1. A drug used in animals (xylazine) for sedation and analgesia has started to show up in #illicit opiates such as fentanyl and heroin. #Xylazine can be fatal in humans. It is not yet known if its effects can be reversed with naloxone. It is not detected in routine urine drug tests.
If anyone needed another reason to fear using illicit opiates, this is a scary one.
2. #Mindfulness was shown to be as effective as the oral psychiatric medication, escitalopram (Lexapro) for the treatment of #anxiety.
Properly done, mindfulness is an excellent psychological method to assist with many health-related conditions such as stress, chronic pain, anxiety, and others. It is well worth learning.
3. #Delirium is a serious complication of many serious acute illnesses, especially in intensive care units. A study in Japan showed that giving a relatively new medication used for insomnia can help prevent delirium.
The medication is suvorexant (Belsomra), which suppresses wakefulness. It has a unique mechanism of action quite different from other insomnia medications.
