Tuesday-Newsday #135

Time for Tuesday-Newsday! The Featured Blog Posts this week are “10 Strategies to Combat Patient Burnout”, “Pissed off? Now what? On Anger and Advocacy”,  and “’But You Look So Good’…A Choice to Live Transparently.”

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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*MEDICATION NEWS

ALERT: Pharmacists Report Delays in Getting Opioids

ALERT: Crack down on pain killers forcing shortage at pharmacies

Synthetic Pot Tied to Surge of Emergency Cases

Marijuana poisoning on the rise in pets

Patients Suffering from Chronic Pain Should Question Certain Tests, Treatments

Not all FDA-approved drugs get same level of testing: Evidence behind some drugs & devices often has major limitations

FDA Cracks Down on Illegitimate Online Pharmacies

Waiting Worthwhile When Gauging Transforaminal epidural steroid injection TFESI’s Effectiveness

New Medical Device That Could Change the Course of Medicine as We Know It, Allows for Vaporization of Medicines Directly into the Lungs

FDA halts drug imports from India's Ranbaxy plant

*CHRONIC PAIN NEWS

Are you still exercising, even with chronic pain, illness or injury?

Laughter Relieves Pain; Sleep Clears Mental Clutter

Brain Uses Serotonin to Perpetuate Chronic Pain Signals in Local Nerves

Innate channel identified that protects against pain

Training your brain using neurofeedback

*RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Persistent early rheumatoid arthritis disease activity 'linked to worse outcomes'

Side Effects of Methotrexate May Hit Before Tx Even Starts

J&J petitions FDA to require "similar" names for biosimilars, biologics

GHLF Submits Letter to FDA Requesting Distinguishable Names for Biosimilars

Decline in Rates of Joint Surgery May Be Due to Better Disease Control

Women with RA and a Certain Antibody at Risk of Earlier Death: A new study highlights the importance of early, aggressive treatment

Breastfeeding Lowers Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Surgical Infection Rate Higher with RA Drugs

Shoulder Replacement Eases Pain, Improves Motion in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Rheumatoid Arthritis Research Shows Potential of Large-Scale Genetic Studies for Drug Discovery

Ultrasound Helps Guide Arthritis Treatment

When RA Makes Work Unworkable: For rheumatoid arthritis patients, keeping a job can be a challenge — or even impossible

Are Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Better Off?

Depression higher than previously reported in people with severe rheumatoid arthritis

RA Patients See Big Boost in Quality of Life: Dutch study found substantial drops in anxiety, depression and disability over 2 decades

Gut Bacteria Linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis

Study finds relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and weather conditions 

Mum who can't lean down to pick up baby warns: Catch arthritis early to save your joints

Christine’s top ten tips for living life with RA: Or how to live your life with arms wide open even if they ache

*FEATURED BLOG POSTS

10 Strategies to Combat Patient Burnout

by Martine Ehrenclou 

Pissed off? Now what? -- On Anger and Advocacy

by Advocacy Joe at Creaky Joints

“But You Look So Good”…A Choice to Live Transparently

by Laura Morris of Chronically Positive

Tuesday-Newsday #134

Time for Tuesday-Newsday! The Featured Blog Posts this week are “Survivor’s Guilt, Traumatic Events and Chronic Pain”, “Someone Like Me: Tips to Maintain Relationships,” and “How can I be a good friend if I have unpredictable chronic illness?”

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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*CHRONIC PAIN NEWS

Sensitivity to pain linked to differences in brain structure

Living with chronic pain through pain management psychotherapy

MRI Stimulator: Managing Pain

When the independent medical review is hardly independent

Rare Disease Day is coming up on February 28th: Find out more

Brain fog: Can’t Think Clearly? Blame Your Immune System

*MEDICATION NEWS

FDA Asks Doctors to Limit the Amount of Acetaminophen in Prescription Meds Because of Reports of Severe Liver Damage from Accidental Overdoses

‘Smart’ Hydrogels Could Treat Pain

Multiple medication use 'not always hazardous,' say researchers

Certain painkillers can intensify pain by causing a short-circuit in a molecular switch

Pain medication bill to protect New Jersey pain patients advances in legislature

Will Docs Write Rx for Apps?

