Viagra aids sexual function in prostate cancer patients

It was only eight days ago that Medical Specialists Pharmacy explained in detail just how high blood pressure and obesity can contribute to an increased prostate cancer mortality. Prostate cancer is our feature again today with news that the potent erectile dysfunction medication Viagra can drastically improve sexual function in patients both prior to and after their radiation treatment.

Though prostate cancer itself is not linked to the inability to achieve and maintain an erection, the treatments that are available have been connected to male impotence. The three main types of therapy for patients are: Removal of the entire prostate gland by surgery, radiation therapy (external via an external-beam or radioactive seed implants) and hormone therapy. All three can contribute to impotence in a varying degree of severity.

Prostate cancer develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. It is the most common cancer diagnosed in men and each year in the UK there are 36,000 men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer. It was over two years ago that it was revealed that Sildenafil (Viagra’s active ingredient) may be used as a method of actually fighting the prostate cancer itself, but now research has been done which shows Viagra is massively beneficial in helping prostate cancer patients maintain healthy and happy sex lives.

The new research has been carried out by a team led by study lead author Dr Michael Zelefsky, vice chair for clinical research programs in the department of radiation oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering’s Cancer Center.

The team decided to analyse men suffering with prostate cancer that had not spread who had been treated by an external-beam radiation therapy and/or permanent implantation of radioactive seeds.
Over a six month time period, the participants were either given  a daily dose of 50mg of Viagra, or an ineffective placebo. Patients were asked to answer questionnaires prior to their initial radiation treatment, and again at six, 12 and 24 months after treatment. Questions were targeted as quizzing the men about any possible erectile function, intercourse satisfaction, orgasmic function, sexual desire and overall sexual satisfaction.

Dr Zelefsky commented on the findings of the study, saying: “Men who received the drug showed significantly improved overall sexual function, including improved erectile function. Results like this are important because they demonstrate that drug therapy used before and after radiation treatment may lessen the risk of impotence, a common side effect of radiation therapy. Future studies will be needed to further define the drug’s role and the optimal duration to prevent loss of sexual function after treatment.”

If you are suffering from erectile dysfunction, you do not have to suffer alone and in silence any longer. Medical Specialists Pharmacy offer a wide range of treatments for this condition and back in August  we ran a comparison of Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. This will hopefully equip men with the knowledge they need to understand the differences between the medications.

Viagra and other medications for male impotence such as Cialis or Levitra are obtainable with or without a prescription. If you do not have a prescription, you can undergo a private and confidential online consultation with one of our Doctors and if suitable, they will write you a prescription. This is passed to our in-house Pharmacists, and dispensed and dispatched to you at your home, your place of work, or where ever you choose, discreetly within 24 hours.

Lumigan eye drops could be used to combat hair loss

In the UK there are millions of men and women who are affected by hair loss. Although Male-pattern baldness is more common than female-pattern baldness, (affecting around half of all men at some point in their life), it can be a deeply stressing condition for both sexes and can often severely damage confidence and even impact on one’s social life.

However, there are numerous treatment options available to these millions of people in the form of Propecia and Regaine for males, and Dianette, Florisene  and Regaine for females. Today though, there is more hope for men and women around the UK who are losing their hair, after new research found that a side effect of the active ingredient in the eye drops ‘Lumigan’ may be utilised to create hair growth on the scalp.

Lumigan contains an active ingredient called ‘bimatoprost’, a type of medicine that is known as a prostaglandin analogue. Lumigan is usually prescribed for patients with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma where there is increased pressure inside the eye. The bimatoprost works by decreasing the pressure inside the eye by increasing the drainage of fluid from the eye into the blood stream. If the pressure is not reduced then there is a great risk of damage to the optic nerve and then impaired vision.

One peculiar side effect though of the eye drops is the fact it can stimulate the growth of eyelashes, and now preliminary trials have already begun to see if bimatoprost can reverse the onset of male and female pattern baldness.

