/2 pill every night.  Hmmm.... Not too happy about this at all.

Ambien CR: I told him this worked for about 3 weeks then nothing.  Well, he insists that it should be working for me.  Uh - Listen Buddy - IT"S NOT WORKING!!! 

I want to see a pain specialist and he said I don't need one.  Uh~ HELLO?????  Do you speak ENGLISH???

Ok, that was wrong, considering he's of some obvious Middle-Eastern descent.  But I also wonder if he's not RESPECTING me because of his culture.  I wonder if he has a diminished view of women and doesn't care.

I went in today and wore the most comfortable clothing I have - besides my PJ's.  In fact, I seriously considered wearing my PJ's today.  Instead I wore yoga pants and a t-shirt and flip flops.  I barely brushed my hair.  I forgot to brush my teeth.  I hurt.  No makeup.  No jewelery.  Not even my wedding bands, which are at the jewelers getting fixed.  My BP is high.  My weight is down.  I HURT!!!  Do I need to wear a t-shirt that says "Look at me! I Hurt and You are an Idiot!" ? 

I am making an appointment with this highly recommended Rheumy tomorrow.  She's in Springfield, MO.  Only a 2 hour drive versus the 4 hour drive to Little Rock to the other highly recommended Rheumy.  I also found out today that the Gyn I think I want to see is in the SAME building!!  What Luck!  Maybe I can finagle an appointment with both on the same day! 

Ugh.  Tired, Hurt, Frustrated.  Pissed at Doc's.  Someone Shoot Me Now.  I'll be strong and act like I'm OK. 

However, there has been better news over the past few months: the dollar rallied, New Orleans dodged Hurricane Gustav, and the Olympics provided a much-needed jolt to our battered psyches.  Watching Nastia and Shawn, Misty and Kerri, and the redeem team dominate in Beijing, we forgot all about our shrinking pensions.  Instead, we came together as a country, united by our universal obsession with Michael Phelps and our collective distrust of Chinese girls on floor exercise.  

But the most uplifting story of the summer did not come from our athletes' accomplishments in Beijing.  Instead, it came from a little podunk town in Alaska, from a soon-to-be-GILF, and from the Republican party, no less... Yes, moose-eating, gun-toting, baby-bearing Sarah Palin is the star of the feel-good movie this summer.   

When Palin was first announced as John McCain's VP candidate, Maureen Dowd said it best: "Why do men only pick women as running mates when they need a Hail Mary pass? It’s a little insulting." Yes, it is, and McCain's selection of Palin was easily the most transparent case of pandering to politics in recent history.  But even after she was thoroughly vetted by the media (after all, someone had to do it), Sarah Palin has still come out of it reasonably clean, and with her fascinating story intact.  While Barack Obama has been running his campaign on the theme of "hope", this does not come close to true, Sarah Palin-brand hope.  True hope is when you believe your team can come back from a ten-run deficit in the ninth.  True hope is when you think that Michael Phelps will see your sign and say yes, he will marry you.  True hope is when you've served as governor of Alaska for two years and you think it'd be nice to get invited to your party's convention (family vacay in Minneapolis!)... oh, and then they ask you to be the vice-presidential candidate. 

This is why Sarah Palin is the feel-good story of the year.  It's all about hope:  Sarah Barracuda shows that we too can reach the highest offices in our land.  Heck, all you need is a great nickname, an attractive family, the label of "Christian reformer," and you're one Viagra-down-the-wrong-pipe away from being the leader of the free world.  Thus, all other unknown governors and small-town mayors should start studying up on Iraqi politics.  Anyone with managerial experience should refine their healthcare plan.  Beauty queens should brush up on their wave... You never know when a presidential candidate may need a saucy new running mate to draw attention away from the real issues. 

Because even while Sarah Palin's story is uplifting, it's distracted us from what this presidential election should be about: the issues. 

Palin's speech last night was full of heartwarming anecdotes but little substance.  She tore apart Obama's plans while offering no solutions of her own.  Instead of giving us her opinons on important issues concerning Americans, she spent most of her speech attacking Obama for being too well-spoken and well-educated...as if those were bad attributes.  It's disappointing that right after the Olympics, when our nation was at its peak of togetherness, we were forced once again to hate thy Democratic or Republican neighbor.  The vitriol hurled back and forth during these conventions can make one believe that the opposing candidate is truly as vacuous as Paris Hilton... so it's no wonder the majority of Americans hate politics.

In the end, we all focus on the sound bites that reaffirm our current beliefs.  For Republicans, Palin's nomination reinforces McCain's maverick streak and adds a new spark to the conservative base of the party.  For Democrats, the Palin pick is a sign of desperation and an insulting attempt to attract women.  For everyone else, well, we're just waiting to see who Nader chooses as his VP.  Since the Dems have a black guy, and the GOP has a woman, does anyone know if Carson Kressley is free for speaking engagements in November?... If not, then I'm sending in my resume and highlighting my executive experience managing a student organization in college...  One can only hope, right?

