Saturday, September 8, 2012

Health Quotation # 5


                    Health is not valued till sickness comes.
   
                                                  ~Dr. Thomas Fuller (1654 - 1734)~

Friday, September 7, 2012

Losartan Substitute for Losartan HCTZ




Losartan potassium is a prescription antihypertensive drug.  It can be given in single or in combination with other antihypertensive medication. Amlodepine, a calcium antagonist is the usual combination with losartan. These two drugs are not generally taken at a time though. Prescribers usually give losartan in the morning then amlodepine in the evening for control of hypertension.  However, if the condition cannot be controlled by such combination, losartan plain is usually switched to losartan with the HCTZ or hydrochlorothiazide.
 

Dispensing error may happen and sometimes patients try cheaper alternatives. In the case of losartan and losartan HCTZ, won’t there be any problem if losartan plain is taken instead of a losartan HCTZ?
 

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Chinese Fluocinonide Ointment: Facts and Warnings

Image by the author


Fluocinonide is a recognized topical medication for various skin disorders usually applied 2 to 3 times a day.  It is categorized as a corticosteroid useful for dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema and for other allergic skin inflammation.  Although, popular as an ointment, fluocinonide can also be available in lotion, cream and in gel dosage forms. Fluocinonide strength is generally 0.025 to 0.05 percent. While Lidex (MEDICIS), Dermadex (Tianjin Pharmaceuticals), Amfulan (Everest Pharm) - some tradenames of fluocinonide are to be used in precaution with pregnant women and children, Chinese Fluocinonide is a type of floucinomide that is revealed as safe for babies. True?

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Simvastatin for Cholesterol



Simvastatin was popularly recognized as Zocor. Nowadays, with the rise of numerous cheaper brands and generic equivalent competitors, most people understood simvastatin simply as cholesterol–lowering drug.

Simvastatin is an antihyperlipidaemic agent. As a statin or HMG CoA reductase inhibitor, simvastatin reduces the LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or the bad cholesterol. It also decreases the triglycerides in the blood while increasing the HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or the good cholesterol.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Glibenclamide VS Aloe Vera Supplement for Diabetes



Glibenclamide is a common medicine for blood sugar control. While it is recognized for the trade name Euglocon, a lot of generic version of glibenclamide can also be found in pharmacies and drugstore outlets. But, as most people want an alternative herbal base, aloe vera supplement has becoming an interest for diabetic patients. But, can aloe vera be an effective hypoglycemic agent in comparison to glibenclamide?

Monday, August 13, 2012

Poppy Seeds Facts


Poppy seeds lack alkaloids which are compounds responsible for the pharmaceutical effect in plants. In Opium, there are more than 30 different alkaloids present. The most important of these are morphine which exists to the extent of 4 to 21%; codeine, 0.8 to 2.5%; noscapine, 4 to 8%; papaverine 0.5 to 2.5 %; and thebaine, 0.5 to 2%.

Other opium alkaloids include narceine, protopine, laudanine, codamine, cryptopine, lanthopine and meconidine. Each of these alkaloids acts chiefly on the central nervous system- their action first stimulates then depresses the nerve impulse. They serve as analgesic, hypnotic and narcotic.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Perfect Multivitamin Combination




What is the best vitamin for a child? This is a common question of most parents. Drugstore personnel tend to reply, ‘The complete combination, of course!’

A multivitamin combination is usually composed of the B complex group, vitamin A, vitamin D3 or ergocalciferol, vitamin E or tocopherol and vitamin C. These active components are normally in smaller amounts and act only as additional supplements for the body. While adults may have enough supply of these from foods, kids – particularly the younger ones require more nutrients for growth.

Vitamins and other supplements are commonly regarded as OTC products. If you are planning to buy a multivitamins product for your child, the following active components can also be great essentials.