Lead scientist Professor Valerie Randall, from the University of Bradford, is a consultant to Allergan Inc which manufactures Lumigan. She says: “Bimatoprost is known to stimulate eyelash growth and is already used clinically for this purpose. We wanted to see whether it would have the same effect on scalp hair, as the two types of follicle are very different. Our findings show that bimatoprost does stimulate growth in human scalp hair follicles and therefore could offer a new approach for treating hair loss disorders.”

Androgenic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss in both men and women, and can strike in varying severity. The culprit for the occurrence of thinning hair is connected to hormones named ‘androgens’ and in particularly; dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This powerful hormone stimulates facial and bodily hair growth but has adverse effects on hair located on the head. It is believed that DHT initiates a process by which hair follicles begin to deteriorate over time and eventually stop producing hair entirely.

The promising aspect of the latest research is that it has been discovered that bimatoprost works on a quite different receptor that is unrelated to androgens. Prof Randall continued: “Even if the androgen receptor is telling the hair follicle to do negative things, the drug is telling it to do positive things.”
Bimatoprost has been applied to the living scalp tissue provided from donors undergoing cosmetic surgery. In merely a nine-day period, it was found that follicles that had been treated with bimatoprost grew a third more hair than untreated samples.

In addition, researchers discovered that follicles in a person’s scalp contain the same kind of receptors that respond to bimatoprost that are also in eyelash follicles. Prof Randall explained what this could mean for those who are losing their hair, saying: “This means that so long as the drug can be applied in such a way that it can reach the follicle, it should stimulate hair growth in patients.”

All that awaits now is the result of six-month long Phase II clinical trials, which are currently underway in the U.S. and Germany. The trials comprise of 220 men with male-pattern baldness and 172 women with female pattern baldness.  Comparisons will now be analysed, with some patients being administered a solution of bimatoprost on the scalp, some patients will be given an ineffective placebo, whereas others will be using the highly effective Minoxidil, the active ingredient contained in Regaine Foam and Regaine Lotion.

Virtual smoking apps are heavily criticised for influencing teenagers

Advertising cigarettes isn’t an easy game for manufacturers. In fact it is actually illegal within the UK and many other countries around the world. The Tobacco Advertising & Promotion Act 2002 was enforced in November of that year in the UK, and most cigarette advertising came to an abrupt end on 14th February 2003. This included all billboards and printed publications. By July of 2005 came a slow ‘phasing out’ period for other methods of promotion, (e.g. direct mail and sponsorship) and most advertising is now banned on the internet with regards to cigarettes.

Following the legislation, manufacturers instead focused their efforts on using the actual cigarette packet as a weapon in their marketing efforts as well as relying on the display of their products in shops and supermarkets to attract the eye of customers and bring in sales.

Unfortunately though for cigarette companies, The Health Act 2009 was then introduced by the government and as a result, from 6 April 2012, tobacco displays at the point of sale were banned across England in supermarkets and will also be banned in smaller shops from 6 April 2015.
Despite all this, it has not stopped the creators of smartphone apps from conjuring up slightly naughty and free-to-obtain pro-smoking apps that researchers now warn could influence youngsters into lighting up. This is on top of an ever-growing number of films that are depicting their stars with cigarettes and also risk encouraging kids to smoke, which we reported back in July.

The latest warnings come from researchers led by Nasser BinDhim at the University of Sydney’s School of Public Health in Sydney, Australia. The authors comment: “These apps could also easily attract teens and children due to their high-quality graphics and availability under the ‘Game’ and ‘Entertainment’ categories in the app stores. Pro-smoking apps that show that smoking is ‘cool’ in a cartoon game, and provide a chance to explore the available cigarette brands and even simulate the smoking experience with high-quality, free apps could potentially increase teens’ risk of smoking initiation.”

