Questions tagged [medications]
Questions related to intake, use, safety, side effects, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, drugs, prodrugs and medication.
412
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Why do doctors prescribe steroid tablets even though they know the side effects?
Sometimes doctors prescribe steroid tablets to suppress pain for diseases, such as arthritis. Why do they prescribe it even though they know the side effects?
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2
answers
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Why should I avoid milk when on antibiotics?
I'm taking antibiotics (specifically, amoxicillin clavulanate) to fight off an ear infection. As she prescribed my antibiotics, my doctor told me not to eat milk products for a few days, then only eat ...
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22
votes
1
answer
508
views
Is there any evidence for health benefits from cannabis?
From the Wikipedia article on medical cannabis:
The Cannabis plant has a history of medicinal use dating back
thousands of years across many cultures. Its usage in modern times
is controversial,...
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17
votes
2
answers
333
views
Why is thalidomide a current drug on the market?
Given the thalidomide birth defect disaster of the 1960s, why was it later approved by the U.S. FDA for treatment of leprosy (1996) and of multiple myeloma (2006)? Presumably, the teratogenic issues ...
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15
votes
1
answer
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How much food is necessary to buffer the stomach when taking medicine?
Very often, doctors or pharmacists will advise patients to take certain pills with food to "act as a buffer" so the patient is less likely to get a stomach ache from taking the pill.
How much food is ...
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1
answer
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How often is it safe to get general anaesthetic?
There's an eye surgeon in my running club and I told him I had general anaesthetic three times. He told me that's a lot. I've heard of people thinking general anaesthetic is bad, is there any ...
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14
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2
answers
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Can an antipyretic (I.e. Aspirin) lower normal body temperature?
Is it possible for an antipyretic medication taken when not experiencing fever to cause a person's body temperature to drop below normal? I found one article that seems to say yes, but only for large ...
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2
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Does keeping different types of medications in one pill bottle affect their quality?
I take a number of different medications and herbal supplements. Because keeping separate containers in my pocketbook is cumbersome, I've been combining them together in the same prescription bottle. ...
14
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1
answer
511
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How exactly can/do antidepressants treat ADHD?
According to Wikipedia, antidepressants can treat ADHD, not just depression. How exactly?
So far I know, ADHD is caused partly (primarily?) by a dopamine deficiency. Do antidepressants do something ...
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13
votes
1
answer
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Why is it so much harder to swallow pills than it is to swallow food?
I don't have any real trouble swallowing pills, and I do it several times a day. But when I try to swallow a pill without food or water in my mouth, it is a bit tricky. We're not talking about huge ...
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12
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1
answer
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What can you learn from the parts of the name of a drug?
I've noticed that many drugs have names that end in the same syllables:
umab
fenib
tinib
For example, Wikipedia on Dabrafenib lists a number of similar drugs at the bottom of the page that end with ...
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12
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1
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Alternative to caffeine - same effects, different chemical [closed]
I seem to have a problem with caffeine. I tend to experience a lot of the negative effects, like diuresis, extreme hunger suppression and paranoia, at two or three cups of coffee, while I don't ...
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12
votes
1
answer
1k
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Splitting pills in half
Sometimes a physician will instruct the patient to reduce the dosage of a prescription medication by 50%.
Obviously, if the tablet has an enteric coating, or is in a special encapsulation (such as ...
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12
votes
1
answer
501
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Can Neem Leaves be taken directly (Azadirachta indica, Nimtree)
Nimtree is really precious when it comes to skin hygiene. It also has other vital health benefits.
Is it alright to take the Nimtree leaves directly? As I heard from a friend that it is harmful to ...
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11
votes
5
answers
425
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Does Ivermectin treat COVID-19 coronavirus infection?
Does the anti-parasitic Ivermectin work in actual human studies versus the Petri dish in vitro studies, when treating coronavirus COVID-19 infection? And if so, is it safe in humans?
An in vitro ...
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11
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1
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How exact are the times for how long to wait between pills? [closed]
A 120mg pill of Sudafed (Pseudoephedrine hydrochloride), for example, lasts for 12 hours. You are not supposed to take another Sudafed pill before the 12 hours are up.