As previously mentioned I met someone. We'll call him Someone M. When first starting to blog, I didn't think to cleverly disguise the names of all the people in my life, and I couldn't really just start calling them other names, in case someone ever actually goes back and reads my entries from start to finish (doubtful) but if they did it would be highly confusing.

So Someone M and I have made a date for drinks tomorrow after work. And since that date has been made, I've felt like puking. The sad part is, I might actually puke. I've done it before. I've had anxiety since I was in sixth or seventh grade. It started with getting sick at friend's houses, terrible stomach pains and nauseousness, or when going to the movies, or a party. I'd be all psyched to go, and then right before feel awful. Sometimes I'd go, sometimes I'd call to get picked up early, or sometimes I'd just stay home.

I know I'm not that old, but this was before the day that Cymbalta, Zoloft and Paxil shamelessly flaunted the symptoms of anxiety and depression all over the television, making every completely sane person think they needed to be medicated if they'd ever had butterflies. If you have anxiety you know, it's a hell of a lot more than just butterflies.

I didn't know what was wrong with me, I just had a vague idea of why and in what situations it might happen. Mainly social ones. This is especially odd if you know me, because I'm extremely outgoing. Pass me in the supermarket and I'll make conversation with you. I'll ask you about your kids. I'll talk to friggin' anybody. In fact, I even like small talk. Nonetheless, it's true. I have social anxiety and/or panic attacks.

My anxiety doubled with my intense fear of ever throwing up in front of anyone. This was a nice little recipe for a borderline eating disorder. I Love Food, I really do. But somehow in my Jr. High adolescent mind I came to the conclusion that if I didn't eat, I would not throw up and humiliate myself if I got a panic attack. So if I had plans to go out in the evenings, I didn't eat. All Day. This also made me miserable, and starving, but it seemed a better alternative to the shame that vomiting all over my friends at a party might cause me.

I danced this little ODD routine all the way up to my Senior Year in HS. And there were times I really did throw up, such as at a guy's house I messed around with, and even at my Winter Formal my Sophomore year. Thank God, I always made it to the bathroom first.

Finally my Senior Year I went to a doctor. I can honestly say it had never occurred to me to go to a doctor about this ever before. I have no idea why. Maybe because I never saw it as a symptom of anything, it just happened to me. Maybe because I was ashamed and thought I was some kind of freak. I talked to said doctor and he prescribed Paxil. I started taking Paxil and, no lie, within one week I was a different person. I could go where I wanted, eat what I wanted and do what I wanted with anyone. It was the single most amazing thing that has ever happened to me.

I've been on and off  pretty much every anti-depressant/anxiety medication there is. I stopped meds when I was pregnant and was pretty much fine until I started waiting tables and sleeping with most of the guys I worked with (that reminds me of a funny story which I will share sometime) BOYS. They do it to me. They make my insides flip around. Basically, they make me want to throw up. I went back on Paxil, then Zoloft then Effexor (a NASTY NASTY prescription that I do not recommend anyone EVER take) and finally I've been on Cymbalta for a couple years now.

It's been four years since I've been on a date. At least the getting to know you type.  The thought of meeting Someone M is making me all pukey again. I hate this. I hate expecting it, and knowing it's going to happen, and knowing there is nothing I can do about it. I will go meet him for Drinks and within a half an hour I will be pretty much fine, but the first 30 minutes I'm going to be hot and sweaty, quiet (which I think comes from trying to keep my mouth closed in case I upchuck) shakey, and generally miserable.

Just thinking about it makes me want to cancel the whole damn thing, but I really do want to meet Someone M and see if that initial attraction is legitimate. So why do I have to suffer through this debilitating crap? Why me? What is wrong with my brain that I am 27 years old and still can't simply go to dinner with a nice guy without obsessing over it for a week in advance? That was just a little self pity talking.

I suppose this is my Lot in Life, and there are definitely worse Lots to be parked in. So I'll just pull up my bootstraps and quit feeling sorry for myself. And maybe I'll double up on the Cymbalta tonight. And shove a barf bag in my purse.

And if I puke all over Someone M I'll definitely have something interesting to write aout tomorrow night!

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Three men that I see on a regular basis complain of being in pain, they are known for their pain: The first has cluster headaches, the second had polio that left him with a malformed leg, the third injured his back in an accident. These are not guys that I have sought out in order to make a point, I suppose that all of my life I have known men who have been in pain of one sort or another, often it was me who had the pain. As I was going through my clinic course at the Chronic Pain Management Clinic of the RIC I made a point of letting each of them know what was going on with me, much as I did by posting messages to this site in case that someone might benefit.

Today was my last visit to the clinic, the follow-up visit to check if anything further needs to be done for my fibromyalgia and knee pain. There wasn't much to talk about with Dr. R. because my pain is absent, and when it does threaten to reappear I know that it is because I have not been doing the exercises recommended to me--all in all this has been a successful thing to do.

