The brain you’re born with must last you a lifetime, treat it with tender loving care. While the cells in other parts of your body are constantly renewing themselves, your brain cells are not. Never fear, there are a variety of brain-healthy habits that you can employ to keep your brain in tiptop shape:

• Exercise your brain – Whatever your thing is, there’s a brain exercise for you – read a good book, put together a jigsaw puzzle, do a crossword puzzle, or puzzle through a Sudoku. Heck, play Grand Theft Auto V or download a brainteaser app. While there’s no scientific proof that these activities will improve your memory or your brain function, they can’t hurt and they’re fun!

• Engage in a healthy lifestyle – The healthy things that you do for your body (like getting regular aerobic exercise, engaging in mindful relaxation, and managing your stress) also help you keep your brain healthy. In fact, those activities are total win-wins.

• Hone a healthy diet – The adage that you are what you eat has withstood the test of time. A healthy diet adds up to a healthy you, and that’s also true of your brain (your healthy diet directly contributes to your healthy brain). Keep your energy, your health, and your brain in optimum form by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, cutting back on processed foods and refined sugars, and incorporating delicious whole foods into every meal.

• Augment with the right vitamins – vitamin and mineral supplements can help give your brain the boost it needs. Your compounding pharmacy can help you navigate your way past the endless bottle of vitamins that you are likely to find when you wander around on your own through the massive aisles of your local mega-center. After all, not all supplements are created equally, and they’re only helpful when they are used appropriately.

For Specialized Guidance with Vitamin Supplements, Contact Kress Specialty Apothecary Today

Vitamin and mineral supplements can play an important role in your brain-healthy lifestyle, and the specialty pharmacy professionals at Kress Specialty Apothecary can help you identify your needs and the appropriate corresponding supplements. Contact us today by either stopping in our apothecary in Barrington, New Jersey or by giving us a call at 856-323-8723. If you’re ready to explore keeping your brain in tiptop shape, we are here to guide you.

The pre- and early menopausal years continue to wreak havoc on many women’s hormone levels, and the effects can be very discouraging. You might even feel as if you no longer enjoy life the way you once did. But there’s no reason that you have to white-knuckle it through this hormonal rollercoaster, help is available in the form of hormone replacement therapy in general and bio-identical hormone replacement therapy specifically.

What Does Hormone Imbalance Look Like?

Some women experience only very minor pre-menopausal changes, but other women can get hit hard by the hormonal imbalance of menopause. It’s definitely a mixed bag, and has to be considered on an individualized case-by-case basis. The symptoms of hormone imbalance, however, tend to be fairly consistent – they can range a great deal, however, in severity:

• Irregular periods that are often accompanied by cramps;

• Dreaded hot flashes;

• Night sweats;

• Lack of concentration;

• Inability to fall or stay asleep;

• Weight gain.

You don’t have to accept these symptoms at face value; you can fight back.

Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Most hormones prescribed by doctors are concocted in a laboratory, and they almost all contain added chemicals in the mix, which allows each company to patent its own product. Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT), however, uses natural hormones only, and they contain no added chemicals. BHRT is a natural and safer alternative to synthetic hormone replacement therapies. Although synthetic hormone replacement therapies can provide significant relief, they can also harbor significant risks:

• Blood clots;

• Cancer;

• Heart disease; and

• High blood pressure.

BHRT doesn’t carry the same risk factors because bio-identical hormones travel through your body just like your own hormones do, and they aren’t altered by the addition of foreign substances, which can lead to chemical imbalances in your body.

For More information on Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement, Call 856-323-8723 or Stop by Kress Specialty Apothecary Today

BHRT can provide a safe and effective alternative to synthetic hormone replacement, and can help make you feel like you again. Contact one of our compounding specialists today by either stopping in our apothecary in Barrington, New Jersey or by giving us a call at 856-323-8723. We’ll work with your doctor to design and compound the most effective bio-identical hormone replacement therapy for you. It’s time that you enjoy your life to the fullest.

