Welcome to the Medications Forum & Useful Sites!
 

I didn't notice this was here until today.

Many medication questions should be directed to your doctor and pharmacist.
Pharmacies today provide extensive handouts to help you understand your
medications.

But given the way drugs are marketed today, some effects from newer
medications are not completely understood. So a forum of this type is a
good meeting place for people to exchange experiences about medications, when they are worried about them, or interactions.

A very good reference for drug information is:
www.rxlist.com

This site gives side effects reported to FDA in table form and is useful to see clustering reports etc:
http://www.drugcite.com/

And this is a good reference for drug interactions:
http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html


This one is very also:
http://www.pdrhealth.com/

If you have a problem with a medication toxicity or adverse reaction you can report it here:
http://www.fda.gov/
the medwatch program:
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/index.html

If you have problems with understanding the medical terminology that you
find on the net, I can help members with that issue.

I also have experience about what really is going on compared to the dry,
medical stuff you can find on websites that give drug info. Some alarming things that you read about, don't commonly happen. And the vice versa,
some things you or your doctor don't expect, may happen to you.

I hope others come along here and offer web locations that they have found useful as well.

more links..
 

Here is a good link to test drug interactions:

http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/Interac...,4109,,00.html

And a very good paper on the effects of NSAIDs on the body, including
the new FDA warning about them:

http://arthritis.about.com/cs/nsaids...tsofnsaids.htm

And this database will match up drugs with complementary use of vitamins/minerals/herbs: Alot of interesting information can be found on this database.

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/

Warning Letters on new and old drugs...
 

As I come across them, I will post them here.
Unfortunately, many physicians do not read or understand some of the
new warnings that come out. Some never see them even. So I will post
links here in this post on those that are significant.
This is the main link from FDA:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/warn/warn2004.htm

This is a link to the search engine that you can use to search for your
specific drug, if you think a warning letter has been issued:
http://www.fda.gov/foi/warning.htm
There is some pretty interesting reading at the above site..if you choose
by date, you can see many issues the FDA oversees besides drugs.

1) Cymbalta:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/514768

2) Topamax: There are several warnings included in this link:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/warn/2004/12547.pdf

3) Zoloft:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/warn/2005/zoloft_letter.pdf

4) Enbrel:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/warn/2005/Enbrelwl.pdf

5) Celebrex and Bextra:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/warn/2005/12560-letter.pdf
and http://www.fda.gov/medWatch/SAFETY/2...ty05.htm#NSAID

6) Paxil + pregnancy:
http://www.fda.gov/MedWatch/SAFETY/2...hcp_letter.pdf
specifically the first trimester when the heart is forming. Discuss Paxil use with your doctor in this event.

These are just some examples. The site is huge.. and includes food and devices, and manufacturing issues/safety.

drugs, oh drugs..
 

hey guys, :)

just for your information..
listen to Mrs. D, but it's good to be aware of what I have learned over the years..

better know something rather than not knowing anything. But the more you know seomthing, the more you know the things you don't know. that's why I stop asking (which is a very unwise thing to do, but I'm really tired.) in my experience the pharmacist only know so much.. OK, they know a lot, but in my case, absolutely not enough. I'm the one that have to do all the studying.. and now I'm so tired of studying. in the past weeks scary things have happened to me. It's time that I should start doing my homework to report to my doctors. But I don't even have enough energy to do what I utmostly need to do, so the homework just keep piling up, and dangerous things keep happening. Fortunately so far I still could manage. Believe it or not, my doctors trust me that I know what I'm doing.

And once I went to a American Epilepsy Society meeting, and I stopped by at different companies.. actually they got nervous that I asked questions.. (i could understand why). They all promised to send me the information, but at the end, only one company sent me something.. pretty much what's on ythe PDR. The thing is, once the drug is approved, the company wants nothing to do with studying it anymore. They only need one FDA approval and that's it, all they do after that is selling. long term effects? not their business.

not many people interested to study drug interactions. what for? first it's very expensive to do a proper study, second, they don't make any money out of this, and third, it's impossible to do a proper study anyway. All the studies that have been done have to use strict criterias. If you want a drug to be aprroved for diabetes, your studies will include only people with diabetes, not diabetes and stroke, or diabetes and MS etc. While in the real world, that is not the case. And also in the real world, people are taking so amny different variations of drugs, which are not the case with the people who are the subjects of these studies. And even furthermore, your genetic make ups (and your lifestyle etc.) determine how your body takes on the drug. And of course, a lot of people don't take the drug properly.. in other words, as labeled. :rolleyes:

Drug interactions:
 

Here is a good site, listing the most commonly encountered drug-drug interactions:

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000315/1745.html
It is dated 2000, so some newer things are not listed.
Such as SSRI bleeding risks. But the text is informative, and explanations are
good. Anyone taking multiple drugs should read it.

