Entries Tagged 'Science & Health' ↓

A new post at Drug Injury Watch reports that the weight loss drug Orlistat (in Alli and Xenical), the one that makes you get the orange, foul-smelling liquishits if you eat more than a tiny amount of fat, is being investigated by the FDA for reports that it causes liver damage: Agency Has Received Case Reports Of Hepatotoxicity For Orlistat

Roche is of course claiming that it’s not their product, it’s that just that being fat causes liver failure.

I finally have a diagnosis after finding a doctor who diagnoses the old-fashioned way, that is, according to symptoms and guided by lab results, as opposed to TSH lab test only. My TSH was rising anyway but it probably would have been about another 18 months until it went over the outdated range (which ends at 5.0), so the doctor I saw sees no reason why I should have to continue on being tired, depressed, hurty, etc, until then. I also have some mild adrenal issues, so she’s given me a small dose of replacement hormones to take for a month before starting thyroid replacement. I’m taking “natural” thyroid, though it’s about as “natural” as codeine given the amount of processing it undergoes, and I get it from a local compounding pharmacy which has an excellent reputation.

My doctor says I should be feeling quite a bit less fatigue within about two months, but an improvement on every symptom could take some time given how long this stuff has been going on – and it depends on the individual too. I am excited about being able to do stuff, and actually enjoy it instead of wondering how tired it’s going to make me. Eventually! And no love lost for all the doctors who didn’t bother to do anything except blame my fat.