Even innocuous over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen or aspirin, are not recommended for use during pregnancy.  If you have a health condition that requires regular medication, your doctor can evaluate whether it’s safe for you to remain on the drug.  Before you take any medication – prescription or over the counter – talk to your doctor first.

As a general rule, it’s best to use caution and avoid use of any medications during pregnancy.  Exposure to pharmaceuticals is accounts for 2-3 percent of birth defects.  Some of the most dangerous drugs include the acne drug Accutane, the sleep aid/morning-sickness drug Thalidomide, and the psoriasis treatment Soriatane.

In addition, the anti-convulsant, Topamax, has recently been shown to cause severe congenital birth defects, such as cleft lip and cleft palate.  Earlier this year, the Food & Drug Administration strengthened warnings regarding Topamax during pregnancy.  If you took Topamax prenatally, and have a child with a birth defect, contact an attorney today to see if you qualify for a Topamax lawsuit.

FDA Topamax Warnings

The development and approval process for drugs is the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), a division of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.  CDER evaluates all new drugs before they are sold, evaluating their efficacy, as well as ensure that their health benefits outweigh their known risks.

Drugs are first tested in laboratories and on animals to evaluate safety.  Next, clinical trials are performed on people to determine whether the drug is safe, and to document any potential side effects.  The pharmaceutical company will send the results of these tests to CDER for evaluation.  If the drug is proven to be safe and effective, it will be approved.

Due to the dangers of clinical trials on pregnant women, many drugs lack information regarding the effects of taking the drug prenatally.  For example, the anti-seizure and migraine drug, Topamax, was recently shown to cause serious birth defects in infants whose mothers took the drug while pregnant.  In fact, women taking Topamax had an 11 times higher rate of congenital birth defects.

Due to this new data, the Food & Drug Administration recently increased the pregnancy warning of Topamax to Category D, meaning there is positive evidence of fetal risk.  Though the warning has been updated, many children suffer Topamax birth defects due to this FDA-approved drug.

Thankfully, many parents are filing Topamax lawsuits to ensure that they obtain compensation for the defects caused by the drug.  If you or someone you know took Topamax prenatally, and has a child with a cleft lip or cleft palate, you should contact an experienced Topamax attorney today to assist you with your claim.

Studies show that 64 percent of pregnant women use at least one prescription drug during pregnancy.  However, with all prenatal drugs, doctors must weigh the potential benefits against the risk of possible fetal harm.  Unfortunately, little information exists because of the ethical issues surrounding clinical trials on pregnant women.

Topamax Birth Defects

Many women may have taken the anti-convulsant, Topamax, for the prevention of seizures or migraine headaches.  On March 4, 2011, the Food & Drug Administration increased the pregnancy warning of Topamax to Category D, meaning there is positive evidence of fetal risk.  The previous designation was Category C because of lack of human data.

The new label states, “there may be an association between the use of Topamax during pregnancy and congenital malformations.”  A 2008 study published in Neurology found that women who took Topamax prenatally had a higher rate of babies born with cleft lips, cleft palates, or other congenital defects.  In fact, the rate of birth defects in women taking Topamax was 11 times higher than the normal rate.

Cleft lip and cleft palate are variations of a type of congenital deformity caused by abnormal facial development during gestation.  A cleft is a fissure or opening—a gap.  An older term for cleft lip is harelip.

Cleft lip and palate birth defects can increase the risk of ear infections and cause problems eating and communicating.  A cleft lip or palate can be successfully treated with surgery, especially if conducted soon after birth or in early childhood.

According to a scientific study published by the American Academy of Neurology in April 2008, taking Topamax significantly increases the risk of cleft lip and palate birth defects.  The published study reviewed 203 pregnancies.  Overall, the rate of oral clefts observed was 11 times more prevalent than the normal rate.