While you may associate anxiety mostly with humans, animals can be just as prone to anxiety in certain situations. In fact, aside from aggression, anxiety is the second most common behavioral disorder in dogs. Like humans, anxiety can have many different symptoms in dogs, including crying, whining, barking, pacing, or acting out in various ways.

Some common situations in which dogs or other pets may experience symptoms of anxiety include:

• Separation from their humans
• Thunderstorms
• Fireworks or other loud noises
• Car rides
• Vet visits

In some situations, if a dog is left home alone during a thunderstorm or similar anxiety-inducing event, they can cause significant destruction by tearing apart furniture or walls or soiling inside. Not only do you not want your dog to be upset, but such anxiety attacks can cost significant time and money to repair.

Consider Compounding

The good news is that there are solutions to resolve your dog’s anxiety issues. There are training methods that focus on changing how your dog feels in certain situations and how they react to feelings of anxiety. However, such training can take time and medication can be used to help create a stable emotional state while training is in process and can actually help training be more effective.

Anti-anxiety medications can work for pets just like they work for humans. However, because pets have different biology than humans and can be of varied sizes and weights, it is critical to specially tailor anti-anxiety drugs to your pet’s specific needs. Compounding is the perfect solution to this, as our compounding pharmacists can adjust dosages, ingredients, and other aspects of a medication to ensure it is safe and effective for your pet.

In addition, giving a pet medication can be anxiety-inducing in itself – both for you and for your pet! Compounding allows us to change pet medication from a hard-to-administer pill to flavored chews, liquids, and other forms that are more pet-friendly and owner-friendly, as well.

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

At Kress Specialty Apothecary, we want all members of your family – including the furry ones – to be both mentally and physically happy and healthy. We have many solutions to help alleviate your pet’s anxiety and your concern that you may come home to a huge mess. Please feel free to either call our pharmacists or drop into our store to discuss your options today.

Sleep is essential for our bodies to perform properly. Without the necessary sleep, you can lose focus, become irritable, and make regular errors at your job or school. Many people who cannot easily fall asleep or stay asleep for a period of time are desperate to get a good night’s rest, so they turn to over-the-counter medications such as Benadryl or prescription medications like Ambien or Xanax.

While taking such medications can help you stay asleep, they also can have some serious side effects that should be concerning. Depending on the specific drug, some side effects can include the following:

• Keeping you in the early stages of sleep so you never actually have a restful night
• Dry mouth
• Reduced memory
• Constipation
• Blurry vision
• Dependency on the drug

It’s important to know that there are other options out there to help you sleep properly and our pharmacists can work with you to find the right solution for you.

Natural Supplements

There are many supplements you can take that are natural and easy on your body that can help you overcome your insomnia. Some natural sleep aids can include:

• Magnesium
• Vitamin B6
• Melatonin
• L-theanine
• 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)
• Vitamin D (for drowsiness during the day)

We can create a combination of these supplements to prevent you from having to take a number of pills each night.

In addition, people can react to these supplements in different ways, including experiencing some intestinal issues. Our pharmacists can create topical gels that prevent the vitamins from entering your stomach or we can lower your dosage to prevent such side effects. We can also compound formulas that are safe for pregnant women, who so often long for a good night’s sleep.

If your insomnia persists, we can address a possible hormone imbalance that may be causing the problem. We can test to see if you have any deficiencies in your hormones and then create a solution for the underlying problem to try to resolve your insomnia.

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

At Kress Specialty Apothecary, we want all of our patients to live healthy and well-rounded lives. We seek out the safest and mildest solutions to help you sleep with the fewest side effects. We can examine a possible underlying problem that is causing your insomnia and use our compounding skills to create a gentle formula that helps you achieve a full night’s rest so that you can be your best self during the day. Call us or come by our retail store today!

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reports that households in the United States have almost 80 million dogs and 96 million cats as pets. In addition, many households have other types of pets including fish, birds, and exotic animals. These pets regularly become close members of the family and we care for them as we would for children or siblings. Therefore, we always want to make sure our pets are as healthy as possible so they can enjoy their lives to the fullest.

