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QUESTION: Headaches are my big problem, and I am constantly hoping for new
and different ways of dealing with them
Can sedatives and tranquilizers be
of any use in treating headaches?

ANSWER: Some studies have shown that sedatives and tranquilizers have, at
times, helped patients suffering from migraines, muscle contraction headaches,
and to a lesser extent, cluster headaches in adults
Evidence of the value of
these drugs in properly conducted, double-blind trials has not yet come in,
however, and doctors must weigh the risks of addiction and withdrawal symptoms
before prescribing tranquilizers and sedatives for treatment of headaches.
Recurrent headache is one of the most common reasons that people seek the
help of doctors
A detailed patient history is necessary to identify the true
nature of the headaches
The prudent doctor will have patients undergo a
complete physical, neurological exam and blood pressure tests before treatment
is administered
Although more than 400 remedies have been used for
migraines, with the exception of propranolol, there has been a poor success
rate for most
That seems to be why sedatives and tranquilizers are being
prescribed
There is little agreement among researchers regarding when these
drugs should be employed.
The most common cause of headache in adults is tension
The tension may
cause what are known as muscle-contraction headaches, which can be severe,
recurrent and disabling
Double-blind trials on patients with this problem
have shown that a combination of aspirin and a mild tranquilizer relieved the
sufferer more than just aspirin alone
Sedatives and analgesics have been
used for years, but because they can be habit-forming and are not consistently
successful, alternative methods have been sought to reduce the pain
The
tranquilizer valium given intravenously has been proven effective as a
treatment for cluster headaches
Sedatives have been found to be of little
help in treating them.
When the causes of a symptom such as headache are so numerous, and the
available medications which might be helpful are so abundant, it takes careful
cooperation between patient and physician to arrive at just the right
combination of drugs which will be correct for a specific individual and
situation.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Lukol
Our price: $20.35
Lukol is an indigenous tablet preparation which is administered orally for the treatment of non-specific leucorrhoea.

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QUESTION: The use of cocaine seems so wide spread that there must be cases
when people overdo it and take too much at a time
What do doctors do for
people in the case of an overdose of cocaine?

ANSWER: Cocaine is not the “harmless high” it was once thought to be
Since
the 1970’s, when cocaine became a popular “recreational drug”, people have
been showing up at emergency rooms with sudden cardiac arrest, myocardial
infarction (heart attack), epilepsy-like seizures, and cardiac arrhythmias
(erratic heart beat), all caused by snorting, injecting, or smoking cocaine.
Cocaine can kill, even on the first use
When a young person with no previous
history of seizures or heart problems shows up at an emergency room, cocaine
use should be suspected.
In a case of cocaine overdose, if there are no serious problems,
emergency room staff will make sure that the patient can breathe and will
attach an I.V
line for fluids and a cardiac monitor
Seizures are treated
with tranquilizers such as Valium and cardiac arrhythmia is treated with beta
blocking agents.
No attempt is made to remove the cocaine from the patient’s system
because nature takes care of that
Cocaine leaves the body relatively
quickly
Most of it is metabolized by the liver, broken down into less
harmful chemicals, within 2 hours of ingestion
Except for traces that can be
picked up in drug tests for several days, the effects of snorted cocaine last
about 3 hours after use, while the effects of intravenous or smoked cocaine
(freebase or crack) are even shorter.
Unfortunately, the rising availability of the smokable crack is making
cocaine use more addictive
Fortunately, public awareness of the cocaine
problem is growing, but there is still much to be done in educating everyone
about its dangers.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Zestril
Our price: $0.45
Zestril (Lisinopril) is used for treating high blood pressure and heart failure.

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QUESTION: Many of my colleagues are occasional uses of cocaine for “social
relaxation”
My warnings of its danger go unheeded, but I know they are at
risk for heart problems
Maybe a column on how cocaine affects the heart
might help?

ANSWER: I am happy to oblige
You, of course, are correct
Cocaine can
cause a fatal heart attack
Remember the headline stories of the deaths of
two star athletes, University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias, and pro
football player Don Rogers? Yet the myth persists that cocaine is a safe and
nonaddicting drug for occasional recreational use and at least 5 million
Americans use it regularly.
Regardless of how cocaine is used, whether it is sniffed, smoked, or
taken orally, it can enhance catecholamine activity in the body.
Catecholamines are naturally produced compounds that affect different systems,
including the cardiovascular, and can intensify the response of certain
organs, like the heart.
This excess of catecholamines can interfere with normal heart rhythms and
increase blood pressure
It can also cause an abnormally high heart rate,
heart spasm, constricted blood vessels, and even blood clots
These
conditions can lead to a blocked coronary artery and a heart attack even in
a young, previously healthy person who has no history of heart disease.
Anyone who already has coronary artery disease greatly increases his risk for
heart attack by using cocaine.
And playing games by adding amphetamines, which are sometimes used in
combination with cocaine, raises that risk even higher
Listen up out there;
this man is no prude, he is just telling it like it is.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Proventil
Our price: $21.45
Proventil (Albuterol/Salbutamol) is used to treat asthma and other chest illnesses.

