Doctors have been aware of this since February but the medication wasn’t pulled from the market until June to give doctors a chance to change their patients to alternative medications.

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Post from: Blisstree

Psoriasis Drug, Raptiva, Dropped In Canada

The concerns lie in the lack of proper labeling, certain ingredients, and lack of others. Both Maxum Matragen and Maxum Multi-Vite contain ginkgo biloba, green tea extracts and vanadium. At this point, the safety of these ingredients for pregnant women or nursing women isn’t known and there is no such labeling to that effect.

As well, the supplements don’t have enough iron or folic acid for pregnant or nursing women. These are essential for both baby and maternal health. Folic acid has been found to be very important in the baby’s development.

If you are pregnant or nursing and aren’t sure what type of vitamin supplement to take, speak with your doctor, midwife, and/or pharmacist for guidance.

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Image: Newscom.com

Post from: Blisstree

Health Canada Warns Against Supplement

What do you think about the possibility of your bag of chips, bottle of soda, and plate of store-bought cookies being bulked up with vitamins and minerals? Well in you’re in Canada, this could be coming to a store near you, considering what Health Canada is considering. However, according to articles I’ve been reading, the Health Minister, Leona Aglukkaq, has put the plans on hold pending further review. A smart move, perhaps?

It seems that some people feel that if people are missing the vitamins and minerals found in a balanced diet and they are going to eat junk food anyway, they might as well benefit from junk food that’s been juiced up with those missing vitamins and minerals. Of course, we’ll just ignore the fact that these same foods are high in fat and sugar, as well as other nasty stuff. So, if people eat fortified junk food, they may be people with hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes, but they’ll have all their vitamin requirements met.

Then again, this could be a good thing for Santa on Christmas eve. Mrs. Claus can’t object to Santa eating all those cookies left for him if they’re packed with good stuff too.

If you’d like to read the proposed policy, just go to the Food Fortification Proposed Policy, Q & A .

I’m still shaking my head…

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Images: Stock.xchng

Post from: Blisstree

Fortifying Junk Food With Vitamins???

According to a press release issued by the manufacturer, Schering-Plough, the once monthly injection – alone or in combination with another drug, methotrexate, proved helpful in five different trials and patients who had rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis found that, on average, their signs and symptoms had decreased.

Of course, this medication does have some side effects as all medications do, so doctors should be careful in prescribing golimumab. For example, patients with severe infections or who are allergic to latex shouldn’t take this mediation.

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Image: Newscom

Post from: Blisstree

Health Canada approves golimumab (Simponi)