It should come as no surprise to any pet owner that healthcare for their furry friend can be expensive. As a whole, pet owners can spend billions of dollars on an annual basis on routine preventative checkups, vaccines, emergency treatments, medications, and different types of treatments for a variety of medical conditions. While pets of any age can be diagnosed with medical problems, the costs of healthcare for our pets tends to increase as they age.

One common occurrence is that older pets may need to be on medications for a variety of conditions, including:

• Joints
• Immune system
• Cognitive
• Coronary
• Diabetes
• Cancer

Fortunately, veterinarians can prescribe medications that manage or improve medical conditions and can increase the quality and the length of your pet’s life. However, whether your pet needs one medicine for an infection or needs multiple medications on a long-term basis for a chronic illness, any pet owner can tell you that getting an animal to take a pill can be challenging or even impossible. In addition, getting a dosage right can be challenging for some standard medicines and the wrong dosage can cause uncomfortable side effects for your pet.

The good news is that our compounding pharmacy not only treats the human members of your families but your pets as well! We can do the following and more in regard to your pet’s medications:

• Design other applications of oral medications, such as topical gels or liquids
• Change the taste of an oral medication so your pet will like it
• Adjust the dosage of a medication
• Combine certain medications to cut down on the anxiety your pet may experience when you administer medicine

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

Whether you would like to discuss your own health, that of your family members, or of your pets, please do not hesitate to talk to our compounding pharmacists at Kress Specialty Apothecary today.

At Kress Specialized Apothecary, we pride ourselves on helping our patients fill their prescriptions in the ways that make the most sense for them as an individual. As a compounding pharmacy, we have much greater flexibility in the ways to fulfill these tasks, a flexibility that is a great boon for provider and patient alike. Compounding pharmacies are an alternative to the standard, and can work particularly well for physicians who take their patients’ unique needs into account. Here are a few ways in which we can be a support system to physicians and vets alike.

More Freedom in Filling Prescriptions. At a compounding pharmacy, you will be able to tailor your medication prescriptions directly to the individual who you are treating at any given time. You can change the dosage and delivery method depending on the needs of the particular case, tailoring them specifically for any manner of cases.

Range in Skills. There is a wide spectrum of tasks that compounding pharmacies are able to undertake: everything from changing a medication from a solid to a liquid, adjusting the flavor or taste, to building creams and sprays of particular medications for at-risk patients with prior conditions the doctor has identified.

Beyond the Box. If a particular medicine usually comes in a fixed dosage or method of delivery that doesn’t work for your patients, we can get past that at Kress Apothecary by making custom dosages and changing delivery methods. This is great for children or those who have difficulty swallowing pills, and can help to ease the headaches (figuratively and literally!) of patients used to fighting with the system to get their medications. Even if a medication is no longer commercially available, there is the possibility that a compounding pharmacy such as Kress will be able to supply that for you.

Specialty Medications. There’s nothing worse than needing to find an alternative, less effective medication because a patient cannot take the preferred medication because of something like a dye or preservative that’s not essential to the pill itself. With a compounding pharmacy, you will have the freedom to create a specialty medication that gets the correct medicine to your patient without a minor allergen getting in the way of their healing.

Think past the drug manufacturers for your patients and make sure that they get the exact care you intend by working with a compounding pharmacy. We have the ability to compound non-sterile products, and work with many physicians to get the standard of pharmaceutical care just what they have always wanted.

For additional information about our work and specialties here at Kress Apothecary, give us a call today at 856-323-8723, or you can even stop by. We are always happy to talk with healthcare providers and patients about our unique compounding services, and look forward to meeting you soon.

Millions of people develop melasma, a common skin condition that causes discoloration of the face each year and the overwhelming majority of those people are women, many of whom are pregnant. In fact, the brownish spots that often appear on the forehead or face have been referred to as the “mask” of pregnancy. These spots can develop for many different reasons, including the following:

• UV rays – Exposure of certain areas of the skin to sun can result in hypermelanosis that causes the darker pigment in certain spots on the skin.
• Hormones – While medical professionals have not exactly determined why hormonal changes (such as those during pregnancy) can encourage melasma to develop, however, there is little to no doubt there is a connection between hormones and the skin condition.
• Genes – Family members often have melasma, showing a genetic tendency.
• Other medical factors – Conditions such as thyroid dysfunction or ovarian dysfunction can increase the incidence of melasma, as can some cosmetics or photosensitizing medications.

