Whelehans Health Blog

Eamonn Brady is a pharmacist and the owner of Whelehans Pharmacy, Pearse St, Mullingar. If you have any health questions e-mail them to info@whelehans.ie Parkinson's disease is a long-term disorder of caused by the degeneration of dopamine generating cells in the mid-section of the brain. Its cause is unknown. Symptoms gradually worsen over time. Symptoms include stiffness, shaking (tremor) and slowing of movement.  There is no cure but treatment can slow down its progression and can provide relief of symptoms for several years. Modern treatment options means you can have a normal or near normal life expectancy.   Profile of...

Eamonn Brady is a pharmacist and the owner of Whelehans Pharmacy, Pearse St, Mullingar. If you have any health questions e-mail them to info@whelehans.ie This is a conclusion of last week’s discussion about the medication used to prevent your body rejecting the new kidneys. Last week I discussed Neoral®, Prograf®  and Deltacortil®, this week I discuss Rapamune® and Cellcept. Anti-rejection medication must be taken long term. While I specifically deal with kidney transplants this week, much of the advice I give is true for any type of transplant (eg) Heart, lung, liver.   Sirolimus (Rapamune®) Sirolimus may be combined with...

Eamonn Brady is a pharmacist and the owner of Whelehans Pharmacy, Pearse St, Mullingar. If you have any health questions e-mail them to info@whelehans.ie  This week I discuss kidney transplant and specifically advice about medication used to prevent your body rejecting the new kidneys. Anti-rejection medication needs to be taken long term after the transplant. While I specifically deal with kidney transplants, much of the advice I give is true for any type of transplant (eg) Heart, lung, liver. With all the drugs mentioned below, regular blood tests are needed as they can cause blood problems.   Cyclosporin (Neoral®) Cyclosporin...

This is final of three articles in the Westmeath Topic on anorexia nervosa, better known simply as anorexia. Last week’s article discussed psychotherapies used for anorexia. It discussed individual therapies and group therapies. The third type is family involvement.  Family involvement The term “family work” covers any intervention that utilises the strengths and support of the family to tackle the patient’s disorder. “Family work” also tries to deal with the family’s stress due to the disorder. It includes family therapies, support groups and psychoeducational input.  Conjoint therapy The Maudsley model of family therapy and similar interventions have been found to...

This is second first of three articles in the Westmeath Topic on anorexia nervosa, better known simply as anorexia.  Differences between anorexia and bulimia People with anorexia are usually underweight while people with bulimia can often have a normal weight. Anorexia often starts earlier than bulimia. Anorexia can start early to mid-teens while bulimia may start in late teens or early twenties. People with bulimia are more likely to seek help than those with anorexia. Anorexia is associated with anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and depression while bulimia is associated with depression, self-harm and substance misuse. More people recover from bulimia...