Since we had a few minutes I mentioned my frustration that the three men I know who might benefit in a large way from the clinic would not be coming over--they refuse. What the hell can I say about men who choose to remain in severe pain than explore what has been a success for me? It is not that they disagree, they have known what I was doing throughout the five weeks I went there, it is not that they deny that they have to use opiates and in one case surgery in search of alleviation, they just turn away from actively helping themselves. She nodded in agreement and told me that it was a sad but common story.

This story is not meant to be objective, nor is it meant to be free from sexism; it is somehow a symptom of something else, something to do with being responsible.

I am going to write this while I still feel the frustration from their ignorance, while I feel confusion that some will not explore possibilities to feel better, I want the temperature of emotion to help shape this post.

To decide to feel better, to decide to be in a better place than present is something that is open to everyone in one way or another; whether it be depression, joint pain, a relationship problem or a pain in the ass there can always be the decision to feel better, to manage, to understand, to reduce, to eliminate whatever it is that hurts. It only takes the courage to seek an alternative or to ask for help, and to seek it again if the answer isn't immediate.

Again, this is not as well thought out or written as it would be if I let it incubate, but sometimes a little emotion is appropriate.

The part that is BAD is that I need to order Enbrel since I ran out on Tuesday, but it costs $75/per month. This is a freaky time for me. I know I'm doing the right thing with this project helping at-risk girls, but I know the stress makes chronic diseases worse. I can certainly feel pain starting to creep into everything I do. If you're able to help out - please do on the donate page. Ultimately, it's going to a great cause for at-risk teen girls.

Now that I've been out of town for a few weeks I can honestly say how badly I want to be home. I need a rest. I've had to take more medicine all around due to the stress. I hate how cymbalta makes my head spin if I forget to take it for a day. The hardest part of RA and pancreatitis is that people can't see these diseases and so they really don't seem to give a crap. I wonder if that's because they simply have no idea how horrible it is.

Also, why is the name "Rheumatoid Arthritis" so lame? It makes it sound like some old lady with sore joints. That isn't even the start of it. Ever since I've been taking Enbrel I've begun feeling so much better. Last week I felt like my RA is going into remission... but now that I have gotten off my schedule for taking it I can feel it creeping back into my hands, foot bones, legs, etc. I try to stay strong and determined but it's tough!
With my chronic pancreatitis I feel the opposite. I don't know what I'll die from or when I'll die - but I do always feel as though it's highly possible that it might take me down. It's just not fair to my Jax to have to be with a girl like me - so many issues. Honestly, I don't know why or how he puts up with me. Well, I'm sure glad he does!! but I miss him so much right now. It's already been weeks. Every time i start an argument with Jax I bring up this subject. It drives him nuts. I suppose i understand why it makes him crazy, but I truly am mystified by it.

I remember a few years ago when things were all at their worst.  That's when the Dr.'s wanted to give me a feeding tube  because my pancreatitis was so terrible.  Thank god i started seeing a pain management specialist right then.  Also, the therapist at the time told the doctor that I would probably kill myself if I had gotten a feeding tube.  I mean, in that situation your relationship has no hope of being remotely normal.

I'd think Jax would get so sick of this cycle I seem to be in - THAT is I work so hard out of town for a month or so THEN I need to be in bed for five or six months. That's insane. But I hope I have changed enough things in my life this time that he won't freak on me and try to break up. I would be devastated. I'm so exhausted I keep deleting my own text so better go to oeeewoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee e (fell alseep).

love Sasha xoxox

sadmadglad.

little white chemicals, more serotonin in my brain,

less sadness in my heart,

more smiles,

less moments of feeling overwhelmed.

If I forget those little chemicals,

I drop into a pit of depression.

Spinning around with loneliness, aimless, anger, melancholy.

I bought my pill.

I'll be ok.

I am ok.

I am.

The Xa factor: not looking so promising for Pfizer and Bristol - Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer's apixaban blood clot preventer raised rates of bleeding in a 6-month study but showed some encouraging signs of protecting at-risk heart patients, researchers said on Tuesday. Apixaban, which works through a new mechanism of action by blocking a protein called Factor Xa, suffered a setback last week when it failed its primary goal in a late-stage trial for preventing clots after orthopaedic surgery...more A little more promising for Daiichi Sankyo, however. 9/2

This potential advance on a drug to treat Hepatitis-C is quite interesting...especially if you really like medical-technical terms! 9/1

Sciele bought by Japanese pharma company: Shionogi & Co plans to buy U.S.-based Sciele Pharma Inc for $1.1 billion, the fourth big overseas deals in nine months by Japanese drug makers eager to expand overseas...more 9/1

Prasugrel (investigational anti-clotting drug) shows strong results in diabetic patients - Patients who were diabetic and diagnosed with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) were 40 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack if they were treated with prasugrel vs. clopidogrel...more 8/31

