HR 2239 “Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders Research Enhancement Act of 2011” could increase funding for disease like Gastroparesis or Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
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Everyone out there who is dealing with a functional gastrointestinal and motility disorder(FGIMD) needs to listen up & get the word out to their friends, family & especially their local US district representative about H.R. 2239 the “Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders Research Enhancement Act of 2011“. The goal of the bill is to increase funding for functional & motility related gastrointestinal diseases. Continue reading “Please Support HR 2239 “Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders Research Enhancement Act of 2011”” »
Today we’re taking a look at Now Foods Artichoke Extract Capsules.
Artichoke extract is taken from the leaves of the artichoke plant. The leaves contain Cynarine which increases bile production from the liver & gall bladder. Bile is a bitter substance that is used in the lower digestive tract to help digest food, especially fats. Artichoke extract also contains luteolin & apigenin which are flavones. Luteolin looks to have some benefits as far as helping control the immune system & reducing inflammation. Apigenin benefits are sketchy at best, but it is a known inhibitor of the CYP2C9 enzyme which many pharmaceutical drugs rely on to work. So if you rely on one of these drugs, you might need to hold off on using artichoke extract despite the dosage of apigenin being small. Continue reading “Review: NOW Foods Artichoke Extract” »
In a 5-4 ruling today the Supreme Court ruled that generic drug manufactures can not be held liable for failing to properly warn about known adverse reactions to their generic versions of brand name drugs.
The ruling was prompted by a lawsuit from two women (Gladys Mensing and Julie Demahy) who developed tardive dyskinesia after taking a generic form of Reglan(metoclopramide). Tardive dyskinesia is a severe neurological disorder that causes degradation of motor skills & tremors. The symptoms are similar to those found in Parkinson’s Disease. Reglan is a motility drug that goes beyond the blood brain barrier & is used in the USA for treatment of things like Gastroparesis & acid reflux. While safer alternatives are available outside the USA, such as Domperidone, there aren’t really any viable alternatives in the USA besides the herbal Iberogast or Erythromycin(which has it’s own risks). Continue reading “Supreme Court’s Reglan Ruling Detrimental To Patient’s Rights” »
A recent study looked at the effectiveness of two offline therapies, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy & Stress Management Therapy, in an online setting.
The 195 participants in the study were assigned to either an online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy course or an online Stress Management Therapy course. Both courses lasted for 10-weeks. The courses consisted of self-help reading material along with course participants interacting with each other & a professional therapist via online messaging. Once the courses were done participants were questioned on their IBS symptoms, they were questioned again 6-months later.
The immediate results after either course suggested that both therapies provided “adequate relief”. However interviews 6-months later point towards Cognitive Behavioral Therapy having the beneficial edge at 67% reporting IBS symptom control, compared to 45% for those who took the Stress Management Therapy course. Continue reading “Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Can Be Effective for IBS” »
Advanced techniques in stem cell therapy may lead to new treatment options for those with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
MultiStem is a stem cell treatment therapy currently in development by Athersys in partnership with Pfzier. Athersys is currently targeting MultiStem as a treatment for a variety of illnesses such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease but also things like recovery from stroke, heart problems & transplant rejection. Multistem starts by harvesting stem cells from the bone marrow of a donor. Due to the technique that Athersys uses the donor does not have to be a tissue match for the recipient like in some other stem cell treatments. Supposedly it is also easy to mass produce MultiStem as a single donor can produce hundreds of thousands or even millions of doses. Continue reading “Novel Stem Cell Treatments For Inflammatory Bowel Disease” »
Those who develop Clostridium difficile along with their Inflammatory Bowel Disease may have a harder time treating it with Vancomycin.
A review study of 101 patients who had an Inflammatory Bowel Disease of one kind or another found that Clostridium difficile was more likely to occur in those treated with the antibiotic vancomycin compared to those treated with another antibiotic, metronidazole or a combination of both. Vancomycin goes by the brand name Vancocin while metronidazole is also known as Flagyl.
The review study showed a recurrence rate of almost 40%(39.4%) in those who took vancomycin compared to 14.5% in those who took metronidazole & 13.3% in those who took a combination of both. No obvious differences were found between patients & the vast majority(89%) were on immunosupressive drugs of some sort. Steroid use does seem to play a role as reinfection rates were approximately twice as high, 32% vs 15.7%, for those receiving a steroidal treatment. Continue reading “Clostridium difficile Recurrence Higher For IBD Patients Treated With Vancomycin” »
“Poo Burger” hoax video reminds us not to believe everything we see on the Internet.
Well it seems that some legit news websites are syndicating a story about a so called Japanese “poo burger”. A video that originated at LiveLeaks(WARNING VIDEO MY BE GROSS TO SOME) has a Japanese scientist named Mitsuyuki Ikeda from a fictitious Okayama Laboratory who has invented a “poo burger” from sewage waste. The concept is that bacteria within sewage waste can be processed & treated to create so called meat steaks. The video has Mr. Ikeda talking nonchalantly about his invention as well as demonstrating it’s virtues & even eating some of it. Continue reading “Japanese Poo Burger Story Leaves A Bad Taste Behind…” »
Plecanatide & Linaclotide are two drugs made by two different companies but both target Irritable Bowel Syndrome in a similar way.
Plecanatide is being developed by Synergy Pharmaceuticals while Linaclotide is being developed by Ironwood Pharmaceuticals. These drugs are targeted towards those with constipation predominant IBS with associated IBS related abdominal pain. Continue reading “Plecanatide & Linaclotide, Similar Experimental Treatments For IBS” »
Research led by Fang Yang at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center has uncovered some interesting information which could lead to new treatments for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases like Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis.
The researchers focused in on proteins that are secreted by the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG bacteria. This bacteria is commonly found in yogurts. The proteins they isolated were given generic names such as p75 & p40. Researchers narrowed their focus to protein ‘p40’. P40 was found to activate the epidermal growth factor receptor which is responsible for sustaining living cells & growing new ones. Activation of this receptor appears to have helped prevent both cell death & inflammation caused by weakening of the intestinal tracts “tight junctions” which prevent microbes & toxins escaping into the bloodstream. Continue reading “Yogurt Protein Could Be Helpful For Inflammatory Bowel Diseases” »
Canadian Researchers from the University of Toronto have narrowed down a key protein which may be partially to blame for triggering Crohn’s Disease.
The proteins in question are known as “nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain proteins” or NOD for short. The study looked specifically at the NOD2 gene which acts as a sort of “bacterial sensor” for the gut. It helps the immune system respond to threats by sending out signaling molecules(cytokines) which trigger an inflammatory response. The cytokines seen in this study are Interleukin(IL) 17 & IL-22. Interleukin 23 has also been linked to Crohn’s Disease. The research suggests that the NOD2 gene miscommunicates with IL-17 & IL-22 impeding the bodies ability to fight off bacterial infection. Continue reading “Immune System Proteins Key In Crohn’s Disease” »