The study authors conducted their study by browsing around the popular Apple App store and Android Market. Keywords searched included ‘cigarette’, ‘smoke’, ‘smoking’, ‘cigar’ and ‘tobacco’. To their amazement, they found 107 apps that they argue encourage people to smoke and also breach advertising bans and promotion of tobacco products.

Their research has recently been published in the Tobacco Control medical journal. In particularly, the most popular apps were for smoking simulation. In total, there were 42 smoking-related apps discovered on the Android Market, which had been accessed more than 11 million times. On the Apple App Store, 65 apps were available for download.

One particular app that caused shock for researchers was a cartoon game called ‘Puff Pass’. In that game, users have to click on the characters that then begin to smoke and subsequently pass the cigarette on to other characters in the game.

The apps were first discovered back in February of this year and were available to download under the retail categories health and fitness, entertainment and games and lifestyle.

Cancer Society national tobacco control adviser Skye Kimura hit out at the tobacco companies attempting to manipulate young minds, saying: “More young people are using smartphones regardless of their demographic or economic makeup…So really it’s just about the industry manipulating the youth market again and finding ways to get around our legislation and the loopholes to advertise the products.”

Tenth baby dies as the whooping cough outbreak continues

Figures released by The Health Protection Agency (HPA) have confirmed that a tenth baby has tragically died from whooping cough in 2012, in what is the worst outbreak of the infectious disease for decades. Health officials are now panicking that the outbreak will continue to get much worse and are predicting the death toll to go up.

Whooping cough is also known by its medical name of ‘pertussis’ because it is originates from the species of bacteria – Bordetella pertussis. It is a highly infectious bacterial disease that can easily spread when an infected person coughs and emits the bacteria into the air. This bacterium is then breathed in by another person and then sabotages the lungs and airways, with symptoms of whooping cough usually taking about six to 20 days to appear after infection.

Early symptoms are less severe and not too dissimilar to that of the common cold. They include a runny or blocked nose, sneezing, sore throat and a slightly raised temperature. Within a fortnight, the second stage of whooping cough then develops and the ‘Paroxysmal symptoms’ strike. These include very severe bouts of coughing that may bring up phlegm, vomiting following a coughing fit (especially in babies and young children) and redness in the face from the intense coughing. Coughing is commonly experienced in short bursts followed by desperate gasps for air (a ‘whooping’ noise).

Major problems arise in regards to whooping cough as babies cannot receive the vaccine for it until they are at least two months old, with following jabs at three and four months of age.  Across England in 2012 alone, there have been ten infants under the age of three months old to have died because of whooping cough. The latest death occurred in September according to the HPA statistics, with there being 6,121 confirmed cases in England and Wales since the start of the year. This is five times the number of 2011 and has led to health officials offering pregnant women a vaccine in the latter stages of her pregnancy in the hope that antibodies will get to the unborn child.  The aim is to provide protection until a vaccine can be administered when the baby is born and a few months old.
This preventive measure will not come into effect for several months yet though, and pregnant women are being warned to keep their new-borns far away from anybody who is suffering with whooping cough, regardless of age.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the Health Protection Agency, said: “We have been very concerned about the continuing increase in whooping cough cases and related deaths and welcome the urgent action recently taken by the Department of Health to introduce a vaccine for pregnant women. The introduction of a vaccine for pregnant women will not have an immediate impact on serious infection in infants so vigilance remains important. Working with the Department of Health we will continue to regularly monitor figures to evaluate the success of the programme. All parents should ensure their children are vaccinated against whooping cough on time, even babies of women who’ve had the vaccine in pregnancy – this is to continue their baby’s protection through childhood. Parents should also be alert to the signs and symptoms of whooping cough – which include severe coughing fits accompanied by the characteristic ‘whoop’ sound in young children but as a prolonged cough in older children or adults. It is also advisable to keep babies away from older siblings or adults who have the infection.”

