Can natural herb from the feverfew plant prevent migraines?

 

Migraine headaches affect nearly thirty million people in the United States – many of them women. Some people suffering from migraines only experience an occasional headache, while others are forced to deal with them more than once a week. For some sufferers, the pain can be so severe that it leads to missed time from work and school. While prescription medications are the mainstay of treatment, there’s some evidence that a plant from the sunflower family – called feverfew – may be effective for treating migraine headaches. Does feverfew for migraine really work?

Feverfew Benefits: What is It?

The leaves from the feverfew plant have bitter, citrus odor and have been used medicinally to treat a variety of conditions ranging from arthritis to digestive problems – and has shown some promise for treating migraine headaches.

feverfew for Migraine: Does It Work?

Some studies show that feverfew can reduce the frequency and severity of migraine headaches – although results have been inconsistent.  It can be used for both prevention of migraines, and – at higher doses – to stop a migraine in progress. To reduce the frequency of migraine headaches, feverfew needs to be taken for at least a month before results can be expected.

Feverfew Benefits: How Does It Work?

The active ingredient in the feverfew plant is parthenolide – a compound that has anti-inflammatory effects. It exerts its effects by altering levels of chemicals called prostaglandins which increase inflammation. It also prevents release of serotonin and histamine from platelets. This reduces the tendency of the blood vessels in the brain to dilate and spasm – leading to symptoms of a migraine.

Feverfew for Migraine: Is It Safe?

Feverfew is safe for most people to take. Because it alters the activity of platelets, it can prolong bleeding time and may not be appropriate for people on blood thinning medications. The most common side effects are mild gastrointestinal upset and nervousness. It shouldn’t be used by women who are pregnant.

Feverfew Benefits: Should You Take It if You Have Migraines?

Studies – so far- have shown inconsistent results with some studies showing benefits for migraine prevention and others showing less than impressive results. Because feverfew has few serious side effects, it may be worth a trial if you suffer from migraines and want to limit the use of prescriptions.  Feverfew can be purchased at a variety of online vitamin stores such as Vitacost. Always talk to your doctor before taking feverfew and be sure to keep a headache journal so you can gauge how effectively it works for you.

INFORMATION EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW........................

B lood Clots/Stroke - They Now Have a Fourth Indicator, the Tongue   STROKE:Remember the 1st Three Letters....S.T.R.   STROKE IDENTIFICATION:   During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call the paramedics)        She said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.    They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening   Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ.

Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today.                                           

Some don't die, they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.
 
 It only takes a minute to read this...
 
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally.        He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
 
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
 
Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR .

Read and Learn!
 
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster.                 The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
 
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
 S  *Ask the individual to SMILE.

 T  *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE

      (Coherently)  i.e. It is sunny out today.
 R  *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

 If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call the emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke ---Stick out Your Tongue---
 NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this:  Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

On The Track of New Wonder Drugs

The human body…It has amazing powers to fight disease of injury. Sometimes it needs a little help in the form of drugs, but today it seems that even the most powerful drugs of the future will come from the body itself – they will be derived from proteins.

On the Track of New Wonder Drugs

 

By Mr Ghaz, January 2, 2010

http://u.nu/58ue4

On the Track of New Wonder Drugs

http://u.nu/79ue4

The biggest helper that doctors have in curing illness in the human body is – the human body. It has amazing powers to fight disease of injury. Sometimes it needs a little help in the form of drugs, but today it seems that even the most powerful drugs of the future will come from the body itself – they will be derived from proteins.

http://u.nu/3aue4

Among their many components, proteins contain enzymes – themselves a type of protein – which help speed up chemical reactions in the body; antibodies, which help fight infections; and most hormones, which act as chemical messengers. Of approximately 25,000 proteins in the human body, scientists have been able to identify fewer than 2 percent. But of that 2 percent, a group known as peptides, or peptide hormones, has far-reaching medical significance.

