Prescription Drugs

The big problem in mixing medications of any kind is whether or not they are in the same class. This means that the medications are using the the same mechanism of action. If they do, then mixing...

The process of taking a new medicine through discovery and development, and delivering it to the market is a lengthy, expensive, research intensive and high-risk venture where failure looms at...

Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is a condition in which the top number of a person's blood pressure reading is high, while the bottom number--diastolic pressure--is normal. Systolic blood...

Recent studies have determined that blood pressure medicine has beneficial effects on liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver failure. Beta-blockers can lower pressure in veins to reduce the risk of...

Proton pump inhibitors are a very effective medication used to treat and prevent heartburn and acid reflux. Approximately one out of every 20 Americans are prescribed proton pump inhibitors each...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the tetanus vaccine for infants, children and adults.

Periactin, also called cyproheptadine, is a piperidine antihistamine. This drug is used primarily to fight cold symptoms, but it has also been used to stimulate appetite and to treat nausea and...

When acne symptoms persist after using natural and over-the-counter treatments, a prescription medication may be necessary. Acne sufferers can benefit from the effects of topical (applied to the...

Dilaudid is a powerful narcotic medication used primarily for acute pain relief. It is one of the brand names for hydromorphone, a semi-synthetic opiate. Most often available as an oral...

Prednisone is one of the strongest drugs available for reducing inflammation. It works by decreasing your immune system's response to certain diseases. It's most often prescribed for connective...

Clindesse is an antibiotic cream prescribed to treat bacterial vaginal infections. The cream contains clindamycin phosphate, and it works by slowing the growth of bacteria that cause vaginosis....

According to the National Cancer Institute, a biologic drug is "a substance that is made from a living organism or its products and is used in the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of cancer and...

Suboxone is the very first opioid medication that has been approved for the treatment of opioid dependence. This treatment is generally applied in a doctor's office, but Suboxone is also available...

Phentermine is an appetite suppressant frequently prescribed for patients who have difficulty losing weight with diet and exercise alone. It is available in more than 100 different types of pills,...

Phendimetrazine is a specific medication that raises the heart rate and blood pressure while diminishing the appetite. Amphetamines, which also have these characteristics, are available in a...

The New York Times reports that some health care experts are concerned about consumers who can't interpret medication warning labels properly. Confusion results from a lack of consistency among...

Phentermine (brand names Adipex-P and Ionamin) is a short-term weight-loss drug commonly prescribed in the United States. It curbs a patient's desire for food by boosting certain brain chemicals...

Viagra is the brand name for one of the erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs. The generic ingredient in Viagra is sildenafil citrate. Viagra has side effects, and interacts with other drugs as well as...

Oxybutynin is a prescription drug that is sold under the Ditropan, Oxytrol and Urotrol brand names. This drug is used to treat overactive bladders in men and women. This medication reduces muscle...

Yaz is a combination of drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol used to prevent pregnancy. It can also treat mild acne and symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

According to the FDA, about 40 percent of people in the U.S. take four or more prescription medications. While patients and doctors may be vigilant, a bad combination of certain medications may be...

Augmentin, a brand name medication, contains a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanate. Doctors commonly prescribe Augmentin for the treatment of illnesses caused by bacteria.

Buprenorphine and naloxone combine to form the prescription medication Suboxone. Doctors prescribe Suboxone to treat a dependence on opiods and the accompanying symptoms of withdrawal. The...

It is important to track the prescription drugs that you are taking, so that you easily can let your doctor or pharmacist know and avoid drug interactions. Tens of millions of people in the United...

Many people use a healthy diet and exercise to maintain a healthy weight. Others who need more help may seek treatment from drugs such as Phentermine.

Hydroquinone is a topical prescription drug that is sold under several brand names including Aclaro, Eldoquin and Esoterica. This drug is used to reduce the amount of melanin in the skin and...

Tenuate is a drug available by prescription only. Tenuate is classified as a sympathomimetic amine, similar to an amphetamine. Tenuate is prescribed as a short-term supplement for the treatment of...

Augmentin is a combination product of amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium. It is an antibiotic that targets specific bacteria. Because it contains a form of penicillin, it should not be used...

Crestor is a brand name for a drug called rosuvastatin calcium, which is manufactured by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. Crestor is just one of a class of medications called statins that...

Cymbalta (duloxetine) is a drug used to treat general anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, fibromyalgia, and diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain. It is a selective serotonin...

Halcion, also known by the generic name triazolam, is generally prescribed for those suffering from insomnia. Taking Halcion longer than prescribed can lead to dependency issues and/or a Halcion...

MAO (monoamine oxidase) inhibitors are a class of medication that is used to treat depression. Benzodiazepines are a class of medication that treats anxiety disorders, seizures, and muscle spasms....

It is common for many doctors and pharmacists to assume that prescription labels are self-explanatory. This is not always the case, for reading a prescription label can be a bit confusing with an...

Mefenamic acid treats pain associated with menstruation. The FDA categorizes mefenamic acid as a prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

Antibiotics are indispensable to modern health care. Unfortunately, they are not without side effects. Antibiotics wipe out your body's good bacteria, they cause diarrhea and yeast infections, and...

Magnesium chloride can be used for a variety of unrelated applications. The white crystalline compound offers significant benefits for medicine, cooking, ice removal, and erosion control.

Levonorgestrel contains progestin and is the main ingredient in a number of oral mini pills and intra-uterine (IUD) contraceptives. Both pills and IUD work to suppress ovulation, contain no...

Dilantin is an anti-seizure medication manufactured and distributed in the United States by Parke-Davis. The generic name of Dilantin is phenytoin. Dilantin is usually taken orally, but in some...

Zometa is the brand name for zoledronic acid. It is also known as zoledronate. It is also marketed under the brand name "Reclast." There are no generics for Zometa or Reclast. Zometa is...

NSAIDs, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are medications used primarily for the treatment of pain, arthritis and headache. Examples include aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen. Long-term use...

Hormones affect the frequency and pattern of seizures, and seizures affect the regulation of hormones. Most available forms of birth control are effective for people taking seizure medications, or...

Darvocet is a prescription narcotic painkiller that has been available since 1957. It's used to relieve mild to moderate pain and contains Acetaminophen and Propoxyphene Napsylate. Darvocet is...

Dostinex, generically known as cabergoline, is a medication primarily used to treat patients whose bodies produce too much of the hormone prolactin. This especially can be used to help women stop...

An imbalance of the thyroid gland can affect the body's ability to control its production of several hormones that affect weight, mood and sexual characteristics. Excessive thyroid activity can...

A variety of prescription medications can cause weight gain. Some of these medicines are used to treat high blood pressure, diabetes, mood disorders, seizures and migraines. While the weight gain...

Caduet is a prescription drug that combines blood pressure medicine and cholesterol medicine in one pill. Despite its obvious advantages, Caduet does possess some potentially serious side effects.

Cymbalta is an antidepressant in a group of drugs called selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRIs). Cymbalta works by affecting chemicals in the brain that may become...