I just ran across this warning from the FDA about how you should never buy Accutane online. As you may or may not know there are a lot of health issues and warnings related to Accutane. When I took Accutane for my acne years ago I had to get blood tests done before, during and after I got my Accutane prescription and as well there is a risk of birth defects if you are taking Accutane while you are pregnant.

Accutane is a potentially dangerous prescription medicine that should only be taken under the close supervision of your healthcare professional and pharmacist. If you are pregnant or may get pregnant, Accutane can cause birth defects, miscarriage, premature births, and death in babies. (Isotretinoin is sold under the brand name of Accutane and in generic versions called Amnesteem, Claravis, and Sotret.) Buying this product over the Internet bypasses important procedures to ensure that patients can take this drug safely. When these procedures are ignored, isotretinoin can cause serious and harmful side effects. Patients taking Accutane may experience side effects including bad headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, seizures, stroke, diarrhea, and muscle weakness. Additionally, serious mental health problems, such as depression and suicide, have been reported with Accutane use.

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1. You should NEVER buy Accutane  or any of the generic versions of Accutane without first seeing your healthcare professional.

2. You should NEVER take Accutane  or any of the generic versions of Accutane if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant or could accidentally become pregnant.

3. Some websites sell prescription drugs without a prescription.
This is illegal and DANGEROUS.

When you buy drugs over the Internet, especially from sites that don’t require a prescription, you may get counterfeit products, products with dangerous ingredients, products that don’t work, and products that were not labeled or shipped correctly.

Although Accutane kind of worked for me (after two cycles of it) I am still not a fan of cracked and bleeding lips and excessively dry skin. As you probably know I have reviewed a couple of alternative and very effective acne cures. First there is my review of an Acne Pill and there is also the review I did for an acne treatment book that teaches you a good diet and cleaning program.

Looking to make a change and lose some weight? I have reviewed the top diet on the internet and you can go and read over 200 comments people have made about why this diet has worked well for them, as well as some of the problems.

Tags: accutane, acne, Acne Treatment, acne treatments, birth defects, claravis, counterfeit products, depression, diarrhea, dizziness, fda, headaches, healthcare professional, isotretinoin, miscarriage, muscle weakness, nausea, pharmacist, premature births, seizures, stroke, vomiting

I was in a park field with the kids this afternoon and getting stung by mosquitos like they had never seen me before. This got me to wondering what the first symptoms of West Nile Virus would be.

After a bit of a search around I was able to find a great faq of info from the CDC on what and how to tell if you have West Nile Virus.

Q. What are the symptoms of West Nile virus (WNV) infection?
A. Infection with WNV can be asymptomtic (no symptoms), or can lead to West Nile fever or severe West Nile disease.

It is estimated that about 20% of people who become infected with WNV will develop West Nile fever. Symptoms include fever, headache, tiredness, and body aches, occasionally with a skin rash (on the trunk of the body) and swollen lymph glands. While the illness can be as short as a few days, even healthy people have reported being sick for several weeks.

The symptoms of severe disease (also called neuroinvasive disease, such as West Nile encephalitis or meningitis or West Nile poliomyelitis) include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis. It is estimated that approximately 1 in 150 persons infected with the West Nile virus will develop a more severe form of disease. Serious illness can occur in people of any age, however people over age 50 and some immunocompromised persons (for example, transplant patients) are at the highest risk for getting severely ill when infected with WNV.

Most people (about 4 out of 5) who are infected with West Nile virus will not develop any type of illness (an asymptomatic infection), however you cannot know ahead of time if you’ll get sick or not when infected.

Q. What is the incubation period in humans (i.e., time from infection to onset of disease symptoms) for West Nile disease?
A. Usually 2 to 15 days.

Q. How long do symptoms last?
A. Symptoms of West Nile fever will generally last a few days, although even some healthy people report having the illness last for several weeks. The symptoms of severe disease (encephalitis or meningitis) may last several weeks, although neurological effects may be permanent.

Q. What is meant by West Nile encephalitis, West Nile meningitis, West Nile poliomyelitis, “neuroinvasive disease” and West Nile fever?
A. The most severe type of disease due to a person being infected with West Nile virus is sometimes called “neuroinvasive disease,” because it affects a person’s nervous system. Specific types of neuroinvasive disease include: West Nile encephalitis, West Nile meningitis, West Nile meningoencephalitis and West Nile poliomyelitis. Encephalitis refers to an inflammation of the brain, meningitis is an inflammation of the membrane around the brain and the spinal cord, meningoencephalitis refers to inflammation of the brain and the membrane surrounding it, and poliomyelitis refers to an inflammation of the spinal cord.