For those interested:
 

In finding the truth among all the contention about the drug industry today,
there is a very good book written by an experienced M.D.:

The Truth About the Drug Companies by Marcia Angell M.D.
Here is part of a review of it:
Dr. Angell was editor of New England Journal of Medicine for 20 yrs.
Her experience and research are very revealing. One thing that surprised me is that the R & D departments of many major companies no longer do research.
They buy/lease patents from Universities and other research foundations who actually have the creative talent. Today drug companies mainly market.

While searching the net today, I also found this interesting doctoral thesis published on the Web. It echos Dr. Angell:
http://www.fdastudy.com/

And from the Wall Street Journal this echos the thesis above:
What is a person to do? Well, for starters if you have an adverse reaction to a drug --insist on a Medwatch report being made. Postmarketing has become the time when serious side effects appear. And if reports are not made, these effects damage many people. Right now in the news is the controversy over the antibiotic Ketek.

We are living at a time when patients should have a say, and research their own treatments. And this is just too difficult for many, sadly.



This book is a real eye opener and now is available in paperback. I bought my hardcover copy a while ago from Amazon.

thanks for that excellent info mrsD!:)

It adds to the growing list of info and articles that I have on this disturbing subject, and reinforces the need for people to be diligent in researching things for themselves before simply accepting that just because something is FDA approved, that does not automatically mean it is safe or good for us! :Sigh:

ps note to everyone...please dont interpret my post as meaning i am "anti-drug" or saying that all drugs are unsafe....what I am saying is that we need to check out for ourselves what the potential side effects could be and make educated decisions. I know many people owe their lives to pharmaceuticals and so realise the vital importance of medications

yes, thank you Chemar...
 

It is really critical to understand that care/and concern about drugs, to be
used properly and safely, is not to be interpreted as anti-drug.
I have been accused of this frequently, and it illustrates to me how emotional
the subject can be. Often doctors do not know much about how drugs work, and which ones are better than others. Today reliance is only on the drug salespeople, and this is very unfortunate.

I have been in this venue for 38 years now, and have seen many many changes.
It can be very alarming.

You know we need to be informed about many things. It is best to know something about cars, when obtaining service (esp if you are female), about
home repair, food safety, etc. We all can be affected by these complex
industries, negatively.

Here is a link...
 

To the new OTC warnings about OTC pain relievers:

http://psychcentral.com/news/2006/12...otc-pain-meds/

new warnings for Procrit (Epogen) and Aransep:
 

The FDA in USA is strengthening warnings for both of these anemia drugs.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...031100339.html

Increased potential for death is being reported with them.

They are also used in doping during the winter olympics increasingly.

FDA requests Warning For Sleep Drugs!
 

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01587.html

Zelnorm discontinued:
 

Here is an FDA report on the discontinuance of Zelnorm:

This is how Zelnorm works... and its affects on serotonin seem to be what is
causing the cardiovascular incidents:
Zelnorm was used for irritable bowel syndrome, for selected patients with chronic constipation, and for those who use chronic opioid therapy for pain (which results in constipation).

Drug Identification:
 

This is a good reference for identifying drugs:

http://www.pharmer.org/identification

Mrs. D.:

Thank you for this information. I am one of those women whose whole life has been micromanaged by IBS.

I was literally loosing what life I had until Zelnorm.

And, it's not that I have a life now. However, w/Zelnorm I was/am on the road to living a normal life...

In your piece you said, "There may be patients for whom no other treatment options are available and in whom the benefits of Zelnorm treatment outweigh the chance of serious side effects. FDA will work with Novartis to allow access to Zelnorm for those patients through a special program."

How do I do this?

I am fearful that I may even loose my ability to earn a living without this product.

And, really, what life do I have if I can't work, go outside my home, develop & participate in life and relationships because of major symptoms of IBS?

My IBS is crippling. I am still on FMLA from its debilitating effects—

Thanks for any support, information or suggestions,

mmmstly

Some of these might have been posted already..

Medication & Drug Interaction checkers

Drug Interactions Checker - For Drugs, Food & Alcohol

Drug Information - Express Scripts ®

Ask a Patient: Medicine Ratings and Health Care Opinions

Patientsville.com
 

Here is a very interesting site. It details FDA medwatch reports.

http://www.patientsville.com/sitemap.htm

Keep in mind that some people's reactions may be due to other disease processes going on with them. Also the opposite factor should be considered, that many drug reactions go UNREPORTED.

