Free Republic

The standard medication levodopa does not always work against tremors in Parkinson's disease, especially in stressful situations. Propranolol, however, does work during stress, providing insight into the role of the stress system in tremors. MRI scans reveal that propranolol directly inhibits activity in the brain circuit that controls tremors. Doctors may consider this medication when levodopa is ineffective. People with Parkinson's disease report that tremors worsen during stressful situations. The commonly used drug levodopa usually helps with tremors, but it tends to be less effective during stress, when tremors are often at their worst. The medication in question, propranolol, is...

Most patients are not told that biopsy or surgical manipulation of a malignant tumor may promote its spread or metastasis. Most cancer deaths ultimately result from metastatic spread, and sometimes this spread can be initiated by the cancer biopsy or surgery. Therefore, it is crucial to minimize these effects if possible. Dr. Paul Marik inspired this Substack article, as he first told me about the potential beneficial use of propranolol just before, during, or after cancer surgery. This information is also contained in his upcoming book 2nd Edition of Cancer Care, and I encourage all readers to obtain a copy...

To remove unwanted memories, just take pill?Focus Features / The Kobal Collection / Lee, David In the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a couple have their memories of each other wiped when their relationship ends badly. But now in a real-life twist to that tale, Dutch scientists show that, in humans, a fearful memory can be erased by a drug that is usually used to control blood pressure. When memories are first laid down, they are 'consolidated', usually during sleep, to fix them. Such memories generally do not change, but when they are remembered, or 'reactivated', they become...

(CBS) If there were something you could take after experiencing a painful or traumatic event that would permanently weaken your memory of what had just happened, would you take it? As correspondent Lesley Stahl reports, it’s an idea that may not be so far off, and that has some critics alarmed, and some trauma victims filled with hope. "I couldn't get my body to stop shaking. I was trembling, constantly trembling. Memories of it would just come back, reoccurring over and over and over," subway conductor Beatriz Arguedas recalls. Last Sept. 30, Beatriz was driving her normal route on the Red...