#pharmacology
73 episodes · Page 2 of 4
#3268: Why Strattera Works (or Fails) Depending on Your Liver
How one liver enzyme explains wildly different reactions to the same ADHD drug.
#3261: The Hidden Zoo of Drug Testing
Mice dominate headlines, but drug validation relies on dogs, pigs, ferrets, and macaques — each chosen for a specific human system.
#3260: How 10,000 Lever Presses Predict Addiction Risk
How rat breakpoints predict human abuse potential — and whether we can replace animal testing.
#3255: Catatonia Beyond the Frozen Statue
Catatonia isn't just frozen stillness—it's a motor dysregulation syndrome more common in mania than schizophrenia.
#3254: When a Single Patient Changes Medicine: Case Reports That Matter
Why do doctors write case reports for free? And how have single-patient observations sparked drug approvals?
#3253: Nicotine Receptors & Bupropion: How an Antidepressant Blocks Smoking
How bupropion hijacks nicotinic receptors to cut smoking reward and withdrawal — and why these receptors aren't really "nicotine" receptors.
#3248: Why Isn't Modafinil Used More for ADHD?
Modafinil boosts wakefulness and dopamine. So why does it lose to stimulants for ADHD?
#3239: Why the Brain Doesn't Fight Back Against Vyvanse
How SSRIs and Vyvanse trick the brain’s homeostatic machinery into healing instead of resisting.
#3170: Pharmacokinetics vs Neural Nets: Two Meanings of "Model
Two things called "models" that work completely differently — and why the confusion matters for patient safety.
#3166: The Split in Insomnia Treatment: SOI vs SMI
Sleep-onset and sleep-maintenance insomnia have different biology, different drugs, and different treatments.
#3070: The Hidden World of Custom Drug Dosing
Why getting a precise 6.25mg Seroquel dose reveals the strange economics of custom medicine.
#3031: How Allergies Actually Work (And Why They're Getting Worse)
The immunology, the hygiene hypothesis, climate change's role, and how non-drowsy antihistamines really are.
#3027: Why You Wake at 3 AM and Can't Get Back to Sleep
60% of chronic insomnia cases involve waking up mid-night. Here's what's different in your brain and what actually works.
#2965: How Your Liver Actually Processes Drugs
The five half-life rule, grapefruit juice warnings, and why some drugs don't follow the rules.
#2912: Why SSRIs Can Make You Drenched at 3 AM
SSRIs can wreck your body's thermostat. Here's the neuropharmacology behind night sweats and what you can do.
#2903: The Maple Syrup Paradox of Fenugreek
Fenugreek smells like maple syrup but tastes bitter. How one bean fooled the world for 8,000 years.
#2891: Do ADHD Drug Holidays Actually Work?
The science behind taking breaks from stimulant medication—does it reset dopamine or just disrupt treatment?
#2858: The Five Platform Shifts in Vaccine History
From variolation to mRNA: how vaccine technology has evolved through five distinct platform shifts.
#2716: Myrrh: The Ancient Resin Worth More Than Gold
Myrrh was once worth its weight in gold. Here's the botany, ancient trade, and medicinal chemistry behind it.
#2712: The Plant Destroyed by Its Own Value
Why Himalayan spikenard oil costs $200/oz—from harvest to adulteration, ecology, and ancient trade.
#2711: What 28 Molecules Actually Do Inside You
Why 68% of US adults have subclinical deficiencies — and how missing one mineral can bottleneck your entire energy system.
#2710: Is Sunlight a Vitamin or a Hormone?
Why calling vitamin D a "vitamin" is a historical accident—and what sunlight does that supplements can't.
#2708: Why Histamine Keeps You Awake and Makes You Sneeze
How one molecule runs both your allergy symptoms and your brain’s wakefulness system.
#2701: Why Drugs Give You Vivid Nightmares
SSRIs, beta-blockers, and melatonin: how medications hijack the brain's dream machinery.