Which Drugs Do You Consider “Safe?”

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / August 17, 2019 /

Ten drugs that were removed from the market due to safety concerns over the last 30 years. It is interesting, and perhaps surprising, that four of them were anti-inflammatory drugs because most people presume these drugs are relatively safe.

Are Prescribed Opioids the Culprits or the Scapegoats?

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / August 10, 2019 /

Solving the drug crisis will not be easy. However, the disenfranchised members of our most impoverished communities deserve viable solutions to their problems. It is crucial to understand the degree to which job loss and hopelessness contribute to the drug problem. Reputable data proves that the volume of opioids prescribed is not solely, or even primarily, responsible for the opioid crisis. Let’s be sure we are not using prescription opioids as the scapegoat.

Empathy Must Be Included in Pain Management Education

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / August 3, 2019 /

The National Institutes for Health (NIH) has published a Request for Information (RFI) that seeks input from “stakeholders throughout the scientific research and medical education community and the general public regarding the Centers for Excellence in Pain Education (CoEPEs) educational content regarding treating pain and opioid misuse or use disorder.”

Addiction and the 2020 Presidential Race

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / July 27, 2019 /

The ideal presidential candidate should recognize the tragedies associated with all addictions, not just with prescription opioids.

Will Congress Make Football Safer?

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / July 20, 2019 /

Looking Forward to the Start of Football Season It seems as if summer has barely begun. Yet the Fourth of July holiday is already behind us, and many people already are looking forward to the start of football season. Boston’s CBS affiliate recently ran a story titled, “Tom Brady ‘As Excited As Ever’ For Patriots…

Man Trapped in a Billboard

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / July 13, 2019 /

It’s understandable that an advertising agency would have trouble accurately conveying the problems of drug dependence and addiction when the media, too, often has difficulty communicating the facts.

Teaching Children to Cope with Pain

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / July 6, 2019 /

It’s important to help children master their response to pain in age-appropriate ways. Children who have the emotional and cognitive ability to understand and determine their response to an injury generally suffer less. This is self-efficacy, and it allows the child to feel in control.

Who Is to Blame for Skyrocketing Drug Prices?

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / June 29, 2019 /

This article, in a slightly edited form, first appeared in The Hill on July 27, 2017. Drug Prices Are Soaring Across the board, drug prices are soaring. Even the cost of cancer medications are so high that some patients are delaying cancer treatments or skipping them altogether. But who is most responsible for higher drug prices: pharmaceutical…

Processed Foods

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / June 22, 2019 /

Some research suggests that the products’ packaging can leach such chemicals as bisphenol A (BPA) and perfluoroalky and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or that these toxins may act as endocrine interrupters and cause cancers, infertility, and other health problems.

What “Rocketman” Tells Us About Pain and Addiction

By Lynn Webster, M.D. / June 15, 2019 /

Adverse childhood experiences rewire the brain. The heightened response to stress that some children develop can affect the reward center of the brain and the executive functioning of the prefrontal cortex. It can also result in maladaptive behaviors associated with pain and addiction.

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