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December 19 Senate Passes Farm Bill
October 02 UPDATE ON SC WITCH TRIALS....There is a key piece of information that has not been disclosed at this point. In the warrant there is reference to Rhonda being a supporter of the Pagan Motor Cycle "gang". Rhonda was informed, after her release, who the group was. She had no idea they even existed.
October 2, 2007 - Tuesday
September 22 Witch Trial in 2007STATE VS. Please see below for Rhonda's public statement and documentation photos. Keep in mind that Rhonda does have her own supply store and makes everything by hand. Rhonda's son, Spencer, is currently being held in a juvenile jail. He should not be there. On Oct. 03, 2007 He will spend his 17TH birthday there. We are asking that we show our support for him and his family by sending him a birthday card. The address where he will recieve your support is: Spencer Richardson 1725 Shivers Rd. Coloumbia, SC 29212
September 18, 2007 - Tuesday
I can't go home unfortunately...The Luisetti family is looking for us so they can try to get us in more trouble for maybe saying we were harassing them again which would land us in jail again....I wish I could I miss my babies (animals). Spencer is also having to spend his b day in Juvie thanks to this. Very angry about this. Miss you though!
Posted by Wicked Lil Witch on September 21, 2007 - Friday at 11:33 PM http://www.bwitchedproducts.com/
July 03 There Will Be Fireworks In Several Grand Strand LocationsThere will be Fireworks at several locations. You can always carpool. Park in a central location, ask for a 7 passenger vehicle and split the cab fare 7 ways to anywhere, for example. Dwayne King will be on duty to help you get from point A- point B and back safely, if needed. Just give him a call. 843-446-8979 On the other hand if you would like to call the company please feel free! 843-222-2222 Have a safe and enjoyable Independence day! Posted on Fri, Jun. 29, 2007
Picnics, Parades & Pyrotechnics: It's time to celebrate July 4th!Make your choice for a fun-filled holidayList compiled by The Sun News staff
Concerts & celebrations
--- Independence Day Celebration Where | Coastal Federal Field, 21st Avenue North and Robert Grissom Parkway, Myrtle Beach. When | 5-9:30 p.m. Sunday More info | Call 918-6002. Free admission. The celebration will feature fireworks at dusk and live music by Andrew Thielen Big Band honoring WWII veterans. Concessions will be available, and picnics are welcome. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. --- Star Spangled Celebration Where | Broadway at the Beach, Myrtle Beach When | 10 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday through Wednesday More info | Call 386-4662. Free admission. Broadway will feature a week of fun with mascot and character appearances, a parade on Tuesday night, giveaways while supplies last, live music and shows, and fireworks on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. --- N.C. 4th of July Festival Where | Southport, N.C. When | Friday through Wednesday. More info | Times and prices vary for different events. www.ncfourthofjuly.com. Arts and crafts, food, veterans recognition, parades, live entertainment, fireworks and more will take place during the festival. Events will kick off Friday with a Twilight Concert Series at Middleton Park Soccer Field at 6 p.m. Other highlights include a parade on Wednesday at 11 a.m., beginning at Moore and Howe streets and a fireworks display Wednesday on the waterfront at 9 p.m. --- Summer Sizzler events Where | Loris Commerce Center, Loris. When | 6 p.m., Saturday More info | Call 756-6030. Free admission. Loris will celebrate the Fourth of July with its first Summer Sizzler event beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday. The festivities include local food vendors, concerts and children's activities. Fireworks will be at 9 p.m. or shortly after. Bring a chair. --- Summerfest Where | Barefoot Landing, 4898 U.S.17, North Myrtle Beach When | Throughout the summer More info | Call 272-8349. Free admission. Summerfest will feature fun events throughout the summer. Monday evening at 10:15 p.m., enjoy a fireworks display over the lake. --- Independence Day Celebration Where | Martin Field, Sixth Avenue South, Surfside Beach, When | Tuesday, 6-9 p.m. More info | Call 650-9548. Free admission. Surfside Beach will feature concessions, games, live music and family friendly entertainment throughout the day. No fireworks display is planned. --- Independence Music Blast at La Belle Amie Vineyard Where | The corner of S.C. 90 & St. Joseph Road When | Noon-6 p.m., July 7. More info | Admission is $8 for adults, under 18 and over 80 are free. 399-9463, www.labelleamie.com. Two live music acts will perform at La Belle Amie. Enjoy the tunes while sampling some food and wine. Admission includes vineyard access, parking, music vineyard tour, wine sampling and gift shop access.
Fireworks
--- Fourth of July Fireworks Where | Murrells Inlet When | 10-10:30 p.m., Wednesday More info | Call 357-2007. Free to view. Enjoy an annual display of patriotic colors over the waters of Murrells Inlet. --- July 4th Fireworks Where | Second Avenue Pier, Myrtle Beach When | 9:30 p.m., Wednesday More info | Call 918-1000. Free to view. Annual fireworks display gets bigger and more colorful each year. Weather permitting. --- Made in the Shade Concert Indigo Choral Society, and fireworks display Where | Georgetown When | Wednesday, 6 p.m. More info | Admission is free. The city of Georgetown will celebrate the Fourth of July with an annual event at the Kaminski House Museum. The Indigo Choral Society will perform patriotic favorites. A fireworks display conducted by the Georgetown City Fire Department will follow the concert. --- 4th of July Fireworks Where | Barefoot Landing, North Myrtle Beach When | 10:15-10:30 p.m., Wednesday More info | Free to view. Celebrate the Fourth of July at Barefoot Landing with a special fireworks display at 10:15 p.m., over the lake. --- 15th annual fireworks display at The Cherry Grove Fishing Pier Where | Adjacent to Prince Resort, at 3500 North Ocean Blvd., in the Cherry Grove section of North Myrtle Beach When | 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday. More info | Call 281-2662. Free to view. Patriotic music will be broadcast during the show on WNMB AM 900. From 6-9 p.m., Michael Twitty, son of country legend Conway Twitty, will perform in the pier parking lot. Food and drinks will also be available.
Parades
--- Ocean Isle Property Owners Association Fourth of July parade Where | Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. When | 10 a.m., Wednesday More info | Call 910-575-2770. Free to view. Participants are asked to meet in the Museum of Coastal Carolina parking lot at 9:30 a.m. No pre-registration is required and there is no entry fee. First-, second- and third-place trophies will be awarded for golf carts, floats, walkers and bicycles. Judging will be done five minutes before the parade begins. Patriotic favors and flags will be distributed to all participants. The parade route will begin at the museum's parking lot left on Second Street to LaGrange Street, right on LaGrange Street to First Street, right on First Street to Causeway Drive, right on Causeway Drive, right on Second Street and back to the museum. --- Murrells Inlet July 4th Boat Parade Where | Along the Murrells Inlet shoreline When | 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Wednesday More info | Call 651-5675. Free to view. Enjoy a fun-filled, patriotic parade of boats decorated with the theme, Inlet Freedom, Inlet Spirit. Line the Marshwalk or the wall at Belin Church to cheer on the boats. Trophies are awarded to the best-decorated boat and dock based on patriotism and originality incorporated into the theme. Pre-registration forms are available at Booty's Outdoor, Garden City Realty, Captain Dick's Marina and the Murrells Inlet 2007 office. Registration costs $5. Boaters can also register on the day of the parade with the Committee Boat from 10-11 a.m. --- 28th annual Calhoun Drive Fourth of July Golf Cart Parade Where | Garden City When | 3 p.m., Wednesday More info | Call 651-4046. Free to view. All entries into this golf carts only parade will begin lining up behind Willard's Fireworks on Calhoun Drive between 1 and 2:45 p.m. The parade starts at 3 p.m. Donations are welcome and go to Murrells Inlet Fire and Rescue and Horry County Police (COT division). --- Pawleys Island Fourth of July parade Where | South Causeway When | 10 a.m., Wednesday More info | 237-1698. Free to view. To enter a float in the parade, the fee is $15 in advance, or $20 the day of the parade. Entrants get a free T-shirt. Registration must be completed by 9:30 a.m. Wednesday and lineup on South Causeway begins at 9:30 a.m. All floats must be under 9 feet wide and ATVs, bicycles and golf carts are prohibited in the parade.