If you have any of the symptoms of whooping cough, you must go to see your GP immediately and he/she can prescribe a course of antibiotics if the condition is diagnosed within the first few weeks of infection. These can prevent you from being infectious after around five days on the treatment. Any time after a few weeks and your doctor will probably not prescribe any antibiotics as the bacterium will have probably already passed. As babies are most affected by whooping cough, a baby under the age of one year will more than likely be admitted into hospital for treatment and treated in insolation to stop the spread of the condition to other people.

Fungal meningitis death toll reaches 24 in the U.S.

An outbreak of fungal meningitis has erupted in the U.S. and has already claimed 24 lives according to a statement released on Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The latest death occurred in the state of Indiana after the victim had received a contaminated steroid injection to treat their back pain. The CDC said it had confirmed cases of fungal infection in 317 people, and meningitis in 54.

This total of 317 is mainly comprised of patients who received methylprednisolone acetate steroid injections for their back pain, but five of the cases stem from peripheral joint infections from people who received injections in other areas such as the elbow, hip, knee and shoulder. So far, there have been no fatalities connected to peripheral joint infections.

All but two of the meningitis cases were the result of Exserohilum rostratum- a dematiaceous fungus that has been recognised as a human pathogen, with the most common infections being sinusitis and skin infections, keratitis (eye inflammation), subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis, endocarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart), and osteomyelitis (bone infection).

The Exserohilum fungus has been discovered within unopened vials of steroids from New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass., and the pharmacy has subsequently been shut down and had its license permanently revoked.  Health officials also say that they found dirty conditions at the premises; dirty floor mats, a leaky boiler and black fungus specs in steroid vials were just a few of the discoveries. In the other two cases of meningitis, one patient was stricken with a fungus known as Aspergillus fumigatus, and the second to Cladosporium. Both fungi had never previously been established as having a direct link to meningitis.

Fungal meningitis may not be familiar with many people as it is a rare condition. It usually occurs after a fungus travels through blood to the spinal cord. Anyone can develop the disease but those with weak immune systems are more susceptible. Symptoms include fever, stiff neck, headache, nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light and even stroke or death. Fortunately, the condition is not contagious. Several types of fungus can cause fungal meningitis but one of the main types if Candida albicans – a yeast-like fungus that is responsible for thrush and usually treated with Canesten Oral and Cream Duo.

The Food and Drug Administration has now requested that health care providers contact all patients who could have received any products from the New England Compounding Center. Since May 21, almost 1,300 sites in the U.S. have purchased products from the facility.

There is some positive news though in the form of the CDC’s latest guidance. They say that the greatest risk for developing fungal meningitis is in the first 42 days (six weeks) after injection. After this time frame, doctors and patients still need to be vigilant but can worry a little less than previously.

All fungal infections need to be treated as soon possible, before they get out of hand and develop into something a lot more serious. Fortunately, Medical Specialists Pharmacy has numerous products for fungal infections such as: Daktarin 2% cream (for athlete’s foot), Curanail 5% nail lacquer (for nail infections), Diflucan (for thrush) and the previously mentioned Canesten Oral and Cream Duo (also for thrush). We are constantly adding products to our massive range of prescription medications and chemist shop items, so make sure to regularly check the Medical Specialists website for the latest products and exciting offers.

New food labelling system planned to tackle rising obesity

A brand new universal food labelling system will be implemented in the near future on all food items across supermarkets in the UK. Although the exact date of introduction and final design has yet to be chosen, it is hoped that the new widely accepted system will finally banish any confusion for consumers regarding how healthy a particular product is.

Health minister Anna Soubry confirmed that that the new labels will include information on guideline daily amounts (GDA), in addition to the colour-coded traffic light system which also depicts levels of fat, saturated fat, salt, sugar and calories in terms of ‘high’, ‘medium’ or ‘low’.