As Compounding Law Passes, Split Views Persist

The Disturbing Side Effect Of Ambien, The No. 1 Prescription Sleep Aid

*OPINION: PATIENTS SPEAK ON CONTROL OF PAIN MEDICATION

Opioids: Friend, Foe or… Neither?

by Lene

Walgreens is Ruining My Life

by John McCampbell

Medication Jeopardy

by Carol Jay Levy

*PEDIATRIC PAIN

New Guideline on Opioid Withdrawal in Children

Developing safe and effective drugs to relieve chronic pain in kids

How to help kids handle pain and discomfort

Parents' attitude linked to kids' chronic pain

How to be a Teenager and Cope with Chronic Illness Offers coping skills for dealing with parents, friends and caregivers

For some young patients at Children’s National, pain is an all-too familiar companion

Chronic Illness and Education – Helping Teens Soar An inspiring look at how to help teens with chronic illness not only to survive but thrive in the school setting

Hospital offers hope for teens with mysterious, excruciating pain: Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome

Packard Children's care teams train brain to defeat pain of CRPS

Behavioral Therapy Might Ease Kids' Migraine Symptoms: Those trained to cope with pain report less disability a year later, study finds

Thalidomide May Help Kids With Crohn's Disease: Drug previously tied to birth defects helped induce remission in children with difficult-to-treat disease

SickKids Pain Squad app named "Best in the World"

*MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

FDA Rejects MS Drug Lemtrada

France Approves Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Based On Cannabis (Sativex)

Low Levels of Vitamin D Worsen MS

Clinical trial of vitamin' D for multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Study Fundraising Effort: Still Seeking Patients for Trial

TB Vaccine May Work Against Multiple Sclerosis: Study: More brain lesions seen in people who got dummy injection

Oxygen therapy: Fresh air relief for multiple sclerosis patients

Antioxidant Has Promise in MS

Study Shows Moderate Exercise Relieves MS Fatigue Symptoms And Improves Quality Of Life

Why Noise Can Be a Pain in Multiple Sclerosis

Cold As Well As Heat Aggravates Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms In Some Individuals

Contrast Agent Linked With Brain Abnormalities On MRI

Patients With MS May Be at Increased Risk of Developing Cancer

MS and Alcohol: Study Sheds New Light On Multiple Sclerosis Patients & Problem Drinking

MS patient to take part in pioneering experiment using stem cells

Major Advancements Made in 2013 Toward Treating and Understanding MS Reports National Multiple Sclerosis Society

*FEATURED BLOG POSTS

Survivor’s Guilt, Traumatic Events and Chronic Pain

by Cassandra Russom

Someone Like Me: Tips to Maintain Relationships

by Colleen Sullivan

AWAP Wednesday: How can I be a good friend if I have unpredictable chronic illness?

by Jenni Prokopy, Editrix at Chronic Babe

Tuesday-Newsday #133

Time for Tuesday-Newsday! The three Featured Blog Posts this week are “Counting Your Blessings: How Gratitude Improves Your Health”, “10 tips from 10 years sick”, and “Helping Others Understand 'Invisible' Illness: What's Enough But Not too Much?”

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!

====++++====++++====++++====++++====++++===

*CHRONIC PAIN NEWS

Differences in brain structure in patients with distinct sites of chronic pain

When pain therapies fail: Growing field of interventional pain management offers hope for patients when conventional therapies don't work

Sleep On It: Improving Sleep Even When You Hurt

Talking with Children About Your Pain: Practical Advice for Parenting with Pain

Parenting Through Chronic Physical Pain: Studies say that when parents are in pain, children suffer. I push my body as hard as I can

What Fibromyalgia Teaches Us About Chronic Pain

NASA’s Inflatable Treadmill Relieves Pain Of Working Out

Love in the Time of Chronic Illness: When should you disclose medical conditions to a date? When is illness too much for a relationship to survive?

*MEDICATION NEWS

ACLU Sues over Drug Testing Pain Patients: Sues in state of Indiana to challenge the constitutionality of mandatory testing

Feds Planning New Crackdown on Painkillers as Part of a Major Overhaul of Medicare Advantage and Part D Prescription Drug Programs

Painkiller study helps tackle national headache of legal drugs addiction

Scientists have discovered how salt acts as a key regulator for drugs used to treat a variety of brain diseases including chronic pain and depression

Half Of A Drug's Power Comes From Thinking It Will Work

*PATIENT NEWS

Five important questions every patient needs to ask about ANY treatment option

Drug shortages still have major impact on patient care

Unexpected diagnosis: Some medical tests may be harmful to your health

Doctor Visits Via Skype, Could This Be The Future Of Medicine?

What Yoga Can and Can't Do for You: Sure, it's a stress-buster, but it also helps with anxiety, depression, insomnia, back pain and other ills, experts say

*FEMALE PAIN CONDITIONS

Acupuncture Eases Endometriosis Pain - New Study

Pesticide exposure linked to increased endometriosis risk

March on Washington to raise awareness for endometriosis

Viagra Might Help Relieve Severe Menstrual Cramps

Uterine Fibroids Take Heavy Toll on Women, Survey Finds: But many delay seeing doctor for years because of concerns about treatments

Cleveland Clinic Voices Concerns Over Potential Cancer Risks of Fibroid Surgery

Interstitial Cystitis may be considered a chronic inflammatory disease

Urine Tests Don't Always Confirm Urinary Infections: Doctors can rely on symptoms to start treatment, experts say

