While you may think that arthritis is a condition unique to humans, our furry friends struggle with joint wear and tear just like we do. Unfortunately, they are not able to tell us about their discomfort, so it is up to pet owners to determine whether their pets may be in pain. There are many indications that your dog, cat, or other pet may be suffering from arthritis, including the following:

• Occasional lameness
• Tender joints
• Swollen joints
• Stiffness
• Avoiding getting up or moving around

Fortunately, glucosamine supplements can often be used to treat arthritis caused by normal aging. As pets get older, their ability to produce Glucosamine diminishes often resulting in damage to the cartilage that allows joints to function normally. Glucosamine is a naturally occurring compound that encourages the growth of new cartilage in joints. It has been used for decades and is generally well-tolerated with very few side effects. In fact, if you are suffering from arthritis, you should speak to your doctor about glucosamine treatment as it can be used to help humans too!

How a Compounding Pharmacy Can Help

If you own a dog or cat that does not like taking pills, you understand how hard it can be to make sure that your pet takes his or her required medication. Pets can eat around a pill with remarkable accuracy, and many animals need to be restrained in order to get them to swallow their medication. If only there was a way to get glucosamine into a pet-friendly form that your dog or cat will love to eat…

Fortunately, there is! A compounding pharmacy can take glucosamine and compound it into a variety of different forms that will do away with the daily struggle of trying to get your pet to swallow a pill or a tablet. Some of the pet-friendly forms of glucosamine we offer include liquids, treats, biscuits, powders, and gels. Keep in mind that our compounding services are not limited to glucosamine supplements – we can help with virtually any medication or supplement that you need to give to your pet.

Call 856-323-8723 or stop by today for more information.

If your pet is displaying signs of arthritis, you should explore treatment with glucosamine. At Kress Specialty Apothecary, we can compound glucosamine into a variety of forms that your pet will love to take. To learn more, call us today at 856-323-8723 or send us an email through our online contact form.

For people with Seasonal Affective Disorder, the winter blues hit like clockwork. SAD is a form of depression triggered by the change in seasons, primarily causing depressive periods during the fall and winter and non-depressed periods during the warmer months. A blue mood can limit a person’s ability to live their lives to the fullest, function well at work, and enjoy their friends and family. People with SAD often experience less energy, loss of interest in activities, an inability to focus, increased appetite, and sleeping more than usual.

If you have Seasonal Affective Disorder, follow these tips to help you cope during the cold winter months:

1. Maintain a routine.

Create a schedule and stick to it. For people with depression, the winter can spur an impulse to avoid interacting with other people and engaging in activities. Planning out your weeks can help you refrain from hibernating during the cold months. Include exercise, relaxing time, plans to see friends, and errands. If you schedule time to relax, you’ll feel less indulgent when you are lethargic.

2. Get Moving.

Exercise can help cure your blue mood. It releases feel-good chemicals in the brain that may ease Seasonal Affective Disorder. Working out can serve as a distraction from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression. Any physical activity that gets you moving can help improve your mood. Exercise doesn’t have to be limited to intense cardio and lifting weights. If you don’t enjoy running, try yoga or walking. Try to incorporate more physical activity throughout the day. Take the stairs at work instead of the elevator. Walk to get lunch or grab coffee rather than driving.

3. Soak up the Sun

Take in as much sunlight as you can each day. If you have seasonal depression, get outside as much as you can during the day and keep your curtains open to expose yourself to natural light when you’re indoors. Try spending at least thirty minutes every day outside. It can lift your spirits, relieve stress, and offset the seasonal drops in serotonin. Bundle up and take a stroll around the block during the early afternoon when the sun is the brightest. Even on a cold, cloudy day, you’ll still experience more sunlight than you would inside.

4. Try Light Box Therapy

Add more sun to your day with a light therapy box. Light therapy is a proven treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder. You can buy a box for your home or office. The bright rays will simulate your body’s circadian rhythms, elevate your brain’s serotonin, and suppress the release of melatonin. Doctors recommend sitting in front of a light box for about thirty minutes every day to effectively combat seasonal depression. Most people find light therapy to be most effective in the morning when the winter blues are the worst.

5. Get More Vitamin D

Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to Seasonal Affective Disorder. A recent study found that vitamin D supplements have significantly improved the symptoms of depression. You can get natural vitamin D by spending a little time outdoors each day. Talk to a Kress Pharmacist about what supplements are right for you.

Call Kress Specialty Apothecary today to find out more information about our Pharmacy Services (856) 323-8723 and how we can help with SAD.

