opium is one of the oldest herbal medicines currently used as an analgesic, sedative and antidiarrheal treatment. the effects of opium are principally mediated by the μ -,κ- and δ-opioid receptors. opioid substances consist of all natural and synthetic alkaloids that are derived from opium. most of their effects on gastrointestinal motility and secretion result from suppression of neural activi...

Analysis of the available evidence indicates that diuretics do not increase coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality. The multiclinic trials supporting the cardiotoxicity hypothesis are few in number and flawed in design. The majority of the trials, including the well designed trials, indicate no excess of coronary heart disease (CHD) events in diuretic-treated patients compared with thos...

In October last year we published an article by John Abramson and colleagues that questioned the evidence behind new proposals to extend the routine use of statins to people at low risk of cardiovascular disease. Abramson and colleagues set out to reanalyse data from the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ (CTT) Collaboration. Their contention was that the benefits of statins in low risk people we...

Differentiating between complicating consequences of HIV infection and toxicities of drugs used in the management of HIV infection is challenging. However, the experience gained with combination antiretroviral (ARV) drugs has led to the recognition of several distinct adverse drug events. These include: • mitochondrial dysfunction (including lactic acidosis, hepatic toxicity, pancreatitis, and ...

BACKGROUND Patients with malignancy comprise a unique group for whom transfusions play an important role. Because the need for transfusions may span a long period of time, these patients may be at risk for more adverse events due to transfusion than other patient groups. METHODS A literature search on PubMed that included original studies and reviews was performed. The results were summarized...

interferon (ifn)-based therapy, the cornerstone for treatment of hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection, is generally considered to be the single most effective treatment strategy for this infection. although most adverse effects of ifn therapy respond very well to the cessation of this drug, there are reports of serious irreversible adverse effects. this review article evaluates the adverse effects...

This is a long-term, open label, observational study aimed to broaden our clinical experiences in managing infants and toddlers with epilepsy. The long-term retention rate and side effects of topiramate (TPM) in them were evaluated and compared with carbamazepine (CBZ). A total of 146 children were involved in the study (TPM=41, CBZ=105). The retention rates at 24 , 36, and 48 months were 46.3%...

BACKGROUND This study aimed to assess: 1) vaccine hesitancy (VH) prevalence among French general practitioners (GPs) through the frequency of their vaccine recommendations, and 2) the determinants of these recommendations. METHODS Cross-sectional observational study in 2014 nested in a national panel of 1712 randomly selected GPs in private practice in France. We constructed a score of self-r...

Sham transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) approaches are widely used in basic and clinical research to ensure that observed effects are due to the intended neural manipulation instead of being caused by various possible side effects. We here critically discuss several methodological aspects of sham TMS. Importantly, we propose to carefully distinguish between the placebo versus sensory side ...

PURPOSE The comorbidity of depression in patients with epilepsy is common and treatment is still controversial. This pilot study was aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of Xylaria nigripes for treating depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy during 12 weeks of treatment. METHODS A multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized superiority study was performed. A total ...