Archive for May, 2010
AstraZeneca, one of the producers of the anti-psychotic drug Seroquel, recently agreed to pay a $520 million fine after admitting that they illegally marketed this drug. This makes them the fourth big drug company in the last three years to admit to and pay for committing a federal crime.
Their cost: millions of dollars in fees. Note: they made a profit of nearly $5 BILLION just last year! Our cost: unknown number of lives… nearly 30,000 civil lawsuits have been filed on this single drug!From the AstraZeneca site: the most common side effects in adults are drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, dizziness, increased appetite, upset stomach, weight gain, fatigue, disturbance in speech and language, and stuffy nose.
The side effect warnings continue: Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis (having lost touch with reality due to confusion and memory loss) treated with this type of medicine are at an increased risk of death, compared to placebo (sugar pill). Seroquel XR is not approved for treating these patients.
If this drug is not approved can someone please, please tell me why it’s being prescribed? My heart goes out to those who have put their lives into the hands of others who aren’t aware of the risks they are taking with innocent lives.
For further information on Seroquel I would highly recommend an article published on April 27, 2010 by the U.S. Department of Justice here: Seroquel Manufacturer Pays.
Be healthy, be informed and, most of all, be positive. Your thoughts can most certainly affect your body’s reaction to just about anything.
Comments are always appreciated.
It’s astonishing to me to read that Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) CEO William Weldon still doesn’t understand what the problem with Tylenol.
Beginning in 2008 they began to receive consumer complaints and even initiated recalls… five times! One recall is acceptable… a bad batch perhaps. Two recalls indicates (to me) that there is some kind of problem with quality control. But five recalls… the indications here could become quite catastrophic for Weldon…
Weldon told Fortune magazine, It’s really hard to understand, we’re looking into this right now.
While he is looking into the problem I would suggest that you look into your medicine cabinet. Recalled products can be found here: Tylenol Recalls.
Your Child with Autism, My Child with Autism, The World’s Children with Autism…
We don’t know what answers the world will bring tomorrow. We do know, however, that we need to prepare for tomorrow’s answers… today. And, those of us directly affected by autism need to prepare, in general, more than most. We are blessed with the job of helping those with different learning abilities. We are also blessed with the job of being pro-active about awareness!
Where does one start… as the teacher or the student…? It’s a dilemma that, for most of us, occurs simultaneously simply because the necessary tools haven’t been available. As our loved ones are getting older and the questions are getting harder the answers are becoming even more obsolete. (kind of like our finances… but that’s subject for another post!)
Introducing Autism Tomorrow! Tomorrow’s questions are being answered today! Questions I hadn’t even thought of are covered in Autism Tomorrow. In fact, this book is SO full of information that I think it could have just as easily been named Answers to Autism for all of Your Tomorrows!
Autism Tomorrow is for ALL of us. This book is FULL of the answers we ALL need in order to help those we love – for the rest of their lives!
Autism Tomorrow, by my friend Karen Simmons (founder and CEO of Autism Today) is the best resource to answer questions about the next step.
Autism Tomorrow : the help we need for ALL of our tomorrows… available TODAY!
Autism Tomorrow: Get YOUR copy today (I did)! This is a MUST HAVE book! FULL details below.
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When Autism came to reside in our house in 2001 I wanted to believe that our uninvited visitor was going to be a temporary “guest”. Now, nine years later, I have studied autism for well over 7,000 hours (I quit logging my hours in 2008) and I know that our guest has become a permanent fixture.
With this understanding I plead with you to join us in our outreach efforts to Reach, Teach and Inspire those with special abilities. People with autism contribute vastly to the world (Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Charles Schultz…) and will continue to change our world for the better. Isn’t it about time that we stood up in support? Your vote could help to change the world: because OUR world is THEIR world, too!
View Current Signatures – Sign the Petition
To: U.S. CongressPetition to declare May as Autism Tomorrow month because TOMORROW they’ll grow up.
As a parent, self-advocate, caregiver, or someone who’s passionate about autism advocacy, KEEN Foundation asks for your help to declare May the official Autism Tomorrow month!
By clicking below to “sign” this petition, you will support awareness and education of autism resources for millions of children on the spectrum who are rapidly growing into adulthood.
Some benefits of this official designation include:
- Support to help children on the spectrum transition from childhood to adulthood and thrive in the real world.
- Creation of a community of parents who will face the “new world” reality of having an adult child on the spectrum.
- Available resources for real life advice from adults on the spectrum and parents on employment, independent living, wills and trusts, sex and marriage and more.
- Answers to questions such as “Where do we go from here?” or “What do I need to do now to help my child prepare for adulthood?”
April’s designation of Autism Awareness month is helping people today, sign this petition to help our children TOMORROW!