Other activities
--- July 4 Raffle at Franklin Square Gallery Where | 130 E. West St., Southport, N.C. When | Wednesday More info | $1 per ticket. Call 910-457-5450 or visit www.franklinsquaregallery.org. Artists at the Franklin Square Gallery have donated pottery and paintings to be raffled off Wednesday. Items are on display now, and proceeds will go to help purchase an elevator. Tickets are for sale at the gallery or from any Associated Artists member. Winners need not be present at the drawing and will be contacted by the association. © 2007 MyrtleBeachOnline.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.myrtlebeachonline.comJune 15 A Sense of Anxiety a Shirt Won't CoverA Sense of Anxiety a Shirt Won't Cover
Teen Boys Turning Towards Breast Reduction
 By ALEX KUCZYNSKI, The New York Times
On a recent afternoon, Dr. Michelle Copeland, a plastic surgeon whose offices face the Metropolitan Museum of Art, clicked her computer's mouse as images of young men's torsos flickered across the screen. Unlike the ancient Greek statues of Herakles or the bronze discus throwers in the newly renovated galleries across the street, the young men in Dr. Copeland's digital images were a bit different: Rather than bearing the broad, flat chests of Greek athletes, their pectoral areas assumed a fuller, more feminine shape.
The patients were found to have enlarged male breasts, a condition known as gynecomastia. While it is not a new disorder, more men are seeking treatment for it, and new statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons show that the majority are adolescent boys. In 2006, according to the group, nearly 14,000 boys age 13 to 19 underwent surgery to reduce the size of their breasts. That represents 70 percent of all the male patients who had such surgery last year, and an increase of 21 percent over the previous year for that age group. In a culture that increasingly encourages young boys to be body conscious, demand for chiseled torsos and sculpted pecs is rising, so much so that the number of boys ages 13 to 19 who had breast reduction surgery last year is equal to the total number of all men who had the procedure just two years earlier, in 2004. The foremost reason is the rise in obesity, according to several plastic surgeons who were interviewed. At the same time, there is a new willingness among pediatricians and plastic surgeons to surgically treat enlarged male breasts.
Often, enlarged breasts are simply part of adolescence, most commonly caused by the hormonal fluctuation of puberty, according to the National Institutes of Health. But in a society that values chiseled abs and Rafael Nadal biceps, adolescent boys are willing to resort to surgery to fix problems their bodies might resolve later on their own. David Zinczenko, the editor in chief of Men's Health, said that many of his magazine's readers are concerned about having enlarged breasts. "The sad thing is that it's a fairly common problem among young teenagers, which is usually resolved by the latter stages of the testosterone rush that finishes off adolescence," he wrote in an e-mail message. "But add some fat in there, and a cut-happy approach to body oddities, and you've got teens under the cosmetic knife." Dr. Roxanne Guy, a plastic surgeon in Melbourne, Fla., and the president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, said that the statistics don't pick up all the nuances of why the numbers have increased, but she was sure on one point. "It is certain that teenage obesity is a huge issue," she said. "And awareness of plastic surgical procedures is much greater than it used to be. I find that men in general, and particularly young men, find it acceptable to have cosmetic surgery." Adolescent boys also no longer have the patience to outgrow a little breast puffiness. "Boys these days are much more in tune with trying to look good, to try to look like the models on the covers of the fitness magazines," Dr. Guy said. "Be that good or bad, sometimes they can go overboard, and in this sense they are beginning to resemble teenage girls." The shame can be intense. One of Dr. Copeland's patients, now 17, had breast reduction surgery at 15. His problem was not one of obesity but of glandular overgrowth. He was given anonymity, after saying he was still too embarrassed to speak publicly about the issue. "I took my shirt off once, and a couple of kids laughed at me, and I never took my shirt off again," he said. His pediatrician was opposed to the surgery, but the young man, a student at a Manhattan private school, had the support of his parents. "It sounds cliché and kind of lame, but it just comes down to a point of embarrassment," he said. "You don't think you look like you should. If I was fat, I could have lost weight. If was weak, I could have exercised. But this was simply genetic, and there was nothing I could do about it." Indeed, the condition is a punch line in sitcoms and movies. In a now-famous episode of "Seinfeld," Kramer invented "the Bro," a bra for men with breast development. (Frank Costanza, Kramer's partner, wanted to call the garment "the Mansiere.") In the movie "Knocked Up," the actor Seth Rogen is referred to by the actress Leslie Mann as "the one with the man boobs." A British Web site, Manboobs.co.uk, welcomes readers with the slogan, "Welcome to Man Boobs. The site that says, ‘we're fat and we're proud,' and then quickly puts it T-shirt back on." And several Web sites, such as gc2compression.com and makemeheal.com, sell compression garments that purport to reduce the visibility of enlarged male breasts. Plastic surgeons in the United States suggested that the rise in popularity of professional golf may have also contributed to public awareness of gynecomastia; several prominent popular players have slightly enlarged chests. But in most adolescents who are not obese, the condition will resolve itself spontaneously as the boy progresses through adolescence and produces more testosterone, said Dr. Brenda Kohn, an associate professor of pediatrics who specializes in pediatric endocrinology at New York University School of Medicine. As such, she said, "It is very important that one not operate on a child who is still in puberty." If surgery is done too early, she said, the hormones that caused the initial breast enlargement may still be active and cause ongoing breast development after surgery. While gynecomastia in young men is most often associated with hormonal fluctuations or obesity, many surgeons are also beginning to link it with increased abuse of steroids. "They have hopped up their testosterone levels, and so when they get off the stuff, there is a change in the hormonal milieu," said Dr. Guy, the Florida plastic surgeon. "It can reset itself, but many times if they have abused steroids, you have to send them to an endocrinologist to address the problem." If that doesn't work, she said, they come back to her for surgery Surgeons who are referred a young patient by a pediatrician often will first call for a complete endocrinological workup to make sure that the breast enlargement isn't a transient hormonal fluctuation. Other causes include decreased testosterone production, kidney failure, testicular tumors and liver disease. The condition can be addressed with hormone treatments such as testosterone patches or even Tamoxifen, an estrogen-inhibiting drug that is best known for its use in the treatment of breast cancer in women. "You have to rule out any other cause before surgery," Dr. Copeland said. (This reporter was until four years ago a cosmetic surgery patient of Dr. Copeland.) The reduction procedure depends on the size and composition of the breast. Some surgeons simply use liposuction to remove fatty deposits. If the breasts are enlarged with not only fat but also extra glandular tissue, the surgeon must remove the fat and excise the glandular tissue. Occasionally, in extreme cases, a surgeon must remove fat, glandular tissue, excess skin and reposition the nipple, in which case the patient will have some scarring. The procedure does not require general anesthesia, but it typically requires several days of bed rest and wearing a compression garment for a month. The price range is $4,000 to $10,000, depending on the complexity of the procedure. The issue of expense, as well as the acceptability of gynecomastia as a medical disorder, was recently addressed in New York when a Long Island man fought Group Health Inc., seeking coverage for his son's breast reduction surgery. In April, the appellate division of the State Supreme Court ruled that the insurance company must pay the family $5,000 toward the $7,500 surgery. But the majority of patients pay for the procedure themselves. Nathan Johnson, a 31-year-old actor in Manhattan, had the surgery when he was in his early 20s. "I was definitely a morbidly obese child," Mr. Nathan said. In his late teens, he lost weight, but was left with a sagging chest. "I had these big pockets, little pointy sagginess that looked like pointy breasts. No matter how much I dieted or worked out, I couldn't get rid of them." Dr. Guy performed the surgery, but Mr. Johnson remained nervous about removing his shirt until a year later. "People love my body now," he said. "And I take great care of myself now." DR. FOAD NAHAI, a plastic surgeon in Atlanta and the president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, said that he was "personally amazed" to see that the number of male breast reduction procedures had for the first time risen above those for male facelift procedures. "Some of these boys are just heavy everywhere," he said. "They are told if you lose weight the problem will go away. And with some of them, having the procedure is an inducement to lose weight. Perhaps if the chest looks good, they will go ahead and start working out and paying a bit more attention to diet and exercise." Medical ethicists have even come around to see gynecomastia as a disorder worthy of surgical risk. Dr. Arthur L. Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, and typically a critic of cosmetic surgery, said that gynecomastia that does not resolve itself after adolescence should be addressed. "Growing out of something is a strategy you might take with shyness or awkwardness, but when it's breasts in a boy, or something like acne, I don't know that I'd want to make the patient wait to grow out of it," he said. Dr. Robert Kotler, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, Calif., said that his nephew, who is now in his 20s, had breast reduction surgery when he was a teenager. "My nephew wouldn't take his shirt off in public," Dr. Kotler said. "He wouldn't go to the beach, which in California is a pretty big deal. "In the past, doctors said, ‘Oh, he'll grow out of it.' He decided not to grow out of it, but to have the procedure." The result was astonishing, Dr. Kotler said. "Here was the shyest, most introverted kid you could ever meet," he said. "And now, well, he's the polar opposite of the shy kid. Guess what he does now? He's a Hollywood agent."