Approximately 1 in 700 infants are born with a cleft lip and/or a cleft palate.  Therefore, the normal rate of cleft palates is 0.0014 percent.  However, according to this study, persons taking Topamax during pregnancy had a cleft palate rate of 0.0157 percent – 11 times the normal rate of congenital malformations.

Due to these and other serious side effects, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued additional warnings for Topamax.  The warning was raised to Pregnancy Category D, which means there is positive evidence of human fetal risk.

Topamax has serious side effects.  Taken prenatally, it can significantly increase the risk of congenital birth defects.  If you or someone you know took Topamax while pregnant and has a child with a birth defect, contact an experienced products liability attorney today to discuss your possible Topamax lawsuit.

Due to the insufficient pregnancy warnings, many women are filing Topamax lawsuits to seek compensation for their infant’s birth defects.  If you took Topamax prenatally, you should contact an experienced Topamax attorney today to assist you in evaluating your claim.

PPH Symptoms

PPH is generally diagnosed by physical examination.  Typical signs of persistent pulmonary hypertension include altered heart sounds, parasternal heave, pulmonary regurgitation, elevated jugular venous pressure, peripheral edema (swelling of the feet/ankles), ascites (abdominal swelling due to fluid), hepatojugular reflux, and clubbing.

Further testing can include pulmonary function tests, electrocardiograph (ECG), arterial blood gas measurements, chest x-rays, CT scans, and ventilation or perfusion.  Normal pulmonary pressure is 12-16 mm Hg – pulmonary hypertension is present when the pressure exceeds 25 mm Hg.

There are five different types of PPH:

1. Arterial PPH;
2. Venous PPH;
3. Hypoxic PPH;
4. Thromboembolic PPH; and
5. Miscellaneous PPH.

PPH is often difficult to diagnose because the symptoms begin very gradually.  Symptoms of persistent pulmonary hypertension include shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting – all of which are exacerbated by physical exertion.  Other symptoms include non-productive cough, angina pectoris, fainting or syncope, lips and skin that turn blue, peripheral edema (swelling around the feet and ankles), and hemotysis (coughing up blood).  Finally, PPH can result in a significant decrease in exercise tolerance, and even lead to heart failure.

PPH Treatment

Treatment is determined based on the typed of PPH.  Arterial PPH can be treated with lifestyle changes, oxygen therapy, oral anti-coagulants, diuretics, and digoxin.

Pulmonary venous hypertension is synonymous with congestive heart failure, meaning treatment options center on optimizing left ventricular function.  This can be achieved though the use of diuretics, ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, or to simply repair/replace the valve.

Left untreated, PPH patients have a survival rate of 2-3 years.  However, with proper treatment, expected survival rates can exceed 10 years.

Fen-Phen and PPH

The drug combination fenfluramine/phentermine, usually called Fen-Phen, is an anti-obesity treatment that utilizes two anorectics.  Fen-Phen was sold under two trade names: fenfluramine (Pondimin) and dexfenfluramine (Redux).

A three-year study, published in 1992 showed that Fen-Phen was extremely effective in maintaining a significant weight loss.  However, when the patients stopped taking Fen-Phen, most regained their weight.

In 1996, an article in the New England Journal of Medicine showed a statistically significant rise in persistent pulmonary hypertension in patients taking Fen-Phen.  Due to these and other side effects, in late 1997, the FDA recommended that Fen-Phen no longer be prescribed.

The FDA ordered fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine off the market in September 1997 after those drugs were linked to heart valve problems.  Fenfluramine is one of the ingredients in Fen-Phen, and dexfenfluramine is closely related to fenfluramine.  These drugs are manufactured by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and American Home Products.

PPH Lawsuits

Clearly, this drug combination used for rapid weight loss was extremely unsafe.  The manufacturers of Fen-Phen promoted this drug as safe and effective.  As shown in the study referenced above, the drug is not safe – thousands of patients taking Fen-Phen now have various cardiovascular and lung problems, such as persistent pulmonary hypertension.  In addition, the drug is not effective – studies show that patients who stop taking Fen-Phen almost always regain the weight they originally lost.

