Articles filed under 'PRESCRIPTION DRUGS'
Xenical is a prescription weight loss drug primarily intended for adults who are obese, with a body mass index of 30 or higher. It can also be used effectively in those who are considered overweight (BMI of 27-29). Persons with other risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease or diabetes can also benefit from taking Xenical (orlistat) for weight loss.
Xenical must be taken in conjunction with a regular exercise program and a nutritionally balanced diet containing no more than 30% calories from fat. Taking a daily multivitamin supplement is also important, as Xenical reduces the absorption of vitamins from food.
This weight-loss drug works differently from other diet drugs, as it does not suppress your appetite. Instead, Xenical blocks the absorption of a portion of your dietary fat intake to produce weight loss. As a result, Xenical produces gastrointestinal side effects that usually occur in the first weeks of treatment. Side effects usually taper off after the first few months. You may experience side effects such as gas with oily discharge, underwear stains, and an increased number of bowel movements. These side effects can be minimized by staying within the 30% dietary fat guidelines.Â
If side effects become distressing, discuss the symptoms with your prescribing doctor or pharmacist. You should not take Xenical if you are pregnant, nursing, have food absorption problems or reduced bile flow. Children should not be given Xenical for weight loss.
Several clinical studies have shown that after 52 weeks, persons on a reduced fat diet who took Xenical as prescribed lost an average of twice as much weight as those (in the control group) on the diet alone. That is, 13 pounds, compared to about 6 pounds. Within the first three months, those on Xenical had lost 3% of their body weight. There is clear scientific evidence to demonstrate that obese or significantly overweight persons who lose as little as 5% to 10% of their body weight can improve their health.
The clear health benefits of the effects of weight loss with Xenical on other weight-related health problems such as high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure have been assessed in seven studies of 1 to 2 years. These studies involved multicenters, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical trials. More than 4,100 patients took part.
Clearly, there is now a weight loss drug that effectively takes weight off and helps improve general health if your excessive pounds put you at risk. The question is, will the side effects be tolerable to you? Will you be motivated to do the following:
- Set realistic, achievable weight-loss goals with your doctor?
- Take Xenical three times daily with meals?
- Record your food intake each day, and eat a reduced-calorie diet with 30% or less calories from fat?
- Take one multi-vitamin daily — 2 hours before or after taking Xenical or at bedtime?
- Maintain a realistic exercise program?
An over-the-counter version of Xenical, a reduced-strength version, is now being sold under the name “alli.†This drug is approximately half-strength of the prescription version. Alli is also intended for use along with diet and exercise programs. Taking the drug without the other components is unlikely to produce the desired results.
The FDA recently approved the sale of alli without prescription. The agency cautioned that people who had organ transplants should not take orlistat (Xenical) or alli because of possible drug interaction side effects. Those taking blood-thinning medications or being treated for diabetes or thyroid disease should also consult a doctor before using alli, according to the agency.
Sources:Â xenical.com; cnn.com
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February 12th, 2007
Some people, especially seniors, are taking a variety of medications. With the tightening of airport security regulations, you may have concerns about packing to avoid delays or hassles.
Carrying a list of all your medications and dosages can be useful, especially if you are traveling oversees. However, in an emergency situation, labels on original prescription bottles can help medical personnel determine what medications you are taking.
The usual advice has been to keep your prescription meds in their original containers. This strategy poses a problem because multiple containers take up a lot of space. You may not be allowed to take your medications in your carry-on luggage without a label that matches the name on your ticket.
In the U.S., passengers on flights are still restricted to carrying only three ounces of water or other liquids with them. These regulations can be waived in special circumstances if you have appropriate documentation. If you are carrying liquid or gel-cap medications on your flight, it’s important to have your prescription information handy.
Packing your medications in your checked luggage can be a solution. That is, unless your bag is misplaced or delayed in route to your destination or drugs are lost in the baggage search process.
To simplify your screening process, airlines have requested that passengers traveling with carry-on medication place them in one-quart, clear, plastic zip-lock bags. If you need to take medication during your flight, keep the pills you will need in a small pill box or compartmentalized, plastic pill container.
In order to stay on your drug schedule, notify your flight attendant when your board the plane if you will require water before they make their rounds down the aisle.
