Thursday, March 16, 2006

MEDICAL ALERT

All drugs containing PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE are being recalled in the USA.
STOP TAKING anything containing this ingredient. It has been linkedto increased hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in brain) among women ages 18-49 inthe three days after starting use of medication. Problems were not found in men, but the FDA recommended that everyone (even children) seek alternativeMedicine.
Although the US authorities have already acted, nothing has yet been forthcoming from our own (dear) Ministry of Health in Australia!!!!

The following medications contain Phenylpropanolamine:
Acutrim Diet Gum Appetite Suppressant
Acutrim Plus Dietary Supplements
Acutrim Maximum Strength Appetite Control
Alka-Seltzer Plus Children's Cold Medicine Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold medicine (cherry or orange)
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine Original
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Cough Medicine Effervescent
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Flu Medicine
Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold & Sinus Effervescent
Alka Seltzer Plus Night-Time Cold Medicine
BC Allergy Sinus Cold Powder
BC Sinus Cold PowderComtrex Flu Therapy & Fever ReliefDay & Night
Contac 12-Hour Cold Capsules
Contac 12 Hour CapletsCoricidin D Cold, Flu & Sinus
Dexatrim Caffeine Free
Dexatrim Extended Duration
Dexatrim Gelcaps
Dexatrim Vitamin C/Caffeine Free
Dimetapp Cold & Allergy Chewable Tablets
Dimetapp Cold & Cough Liqui-Gels
Dimetapp DM Cold & Cough Elixir
Dimetapp ElixirDimetapp 4 Hour Liquid Gels
Dimetapp 4 Hour Tablets
Dimetapp 12 Hour Extentabs Tablets
Naldecon DX Pediatric Drops
Permathene Mega-16Robitussin CF
Tavist-D 12 Hour Relief of Sinus & NasalCongestion
Triaminic DM Cough Relief
Triaminic Expectorant Chest & Head
Triaminic Syrup Co ld & Allergy
Triaminic Triaminicol Cold & Cough

To confirm these findings please take time to check the following:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/ppa/default.htm
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/ppa/qa.htm
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS01051.html

Sunday, March 12, 2006

A USURER TO BEAT THEM ALL

I had an unpleasant experience with another usurer to beat them all.
I signed up for a Coles Myer Master card a few months ago principally for the petrol discount vouchers paying the monthly due amount each month except last month when the monthly payment was credited to another company, the result of an Internet banking error.
When I discovered this I immediately paid the total amount due on the day following the due date.
I subsequently discovered that I was charged $9.17 interest, an interest rate charge of 1.8229% for one day eg 667.6455% per annum.
This contrasts with the obligatory statement what their interest charge is which they stated at 18.5% per annum.
Obviously they use a different calculator.
To make matters worse instead of the banks who take a day to process their payments (overnight processing) several days later I'm still waiting to see the payment credited to my account. Not only that, the poorly designed web account is not secure either. Perhaps problems like this have caused their consumer loss of confidence.