Stop doing that or you’ll go deaf! That’s the new warning (sort of) the FDA will require on popular anti-impotence drugs, spurred after a published report of a man who suffered sudden hearing loss after taking Viagra. The FDA took a look at side effect data and found 29 cases since 1996 where men suffered from similar hearing loss after taking one of the three drugs. “In two thirds of the cases, the hearing loss was ongoing, the agency said.” A drug to treat pulmonary hypertension, Revatio, will also receive the warning because it contains the same ingredient as Viagra.
warnings
Lilly Caves, Agrees To Add Warnings To Schizophrenia Drug
By 10.6.07
Zyprexa, Lilly’s best-selling drug to treat schizophrenia, has been shown to cause “cause weight gain, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and other metabolic problems,” but until now, the company has refused to add any warnings about these side effects to the label. Now, sparked in part by lower sales, Lilly has announced that Zyprexa will warn consumers that it can cause high blood sugar. The American Diabetes Association claims that Zyprexa causes diabetes, but this isn’t addressed on the new warning labels.
Should Artificially Colored Meat Have A Warning Label?
By 10.2.07
Over a year and a half ago, we alerted readers to the sneaky practice of using carbon monoxide to indefinitely preserve raw meat’s red color—several stores admitted to the practice, and while the small amount of gas used does not pose a health risk, the perma-red meat can make it harder to detect spoilage. Now, in the wake of so many food and product safety scandals, the government has proposed a new mandatory warning label as part of the Food and Drug Import Safety Act of 2007. It would read:
Carbon monoxide has been used to preserve the color of this product. Do not rely on color or the ‘use or freeze by’ date alone to judge the freshness or safety of the product. Discard any product with an unpleasant odor, slime, or a bulging package.
eBay's Recall Protocol
By 10.2.07
The recall procedure in the U.S. is pretty streamlined by this point, what with all the practice we get. Pretty much every manufacturer or retailer publicizes its recalls as they happen, and the media then pushes it out to the country in news reports, blogs, etc. So what about eBay? How do defective, tainted, cursed, or otherwise unsavory items get the recall treatment in secondary markets? Today eBay announced that it’s working with the CPSC to “educate consumers” on recent recalls to help ensure a safe and successful buying experience online.”
Safety Experts Urge FDA To Ban OTC Cough And Cold Meds For Kids Under 6
By 9.29.07
The New York Times is reporting that safety experts are urging the FDA to consider a ban of all “over-the-counter, multisymptom cough and cold medicines for children under 6.”
By 9.13.07
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Mental Floss has a fun quiz that asks you to match actual warnings to popular drugs. It’s a good way to brush up on your side effect trivia, so you’ll know what to take to increase your gambling addiction but not interfere with your sleep driving. (Sadly, we only got 3 out of 10 correct.) [Mental Floss via BoingBoing]
China Puts Skulls on Cigarette Packs, Bypasses Toys For Now
By 9.12.07
China’s had such a bad safety record lately that it’s a little surprising to find out their latest plans for health warnings on packs of cigarettes: skulls, blackened teeth, and diseased lungs, covering at least 30% of the pack’s surface area. The move is an attempt to curb the growing market of smokers in the country, where the average age of people who start smoking is as low as 10 in some areas.
Did The Gov's Anti-Meds Warnings Work Too Well?
By 9.11.07
Some psychiatrists are claiming that the government’s “black box” warnings on the risks of antidepressants for teenagers have worked too well, to the point that they’ve scared off worried parents and lawsuit-sensitive doctors, leaving depressed teens undiagnosed and untreated. The rate of suicide among children and young adults jumped 8% in 2004, one year after the warnings went into effect—it was the biggest one-year spike in suicides for that demographic in 15 years, and psychiatrists worry it was caused in part by the 22% drop in prescriptions of antidepressants.
Heartburn Drugs Prilosec and Nexium May Cause Heart Attacks
By 8.11.07
The FDA has launched a safety review of the heartburn drugs Prilosec and Nexium after two studies linked the medicines to an increased risk of: “heart attacks, heart failure, and heart-related sudden death.” The FDA warned that the studies are only preliminary, and that doctors and patients should keep using the drugs. From the LA Times:
FDA: Veggie Booty Snack Food Contaminated With Salmonella
By 6.29.07
The FDA is warning consumers not to eat Veggie Booty snack food, because there is a risk of salmonella contamination. Reader Ethan asked us to announce this recall because “Pretty much everyone I know who has a toddler buys this stuff.” We’d never heard of it, but Salon.com calls it “crack for babies” and says it smells “funkier than poop.” Ok.
China: Consuming Low Levels Of Poison "Not Harmful"
By 6.3.07
China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine thinks the FDA overreacted by advising consumers to discard all toothpaste made in China:
So far we have not received any report of death resulting from using the toothpaste. The U.S. handling (of this case) is neither scientific nor responsible.
The FDA issued its warning after seizing several shipments of Chinese toothpaste containing diethylene glycol, a poison used in paint and antifreeze. 100 Panamanians died last year after consuming cough syrup made with diethylene glycol. According to Chinese logic, poison in toothpaste isn’t as deadly as poison in cough syrup. Besides, wasn’t it Confucius who said: “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” Either him or Nietzsche. We always confuse those two. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
E. Coli Prompts Beef Recall in Eight States
By 5.13.07
PM Beef Holdings is recalling 117,500 pounds of beef that may be tainted with E. coli. The tainted beef has already landed three Minnesotans in the hospital, and now threatens residents in eight states.
“Because these products later became ground beef sold under many different retail brand names, consumers should check with their local retailer to determine whether they may have purchased any of the products subject to recall,” the USDA said.
The USDA is working overtime to figure out who received the tainted beef, which was prepared on March 27. The beef has already been traced to Minnesota, Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. To thwart E. coli, heat your meat to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
Exploding Batteries On A Plane: Recent In-Flight Fires Prompt Warnings About Loose Batteries
By 3.26.07
After one fire broke out in a overhead compartment on a JetBlue flight and another on an American Airlines aircraft flying from Argentina, the Department of Transportation has issued a warning to passengers traveling with loose batteries. The batteries in question are the type that power laptops, camcorders, and other “rechargeable” devices. If not stored properly the batteries can overheat and ignite.
Prevent Your Dryer From Catching Fire
By 3.17.07
Krunk4Ever! says that if you use dryer sheets you can extend the life of your dryer and prevent it from catching fire by washing the lint filter with hot soapy water and a brush once every six months.
Select Dell Models Come With Free Electric Shock
By 2.11.07
Dude, you’re getting a shock. An electric shock. If you have a Dell 9400, e1705, m1710, m90, or 6400, and a two-pronged power adapter, Dell has a special hidden feature just for you:
Nintendo Says: Wii Hates Your Christmas Tree
By 12.21.06
Thankfully, there’s an easy solution to the problem. Writing on a blog, one user complained: “The last couple of days my Wii has been acting weird in not picking up the Wiimote on the side of the Christmas tree and I could never figure out what was wrong. Well tonight, I turned off the Christmas tree and it fixed my problem.”
UPS Won’t Give Refunds During Holidays
By 12.18.06
UPS ground doesn’t give refunds during the holidays.
E. Coli in New Jersey Taco Bell?
By 12.4.06
- Taco Bell said on Sunday it had temporarily closed one of its fast-food outlets and was working with New Jersey health authorities seeking the cause of an outbreak of e. Coli which has sickened nearly a dozen people, six of whom remain in hospital.