Ms Soubry spoke out on the need for a nationwide food labelling system, saying: “The UK already has the largest number of products with front of pack labels in Europe but research has shown that consumers get confused by the wide variety of labels used. By having a consistent system we will all be able to see at a glance what is in our food. This will help us all choose healthier options and control our calorie intake. Obesity and poor diet cost the NHS billions of pounds every year. Making small changes to our diet can have a big impact on our health and could stop us getting serious illnesses, such as heart disease, later in life.”

The traffic light system works by having a postage-stamp sized sticker that states the percentage of a person’s recommended daily allowance contained in each product – red for high, amber for medium and green for low.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) first considered this approach back in 2006 after feedback from consumers suggested that they preferred this method of food labelling. Major supermarkets however such as Tesco, Morrison’s and Kellogg’s fiercely objected to this. They were angered at being told what to put on their food products as well as realising that a damaging red sticker on food products could look bad and effect sales and revenue.

Despite this negativity from those three companies, traffic lights were voluntarily implemented by certain big players in the food industry such as Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Waitrose. Judith Batchelar, director of Sainsbury’s brand, recalls the time when the company embraced the scheme, saying: “It was back in 2004 and I think it is fair to say that Sainsbury’s had lost a little bit of its sparkle. We were really up for driving change within the organisation. What we found with traffic lights was exactly that.”

The new kind of food label is estimated to be in use by summer 2013, with work now being done to create a certain design that will satisfy everybody.

Peter Hollins, chief executive at the British Heart Foundation, spoke of his excitement regarding the latest announcement, raving it was a ‘quantum leap’ forward for public health. He said: “It’s now down to each and every retailer and manufacturer to step up and introduce these consistent front of pack food labels, including traffic light colours, so shoppers can make healthy food choices at a glance.”

The announcement for clearer food labels is fantastic news and they cannot come quick enough after Medical Specialists reported one week ago about rising obesity across Europe. In the meantime, we have weight loss treatments such as Xenical and the recently introduced XLS-Medical Fat Binder, which can help you drop the additional pounds that poor food labelling may have contributed to! XLS-Medical can even be purchased today without the need for a prescription. You can read more about both treatments from the obesity section of the Medical Specialists website.

Ex-Blue Peter presenter Zoe Salmon speaks on her 13-year fight with IBS

If you are suffering from the pain and discomfort caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you are not alone. All across the the UK, there are 12 million more people who are being caused misery by the inconvenient and sometimes distressing stomach condition. The most commonly experienced symptoms for sufferers include stomach cramps, bloating and diarrhoea or constipation, or sometimes even alternating bouts of both to varying severity. Every case of IBS can be different, but all cases are certainly bothersome for the person who has it and Medical Specialists Pharmacy is doing everything possible to help the millions who are suffering.

This is why we recently introduced the revolutionary non-dairy, gluten-free probiotic ‘Symprove’; a scientific revelation of a drink that contains billions of live bacteria than get to work immediately upon entering the body and are not destroyed during the digestion process like other probiotics.
Perhaps somebody could come forth and recommend Symprove to the former Blue Peter presenter and Dancing on Ice contestant Zoe Salmon. The 32-year old TV star has this week spoke of her agonising 13-year battle against IBS, documenting her struggles over the years and what foods she now has to avoid in order to prevent a possible outbreak of symptoms.

She says: “I was 19 and working as a shop assistant when I had my first attack and started to feel really unwell. My vision started to go blurry and I felt as if I was going to faint. My heart started to beat quickly and my whole body began to shake. Then I broke out in a sweat and I was hit by this awful wave of nausea. The pain was so severe it literally took my breath away. Since then I’ve had increasingly severe symptoms, including stomach cramps, headaches, nausea and sickness every six months or so. One area that is always uncomfortable is my stomach, which feels bloated nearly every day. I actually look pregnant because my belly hangs over my jeans. It made me feel self-conscious in front of boyfriends. I went to see my GP and was told it sounded like I could be allergic to monosodium glutamate. I was referred to a consultant gastroenterologist and they said it sounded like I had a wheat and sugar intolerance. To hear that was terrible because I have such a sweet tooth. But it made sense as my first attack at work had come after I’d had a sugary drink and chocolate. So the consultant told me to cut sugar out of my diet and to stop eating wheat. Now that I’ve cut them out, I feel better. I avoid the culprit foods, such as bread, pasta, white rice, crackers, biscuits and alcohol, so eat lots of fish, chicken and vegetables. I am not saying I am the healthiest person. I still like my takeaways, and my sweet tooth will never really go.”

