Suddenly stopping daily use of these allergy meds could leave you itching; pharmacy owner sentenced to 19 years for opioid trafficking hub, defrauding IRS; newly discovered ‘molecular fingerprints’ could reshape diabetes care – Morning Medical Update

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Suddenly stopping long-term use of these allergy meds could leave you itching

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a new warning for cetirizine (Zyrtec) and levocetirizine (Xyzal), alerting the public that suddenly stopping these common allergy medications after long-term daily use may lead to rare but severe itching, or pruritus. The reaction, reported in more than 200 cases worldwide, typically begins within days of discontinuation, even in patients who never experienced itching before treatment.

Although rare, the side effect can be debilitating and has led to disability, hospitalization and even suicidal thoughts in extreme cases. Most patients saw symptoms improve after restarting the medication, and in some cases, tapering off slowly helped resolve the reaction. The FDA is updated prescribing information for prescription versions and will ask manufacturers to add the warning to over-the-counter product labels.

Pharmacy owner sentenced to 19 years for opioid trafficking hub, defrauding IRS

The owner of a Houston-based pharmacy was sentenced to 19 years in prison for orchestrating a massive opioid distribution scheme and filing false tax returns. Prosecutors say Christopher Obaze, 64, used Chrisco Pharmacy as a “ghosting pharmacy,” purchasing millions of hydrocodone and oxycodone pills from wholesalers and selling them illegally to traffickers. No prescriptions, no patients, no doctors. Between 2018 and 2021, Obaze and his team moved more than 2.2 million pills. To cover his tracks, Obaze stopped reporting prescriptions, structured bank deposits to avoid detection and helped file fraudulent tax returns understating his pharmacy’s income. He was convicted on drug distribution and tax fraud charges following a joint investigation by the DEA and IRS.

Newly discovered ‘molecular fingerprints’ could reshape diabetes care

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have identified unique molecular signatures of insulin resistance that vary widely between individuals — challenging the conventional view of type 2 diabetes as a binary diagnosis. Published in Cell, the study used advanced proteomics to analyze muscle tissue from over 120 participants, revealing protein changes that could help detect diabetes earlier and tailor treatment to individual needs. Some people with type 2 diabetes even showed better insulin response than those without the disease, underscoring the need for more personalized approaches to diabetes care.