How exact is this 12-hour limit?...
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11
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2
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Are OTC pain medications safer than prescriptions?
Are pain medications that I can buy Over the Counter (OTC) any safer than prescriptions I receive from a doctor to manage pain?
For example, I have migraines. There are several OTC medications ...
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1
answer
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Why does caffeine make me sleep better?
I have self-administered around 4 mg/kg of caffeine (peroral), and around two hours later I fell asleep, being just a little bit sleep-deprived.
After around five hours of sleep I found myself awake, ...
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10
votes
1
answer
792
views
Why would it be necessary to take a brand name medication if a generic drug is available?
Many prescription pads have a way for the doctor to indicate if a brand name medication must be dispensed instead of the generic version (e.g. a line where they can write something like "brand ...
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1
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Effects of ARBs on potassium levels
Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are commonly used to treat hypertension. One of the side effects of these drugs is to raise serum potassium levels. This occurs because ARBs block the effects ...
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10
votes
1
answer
480
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Antidepressant response post MAOI tachyphylaxis
In 'Listening to Prozac' (Pg. 305) Kramer notes that once monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) poop-out, depressed patients are often unresponsive to subsequent pharmacological interventions (and in ...
user1571
9
votes
3
answers
263
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What can the variability of strength be between different brands of supposedly identical medications?
I remember reading that medications are within allowable specs if they contain +/- 30% of the labelled strength. I can't find the source of that information in order to check its validity.
If that is ...
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9
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2
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Is there a technical term for the phenomenon known as "brain zaps"?
Many people (especially those who take antidepressants), including myself, are familiar with the experience of what has been called "brain zaps". I was not aware that the sensation had a name or that ...
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9
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2
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What are side effects frequencies based on?
I am one of these patients who reads everything that comes with their pills. Including, of course, the sometimes really long side effects list. Where I am, and from what I read online this is common, ...
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1
answer
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Do anti-inflammatory painkillers speed up healing?
With a recent case of whiplash as a result of being on the receiving end of a car accident, I'm now wondering whether taking ibuprofen 4-7 times a week will help me heal quicker/more completely?
...
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9
votes
1
answer
181
views
Does inhibiting prolactin levels cause any health problems?
I am using a prolactin inhibitor drug called "Dostinex". In general, it has some positive effects on me (increased libido, better mood) and I haven't realized any bad side effects. I'm wondering, ...
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8
votes
2
answers
253
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Do we have a general system of class of drugs that a layman can understand?
When I was reading the accepted answer in the Why do doctors prescribe steroid tablets even though they know the side effects? question, I noticed this phrase located in the second paragraph:
...if ...
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1
answer
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Does Benadryl (=diphenhydramine) lead to tolerance? Can I use it to help with sleep?
I am an insomniac and all the sleep medications that I've been prescribed have eventually had no effect on me -- I built a tolerance to them. It's a dangerous thing because I don't want to take lots ...
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2
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Long term use of stomach acid reducers: Omeprazole or Ranitidine?
I find omeprazole (Prilosec, Losec) and ranitidine (Zantac) work about equally well for stomach acid reduction.
For long term daily use, which is safer?
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2
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Is Myopia Reversible/Curable?
Myopia, meaning short sightedness is said to develop when eyes are exposed to excessive strain. But what I've failed to understand properly is whether myopia can be reversed or cured in any manner? ...
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8
votes
1
answer
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Use of antibiotics and the night gap
I was wondering, if medications such as antibiotics are to be taken 4 times or more a day (so every 6 hours), what happens during the night with such a long gap in between (8 hours). I have heard that ...
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8
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1
answer
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Topical nifedipine cream and hypotension
Nifedipine usually is used against high blood pressure.
Also nifedipine cream is used for treatment of anal fissures.
Can the topical cream applied anally also cause hypotension?
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1
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How is Lopinavir + Ritonavir expected to stop COVID-19?
There are four drugs being tested for effectiveness against COVID-19 in the SOLIDARITY trial. Three of them have obvious potential mechanisms of action:
Remdesivir is an RNA polymerase inhibitor. ...
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8
votes
1
answer
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Why are Drugs.com side-effect incidence rates so different from manufacturer/FDA reports?