So don't panic, but do be concerned and careful.

New warning for erectile dysfunction drugs:
 

http://ncpa.yellowbrix.com/pages/ncp...440559&ID=ncpa

More details here:
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01730.html

Liver enzymes and drug interactions...
 

Each year more and more is learned about drugs interfering with each other, by either inducing metabolism or inhibiting it.

The subject of pomegranate juice just came up on Bipolar board, so I thought
I'd put up some charts that I found that people can consult. Doctors don't always know this information, or understand it.

http://www.healthanddna.com/drugchart.html

This link explains the effects of various juices at this time:
http://www.netwellness.org/question.cfm/44966.htm

and this link has just info about grapefruit:
http://www.fhma.com/grapefruit.htm

Lists are subject to change, as data changes. So keep that in mind.

Drug induced Nutrient Depletions....
 

I have started a thread on our Vitamin forum here for questions people may have on this subject.

Resources are posted there, so I won't repeat them here.

Some side effects from long term use of common medications affect our
body's ability to use certain nutrients. Vit D, calcium, zinc, magnesium, potassium B-complex are just some that are robbed from our bodies.

I have 2 textbook links and one web link posted here:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread42135.html

conversion chart for opiates (narcotics)
 

Here is a conversion site to help show relative conversion between
opiate drugs.

http://www.globalrph.com/narcoticonv.htm

Not everyone reacts the same way, however, so this is just an approximation.

Link to FDA drug interactions page:
 

This link is quite technical, but it discusses the huge problem of drug interactions.

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/Development.../ucm110632.htm

It discusses several types of serious interactions including Prolonged QT (heart arrhythmia) which is gaining more attention today.

Read it slowly and carefully. You don't need to understand every word, but the gist of it all is to be careful. Ask your doctor and pharmacist questions when you receive a new medication, and look it up if necessary.

www.rxlist.com typically gives information on pharmacology and warnings/side effects for most common drugs today.
It will even ID your tablets in your bottle, based on the code numbers. And it will list inactive ingredients on the first page of each monograph.

The Truth About Opioid Pain Medications
 

This goes both ways. There is a lot of dis- & mis- information floating around about opioid pain medications, and that is a very emotional (and political) subject. In efforts to dispel bad information, confusion, and downright lies, I am often concerned about being accused of or labeled pro-narcotic. I am not pro-drug or pro-narcotic; I am anti-pain. I have spoken & written often about ways of coping with pain aside from using medication, but people in intractable chronic pain should not be afraid - or be made afraid - to take medications their physicians prescribe, or stigmatized for taking them.

Here is a list of some links I have found informative:

The Intractable Pain Patients Handbook For Survival
http://pain-topics.org/pdf/IntractablePainSurvival.pdf
Page 10 - Necessity for Opioid Drugs

Definitions Related to the Use of Opioids for the Treatment of Pain
Addiction, Physical Dependence, Tolerance, & Pseudoaddiction
http://www.ampainsoc.org/advocacy/opioids2.htm
There is a lot of confusion about, and misuse of, these terms - even among medical professionals and in the media. Physical Dependence is NOT Addiction.

Pseudoaddiction and Misinterpretation of Symptoms
http://www.beatingaddictions.co.uk/Pseudoaddiction.html

Narcotic Pain Medications
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management...in-medications

The Truth About Painkillers
http://tinyurl.com/2vmnqf

Painkiller Addiction: A Smaller Risk Than You May Think
http://www.health.com/health/conditi...9482_1,00.html

Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Chronic Opioid Therapy in Chronic Noncancer Pain
http://www.jpain.org/article/PIIS152...08316/fulltext

Doc

The Intractable Pain Patients Handbook For Survival is a good handbook and one that I have recommended to people many times. Very good, informative resource!

I agree with you, too. I also am anti-pain. All the natural techniques in the world are not -always- enough to eliminate or control pain. I sure wish I didn't need narcotics, but I am not going to refuse them just because others don't like them. I have to do what is best for me, and right now, that is getting any bit of relief I can.

Dr. Smith:

I do understand your point of view. However, sadly, there are many doctors who are prescribing medications without understanding how to do so safely.

My major concern on this forum is to alert patients to the risks while using these medications. Methadone, which is becoming very popular and common now, is the only opiod that can cause death with normal doses, because of its tendency to cause irregular heart beats. This is called long QT syndrome, and I have posted here and on the chronic pain forum here about it.
There are doctors out there still who do NOT know this about Methadone. So it is up to the patient to inform themselves about it.

