A new breakthrough in treatment of fungal infections came this week as the FDA approved Noxafil (posaconazole) for the prevention of infections caused by certain molds and yeast-like fungus such as Aspergillus and Candida.
The FDA approved the antifungal drug for use in those patients with weakened immune systems (such as following a bone marrow transplant) and for those patients with decreased white blood cell counts (such as follows chemotherapy for cancer).
Healthy individuals are usually unaffected by these common fungi; but people with weak or abnormal immune systems are likely to become fatally ill when exposed to these pathogens.
Noxafil is an antifungal drug which contains an active substance never before approved in the U.S.
Safety and efficacy of Noxafil were tested in clinical trials of 1,844 patients ranging in age from 13-82 years.
Patients who received Noxafil had comparable or fewer rates of Aspergillus and Candida infections compared to those who received other antifungal medications.
The most common side effects of Noxafil were nausea, vomiting, rash, diarrhea, lowered potassium (K+) blood levels, lowered platelet counts, and abnormal results on tests of live function. For some people, Noxafil may have led to abnormal heart rhythm (prolongation of the QTc wave) and liver function impairement.
Noxafil should be taken with a full meal, and has been shown to interact severely with certain other medications.
Noxafil offers a new option for antifungal treatment following bone marrow transplant or chemotherapy.
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A recent study reported in the BBC News finds that Botox users may actually become addicted to the procedure. Possibly easy to understand, as Botox procedures are reasonably quick, relatively painless, and allow you smoother, younger looking skin in just a few minutes. Who wouldn’t want that?
Doctors found that 40% of Botox patients expressed a strong and personally compelling desire for further treatments. In the UK, there was a 50% increase in people seeking Botox injections in 2005. Market research groups estimate that the procedure is administered in Britain at least 100,000 times per year.
In a survey of 81 clinics, researchers found:
*More than 50% of those who sought Botox felt a lack of control over their aging process
*Almost 50% were angry at being criticized for their use of Botox
*More than 40% felt they need to seek Botox treatments regularly and frequently.
*More than 50% of people using Botox reported feeling younger, rather than just looking younger.
It’s this last point that might explain the addictiveness of Botox.
Although the treatment does not seem to lead to physical addiction, it may lead to a psychological or emotional addiction, in that people who seek treatment feel out of control in their aging, and Botox gives them a way to “fight back” the aging process.
Being able to fight back aging with a quick trip to the doctor’s office might give a feeling of power, invincibility or a “high” which can lead to more treatments, more highs, more treatments, and so on.
Botox blocks the transmission of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter, from the nerves to the muscle. When the flow of acetylcholine is significantly reduced, the muscle relaxes and wrinked areas them smooth out and soften.
Botox injections last about four to six months and need to be repeated to maintain similar positive effects.
Learn more about botox
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Dermatitis (inflammation of the skin) impacts more than 6 million people each year, many of whom seek medical relief for their itchiness. Dermatitis can be triggered by any number of skin conditions, common household ingredients, or animals.
People can get dermatitis, for instance, when they come in contact with mosquitos, snails, lice, poison ivy, poison oak, or when they have dry skin or staph infections. Skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and sunburn can also increase the itchy factor. Finally stress and too frequent use of antibacterial soaps can also increase the scratchiness quotient.
What causes our need to itch?
Put simply, some of our nerves are responsive to itchiness. Histamine, the protein released in our bodies during an allergic reaction, tells our itchy nerves to send information to the spinal cord, and, ultimately, the brain. Our brain activates certain sites in our brain; these are similar to the ones which are activated when we’re in pain.
Antihistamines (commonly prescribed for allergies and itches) ‘turn off’ the signal from the skin’s surface to the brain. New research says there are other types of nerve-itchy fibers than just the histamine ones, and that these recently discovered fibers may be responsible for the itch associated with more chronic conditions.
This new research suggests that people may scratch because, by doing so, this stimulates pleasure systems in the brain.
Too much scratching, though, can leave your skin broken, bleeding, and unable to provide its normal barrier to the environment.
So the point of the story? A little scratching is ok, too much is not.
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