Crestor a no-go on heart failure - AstraZeneca Plc's cholesterol drug Crestor has failed in a second clinical trial for heart failure, suggesting such statin medicines don't improve survival in patients with the chronic condition...more 8/31

Glaxo does not score with preemption ruling in suicide case. I'm sure the lawyers are loving this. 8/30

A little fun - The Top 10 Weirdest Pharma Stories of the Month. 8/30

Anti-psychotics may double stroke risk - People taking antipsychotic drugs are nearly twice as likely to have a stroke compared to those not on the treatment, British researchers reported on Friday...more 8/29

A swipe at glitazones for diabetes treatment (from PharmaGossip) 8/29

Good news from Teva on Parkinson's treatment: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. said its Azilect pill is the first to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease in new findings that may increase sales of the medicine to more than $1 billion...more 8/28

A few baby steps into social media by pharma companies. 8/28

Stroke prevention with drug combos: maybe not so much - Two studies released on Wednesday call into question the advantage of using a blood pressure medicine and a well-known blood thinner for preventing the recurrence of a stroke...more 8/28

UCB brings out a heavy axe - The Belgian drugmaker that bought Schwarz Pharma is cutting 2,000 jobs, or 17 percent of its staff, to spur profits and lower administrative costs. The move is part of an effort to redirect $444 million into research on meds for immunology and the central nervous system...more 8/28

Amgen getting rid of "bundling sales" practice (it's about time) - the company is getting rid of “bundling” — giving docs discounts on other Amgen drugs based on how much of their anemia-drug business consisted of Amgen’s Aranesp...more 8/28

Cell Genesys plunges after troubling trial results...but - Recent news of high fatalies during one its drug trials has weighed on Cell Genesys' stock price, but the company may be able to overcome the blow

if data from a different study helps it gain FDA approval...more 8/28

Replidyne plunging downhill fast - Drug developer Replidyne Inc said it will restructure its operations, reduce its headcount by about 80 percent to 5 employees and take a charge of $3.1 million...more 8/28

From Forbes: Vytorin - efficacy questions still nipping at the heels. And, the cancer scare. 8/28

More bad pancreatitis news with Byetta. 8/27

An interesting analysis of Abbott's strengths and weaknesses moving forward. 8/27

Lilly's Cymbalta: a Swiss army knife drug with too many indications? 8/27

BMS/Pfizer new blood clotting drug not flowing smoothly - Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Pfizer Inc said on Tuesday their apixaban blood clot preventer failed its primary goal in a late-stage trial, and that they no longer plan to seek marketing approval next year for the pill...more 8/27

Scrips and trips - pharmas paying out big for "medical education" junkets 8/25

So now we have the Ambien rooster?? 8/25

Amgen gets drug approval from FDA - Amgen Inc drug Nplate is safe and effective for treating a rare clotting disorder that can cause dangerous bleeding, the Food and Drug Administration said on Friday in approving the product for U.S. sales...more 8/25

King making bid for Alpharma - The unsolicited cash bid is a move to create a bigger specialty drugmaker and expand a nascent effor to develop meds for treating pain. The offer is $33 per share amounts to a 37 percent premium over the $24.04 closing price of Alpharma’s common stock yesterday. King actually first made the offer to Alpharma in a letter on Aug. 4 and said the offering represents a 49 percent premium, based on the share price that day...more 8/22

After all that battering in the press, a positive spin on HRT - Hormone replacement therapy can improve the quality of a woman's life, easing the distress of hot flashes, sleep disturbances and restoring lost sexual functioning, researchers reported on Thursday...more 8/22

A promising experimental cystic fibrosis drug (PTC Therapeutics) 8/22

Abbott Diagnostics planning big cuts - Abbott Laboratories Inc  said on Thursday it would eliminate about 1,000 jobs over the next four years as part of a plan to streamline operations and cut costs in its medical diagnostics business...more 8/22

Genentech employees getting restless about potential Roche takeover: recruiters circling, retention bonuses adding up -Aside from announcing that Genentech is not settling for Roche's $44 billion offer because it "substantially undervalues the company," the San Francisco-based biotech made it known that if would be implementing an employee-retention program to help its people make sense of the Roche deal... more 8/22

Gilead Sciences - growing! 8/22

J&J's Doribax for pneumonia: more info, please. 8/21

Buying out biotechs - A buyout bull's-eye will likely remain on biotechnology companies over the next few years as major pharmaceutical companies continue taking advantage of a weak dollar and a surplus of cash to buy pipeline additions....more 8/21

Wyeth, Elan, and Alzheimer's: is this experimental drug worth the pursuit? - In what is becoming a sadly common ritual, Wyeth and Elan are pressing forward with an expensive, large-scale “phase III” trial of a risky drug based on wishful thinking and shoddy statistical analysis...more 8/21