Dr Ray Shidrawi, a gastroenterologist at The Wellington Hospital in North London, heard about Zoe’s comments and gave his thoughts on her struggles. He says over a fifth of us have experienced IBS at one time or another. He commented: “Zoe is not alone in suffering from IBS. In fact it is a very common condition. Classic symptoms include bloating, ­constipation or diarrhoea or alternating instances of both. Invariably, we find IBS is stress-related and stress therapy is an important part of the treatment. But first we need to exclude other conditions including infections, so we often ask for a blood test and a sigmoidoscopy, which is a minimally invasive examination using a thin tube attached to a small camera and light that is ­inserted into the rectum to examine the bowel. Essentially, a person with IBS has a bowel but it is more sensitive than usual. The priority is to regulate the bowel and not get bunged up. So initially that means a balance of dietary changes to introduce more fibre and it will often mean using laxatives, too. We often find that IBS sufferers have an ­undertone of depression, so often a psychologist can help a patient enormously. We can also use some drugs to help modulate the gut but this is a last resort.”

Zoe Salmon is not the only celebrity though who is suffering from IBS, or has suffered with it at some point. There are many other people in the spotlight who have also had the common symptoms of IBS, and shows celebrities are just like the rest of us and not ‘superhuman’. They include:

. Tyra Banks (U.S. model and talk show host)

Tyra Banks surprised her audience back in 2006 when she revealed to her guest Janet Jackson that she has IBS, admitting she is ‘very gassy’.

. Jenny McCarthy (U.S. model and actress)

Jim Carrey’s former girlfriend Jenny McCarthy brazenly admitted to suffering with ‘chronic diarrhoea’ and various other IBS symptoms within her autobiography Jen-X: Jenny McCarthy’s Open Book.

. John F. Kennedy (Former U.S. president)

A 2002 review of the former President’s medical records, found an interesting revelation; it appeared he had suffered with bowel complaints and suspected IBS. Kennedy was prescribed antidiarrheal drugs to provide relief, as well as being administered testosterone to help his weight and strength.

. Camille Grammer (Former wife of actor Kelsey Grammer)

The Real Housewives of Beverley Hills star is often vocal about her battle with IBS, first developing the stomach condition in 1997. Whilst still married to Kelsey, she explained about her problems, saying: “I am always fearful that my IBS symptoms will return at any moment, so I always have to know where the nearest restroom is. I’m afraid that eating will result in stomach pain. Travelling is difficult. And IBS often makes even a simple evening out with my husband, to enjoy a concert or movie, seem impossible.”

The fact there are famous faces who have spoken out on their gut problems shows that these kinds of issues are indeed very common and certainly nothing to be ashamed about. If you are experiencing any kind of stomach complaint, it is vital you consult your GP immediately, who will then ask you detailed questions and refer you for further scans if necessary.

If it is IBS you have, then this can be treated with a wide range of effective medications such as Mebeverine and Buscopan IBS relief. In addition, the medication Lansoprazole can help with acid reflux problems that cause heartburn and complications with swallowing. All of these medicines are available at low prices from the ‘Stomach and Bowel’ section of the Medical Specialists Pharmacy website in addition to the new wonder treatment for IBS – Symprove. The 500ml mango and passion fruit flavour of Symprove can be purchased today without a prescription from Medical Specialists, priced just £19.93.