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Over The Counter Pain Medication: How To Choose The Right Drugs
With the recent front-page news about the possible hazards of pain medications, you may be taking a look at your over-the-counter (or OTC) pain medications with a wary eye. While all drugs, including those you don't need a prescription for, can be dangerous, some basic knowledge can help you avoid the pitfalls for the pain relief you need. Types of OTC pain medication: The pain-relief aisle of any drug store can make it seem like there's an infinite number of pain-relief medications. But there are really only three types. Each type works in a different way and can cause different types of problems. Aspirin: Aspirin blocks the activity of pain hormones called prostaglandins, which would otherwise send pain information to the brain. In addition, by blocking prostaglandins you reduce the pain and discomfort of inflammation (swelling and heat indicating immune function). Acetaminophen: Acetaminophen is found in drugs like Tylenol, as well as some generic OTC medications and in prescription pain-relief products. Acetaminophen travels through your bloodstream to the brain, reducing pain-related brain activity and fever. Because it doesn't work through the hormonal system, it doesn't do as good a job of reducing swelling and inflammation as the other two types of pain medication. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories: These are sometimes called NSAIDs (pronounced N-Saidz). This isn't a single chemical, like acetaminophen, but a group of chemicals including ibuprofen, naproxen and ketoprofen, all of which block the production of prostaglandins, and thus pain and swelling. A number of NSAIDs are available over-the-counter, including brands like Aleve, Ibuprofen (generic) and Motrin; some newer NSAIDs, like Celebrex and Vioxx , need a prescription. How To Take Aspirin Safely In addition to blocking pain signals, aspirin blocks the production of blood clots. Strokes can be caused by blood clots blocking the brain's blood vessels and aspirin reduces the chance that such clots will form, so physicians will sometimes recommend a low dose of daily aspirin to prevent strokes in high-risk patients. However, this also means that it's harder to stop bleeding if you are taking aspirin. People who are already on blood thinners (like Coumadin) should not take. Similarly, pregnant women have an increased risk of bleeding if they take aspirin, so if you need pain relief while pregnant, speak with your healthcare worker for a better options. Aspirin can quickly lead to ulcer formation and potentially-dangerous gastric (stomach) bleeding. Enteric coating reduces the likelihood of harm, but even so, aspirin should not be taken for long periods of time without consulting a physician. Some people are allergic to aspirin, and may experience a variety of symptoms (potentially serious) on taking it. If you are allergic to aspirin, you shouldn't take aspirin or NSAIDs without consulting a physician. Lastly, children and teens with chicken pox, flu, or other viral illness should not be given aspirin (even children's aspirin) without first consulting a physician, as the combination of certain illnesses and aspirin can lead to a potentially fatal complication called Reye's syndrome. How To Take Acetaminophen Safely: Acetaminophen, taken in high doses or over long periods of time, can cause liver damage and, eventually, liver failure. If you think you may have taken too much, call a healthcare provider or poison control center right away. Alcohol consumption can magnify the effect of acetaminophen on the liver. If you regularly have three or more alcoholic drinks per day, you should check with your healthcare provider before taking acetaminophen (or any other pain reliever). Because of the potential for overdose, children should never be given "extra strength" acetaminophen products. Regular strength ones should be given at the stated doses for children or after speaking with a healthcare professional or pharmacist. How To Take Over The Counter NSAIDs Safely: NSAIDs slightly increase the risk of bleeding. People on blood thinners, pregnant or nursing women, and people at risk for internal bleeding should not take these products. They can also affect your liver's function and health and lead to gastrointestinal bleeding. In order to avoid these effects, you shouldn't take more than one NSAID at a time or an NSAID with aspirin without first consulting a physician. If you are taking a multi-drug medication (for example, pills for relief of menstrual symptoms may include several different medications), make sure it doesn't already contain an NSAID if you are taking an NSAID separately. Lastly, pregnant and nursing women should speak with their healthcare provider before using an OTC NSAID. Other Things To Think About: If you find yourself taking any OTC pain reliever over a long period of time (several weeks), you should see your healthcare provider. The pain may indicate a problem that needs to be dealt with rather than masked, and there may be treatment that will take care of the problem, rather than merely covering the symptoms. Adkinson: Middleton's Allergy: Principles and Practice, 6th ed., Ch.93, 2003 "Aspirin," Mosby's Drug Consult, Mosby, Inc, 2005 "Acetaminophen," Mosby's Drug Consult, Mosby, Inc, 2005 "NSAID," Mosby's Drug Consult, Mosby, Inc, 2005 "Ibuprofen," Mosby's Drug Consult, Mosby, Inc, 2005 Copyright (C) Shoppe.MD and Ian Mason, 2004-2005 Ian Mason, owner of Shoppe.MD, your source for Online Prescription Medications, drug information and drug forums. Ian is a fat-to-fit student of health, weight loss, exercise, and several martial arts; maintaining several websites in an effort to help provide up-to-date and helpful information for other who share his interests in health of body and mind.