Bladder pain syndrome is very painful, can take a long time to diagnose

New Ultrasound Device - PainShield® - Significantly Reduces Pain in Chronic Pelvic and Interstitial Cystitis Pain Patients

The invisible varicose veins that cause pain in your pelvis

Women’s pelvic pain often goes underreported, untreated

Woman Finds Relief from Chronic Pelvic Pain (CPP) after Nearly Two Decades

Comprehensive, Nonsurgical Treatment Improves Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Women

*PELVIC PAIN: MEN and WOMEN

Men With Pelvic Pain Find a Path to Treatment Blocked by a Gynecology Board

A Fix for Stress-Related Pelvic Pain for Men and Women

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome patients prone to fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue: Men with longer symptom duration show worse severity for most symptom measures

No link found between bacteria, chronic pelvic pain: Study author says possible connection with symptom flares needs investigation

*FEATURED BLOG POSTS

Counting Your Blessings: How Gratitude Improves Your Health

by Bruce Campbell of CFIDS & Fibromyalgia Self-Help

Note from me: I kept a gratitude album myself during the holidays for the very first time - see what I wrote about it HERE

10 tips from 10 years sick

by Toni Bernhard

Helping Others Understand 'Invisible' Illness: What's Enough But Not too Much?

by Deborah A Barrett

Tuesday-Newsday #132

Time for Tuesday-Newsday! The Featured Blog Posts this week are “6 Reasons the Chronically Ill Should Shun Making Resolutions,” “Raise Your Vibration By Changing One Word,” and “My brain says WORK but my body says REST. Now what?”

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!

====++++====++++====++++====++++====++++===

*CHRONIC PAIN NEWS

'Pain Free' After Surgery Is New Goal at More Hospitals

Torture permanently damages normal perception of pain

An Introduction to Trigger Points

Faced with a New Diagnosis?10 Tips to Be Your Own Best Advocate

Another Book About Pain, Only Much Better - A Nation in Pain: Healing Our Biggest Health Problem

*MEDICATION NEWS

Monthly appointments with pharmacists improve medication adherence

Plant Used in Chinese Medicine Helps Relieve Chronic Pain

Opiate Withdrawal (Outpatient): Slow and Steady Wins the Race: One patient gives her account of what side effects you may experience if you choose to detox

Opioid tolerance and pain hypersensitivity associated with mTOR activation

*FIBROMYALGIA

Antidepressants, Lyrica OK Combo in Fibromyalgia

More Evidence That Naltrexone Aids Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia Patients Take Drug ‘Off-Label’ to Help Them Sleep

FDA Postpones Public Meeting on Fibromyalgia

Second Study on Blood Test for FM

Neuropathology in Skin May Be Source of Fibromyalgia

New studies find causes of fibromyalgia, offer hope of relief

New research sheds light on mysterious fibromyalgia pain

New international fibromyalgia guidelines indicate shifting focus

Brain Scans Show Fibromyalgia Patients Process Pain Differently: Activity in certain regions suggests why they're less able to prepare for pain or respond to pain relief

Fibromyalgia understood: Sensitive receptors generate excessive pain

Why Fibromyalgia Pain Feels Different: Millions know how debilitating the condition can be, but getting the right diagnosis is still a challenge

High Rates of Celiac Disease in Fibromyalgia with IBS

Have you ever wanted to know what your doctor is currently taught about fibromyalgia?  Now you can

The Next Generation of Fibromyalgia Treatments

Survey Reveals #1 Fibromyalgia Symptom

Dreaming of a Good Night's Sleep?

Survey Finds Fibromyalgia Hurts Love Life

Should Morgan Freeman Speak Out About Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia Might Be Harder on Younger Patients, Study Finds: Research compared symptom severity, quality of life in various age groups

12 Reasons to Try a Better (and Wetter) Therapy for Fibromyalgia

*CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME / CFIDS / ME 

2013 - A Year We Will Never Forget:What a year this has been for the ME/CFS community

Prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome in youth is focus of Chicago-based study

The B-12/Folate ME/CFS/FM Crowdfund Trial Begins

Ginseng reduces chronic fatigue, study finds

Burmeister Calls for Approval of Ampligen

NJ Woman Felled by 'Devastating Disease Doctors Have Never Heard of': CFIDS / ME

Insurance Company Wrongfully Denies Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Sufferer

'I've got the bones of a 100-year-old because I’ve been in bed for seven YEARS': 22-year-old with severe ME could break a rib by just sitting up too fast

*FEATURED BLOG POSTS

6 Reasons the Chronically Ill Should Shun Making Resolutions

by Lisa Copen of Rest Ministries

Raise Your Vibration By Changing One Word

by Laura Morris of Chronically Positive

AWAP Wednesday: My brain says WORK but my body says REST. Now what?
by Jenni Prokopy of Chronic Babe