Melasma does not cause itching or pain on the skin nor does it increase the chances of later developing skin malignancies such as melanoma. However, many people with melasma simply dislike the way the spots look and, therefore, seek treatment for the condition.

Treatment for melasma can vary with different treatments working better for different patients. Some of the most common aspects of treatment can include:

• Avoiding sun exposure – This is a necessity for anyone hoping to successfully treat their melasma, as any sun exposure can cause a recurrence of spots. Having a sunscreen with a very strong SPF is highly important for anyone treating melasma.
• Tailored topical agents – Topicals with the right combination of steroids, hydroquinone, and retinoids can be successful for melasma sufferers. The exact combination will depend on the patient, so compounding a specific formula can be extremely beneficial.
• Laser treatments or chemical peels – These treatments may cause serious skin irritation and also may result in a rebound of melasma that may be worse than the initial condition.

Because the skin is so delicate and skin irritation can cause many problems, it is important to find the exact right formula for your skin type that works to treat your melasma. Working with a qualified pharmacist who has experience compounding for melasma may not only increase your chances of recovery for your skin but will also limit the side effects that you experience from your treatment.

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

If you have any skin conditions such as melasma, you should not hesitate to discuss your treatment with your doctor or the compounding pharmacists at Kress Specialty Apothecary. Please call today or stop into our store for assistance.

As men get older, they will start to notice changes in their body’s functioning. If you are feeling fatigued, having sexual problems or no sex drive, or if your muscles or joints feel weak, your testosterone levels may have decreased. In some cases, testosterone therapy can be of great help for men suffering from low testosterone, also known as “Low-T.”

Signs of Low-T

Some indications that you may be suffering from lower-than-normal testosterone levels are as follows:

• Diminished or non-existent sex drive
• Weakness or fatigue
• Hair loss or thinning
• Erectile dysfunction and difficulty with sexual performance
• Decreased concentration and focus
• Depression, irritability, and other mood problems
• Aches or weakness in your bones
• Loss of muscle mass

While some men experience some of the above symptoms as a normal part of aging, others may be suffering from low testosterone levels and can greatly benefit from testosterone replacement therapy. In order to know whether or not you are suffering from Low-T, you should discuss the changes you have noticed with your doctor and they can order a blood test.

Testosterone replacement therapy products will help to replenish your level of testosterone and balance out the levels of hormones in your body. Ensuring that your hormones are balanced is an important aspect of everyone’s health.

A Variety of Testosterone Replacement Therapy Products

If you are prescribed testosterone replacement therapy, you then have a wide variety of products from which to choose. Different types of therapeutic products are better for different patients. The following are some examples of methods of this type of therapy:

• Patches that are applied to the skin on your upper body or arm
• Tablets that melt away and release hormones into your mouth tissue
• Gels that you can apply to your shoulders and arms and the hormones will absorb into your skin
• Injections into your muscles
• Pills (though these are not appropriate for everyone due to possible liver risks)

Before you begin a testosterone replacement therapy regimen, you should always discuss all of your options with a knowledgeable doctor or pharmacist to ensure you select the right one for you.

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

At Kress Specialty Apothecary, we are able to provide testosterone therapy products in a variety of forms and will always carefully review your options with you. We can control the dosage of your therapy and personalize it to fit your needs. If you would like to learn more, please stop by our location or contact us today!

Pharmacogenetic testing is the process of determining how a person’s genetic makeup will determine his or her responsiveness to drugs. It is a combination of pharmacology and genetics that allows medical professionals to tailor pharmaceutical treatment to an individual patient.

What are the Benefits of Pharmacogenetic Testing?

Many drugs have the potential to cause side-effects which can range from annoying issues such as a dry mouth or diarrhea to life-threatening reactions that require immediate hospitalization. Pharmacogenetic testing can minimize the risk that you will suffer adverse effects. In addition, pharmacogenetic testing can tailor the dosage of your medication in such a way as to maximize its effectiveness while minimizing the amount that you have to take.