http://body.aol.com/news/articles/_a/a-sense-of-anxiety-a-shirt-wont-cover/20070614123509990001
Drugs Mask, worsen psychiatric problemsPosted on Fri, Jun. 08, 2007
Drugs mask, worsen psychiatric problemsBy A.A. DunhamBills in the S.C. House (H. 3240) and S.C. Senate (S. 237) say that students cannot be forced into taking medication, and parents may refuse psychological screening of their children. I urge voters to ask their legislators to vote for these. No one knows a child better than that child's parents. Parents should maintain control over their child's care. One reason I am so concerned about this topic is that psychiatric drugs and electric shock treatments have permanently disabled my sister, at taxpayers' expense. According to the Chicago Tribune, Seung-Hui Cho was taking antidepressant drugs. This could have been his trigger. Drugs can be lifesavers or killers. The Food and Drug Administration backs expanding warnings of suicide risk in young adults taking antidepressants. According to the Centers for Disease Control adverse drug reactions and medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. I have been researching psychiatry and attended a Harvard Medical School psychopharmacology seminar. Orthomolecular physicians and other alternative health care providers have been curing mental illness by recognizing that brain malfunctions are caused by medical problems such as thyroid, kidney, and sleep disorder problems, an immune disorder cerebral allergy, metal toxicity, Candida infestation and enzyme and/or nutritional imbalances such as malnourishment. Entire food families can cause allergic reactions. Biochemical testing can assist in determining underlying causes. These health care providers have patients stop eating what they are allergic to, remove toxic metals and Candida, and provide needed supplements. A proper diet and lifestyle are recommended. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be added if needed. Psychiatrists today recommend superficial physical testing (if any at all) and try to cover up symptoms with mega doses of drugs that cause damage and sometimes disability. Books recommended include "Your Drug May Be Your Problem," "Brain Allergies," and "Natural Healing for Schizophrenia." If psychiatric drugs could cure, you would be able to take them and stop. Instead, drugs mask and/or change symptoms, they can be addictive, and they have serious side effects. Drugs are toximolecular substances foreign to the body in sublethal and sometimes lethal amounts. They should be used only as a temporary, last resort, emergency measure. Other treatments can also cause permanent harm such as electric shock, well-known in psychiatry for causing permanent memory loss. Psychiatrists' diagnostic manual was expanded from 112 disorders in 1952 to 374 in 1994. Now you are considered to be mentally ill if you are shy. Did you know that grandparents are being drugged in their nursing home beds to keep them quiet, and in hospitals patients with dementia are being drugged by psychotropic medication to keep them quiet? One cause of dementia can simply be a deficiency of vitamin B12. Mental problems are caused by physical, medical problems. Treatments should not separate the mind from the body. The writer lives in Myrtle Beach.© 2007 MyrtleBeachOnline.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.myrtlebeachonline.comUnfit Children?Unfit children?
I would like to give some insight to the following story.
I have been hearing about this in the news and seeing stories about this in newspapers everwhere, for a few years now.
I do believe that these reports are not including a key piece of information about these stastics.
My question would be "How many of these over weight children are on medications?
The end of this story states "Perhaps the biggest responsibility falls to parents". Ok, I can agree with this, as the children are the responsibility of the parents, but when the parents are trusting a Doctor with their childs life, health and well being and this same doctor is advising that the parent administer medications that will cause the child to gain weight to the point of being overweight what then?
RE
Unfit children
Many face array of possible health woes. Published: Tuesday, December 27, 2005 - 6:00 am
Arecent study offered yet more evidence of a disturbing trend: Many U.S. teens are overweight and could face serious health problems down the road. The report, based on an analysis by Northwestern University researchers, found that about a third of U.S. teens would flunk an eight-minute treadmill fitness test. Such a test is a good measure of fitness, and teens should be at the very peak of fitness and health. Many are not. The study suggests that more than 7 million youngsters could face higher risks of life-shortening illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and an array of other problems.
The study doesn't come as much of a surprise: Previous research has shown that about 16 percent of U.S. schoolchildren are seriously overweight.
Remedies for the epidemic of childhood obesity also are nothing new: Children need to eat healthier meals and exercise more. Schools could do their part to encourage nutrition and physical education. Communities could provide more recreational amenities for everyone, children and adults, and promote family exercise.
Perhaps the biggest responsibility falls to parents, who should steer children toward healthier habits and practice what they preach. With a new year approaching, there's no better time to encourage kids to be fit and healthy.
