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Limit Cold Medications During Pregnancy, Experts Advise
Posted 21 Dec 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 21 – It's prudent to limit the use of over-the-counter cold and flu medications during pregnancy, experts say. This is because some medications may contain substances that are potentially harmful to developing fetuses, or that have not been well-studied for use in pregnant women. "Every year around this time, we get a significant number of calls from pregnant and breast-feeding women in California who are battling colds and are worried about which meds they can and can't take," said Christina Chambers, professor of pediatrics at University of California, San Diego and program director at the California Teratogen Information Service. To help expectant mothers who are sick this holiday season, Chambers offered these cold medicine safety tips: Take as little as possible. Over-the-counter cold remedies could contain up to six ingredients for a wide array of symptoms, such ... Read more
Related support groups: Cold Symptoms, NyQuil, Cheratussin AC, Hydromet, Mucinex DM, Night Time, Tussionex Pennkinetic, Claritin-D, C-Phen DM, Mucinex D, Allegra-D, Statuss, Advil Cold and Sinus, Hycodan, Rondec
Health Tip: Alcohol Can Interact With Medications
Posted 25 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com
-- Over-the-counter medications may seem safer because they don't require a prescription. But they can still interact badly when alcohol enters the mix. The American Academy of Family Physicians mentions these popular medications that may have adverse effects if mixed with alcohol: NSAID pain relievers, which may lead to gastrointestinal bleeding if taken while consuming as few as two alcoholic drink per week. Acetaminophen, which may cause liver damage when taken with alcohol. Some OTC antihistamines can make you drowsy when taken with alcohol. Decongestants and cough medications that contain the cough suppressant dextromethorphan can increase drowsiness when taken with alcohol. Herbal supplements, such as kava kava, St. John's wort or valerian root, may increase drowsiness if taken with alcohol. Read more
Related support groups: Percocet, Hydrocodone, Vicodin, Norco, Lortab, Tylenol, Codeine, Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Benadryl, Promethazine, Zyrtec, Voltaren, Advil
After Heart Attack, Certain Painkillers May Raise Risk for Recurrence
Posted 9 May 2011 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, May 9 – People with a history of heart attack are at increased risk of suffering another attack or dying after even a week of taking certain types of prescription and over-the-counter painkillers, including Advil, Motrin or Voltaren, a large new study suggests. Danish researchers analyzed nationwide records of almost 84,000 heart attack survivors and found that those who used certain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) for one week faced a 45 percent heightened risk of another heart attack. Three months' use raised the risk to 55 percent. The results reinforce a 2007 American Heart Association statement advising doctors about the risk of NSAID use among heart patients and recommending the drugs be used only in the lowest dose and for the shortest duration necessary. "The present results indicate there is no apparent safe therapeutic window for NSAIDs in patients with ... Read more
Related support groups: Ibuprofen, Heart Attack, Naproxen, Voltaren, Advil, Diclofenac, Aleve, Motrin, Voltaren Gel, Vicoprofen, Flector, Myocardial Infarction, Flector Patch, Arthrotec, Advil PM
Many Consumers Don't Know What's in Over-the-Counter Painkillers: Study
Posted 3 May 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, May 3 – Few Americans bother to read the labels on over-the-counter pain relievers, nor do they pay much attention to the drugs' ingredients, a new study says. This lack of awareness could be a main reason why acetaminophen overdose is a leading cause of acute liver failure in the United States, according to the researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago. Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, is in more than 600 over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medicines. Researchers interviewed 45 people in six focus groups and found that only 31 percent knew that Tylenol contained acetaminophen, 19 percent realized Advil contained ibuprofen and about the same number knew that Aleve contained naproxen sodium. About 75 percent knew Bayer contained aspirin and 47 percent knew Motrin contained ibuprofen. Fewer than half – 41 percent – said they read the ingredients on ... Read more
Related support groups: Percocet, Vicodin, Norco, Lortab, Tylenol, Aspirin, Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Advil, Fioricet, Darvocet-N 100, Endocet, Aleve, Tylenol PM
Ibuprofen Linked to Lower Parkinson's Disease Risk