Upon the release of the information regarding the pulmonary and cardiac risks of Fen-Phen, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America formed a group to seek damages from American Home Products, the distributor of fenfluramine (Pondimin) and dexfenfluramine (Redux).

Estimates of total liability ran as high as $14 billion.  As of February 2005, Wyeth was still in negotiations with injured parties, offering settlements of $5,000 to $200,000 to some of those who had sued, and stating they might offer more to those who were most seriously injured.

According to a 1999 article in The New York Times, a Texas woman was awarded $23.3 million for heart damage she suffered after taking the diet drug combination known as Fen-Phen.  The final settlement amount is undisclosed.

If you or someone you know has primary pulmonary hypertension, you should contact a Fen-Phen lawyer today to discuss your case.  If you have been diagnosed with primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), please contact a PPH lawyer today for a free consultation.

If you are suffering from dizziness, chest pains, skin turning blue, or difficulty breathing, you may have persistent pulmonary hypertension – a difficult disease to diagnose.  The best step you can take is to contact your medical provider for further testing.  If you believe you have PPH, you should contact an experienced PPH lawyer today to assist you with your Fen-Phen claim.

In many cases, it seems death tends to make people more famous than before. Take Van Gogh for example a man whose talent was only truly appreciated after his death. Van Gogh only sold one painting before his death. Unlike Van Gogh, Amy Winehouse’s death fame will soon fade away.

I never believed she had very much talent in the first place. A death is always unfortunate, but considering the claim that she died due to an apparent drug overdose, it was pretty much brought on by herself.

With all due respect and condolences to the Winehouse family for their loss, Amy Winehouse had various issues and incidents with drugs. Most of her inspiration for her songs came from her drug use, and hey that’s what makes a great artist nowadays, right?

There have been recent occurrences where Winehouse was under the influence at some of her tour shows. Whether it is that Winehouse did hard drugs because she was struggling in life or she was attempting to fit in to the music industry, drugs can’t stabilize your life, and obviously, eventually kill you.

Supposedly, Winehouse’s “fame,” was built up during her album Back to Black, which, put nicely, made my ears bleed. I ask myself, “what fame?” What made Winehouse so special in everyone’s eyes; her drug addiction?

My heart sinks when I see how the music industry is becoming more about who you know and what kind of drugs you do, instead of the true talent someone has.

So you can probably tell by looking at the Autum Epitaph that it is not the bike that will be ridden in the next Tour de France.  It looks more like something the Wright Brother would have ridden while dreaming of airplanes as kids.  But I think it’s really beautiful.

The leather work, which is from “obsessively selected aged leather” is what stands out to me the most.  The seat looks comfy and the leather inset of the frame softens the look of all the metal.

Each Epitaph bike also features a custom crafted wheel set for low profile tires.

I find it a little odd the handle bars are tilted down for a more low profile ride.  How it does make for a better appearance, I can’t help but think the cruise bike would be more comfortable with upright handles.

The Epitaph is a highly limited run of only 12 bikes, each laser etched with their build number. On the upside, this makes the bike easier to identify in case of theft!  On the downside, the Autum Epitaph costs about $3,000, which does seem a bit pricey for a bicycle, even if it does have leather interior.  But if you’re looking to ride something around the Hamptons, I can’t see you doing much better than this.

The History of Topamax

Discovered in 1979 by Bruce Maryanoff and Joseph Gardocki  while employed by McNeil Pharmaceuticals, the drug was originally produced by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics and Noramco.

Topamax, marketed as an anticonvulsant, is primarily used to treat epilepsy in adults and children, and was given FDA approval for that purpose. In 2006 the FDA also approved generic versions of Topamax, brining the price down significantly.