Expensive cost cutting at Sepracor. 8/21

Gardasil - not worth the cost? - That’s the conclusion of a new study that is going to make life much harder for Merck to wring needed sales out of its controversial HPV vaccine. The study, which appears in the New England Journal of Medicine, comes as the drugmaker is already struggling to convince college-age and older women to get the vaccine, which costs about $360 for a three-dose regimen....more 8/21

Might daily Cialis help with symptoms of enlarged prostate? 8/20

Just came across this BNET Industries site which consolidates Pharma news. Looks pretty good! 8/20

Feel like debating a single-payer (government-run) healthcare system? Here's a lively debate, from the WSJ Health blog (see the comments). 8/20

Roche, Accutane, and IBD - is there any link? 8/20

Clinical trials: cancer gets the lion's share - Most registered trials were in oncology, followed by central nervous system disorders, cardiology, infectious diseases, endocrinology, and respiratory diseases. These six therapeutic areas accounted for 68 percent of 3,515l protocols...more 8/20

BMS and PDL go after MML - Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and PDL BioPharma, Inc.  today announced an agreement for the global development and commercialization of PDL BioPharma’s anti-CS1 antibody, elotuzumab, previously known as HuLuc63, currently in Phase I development for multiple myeloma...more 8/19

Vytorin prescriptions: hitting bottom? 8/19

My pipeline's bigger than your pipeline - who's got the goods to be able to claim it? You might be surprised... 8/18

Warning on deaths associated with Byetta - The FDA is working on a stronger label for the widely used diabetes drug, which is marketed by Lilly and Amylin Pharmaceuticals after deaths continue to be reported despite earlier government warnings. Six new new reports were received of patients developing a dangerous form of pancreatitis while taking Byetta... more 8/18 But, fair balance 8/20

Jersey jobs walking out - Layoffs and restructurings are taking a toll on drug and device makers in New Jersey, which for decades has prided itself on being home to many of the world’s biggest such companies...more 8/18

Was a key Vioxx study less than scientifically stellar? - A 1999 Merck study of Vioxx, which was touted to participating doctors and patients as easier to stomach than another drug, was primarily a stealth marketing strategy, according to a report to be published this week in The Annals of Internal Medicine...more 8/18

Do "charming" sales reps earn more? (from John Mack's Pharma Marketing blog). And, in a similar vein: D'uh! 8/18

What's Next? Ban Free Drug Samples? (from John Mack's Pharma Marketing blog). 8/18

Which presidential candidate has received more donations from pharma execs? By a factor of three? 8/18

Abbott to co-promote Crestor - Seeking to increase its share of voice without beefing up its sales force, AstraZeneca is partnering with Abbott on a co-promotion of Crestor in the US...more 8/14

New antibody drug helps nail blood cancer - A new kind of antibody drug that makes the body's own "killer" cells fight tumors has produced promising early-stage results in patients with a deadly form of blood cancer, researchers said on Thursday...more 8/14

Genentech to Roche: No thanks, but maybe. 8/13

MS drug may work against viral infection - A drug that Novartis AG is testing in people with multiple sclerosis also has the potential to treat certain viral infections, perhaps including the AIDS virus, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday....more 8/13

FDA extends review of Centocor drug - Centocor, Inc., today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasextended the review timeline for the Biologic License Application for ustekinumab, a subcutaneous biologic therapy, by three months to December 2008. The application, filed by Centocor late in 2007, seeks approval to market ustekinumab for the treatment of adult patients with chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis...more 8/8

It's a slow year so far for FDA drug approvals 8/8

Go ahead, Massachusetts...make my day - This morning, five trade groups representing drugmakers and biotechs took out a full-page ad in The Boston Globe arguing the bill will “significantly curtail, if not end altogether, the availability of these last hope clinical trials in Massachusetts....more 8/7

Kidney cancer drugs too costly? Yes, says UK - Is extending life by a few months worth $50,000? No, says the UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. In a report out today, the group concluded that several new drugs for advanced kidney cancer aren’t cost-effective...more 8/7

King Pharma income takes a plunge. And some other question marks about an upcoming pain treatment here. 8/7

Rituxan may help a kidney disease - The cancer drug rituximab can help heal the kidneys of patients with a common condition known as membranous nephropathy, Italian researchers reported on Wednesday...more 8/6

Eat your broccoli! 8/6

Artificial blood producing genuine problems. A recent meta-analysis of trials on several substitutes — including Hemopure — contains some gory results. Turns out, the fake bloods scavenge nitric oxide, causing vasoconstriction; patients who get them are 2.7 times more likely to have a heart attack and 30 percent more likely to die... 8/6

Abbott dips into podcasting (for Chrohn's patients). 8/6

Live long and prosper, with Byetta? - Can Byetta, an injectable drug that lowers blood sugar, really help people with diabetes to live longer? Possibly, according to the results of a major clinical trial presented at the American Diabetes Association annual conference...more 8/6

Which pharma company will be biggest in 2014? The projections might surprise you... 8/6