Copyright 2005 The Greenville News. http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051227/OPINION/512270310/1008/NLETTER01 November 15 2005 Safety Alert: ZyPREXA (olanzapine)
| The following information is from Eli Lilly and Company.Contact the company for a copy of any referenced enclosures.MEDICATION ERRORS ALERT Eli Lilly and Company January 26, 2005 Dear Healthcare Professional: Eli Lilly and Company has received reports of medication dispensing or prescribing errors between our atypical antipsychotic ZyPREXA (olanzapine) and the antihistamine ZYRTEC (cetirizine HCI) marketed by Pfizer. These reports include instances where Zyprexa was incorrectly dispensed for Zyrtec and vice versa, leading to various adverse events in some instances. These errors could result in unnecessary adverse events or potential relapse in patients suffering from schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The FDA-approved indications for each of these drugs differ considerably. Zyprexa is indicated for the short-term and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia and is also indicated for the short-term treatment of acute mixed or manic episodes associated with Bipolar I Disorder and as a maintenance treatment in bipolar disorder (normal dose 5 to 20 mg/day), while Zyrtec is indicated for the treatment of allergic rhinitis or chronic urticaria (normal dose 5 to 10 mg/day). However, many similarities do exist that could contribute to medication errors, including names starting with the same 2 letters, the availability of same dose strengths (5 mg and 10 mg tablets), the same dosing interval (once daily) and the fact that these two products are generally stored near each other on pharmacy shelves. It is these similarities that likely contribute to errors in dispensing or prescribing. The ZYPREXA 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, and 10 mg tablets are white, round, and imprinted in blue ink with LILLY and tablet number. The 15 mg tablets are elliptical, blue, and embossed with LILLY and tablet number. The 20 mg tablets are elliptical, pink, and embossed with LILLY and tablet number. ZYRTEC tablets are white, film-coated, rounded-off rectangular shaped containing 5 mg or 10 mg cetirizine hydrochloride engraved with "ZYRTEC" on one side and dose strength on the other. Lilly is committed to the safety of patients and helping to increase the likelihood that the correct medications are being dispensed. Some of the measures that Lilly has taken or will be taking to help reduce the potential for future errors include:
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) recommends that products with reports of medication errors, such as Zyprexa and Zyrtec, be stored in different locations. The ISMP also recommends that prescribers print both the brand and generic names of medication on all prescriptions. Furthermore, they recommend that healthcare professionals remember to discuss medications, their indications, and their proper use when counseling patients. Additional information on medication errors and good prescribing and dispensing practices in various healthcare settings can be found at the ISMP website, www.ismp.org. Please refer to the full prescribing information for Zyprexa included with this letter. * If you become aware of a prescription dispensing error involving these products, please contact the appropriate manufacturer (Eli Lilly and Company: 1-800-Lilly RX; Pfizer Inc: 1-800-438-1985). You can also report medication errors to the FDA's MEDWATCH program at www.fda.gov/medwatch. 1-800-FDA-1088 or fax to 1-800-FDA-0178 or USP - ISMP Medication Errors Reporting Program (1-800-FAILSAFE). Sincerely, Dr. Paul Eisenberg *Full prescribing information for Zyprexa can also be found at www.zyprexa.com. Zyprexa is a registered trademark of Eli Lilly and Company. Return to 2005 Safety SummaryMedWatch Home | Safety Info | Submit Report | How to Report | Download Forms | Join E-list | Articles & Pubs | Comments | Partners
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November 13 Heart woe killed Linda Harris 14, officials sayHeart woe killed girl, officials say November 2, 2005 The 14-year-old Amityville girl who died while being escorted to a "time out" room at a Tennessee home for troubled children in September apparently died of cardiac arrest, according to law enforcement officials and attorneys familiar with the autopsy findings. But despite the autopsy results, the family of Linda Harris has filed a notice of claim in a wrongful death lawsuit against Suffolk County, which placed her at the Chad Youth Enhancement Center in Ashland City, Tenn., and the State of New York, which oversees the placements. They said unanswered questions remain about what led to the death. The suit will allege negligence and seeks damages for pain and suffering, said Harris family attorney, Stephen Siben of Bay Shore. "It's hard to move on until we find some real answers," said her brother, Reggie Harris of Amityville, questioning what exactly happened in the moments leading up to his sister's death. Harris weighed more than 300 pounds at the time, and the autopsy cited obesity as a contributing factor in her death. But her family said she was very active, rode her bike and would often run around without getting winded, and questioned how she could have had cardiac arrest. At the time of her death, Linda Harris was having an emotional outburst at the center where she had resided less than a week, according to workers. "There are a lot of unanswered questions," said Siben, adding that he has yet to get a copy of the official report from the Nashville medical examiner, nor an official death certificate. The medical examiner's office did not return a phone call seeking comment. Tennessee law enforcement officials would say only that "It appears to have been a terrible accident," said Ted Denny, a spokesman for the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department in Tennessee. His agency had been investigating whether Harris, who, according to family members and records, had a history of emotional problems, had been improperly restrained by workers during her outburst. He declined to comment further on whether any charges would be brought. Suffolk County officials declined to comment on the notice of claim. The county's probation department, which places children at the center at the order of Family Court, has since removed all other children. The county has paid the center nearly $800,000 since 2002. Brian Marchetti, a spokesman for the New York State Office of Children of Family Services, said he was unaware of any lawsuit but emphasized that the office takes child fatalities "extremely seriously." Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc. November 11 Death Of Lighthouse Care Center Of Conway, South Carolina 15-Year-Old Patient
I am in whole hearted belief that this should be changed.
The facilities operational procedures and standards need to be monitored by outside monitoring services, as with any other facility which deals with the lives of Humans, throughout the United States.
RE: South Carolina does not disclose information about the deaths of children in State or private facilities. This makes it harder for residents of the State to obtain information about the facilities their children are placed in either by State or private care. Many South Carolina child protection advocates want this changed. Many child protection advocates believe this allows private and public funded adolescent facilities to continue to operate unchecked, which allows many forms of abuses in these types of facilities to continue unchecked or simply covered up incidents.
November 10 Final Revised Aggregate Production Quotas for 2005Federal Register Notices > Quotas - 2005 > Controlled Substances: Final Revised Aggregate Production Quotas for 2005Quotas - 2005FR Doc 05-22287 [Federal Register: November 9, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 216)] [Notices] [Page 68088-68090] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr09no05-93] DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Drug Enforcement Administration [Docket No. DEA-259F] Controlled Substances: Final Revised Aggregate Production Quotas for 2005 AGENCY: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Department of Justice. ACTION: Notice of final aggregate production quotas for 2005. SUMMARY: This notice establishes final 2005 aggregate production quotas for controlled substances in Schedules I and II of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The DEA has taken into consideration comments received in response to a notice of the proposed revised aggregate production quotas for 2005 published August 5, 2005 (70 FR 45432). EFFECTIVE DATE: November 9, 2005. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine A. Sannerud, Ph.D., Chief, Drug and Chemical Evaluation Section, Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington, DC 20537, Telephone: (202) 307-7183. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 306 of the CSA (21 U.S.C. 826) requires that the Attorney General establish aggregate production quotas for each basic class of controlled substance listed in Schedules I and II. This responsibility has been delegated to the Administrator of the DEA by 28 CFR 0.100. The Administrator, in turn, has redelegated this function to the Deputy Administrator, pursuant to 28 CFR 0.104. The 2005 aggregate production quotas represent those quantities of controlled substances in Schedules I and II that may be produced in the United States in 2005 to provide adequate supplies of each substance for: The estimated medical, scientific, research and industrial needs of the United States; lawful export requirements; and the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks (21 U.S.C. 826(a) and 21 CFR 1303.11). These quotas do not include imports of controlled substances. On August 5, 2005, a notice of the proposed revised 2005 aggregate production quotas for certain controlled substances in Schedules I and II was published in the Federal Register (70 FR 45432). All interested persons were invited to comment on or object to these proposed aggregate production quotas on or before August 26, 2005. Nine companies commented on a total of 21 Schedules I and II controlled substances within the published comment period. One company questioned the aggregate production quota for marihuana. Eight companies proposed the aggregate production quotas for alfentanil, amphetamine, codeine (for conversion), difenoxin, dihydromorphine, diphenoxylate, fentanyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, levo- desoxyephedrine, methadone, methadone intermediate, methylphenidate, morphine (for sale), oxycodone, pentobarbital, remifentanil, sufentanil, tetrahydrocannabinols, and thebaine were insufficient to provide for the estimated medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs of the United States, for export requirements and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA has taken into consideration the above comments along with the relevant 2004 year-end inventories, initial 2005 manufacturing quotas, 2005 export requirements, actual and projected 2005 sales, research, product development requirements and additional applications received. Based on this information, the DEA has adjusted the final 2005 aggregate production quotas for alfentanil, cathinone, dihydromorphine, diphenoxylate, levo-alphacetylmethadol, levo-desoxyephedrine, methadone, methadone intermediate, oxycodone, pentobarbital and sufentanil to meet the legitimate needs of the United States. Regarding amphetamine, codeine (for conversion), difenoxin, fentanyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, marihuana, methylphenidate, morphine (for sale), remifentanil, tetrahydrocannabinols and thebaine the DEA has determined that the proposed revised 2005 aggregate production quotas are sufficient to meet the current 2005 estimated medical, scientific, research, and industrial nee ds of the United States and to provide for adequate inventories. Therefore, under the authority vested in the Attorney General by section 306 of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (21 U.S.C. 826), and delegated to the Administrator of the DEA by Sec. 0.100 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and redelegated to the Deputy Administrator, pursuant to Sec. 0.104 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the Deputy Administrator hereby orders that the 2005 final aggregate production quotas for the following controlled substances, expressed in grams of anhydrous acid or base, be established as follows:
The Deputy Administrator further orders that aggregate production quotas for all other Schedules I and II controlled substances included in Sec. Sec. 1308.11 and 1308.12 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations remain at zero. The Office of Management and Budget has determined that notices of aggregate production quotas are not subject to centralized review under Executive Order 12866. This action does not preempt or modify any provision of state law; nor does it impose enforcement responsibilities on any state; nor does it diminish the power of any state to enforce its own laws. Accordingly, this action does not have federalism implications warranting the application of Executive Order 13132. The Deputy Administrator hereby certifies that this action will have no significant impact upon small entities whose interests must be considered under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq. The establishment of aggregate production quotas for Schedules I and II controlled substances is mandated by law and by international treaty obligations. The quotas are necessary to provide for the estimated medical, scientific, research and industrial needs of the United States, for export requirements and the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. While aggregate production quotas are of primary importance to large manufacturers, their impact upon small entities is neither negative nor beneficial. Accordingly, the Deputy Administrator has determined that this action does not require a regulatory flexibility analysis. This action meets the applicable standards set forth in sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2) of Executive Order 12988 Civil Justice Reform. This action will not result in the expenditure by State, local, and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of $117,000,000 or more in any one year, and will not significantly or uniquely affect small governments. Therefore, no actions were deemed necessary under the provisions of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995. This action is not a major rule as defined by section 804 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996. This action will not result in an annual effect on the economy of $100,000,000 or more; a major increase in costs or prices; or significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or on the ability of United States-based companies to compete with foreign-based companies in domestic and export markets. Dated: November 3, 2005. Michele M. Leonhart, [FR Doc. 05-22287 Filed 11-8-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4410-09-P
ImipramineImipramine (im ip' ra meen)
Brand names
IMPORTANT WARNING:
Why is this medcation prescribed?
Imipramine, an antidepressant, is used to treat depression. This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
How should this medicine be used? Imipramine comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken one or more times a day and may be taken with or without food. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take imipramine exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Continue to take imipramine even if you feel well. Do not stop taking imipramine without talking to your doctor, especially if you have taken large doses for a long time. Your doctor probably will want to decrease your dose gradually. This drug must be taken regularly for a few weeks before its full effect is felt. Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer’s patient information sheet when you begin treatment with imipramine. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist any questions you have.
Other uses for this medicine Imipramine is also used occasionally to treat chronic pain, eating disorders, and panic disorders. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this drug for your condition.
What special precautions should I follow? Before taking imipramine,
What should I do if I forget a dose? If you take several doses per day, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it and take any remaining doses for that day at evenly spaced intervals. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. If you take imipramine once a day at bedtime and do not remember to take it until the next morning, skip the missed dose. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
What side effects can this medication cause? Side effects from imipramine are common:
Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
If you experience any of the following symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately:
What storage conditions are needed for this medicine?Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication. In case of emergency/overdoseIn case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
What other information should I know? Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your response to imipramine. Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
Last Revised - 01/01/2005
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. Disclaimer The MedMaster™ Patient Drug Information database provides information copyrighted by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland Copyright© 2004. All Rights Reserved. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a682389.html#why September 01 I am home for good.I am home for good. I was released from the Lighthouse Care Center of Conway on July 14, 2005.
I am still on probation.
I will have to give the state a samlpe of my DNA.
I have been going through changes. I am set on bettering myself.
Here is the start:
The day after I was released I was instructed to go to the Waccamaw Mental Health Center Of Conway where I was to see Dr. Perez. We talked about an hour and she did a full evaluation of my and my circumstances.
When it was all said and done she gave my mom instructions on how to wein me off all medications.
I have been off the medications almost 2 months now, according to the schedule given by Dr. Perez.
I am feeling GREAT!! I do believe that I have perment damage to my body as result of these medications that were used as behaviorial control in place of a proper behavior managment program, which I was ordered to complete. My behavior is my decision, no pill can change that! Exposing the Fraud of ADD / ADHD
August 16 Why I chose to Home SchoolWhy I chose to Home School
Author:©Priestess Kandi Ranson-Wilson
Reproduction available only in entierty to include title, Author and © He is a Home School Student. This is not the same as being homebound as SC terms it. Home bound is a classification that is used for students that have been suspended from school or have a medical reason or behavioral problems that prevent them from attending public school. Home School is volunteer. We have chosen this for him, in hopes to provide David a better education than the local public schools can offer, as well as to help him to be the best person he can be. History and reason for this decision This is a very LOOOOOOONG story and would be better told in person, but I can say that it all started after I had moved here, not telling anyone where I was {Not even my family} for a long time. I was afraid of my little people’s father {A very dangerous person}. He was in prison at that time and I thought that as long as I did not contact anyone or have mail go to my residence that he would not be able to find us {again} after he got out. BOY WAS I FOOLED! While he was in prison he had some how got information from the DSS, as to my whereabouts. I went a long many months before I signed up on Food Stamp & Medicaid benefits for the kids, trying to make it without that help. He did show up at my door Dec. of 95{a few days after he was released from prison, for the second time on the same charges}, unexpected, uninvited & unannounced. I later found out that he was on Parole & Probation & that he had not requested permission for the trip out of state and his Parole & Probation Officers did not know that he had gone. I was in shock and frightened as to what was going to happen next. We were each others first real loves & had been together for almost 10 Years. I explained to him that he can not just come into my home demanding to visit the kids {his pawn in his sick little game} any time he wanted to unexpected, uninvited & unannounced. I told him that Myron (the guy That I was sharing a home with & that was helping me take care of my kids at the time} & I had plans for the day with the kids that we had planned all week, the kids already knew & were excited to go. He would have to go back to wherever it was he was supposed to be, leave me a # or address where I could reach him & I would make plans for visitation and notify him and that he could contact me by