How is Pharmacogenetic Testing Performed?

You may be concerned about the cost and potential discomfort associated with undergoing pharmacogenetic testing. Fortunately for people who are seeking to improve the efficacy of their medications, pharmacogenetic testing is not particularly expensive and is certainly not invasive.

Pharmacogenetic testing is performed through a swab of the cheek in order to obtain a DNA sample. This sample is then sent to a lab, and the results will be returned within a few weeks. These test results will detail the way your body responds to 14 different classes of drugs. Best of all, because the test results are valid for the rest of your life, a simple cheek swab can result in a lifetime of better medical care.

Our Compounding Services and Pharmacogenetic Testing Services Work Together

As mentioned above, pharmacogenetic testing can help accurately determine the ideal dosage of a medication. Unfortunately, this knowledge may be useless if that particular dosage is not available commercially. Many drug manufacturers make their medications in standard dosages that may be too small or large for a particular patient, and cutting pills into various fractions is not particularly accurate. At Kress Specialty Apothecary, however, we are able to compound drugs into exact dosages that match the recommended dosage provided by the results of your pharmacogenetic testing. In addition to making customized dosages, we can also compound your medications into different forms to make them easier to take, including topical creams, syrups, suppositories, or even lollipops.

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

Pharmacogenetic testing can significantly improve the effectiveness of your healthcare. Our testing is non-invasive, covers 14 different classes of drugs, and is often covered by health insurance. To learn more about how pharmacogenetic testing can help you, call Kress Specialty Apothecary today at 856-323-8723.

Losing a significant amount of weight takes time, commitment, and discipline. In this day and age of instant gratification, many Americans do not want to watch what they eat and exercise for an extended period of time. Instead, they want weight loss NOW. For this reason, many people turn to over-the-counter weight loss pills and supplements to try to shed weight.

Many people who take diet pills may quickly learn the promises on the packaging were too good to be true. Others may even learn that the supplements they bought are dangerous for their health. The following are some example of weight loss pills and their potential side effects:

• Brazilian Diet Pills – These supplements were sold under names like Emagrace Sim and Herbaslim, however, are made from a dangerous combination of depressants and stimulants like Prozac, Librium, and Fenproporex. These pills can result in extreme changes in personality and mood, as well as hypersensitivity sensory issues.
• Clenbuterol – This can cause heart arrhythmia, hyperthyroidism, extreme blood pressure (low and high), chest pains, headaches, tremors in muscles, nervousness, and gastrointestinal issues.
• DNP – While no longer sold, Dinitrophenol is one of the most dangerous diet pills ever on the market and result in high body temperatures, cataracts, respiratory problems, lesions, and death in at least 60 users.
• Ephedrine – While ephedrine is no longer marketed as a weight loss drug as ordered by the FDA, many people still seek it for this purpose. It can cause increased risk of stroke or heart attack, arrhythmia, anxiety, dizziness, tremors, insomnia, and nausea.
• Fen-phen – A combination of Fenfluramine and Phentermine, Fen-phen caused a variety of severe pulmonary and cardiac problems.
• Meridia – The sibutramine in Meridia caused increased blood pressure and heart rate, depression, headaches, dizziness, insomnia, and gastrointestinal issues.
• Japanese “Rapid Weight Loss” Pills – These pills imported from Japan contain potential carcinogens and sibutramine, which is the dangerous ingredient in Meridia and can cause the side effects listed above.
• Qnexa – This drug combines other drugs used to quit smoking and to treat addiction to opiates. The side effects may include mood changes, metabolism issues, and damage to your heart valves.

When it comes to weight loss, if you are looking for safe supplements to boost your progress through diet and exercise, you should first consult with a trusted pharmacist who can recommend safe products. We currently offer several weight loss aides such as Crave Control and others to help battle the bulge.

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

At Kress Specialty Apothecary, we want our patients to be healthy and happy and we seek to find the best solutions for weight loss or any other desired results. Please stop in today or call us to discuss your needs with our pharmacists!