Links in the Chain

http://u.nu/8aue4

Proteins are formed from amino acids, which are made up chiefly of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. As far as we now know, some 20 aminoacids are joined together by peptide bonds. The peptides are the links in the chain.

http://u.nu/4bue4

Many peptides are secreted by glands: by the thalamus, hypothalamus, and pituitary in the brain; and by the pancreas, which is located near the stomach. It is not known exactly what peptides do nor how they can be so specific in their operation.

http://u.nu/5cue4

One theory holds that they work on the jigsaw principle each peptide is made in such a way that it will fit only into one particular receptor, a protein or a hormone, for example. It “searches” for the right receptor. Once the connection has been made, it starts a series of chemical reactions, activating enzymes that in turn send “messages” to the cells to produce specialized proteins according to the needs of the body.

http://u.nu/7eue4

Some peptide drugs have been in use for many years. Among them are insulin, used in treating diabetes; somatotrophin, the growth hormone; and oxytocin, which starts milk production in mothers. Peptide drugs have already been approved for use with some forms of dwarfism, infertility, and the premature onset of puberty. Other peptides being tested may be used for treatment of cancer, depression, insomnia, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

http://u.nu/8fue4

In due course scientists hope to have peptide drugs for conditions that at present are impossible to treat, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Future research will explore drugs for birth control and as replacement for antibiotics.

Improving on Nature

http://u.nu/9iue4

Until recently it was not possible to extract sufficient quantities of human peptides to use as drugs. But in the 1970’s chemists perfected a way to build up artificial peptides by bonding the first amino acid of a peptide chain to tiny resin beads. Unwanted amino acids were washed away, and a second amino acid was then bonded onto the first. This was repeated until the entire chain was created. The whole process, if computerized, can safely make drugs in the required commercial quantities in a matter of days.

http://u.nu/6jue4

Not only can chemists reproduce a natural peptide, they can also vary the sequence of the amino acids in order to make small but important changes. In this way they can give the artificial peptide certain characteristics, such as long lasting action, that the natural version does not have.

http://u.nu/5pue4

Finally, because the new drugs are so powerful, the doses can be much smaller. And since they work the same way as the body’s own peptides, they cause fewer undesirable side effects.

Signs of Swine Flu

SIGNS OF SWINE FLU

Swine Flu has disturbed many people in around the globe; people are taking preventive measures so that they become save from it. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) it is a new influenza virus causing illness in people. This virus is spreading from person-to-person worldwide, probably in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread.  Therefore for those people who don’t know about the symptoms of this swine flu virus. I am mentioning these signs below;

 

       Fever

 

 

 

         Cough

 

 

        Sore throat

     Runny or stuffy nose

      Headache

 

-         Body aches

-         Chills

-         Fatigue

-         Vomiting (sometimes)

-         Diarrhea (sometimes)

GPAT 2010 - OFFICIAL INFORMATION

Alright guys everything is crystal clear now...Entrance for M.Pharma in 2010 is going to be conducted by The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Gujarat under the name of Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT 2010) on 2nd of May, 2010

Here is the link...

http://www.msubaroda.ac.in/msugpat2010.php

There are only superficial info mentioned here...I am having official brochure published by M S University...I will keep on providing here all the necessary info...

 Dec 24 (2 days ago)

Important Dates For GPAT 2010

Issue of application forms and information brochures at designated Bank of Baroda counters or by post from The M S University of Baroda --- 18th January- 2010

Last date for receipt of requests at The M S University of Baroda, for issue of application material by posy/ at bank counters --- 20th February - 2010

Last Date for receipt of completed OMR Application form along with Pay-in-slip and Demand Draft at the organizing institute The M S University of Baroda --- 18th March- 2010

Date of GPAT-2010 --- 2nd May- 2010

Announcement of results of GPAT-2010 --- At 17.00 Hrs On 24th May - 2010

 Dec 24 (2 days ago)

   

GPAT Qualification

Admission to PG programmes with MHRD and other govt scholarships/assistantships in 

pharmacy colleges/institutes is op-en for those who qualify through GPAT. GPAT qualified 

candidates with bechelors degree in pharmacy are eligible for admission to Master/Doctoral 

program in Pharmacy. To avail the scholarship, the candidate must secure admission to such a 

PG programme, as per the prevailing procedure of the admitting institution. However, candidates 

with master's degree in pharmacy may seek asmission to relevant PhD programmes with 

scholarships/assistantships without appearing in the GPAT examination.