mail, {since he already had my address} and request certain times. I told him that we could work these things out, just not spur of the moment visits, as I was attempting to give my little people a sense of stability and security. He was actually calmer than I had expected at that time. He talked to the kids for a while, agreed to the terms and left. The VERY next day he was back at my door unexpected, uninvited & unannounced. This time he demanded to spend time with the kids & I being one to not want my kids to grow up & not know who their father is and what he’s about, I agreed. He took my son for the day. When the girls got out of school, that afternoon, he returned. He said that he wanted to take them all out to supper and maybe catch a movie. I was skeptical but I allowed it, attempting to be civil and since he had not shown any hostility or violence. I was very much in hopes that he had worked out his issues. Boy was I wrong!! Seems that his life stopped the day I dropped him off at the prison and picked back up when he was released. He did take all 3 children with him. They got about a mile down the road and returned. I later found out that he had told the kids that he was going back to get me & that we would all go back home with him, for good. When he returned he wanted to talk to me, so we sat at the Kitchen table and talked. He was doing his best to talk me into going back to the state where he was residing in with him and take the children and be a family again. I explained to him that at this point in life that this was an impossibility. Too much water had passed under that bridge for us to go back now. While we were talking Myron ended up coming home early. I was getting very nervous and telepathically call for him as there was no other adult there & I didn’t even have a phone. Within a few minutes The Ex decided to leave and called for the kids. He helped them to get their shoes and coats on and instructed them to go get into his car, that they were now going to get supper. He had followed them out and after they were all in the car asked them to wait. I had left the door open {Not unlocked, OPEN}. He returned to the door and walked in. Myron had been in the bedroom getting ready to take a shower. The Ex said nothing to me. He walked over to the counter and picked up the sugar shaker {you know the old fashioned restaurant kind; Thick glass with a metal lid with a flap for the sugar to come out}. This happened fast! I asked “Where are you going with that sugar?” He headed toward the bedroom. At the same time Myron came out of the bedroom and turned to head to the Shower. When he did The Ex grabbed him, from behind & in a head lock hit him over the head with the sugar shaker, several times. {Dang strong thing, I still have it} I yelled for him to stop and when I did he looked my way. He could hear what I was thinking and that was to bolt out the door. I could see what was going through his mind and barely escaped out the front door before he had hold of me too. Mind you, where the Little People were, in the car, they could see into the house and see what was happening. I ran so fast that I ran past the car screaming “get out” “come with me” “get out” ! Before I got stopped. I got the kids out and {Living in a trailer park} ran around a neighbors house, whose door was not in sight of my house. I stuffed the kids inside & ran to the pay phone and called 911. The Ex did leave before I was off the phone and being the cocky person he is / was he stopped and threatened to return to finish the job. I would be the next one to die. There was blood all over the front of him & I thought for sure that Myron was dead. The Ex even pulled his car up and paused for me to give the police his tag #. He did not return to my house to “Visit” the Little People. He did send threatening letters and even left a package on my doorstep, for our daughters B-Day with a note in it that said he was going to kill both me & Myron. He stalked me around Conway for months, though he had never resided here. I being the caring nurturing mother that I am; and always wanting what was best for my Little People went to the school and asked for help for them. I only asked if my Little People could see the councilor, to help them deal with their fear of their father. This was their ONLY Problem. I never asked that Waccamaw Mental Health to Get involved, but they did, as they had a school based councilor. From that I received a note from the Waccamaw Mental Health Councilor that said that My kids had an appointment at the Waccamaw Mental Health Center. I was not aware of what I am now and had never had reason to involve myself or family in anything like this before. It turned out that my son, being 5 at the time, was prescribed Ritalin. I had no idea about any of it or the effects or anything. I was the one that was only asking for help for my Little People to get over a fear of their father. I only wanted them to live as normal as they could. Over a year had passed and my sons medications had been changed many times. He had been displaying, what I now know, were side effects of the medications; The zombie effect, sleeping in school from being over medicated, agitation, irritability, headaches, Tardive Dyskinesia, nervousness, hyperactivity, Loss of Appetite and weight loss, headaches, sleeplessness, heart palpitations, over stimulation, feelings of suspicion and paranoia only when he is on the medicine, increased heart rate, addiction, behavior problems that had not existed before and more. After I did research & took him off the meds, realizing that they were no good for him, the school staff of South Conway Elementary told me that if I didn’t put him back on the meds that my Little People would be taken from me and placed in DSS custody. Since then it has been all down hill and I have had nothing but a fight on my hands. The history of his public school attendance has resulted in numerous arrests. Dr. Sam Dusnebury threatened me with an ultimatum, many years ago, that if I didn't quit my job, stay home and raise my children on welfare that he would call Department of Social Services of SC and tell them that I was neglecting and abusing my children, as well as see to it that David is expelled from all Horry County schools for the remainder of David's life. Dr. Sam Dusnebury was the pricnipal of South Conway Elementary at the time. Since then he has become head of dicipline of all Horry County Schools David was in the first grade at the time. On that day, my girls had gotten on the bus, but for some reason David had missed it. I had punished the children, in the past, for missing the bus and he wanted to avoid prosecution. He proceeded to walk to school. The school was about 2 miles from our house. The Preacher of Binghamtown Baptist Church picked him up and took him on to school. The preacher knew David. Dr Dusnebury, knowing that David was not a car rider, seeing that he had been dropped off questioned David about this. David told him what had happened to cause him to be transported to school by car and with the preacher. As a single mother of 3, working at the Pantry on 3RD Ave S. & Hwy. 15 in Myrtle Beach, SC, who had a long history of hard working effort to gain stability for my children I stated to Dr. Dusenbury, "You will have to do what you will, as I refuse to give up the financial stability I have worked so hard to gain for my children". "We are doing better than ever". Dr. Dusenbury did call the DSS and there was an investigation done on my home. I was not concerned! I was not guilty of what it was I had been accused. It was unfounded, of course. Since then David has been arrested at school for several reasons, of which the incident reports of David and various staff differ. The stories do not match up. At the age of 9, while attending Myrtle Beach Intermediate School, a Waccamaw Mental Health school based councilor, claiming to want to get David "Help" for his behavior problems (which were conscious choices made by David, knowing right from wrong). She was reporting my family to DSS every other month with false accusations of drug abuse and alcoholism in my home, as well as neglect concerning the children. I found the statements she had written on an application to a camp of sorts. When I confronted her, she resigned herself from seeing my son any more, by official letter. Before this there were several meetings at the school with the Principal, the Waccamaw Mental Health school based councilor and myself. At several meetings, she would enforce how he needed to be medicated, not therapy or counseling. She even went as far as to take David to see a Waccamaw Mental Health Doctor, during school hours, without my consent or knowledge. She came to one meeting with 3 prescriptions. Two of which he had already been tried on and had experienced negative side effects. The other was Paxil! I refused to take them from her, get them filled or allow her to fill them or allow David to take them. She got very angry and agitated and threatened to call SC DSS and report neglect. "Do what you feel you have to, I am not concerned" was my retort. Therefore, as you can see it seems that David has a better chance of growing into a decent adult in a home school environment. This will be his first year. On this note, as education is not cheap I would like to direct you to the D.J. Education Fund Please feel free to share the DJ Education Fund information with others using this convenient tiny URL: http://tinyurl.com/9ztwa Thanks for your continued support,
June 10 New medsDr. Loose took me off all meds, Adderall & Abilify® cold turkey. He keeps telling my therapist that these are not addictive, and that the patient does not need to be weined off, but the medical literature states differently. After one week, and a few write-ups for 'aggression' the Dr. put me on Geodon® 60 mg 2 X a day then after a few days also put me on Depakote 400 mg 1 X a day. (An aggression write up does not necessarily mean that I was aggressive in the terms of the rest of the world, There could have been no real aggression present.) I have been on these meds longer than it takes for these to completely saturate my system and cause a chemical dependancy by the body. The withdrawal period usually lasts for about a month or so. This first week was not long enough for these meds to get out of my system and my behaviors that resulted in write-ups were caused from withdrawals of the meds. Now they have me on two Antipsychotic Medications for Bipolar Disorder and schizophrenia; I DO NOT HAVE any Bi-Polar or schizophrenia at all. To top it all off Dr. Loose has not tested my liver function before I started taking Depakote. What do GEODON capsules look like? 