West Nile Fever is another type of illness that can occur in people who become infected with the virus. It is characterized by fever, headache, tiredness, aches and sometimes rash. Although the illness can be as short as a few days, even healthy people have been sick for several weeks.

Q. If I have West Nile Fever, can it turn into West Nile encephalitis?
A. When someone is infected with West Nile virus (WNV) they will typically have one of three outcomes: No symptoms (most likely), West Nile fever (WNF in about 20% of people) or severe West Nile disease, such as meningitis or encephalitis (less than 1% of those who get infected). If you develop a high fever with severe headache, consult your health care provider.

West Nile fever is characterized by symptoms such as fever, body aches, headache and sometimes swollen lymph glands and rash. West Nile fever generally lasts only a few days, though in some cases symptoms have been reported to last longer, even up to several weeks. West Nile fever does not appear to cause any permanent health effects. There is no specific treatment for WNV infection. People with West Nile fever recover on their own, though symptoms can be relieved through various treatments (such as medication for headache and body aches, etc.).

Some people may develop a brief, WNF-like illness (early symptoms) before they develop more severe disease, though the percentage of patients in whom this occurs is not known.

Occasionally, an infected person may develop more severe disease such as “West Nile encephalitis,” “West Nile meningitis” or “West Nile meningoencephalitis.” Encephalitis refers to an inflammation of the brain, meningitis is an inflammation of the membrane around the brain and the spinal cord, and meningoencephalitis refers to inflammation of the brain and the membrane surrounding it. Although there is no treatment for WNV infection itself, the person with severe disease often needs to be hospitalized. Care may involve nursing IV fluids, respiratory support, and prevention of secondary infections.

Tags: A. Infection, aches, asymptomatic infection, coma, convulsions, disorientation, encephalitis, fever, headache, inflammation, meningitis, meningoencephalitis, muscle weakness, neuroinvasive disease, paralysis, Poliomyelitis, rash, secondary infections, skin rash, stupor, tiredness, tremors, West Nile disease, West Nile fever, WNV infection

The promise of a more youthful look was too tempting for 53-year-old Mary Schwallenberg to pass up. So, when the Food and Drug Administration approved a product that temporarily improves the appearance of frown lines between the eyebrows, the Orlando, Fla., resident took a shot at it. And it wasn’t long before she became one of many people clamoring for regular treatments that often include refreshments and friendly conversation, as well as injections.

Botulinum Toxin Type A (Botox Cosmetic) is a protein complex produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which contains the same toxin that causes food poisoning. When used in a medical setting as an injectable form of sterile, purified botulinum toxin, small doses block the release of a chemical called acetylcholine by nerve cells that signal muscle contraction. By selectively interfering with the underlying muscles’ ability to contract, existing frown lines are smoothed out and, in most cases, are nearly invisible in a week.

Botox injections are the fastest-growing cosmetic procedure in the industry, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). In 2001, more than 1.6 million people received injections, an increase of 46 percent over the previous year. More popular than breast enhancement surgery and a potential blockbuster, Botox is regarded by some as the ultimate fountain of youth.

Schwallenberg, a pharmaceutical sales representative who is excited about her next round of injections, says she wants to look her best for her job. “That’s corporate America for you,” she says. “I have a lot of energy and I just wanted to look good.”

Botox was first approved in 1989 to treat two eye muscle disorders–uncontrollable blinking (blepharospasm) and misaligned eyes (strabismus). In 2000, the toxin was approved to treat a neurological movement disorder that causes severe neck and shoulder contractions, known as cervical dystonia. As an unusual side effect of the eye disorder treatment, doctors observed that Botox softened the vertical frown (glabellar) lines between the eyebrows that tend to make people look tired, angry or displeased. But until this improvement was actually demonstrated in clinical studies, Allergan Inc., of Irvine, Calif., was prohibited from making this claim for the product.
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Tags: Allergan Inc., America, American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Botox, April, blepharospasm, board-certified plastic surgeon, botox, Botox Cosmetic, botulism, California, cervical dystonia, chemical called acetylcholine, dermatologic medical officer, Ella L. Toombs, energy, eye disorder, FDA's Division of Vaccines and Related Products Applications, FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors, Florida, flu syndrome, food and drug administration, headache, injection site, Irvine, Julianne Clifford, Mary Schwallenberg, movement disorder, muscle contraction, muscle disorders, muscle weakness, nausea, Orlando, pain, pharmaceutical sales representative, plastic surgery, poisoning, prescription product, president, qualified physician, respiratory infection, retail venues, scars, Scott A. Greenberg, skin surgery, strabismus, surgery, the eye disorder treatment, United States, vaccines, Winter Park