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Buspar (Buspirone) For Depression: Exploring The Antidepressant Potential

Buspar (Buspirone) is a drug of the azapirone chemical classification that was engineered and patented in the 1970s by Mead Johnson.  It was later acquired by the pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb and approved by the FDA in 1986 for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).  What’s unique about buspirone compared to other anxiolytics such …

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Whole-Body Hyperthermia For Depression: Turning Up The Heat To Enhance Mood?

Hyperthermia is defined as supraphysiological body temperature resulting from absorption and/or production of more heat than is dispelled.  Medically, local hyperthermia is often used as an adjunct to radiation and/or chemotherapy for the treatment of cancers.  It is thought that deliberate induction of hyperthermia to a cancerous region of the body increases the sensitivity of …

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Pindolol For Depression: A Useful Antidepressant Adjunct?

Pindolol is a beta blocker initially synthesized by the pharmaceutical company Sandoz in the 1960s.  As of 1977 it received FDA approval for the management of hypertension and was sold under the brand name “Visken.”  Pharmacologically, pindolol acts as a non-selective beta blocker, meaning it competitively binds to all 3 beta-adrenergic receptor sites (Beta-1, Beta-2, …

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Phentermine For Depression: Does It Improve Mood?

Phentermine is a sympathomimetic amine [derived from amphetamine] initially approved by the FDA in 1959 for the treatment of obesity.  Its usage in the treatment of obesity was considered ideal due to the fact that phentermine suppressed appetite through central modulation of norepinephrine, and peripherally mobilized fat stores through catecholaminergic upregulation. That said, in the …

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Acupuncture For Weight Loss: Does It Really Work?

Data from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) indicates that approximately 78.6 million adults (34.9%) are clinically obese.  Healthcare costs of obesity-related medical conditions such as: cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes, and stroke (to name a few) – are thought to exceed $190 billion per year, accounting for over one-fifth of all annual medical expenses in …

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Hypnosis For Weight Loss: Does It Really Work?

According to National Health and Nutrition Examination surveys, over 2 out of 3 adults in the United States are overweight and/or obese.  Excessive body weight and/or fat is understood to increase risk for numerous morbidities including:  cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, sleep apnea, and stroke – and that’s just naming a few.  Perhaps troubling is …

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Naltrexone & Weight Loss: What Should You Expect?

Naltrexone is a chemical initially synthesized in 1963 and patented thereafter by the pharmaceutical company Endo Laboratories in 1967.  It is considered a substituted derivative of oxymorphone in that the tertiary amine methyl-constituent is replaced with an allyl group (specifically an N-cyclopropylmethyl group) – or a longer chain of carbon atoms.  It was initially approved …

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