We have all heard the phrase ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’, and it is so unfortunately preached more than practiced among the average American household. Before you laugh that off, keep in mind that there are several scientific studies that link missing breakfast to a number of dangerous health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. There is a definite and dangerous trend towards overlooking the true power of breakfast, and we will soon be paying the price.

Scope of the Issue: The numbers are skyrocketing, and staggering. A near 45% of Americans regularly go without eating some form of breakfast, with high numbers in each age group but particularly when it comes to teenage boys. Far from just fulfilling a stereotype, this grouping of adolescents going without their important nutrition should be taken seriously, as well as the impacts that this decision has towards other aspects in their development and life success.

What’s at Risk: For those who skip breakfast, they are putting themselves at risk of getting type two diabetes and gaining weight. While the latter may sound counterintuitive, there has been a noticeable uptick in caloric intake and poor food choices throughout the day in those who forgo their breakfast or brunch. Making the same choices day after day also means that those individuals will be at risk for a rise of cortisol and the stress response system, which in term activates issues with blood pressure and the storage of fatty cells. This is a major risk to the body as a whole.

Not All Breakfasts Created Equal: While the above information about eating breakfast is certainly striking, eating breakfast does not mean the same thing for people who enjoy a bowl of fruit and granola and those who always down a Frappuccino and doughnut each morning. Here’s a quick look at some of the divisions:

• Breakfast foods high in glycemic carbohydrates, such as muffins, bagels, and donuts, will give a spike in glucose at the start of the day and a sharp crash later on.
• High protein-low carbohydrate foods will result in a stabilized blood sugar and let that ‘fullness’ feeling last for far longer. A nice magic number here for anyone who is trying to eat the best breakfast with a stable blood sugar is consuming 35 grams of protein each morning with your meal.

Finding A Loophole. If you are a busy professional on the go or a sleepy teenager, mornings are not always the happiest time of the day and certainly not when you want to be thinking critically about all of your food choices. So while you may not be in the mood to fry up some eggs and sausage, you can certainly grab a protein or meal replacement shake, which will give you your requisite 35 grams of protein and leave you ready to hit the ground running and start your day on the right note.

From all of us at Kress Specialty Apothecary, we hope that you are making the right choices in your morning routine, whether that means sitting down to a quiet breakfast or mixing up a Perfect Protein Powder shake on the go. For more information about our varied services and specialties, give us a call today at 856-323-8723 to learn more.

When you take medications, you expect them to help your health and not cause additional issues in your system such as depletion of important nutrients. However, many medications can cause nutrient depletion in many ways. Some drugs may result in a loss of appetite, which can lead to malnourishment. Others can decrease your body’s absorption of nutrients or may limit the usual positive effects of nutrients. Regardless of how nutrient depletion occurs, it is important to be aware of which medications may cause this problem and address the matter through supplements or other recommendations from your doctor or pharmacist.

The following are some of the types of drugs that may commonly lead to nutrient deficiencies and the nutrients they may affect:

• Hormone replacement therapies — May deplete folic acid, vitamins B12 and B6, magnesium.
• Antibiotics — Affect B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and “good” bacteria.
• Drugs that lower cholesterol — Statins can deplete Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a naturally-occurring antioxidant.
• Seizure medications — Anti-convulsants can affect vitamin D levels.
• Acid blockers — These medications can block absorption of many nutrients, including vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, calcium, zinc, folic acid, chromium, and phosphorus.
• Medication for hypertension — Diuretics can cause deficiencies of potassium, ascorbic acid, thiamine, magnesium, sodium, and pyridoxine. Beta blockers can affect levels of CoQ10.
• Hypoglycemics — These insulin drugs can cause decreased levels of vitamin B12, CoQ10, and folic acid.

Nutrient depletion can cause many different issues with your health and can cause many side effects. While children are most at risk of serious effects of nutrient depletion, this condition can affect anyone of any age or health. The effects you may experience will depend on the particular nutrient that you are lacking, but symptoms can include the following:

• Fatigue
• Muscle pain, weakness, or stiffness
• Pain, tingling, or numbness in limbs
• Development of osteoporosis
• Reproductive problems
• Vision impairments

The good news is that nutrient depletion can be treated through diet changes, supplements, and other compensatory actions on your part. This is always an issue you should discuss with your doctor or pharmacist.