This forum is not here to discourage medication use. But is for patients to inform themselves about the medications they use and often in combination with other drugs, so that when an alarming side effect presents, they can seek helpful medical intervention. If a doctor minimizes a patient's concern, which often happens, there are choices that patient can take.

I believe that all drugs have potential for harm. Even aspirin.
Even Tylenol. Those two drugs cause much harm over the long haul in some patients.

Here is a new article explaining the links between OTC and RX anti-inflammatories, and the heart:
http://contractresearch.pharmaceutic...k-risks-120111

Each patient I believe should understand the benefits of a medication vs the risk taking it. Gone are the days of putting yourself 100% in your doctors hands for day to day treatments.

My neighbor did not research Naproxen RX and took it for 3 yrs every day. She had a massive GI hemorrhage, and was in intensive care for 13 days, and almost died. Did she share with me her use of this drug? Nope... Did her doctor give it freely...yep. I personally think her treatment could have been better. But she didn't know that.

http://www.uspharmacist.com/content/s/64/c/13028/

http://www.naturalnews.com/027548_sw...eath_risk.html

I really think having a platform like NeuroTalk is like having a Consumer Reports venue. We check Consumer reports before making a major purchase in this house. Likewise I research all medications I take for my pain issues and other problems.

This forum is here for those with questions about their medications. People who find us here are looking for answers, to some issue that troubles them.

mrsD,

I don't think we're in disagreement or at cross purposes on anything here. Pretty much everything you've mentioned is talked about to some degree (some more than others) in the links I posted, especially the concerns about methadone (as well as the risks of other opioids) in the last link.

I agree that there are many doctors who are prescribing medications without understanding how to do so safely. We can't reach the doctors on this forum, however we can reach and inform patients with good information.

Just about every time I log onto NT, I see posts by folks that reflect:
1. Inadequately addressed/treated pain, and/or
2. Misunderstanding/misinformation about pain medications.

Sometimes these are outright questions, and sometimes they are comments (inferred questions) that something troubles them about appropriately prescribed & taken pain meds.

I think we're very much on the same page!

Doc

Interesting information. Thank you.

A Question..re meds and vaccinations
 

Sorry, Im not sure where I need to post this Question.. ( Im not great sussing out how to post things) I am wondering if Anyone can give me any advice...I am trying to sort out vaccinations I need to go on my holiday..Yellow Fever vaccine is needed but the drs are concerned about the live vaccine and reactions to it with my meds..Has anyone had a Yellow Fever vaccine and Malaria tablets along side meds for my CRPS.? would welcome thoughts ..and I can give the list of my meds..Purrs Lyn aka Crazy Cat Lady:)..again..sorry if im in the wrong place..Im lost here.

herbs interacting with medications:
 

This list was posted today on our PD forum.
It includes some foods, and mostly herbs.
It is pretty good:
http://www.integrativeinc.com/Resour...eractions.aspx

I just got put on methadone. My doctor ordered an ekg before I started treatment and I have to get one after a while of treatment. He told me to stay away from NSAIDs. Told me to be very careful. I am also on norco 3x a day. He seems to be very wise and I will follow the rules.

You bring up a great and critical point. The unfortunate truth is that many personal experiences (of hospitals, drugs, ethical treatment of “mentally ill,” and so on) like yours are not congruent with the “patient’s rights” or general, public understanding of what would ideally be a [fundamentally] guaranteed statement, as in the descriptions of services offered by a particular treatment program or doctor or court report. In the end, we only know for sure after a personal experience. Wouldn’t it be nice, though, if people had enough information and awareness of what they are saying “yes” or “no” to beforehand?

Pain Management
 

A couple of well-written easy to understand guides regarding pain management medications...

A Patient's Guide to: Medication Approach to Chronic Pain

A Patient's Guide to Pain Management Medications

Doc

Thanks for this.

Licorice came out as a possible issue -- depending on this or that.

M

just added 60mg once a day cymbalta..to my handful of pills. something made me wanna take a nap

Cochrane is worth checking out (Cochrane | Trusted evidence. Informed decisions. Better health.).

It is a not-for-profit entity which does meta-analyses, pooling related clinical trials, treating them as one big clinical trial. In a meta-analysis the pooled trials are analyzed critically both for the quality of their design and the validity of their conclusions.

Isabel - The Symptom Checker doctors use and trust
 

Symptom Checker | Isabel - the symptom checker doctors use


Developed, refined and tested over 20 years using Artificial Intelligence technologies, Isabel is the most capable and sophisticated symptom checker available.