DEPAKOTE
Depakote Oral DEPAKOTE 125 MG TABLET EC  DEPAKOTE 250 MG TABLET EC  DEPAKOTE 500 MG TABLET EC 
DEPAKOTE ER 250 MG TABLET  DEPAKOTE 125 MG SPRINKLE CAP  May 22 D.J. Education FundD.J. Education Fund All proceeds from the sale of any and all products at The Myrtle Beach Homeschool Meetup Group go directly to the D. J. Education Fund. Roy David Price, Jr. Born October 10, 1990, (who prefers to be called D. J.) is a home school student. The funds will help to purchase the things needed for his education, such as Microscope Kits Photographic Telescope Books to continue to write his story; other educational related books Paper Pencils, Pens, Markers Art Supplies Gardening supplies for his horticulture class Binoculars for Bird watching Sports Equipments Any Other Educational Materials Needed D. J. is a bright young man with a great sense of adventure. He has a great interest in education and has not quite made up his mind what he would like to be when he grows up, but does not give up on his dreams and goals easily. D. J. Has begun to write a book. Not knowing when he will finish it, as he continues to write “until he is finished“, as he put it; I see a great novel in the making. He also likes to use shapes to create and do other things like creating candle holders, burning designs into them. As you can see I have listed a few of D.J.’s talents, which there are many more than listed here, and yes he is going places! By purchasing any product at The Myrtle Beach Homeschool Meetup Group or simply leaving a donation you will help enable D. J. all the educational needs to help guide him into a brighter future. If you would like simply to leave a donation you can do so by clicking on his photo below (please be patient as you are transfered to a secure payment page):
May 12 Mother's Day I got to see David!David was just getting supper when we arrived Photo taken 5:47 PM 5-08-2005 Lighthouse Care Center Photo taken 5:48 PM 5-08-2005 David's Finished eating and has returned his plate to the kitchen Sitting in this small room. Photo taken 6:12 PM Then David Get's ahold of the Camera Phone Photo taken 6:10 PM Now we've just got to have a photo with all of us, I forgot about the timer.......... Photo taken 6:23 PM Photo taken 6:24 PM Photo taken 6:38 PM Photo taken 6:38 PM #2 Photo taken 6:39 PM Photo taken 6:44 PM Then we got to go shoot some hoops! Photo taken 7:17 PM Photo taken 7:17 PM # 2 Photo taken 7:18 PM Photo taken 7:18 PM #2 Photo taken 7:19 PM Photo taken 7:37 PM Photo taken 7:37 PM # 2 Photo taken 7:37 PM By David Photo taken 7:49 PM Photo taken 7:49 PM #2 Photo taken 7:50 PM May 06 A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study~ Amphetamine
A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of the Use of Amphetamine in the Treatment of Aphasia Delaina Walker-Batson, PhD; Sandra Curtis, MA; Rajeshwari Natarajan, PhD; Jean Ford, PhD; Nina Dronkers, PhD; Eva Salmeron, MD; Jenny Lai, MD; D. Hal Unwin, MD Background and Purpose —A number of studies suggest that drugs which increase the release of norepinephrine promoterecovery when administered late (days to weeks) after brain injury in animals. A small number of clinical studies have investigated the effects of the noradrenergic agonist dextroamphetamine in patients recovering from motor deficits following stroke. To determine whether these findings extend to communication deficits subsequent to stroke, we administered dextroamphetamine, paired with speech/language therapy, to patients with aphasia. Methods —In a prospective, double-blind study, 21 aphasic patients with an acute nonhemorrhagic infarction wererandomly assigned to receive either 10 mg dextroamphetamine or a placebo. Patients were entered between days 16 and 45 after onset and were treated on a 3-day/4-day schedule for 10 sessions. Thirty minutes after drug/placebo administration, subjects received a 1-hour session of speech/language therapy. The Porch Index of Communicative Ability was used at baseline, at 1 week off the drug, and at 6 months after onset as the dependent language measure. Results —Although there were no differences between the drug and placebo groups before treatment (P50.807), by 1 weekafter the 10 drug treatments ended there was a significant difference in gain scores between the groups ( P50.0153), withthe greater gain in the dextroamphetamine group. The difference was still significant when corrected for initial aphasia severity and age. At the 6-month follow-up, the difference in gain scores between the groups had increased; however, the difference was not significant ( P50.0482) after correction for multiple comparisons.Conclusions —Administration of dextroamphetamine paired with 10 1-hour sessions of speech/language therapy facilitatedrecovery from aphasia in a small group of patients in the subacute period after stroke. Neuromodulation with dextroamphetamine, and perhaps other drugs that increase central nervous system noradrenaline levels, may facilitate recovery when paired with focused behavioral treatment. (Stroke. 2001;32:2093-2098.)Key Words: aphasia n cerebrovascular disorders n dextroamphetamine n strokeO ver the last 2 decades there have been significantadvances in knowledge regarding central nervous system plasticity and recovery of function from the basic science laboratory, 1–3 yet there has been little application of thisknowledge to rehabilitation methodologies. Recent investigations suggest that both timely training and lesion-induced plasticity are required for amplification of network plasticity. 4In addition to evidence for plasticity of the adult cortex, a growing body of literature supports the facilitating effects of certain neuropharmacological agents on recovery of function. 5 In animals, norepinephrine in particular has been shownto enhance behavioral recovery when administered in the subacute period after injury. 6After experimental cortical lesions, administration of dextroamphetamine (which blocks reuptake and enhances release of norepinephrine) results in improved recovery in motor See Editorial Comment, page 2097 function, sensorimotor integration, and binocular depth perception. 3,7,8 Dextroamphetamine-accelerated behavioral recoveryhas also been found to correspond to enhanced neural sprouting and synaptogenesis after experimental infarction. 9The dextroamphetamine-facilitated recovery is greater when drug treatment is paired with practice or training during the drug action period compared with drug administration alone. 3,8,10 The importance of norepinephrine mediation ofcentral nervous system recovery is also supported by the fact that drugs which act as norepinephrine antagonists have reinstated motor deficits in animals 11 and hindered recoveryfrom aphasia in humans. 12 The critical timing window fordrug administration to facilitate recovery is not known. In a small number of animals, administration of dextroamphet- Received October 23, 2000; final revision received June 25, 2001; accepted June 27, 2001. From The Stroke Center–Dallas, Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Texas Woman’s University (D.W.-B., S.C., J.F.), The Mobility Foundation Center and Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (D.W.-B., D.H.U.), and the Department of Statistical Science, Southern Methodist University (R.N.), Dallas, Tex; the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (E.S., J.L.); and Center for Aphasia and Related Disorders, VA Northern California Health Care System (N.D.), Martinez, Calif. Correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Delaina Walker-Batson, The Stroke Center–Dallas, Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Texas Woman’s University, 1810 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX 75235-7299.E-mail DWalkerBatson@twu.edu © 2001 American Heart Association, Inc. Stroke is available at http://www.strokeaha.org2093 amine paired with visual experience 90 days after injury did not enhance recovery of binocular depth perception. 8We previously reported increased rate (1 week after drug cessation) and extent (6 months’ follow-up) of recovery from hemiplegia subsequent to stroke when low-dose dextroamphetamine was paired with physical therapy during the subacute recovery period. 