Tuesday-Newsday #86

It’s time for Tuesday-Newsday! The Featured Blog Post this week is the replay of a webinar from Invisible Illness Week, “Avoiding Destructive Relationships When Chronically Ill,” led by Leslie Vernick.

Let Me Know: If you’d like me to watch for articles on your pain condition, just drop me a note in the comments section below. 

WARNING:  My goal is to provide the most up-to-date news I can, which you can then take to your personal doctor and debate the merits of before you try it. I do not endorse any of the docs, treatments, info, and meds in anything I post nor can I guarantee they are all effective, especially not for everyone. As is the case with any health info, ALWAYS get your doctor's opinion first!

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* FDA and CDC ALERT: MENINGITIS OUTBREAK *

If you received a Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection between May 21 and September, by now you should have been notified if your clinic used any of the tainted steroids. Scroll to the end of this blog post for an updated list of what you need to know. I pray that none of you will be affected.

MENINGITIS UPDATE:

Current Count: 214 Cases, 15 Deaths

FDA Warns Other Drugs May Be Involved in Meningitis Outbreak

Ex-Workers at Firm Tied to Compounding Pharmacy Had Safety Fears

*MEDICATION NEWS

Compounding pharmacies -- heroes or outlaws?

Risk of Poisoning by Opioids Is Now Less Than It Is For Other Drugs

Clearer Prescription Drug Labels May Be on the Way: Safety-standards group wants to simplify confusing language that can lead to dosing mistakes

Don't need that drug refill? Here it is anyway: Some pharmacists at CVS drugstores are refilling prescriptions & submitting claims to insurers without patients' approval

See part two of this story HERE

New Yorkers accused of selling meds on Craigslist

*CHRONIC PAIN NEWS

How Mindfulness Can Help Your Brain Manage Pain

Chronic Pain May Lead to False Diagnosis of Clinical Depression

Blocking Neuropathic Pain Before It Starts

Advice: Some practical and unusual tips & tricks to help manage your pain

'I'm dying': Harrowing screams of a mother, 33, filmed by her family after doctors missed cancer THIRTY TIMES 

*NECK and SHOULDER PAIN

Botox Shows Promise Against Persistent Neck, Shoulder Pain

For Shoulder Block, Site May Not Matter for Patient Satisfaction

FDA Approves Product Study for Post-Stroke Shoulder Pain: Smartpatch Peripheral Nerve Stimulation 

*PEDIATRIC PAIN

Many Hospitalized Children Experience Severe Pain: Pain assessment should be integral part of treating kids, researchers say

Teachers turn clowns to ease pain of hospitalized children

Are you missing your child's pain?

Acupuncture can ease kids' pain

Massage: Using Touch Therapy to Care for the Dying Child

'Our little girl's "growing pains" were actually cancer'

*FEATURED BLOG POST

Avoiding Destructive Relationships When Chronically Ill

Webinar from Invisible Illness Week, led by Leslie Vernick

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What do you need to know if you had 
Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections 

between May 21 and September?

~* Not everyone who got steroid injections will develop fungal meningitis, which is not contagious to others, but is very dangerous to the affected patient.

~* Fungal infections can be slow to develop. Typically in this outbreak, symptoms have appeared 1 to 4 weeks following the tainted injection, but it’s important to know that longer and shorter periods of time have been reported. This means that even if you are not sick right now, look at the date you had your injection and realize that symptoms may not develop for several months. Please remain vigilant. 

~* Symptoms of the fungal meningitis include fever, new or worsening headache, sensitivity to light, nausea, chills, and stroke-like deficits (including slurred speech and unsteady gait). Be very watchful for any unusual symptoms. Inform your loved ones so they can help you watch for symptoms which you may not notice. 

~* If you need to be treated for fungal meningitis you will receive intravenous drugs in a hospital. Treatment can take weeks or months, and the drugs can have severe side effects which need to be closely monitored.