Healthy in Pueblo: FDA warns about joint pain drug, Pueblo joins overdose response program

Breast cancer surgeon to speak at Parkview Health System event in June

Breast cancer surgeon Dr. Kristi Funk, who has been called a women's health warrior, will be the featured speaker at the Parkview Health System “Ladies and Lemons” Signature Lunch event, set to be held at the Pueblo Convention Center on June 16.

Funk has helped thousands of women through breast cancer treatment, including celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Sheryl Crow, who have turned to her for her surgical expertise.

“She is a passionate women’s health physician, and we are so lucky to have her come to Pueblo,” Parkview Community Outreach coordinator Jeanette Micheli said in a statement. “I feel it is so important to education the community on the importance of mammogram screenings — especially during the pandemic many women may have not gotten their mammogram screening or delayed it."

Attendees at the event will receive a copy of Funk's latest book “Breasts: The Owner’s Manual,” which is full of ways women can empower themselves to reduce their breast cancer risk, reduce recurrence risk if they are a cancer survivor, and educate those newly diagnosed or living with the disease.

Reservations for the lunch can be made by calling 719-584-4760 or by visiting parkviewmc.com/lemons.

Sangre de Cristo Community Care names new palliative care director

Viviana Bozzi, who worked for 14 years as a registered nurse for Parkview Medical Center, has been named director of palliative care for Sangre de Cristo Community Care.

Palliative care is a medical specialty that focuses on symptom management for people with serious illness and supports them as they navigate life-changing diagnoses.

“With palliative care, if someone wants to continue aggressive treatment, we can treat their symptoms so that they can concentrate on curative measures,” Bozzi, a board-certified family practitioner, said in a statement.

“It’s not just for geriatric patients but pediatrics and everything in between … we’re able to provide that extra support,” Bozzi said.

A native of Colombia, Bozzi moved to Pueblo when she was a young girl. She's bilingual in Spanish and English.

Bozzi worked in the neuro trauma intensive care unit at Parkview and also spent three years as a nurse practitioner for United Healthcare.

New York to mentor Pueblo in program to address overdose problem

The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment is part of a new mentorship program that will seek to rectify health inequities among populations affected by drug overdoses across the U.S., the National Association of County and City Health Officials said in a statement Friday.

NACCHO's Health Equity and Overdose Prevention and Response Mentorship Program connects local health departments in a mentor/mentee relationship, to allow them to learn, share experiences, and exchange strategies for integrating health equity into overdose prevention and response.

Departments with experience in advancing health equity in overdose prevention or response programs will mentor those interested in planning or expanding their approach to health equity in drug overdose prevention and response.

PDPHE’s mentor in the program will be the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Health inequities among populations experiencing drug overdose have not been adequately addressed during the opioid pandemic, NACCHO said.

The program, which is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will also establish a network of health departments across the country to be a resource for learning about drug overdose response and health equity, it said.

Joint pain supplements may contain dangerous, unlisted steroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxant

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has advised consumers not to purchase or use supplements marketed under the Artri King or Ortiga names after some were found to contain a corticosteroid, a muscle relaxant and a drug that could cause cardiovascular, stomach and serious liver problems.

The supplements are promoted and sold for joint pain and arthritis. They are available online and possibly in some retail stores, the FDA warning said.

FDA laboratory analysis found some products in the Artri King and Ortiga lines contain diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; the corticosteroid dexamethasone, and methocarbamol, a muscle relaxant, although none of those drugs are listed on the product label.

Dexamethasone can cause infections, changes in blood pressure, psychiatric problems, adrenal dysfunction, damage to bones, and increases in blood pressure, the FDA said.

Diclofenac sodium can lead to cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke; gastrointestinal damage, including bleeding, ulceration, and fatal tears of the stomach and intestines; or liver toxicity, including liver failure that can require a transplant or result in death.

Methocarbamol can cause sleepiness, dizziness, and low blood pressure, the FDA said.

The undeclared drugs in the supplements can also interact with other medications and cause serious side effects.

Consumers taking the supplements should consult with their health care professional to safely discontinue use of the products. Suddenly stopping corticosteroids after long-term use or high doses can result in a serious withdrawal syndrome, the risks of which should be assessed by a medical professional.

Health care professionals and consumers should report adverse events or side effects related to the use of the supplements to FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program. This can be done by filling in the form at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch, or by downloading and completing the form on the FDA website, and faxing it to 1-800-FDA-0178.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: News about health, nutrition and medicine in Pueblo