13 In unblinded pilot studies,14,15 wealso found an increased rate of recovery from aphasia when low-dose dextroamphetamine was paired with speech/language therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of dextroamphetamine on recovery from aphasia after stroke. The Porch Index of Communicative Abilities 16 (PICA) was usedas the dependent language measure. This measure was chosen because it has been shown to be a highly reliable and sensitive measure of changes in language across time. We sought to determine whether low-dose administration of dextroamphetamine paired with speech/language therapy would increase rate and/or extent of recovery from aphasia. Subjects and Methods Twenty-one subjects (13 men and 8 women) who had a single, left, nonhemorrhagic middle cerebral artery distribution infarction participated in the study. All patients were native English speakers aged 41 to 71 years. Diagnosis was based on neurological and radiological examination. The NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) 17 was administered atentry to provide a baseline score of degree of neurological involvement. Either CT or MRI confirmed the presence of a single infarction at entry. Patients’ lesions were reconstructed onto templates and entered into a microcomputer with software developed by Frey et al 18 for the calculation of lesion volume. The presence of aphasia wasdefined as a score of 10 to 70 points on the PICA. Subjects were entered in a consecutive manner using a stratified randomization plan 19 based on severity at baseline and presence or absence of amotor component, ie, hemiplegia, oral apraxia, or apraxia of speech. Severity of aphasia was determined on the overall PICA score; patients with scores #40 were classified as having severe aphasiaand those with scores between 41 and 70 as having moderate aphasia. This careful subject definition of moderate or severe aphasia was purposely established to control for severity across groups. Exclusion criteria specified that none of the subjects have a terminal medical condition such as AIDS or cancer, other coincident neurological disease, history of psychiatric illness or extensive alcohol or drug abuse, unstable cardiac dysrhythmia or uncontrolled hypertension ( .160/100 mm HG), or untreated hyperthyroidism. Additionally,subjects could not be receiving a-adrenergic antagonists oragonists or be aged .80 years. Patients were closely monitored in anattempt to eliminate any confounding medications during the 6-month course of the study. 20 Written informed consent wasobtained from all subjects or their legal representatives before the study, and the research protocol was approved by the institutional review boards for human subjects at each of the participating medical centers. Procedures Subjects were recruited over a 4-year period of study funding in which the medical charts of approximately 850 patients were screened. Sample size was projected to be 32 patients. Subjects who met criteria for entry and consented were assigned, in blocks of 4, to either the dextroamphetamine or placebo group by the biostatistician, who used the stratification procedure described by Therneau. 19 Allparticipants, including the research investigators, clinicians, patients, and the patients’ primary-care physicians, were blinded to patient assignment to drug or placebo. A baseline PICA aphasia score was obtained 1 to 3 days before study initiation in all subjects. Drug Administration and Speech/Language Therapy Treatment The protocol specified that patients be entered between days 16 and 45 after stroke onset and receive an oral dose of 10 mg dextroamphetamine or placebo paired with speech/language therapy on a 3-day/4-day cycle for 10 sessions over 5 weeks. Thirty minutes after drug/placebo administration, patients started a 1-hour session of individual speech/language therapy. Each patient received equal segments of speech/language treatment in auditory comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing, with the order of treatment rotated each session. The level of treatment was initially determined by the patient’s performance on the PICA and thereafter on the previous session’s data. The speech language protocol was based on a traditional stimulation/facilitation model with a hierarchy of tasks collated from the published intervention literature. 21,22 Use of theprotocol was individualized as needed to treat a patient’s specific disabilities. A patient was generally stimulated at 3 levels per modality, starting with the level at which the patient had previously attained 60% to 80% accuracy and continuing up to the highest level at which an approximate response could be obtained. Our decisions regarding task difficulty have been influenced by animal studies which suggest that brain plasticity is use dependent 23,24 and that thetype of input is important. We strove for a balance between establishing an infrastructure for communication and stimulating the most complex language behaviors possible. It should be noted that because we study hemiplegia as well as aphasia, some patients also participated in physical therapy treatment. We tightly scheduled the speech/language and physical therapy to occur during the active drug period, with speech therapy always administered first. Predrug and postdrug measures of heart rate and blood pressure were documented in each session. The number of hours of direct speech/language therapy in addition to the dextroamphetamine treatment protocol was also documented. Data Preparation The dependent measure was the PICA. This highly reliable test has 18 subtests in the modalities of verbal, graphic, reading, and gesture, which yield an overall score expressed as a percentile. PICA overall scores were obtained at baseline, 7 days after drug sessions stopped, and again at 6 months after stroke onset for comparison between the 2 groups. For conservative comparisons between the 2 groups, we used the Bonferroni correction. In addition, we defined a 15 percentile point gain, as suggested previously by Wertz et al, 25 as asignificant clinical difference to determine clinical change at the 1-week-off-drug assessment. Two experienced PICA administrators independently scored 20% of video taped assessments and reached 100% agreement on a point-by-point basis. Data analyses were performed with SAS, release 6.12 (SAS Institute Inc). Results Twenty-five subjects were recruited to the study over the 4-year study period. Four subjects did not complete the study. Two were discharged during the treatment phase, 1 for nonattendance and the other for uncontrolled hypertension. One subject exhibited cognitive deficits and was discharged from the study, and 1 subject (S24 in the dextroamphetamine group) moved out of the country and could not be assessed at 6 months. The most frequently occurring reasons for patient exclusion were evidence of hemorrhagic or brain stem stroke, previous cerebral lesion with residual deficit, mild aphasia deficit, multiple medical problems, other coexisting neurological conditions, and age. Although these exclusions made recruitment difficult and no doubt accounted for the projected sample size of 32 not being achieved, we believe that this subject exclusion is essential for an initial efficacy study of this type. 2094 Stroke September 2001Twelve subjects received dextroamphetamine and 9 received placebo. Comparisons of day of study initiation, gender, age, and baseline NIHSS and PICA overall scores revealed no significant differences between the groups (Table 1). Lesion volumes did not differ between the 2 treatment groups. Within-session monitoring of heart rate and blood pressure revealed no significant fluctuations due to drug administration. In addition, at no time during the 6-month course of the study was there documentation of any negative event that could be attributed to dextroamphetamine administration. Table 2 shows individual baseline PICA overall scores with gain scores as well as aphasia type and hours of total speech language treatment, including the 10 drug/placebo sessions for the 2 groups across the study period. (Subjects are numbered consecutively whether they participated in the motor or language aspects of the protocol). Table 3 shows mean PICA overall percentile changes at the 1-week-off drug assessment and the 6-month follow-up and the number of treatment hours at 1 week off drug. While there were no differences between drug and placebo groups before treatment ( P50.807), by 1 week after theconclusion of the 10 drug/placebo sessions there was a significant difference in gain scores between the groups ( P50.0153), with the greater gain in the dextroamphetaminegroup. The difference ( P50.0106) was still significant whencorrected for initial aphasia severity ( P50.0974) and age( P50.2771). Additionally, at the 1-week-off-drug assessment,which was poststroke day 73 for the dextroamphetamine group and day 71 for the placebo group, 83% (10 of TABLE 1. Comparison of Baseline Characteristics Between the 2 Study Groups (n 521)................ CONTINUED http://tinyurl.com/bfttsOR Get your own PDF VERSION |
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On June 9, 2005 Plaintiff lawyers and Eli Lilly and Co. announced an agreement in principle to settle a majority of current Zyprexa claims for $690 million. Zyprexa was the number three selling drug worldwide bringing in $4.8 billion for Eli Lilly in 2003.
Priestess Kandi
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