FDA to advertise fake blood pressure pill - OK, that's weird... 8/5

Maybe sleep meds not so great - In its latest bid to track prescription drug use, Consumer Reports conducted a survey last spring of 1,466 Americans who took sleeping pills and found that nearly half have difficulties. Consquently, many are turning to prescription meds with what CR calls “frightening results.” Here they are…more 8/5

Rutgers unveils mini-MBA program for pharma professionals. 8/5

Feel-good story about Sinemet helping a young boy who has Parkinson's. 8/5

SGP entangled with a whistleblower mess (inherited from Organon) - Last month, Schering-Plough’s lawyers filed a motion in federal court in New Jersey arguing that a former medical director at Organon, which the drugmaker recently paid $14.3 billion to acquire, wasn’t qualified to bring a whistleblower lawsuit alleging Organon covered-up serious side effects prior to launching two drugs several years ago...more 8/5

The Medicines Company gets approval for cleviprex - The Medicines Company announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the intravenous (IV) therapy Cleviprex^TM (clevidipine butyrate) injectable emulsion for the reduction of blood pressure when oral therapy is not feasible or not desirable...more 8/4

Careful about giving cold meds to babies - Yet another study raises questions about the dangers of giving cough and cold meds to babies. A “surprising” number of small children taken to emergency rooms after they stop breathing or lose consciousness have OTC meds in their systems, USA Today writes, citing the study in Pediatrics...more 8/4

Beware of Mass. reps bearing gifts - When Massachusetts' House of Representatives approved a big healthcare bill last month, drug and device makers and data firms thought they'd ducked several bullets, but the final bill, passed by both houses last night, includes a few nasty surprises for industry – including a code of conduct for drug marketers, an academic detailing program and stringent reporting requirements for payments to physicians...more 8/4

GSK cutting down oncology personnel - The ax is falling again at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). This time it’s the oncology group... more 8/4

Who might be next in the pharma takeover phrenzy? 8/4

A doctor's balanced perspective on the recent Vytorin kerfuffle. 8/4

Schering announces encouraging results for experimental Hep-C drug - Schering-Plough Corp  said on Monday that interim results from a mid-stage study of its experimental hepatitis C drug showed promising results, sending shares of rival Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc down more than 10 percent in early trading...more 8/4

Novartis get two big approvals for HPB combo pills - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two single-pill combination medications, Diovan HCT® (valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide) and Exforge® (amlodipine and valsartan), as initial or 'first-line' therapies in patients likely to need multiple drugs to achieve their blood pressure goals...more 8/4

Good news on statins and memory loss - People at high risk for dementia who took cholesterol-lowering statins are half as likely to develop dementia as those who do not take statins, a new study shows...more 8/4

New/old cancer treatment: methadone effective against leukemia! - "Methadone kills sensitive leukemia cells and also breaks treatment resistance, but without any toxic effects on non-leukemic blood cells..."more 8/4

Backing away from CME - Trying to steer clear of potential conflicts of interest, two medical industry giants are distancing themselves from a little-known breed of marketing specialists. The recent steps by the drugmaker Pfizer (PFE) and Zimmer Holdings (ZMH), a medical device manufacturer, illuminate subtle promotional tactics other companies continue to aim at doctors, despite mounting concern on the part of some physicians and ethicists...more 8/4

I'm pretty sure that Cymbalta is not the answer.

I feel like a cow in training. Especially after looking at some photos from today.

The aroma of Jasmine rice is soothing.

Post Secret Sunday

People who don't understand my paranoia about hotel rooms should read this. Horray for plastic cutlery.

Awesome. But you spelled Wikipedia wrong.

maybe this is why I just don't want to go there.

About five years ago I started having full blown oh-my-god-I'm-dying panic attacks. It got so bad that I would go to different ERs so that they wouldn't know me. Sometimes I would just go in and sit in the lobby until it subsided. I found that most people ignore you as long as you don't make a scene or pass out. Unfortunately, I did pass out. I would hyperventilate and everything would go black. The lights would come back on in a few seconds. I have woken to find myself surrounded by coworkers, hospital personnel and strangers picking me up out of snowbanks.

I was also very anxious and had a lot of energy even though I was depressed. I was talking fast. A friend and I were out and he was unusually quite. The next day when asked what was wrong he said that while it was amusing to hear me talk like that it freaked him out. I had no idea what he was talking about until I started monitoring my speech. But then, I did everything fast. I walked fast, worked fast, drove fast, etc. My depression was getting to the point where I was dangerously close to not being able to function and so I sought out a psychiatrist. He put me on Cymbalta, a drug which I wish I had never taken. After being on it for about a month I went into a psychotic mania complete with audio and visual hallucinations. The colors and the static and the noise were unbearable. I tried literally beating my head into a wall to make it stop. A couple of friends came over to help me. That they are still my friends is a testament to what good people they are. They've told me since then that they were scared out of their minds and briefly considered having me locked up. I wouldn't have blamed them. It was difficult to talk to them between all of the noise inside my head and all of the screaming coming out of my mouth.