Some health plans allow vacation refills in small, labeled bottles, even if it isn’t time for your next refill. Ask the pharmacist to have your prescription split into two smaller bottles.
Hopefully, security restrictions at airports will soon be relaxed. Until that time, perhaps these suggestions might help you.
Sources:Â Johns Hopkins Medical Letter, November 2006; recent personal experience with travel by plane and getting through Customs
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Technorati Tags: Airline, Security, Perscription, Medication,Â
October 25th, 2006
Congress agreed recently to allow importation of up to a 90-days’ supply of prescription medication from Canada into the U.S. This practice had been stopped last November, and purchasing over the Internet from Canadian pharmacies is still illegal.
Prices in Canada are between 30% and 80% cheaper for popular brand name drugs. The FDA has protested in the past that drugs from Canada without their approval for U.S. markets may be unsafe for consumers.
In other industrialized nations, brand-name drugs produced in the U.S. are often 35% to 50% cheaper than they are here. Many supporters of re-importing drugs into the U.S. believe American consumers are subsidizing drugs for the rest of the world.
Source: CNN
September 26th, 2006
Any day now the FDA is expected to approve non-prescription use of the “morning after†contraceptive pills for women 18 and over. The two pills, called Plan B, would be kept behind the pharmacy counter, and verification of age would be required. The panel considered allowing girls as young as 16 to purchase Plan B. However, most FDA officials felt that young teens would not be mature enough to take the pill properly.
Plan B consists of two pills that contain larger doses of the hormone found in birth control pill. Used promptly after unprotected intercourse, the two pills taken 12 hours apart can block the release or fertilization of a woman’s egg. The morning after pill is not the same as RU-486 (“abortion pillâ€) which terminates early pregnancy by preventing a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.
Research shows that if emergency contraception were available over the counter, it could prevent as many as half of the 3 million unintended pregnancies in the United States every year.
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Some conservatives have voiced opposition to the pill’s use, claiming that its easy availability might result in more promiscuity. For three years, the FDA has delayed making a decision on the morning after pill.
Source: Yahoo! News
Technorati Tags: Morning After, Birth Control, Contraception, FDA, Pregnancy
August 9th, 2006
Genentech’s new drug Lucentis is the first proven treatment to restore sight in a number of patients with the “wet†form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This disease affecting nearly 1.2 million Americans over age 40 is the major cause of blindness in the elderly. Leaking of blood vessels in the back of the eye invade the retina and erode vision. Thus, the term “wet†is used for this particular form of sight deterioration.
Other treatments have been shown to slow the rate of vision loss, but no other drug in clinical trials has proved to restore or improve a portion of eyesight. Lucentis helped 95% of clinical trials subjects to preserve the sight they had remaining. One-third of patients in clinical trials were able to read three more lines on an eye chart after treatment with Lucentis. For those already experiencing major vision loss, the new drug will be too late to be of benefit.
Two drugs, Macugen and Visudyne, produced by other companies are currently used to slow or prevent further vision loss. The biggest competing drug, Avastin, is also produced by Genentech, but it was primarily designed to treat colon cancer. Its “off-label†use has been effective in treating some patients with AMD. However, Avastin has not been through the rigors of clinical trials as a treatment for sight loss. The company will not block its off-label use, but emphasizes that Lucentis is the preferred drug for treatment of this condition.
The major drawback for Lucentis is its high cost – about $1,950 per injection. To be effective, a patient will need five to seven injections in the first year of treatment. Avastin, at $50 a dose, is a bargain and for some patients may work almost as well.
Genentech has set up programs to provide Lucentis free to uninsured patients and to cover Medicare co-payments for qualified patients.
The injection in the eyes carries a risk of discomfort, inflammation and increased pressure. A topical drug may be developed to avoid these potential side effects, making Lucentis even more appealing for use by doctors for their patients.
Lucentis will not completely restore vision or reverse the aging process, but for some, timely treatment may enable them to continue driving and living independently. Lucentis was recently approved for use by the FDA.
Sources:Â San Francisco Chronicle, Bernadette Tansey staff writer, July 1, 2006; Oakland Tribune, Eve Mitchell, business writer, July 1, 2006
Technorati Tags: Eye Care
July 10th, 2006
The FDA recently approved the birth control pill Seasonique, which allows women to cut their menstrual periods from one a month to only four periods a year. This advance in medicine will give women even more freedom and variety of choices in preventing unwanted pregnancies.