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QUESTION: My husband tells me that my corn plasters will never work on my big
bunion
I always thought they were the same thing
We have a bet on this
one
Will you clear this up for me and tell me what causes them?

ANSWER: No, they are really quite different, although they both usually occur
on the feet, and they both stem from the same cause
A corn is an area of
thickened and hardened skin, usually occurring over the knuckle of a toe
A
bunion, however, is an enlargement of a joint of the big toe, and can be due
to excess fluid in the joint, or to changes in the bones that make up the
joint
They are both formed as a response to pressure on that area of the
foot, pressure which generally is created by poor fitting shoes
Women’s’
shoe styles seem to create the problem more frequently for them than in men,
but some people inherit a tendency to form these annoying bumps
If you won’t
or can’t change your fashions, and those corn plasters fail to rid you of your
problem, you may have to consult a foot specialist for help
Depending upon
the cause of your bunion, any one of a number of devices may be placed inside
of your shoe to correct the problem
If this is not effective, surgery may
become necessary
I am sorry to have to say this, but it looks like you lost
your bet.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Prednisone
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Prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid, used for suppressing the immune system and inflammation.

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QUESTION: With a slim line being the “in thing” these days, I received a tip
from my always slim friend
She tells me that a “diuretic” is her secret for
success
Isn’t this dangerous? How do diuretics work?

ANSWER: Diuretics, often called water pills, are drugs that increase the
output of urine
They most often work by causing the kidneys to put out more
water and minerals than they would by themselves
Diuretics can be used
safely for patients under medical care for conditions that make their use
necessary, but they are sometimes abused by people like your friend who use
them for weight control
Misuse of water pills can be very dangerous
Since
diuretics reduce the amount of water in the body, there is sometimes a
corresponding reduction in the volume of blood
This can cause light
headedness or dizziness and can increase the risk of faints and falling.
Diuretics can also cause an excessive loss of potassium in the urine
Over
time, a significant lowering of the potassium levels in the tissues and blood
can cause a weak feeling, irregular heart action and disturbed sexual
function.
Clearly, diuretics should not be used by people who don’t have a medical
reason for using them
Diuretics can, however, be very valuable for people
with conditions in which the body retains water or sodium
People with
hypertension (high blood pressure) or heart and kidney disorders can use the
drugs safely when they are prescribed by a doctor
I trust you were not
considering following your friend’s bad example?

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Procardia
Our price: $0.25
Procardia (Nifedipine) is a calcium channel blocker. Calcium is involved in blood vessel contraction. By blocking calcium, nifedipine relaxes and widens the blood vessels.

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QUESTION: What causes a child to be dizzy? Can it be dangerous?

ANSWER: Dizziness in children can have a number of different causes, ranging
from a psychological disorder to a brain tumor
Don’t ever ignore dizziness
in a child; it may indicate a serious underlying problem that needs treatment.
You should also be aware of dizziness in a child who’s too young to have
the vocabulary to describe the sensation he’s experiencing
A child may
describe dizziness as a spinning feeling, or indicate that he’s feeling
unsteady or lightheaded.
Watch, too, for other symptoms that may accompany dizziness
Does the
child suffer from nausea, vomiting, faintness, pallor, or headache, too? Does
he black out or lose consciousness? Is dizziness brought on by rapid movement
of the head? How long, and how frequently, does the dizziness occur? Is your
child able to play or carry out normal activities despite feeling dizzy?
If dizziness occurs in your child, ask your physician about it
He will
need to take a complete history and will ask you and your child a number of
questions to try to pinpoint the cause of the dizziness
In addition, a
thorough physical exam will help rule out a number of possible causes
Lab
tests (looking for blood abnormalities, diabetes, etc.) and even a CT
(computerized tomography) scan will help in the diagnosis
In particular,
your doctor will be interested in any ear or neurologic disorders that often
have dizziness as a symptom
For instance, any obstruction, such as impacted
ear wax, in the auditory canal could result in dizziness.
Chronic ear infections or previous ear surgery could be the culprit.
Your doctor will want to know if your child suffers from any kind of hearing
loss, tinnitus (ring in the ears), pain, or feeling of fullness in his ears
(in one ear or both).
Other possible causes of dizziness can include:

