Epilepsy drug sodium valproate causes birth defects and developmental delay in babies whose mothers take the drug while pregnant. But when Susan got pregnant taking the drug, she wasn’t aware of the life-changing consequences her epilepsy medication would have. Three babies a month are still being born after exposure to sodium valproate, and Susan campaigns to raise awareness of the issue. \n\nAlso, the illegal trading in prescription drugs. In one week, last year, 94 countries across the world were involved in a simultaneous crackdown on the illegal prescription drugs trade. In the UK, anti-depressants, erectile dysfunction tablets, painkillers, anabolic steroids and slimming pills were among the medicines seized. We go behind the scenes with Interpol as they track and impound illegal medications sneaking into the country.\n\nPlus, the fake medicines being touted as ‘cures’ for autism. And we look at the new social media trend of ‘exercise snacking’. Can bursts of exercise only lasting seconds really do you any good? Dr Xand explains. We also clarify whether you really need to take multivitamins.
Source: BBC 1
Series 2: Episode 15
Skin-lightening creams are popular but can be dangerous. Many such products sold online have chemicals that are banned in the UK and can cause nerve and liver damage or cancer. ...
01-11-2024
BBC 1
Series 2: Episode 14
Food intolerance tests have become very popular, especially the cheaper versions found online. Tom from Oxfordshire felt duped by what he was told about them. He parted with mon ...
25-10-2024
BBC 1
Series 2: Episode 13
Julie from Colchester suffers from arthritis and was told she needed knee replacement surgery. Not only did her operation go badly, but she then discovered that she didn’t ...
18-10-2024
BBC 1
Series 2: Episode 12
Eczema affects one in five children and one in ten adults. There is no cure. Steroids are one frequently prescribed way to control it. After years of using steroid creams, 43-ye ...
11-10-2024
BBC 1
Series 2: Episode 11
Sixty-nine-year-old Margaret and her husband Graham do their best to eat a healthy diet. They are vegetarian, and they try to look after themselves with regular exercise. Worrie ...
04-10-2024
BBC 1
Series 2: Episode 10
New figures reveal that 42 million of us in the UK suffer from allergies, and topping that chart is hay fever. There are dozens of hay fever products available over the counter ...
27-09-2024
BBC 1
Series 2: Episode 9
We explore the dangerous side effects of antidepressants. Last year, over 86 million prescriptions were written for antidepressants in the UK. Reporter Anton Ferrie meets with s ...
20-09-2024
BBC 1
Series 2: Episode 8
Incontinence and pelvic prolapses can be debilitating conditions, and so for many women, the offer of a surgical mesh cure, available on the NHS, was a lifeline. But in many cas ...
13-09-2024
BBC 1
Series 2: Episode 7
Around 12 million people in the UK live with hearing issues. Detecting problems with hearing early in life is important. But last summer, the NHS launched an urgent review of pa ...
06-09-2024
BBC 1
Series 2: Episode 6
Care homes should be a place where the sick and elderly are nursed and cared for – the clue is in the name. But across seven months, in one nursing home just outside Belfa ...
30-08-2024
BBC 1
Series 2: Episode 1
From cons to cures, scams to scares and fakes from facts. \n\nHealth consumer show Dr Xand’s Con or Cure is dedicated to righting the wrongs of ‘bad medicine’. ...
26-07-2024
BBC 1
Series 1: Episode 9
When Scottish couple Sheila and Michael took out a pre-payment funeral plan, they thought they were helping to make things easier for friends and relatives. But a visit from the ...
15-11-2023
BBC 1
Series 1: Episode 2
Two thousand five hundred people die each year from mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos that is completely preventable. Liam and Helen are in their 30s and 40s but have be ...
07-11-2023
BBC 1
Series 1: Episode 1
From cons to cures, scams to scares and sifting fakes from facts. \n\nHealth consumer show Con or Cure is dedicated to righting the wrongs of ‘bad medicine’. Dr Xand ...
06-11-2023
BBC 1
Series 2: Episode 4
Every week sees new advances in medical science. And sometimes we come across cures for a condition where there weren’t any before. But what if a so-called medical cure is ...
16-08-2024
BBC 1
Series 2: Episode 10
New figures reveal that 42 million of us in the UK suffer from allergies, and topping that chart is hay fever. There are dozens of hay fever products available over the counter ...
27-09-2024
BBC 1
Series 1: Episode 7
When Clare from Bristol booked a cheap teeth whitening service through social media, her ‘too-good-to-be-true’ treatment made eating and drinking very difficult. Den ...
13-11-2023
BBC 1
Series 1: Episode 8
We explore the dangerous side effects of some common acne medications and reveal the best tips and tricks for healthy, clear skin.\n\nPlus, long Covid. 2.2 million people in the ...
14-11-2023
BBC 1
Series 2: Episode 11
Sixty-nine-year-old Margaret and her husband Graham do their best to eat a healthy diet. They are vegetarian, and they try to look after themselves with regular exercise. Worrie ...
04-10-2024
BBC 1
Series 1: Episode 10
When Jo from Broadstairs heard that her friend was battling cancer and needed £45,000 for treatment abroad, she flew into action. She organised concerts to raise money and ...
16-11-2023
BBC 1