Entries at Drugs.com have a section on "Side Effects... For Healthcare Professionals" which present percentages for incidence rates of side effects. However, I've found that the rates ...
8
votes
2
answers
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Preemptive treatment for alcohol
It's commonly accepted that most treatments for enteral poisons aren't very useful for alcohol, because it is absorbed so rapidly. For example, by the time a hospital could administer activated ...
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votes
2
answers
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views
Why do different pain killers have different effects on people?
I've noticed some pain killers working great for me, while other have no effect.
Works for me
Aspirin
APC †
Naproxen
Doesn't work for me
Paracetamol
Diclofenac
Tramadol
I doubt there is ...
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7
votes
2
answers
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views
Why does the weight matter when consuming a certain amount of a specific drug?
My question is actually referred to hallucinogenic substances, in particular to mushrooms.
I can understand why alcohol or other substances that relate to body mass (fat in some cases) affect people ...
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7
votes
4
answers
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views
Are there any central trackers for COVID-19 trials?
There are several aggregate central trackers for the spread of COVID-19. Like this one, for example.
Is there anything similar for trials? Or trials in the pipeline? Either vaccines or treatments?
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votes
1
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How can I learn to swallow pills without gagging?
Many people have difficulty swallowing pills or even find themselves unable to do so. While some medications are available in other forms, many are not.
Is it possible to learn how to swallow pills? ...
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7
votes
1
answer
349
views
When is a stomach "empty" for the purpose of taking medication?
Some medication (certain antibiotics, thyroxine, PPIs) need to be taken on an "empty stomach". For most patients, that just means they take them after sleeping. However, certain circumstances can lead ...
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votes
2
answers
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views
How does the efficiency of a diclofenac patch decrease over time?
I wonder how the efficiency of a diclofenac patch decreases over time. E.g. if a patient wears a a diclofenac patch for 24 hours, how useful are the last 12 hours. Ideally I would like to see a curve (...
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How do mRNA vaccines work and what are their advantages over traditional vaccines?
How do mRNA vaccines work?
To my intuitive understanding, for an mRNA vaccine to work, the mRNAs injected into the patient need to first enter a cell and get translated into proteins. Those proteins ...
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What is the tablet inside generic Omeprazole capsules
Inside every generic delayed-release capsule of Omeprazole is what you would expect, hundreds of tiny granules, but there is also an entire tablet. An oblong, white, plain (no text) tablet. What is ...
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Tuberculosis: Lung scarring and weight gain
I have a few questions regarding tuberculosis:
If a person is cured of Tuberculosis, is it compulsory for all patients effected by Tb to have a patch/scar on their lung? (references for patch)
...
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7
votes
1
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Why isn't paracetamol routinely combined with n-acetylcysteine?
Whether it's acute large dose paracetamol or long term regular dosage of paracetamol usage, it is a problem for the liver, ototoxic and even potentially life-threatening.
While one might question the ...
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7
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1
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1k
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How important is the amount of active ingredient in an ointment?
I own a small tin of "Dr Chase" ointment that is probably 40 years old. This stuff is amazing. In my family we save it for particularly stubborn or difficult cuts and sores because it will heal ...
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7
votes
1
answer
112
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Lithium side effects (kidney)
Lithium (taken as a mood stabilizer) can lead to renal problems in patients, especially those taking it long-term.
How prevalent are these side effects and how are they managed - for example, ...
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7
votes
1
answer
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prebiotics and probiotics dosage & can I have them regularly?
I've heard some good things about prebiotics and probiotics - for example, here. I also came across this line...
As with any dietary supplement, be aware that probiotic supplements are regulated as ...
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Ways to lessen or prevent episodes of sleep walking
I am currently on medication to dampen my sleep walking. The medication is amitriptilyne, but lately it seems to be having no effect.
For the past few weeks I have been getting up at around 3am for ...
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2
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How much space should be in between taking an antidepressant and drinking coffee?
For stimulants such as Methylphenidate and coffee, it is at least an hour, so I read:
Stimulant + Stimulant = Stimulated. Don't take your Concerta with
coffee in future. Space them out at least ...
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