At Kress Specialty Apothecary in Barrington, New Jersey, we not only look to treat immediate medical conditions but also focus on your overall health. We can determine the risks of nutrient depletion from your medications and can make recommendations to ensure you are receiving all of the nutrition your body needs. If you would like to learn more about our many services, please call us at 856-323-8723 or stop into our store location today!

Do you keep eating even after you’re full? Do you feel like your snacking has gotten out of control? Do you have a late-night snack multiple nights a week? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have a neurotransmitter imbalance.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that communicate throughout our brain and body. They relay signals between the human brain’s 86 billion neurons, or nerve ends. Serotonin, dopamine, and epinephrine (or adrenaline) are common neurotransmitters most people have heard of and are familiar with some of their functions in regards to mood and sleep.  But many people are unaware that the balance of these neurotransmitters may dramatically affect the ability to lose and maintain weight.

Low dopamine levels will dramatically increase your appetite. When your dopamine levels immediately fall, the body sends signals to the brain that will make you crave food and lose control of your diet. Since most of the foods we crave are refined carbohydrates, this can lead to unhealthy eating habits and even weight gain.

If you feel good after giving into your cravings, your mind will be programmed to crave the foods that give you pleasure and send impulses to do it again. That feel-good mood you associate with eating a cheesy slice of pizza or a decadent piece of chocolate cake late at night triggers reward networks in the brain that can be difficult to reverse.

Kress Specialty Apothecary can help you stop those late-night trips to the kitchen. Along with a healthy diet, Crave Control will curb cravings and even help you lose weight. Crave Control is a dietary supplement that will boost your dopamine levels. Studies have demonstrated that anti-craving behavior can be induced if there is a means of continually releasing dopamine at the reward site of the brain in the mesolimbic system.

How Crave Control Works

Crave Control contains the necessary ingredients to properly utilize D-Phenylalanine, an anti-craving amino acid, and increasing dopamine production. Ingredients such as L-Tyrosine, L-Glutamine, 5-HTP, Rhoadiola Rosea, and P5P help to ensure that healthy levels of dopamine are encouraged to address “Reward Deficiency Syndrome” which features multiple expressions including overeating and carbohydrate binging.

Crave Control supports the synthesis of the brain reward neurotransmitters and through its effect of the natural opioids, causing a significant release of dopamine. This release of increased amounts dopamine reduced the cravings for carbohydrates. This constant release of possibly therapeutic amounts of dopamine leads to the proliferation of D2 receptors, thereby promoting appetite suppression and reducing overall craving in general. This same improvement in the craving process can also be approached in other behaviors in which craving is a major concern.

Beat your hunger, cravings and overindulgent behavior by eating the right foods while encouraging weight loss by regulating your levels of dopamine. Stop by Kress Specialty Apothecary to try out Crave Control!

Whether you’re looking to shed a few pounds or get more active, fitness trackers are leading the way to better health and can help you reach your goals. The fitness tracking movement is alive and well—everywhere you look people are logging their every step. In fact, a recent survey reported that 58% percent of women either own or intends to buy one of these devices.

Tracking the number of steps taken, caloric intake, distance traveled, heart rate, and sleep patterns are only a few of the benefits provided by fitness trackers. These devices combine the key ingredients for motivating people to reach their health goals. Studies have proven that this technology, along with physical exercise, can help people to become more aware of their daily activity level, maintain a healthier lifestyle, and aid in weight loss.

These fitness gadgets help individuals get a better understanding of their activity and exercise on a daily basis. The numbers show the reality of an individual’s movement, or lack thereof, and motivates them to get moving throughout the day. These devices encourage people to make an effort to incorporate more walking into their day. Perhaps tracking steps may making it more rewarding to walk to the café around the corner to grab your daily cup of coffee instead of driving or maybe now you are motivated to walk to work instead of taking the subway.

Fitness trackers also allow users to set individually-tailored goals. Whether it be losing ten pounds, adding general movement into the day, or training for a 5K, tracking your exercise, fuel, and sleep are vital to learn how to achieve any goal. With these devices, it is easy to monitor changes over a period of time and see improvements when doing different workout regimes.

Along with a nutritious diet, dietary supplements, and activity, a fitness tracker can help you lead a healthy lifestyle. It is important to avoid being sedentary for long periods of time. Many fitness trackers feature handy reminders to encourage you to get moving. Moving for only five minutes every hour has been to proven to increase overall well-being. Make sure these reminders are on and don’t ignore them!

