Saturday, March 21, 2009
Bupropion is presumed to be a dopamine-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor and is an effective antidepressant. It is available as three oral formulations: (i) bupropion immediate release (IR) [Wellbutrin] administered three times daily; (ii) bupropion sustained release (SR) [Wellbutrin SR] administered twice daily; and (iii) bupropion extended/modified release (XR) [Wellbutrin XL /Wellbutrin XR ] administered once daily. All three formulations are bioequivalent in terms of systemic exposure to bupropion.
Oral three-times-daily bupropion IR was effective and generally well tolerated in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). It was as efficacious and as well tolerated as some tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine. Moreover, it was associated with less somnolence and weight gain than some TCAs. Twice-daily bupropion SR was also efficacious and generally well tolerated in the treatment of MDD. It was as effective as and had a generally similar tolerability profile to some SSRIs, but had the advantage of less somnolence and sexual dysfunction. (more…)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
This is an important video if you’re taking antibiotics or the pill to treat your acne. 
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Zopiclone (pronunciation perhaps IPA: /?z?p?klo?n/), sold as Somnosan, Imovane, Zimovane and Zopinox in Europe and Canada, and as the eszopiclone analogue Lunesta in the United States, is a novel hypnotic agent used in the treatment of insomnia. Zopiclone is a controlled substance in the United States, Canada and some European countries, and may be illegal to possess without a prescription.
Zopiclone is known colloquially as a “Z-drug”. Other Z-drugs include zaleplon (Sonata) and zolpidem (Ambien and AmbienCR) and were initially thought to be less addictive and/or habit-forming than benzodiazepines. However, this appraisal has shifted somewhat in the last few years as cases of addiction and habituation have been presented. It is recommended that zopiclone be taken on an “as needed” basis. Daily or continuous use of the drug is not usually advised. While it acts on the same benzodiazepine receptors as the benzodiazepine family of drugs it is not classed as a benzodiazepine (with which it shares a number of characteristics and effects) due to its differing molecular structure. Zopiclone is classed as a cyclopyrrolone derivative. [Wikipedia.org] (more…)
Saturday, March 7, 2009
At one time or another, almost every teen may appear to be depressed. Usually, the depression is slight and goes away with time. But some kinds of depression need medical intervention. With such an intervention, writing a prescription for Prozac (fluoxetine) or some other antidepressant drug (Figure 1.1) has become the first order of business. Yet, less than twenty years ago, adolescents were rarely diagnosed as depressed, much less given antidepressants. Today, however, teenagers are now receiving medications almost routinely for symptoms that can hardly be termed “depressive” — attention deficit disorder, social anxiety, or drug addiction, for example. (more…)
Friday, March 6, 2009
What to bear in mind the next time you visit the pharmacy counter.
1. Don’t try to get anything past us. Prescriptions for painkillers or sleeping aids always get extra scrutiny.
2. We’re not serving fries in here. I’d think twice about using a drive-through pharmacy. Working there distracts us-not a good thing when it comes to pharmaceuticals.
3. We’re human… and we make mistakes (about two million a year). Ask if we use a bar-code system to help keep us from pulling the wrong drug off the shelf or giving the wrong strength of the right drug. (more…)
Friday, March 6, 2009
More secrets from behind the drug counter.
1. Don’t put up with the silent treatment. Pharmacists are required by law in most states to counsel patients and answer their questions. If your pharmacist seems too busy to do talk with you, take your business someplace else.
2. An over-the-counter version might do the trick. You may just need to take more pills and forgo insurance reimbursement. But always talk to your pharmacist, and do the math.
3. Ask about over-the-counter drugs. “People assume that if it’s over-the-counter, it’s safe,” says Daniel Zlott, a pharmacist at the National Institutes of Health. “I’ve seen serious complications.” (more…)
Friday, March 6, 2009
We are in the midst of a revolution in our nation’s health care.We live in an era when there are more office visits to complementary and alternative medicine practitioners than to primary care medical doctors. The public has demanded safer, less expensive, and more nonsuppressive therapies to prevent disease and restore their health.We have come to the conclusion that as individuals,we want to have control over our own health care decisions. Doctors are to be partners in the decision-making and healing process. As a consequence, we are seeing more and more complementary medicine health care providers in all spheres of medicine. Although there are not enough to meet the demand, we are moving in the right direction. (more…)
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Oral contraceptives generally contain an estrogen (most commonly ethinyl estradiol) and a progestin. In their early formulations, oral contraceptives contained over 100 mg of estrogen. In these and higher doses, estrogens themselves can suppress sebum production. Estrogens also act on the liver to increase the synthesis of sex hormone-binding globulin that binds testosterone and lowers the circulating levels of free testosterone. In addition, oral contraceptives inhibit the ovarian production of androgens by suppressing ovulation. This, in turn, decreases serum androgen levels and reduces sebum production. The concentrations of estrogen in oral contraceptives have decreased over the years from 150 to 35 mg, and in the most recent forms, to 20 mg, in order to reduce the side effects associated with estrogen. (more…)
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Phytopharm, the UK start-up Unilever dumped in November after spending more than ?20m euros in a failed attempt to develop a hoodia-based weight management product, says it is in discussions with major food and food supplements players about the South African fruit extract.
Some of the potential partners were “of a similar profile to Unilever” but interim chief operating officer, Keith Thomson, said the company was “open to exploring collaborative structures” with European and international partners. (more…)