Medications, such as aspirin, antihistamines, or phenytoin and
barbiturates (used to treat epilepsy and other seizure disorders).
Injury to the head, neck or spine.
Infections like meningitis, encephalitis, or brain abscess.
Disorders such as diabetes, low blood sugar, high or low blood pressure,
or hypothyroidism.
Diseases of the blood like anemia or leukemia.
Diseases of the central nervous system like multiple sclerosis.
Lead, arsenic, or alcohol poisoning.
Thiamine or niacin deficiency.
Meniere’s disease (although it’s more common in adults).
Migraine headaches.
Seizure disorders, such as epilepsy.

Dizziness can also indicate benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood, a
fairly harmless and common childhood disorder characterized by recurrent
attacks of dizziness that last a few seconds to a few minutes
During an
attack, the patient may have nausea and vomiting and appear pale, with a
constant involuntary movement of the eye balls
This disorder usually
disappears after six months to a year, and rarely occurs after the age of six.
As you can see this is not a simple question with an easy answer
If you
have written because of an actual situation in your family, please get the
child to the doctor as soon as you can
Hopefully the answers in your case
will be simple and without serious consequences.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Zimulti
Our price: $3.2
Zimulti (Rimonabant) is an appetite suppressant diet pill.

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QUESTION: They always show the alcoholic who can’t get a drink going through
all kinds of distress and shakes on the TV detective shows
I suppose it is
supposed to represent the DTs, but I don’t understand how the DTs work
Can
you explain the DTs to me? Is it as bad as some people make out that it is?

ANSWER: DTs or Delirium Tremens is a severe withdrawal syndrome that occurs
when chronic alcoholics no longer have access to alcohol, and it’s a
frightening “real life” situation
It begins with anxiety attacks, poor
sleep, and often a profound depression
The patient becomes increasingly
confused and may sweat profusely
In the confused and disoriented state,
hallucinations occur which are frightening to the patient; and visual
hallucinations, often involving animals, may terrorize the patient
As the
DTs continue the hand may begin to shake, and sometimes even the head and
trunk are affected by this tremor
It is not a pleasant thing to watch and
medical care must be obtained immediately
Sedatives, tranquilizers, and
intravenous fluid therapy may all be necessary to successfully raise the
patient out of this nightmare situation
I am not sure these depictions are
helping anyone, although most of the TV I see these days use the withdrawal
from drugs in the same way
And the withdrawal syndrome is a very similar
one, although the treatment may vary just a bit
If it passes on the lesson
that drugs can lead to some horrifying experiences, than I would have to
endorse these depictions.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Sarafem
Our price: $1.12
Sarafem (Fluoxetine) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) used to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

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QUESTION: I know it’s not normal, but I don’t know where to turn for help
I
experience a great deal of discomfort and pain during sexual relations
I am
a young woman, and realize that this shouldn’t be happening
Why is it?
Help!

ANSWER: You may be embarrassed to talk to your doctor about this condition,
but keeping quiet about it and hoping it will go away is not going to work.
Pain during intercourse, or dyspareunia, is uncomfortable to talk about, but
worse to suffer through in silence.
There are several possible physical and psychological causes and both may
have a hand in causing the pain
Describe the pain or discomfort to your
physician
Tell him or her how long you’ve had the pain, what it feels like,
and when and where it occurs
Also note whether the discomfort is only at the
opening of the vagina or deeper in.
In older women, pain during intercourse may be due to the drying of the
vagina that occurs after menopause
However, some younger women have a
chronic lack of lubrication even when they are sexually aroused
This can be
treated easily by using a lubricant
Vaginitis can also cause pain during
intercourse, since the walls of the vagina may be inflamed and irritated.
Pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, and tipped uterus can all cause
discomfort during deep penetration.
Pain during intercourse may also be caused by a severe involuntary muscle
spasm known as vaginismus
This spasm may be caused by a psychological fear
of sex, perhaps due to sexual trauma or because a physical problem has made
sex painful
Behavioral and psychological therapy can help with this problem.
Without doubt, it is not something that a young woman must or should try to
live with
Please don’t take this brief amount of information as the last
word, but gather up your resolve and courage, make a few notes on paper to
help, and get to see your family physician right now.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Prednisone
Our price: $0.15
Prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid, used for suppressing the immune system and inflammation.

