Last Tuesday night, I was filled with the kind of bubbling anxiety that reminded me of the night before a big trip. I preferred thinking about it that way, as if I was heading off to a distant and unknown land and I needed to be prepared for the long journey ahead. I went to make the next day’s lunch and put together my breakfast so that all I would need to do was add almond milk and water to … [Read more...]
On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its latest Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) watch list, which comes out every quarter and identifies potential signs of serious risks or new safety information on drugs. Sixteen drugs turned up in the AERS database during the last three months of 2011, including milnacipran, or Savella, which is a drug used for managing … [Read more...]
In January of 2010, I met dystonia head-on for the first time. I was going to teach at a primary school, and I remember feeling a little out of sorts when I left the house the morning—sort of as if I had a migraine aura, but amplified. As I walking into the building, I remember a parent calling out to me, “Are you okay?” Her voice was less concerned and more accusatory. I think I waved her off … [Read more...]