Antidepressants Blog

Fainting usually occurs in the standing or sitting position. It is rare when a person is lying down.

Fainting is a common occurrence at restaurants, especially if they are hot and stuffy.

A few alcoholic drinks cause dilatation of the skin and a diversion of blood to the gut. Suddenly decompensation takes place and there is an inadequate blood flow back to the heart, and the person may faint.

However, sometimes the fainting episode is due to some pathological cause. That is, there is some underlying disease process.

Sudden loss of blood, such as may occur from a severed artery in an accident or from a miscarriage, or even with a heavy period or a severe nosebleed may lead to fainting.

Bleeding may occur from a duodenal ulcer and the rapid loss of one or two pints of blood may lead to fainting.

If the blood is not vomited (haematemesis) the cause may not be obvious.

However, the blood may pass through the gut and the motion then passed is black and tarry (melaena).

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The risk from oestrogens becomes greater the longer the drug is used and the bigger the dose. We are hesitant to use them beyond six months.

Oestrogens used regularly for longer than this may increase the risk of uterine cancer some five or more times.

The newer method of using oestrogens in the post-menopausal woman is to give it in a cyclical fashion — three weeks on and one week off. Progesterone, the other female hormone, is given during this week off oestrogen.

This routine will usually cause some bleeding. This method, by clearing away the whole lining of the womb each month, greatly lowers the risk of cancer.

The Pap smear is not a reliable test for cancer of the body of the uterus but, if women have one taken, it gives the doctor an opportunity to question them on the presence of symptoms such as bleeding or discharge and to examine the womb. Any suggestive symptoms or findings may lead to a curette or washing out of the lining of the womb to detect cancer cells.

Regular screening for breast and cervical cancer is possible without the need to set up special clinics.

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In Phase II studies, the aim is to find out what human cancers, if any, are sensitive to the new treatment. Although these tests are not usually as unpleasant and dangerous, again only patients who have already had all known effective anti-cancer treatments are asked to take part. Here, because researchers are now mainly trying to find out about effects against cancer, they concentrate on measuring size of cancer growths. If some patients’ growths do get smaller, further testing is carried out on their particular types of cancer in Phase III studies (see below). If none of the first fourteen patients with a certain type of cancer show any reduction in their tumours, the treatment is not usually tested any further. This is because it is most unlikely that the treatment will be effective in a worthwhile proportion of patients with that type of cancer. Again, if your main reason for agreeing to be a research subject is the hope that it will benefit you personally, you are likely to be disappointed.

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