Stoic Times

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in Medicine (3 stories)
health

'Half the month I want to live, the other I want to die': The hidden condition affecting 1m women

A Million Women Cycle Through Despair Each Month. Medicine Is Finally Paying Attention.

What Happened

A BBC report highlights Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), a severe hormonal condition estimated to affect around 1 million women in the UK. Sufferers experience debilitating psychological symptoms — including suicidal ideation — in the weeks before menstruation. Despite its scale, the condi...

What's In Your Control

Whether you share this article with a woman in your life who has described cyclical, inexplicable low periods. Whether you learn the name "PMDD" so you can recognise it. If you are a sufferer: whet...

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health

A Single Infusion Could Suppress H.I.V. for Years, Study Suggests

A Single Infusion May Suppress HIV for Years. If It Works, 40 Million Lives Change.

What Happened

A new study suggests that a single infusion of a broadly neutralizing antibody (or similar long-acting treatment) could suppress HIV for an extended period — potentially years — without daily medication. The research is at study stage, meaning it has not yet completed clinical trials or received ...

What's In Your Control

Whether you share this cautiously with someone affected by HIV — as genuine hope, not a cure announcement. Whether you follow reputable sources (NIH, WHO) rather than headline-chasing for updates o...

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health

'It's ruined my life': Hundreds tell BBC how medication triggered gambling and other addictions

Parkinson's Drugs Cause Gambling Addiction in Some Patients. Doctors Are Learning.

What Happened

The BBC received hundreds of reports from patients whose Parkinson's disease medications (likely dopamine agonists) triggered compulsive gambling and other addictive behaviors. These are documented side effects that can occur when dopamine pathways are artificially stimulated, but patients report...

What's In Your Control

If you take Parkinson's medication: discuss side effects with your neurologist, set up financial safeguards before problems develop, have family monitor for behavioral changes. If you're a caregive...

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