In the morning my insurance company got me into another psychiatrist that day who put me on Depakote and klonapin and told me to throw away the Cymbalta. Within two days I felt drugged out and tired but relatively peaceful. After three or four sessions he diagnosed me with bipolar II disorder. A diagnosis that I believed in until recently. My current psychiatrist (different than the one that diagnosed me) believes that way too many people are mistakenly given a bipolar label. Which is why he is okay with me attempting to get off meds.

I do however, believe that there is something not quite right about me. I've been suicidal and had major depression off and on since I was a child. There have also been periods of OCD type behavior, what I will call "mystical" experiences or believing I have special powers, paranoia and abnormal periods of excessive energy all well before any medication was introduced. So, for now at least, maybe bipolar II is the best category to stick me in. It just feels like a catch-all for psychological misfits. However, the medications do not do anything for the depression so seriously, what's the point? Even my doctor says that a little hypo-mania now and then isn't going to be the end of the world for me. I would much rather deal with that these bullshit side effects. God, I could actually have the energy to exercise like they want.

As I refilled my Rx for Cymbalta this morning I realized that I am in my third month with this stuff----and no fibromyalgia yet.

Add to that: that my mood is good, anxiety is at the lowest level and there are no side effects so far. This stuff is doing a good job and I hope that it continues.

In full disclosure I will say that the days I don't do my exercises I will begin to feel creaky which may be the precursor to fibromyalgia, or not. The mixed exercise program from the pain clinic has made me stronger, I've lost about a dozen pounds, and the severe pains from old injuries are gone.

One strange thing that has happened is the loss of my need to write about what is going on; perhaps the Lyrica was some kind of muse, perhaps the pain offered opportunity to scream and yell about my life, perhaps I am just going through a phase where the need to write is lessened---the causes of writer's block are many and mysterious.

My relationship has certainly suffered as a result of blunted feelings and those feelings were blunted well after I got off antidepressants as they were the first drug to go in a four year and counting process of psychiatric drug withdrawal. My passions are starting to peep through again, slowly, but surely, now that I'm off the vast majority of the drugs.

Below is from an article in the LA times about a year ago. I've written about this topic before but it bears repeating:

Couples think about the other obsessively – on a roller coaster of euphoria when together, longing when apart.

“It’s temporary insanity,” says Helen Fisher, an evolutionary anthropologist at Rutgers University.

Now, from her studies of the brains of lovers in the throes of the initial tumble, Fisher has developed a controversial theory. She and her collaborator, psychiatrist J. Anderson Thomson of the University of Virginia, believe that Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and other antidepressants alter brain chemistry so as to blunt the intense cutting edge of new love.

Fisher and Thomson, who describe their theory in a chapter in the book, “Evolutionary Cognitive Neuroscience,” aren’t talking just about the notorious ability of the drugs to damp sexual desire and performance, although that, they believe, plays its part. They think the drugs also sap the craving for a mate – perhaps even the brain’s very ability to fall in love.

And here is a video of her speaking on the same topic but emphasizing different things which I think are more important:

This fact alone about psychiatric drugs is enough to undermine society. Don't think this doesn't effect parent's ability to love and bond with their children. And then when you think about all the kids on these drugs who simply don't develop normally. Teenage hormones are part of growing up. What happens when you skip that developmental stage? What happens if you never enter it at all due to a lifetime of being on drugs? We are stopping the human experience from happening.

Duloxetine is used to treat major depressive disorder and general anxiety disorder. It is also used to treat pain caused by nerve damage in people with diabetes (diabetic neuropathy).

Duloxetine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Jag har börjat redigera det jag skrivit tidigare och sparar det redigerade materialet med hoppet att någon gång låta mina döttrar läsa det. Även om jag ibland längtar efter döden så är jag rädd att dö innan jag berättat min historia. Mina barn vet ju inte så mycket om mitt liv och jag har fruktansvärda skuldkänslor över att jag inte orkat prata om någonting. Jag har sopat allt det svåra under mattan och på något sätt vill jag förklara varför jag inte är som alla andra. Varför jag lät deras mormor försvinna ur deras liv..  Varför vi bott på så många olika ställen....Varför jag aldrig pratar om deras döda pappa.. (jag vill ju inte prata illa om honom eftersom han är död men jag har inte heller något gott att säga om honom) Det finns så mycket jag vill säga som blir osagt.

Jag känner mig feg och dålig som människa. Jag har alltid flytt från det svåra.
Att sitta och skriva om mina innersta tankar är oerhört svårt men jag känner att jag måste göra detta. Det här projektet ska jag göra klart... den här gången ska jag inte fly.