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QUESTION: I have developed some difficulty in swallowing
I can’t get the
idea that it is cancer out of my mind
What are my chances that it is?

ANSWER: Yes, cancer of the esophagus can cause trouble in swallowing (called
dysphagia), but there are also many noncancerous causes
Risk of esophageal
cancer is increased by heavy smoking and heavy use of alcohol
However, the
only way to tell what is causing your problem is to see a physician who will
ask questions about how long you’ve had trouble swallowing, whether it comes
and goes, or whether you only have trouble swallowing solid food.
If you have trouble swallowing both liquids and solid foods, there may be
a problem with the way your esophagus moves food into your stomach
If you
have trouble swallowing solid foods only, there may be an obstruction of some
kind, which may or may not be esophageal cancer
For example, if you’ve had
heartburn for many years, the acid that backed up into the esophagus may have
caused changes that reduced the diameter of the esophagus and obstructs the
passage of food
If the trouble with swallowing solid food comes and goes,
you may have a condition called Shatzki’s ring, where the last inch or so of
the esophagus has narrowed.
Your doctor may ask you to have x-rays taken of your esophagus and
stomach while you drink a barium solution
The barium will show how your
esophagus acts when you swallow and any obstruction will be seen clearly.
Treatment for difficult swallowing depends on the diagnosis, but some cases
can be treated simply by chewing food well before swallowing.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Urispas
Our price: $2.2
Urispas (Flavoxate) relaxes the muscles of the urinary tract.

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Lioresal
Our price: $1.1
Lioresal (Baclofen) is used for treating muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis or other diseases.

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QUESTION: I am 32 years of age and have had extremely painful menstrual
cycles for almost my entire life
I always thought this was normal for me,
but recently my physician advised me that the “tissue” from inside of my
uterus was “out of place.” He now wishes to prescribe hormones to treat my
situation and I am confused
Can you explain this disease to me and tell me
what treatments can help?

ANSWER: The description of your symptoms and the comments of your physician
clearly indicate that you are suffering from endometriosis
The name of this
disease comes from the term endometrium, the medical term for the tissue that
lines the uterus
Each month, when the uterus sheds this tissue, a woman
experiences her menstrual cycle
In endometriosis, the tissue normally
located inside of the uterus is found elsewhere in the body in abnormal
locations such as the ovaries, the lower abdomen, or in the wall of the uterus
itself
This is a common disease and can affect women of all races and of all
ages, although it is seen most frequently in women between the ages of 30 and
40
It is the most common cause of infertility in women over the ages of 25
and almost 15% of all patients who are infertile have endometriosis.
Women who suffer from this disease complain of severe menstrual cramps,
heavy and irregular bleeding, and often experience pain during or after sexual
activity.
The abnormally located tissue follows the same pattern of monthly build
up similar to the normal tissue lining the uterus, but unlike that lining has
no way of exiting the body
This leads to internal bleeding, inflammation,
and the development of fibrotic adhesions and scars
All of these
complications lead to the pain you have experienced
Although the diagnosis
can be suspected by the history you have related, there are really no specific
signs or symptoms that permit the physician to make an accurate diagnosis.
This can only be accomplished through the use of a laparoscope, which is a
long, thin tube equipped with a telescopic lens system, and has its own source
of illumination in the tube
With a patient under anesthesia, a small
incision is made just below the navel and the laparoscope is inserted
This
permits the physician to see all the organs in the abdomen and various
structures such as the fallopian tubes, ovaries, female organs, liver and
gallbladder
The physician is able to determine accurately the extent and
location of the various locations of endometrial tissue which form the basis
for your difficulty.
There are several types of treatment that can help you, frequently
requiring a combination of medical and surgical techniques
Hormonal
treatment is usually attempted first and frequently controls the disease
rather effectively
Hormonal treatments may include the use of female
hormones (estrogen and progesterone) similar to the kinds and quantities
contained in birth control pills
Other hormones which are derived from
testosterone, the male hormone (danazol and cyclomen) are also widely used as
treatments.
It’s interesting to note that pregnancy may stop the progress of the
disease, and so if you wish a child, this may be the treatment of choice.
Carefully follow the instructions of your physician and proceed in a step
by step fashion so that you may ultimately control this disease with a minimum
of complications or surgery.

The material contained here is “FOR INFORMATION ONLY” and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician
Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.

Dostinex
Our price: $6.01
Dostinex (Cabergoline) is used for treating disorders associated with high prolactin levels: persistent breast milk production, lack of a menstrual period, infertility, and other conditions.

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