A Tik-King Time Bomb (December 12 2008)         - {fin2000

Tik is one of the most dangerous drugs in the world and it’s increasingly becoming the drug of choice for young women.

Is your Personality making you Sick? (October 05 2008)         - Sandra Prior

Research into how our personality affects our health has produced some interesting findings. For instance, being cheerful isn't necessarily good for you.

Yes, You Can Get Over a Crisis (August 26 2008)         - Sandra Prior

Whatever it is – heartache, rape, the death of a loved one – there are stages you need to go through to heal. Here’s how to deal with them and move on.

Work Stress? It’s a State of Mind (August 01 2008)         - {fin2000

It may be that events at work conspire against you – but it’s how you respond to them that makes all the difference. It all comes down to attitude. Each of our attitudes is like a pebble thrown into the still waters of the pond, creating a ripple effect all around us.

Warm hands can make for a healthy heart (May 19 2008)         - John Scott

The article looks at the extremes of just relying on medication as against "expensive" therapy time, and decides that biofeedback may be a middle ground for the treatment of insomnia.

Thanks to Ambien (April 27 2008)         - John Scott

The article introduces a forty something housewife who is keeping a diary about her first experiences with Ambien. She is to be paid in kind to write about her life. She is not being paid to endorse Ambien, but for an honest report of her reaction to the medication.

Friday (April 26 2008)         - John Scott

The article identifies the problems that any family can experience when one member is planning to start taking a potentially addictive medication that also has recreational use and a street value.

A new study shows insomnia is more persistent (April 26 2008)         - John Scott

The article considers a twenty year study into insomnia which found that sleep loss continued and worsened over time, and that it was often followed by depression.

Learning from the past (April 26 2008)         - John Scott

The article looks back to 1994 when the cost of anxiety disorders to the US economy was $65 billion. Because public health care is underfunded, treatments have focused on oral medications as the cheap solution rather than expensive behavioral therapy which has a better chance of a cure.

Facts and speculations about weight gain (April 26 2008)         - John Scott

The article looks at the relationship between zoloft and weight gain. It initially prefers the explanation that any weight gain is due to overeating, but then accepts the possibility that some people will experience weight gain as a side effect to the medication.

Monday (April 24 2008)         - John Scott

The article captures the sense of nervous anticipation a person would feel the very first time she is to take a powerful medication. She is not sure how it will affect her, how she will feel afterwards.

Daniel Smith's death was accidentally fatal (April 24 2008)         - John Scott

The article reflects on the news of the inquest verdict on the death of Daniel Smith. Although the way he died could be an accident, it may also be as a result of the suicide risks in the use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. Yet perhaps it is always better not to characterize a death as suicide unless it is unavoidable.

Depressed? Do you ever worry about controlling yourself? (April 24 2008)         - John Scott

The article uses the example of US rapper Beanie Siegel to underline the addictive quality of Xanax. He has just been sent back to jail for multiple probation violations in abusing Xanax. Here is a man who has the money and position to fight addiction. That he keeps failing to beat Xanax should warn all.

What can be done about depression in Alzheimer's Disease? (April 24 2008)         - John Scott

The article considers whether there is any evidence that Zoloft may assist people who have Alzheimer’s Disease and are depressed. It concludes that the limited evidence is quite encouraging.

How do you stay at the top of your league? (April 24 2008)         - John Scott

The article notes that the Neurogen Corp., a biotech company based in Connecticut, has just laid off forty-five staff and raised $30m so that it can afford to pay for the trials to prove the worth of a competitor to Ambien (and three other medications). Is the gamble worth the jobs of forty-five employees?

Should DUI become DUIA? (April 24 2008)         - John Scott

The articles notes a paper presented in the March meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Science which identified ambien as one of the top ten drugs found in blood samples following arrests for traffic offences. It seems that "sleep driving" may be a new danger to other road users.

Effectiveness of warnings put out by the FDA and Health Canada (April 24 2008)         - John Scott

The article looks at two decisions in the US courts and some new Canadian research about the effectiveness of warnings put out by the FDA and Health Canada. It seems that the warning about the risk of suicide when taking SSRIs were inadequate but pre-emption prevents a tort claim in the US.

Those online pharmacies! (April 24 2008)         - John Scott

The article repeats the news that a US physician was convicted of suppling prescriptions to an online pharmacy without ensuring a good medical reason. But confirms that, when the prices of many household necessities are rising, it is entirely rational to buy medications at discounted prices online.

Those black box warnings on antidepressants (April 24 2008)         - John Scott

The article asserts that the black box warnings on the risk of suicide sent out with zoloft do not properly answer the question, "What is the precise role of zoloft?" Until they do, people cannot make an informed decision on whether to use the medication.

Tuesday (April 23 2008)         - John Scott

The article makes the point that even though a medication like Ambien can give you one or two nights of good sleep, you have to relearn how to sleep at the same time every night. This means that you cannot sleep during the day.