University of Utah’s Summit Addressed State’s Opioid Problem On April 23, 2018, the University of Utah’s summit convened to discuss how to solve the state’s opioid problem. The summit’s goal was to identify barriers faced by health care providers and others in providing effective treatment of pain and addiction. The participants’ diverse professional backgrounds provided…
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I’m pleased to present a blog written by Megan Nalamachu who is a bright, articulate high school student. Her father, Dr. Srinivas Nalamachu, is a treasured colleague and friend. He proudly sent me his daughter’s well-researched work, because he believed I’d be interested in it. He was correct. Megan did a wonderful job rendering a…
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Selling Prescription Drugs via Direct-to-Consumer Advertising “Next year, how about fewer ads that fuel opioid addiction and more on access to treatment,” White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough complained on Twitter. “Was that really an ad for junkies who can’t [poop]? America, I luv ya but I just can’t keep up,” TV host…
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Failing to Understand the Experience of Pain Most people in pain do not like talking about their pain problem with others. When they do mention it to friends and family, they generally are disappointed at the responses. People are well intended, at least initially, but they can be insensitive. Fundamentally, they fail to understand what…
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Migraine Awareness According to Penney Cowan, Founder and CEO of the Founder and CEO of the American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA), “More than 29.5 million Americans suffer from migraines, with women being affected three times more often than men.” Contrary to the popular misconception, a migraine isn’t just a severe headache. According to the ACPA,…
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How Drugs Receive FDA Approval The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) is the watchdog agency that’s responsible for testing new medications before they are approved. Drug manufacturers seek approval from the FDA after they have conducted numerous clinical trials and submitted all of their data to the…
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In the February 19, 2018 Refinery29 documentary, producer Jacki Huntington shares the stories of Dr. Lipi Roy, Kassandra Frederique of the Drug Policy Alliance, and Cortney Lovell. These women are working to solve the opioid crisis through their work in addiction medicine, drug policy, and recovery services. Courage in Escaping the Grip of Addiction In…
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Babies Cannot Be Born Addicted to Drugs “Babies Born Addicted,” “Addicted Babies,” “Babies with Addiction,” and similar headlines appear nearly daily in the media. This is because babies exhibit horrible withdrawal symptoms if they are born physically dependent on opioids, and it pulls at our heartstrings to see them suffer. But it misleads media consumers,…
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Novelist Amy Tan’s Experience With Lyme Disease On her web site, bestselling novelist Amy Tan shares her belief that she has late-stage neuroborreliosis, or Lyme disease. She suspected she might have Lyme disease because of her mysterious symptoms that included migrating aches and neuropathy, a racing heart, hallucinations, getting lost in familiar places, difficulty talking,…
Read MoreThis is an article by Cara Smith. I offer it with the author’s permission for informational purposes. The author and I have no financial involvement. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE HER OWN AND DO NOT REPRESENT MY VIEW OR MEDICAL ADVICE. Photo by Kat Love on Unsplash HIV is a disease that scratches out the…
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