The Right Foods Can Counteract Drug Side Effects

At some point in your life, you’ll most likely be taking a prescription medicine. Maybe it’ll be short term; maybe it’ll be long term. Some long term prescriptions can deplete essential nutrients from your body, but a few small dietary changes can help. Statins — drugs that can help lower cholesterol — can deplete levels of coenzyme Q10. This can leave you with sore muscles, elevated liver enzymes, and feelings of fatigue. Adding more lean meat, chicken, and fish to your diet can help boost levels of coenzyme Q10. Medications for high blood pressure, like vasodilators or beta-blockers can deplete … Continue reading →

Pain Medicine: Ibuprofen

Ibuprofen is another over-the-counter painkiller that can be classified as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs). It has been used for pain relief, fever, and inflammation since the 1970s — the FDA approved ibuprofen in 1974. You may know ibuprofen as: Advil, Medipren, Motrin, Nuprin, and more. How it works: ibuprofen helps block the enzyme in the body that makes the chemicals (prostaglandins) that cause pain, fever, and inflammation. By blocking the enzyme that makes the prostaglandins, swelling, pain, and fever are reduced. Ibuprofen is available in a variety of forms, including liquid suspension, oral drops, and chewable tablets (for children … Continue reading →

Pain Medicine: Acetaminophen

As an alternative to aspirin, acetaminophen has been around a long time! The FDA approved acetaminophen in 1951. This medicine is both analgesic (pain reliever) and antipyretic (fever reducer). You may know acetaminophen as: Tylenol and others — more than 200 medications include acetaminophen. How does it work? Acetaminophen relieves pain by elevating the pain threshold — in other words, it takes more pain for you to feel the discomfort. Acetaminophen reduces fever by telling the heat regulating part of the brain to cool things down when the body’s temperature is above normal. Acetaminophen is available in many different forms, … Continue reading →

Pain Medicine: Naproxen

There are plenty of choices at the pharmacy when you need a painkiller. One option is naproxen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for managing pain, fever, and inflammation. You may know naproxen as: Aleve, Anaprox, Naprelan, or Naprosyn. How does it work? Naproxen helps reduce the levels of certain chemicals that cause pain, fever, and inflammation in your body. These chemicals are called prostaglandins. Naproxen works by blocking the enzyme that manufactures prostaglandins, which helps relieve swelling, pain, and fever. Naproxen is available both over the counter and in stronger doses prescribed by your doctor. The usual adult dose falls … Continue reading →

Take Your Medicine!

There is a GREAT new commercial out for Tylenol. The Vice-President of something or other at the company talks about how if you aren’t going to follow the directions and take Tylenol properly, she’d rather not have you use it at all. This advice is good with any medicine, prescription or over-the-counter. If you don’t take your medicine exactly as it is prescribed, it can be harmful instead of beneficial. So how do you remember to take the right dose at the right time? Make it a habit. Take your medicine at the same time every day. Whether it is … Continue reading →

Save Money With Generics!

Like everything else, the price of prescription (and over the counter) medicine has gone up. A recent study from the University of Minnesota found that while the costs of name brand drugs have gone up, the price for generic versions of the same drugs have stayed remarkably stable. In 2005 alone, the price for name brand drugs rose more than six percent while the price for generics rose less than one percent. One thing that was a big surprise to me was that medicine prices vary in different areas. I would never have known if I hadn’t moved from New … Continue reading →

OTC Allergy Medicine: Diphenhydramine

Another antihistamine you may see in over-the-counter allergy medicines is diphenhydramine. Diphenhydramine isn’t just for allergies; it is also used for a variety of other problems like insect bites and bee stings, poison ivy and sunburns, motion sickness, sleeplessness, and Parkinson’s disease. Because it has so many different possible uses, read the directions carefully and be sure to follow them! Before taking an over-the-counter allergy medicine that contains diphenhydramine, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Be sure to talk about what other medicines you are currently taking — prescription and nonprescription. Diphenhydramine can be a problem if you … Continue reading →

OTC Allergy Medicine: Pseudoephedrine

Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant used to relieve nasal and sinus congestion. It may also be used to help relieve ear congestion due to inflammation or infection. You may find it used in combination with an antihistamine in various allergy medicines. Pseudoephedrine is available as a tablet/capsule, syrup, and fast-dissolving tablet. Before taking any over-the-counter medicine, you should read and understand everything on the label. If you are not sure about something, or want to ask about drug interactions, call your doctor or ask your pharmacist. Pseudoephedrine should not be used if you are taking beta-blockers or MAO inhibitors — the … Continue reading →

OTC Allergy Medicine: Loratadine

If you decide to go with an over-the-counter allergy medicine, you may be wondering which one to pick. I can’t tell you which product will be best for you, but I can tell you what the different ingredients are and what they do! Loratadine is an antihistamine — a drug that blocks substances (may be called allergens or histamines) in the body that cause allergic symptoms. Like most allergy relief medicine, it relives sneezing, runny noses, itchy and watery eyes, and other allergy/hay fever symptoms. Some name brands that use loratadine as the main ingredient? Claritin and Alavert. The name … Continue reading →