Skeptical reporter @ 2013-03-22

Skeptical Reporter for March 22nd, 2013 Three “male enhancement” products being sold online say they’re all herbal, but they contain hidden prescription drug ingredients and could be dangerous, the Food and Drug Administration warned. The three contain compounds similar to the active ingredients in the erectile dysfunction drugs Viagra and Cialis and can cause serious problems in men being treated for heart disease. They should not be taken without a doctor’s supervision. The names of the three products -- “Rock-It Man”, “Libido Sexual Enhancer” and “Stiff Days” -- leave little doubt what they are supposed to be used for. But while they are marketed as alternatives to the prescription drugs to be used without the guidance of a doctor, they are in fact virtual copies, without any oversight to ensure they are safe. Anyone who has bought any of the products should just toss them, the FDA advises. “Consumers who have experienced any negative side effects should consult a health care professional as soon as possible,” it adds. The Psychic Access organization is warning the public about the possibility of being conned by psychic scammers. Normally they explain that their organization can provide people with legitimate psychic services while others may take advantage of people without offering “professional” advice. This is what an announcement for Psychic Access has to say: “Psychic Scams conjured up by fake fortune-tellers continue to be a major concern for legitimate, professional psychic companies. Every day unsuspecting members of the public are conned into forking out ridiculous amounts of money to line the pockets of con artists, despite the fact that potential victims have access to online information on the subject. Phony psychics not only damage the reputation of other legitimate psychic services, but they also wreak havoc in the lives of innocent, vulnerable people”. In an effort to combat the prevalence of online psychic fraud and swindles, Psychic Access has now published a set of tips and guidelines on their website. Dr. Oz is being sued by a man who suffered severe injuries after taking the advice promoted on Oz’s show in order to help him sleep. Frank Dietl was watching an episode of Dr. Oz that recommended viewers warm their socks in the microwave with rice inside. Dietl is suing Dr. Oz, his production company and NBC Studios for recommending on television a cure for insomnia with an Oz remedy, called the knapsack heated rice footsie. The only warning he offered was to not get the socks too hot in the microwave. Oz capped the segment by telling viewers, “If you do this the right way, you’ll be thanking me for years to come”. But Dietl revealed he suffers from neuropathy, or numbness in his feet, due to diabetes — a condition Oz did not address. “There were no proper instructions or proper warnings,” Dietl’s lawyer explained. The man didn't realize how hot the socks were until he got up in the middle of the night and tried to walk. Tim Sullivan, a spokesman for Harpo Productions, which produces “The Dr. Oz Show,” said the company could not comment until it had reviewed the lawsuit. “However, we stand by the content in our program as safe and educational for our viewers,” Sullivan said. The Australian Vaccination Network has to come up with a new name for the group in a short amount of time. Last year, the New South Wales Department of Fair Trading ordered the organisation to come up with a new title that accurately describes its position on immunisation. This follows complaints from medical groups that the network's name was misleading to the public. The Australian Medical Association said the name gave the impression that the Network provided unbiased information for and against immunisation. The Fair Trading Assistant Commissioner, Robert Vellar, says a more appropriate title is needed for the organisation. "We had a look at the Australian Vaccination Network's name and thought their name ...