The Prescribed Uses of Topamax

Along with it’s use as an anticonvulsant, Topamax has become favored by physicians for other uses. Among it’s uses, Topamax was primarily prescribed for treatment of migraines, and found effective in the treatment of the development delay disorder, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, which can cause seizures in infants,

Topamax has also been a popular drug for psychiatrist, who prescribe it for a great many uses, including the treatment of bipolar disorder, alcoholism, binge eating for morbidly obese patients, and (PTSD) post-traumatic stress disorder.  Along with being used for treatment of infantile spasms, other studies show promising results for Topamax as a treatment for preterm infants to prevent periventricular leukomalacia after a hypoxic-ischemic injury.

Topamax Combating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder 

Psychiatrist have been performing studies in using Topamax to combat symptomatic obsessive compulsive disorder, in an attempt to elevate behavior such as bulimia, smoking, and neuropathic pain.

How normally a SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)  is prescribed, a recent study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry suggests there could be a benefit to  adding Topamax to current SSRI treatments.

Another case study shows some promising results for Topamax in the treatment of Kleptomania.

Topamax Side Effects 

There are numerous side effects that can lead people to stay away from Topamax.  Problems like fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, paresthesia, memory loss, and confusion.  One of the most serious side effects is the significant increase in suicide in patients prescribed Topamax.

In addition to the drastic side effects, there are issues with overdosing in Topamax that can cause blurred vision, fainting, agitation, depression heart palpation, etc…

Topamax Legal Issues

The Topamax birth defect lawsuits are not the first legal issue for the drug.  In 2010, Ortho-McNeil paid a $6.14 million fine to the FDA after pleading guilty to promoting the Topamax drug for psychiatric treatment without applying for, or receiving an approval from the FDA.

In this latest round of legal issue, a large mass tort initiative has been launched by law firms connecting the use of Topamax by women, and birth defects, specifically a cleft palate, or palatoschisis.

A cleft is the non-fusion, or gap, of an infants natural structure.  A cleft palate can be treated through surgery, but is obviously traumatizing on the child.

Labels for Topamax have been updated with new warnings about the increased risk of cleft palate for patients who are either pregnant, or may become pregnant.  It’s estimated that the risk of an infant being born with a cleft palate to a mother taking Topamax during her pregnancy is approximately 200% higher, or 1.4% vs. .07%.

It’s likely that this will be a massive lawsuit, and result in the company settling for ten of millions of dollars.  Recent pharmaceutical mass tort litigation with cases like Accutane and Wellbutrin have be proven to be extremely costly for pharmaceutical companies, and this will likely be no different.

Christina Zehnder and Daniel Vetterli had the brilliant idea that no one likes wearing plain, ugly band-aids, they want to support a luxury brand while treating their cuts.  So they invented the Luxury Band Aid.  To be clear, these band-aids don’t have anything mechanically special about them, they are just plain band-aids with designer logos like Luis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Chanel printed on the bandage.  Just think about how much Usher would have loved these things.

Of course I love this idea, but I would like to see some Italian designers get on this.  How about a set with Armani, Versace and D&G?  Now that would be worth cutting yourself up over.  No word yet on where to get these, or how much they will cost.  But as soon as I know, I’ll share.  What brand do you want to stop you from bleeding?

The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine has calculated and concluded that over $63 billion is lost in work and productivity due to injury or illness.

Employers often encourage employees and executives to seek preventative care. Companies often provide health insurance and sometimes have a wellness program that rewards employees for exercise and physical fitness.

Because of lost productivity and rising insurance costs some companies are teaming up with health care providers to provide a new low cost model for health insurance. This new model, often termed, executive concierge model or executive healthcare, is a customized health program for employers and employees. The primary goal behind executive medicine is to reduce the amount of time lost at work.

More often than not, physicians will travel to company facilities to see employees and will likely be given a physical. Some companies even allow their doctors to maintain and keep an office on company property.