If you are interested in investing in a fitness tracking, there is one disclaimer you should be aware of–many people expect too much from the devices. In order to see results, it’s vital to approach your new gadget with the right mindset. Just strapping a tracker on your wrist will not make you fit. A fitness tracker is a tool, which if used correctly, can keep you honest and motivate you to reach your goals. It cannot exercise for you or motivate an unmotivated person.

If you are looking to boost your overall health or need a push for weight loss, Kress Specialty Apothecary has the right product for you. Call or stop by Kress Specialty Apothecary if you have questions about any of our products or services to help you reach your fitness goals.

A walk down the vitamin aisle can make anyone’s head spin. Which brand should I buy? Are the more expensive ones better? Should I get a multivitamin or supplement? Should I stick with name brand vitamins? Well, here’s what you should know when you’re shopping for vitamins.

Taking a daily multivitamin is a great way to help you get all the key nutrients your body needs to be healthy. But, keep in mind that they are only a good “backup” to ensuring proper nutrition. It is more important to choose healthy foods and maintain a diet rich in natural vitamins and minerals. Try to include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and healthy oils in your diet every day.

When it comes to vitamins, you want to avoid getting too much of a good thing. Nutritionists recommend choosing a daily multivitamin rather than mega-dose vitamins and mega-fortified foods.  Look for a multivitamin with a USP stamp. These products meet the requirements set by the United States Pharmacopeia and contain the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) in a daily dose. It’s not necessary to take more than the recommended amounts.

According to a study by ConsumerLab.com, price is not a sign of quality in vitamins. In fact, some of the pricier vitamins failed to meet industry standards. ConsumerLab.com found that more than 21 of the multis they tested either contained more than the recommended daily allowance of certain vitamins or were contaminated with dangerous substances. A majority of multis that are considered to be dietary supplements are not required to undergo rigorous testing procedures. Since there are no uniform manufacturing rules for supplements, multis can be contaminated, have tainted ingredients, and fail to contain what the bottle claims.

When shopping for vitamins, check the bottles for either the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), NSF, or ConsumerLab.com (CL) seal. The stamps indicate that the product is free of contamination and that the company maintains adequate manufacturing processes.

Choose vitamins with mainstream names to be safe. Name brand vitamins, such as Centrum and One-A-Day, are generally more reliable. However, if you are looking for a more cost efficient option, feel free to choose a generic vitamin, as long is it has the seal that indicates the product is accurately labeled and free of impurities.

Call Kress Specialty Apothecary to learn more about our vitamin and pharmacy services. (856) 323-8723.

Activities to Do With A Loved One With Alzheimer’s

Since 1983, November has been designated as National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. This serious and complicated condition can cause sufferers to withdraw from others and activities that they once enjoyed. Participating in activities and socializing can improve the quality of life for people with Alzheimer’s, but loved ones often struggle to think of ways they can engage. Here are some ideas for things you can do with you with your loved one who is struggling with Alzheimer’s.

Arts & Crafts

Arts and crafts are a fantastic activity for people with Alzheimer’s. Not only do they stimulate the mind and require creativity, they often involve the use of fine motor skills. Activities like drawing, coloring, painting, or knitting, and scrapbooking are a great way to spend time with a senior with Alzheimer’s.

Puzzles

Similarly, puzzles stimulate spatial reasoning and require seniors to use fine motor skills to pick up and manipulate pieces. In addition, completing a puzzle is a concrete goal that will make anyone feel like they have accomplished something. Puzzles may be an ideal activity to do with seniors who have difficulty following or carrying on a conversation.

Watch Family Videos

Many people who struggle with Alzheimer’s still remember things that happened decades ago. A great activity to do with seniors who are having serious memory problems is watching family videos and reminiscing about the past. The best part of watching old family videos is that the whole family can get involved.

Sing Songs and Listen to Music

According to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, there are many ways that music can benefit people who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. For example, it can facilitate cognitive function, reduce stress, encourage positive social interactions, and coordinate motor movements. It is important to understand that music can evoke powerful memories, so be careful to cautiously observe your loved one’s reaction when you put on a particular song. Keep in mind that music streaming apps like Pandora and Google Music allow you to play virtually any song at any time, so try and find music that your loved one may have listened to when he or she was younger.

Call 856-323-8723 or stop by today for more information.

Physical well-being is also important for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and many may skip meals and become malnourished. If you have a loved one facing this issue there are meal replacement options as well as supplements available to keep their bodies strong. At Kress Specialty Apothecary, we are committed to meeting the needs of patients with a variety of medical conditions. We provide a variety of retail and compounded pharmaceutical products and can create custom medications for people and pets. To learn more, call us today at 856-323-8723 or stop by our store.

