Supplements and drugs don’t mix
Dietary and herbal supplements may have negative results when mixed with prescription drugs, according to a report from cbsnews.com.
One in six people on prescription drugs are also taking supplements, said a study from the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The research shows combining supplements with medications may either make the drug less effective, strengthen the drug’s results or have unexpected side effects. Treatments for HIV infection, epilepsy and heart disease are highly susceptible to supplement interaction, according to the report.
Artificial substance could help addicts
Relief may be in sight for those battling addiction problems, according to a report on Discover’s Web site.
The substance, known as 18-methoxycoronaridine lowers dopamine levels which cause cravings created by drug use, said Stanley Glick, the director of the Center for Neuropharmacology and Neuroscience at Albany Medical College in New York.
The chemical is an artificial version of ibogaine, an herbal extract from the bark of the African iboga shrub. Glick, who has been working on 18-MC since 1991, said the drug does not have the same side effects the natural compound has.
Glick told Discover he was skeptical of the drug’s effectiveness at first, “but when you hear the same things enough times from enough people who have taken ibogaine, you’ve got to believe that there is at least something there is worth investigating,” he said.
FDA to examine morning-after pill
An emergency contraceptive may be made available over the counter if approved by the Food and Drug Administration, according to cnn.com.
The company that produces Plan B, a morning-after pill, said it applied Monday to make the pill available without a prescription.
When taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, the morning-after pill prevents ovulation or fertilization, cnn.com said.
-compiled by Susanne Cervenka
