41
votes
Accepted
Why is thalidomide a current drug on the market?
Because leprosy and multiple myeloma are conditions for which other treatment options are limited.
All treatments have side effects, some more debilitating than others. The trick with pharmacology is ...
- 526
37
votes
Accepted
Why should I avoid milk when on antibiotics?
Products high in calcium and magnesium should not be taken at the same time as antibiotics of the tetracycline (tetracycline, doxicycline, etc.) class, and milk should also be avoided with the ...
- 10.1k
8
votes
Accepted
Fact or Hoax : Unconventional method of saving human life from stroke?
My Grandmother died of a ischemic stroke (TIA followed by blockage) after weaning herself off of blood thinners because she didn't "need the medicine".
Huge issue with his advice - the large majority ...
- 1,109
8
votes
Accepted
Is the drug's effectiveness directly proportional to the half life formula?
Two key serum concentrations to know about in pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics are the Minimum Effective Concentration (MEC) and Toxicity Concentration (TC).
Some medications have stronger ...
- 5,814
7
votes
How can I learn to swallow pills without gagging?
If you are able to swallow pills but find it difficult, the following tips will help:
take a sip of water before putting the pill in your mouth, and drink more water after putting the pill in as well
...
- 3,989
7
votes
Accepted
Where does Ibuprofen inhibit COX-1, and what is its MoA?
I'm not clear why you're asking this as this information is readily available unless I missed something in your question.
As for anticoagulant activity, my recollection is that if anything Ibuprofen ...
- 13.3k
7
votes
Ritalin/Concerta/Methylphenidate is an amphetamine?
The Adderall vs. Ritalin page on Rx List gives the answer.
Both Adderall (amphetamine and dextroamphetamine) and Ritalin (methylphenidate) are central nervous system stimulants used to treat ...
- 6,236
6
votes
Accepted
What are ibuprofen alternatives without the side effects
Are ibuprofen side effects something to worry about?
Short answer: maybe.
Longer answer: As with a lot of health questions, it depends on how they are being taken. If, for example, you hurt yourself ...
- 701
6
votes
Can medicines which expired a month ago be consumed safely?
No one can be entirely certain, but most studies point in the direction of "yes", for instance
The testing, conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ultimately covered more ...
6
votes
Accepted
How much T4 increase do you get per mcg of levothyroxine?
First of all, thyroid hormones are actively taken up into cells and accumulate there. Therefore, the apparent volume of distribution for T4 is 10 liters rather than 5 liters (1). Secondly, I would ...
- 485
6
votes
Why should I avoid milk when on antibiotics?
This is most commonly a precaution to prevent Mal-absorption. Milk has copious amounts of calcium which bond with the antibiotic in the gut. Once the tetracycline (antibiotic) bonds, it creates a ...
- 324
6
votes
Does Dextromethorphan actually suppress coughing?
The bulk of the evidence says dextromethorphan (DM) is no better than placebo.
(2013) Do Cough Remedies Work?
Studies involving use of dextromethorphan in children have reported no
clinically ...
- 9,946
6
votes
What methods are there for individuals to help them remember if they have taken their medicine?
I found this list on drugs.com:
Practice Makes Perfect! Learn About Your Medicines
Pill Boxes
Electronic Applications and Pill Reminders
Calendar Alerts
Tie Your Medication Doses with a ...
- 1,410
6
votes
Accepted
Is ShockWave Therapy Useful For ED or not?
The results of our studies, which also included a double-blind randomized control trial, confirm that LI-ESWT generates a significant clinical improvement of erectile function and a significant ...
- 828
6
votes
Accepted
Why is hydrocortisone mixed with clotrimazole in anti-fungal medication?
Hydrocortisone is a steroid anti-inflammatory used by itself to treat dermatitis and other inflammatory symptoms.
The combined treatment gives symptom relief at the same time as treating the ...
- 14.4k
6
votes
Accepted
Please explain the algebraic reasoning in this textbook
Let's take the general equation they mentioned, (IC50)nT = k, and rearrange it to IC50 = (k/T)1/n = k1/nT-1/n. (IC50)nT = k reducing to AUC50 = k if n=1 implies that AUC50 = IC50T if n=1. If this ...
- 288
6
votes
Accepted
Citrate vs EDTA
I'm not familiar with using citrate or EDTA as an anticoagulant in medical care (i.e. as a drug). However, it is often used in blood sampling tubes so that the blood sample does not clot.
As to ...
6
votes
Accepted
How is Lopinavir + Ritonavir expected to stop COVID-19?
The NEJM editorial that accompanied that issue says:
One antiviral-drug candidate is a combination of the HIV protease inhibitors lopinavir and ritonavir. Lopinavir, which acts against the viral 3CL ...
5
votes
Accepted
What is the tablet inside generic Omeprazole capsules
I also tried to search for any formal information about the product's contents and composition, but couldn't find anything, probably because it is a generic product sold at a supermarket.
At any rate, ...
- 1,618
5
votes
What can the variability of strength be between different brands of supposedly identical medications?
Generic drugs do not need to conduct the same phase-3 clinical trials as the initial registration studies, instead they have to meet a few requirements (same active ingredient, same drug concentration ...
- 6,931
5
votes
Can an antipyretic (I.e. Aspirin) lower normal body temperature?
Kudos for finding that study on mice! I also googled a bit for references..
From "Physiology Secrets" (page 315) by Hershel Raff, published in 2003:
Furthermore, in one other source the ...
- 1,640
5
votes
Accepted
To what extent does filling more prescriptions increase the number of medication errors?
There are thousands of papers that study medication errors. They fall into various groups. There is the provider side, the pharmacist side, the technician side, the nursing side, and the system side ...
5
votes
Accepted
What is the amount of caffeine in the human body over time?
Caffeine is readily absorbed, with up to 99% absorbed within 45 minutes of ingestion.[1]
The mean half-life in healthy individuals is 5 hours, although this varies widely between individuals, ranging ...
- 9,946
5
votes
Is Myopia Reversible/Curable?
Myopia, or nearsightedness, occurs when the eye grows too long from front to back. According to the American Optometric Association,
Myopia occurs if the eyeball is too long or the cornea (the ...
- 958
5
votes
Why stomach ulcer need more than one antibiotic at the same time?
The aim of taking two antibiotics at the same is to prevent an overgrowth of the H. pylori strains that could be resistant to a single antibiotic. The antibiotic choice depends on the individual ...
- 15.9k
5
votes
Do drugs with the same chemical formula work identically?
Many drugs come in more than one form -- or formulation, I should say. For example, it's common for a drug to come in an oral formulation and an injectable formulation: same chemical, different ...
- 9,946
5
votes
Accepted
What resources are available to identify oral medication?
There are several "pill identifiers" available online:
RxList
WebMD
Drugs.com (international database from 185 countries)
You enter the shape and color of a pill and any imprints and you ...
- 15.9k
5
votes
Can scopolamine really be given through the ear?
Scopolamine products to prevent motion sickness are to be placed behind the ear to. One brand name for this product is Transderm-Scop.
I will write below why it is placed behind the ear, but in terms ...
5
votes
How does total mg of medicines effect human body?
This question is fundamentally flawed as it is based on a common misunderstanding about dosage. Every medication has a different potency, which could be thought of as the # of mg required to have a ...
- 5,814
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