| My Turn: This drug leaves some bad heartburn
Come on, any drug is going to have side effects. The question is do really need it? Forty million Americans suffer from frequent heartburn, which makes the manufacturer Prilosec $6 billion a year. An estimate of only 1 in 100 who are on Prilosec need to be on it.
So what are the side effects in addition to broken bones? Depletions of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, potassium. Depletions of these minerals are involved in everything from heart beat to immune system. The listed side effects of Prilosec from Web MD are: abnormal heart rhythm, high blood pressure, incomplete or infrequent bowel movements, itching, drowsiness, dizzy, rash, head pain, thrush, chest pain, feel like throwing up, throwing up, heartburn, gas, diarrhea, feeling weak, acute infection of the nose, throat or sinus, hepatitis caused by drugs, urinary tract infection, bloody urine, elevation of proteins in the urine, abnormal liver function tests, low amount of sodium in the blood, acquired decrease of all cells in the blood, anemia, decreased blood platelets, decreased type of white blood cell eosinophils, backache, cough and there are others.
Strong Start for Axcan Pharma's Fiscal 2007, With Record Revenue ...
MONT-SAINT-HILAIRE, QUEBEC--(CCNMatthews - Feb. 8, 2007) - Axcan Pharma Inc. (TSX:AXP)(NASDAQ:AXCA) - today reported financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2007, ended December 31, 2006 (all amounts are stated in U.S. dollars). Highlights for the quarter include:
- Revenue of $78.8 million, an increase of 11.6% compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2006
- Diluted income per share for the first quarter of 2007 amounted to $0.34, compared to diluted income per share of $0.19 a year earlier, a 78.9% increase
- Revenue guidance for fiscal 2007 increased to $307- $312 million
"We are pleased to report very strong performance for this first quarter with double-digit revenue and income growth, led by our strong base business and solid prescription growth for all our key products in both North America and Europe," stated Frank Verwiel, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Axcan.
If You've Got GERD, Then Treat It With Low-Carb
Nothing proves the health benefits of livin' la vida low-carb better than real people sharing their own experiences following this amazing lifestyle change. That's exactly what I found in a syndicated health column featuring Joe and Teresa Graedon. Interestingly, I've blogged about the Graedon's before when another one of their readers told them how the low-carb lifestyle not only helped control his weight and blood sugar, but completely eliminated his heartburn. This latest letter featured someone who used to suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. He said the condition was so bad that it forced him to take Prilosec every single day. So he tried low-carb to combat it. "After three days, I realized that I had no heartburn, so I discontinued the Prilosec without ill effects," he exclaimed.
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