It’s time to dust off your home video skills! We are excited to announce the first-ever PatientsLikeMe “Express Yourself” Video Contest.
Every day, patients like you are sharing your health data and experiences at PatientsLikeMe in order to take control of your health and help others. Now we are inviting you to create a video (three minutes or less) that answers the question: “How has PatientsLikeMe changed your life?”
Enter today, and you could be one of five contest winners, all of whom will receive American Express gift cards ranging in value from $150-$500. The two judged prize categories are “Most Creative Presentation” and “Most Inspiring Story.” You can also win a prize by having one of the top three voted videos (remember to invite your family and friends to vote for you!). Entries must be received by May 1, 2011, at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
Not a member of PatientsLikeMe, but still want to be involved in the contest? No problem! Starting May 2, 2011, anyone can vote on their favorite video submitted by our members. Since that’s a little ways away, stay tuned to our blog, Facebook page or Twitter page for contest updates and reminders.
Finally, here is a fun video made by some of our PatientsLikeMe employees about the contest. Hopefully it will spark some ideas for how you can show the world how PatientsLikeMe has changed your life. And again, don’t forget to read the official contest rules and guidelines before you hit “record.”
Metoprolol Succ ER (the common abbreviation for Metoprolol Succinate ER and a generic form of Toprol XL) is an extended release formulation of the drug metoprolol, which is used for the treatment of angina or hypertension and to reduce mortality/hospitalization in patients with heart failure who are already receiving cardiac and diuretic medications.
At PatientsLikeMe, where more than 120,000 patients are sharing their experiences with conditions, symptoms, treatments and more, 185 patients report using Metoprolol Succ ER. What can we learn from these patients’ experiences? Quite a bit, actually, thanks to PatientsLikeMe’s unique data-sharing platform. For example, the most commonly reported duration amongst current users is two years or more, while the most commonly reported dosage at PatientsLikeMe is 50mg daily.
Wondering about Metoprolol Succ ER side effects? Some of the commonly reported side effects include loss of energy, fatigue, excessive daytime drowsiness and weight gain. Check out the 29 treatment evaluations of Metoprolol Succ ER submitted by our patients to gain even more insight. For example, the following are several tips submitted by Metroprolol Succ ER users on their evaluations:
“Remember to get up slowly. [This drug] has been making me very light headed and dizzy. Also be sure to hydrate frequently.”
“Try to take it everyday at the same time – I am really bad at this, so I’ve started taking at night.”
“When I miss a dose or two, I get an instant, awful, pounding headache on the top of my head, as my blood pressure goes through the roof, and my ears turn beet red and I can literally feel the heat coming off of them.”
“Be prepared to feel cold physically when taking this medication. Dress warmly even when in air conditioning.”
JOIN PATIENTSLIKEME TODAY
Have you taken Metoprolol Succ ER? Join PatientsLikeMe and add your experiences to our growing body of knowledge. Then, stay to exchange advice and support, research common treatments and learn from other patients like you.
“What are the things that affect a patient’s safety? It’s everything - it’s not just whether the drug is good or bad, it’s the whole process.” –Jamie Heywood
Why does the healthcare industry need to shift from drug safety to patient safety? PatientsLikeMe Co-Founder and Chairman Jamie Heywood explains his view in this week’s edition of our podcast series entitled “A Look Ahead.”
No stranger to this topic, Jamie has written about patient safety on our blog before. ”By using structured data collection tools within the PatientsLikeMe platform, overseen by a drug safety professional, industry partners can improve patient safety,” he wrote.
In this edition of PatientsLikeMeOnCallTM, Jamie discusses the difference between drug safety and patient safety, why it is so important for the healthcare system to adapt more to patient safety and what this shift would mean for the future of healthcare. He also makes the case for why pharmaceutical manufacturers need to follow up on any drug safety events when a new treatment has been developed.
At PatientsLikeMe, people with every type of condition are coming together to share their health experiences, find patients like them and learn how to take control of their health. The result is improved care for patients as well as an acceleration of real-world medical research.
Stay tuned to our blog for the latest happenings with our company, our patients and our mission of opening up the healthcare system.
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