The executive medicine model is a increasing in popularity due to the tough economy. Employers struggling to keep health insurance for all of their employees can turn to executive health care as a means to provide low cost preventative care to employees.

Employees offered an executive medicine plan are often concerned with their privacy and often wonder if the doctor-patient confidentiality still applies. An alternative to executive medicine with the same concierge service is concierge medicine in Orange County. Where patients pay an additional annual fee and in return receive 24/7 access to their primary physician.

Regardless of the means chosen to remain healthy and the type of health insurance plan you have, preventative care is a must. There are many ways to keep one healthy but physicians worldwide agree, diet and physical activity are a must.

The U.S. Department of Labor recently released a list of the top ten jobs of the future. Careers in health care dominate the list.

Those seeking a stable and secure position have transitioned into health care or are thinking about it. Health care is a steady and growing industry. It will always be necessary and there will always be a strong need for health care providers. Careers in the health care field cannot compare to jobs in any other field such as banking/finance or construction that constantly has ups and downs. Layoffs and lack of work are often causes for change in careers or lines of work.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the five fastest growing jobs are: registered nurses, home health aides, customer service representatives, food preparation and serving workers, and personal and home care aides.

With the current economy slump, some consumers are having a hard time even paying for health care coverage. Some seek a more personalized means for health care like concierge medicine in phoenix or executive healthcare. Both models offer more customized health care plans for preventative care. Both models also increase the attractiveness for med students to go into general practice. Currently, jobs in general practice are not appealing to many med students because of current conditions: doctors often complain of too many patients not enough money.

Health care jobs in the Phoenix area are on the rise as is the salary for jobs in health care.

The health care reform and current health care system is causing many to seek alternative treatment. Primary care physicians are often on vacation or too busy to see patients. We may wait for an hour to see our doctor only to actually meet with him for ten minutes. Patients fed up with this type of “fast-food” care seek alternatives and two models that often come up are concierge medicine and executive medicine.

Both executive medicine and concierge medicine are very popular in the Scottsdale area and I believe both will increase in popularity over the coming years especially with the uncertainty of the health care reform.

Concierge medicine in Scottsdale is a health care model that has been around for about 10 years. It originally developed in the North West. It has since become a preferred method of care. Patients pay an additional annual fee and in return are offered 24/7 phone and email access to their primary physician. Doctors may even sit in on specialized care meetings or make house calls. Physicians will take on a limited number of patients so they can provide adequate health care for each.

The executive health care model is very similar. Executive medicine is often put together by a company, corporation or by a group of employees or executives. Both models have the same general principles and ideas. The company and health care professionals will put together a customized plan. Doctors make frequent trips to the company or other designated area and do exams and physicals for covered individuals.

Preventative care and good health care are very important to living a long and healthy life. Either of these plans provides excellent care.

I try to get all the preventive care and treatment that I can. I watch what I eat, I exercise and I see my doctor and dentist at least once a year. On top of that, I even practice safety: I look both ways before I cross the street, practice safe driving and I always wash my hands before I eat anything. At this rate, I should live for the next 100 years.

It seems that no matter the steps I take I am constantly at risk: soap, deodorant, toothpaste, shampoos, all of these everyday items have been linked to cancer in studies.  Now, try explaining that to your doctor. I have been looking into concierge medicine in Miami. My doctor is great and I have been his patient since I could walk but I often feel that he is not quite giving me the best treatment, advice or preventative care.

In addition to normal health insurance some companies are now offering executive medicine. Executive medicine is a new model where companies and health care providers organize custom health plans for employees to keep them healthy, productive and in the office. Oh, but do fail to remember that fluorescent lighting also puts you at risk for several types of cancer.

I am still waiting for that study that proves that breathing oxygen puts us at a greater risk for developing cancer. Until then I think I will just lock myself in a dark room, alone with nothing but a few good books.

In the meantime, if you have any independent medical needs, you can get some home medical supplies and treat yourself.  Just make sure to call a doctor first.