Earlier this year while listening to podcasts about sleep and insomnia, I stumbled upon the neuroscientist Andrew Huberman of the “Huberman Lab” podcast who discussed melatonin with Matthew Walker (sleep neuroscientist). While discussing melatonin, Huberman stated that he personally avoids it in part due to studies showing that melatonin significantly shrinks testicles and ovaries of …
Alprazolam (Xanax) is a fast-acting, medium-duration benzodiazepine that was patented in 1971 and approved for medical use in the U.S. in 1981. As of 2019, alprazolam was the 41st most-prescribed medication in the U.S. with over 17M annual prescriptions. It is commonly used for the short-term treatment of anxiety disorders, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety …
Diphenhydramine is a first-generation ethanolamine antihistamine developed by George Rieveschl and was approved for usage in 1946. In the U.S. and Canada – diphenhydramine is the primary active ingredient in the over-the-counter medication “Benadryl.” As of 2017, diphenhydramine was the 241st most commonly prescribed medication in the U.S. – exceeding 2M prescriptions. Total usage of …
Stretta is a minimally-invasive procedure that delivers a series of radiofrequency bursts to the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) to enhance both tone and integrity of the LES via induction of fibrosis and/or hypertrophy. It is thought that enhancement of LES tone and integrity can improve certain chronic reflux conditions such as: GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and …
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the pathogen “Mycobacterium tuberculosis” – a bacterium with a waxy coating on its cellular surface due to the presence of mycolic acid. Although tuberculosis is often successfully treated with antibiotics and sometimes prevented with the BCG vaccine – there are many cases of TB that: (A) are not …
Tuberculosis is a communicable infection caused by the bacteria “Mycobacterium tuberculosis” which latches onto the lungs following inhalation of aerosolized bacteria (emitted by an infected individual). In the 19th and 20th centuries, tuberculosis killed over 1 billion people – and it continues to kill in excess of 1 million people each year, inflict permanent lung …