Sincerely,
When you’ve got someone in your household on a gluten free diet, going out to eat is a real challenge… options generally include grilled chicken or fish, hamburger with no bun, rice and beans, fruits and vegetables and ice cream! The healthy choices are pretty limited…
Limited only if you haven’t visited Johnny Carino’s Italian restaurant! Here in Parker (9355 Crown Crest Blvd. Parker, CO 80138). I regularly visit my favorite spot with family and friends. One of my very favorite dishes is the Chicken Scaloppini with a side of artichokes. I also have them add their famous spicy marinara to the noodles… sooooooooooooooooooo good that my mouth waters just thinking about it!
Although I am not on a gluten free diet, my son is. This can be a real challenge when there simply are no options on the menu for him. Enter: Johnny Carino’s! Carino’s, in cooperation with the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), is providing many of the classic favorites to include Chicken Marsala, Lemon Rosemary Chicken, Jalapeño Garlic Tilapia and – my personal favorite – Chicken Scaloppini! Suggested substitutions for non-gluten items don’t cost extra and everyone is happy!
The signature Italian food at Carino’s is hard to beat and you may have your favorites, like me. I recently added a new favorite to my list last week – the Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad… Fresh spinach, gorgonzola, roma tomatoes, applewood smoked bacon, red onions, crispy onion straws. Served with warm bacon vinaigrette…
What a treat! This salad was enough for two complete meals so I enjoyed the second half of this wonderful meal the next day for lunch!
If you haven’t had some really good Italian food lately, stop by Johnny Carino’s Italian restaurant because My Carino’s should be Your Carino’s, too! Tell them Rhonda sent you and don’t forget to have a piece of the triple chocolate tiramisu for dessert! The pieces are big enough to share with a friend… but you many not want to!
According to a recent report from Food Consumer.org, the use of Tylenol could be a contributing factor in the increase of autism.
Author David Liu explains in his article titled Tylenol linked to autism that the use of Tylenol by pregnant mothers might actually increase their risk of delivering a child who will develop autism.
Another study on children using Tylenol after the MMR vaccination resulted in children having a much greater risk (6 times more likely) of developing autism. Since my own son – and countless additional children I have come to learn about – developed autism after the MMR I have to wonder if the use of Tylenol could have contributed or not.
What should a mother do when their child’s temperature is 105°? Are there alternative (safer) options?
A friend of mine from Canada shared this:
By far the best method to lower a high temperature within MINUTES is with the use of egg whites:
- Soak 2 cloths in egg whites and put bottom of the feet.
- Cover feet with socks.
- The egg whites instantaneously start to draw the temperature DOWN from the brain (where it is dangerous) to the feet (where it can do no damage).
- Chopped onion or chopped potato can be applied to feet instead, although egg whites are the fastest method.
Egg whites are also wonderful for minor and even some more severe burns. Soak or coat affected area in egg white. While the egg white is still wet you should not suffer from the pain. As the egg white dries you will need to reapply the egg white. The egg white also helps to prevent scarring from the burn.
For me and my family we rarely use Tylenol and / or any other pain medication. I have found that cinnamon oil, applied to your temple area, can reduce headaches and that adding a few drops of cinnamon oil to a warm bath can be extremely helpful in reducing overall aches and pain.
Tylenol or no Tylenol is a personal choice but, given the option to live and stay healthier, I think the answer is pretty clear: there are alternatives.
If you live in the Santa Clarity Valley area, you might want consider attending the Mayors Committee for Employment of Individuals with Disabilities Annual General Membership Meeting. (now, if that isn’t a mouthful!)
This meeting will be held from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 12 at the Activities Center located at 20850 Centre Pointe Parkway. You can read the full details and find the RSVP details her: http://tinyurl.com/2ecfc9g
If I lived lived closer I’d attend this meeting just to hear the message from keynote speaker, Tom Iland. Iland – a California State University Northridge graduate and a lead intern at Disney – also offers something special: Iland has Asperger’s Syndrome.
I know, first hand, that people with Asperger’s Syndrome tend to tell it like it is and – in their own unique way – they share vivid images that they alone can see with profound clarity.
If you go – and I hope you do – please share your thoughts and feelings on this meeting. I’d be more than happy to share the exciting news!
Autism and the Immune System call outline:
Every Tuesday from 10 – 10:30 a.m. MT I invite you to join us on this call. Conference in @ 218-339-4300, pin 799046#
Please join us with your questions.
May 4: Vaccinations, Part 1 –What are adjuvants?
- What are adjuvants? (Pronounced ad-jew-vents)
- What are adjuvants made of?
- What are the results of using adjuvants in our vaccinations?
I hope that YOU can join us for my weekly call! There will be plenty of Q & A time after my 15 – 20 presentation for you.