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‘Gas station heroin’ is technically illegal, widely available. Here are the facts

WASHINGTON (AP) — Health officials want you to think twice before buying one of those brightly colored little bottles often sold at gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops. Sometimes called "gas station heroin," the products are usually marketed as energy shots or cognitive supplements but actually contain tianeptine, an unapproved drug that can be addictive and carries risks of serious side effects. U.S. poison control centers have reported a steady rise in calls linked to the drug for more than a decade. And last month the Food and Drug Administration sent a warning to ...

FDA approves Moderna’s new lower-dose COVID-19 vaccine

By The Associated Press The U.S. approved a new COVID-19 vaccine made by Moderna late Friday but with limits on who can use it — not a replacement for the company's existing shot, but a second option. The new vaccine, mNexspike, is a step toward next-generation coronavirus vaccines. It's made in a way that allows for a lower dose — a fifth of the dose of its current COVID-19 vaccine, Spikevax — by refining its immune target. The approval "adds an important new tool to help protect people at high risk of severe disease from COVID-19," Stephane Bancel, Moderna's CEO, said in a ...

Health Matters: Dehydration dangerous with diabetes

ESCANABA — The rise in diabetes, a disease of excess blood sugar, has been dramatic over the last century. Prior to that, it was relatively unheard of and quite a rarity. Only the rich were able to ingest sweet, sugary foods and did so only occasionally. Nowadays it’s put into everything, from salad dressings to main courses to every beverage imaginable. Some people are diagnosed with this too common condition but are given little information other than being told to stay away from sugary foods and take their meds. Yet, as a society, we have improved on the issue of diabetic ...

At-home health tests are here. But they aren’t always the best option

The doctor is in — the mailbox, that is. You can now do self-administered tests for everything from thyroid function to HIV in the privacy of your own home — and that list continues to grow, as the Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first at-home cervical cancer ...

Iron Mountain VA offers free wellness service

IRON MOUNTAIN — The Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center (OGJVAMC) is pleased to continue offering “Early Alert,” a free, confidential and voluntary resource that checks in with Veterans once a week via text message. Check-ins involve general questions about sleep, physical health, relationships and financial challenges. If a Veteran identifies struggles during these check ins, Early Alert will instantly refer them to support resources that are specifically relevant for the challenges the Veteran describes, including 24/7 live crisis counseling as needed. Veterans do not need to ...

Health Matters: Neuropathy and fall risk

By Dr. Conway McLean, FAPWHc, DABFAS ESCANABA — The numbers tell the truth, the years to come will see a continued rise in the number of Americans afflicted with diabetes. That and our aging population will have significant consequences to healthcare expenditures. Both of these issues can have serious repercussions when it comes to wellness and quality of life measures. And both can lead to nerve problems. The term typically applied to the most common type of nerve dysfunction is neuropathy. Although the word is frequently encountered in the media, there is (as with so many ...