#DrugSafety

A widely used allergy medication, diphenhydramine—best known by the brand name Benadryl—is facing new scrutiny from health experts, who now argue that its risks outweigh its usefulness, particularly when safer alternatives are available. In a recent review published by leading allergy specialists from Johns Hopkins University and the University of California, San Diego, calls have intensified for this first-generation antihistamine to be pulled from over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription markets in the United States, igniting worldwide interest and concern, including in Thailand where similar medications are popular.

A wave of new research is drawing unprecedented connections between marijuana use and serious cardiovascular risks, overturning widely-held beliefs that cannabis is relatively harmless. Large-scale studies published in mid-2025 point to a significantly increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death among users of marijuana—a finding that experts caution should inform personal and public health choices in Thailand and worldwide (The New York Times; Fox News; Virgin Islands Consortium).

As marijuana use undergoes rapid normalization, with legal medical and recreational access expanding across the world, researchers warn that its cardiac dangers are becoming clearer and more urgent. In Thailand, where medicinal cannabis was legalized in 2022 and recreational use remains in legal limbo, these findings arrive as lawmakers and public health officials debate the way forward in marijuana regulation and education (CNN).

A prominent New York cardiologist has sounded the alarm on a silent risk lurking in the medication cabinets of millions: phthalates—chemicals used to make soft gel capsules—may significantly increase the risk of heart attacks, according to new research and expert warning. This revelation, which directly affects commonly used medications such as pain relievers, multivitamins, stool softeners, and cold remedies, is poised to raise concern among medicine users globally and in Thailand, where health awareness continues to rise and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals remain readily accessible.