Tag Archives: medication

Most Important Early Pregnancy Advice

Many people might start off their first pregnancy blog with a story: why they decided to have a baby (or not), the story of how they became pregnant, their early thoughts on pregnancy and childbirth.  I might get to all of that, or I might not.  But today I want to share one of the most important things I learned in my first month of pregnancy: do not go off any medication without talking to your doctor first. This might seem silly or obvious, but I cannot stress how important it is.  My whole first trimester might have taken a … Continue reading →

Mediation Day Part 1

Leading up to the mediation with Rebecca’s birth mother we sat down and gave a lot of thought to what we were willing and not willing to do. The CPS case worker talked to us and explained the whole procedure to us and gave us suggestions on what the biological mother may request and what we should and should not consider. Given the fact that she had lost her rights to George and Steve we had a feeling she was going to want them tied into this mediation agreement somehow. Legally she has no right to ask for anything to … Continue reading →

Voluntary Recall Announced for Over the Counter Medications

McNeil Consumer Healthcare — makers of Tylenol and many other familiar over the counter medications — announced a voluntary recall of several products on January 15th. The recall affects certain Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, Rolaids, Simply Sleep, and St. Joseph’s products available for purchase in North, South, and Central America, the United Arab Emirates, and Fiji. Why the voluntary recall? Some consumers reported a strange moldy, musty, or mildewy odor associated with certain products. A small number of consumers reported nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, or vomiting after using a product with the unusual smell. The symptoms were temporary and not life … Continue reading →

Five Ways to Save Money on Prescription Medication

Even with insurance that covers prescriptions, medication can be expensive. Here are some tips to help you save a little money on your prescriptions! Money saving tip number one: Go generic! Many name brand medications are now available in a generic form. Generic medications are tested for safety and ability to treat diseases the same way name brand medications are. They work the same… for a LOT less. For example: my name brand Zoloft used to cost around $90 per month (without insurance). The generic version cost less than half that when I first made the switch. If you do … Continue reading →

Antibiotics: One Size Doesn’t Fit All

I’m currently taking two different types of antibiotics to treat an infected cat bite (ah the joys of working with animals). Here’s a fun fact: the doctor told me that eighty percent of cat bites end up infected. I guess I’ve been lucky so far — I’ve only had two bites get bad. Antibiotics come from two basic places: molds and bacteria. They work in one of two ways: by killing bacteria outright or by stopping their ability to reproduce (so they die out). Different antibiotics work against different types of bacteria — so taking one type of antibiotics for … Continue reading →

Working to Reduce Medical Errors

A study from Penn State University took a look at a relatively easy solution that might just help reduce medical errors: standardized labeling. Medication errors are costly, potentially harmful to the patient, and all too commonplace these days. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, there are more than one and a half million medication mistakes each year that caues adverse reactions in patients. These mistakes cost doctors, hospitals, and insurers more than three billion dollars annually. Volunteer participants in the Penn State Hershey study tested out a very simple solution to a complex problem: color-coded labels. Anesthesiologists, residents, … Continue reading →

Even More Ways to Use Medication Safely

Get ready for colds, the flu, RSV, stomach virus and all sorts of nasty things to come your little one’s way. Naturally, prevention is the best thing of all, but no matter what you do sometimes you baby gets sick anyway. When that happens, it is important to follow the directions of your pediatrician carefully and double check all medications that will be given to your child. The two previous posts, I covered some tips, guidelines and cautions about using medication safely for a baby or young child. If you missed those posts, you can click here: How to Use … Continue reading →

How to Use Medication Safely

When you child wakes up in the middle of the night with a fever, do you automatically reach for the medication to make her feel better? Or maybe you were given a certain medication for your child at a sick visit. Here are some things to know to use medication safely. Always be aware of the proper dosages of any medication for your baby, toddler or preschooler. You should have a recommended dosage for all common fever and pain reducers, such as infants or children’s Tylenol and children’s Motrin. If you aren’t sure what the dose is, contact your pediatrician. … Continue reading →

Help Prevent Medication Mix-Ups

There are lots of medications on the market — name brand prescriptions, generic equivalents, and over-the-counter remedies. A recent study from the United States Pharmacopeia, there are more than a thousand drugs that have names that are similar to others. Similar names creates a potential for confusion — the wrong drug (with a similar name) being substituted for the right one. Look at these sound-alikes for example: Were you prescribed Actos (for type 2 diabetes) or Actonel (for osteoporosis)? Were you prescribed Celexa (for depression) or Celebrex (for arthritis)? Were you prescribed Heparin (a blood thinner) or HESpan (to thicken … Continue reading →

Home Medical Errors on the Rise

A research study from the University of California at San Diego found that the number of deaths resulting from medication mistakes at home has risen sharply over the last twenty years. Researchers looked at nearly fifty million American death certificates from the last twenty-five years. They found some interesting trends: Nearly a quarter of a million deaths were caused by medication errors, including overdoses, drug interactions, and mixing prescription drugs with alcohol or recreational drugs. There were 1132 deaths from medication mistakes at home in 1983. Compare that to more than twelve thousand deaths from medication mistakes in 2004 and … Continue reading →