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Consumers must take into account risk factors involved with ordering prescriptions online. Flatfeet in Children: When Are They A Problem? There are high arch feet and low arch feet and many different foot types in between. Many individuals have flatfeet, but do not have foot problems. All of us are born with flatfeet and some of the greatest athletes have flatfeet. But, flatfeet are a problem when the arch completely collapses in combination with excess inward rotation in the foot. This type of flatfoot causes excess stress on the joints, ligaments and tendons in the foot and ankle. If not treated appropriately, tendon and joint problems will develop. A Fresh Start Plan for People With Neck Pain! "If you have to deal with chronic neck pain, it can be a real struggle. I know? because I've had to do it myself," states Dr. Nathan Wei, a board-certified rheumatologist and Clinical Director of The Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. The Basic First Aid for Child Care Programs We cannot help but accept the fact that children do get into trouble and sometimes emergencies when they are left in childcare programs. We just have to pray that most injuries sustained are minor such as cuts, scrapes, bruises, among others. Dangerous Drugs Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra: An editorial regarding dangerous drugs How To Medically Treat Nail Fungus Warning: This article is for information only and can not be used to supplement your doctor's advice. You should contact your doctor for nail fungus treatment. High Cholesterol Prescription Medications Can Kill You The World Health Organization declares that heart disease is the number one killer worldwide. High cholesterol is a major contributor of heart disease. In America alone there are nearly 105 million people with high cholesterol. CRP And Your Heart Monitoring your CRP level is vitally important because it is one of the best indicators of heart disease. C-Reactive Protein has proven to be one of the best indicators of looming Heart disease. A Very Medical Miracle Madeline Mann once weighed less can a can of soda making her the tiniest surviving newborn known to medicine. Next week, she enters high school as something even more exrtaordinary- a honor student who likes to play violin and Rollerblade. A Closer Look at Neck Pain Relief Neck pain afflicts many people at some point in their life - two-thirds of American adults report having experienced at least one incidence of neck pain in their lives. You can strain your neck during exercise, at work, or even something as simple as turning over in your sleep. It's an ailment so common that it has even earned it's own colloquialism. But while your boss, neighbor, or even children can all be a real "pain in the neck" sometimes, so can the pain in your neck! Treatment for High Blood Pressure The treatment of high blood pressure is one of the most important areas of modern medicine. Good quality care and blood pressure treatment can reduce the risk of death, the risk of stroke and the risk of heart attack or coronary disease. The British Hypertension Society produced guidelines in 2004. This is what they recommend. Serzone Side Effects Lead to Serzone lawsuits Serzone is a prescription medication that is given to patients who are seriously depressed (Dysthymia,Major Depression, and Bipolar Disorder) to alleviate the symptoms of depression such as sleep and eating habits, changes in weight, coordination, fatigue, unjustified feelings of worthlessness or suicidal thoughts which prohibit normal functioning. It balances levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain which doctors think will help alleviate symptoms of depression much like the phenylpiperazine antidepressant, Trazodone (Desyrel). Mind Altering "It's a chemical imbalance." I've heard those words so many times in the last decade, it's becoming routine for Doctors to blame everything on it. 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Not only can you save a lot of money but you can also be sure that you are getting quality medicines and online customer service that provides you all the necessary information on drugs. Whether you are looking for prescription medication or herbal products Mexican Pharmacy is your souce for your purchasing medicines.These are all claims that are associated with Mexican pharmacies catering today. But there are some risks involve in it too, which cannot be totally ignored. Awareness is one sure step towards better informed consumer for health care products.
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