OBJECTIVE To determine if the addition of alternative therapy to conventional medicine enhances the treatment of pain in postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). METHODOLOGY A review of literature from 1988-1998 was conducted on the MEDLINE database, searching for information on the current treatment of PHN. The literature review found that although many medications have been used to reduce the pain of ...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to examine whether age-related differences in rates of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) specifically for mental health problems parallel well-known age-related differences in use of conventional mental health services and medications. METHODS A sample of middle-aged (45-64 years; n = 10,762), younger-old (65-74; n = 4,113) and older-old ...

background and objectives: the expanding field of psychopharmacology is constantly seeking new and improved drugs to treat psychiatric disorders. although psychotropic drugs have had a remarkable impact in psychiatry, their utilization, effectiveness, and side effects in the in clinical practice need continuous study. the present study was thus designed to analyze the pattern of psychotropic dr...

Taking medications during breastfeeding is common and physicians are usually asked about the safety of prescribed medicines, herbal medications, or tobacco and alcohol consumption during lactation. Safety of medications during breastfeeding is related to maternal factors, neonatal factors and the type of medication, In the case of necessity of taking medication for the mother, there are ways to...

METHODS Using a telephone survey of 434 women who self-reported having and 198 women, who denied having fibromyalgia (FM) (aged 18-80 years), we compared women on self-reported number, major types, and effectiveness of currently taken conventional medications and herbs/supplements. RESULTS Ninety-three percent of women with FM reported taking at least one medication (1855 total, 499 types, on...

OBJECTIVES Antipsychotic medications have been federally regulated since 1987, yet research suggests they continue to be used inappropriately to alleviate behavioral symptoms associated with dementia. In 2012, the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid launched a new initiative to reduce antipsychotic medication in nursing homes by 15% nationally. The aim of this study was to examine qualitative data...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Many patients recently discharged from an asthma admission do not fill discharge prescriptions. If unable to adhere to a discharge plan, patients with asthma are at risk for re-presentation to care. We sought to increase the proportion of patients discharged from an asthma admission in possession of their medications (meds in hand) from a baseline of 0% to >75%. METH...

BACKGROUND Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widely used in Germany, with some treatments eligible for health insurance reimbursements. CAM encourages patients to play an active role in their healing process. The belief that a person's own behavior influences health is assessed as the internal health locus of control (IHLOC). Studies on the association between IHLOC and CAM use yi...