Some institutions specify GPAT qualification as mandatory even for admission of self financing 

students to PG programmes. GPAT qualified candidates are also eligible for the award of Junior 

Research Fellowship in CSIR Laboratories and CSIR sponsored projects.

GATE Examination for Pharmacy Students

GATE Examination for Pharmacy Students

 

The National co-ordination Board for GATE 2010 in its 35^th meeting held on 23^rd November at Guwahati has resolved as under -

 

“It was decided that examination for PY paper would be conducted along with the JAM 2010 examination. The AICTE will be responsible for the examination and will announce it. The AICTE will handle setting of question papers, evaluating answer scripts, declaring results and all other aspects. The GATE committee will provide all the necessary help and guidance in conducting  the examination for PY paper in 2010.”

Useful Resources, Databases for Pharmaceuticals, Chemistry & Medicine

1) Major Chemical Database Collections

Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS)

http://www.cas.org/

Scientific Technical Databases (STN)

http://www.stn-international.de/

Vifapharm Databases

http://www.vifapharm.de/datenbank.htm

ChemLin Chemical Databases

http://www.chemlin.de/chemie/datenbanken.htm

Online Database Collection, University of Cincinnati

http://www.engrlib.uc.edu/selfhelp/alphlist.htm

2)Chemical Substances Search

Chemfinder

http://chemfinder.cambridgesoft.com/

ChemIDplus

http://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus

Chemical Substances Search (Chemical Industry)

http://www.chemindustry.com/chemicals

Web related Servers / Chemistry and small Molecules

http://www.iucr.org/sincris-top/themes/chimie/

3) Synthesis

SPRESI (Storage and Retrieval of Chemical Structure Information) - Web, Infochem

http://www.spresi.com/

Organic Synthesis (OS)

http://www.orgsyn.org/

4) Analysis

Chromatography Online, Library4Science

http://www.chromatography-online.org/

Separations NOW - Resource for Chromatography

http://www.separationsnow.com/basehtml/SepH/1,1353,0-4-25555-0-25555-directories--0,00.html

Analytical Database Systems

http://www.limathon.com/

Chromatography, ChemicalAnalyis.com

http://www.chemicalanalysis.com/chromatography.htm

ASTEC USA

http://www.astecusa.com/

Agilent (HP)

http://www.home.agilent.com/agilent/facet.jspx?t=80030.k.1&cc=US&lc=eng&sm=g&pageMode=TM

Thomson Instrument Company

http://www.hplc1.com/index.html

SEDERLE

http://www.sedere.com/

Dionex

http://www.dionex.com/app/tree.taf?asset_id=9536

Metrohm

http://www.metrohm.ch/applications.html

CAMAG

http://www.camag.ch/index.htm

5) Spectral Data

Spectral Data, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

http://www.aist.go.jp/RIODB/SDBS/sdbs/owa/sdbs_sea.cre_frame_sea

Spectral Libraries

http://www.acdlabs.com/products/spec_lab/exp_spectra/spec_libraries/

SDBS - Integrated Spectral Data Base System for Organic Compounds

http://www.aist.go.jp/RIODB/SDBS/menu-e.html

Thermo Galactic Spectra Online

http://spectra.galactic.com/

Spectral Database of Organic Compounds

http://www.lehman.cuny.edu/chem/chemlib.html

NMR-Shift Database

http://www.nmrshiftdb.org/

6) Reference Standards

List of Chemical Reference Substances (WHO)

http://www.who.int/medicines/organization/qsm/activities/qualityassurance/pharmacopea/icrs.doc

LGC Promochem

http://www.lgcpromochem.com/home/home_en.aspx

Chemical References

http://www.comar.bam.de/

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Chemistry Web Book

http://webbook.nist.gov/chemistry/

7) Pharma & Medicine

Rx list: Internet Drug Index

http://www.rxlist.com/script/main/hp.asp