Det kom ett nytt minne till mig igår kväll..
En sommardag efter maten satt jag i vardagsrummet.  Plötsligt knackar det på ytterdörren och en till mig okänd man kliver in. Han får syn på mig och hälsar mig med orden "Du måste vara Marita, jag är din pappa från förr i tiden". Jag bara sitter där och är förvirrad. Tankarna rusar i huvudet. "Min pappa". "Från förr i tiden". "Vilken tid"? "Vilken pappa"? "Är han min pappa"? Herregud, är han verkligen min pappa tänker jag medans han går vidare mot köket där mormor, morfar och några släktingar fortfarande sitter och äter. Morfar sitter med ryggen mot dörren till hallen när denna mystiska man stiger in i köket med orden "goddag i stugan" och sträcker sin hand mot morfar som är på väg att vrida sig mot honom. Morfar vänder sig tillbaka mot bordet och säger "Till dig räcker jag inte min hand" och fortsätter att äta. Ingen vill prata med denna man som kanske är min pappa. Jag är rädd eftersom jag aldrig sett morfar så fientlig, så arg.  Jag fick veta senare att mannen var Klaus, Hilkkas och Ristos pappa.  Det var till honom morsan hade rymt med mig när jag var liten.  Jag hade tillbringat ett par år av mitt liv med mannen som nu försvann lika fort som han dykt upp.

När detta hände var jag kring tretton år men fortfarande kan jag se klart scenen där min morfar vänder ryggen till Klaus. Det är så märkligt att vissa händelser etsar sig i minnet så starkt och vissa saker kan man inte framkalla hur hårt man än försöker. Och det känns som att det är de tråkiga minnena som är klara och de få lyckliga stunderna är så suddiga och otydliga.

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Jag har slutat att äta Cymbalta för några månader sedan. Jag mår inget vidare bra men det gjorde jag inte heller med tabletterna. Under tiden jag åt medicinen kändes det som om jag var inne i en bubbla.. jag kände varken gläde eller sorg, allting kändes som en grå massa. Nu känner jag mest sorg och är ledsen och så oerhört deprimerad men jag vill inte äta den medicinen. Det tog flera månader att bli av de konstiga små "elektriska stötarna" som jag hade i kroppen under och efter nertrappningen av tabletterna.

Jag känner att jag är i stort behov av samtalsterapi av något slag men jag orkar inte. Jag orkar inte ta mig till sjukhuset och påbörja något jag inte orkar fullfölja. Skrivandet får vara min terapi för tillfället.

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Tips till er som har författardrömmar. www.vulkan.se

Also check out "An Overview for the Newly Diagnosed Patient" from the National Fibromyalgia Association.

Takeda's Actos may help prevent diabetes - Actos, a pill to treat diabetes, can prevent development of the disease in people with early symptoms, U.S. researchers reported...more

Amylin's once-weekly Byetta looks promising for lowering blood sugar - Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Monday that a once-weekly version of its Byetta type 2 diabetes medicine led to additional improvements in blood sugar levels over the currently available drug that must be injected twice a day...more However, their stock was pounded after many positive news reports of competitive drugs.

Ranbaxy up for grabs - Daiichi makes bid. Also, strikes deal with Pfizer over generic Lipitor.

Elan/Wyeth experimental Alzheimer's drug continues to progress in clinical trials - A closely watched Phase II study of an experimental Alzheimier’s drug being developed by Elan and Wyeth shows the med appears to be effective in some patients. Known as bapineuzumab, the drug failed to achieve statistically significant results in the primary outcomes, but managed to do so in subgroups lacking a higher genetic risk to develop the disease...more

J&J, Red Cross, call it quits on legal fight - The lawsuits had an absurdist, has-it-really-come-to-this quality about them. Johnson & Johnson and the Red Cross — Band-Aids and baby powder, blood drives and disaster relief — were suing each other over the rights to the red cross emblem that both had long shared. Now, after getting most of its suit against the Red Cross tossed out by a judge, Johnson & Johnson has picked up its legal toys and gone home. The company said today that it is dismissing its remaining claims against the august nonprofit. And the Red Cross, for its part, threw out its counterclaims against J&J. The companies’ statement is online here more

FDA and Genentech in a staredown - Last year, Genentech caused a ruckus by restricting distribution of its Avastin med to compounding pharmacies, which were repackaging and selling the drug to opthalmologists for treating wet macular degeneration. Unlike Avastin, Genentech’s similar, but newer Lucentis was approved to treat the malady, but at $2,000 a dose will cost about 40 times as much...more

Cancer drug Gleevec may help with strokes? Very cool - A highly effective leukemia pill may reduce complications and boost the effectiveness of a treatment for the most common type of stroke, an international team of researchers said on Sunday. Studies in mice showed giving Gleevec or imatinib, a drug made by Novartis AG, significantly reduced bleeding in the brain associated with the clot-busting drug known as tissue plasminogen activator or tPA...more

Millennium/Takeda's Velcade gets expanded approval - Takeda Pharmaceutical Co, Japan's largest drugmaker, won U.S. approval to promote its cancer drug Velcade for earlier treatment of multiple myeloma, the company said on Friday...more