Medicine Information

Be Informed About The Medications You Take


The recent withdrawal of the prescription drugs Vioxx and Bextra have arthritis patients concerned about their health, lawyers busy with lawsuits, and Congress poring over thousands of pages of documents obtained from the manufacturer. The drugs, part of a family of medications known as COX-2 inhibitors, have recently been shown to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes among users who take the drugs for long periods of time. These findings have more and more people starting to pay more attention to the drugs that are prescribed for them.

Many people, when ill, see their doctor and ask them to prescribe something that will make them feel better. When appropriate, their physicians will do so, and the patients typically run down to their pharmacy to get that prescription filled. They then take their medication as prescribed, usually without giving it much thought. This is probably not wise, especially in view of the recent findings with Bextra and Vioxx. Patients would be well advised to become more informed about the medications prescribed for them. Here are some things you can do to be more informed about the medicines you take:

  • Ask your doctor questions. Make sure he or she knows about any allergies you might have to particular medications. Ask if there is anything important you should know about the drug, its use, or its side effects.
  • Ask your pharmacist if there is anything you should know before taking the medication. Does it interact with other medications? Are there any known risks associated with taking that particular drug?
  • Read any documentation that comes with your prescription. Many pharmacies include lengthy information sheets that discuss the drug, side effects, prescribing information and more. That information is useful. Read it.
  • Go online and find the manufacturer's Website. Many drug companies establish Websites devoted to particular medications. There you can find detailed information covering just about anything you'd care to know about the drug, including the results of test studies and the likelihood of particular side effects.
  • The Food and Drug Administration has some fairly strict standards regarding prescription medications that are brought to market. It is unlikely that any medications currently offered for sale are patently unsafe. Still, one can always benefit from staying informed. The more you know, the safer you are. If your doctor prescribes a medication for you, learn about it. It can only help.

    ©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including Bextra-Info.net, a site devoted to the withdrawn drug Bextra and StructuredSettlementHelp.com, a site devoted to structured settlements.


    MORE RESOURCES:

    Analysis: Deficit spending is tough medicine
    The Associated Press - 8 hours ago
    WASHINGTON — It's a painful dilemma. The expected growth of the federal government budget deficit to $1.2 trillion this year could swamp future generations ...


    New York Daily News

    Scientologist Views On Medicine Questioned
    CBS News, NY - 14 hours ago
    "So I started having grand mal seizures," recalls Tory Christman, "and I wasn't even off the medicine. I was only off part of the medicine, and I started ...
    Travolta's late son 'not victim of cult' Oneindia
    Kawasaki’s disease, cleaning fluid, and cults Blogger News Network
    Presley blasts critics for using Travolta tragedy to attack ... Thaindian.com
    Popeater - p2pnet.net
    all 617 news articles


    Ten essential items for your medicine cabinet
    Chicago Tribune, United States - 14 hours ago
    For information about what to keep in a home first aid kit, go here. Coming tomorrow: 10 things to keep out of your medicine cabinet.


    Cost containment focus could have consequences for health care ...
    EurekAlert (press release), DC - 8 hours ago
    "We believe that in the current environment, the balance has tipped toward market exchanges at the expense of medicine's communal or social dimensions. ...
    Money and the Changing Culture of Medicine New England Journal of Medicine (subscription)
    all 5 news articles


    CBC.ca

    Obama Wants CNN's Medicine Man to Be the US's Surgeon General!
    PerezHilton.com, CA - 16 hours ago
    CNN's medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, was supposedly offered the US surgeon general position by President-elect Barack Obama. ...
    Video: CNN Correspondent Approached for Surgeon General AssociatedPress
    Hotline After Dark -- Your Love Is Like Good Medicine National Journal
    CNN's Medicine Man Tapped for Surgeon General? E! Online
    Washington Post - Wall Street Journal Blogs
    all 1,355 news articles


    Khaleej Times

    Early Elective C-Sections Produce Complications
    U.S. News & World Report, DC - 8 hours ago
    8 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Once a woman has had a Caesarean delivery, she and her doctor may decide to perform an "elective" C-section ...
    Study: Setting early C-sections puts babies at risk Houston Chronicle
    Early C-section for full-term babies poses risk Reuters
    Early C-Sections Can Double Health Risks for Newborns Wall Street Journal Blogs
    Newswise (press release) - al.com
    all 209 news articles


    SmartAboutHealth

    A taste of Obama's own medicine
    NephrOnline, AZ - 14 hours ago
    By Thomas Keating Even before "The Transition" turns into the new regime, president-elect Barack Obama has already been fighting back against those who ...
    Stay Healthy: Government Healthcare May Be Coming The New American
    Replace for-profit insurance with Medicare for all Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
    Obama's health care pledge may hurt Canada National Post
    Capitalism Magazine - San Mateo County Times
    all 111 news articles


    ABC News

    Jett Had History of Seizures, Medicine Ineffective
    FOXNews - Jan 5, 2009
    Jett Travolta, seen in this undated photo, died Friday in the Bahamas at the age of 16. Jett Travolta, seen in this undated photo, died Friday in the ...
    Video: Travolta's Son Likely to Be Buried in Fla. AssociatedPress
    Time to Audit Scientology's Anti-Medicine Stance Gawker
    Jett Travolta’s Death, Medically Unclear eFluxMedia
    The Associated Press - Oneindia
    all 6,587 news articles


    Research database from the US Library of Medicine
    The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com, OH - 13 hours ago
    Search PubMed, Clinicaltrials.gov, the CDC and a dozen other medical sites - all at once. AP MEDICAL VIDEO by Brie Zeltner/Plain Dealer Reporter Ohio had ...


    Commentary: Equine Medicine Has Come a Long Way
    TheHorse.com, KY - 9 hours ago
    ... be paid for in this challenging economy, keeping a horse healthy is light-years beyond where equine medicine and surgery were a quarter-century ago. ...

    Medicine - Google News

    home | site map
    © 2006