Something to know if you're prone to seizures

Ginkgo biloba's epilepsy seizures warning

Ginkgo biloba is a common herbal remedy for memory and mental focus, among other things. It comes from the same tree that is very popular here in Lexington thanks to the great statesman Henry Clay, who had them imported from China.

I once had a woman tell a group I was in that herbal remedies were natural, and therefore safe. That is, of course, hogwash. A tincture of aconite would kill a person. Belladonna, too. Even beneficial herbs have contraindications, just like pharmaceutical medicines, because they have compounds in them, some of which can work very well, and some of which may have side effects. Apparently the evidence indicates that ginkgo may increase the risk for seizures in those with epilepsy or other seizure disorders.

You should always take care to research herbal medicines if you have health conditions. The Germans in particular have codified a lot of information on herbal remedies. There are guides in English as well. Please be careful about information you find on the Internet though, and learn to evaluate websites carefully. Finally, be sure to ask your doctor about them and list them as a medicine you take. Ginkgo, for example, can increase bleeding in surgery, according to what I've read. It's important they know that as much as whether you're taking aspirin.

Damned if you do,,,

Glaxo's HIV Drug May Be Linked To Heart Attack Risk - Study

GlaxoSmithKline's Ziagen, which has as its active ingredient abacavir, may be linked to increased risk of heart attack, according to an article published Wednesday online at The Lancet. Researchers studying six HIV medicines found Ziagen linked to a twofold increase in the risk of heart attack. Abacavir is also found in the combination drugs Trizivir and Epzicom. Another drug,
Videx, produced by Bristol-Myers Squibb, was linked to a 50% increased risk of heart attack.