Wonders of the medical world

[John]

Thanks ClaraBella, you pointed me to the FDA site this morning, so I got to looking around...I came across this little snippet of news:

FDA approves over-the-counter marketing of Commit (nicotine polacrilex lozenge), for adults 18 years of age and older, to reduce withdrawal symptoms, including nicotine craving, associated with quitting smoking. (10/29/2002)

That got me thinking about all the cool new "drugs" coming onto the market lately. It's amazing to me how far we're coming in the medical field in such a short time. I just had to share.

[ClaraBella]

Good investigation work, John! I am still going to be checking my labels on that recall thing I sent you. In any event, I would be interested in knowing the long term side effects of this new drug for nicotine withdrawal. If this drug works, it may very well put the tobaco companies out of operation. At least for those of us who are trying to quit. Keep me posted.

[John]

I think it's interesting, because until now, I think all "stop smoking" aids have been just alternate forms of getting nicotine into your system. This is new because it actually decreases your nicotine addiction. Very interesting.

[Feifer]

This has been out for several years now, but there is an amazing appliance called the heartmate that takes over the function of the left ventrical in your heart. It is a device that is installed below the skin and can be used in a hospital of with a portable battery pack. It is for people who are waiting on a heart and would not survive until they get one. I have seen one in operation and have seen the procedure for instaling one and still have a hard time believing that it works. It is so cool that lives can be prolonged until a human heart is available. It is amazing that you can open up the body and tinker with it and then see the person walking around a short while later.

[fluff]

Nothing new, but the fact you can transplant organs and have the recipients go on to lead long full lives still amazes me.

The doctors can use anything of mine that will benefit someone else when I'm gone.

(Totally unrelated - you have beautiful hair Feif.)

[Ilikai]

I used smokeaway to quit this past June, it uses herbs and stuff, no nicotine... actually flushes the nicotine out of your system.

[Feifer]

Thank you, Fluff!

[firegirl]

How about all the new patch stuff.. like the patch birth control.. that is fantastic!

[John]

Oh yeah, that new patch birth control is awesome. Not for me, mind you

Now, I hear they're coming out with a new pill that causes women to only ride the red tide once every quarter. I bet men will be bugging their wives to get that in droves.

[KylieGrant]

Actually, you can manipulate birth control pills to do that. Just skip the last 6 or 7 pills, that are placebos. You'd actually never have one if you did that forever.