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September 30th, 2011
07:45 AM ET

Rogen: We wanted to make a personal movie

Check out Dr. Sanjay Gupta's chat with longtime friends Seth Rogen and Will Reiser. The duo share memories of  funny moments from Reiser's s real-life battle with cancer, why they were inspired to write and produce this weekend's new movie, "50/50," and ask Gupta some of their own medical questions.


Filed under: TV-Sanjay Gupta MD

Sigmund Freud's cocaine problem
Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, was once one of cocaine’s leading medical advocates.
July 22nd, 2011
03:32 PM ET

Sigmund Freud's cocaine problem

Editor's note: Nearly 130 years ago, cocaine was the world’s newest wonder drug - touted as a cure for everything from morphine addiction to tuberculosis. And its biggest supporter was Sigmund Freud. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the fascinating history and what it means for us today on "Sanjay Gupta M.D." at 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.

Whenever Big Pharma unfurls its latest “blockbuster” drug, I am carried back to the era when the biggest wonder drug on the market was cocaine. Yes, cocaine!

In the early 1880s, pharmaceutical houses touted it as a cure for everything from morphine addiction and depression to dyspepsia and fatigue. It was widely available in tonics, powders, wines and soft drinks before its mass consumption created a cadre of raging addicts demanding medical attention.
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July 22nd, 2011
07:09 AM ET

'Darth Vader's' mom: We focus on today

Editor's note: There’s something you might not know about the star of the year’s biggest television ad from the Super Bowl. Max is only 6 years old and he’s already had eight surgeries for his heart condition. This weekend, he gives Dr. Sanjay Gupta an inside look into his life and explains what he’s doing to help other sick kids. Watch "Sanjay Gupta M.D." at 7:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

In this post,  Jennifer Page shares what being Max's mom has taught her. 

“Kiss your baby. He has to go to the NICU. We have found structural damage to his heart,” said the neonatologist. In a split second, life changed forever.

As they pulled him from my arms I sobbed, “I love you, Max,” over and over. My tears covered his sweet face. A new mom with a baby I couldn’t hold, a baby I couldn’t protect.
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Where alcoholics can drink themselves to death
Marion Hagerman, 54, is a chronic alcoholic who lives at a "wet house," a state-funded residence where he's allowed to drink.
May 6th, 2011
07:38 AM ET

Where alcoholics can drink themselves to death

Learn more about the controversial "wet house" concept for dealing with chronic alcoholics this Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET on "Sanjay Gupta, MD."

St. Paul, Minnesota (CNN) - It's been over seven years since Marion Hagerman has spoken to anyone in his family.  As he huddles behind a parked trailer on a cold early spring day, Hagerman reflects on his life, and recalls what led him to this moment.

"This is my lifestyle," says Hagerman, 54, while sneaking a swig of what he calls "wash," or mouthwash - a cheap way of getting intoxicated. "It ain't much, but this is what I have.  It sucks. "

He says he held a steady job for 20 years, before his addiction to alcohol took over his life.  Today, Hagerman lives at St. Anthony Residence in St. Paul, Minnesota, along with about 60 other late-stage alcoholics.

St. Anthony, which receives funds from the state and is operated by Catholic Charities, is known as a "wet house" because Hagerman and the others are allowed to drink on site, with some caveats - including no mouthwash.
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Water in schools - what readers say
April 22nd, 2011
12:25 PM ET

Water in schools - what readers say

Tune into "Sanjay Gupta, M.D."7:30A.M. ET  Saturday- Sunday to learn more about water in schools.

This week’s story about the difficulties many children have with getting drinking water at school  prompted a lot of interesting comments. My interest in this story began in December after reading through the actual legislation that President Obama signed into law on that day.

Many people, especially those in politics and media, often make a big deal about the number of pages that make up federal legislation like health care reform, but what always strikes me is the opposite: How little is written to change so much.  Think about it – the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 defines nutrition policy for America’s schoolchildren, and it’s 200 pages long with only 25 lines per page. That’s much less text than the book you’d read while sitting on the beach. And the section mandating that every public school across the country provide free drinking water? It's just eight lines long.

It’s so brief in fact it’s easy to miss – but when you think about what it's saying, it's a huge deal. Why is it in there? What is it trying to accomplish? That’s what led to the earlier article, and to all of your comments. Here are just some of the reader comments that struck me, grouped into similar themes.

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About this blog

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.

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