Posted 3 Mar 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, March 2 – Regular users of ibuprofen may be reducing their risk of Parkinson's disease, according to new research that echoes previous findings. "We found ibuprofen, a commonly used drug by Americans, could be neuroprotective against Parkinson's disease," said researcher Dr. Xiang Gao, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and a research scientist at Harvard School of Public Health. The neurological disorder causes movement problems. "Protective effects are seen after taking ibuprofen two or more times a week," he said. "That's so-called regular use." The finding, published online March 2 in the journal Neurology, adds to the results of previous studies, some of those conducted by Gao, showing a protective effect. "At this time, we still don't know the exact mechanism," Gao said. The study was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. As promising as ... Read more
Related support groups: Ibuprofen, Advil, Parkinson's Disease, Motrin, Vicoprofen, Advil PM, Advil Cold and Sinus, Hydrocodone/Ibuprofen, Nuprin, Reprexain, Midol IB, Motrin Childrens, Dristan Sinus, Ibuprofen PMR, Motrin Infant Drops
FDA Bans Unapproved Prescription Cough, Cold and Allergy Meds
Posted 2 Mar 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, March 2 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that it plans to remove about 500 unapproved prescription cough, cold, and allergy medicines from pharmacy shelves. These drugs have not been evaluated by the FDA for safety and effectiveness, and they may be riskier to take than approved over-the-counter (OTC) drugs that treat these same conditions, agency officials explained. "This action is necessary to protect consumers from the potential risks posed by unapproved drugs, because we don't know what's in them, whether they work properly or how they are made," Deborah M. Autor, director of the agency's Office of Compliance at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said during a morning news conference. Of particular concern are drugs that have time-release formulations, Autor said. "We know from experience that these type of products are complicated to ... Read more
Related support groups: Benadryl, Mucinex, Sta-D, Pseudoephedrine, Tylenol PM, Diphenhydramine, Phenylephrine, Sudafed, Cold Symptoms, NyQuil, Cheratussin AC, Guaifenesin, Mucinex DM, Robitussin, Chlorpheniramine
Parents Still Giving Cough, Cold Meds to Kids Under 2: Poll
Posted 16 Feb 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 16 – Many American parents of children aged 2 and younger still give over-the-counter cough and cold medicines to their kids despite U.S. Food and Drug Administration warnings to the contrary, researchers have found. In response to research linking over-the-counter (or OTC) cough and cold medicines to poisoning or death in hundreds of children ages 2 years and younger, the FDA said in 2008 that the products should not be given to children in this age group. In addition, studies have shown that these medicines have little benefit in controlling symptoms. A new national poll of over 300 parents of children ages 6 months to 2 years found that 61 percent of parents gave OTC cough and cold medicines to their children within the last 12 months. In addition, more than half of the parents said their child's doctor said the medicines are safe for children under 2 years, and ... Read more
Related support groups: Cold Symptoms, NyQuil, Cheratussin AC, Hydromet, Mucinex DM, Night Time, Tussionex Pennkinetic, Claritin-D, C-Phen DM, Mucinex D, Allegra-D, Statuss, Advil Cold and Sinus, Hycodan, Rondec
Certain Painkillers Appear to Boost Odds for Heart Attack
Posted 11 Jan 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Jan. 11 – Common painkillers taken to treat inflammation, such as Celebrex and Advil, can raise the risk of heart attack, stroke or death, a review of existing research suggests. Swiss researchers analyzed the results of 31 trials involving seven non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), as these medications are called, and concluded that cardiovascular risk needs to be considered before prescribing any of them. "NSAIDs are widely used worldwide for treating pain and inflammation," said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, American Heart Association spokesman and professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles. "A number of studies have shown that many of these agents are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events, particularly when used at higher doses and for longer periods of time, but uncertainty remains as to the magnitude of the risk and how the ... Read more
Related support groups: Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Celebrex, Voltaren, Advil, Diclofenac, Aleve, Motrin, Voltaren Gel, Vicoprofen, Flector, Flector Patch, Arthrotec, Advil PM, Advil Cold and Sinus