Very few people look forward to a trip to the dentist. The whirring of a dentist’s drill and the sharp, metal instruments is enough to make anyone dread a spell in the dentist chair.

But serious dental anxiety prevents millions of Americans from receiving the preventative care they need to maintain oral health.

One of the best ways to fight dental anxiety is pharmacy compounding. A specialty pharmacy can create compounded medications that will ease a patient’s dental anxiety and lessen the physical discomforts involved.

Compounding became less popular during the mid 20^th century due to the advent of mass drug manufacturing. However, it has experienced a renaissance as research, technology, and innovative techniques have allowed more dentists and pharmacists to work with patients to create customized treatments.

A dental practitioner can work closely with a compounding pharmacist to create a unique medication to fit a patient’s specific needs. A specialty pharmacy can create a unique medicine prescribed for:

• Pain relief
• Fluoride treatments
• Plaque removal
• Procedural anxiety
• Tooth whitening
• Gum disease
• Canker sores
• Oral ulcers
• And more!

Special Dosage Forms

Compounding allows pharmacists to create medications into specific dosage forms for patients who have difficulty swallowing pills. Treatments can be created into liquids, creams, lozenges, gels, suppositories, and even lollipops.

Patients who suffer from needle anxiety may wish to receive a topical anesthetic during procedures instead of an injection. Our Pharmacists at Kress Specialty Apothecary can create a gel that will help you avoid needles and still receive painless procedures.

Flavored Medications

Many dental rinses, solutions, and gels have an unpleasant flavor.  As a specialty pharmacy, Kress Specialty Apothecary can customize medicine in the flavor of your choice to make it taste better without changing the vital performance and properties. If you have young children, we have a variety of flavors that will make dental treatments taste better and make a trip to the dentist easier for your child—and you. Children will enjoy a topical anesthetic if it’s in the form of a bubble-gum flavored lollipop.

Allergies

Commercially manufactured medications or treatments may contain ingredients that patients have allergies or sensitivity to, such as gluten, sugar, dyes, lactose, and preservatives.  Our pharmacists at Kress Specialty Apothecary can create a personalized formula to provide you with the right treatment you need while leaving out the problematic ingredient.

Take care of your oral health without the anxiety and discomfort. Call Kress Specialty Apothecary to find out more information about our pharmacy services (856) 323-8723.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a painful medical condition that affects millions of people in the United States. Reflux occurs when stomach acid or even the contents of the stomach go back into the esophagus. This can cause significant pain and discomfort, and long-term reflux can damage the lining of the esophagus.

In addition to pain, GERD can also cause a number of unpleasant side effects, including hoarseness, chest pain, hiccups, a bad taste in your mouth, dry cough, dental problems, tightness in your chest, and more.  While GERD may start as a minor inconvenience, as it becomes more severe it can make daily activities difficult. For example, even bending down to pick something up off of the floor could result in significant pain, and trying to sleep on your back with GERD can be next to impossible.

There are things that people can do to combat GERD without resorting to medication or surgery. For one thing, many people report that their GERD is often triggered by eating greasy food – for some, simple dietary changes may be enough to relieve their symptoms. In addition, GERD and many other health problems have been linked to smoking and obesity, so losing weight and quitting smoking are two lifestyle changes that one could make to try and treat GERD without medical intervention.

Unfortunately, in some cases, lifestyle changes simply are not enough. The good news is that GERD is often completely treatable with medications such as proton-pump inhibitors and H2 blockers, and many people find their symptoms completely alleviated shortly after starting pharmaceutical treatment. Specialty compounding can be of help people with GERD as many of the drugs used to treat GERD can be compounded into specific doses and forms that make them as simple as possible to take. Some of the drugs that we regularly compound for our clients with GERD include the following:

• Lansoprazole (Prevacid)
• Omeprazole (Nexium and Prilosec)
• Rabeprazole sodium (Aciphex)
• Pantoprazole (Protonix)
• Nizatidine (Axid)
• Famotidine (Pepcid)
• Ranitidine (Zantac)

Call or Stop by Today for More Information

If you have GERD or another condition that makes it painful or inadvisable to take medications orally, a compounding pharmacy may be able to help. At Kress Specialty Apothecary, we are dedicated to providing our clients with exceptional and individualized service that meets their pharmaceutical needs. Call us today at 865-323-8723 or stop by the store today to speak with a member of our team.