Arthritis Treatment Today

/ January 19th, 2011/ Posted in Health News / No Comments »

Tylenol issues another recall, but says products are safe for consumers

The maker of Tylenol is recalling several of its Tylenol products — as well as some cases of Benadryl, Sudafed and Sinutab products — because they were made in a Pennsylvania plant that has been shut down.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare is voluntarily recalling certain lots of Tylenol 8 Hour, Tylenol Arthritis Pain and Tylenol upper respiratory products that were distributed in the United States, the Caribbean and Brazil.

The products, which also include some lots of Sudafed PE, Sinutab and Benadryl, were manufactured at the McNeil plant in Fort Washington, Penn., before April 2010, when production at that plant was suspended because of insufficient cleaning procedures.

The company says that the recall is a precautionary measure taken after the company reviewed its quality procedures.

The company says that consumers do not need to take any action and may continue to use the products. “It is very unlikely that this impacted the quality of these products,” the company said in a statement.

In addition, McNeil also has recalled certain product lots of Rolaids Multi-Symptom Berry Tablets distributed in the United States, in order to update the labeling. The company initiated the recall after determining that the product labeling does not include the language “Does not meet USP” as required by regulation.

A USP label means that the product meets the standards of the United States Pharmacopeia, a non–governmental authority that sets standards for prescription and over-the-counter medicines and other healthcare products manufactured or sold in the United States.

Johnson & Johnson, which owns McNeil Consumer Healthcare, has come under scrutiny in the past year because it has recalled about 288 million items, including about 136 million bottles of liquid Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl for infants and children.

The problems stem from quality-control issues in multiple factories. Last year’s recalls were sparked because some of its consumer products contained bits of metal, while others came in bottles with a moldy smell.

McNeil, meanwhile, is conducting a comprehensive review of records at its U.S. manufacturing facilities.

Consumers can access full product details and other information about the recall on the http://www.mcneilproductrecall.com website or by calling its Consumer Care Center at 1-888-222-6036 (available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time).

Master switch that triggers arthritis found

LONDON: In what may pave the way for an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis , scientists have identified what they claim is a “master switch” which triggers the condition .

A team at Imperial College London has, in fact, found a protein, called IRF5, that acts as a switch, telling immune system cells, called macrophages , to promote or stop inflammation , the Daily Express reported . “This is really exciting ,” lead researcher Irina Udalovasaid .

Rheumatoid arthritis is an incurable immune system disease where joints are swollen by inflammation. The body uses inflammation as a defence against infection and tissue damage, but too much is harmful .

Blocking the production of IRF5 could help in a range of diseases including RA, lupus and even MS , say the British scientists .

Petpals – Treating canine arthritis

Like humans, dogs can also get arthritis due to old age, joint infections, traumatic injury to joints, dietary imbalance, autoimmune diseases and hormonal imbalance. Genetic factors, breed susceptibility, being overweight and lack of exercise can act as predisposing factors for arthritis.

On an average, a dog’s skeletal system has 319 bones regardless of the breed type. The structure comprises of different kinds of bones and joints which undergo several changes due to environmental challenges during lifetime.

The first seven to eight months are very important in pup’s life as this is the period of rapid growth and development. Proper supplementation of essential minerals like Calcium and Phosphorous is important during this period. Along with oral supplementation, proper exercise for the dog is also needed to keep the body in proper shape and to ensure a strong skeletal system.

The most common form of arthritis in dogs is osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease)

Symptoms

Favouring a particular limb

Hesitancy to jump, run or climb the stairs

Behavioural changes like prolonged sleeping

Reduction in alertness

Stiff, sore joints & lameness

Reluctance to play or work

Joint enlargement or swelling

Weight gain

Physical examination and an x-ray are required to diagnose arthritis.

Treatment:

Regular exercise

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) supplementation to reduce pain and inflammation, although with side effects.

Dietary provision of nutrients like Glucosamine, Chondritin sulfate and Hyaluronic acid salt formulations are very effective as they provide structural support

Therapy including NSAIDS , Glucosamine, Chondritin and Hyaluronic acid

Proper diet can be used as a preventive major for control of canine arthritis in older dogs.

(The author is CEO– Provimi Animal Nutrition India. He can be reached at sandeepkarkhanis@provimi.in.)

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