Dr. Stef On Call, PLLC

08/26/2025

Beware - educate your kids - just because it’s “legal” and available OTC does not mean it is safe.

"No one can ever understand what it's like to lose a child," Alaina Brooks said. "If I can prevent anyone else from experiencing that, I want to do that."

12/25/2024

11/14/2024

Stop using OTC cough & cold meds that don't work......

Nasal and sinus expert says there are far better and safer alternatives than phenylephrine that are available over the counter

09/26/2024

I just learned about this speaking event with Dr. Pam Popper (drpampopper.com), well-known Naturopath, nutritionist, wellness advocate, healthcare reformer, author, podcaster, educator, etc. It's THIS Sunday in Dallas, 1:30-3:30. Thought I'd share.......

03/22/2024

Heads up everyone... pertussis detected in teens in several high schools in the Dallas area over the past month.... be aware of symptoms to watch for and indications for getting tested and treated....

Pertussis causes severe coughing spells that end in a whooping sound when the person breathes in. It can be prevented with the pertussis vaccine, part of the DTaP immunization.

03/19/2024

Measles cases on the rise after decline in vaccination rates (world-wide) brought on by/due to COVID pandemic. There's been more cases reported in the U.S. already since the start of 2024 than in all of 2023. The scariest part of measles is how contagious (i.e. easily spread, highly communicable) the infection is, and how unlikely it is to be diagnosed quickly. With regards to contagiousness, it will infect up to 90% of susceptible people who are exposed - even if briefly or indirectly exposed. The virus can live in the air for up to 2 hours after an infected person coughs or sneezes. It's much more easily spread than COVID or flu.... Similar to COVID & flu, it can be spread from an infected person 1-2 days before that person develops any symptoms. Initial symptoms appear similar to a typical "flu-like virus" and include fever, cough, congestion/ runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Measles wouldn't likely even be considered until the rash develops - which typically isn't until 3-5 days after the fever starts. Even if/when measles is suspected, there's no quick in-office test to confirm the infection... And the person continues to be infective (i.e. contagious) for up to 4 days after the rash resolves. Take home message: if you have any reason to believe you or your child may have measles (like, if your child is unvaccinated and recently traveled internationally or visited a crowded place with lots of international travelers, and then comes down with a high fever and 'flu-like symptoms'...) - keep them at home! Don't take them any where out in public - don't get on a plane, don't go to an urgent care. Instead, call your doctor (or the health department if you don't have a regular doctor) and explain the situation - the concern about possible measles - and come up with a safe plan for getting them seen & tested while taking extra precautions to limit exposure and avoid a more serious, wide-spread outbreak.

Infections of the highly contagious measles virus have been reported in 17 states in the first three months of 2024.

03/18/2024

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/06/health/ground-cinnamon-lead-fda The lead contamination of apple sauce pouches - which are typically consumed by young children/ toddlers - is particularly concerning. The neurotoxicity of lead is greater in younger children and can result in long-term cognitive deficits and behavioral changes. If your child consumes these products, talk with your pediatrician about getting a blood lead level test. Though there’s no good treatment for lead poisoning, it’s important to know if there’s been exposure, then to identify and eliminate the source of exposure, and to monitor to make sure lead levels do not continue to rise.

The US Food and Drug Administration has expanded its investigation into tainted cinnamon products, and its experts now say that the lead contamination extends beyond the cinnamon applesauce pouches that were recalled in October.

03/04/2024

"Flovent", a popular steroid inhaler prescribed for asthma control, is no longer available by brand name. To clarify what I mean by popular, approximately 8 million patients are prescribed Flovent per year in the U.S. and over 25 million prescriptions for Flovent are written per year. But have no fear - there is an identical generic available: "Fluticasone" is the generic name for the drug. At first this seems like good news because a generic version should be less expensive, right? Wouldn't it be wonderful if these 8 million patients with asthma could save $$ on their monthly prescriptions to control their asthma and prevent flare ups and hospitalizations? Well, this may not be the case with Flovent/ fluticasone because, as this article explains, this is an "authorized generic" - meaning it is authorized and still controlled by the original manufacturer, GSK, so there's not any real competition to bring the price down. It may, in fact, be more expensive than what you've been paying for the brand name, depending on your insurance prescription coverage plan.... So, be prepared the next time you go to the pharmacy to refill a prescription for Flovent - you may be told that it is no longer available or no longer covered on your formulary. The good news is that there are plenty of other therapeutic options... your doctor will be able to discuss the different options with you (as described in the article)... but you may need to check with your insurance to determine which of those options are covered under your prescription plan.... Just another inconvenience for patients and the doctors who try to care for them brought to you by the pharmaceutical & insurance industries.....

Until recently, many people with asthma used a medicine called Flovent. It has been discontinued by its manufacturer, leaving users with questions about what to substitute and which medicine...

07/24/2020

According to the CDC, only 6.6% of all confirmed cases in the U.S. have been in children under 18 years old. Regionally, though, the numbers look different.

07/23/2020

I’m getting asked this question every day..... Should we send our children back to school? There’s no quick answer, no easy answer, no “ right” answer.... but this is the best answer I’ve seen.....

Six questions about the safety of kids, teachers, and families, answered.