Seasonique is the latest version of SEASONALE, both designed to give women four periods a year instead of 12. Seasonique provides a low dose of estrogen during a menstrual period, resulting in less breakthrough bleeding than the earlier version approved in 2003. With Seasonale, women took only “dummy†pills during their period.  Both are prescription, oral contraceptives. If used as directed, either drug is thought to be 99% effective in preventing pregnancy.
Serious or minor side effects have been reported in using hormonal contraceptives in some women. Among serious risks are blood clots, stroke, and heart attack. In women over age 35 who smoke cigarettes, the risks of cardiovascular side effects are increased.
Barr Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of both extended-cycle prescription contraceptives, emphasizes that their oral products do not protect against HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases. Condoms are your best protection when having intercourse with a partner whose sexual history poses a risk.
Seasonique was tested in a study of 2,500 U.S. women between the ages of 18 and 40 who took the drug for 12 months. Side effects were similar to drug trials of other oral contraceptives, Barr Pharmaceuticals reported. The new birth control pill will be on the market in July 2006.
Source: WebMD.com
June 9th, 2006
Women of childbearing age are advised to ask their doctor for an advance prescription so that it can be used in case of unprotected intercourse, according to a leading gynecologist group.
In case of rape, condom failure, or lapses in their birth control methods, women would be wise to have the prescription on hand. The Bush administration has refused to allow the pill to be sold over-the-counter nationwide.
The morning-after pill is safe and effective, and many physicians believe it should be available without a prescription. The pill, which contains a high dose of regular birth control pills, can cut the chances of pregnancy by up to 89% if used within 72 hours after unplanned or unprotected sex.
Having immediate access to the pill and taking it sooner rather than later increases its effectiveness. This medication does not cause an abortion and should not be confused with RU-486 used for that purpose during early pregnancy. If the woman is already pregnant, the drug has no effect.
Early access to add the morning-after pill could cut in half the nation’s 3 million annual unplanned pregnancies.
Finding a doctor to prescribe the pill on a weekend or holiday period is often difficult. An advance prescription can give women peace of mind and access to the pill at a time when they most need it.
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Source: MSNBC.com
May 25th, 2006
In April, the National Cancer Institute announced that raloxifene (evista) was as good as tamoxifen at preventing invasive breast cancer. Their conclusion was based on a study of 20,000 high-risk women in which half were given tamoxifen and half raloxifene for a five-year period.
Statistical results were roughly equal, although raloxifene was touted as having fewer unwanted side effects than tamoxifen. There were 163 cases of breast cancer in the group taking tamoxifen, compared to 167 in women taking raloxifene. With either group, the cases of breast cancer that developed during the study were about half as many as if the women had not been treated.
Like those on tamoxifen, a very small number got uterine cancer or developed blood clots, potential side effects of either drug. With those on raloxifene, these conditions developed at a slightly lower rate, but the numbers are small and therefore not very statistically significant. These conditions could have developed by chance and not have been related to taking the drug.
The principal difference found was that raloxifene lowered the risk of “invasive†breast cancer, but did not protect for lobular and ductal carcinomas in situ. These non-invasive cancers can develop into invasive cancers, which are the type that kill, but they can be effectively treated when found early. Tamoxifen appears to lower the risk for both invasive and non-invasive cancers.
Taking either drug is risk reduction, not prevention. You are treating a large number of healthy women, who might develop unwanted side effects, while helping only a small number to avoid breast cancer. In 1,000 high-risk women, approximately 20 women treated would avoid getting breast cancer, while another 20 would develop it despite taking the medications. This means that 980 women are exposed to the drugs’ risks but will get no cancer benefit.
Since there is no way to predict who will get breast cancer, high-risk women must choose whether they wish to take the medications that can have unpleasant side effects such as hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.
At some point in the future, we may be able to pinpoint who is actually at high risk of breast cancer. Then, taking these medications will make more sense for women who are otherwise healthy.
Another development on the horizon is a study to test a class of drugs called aromatase inhibitors, which are used to treat breast cancer. They may do a better job of prevention than either tamoxifen or raloxifene.
Source:Â New York Times, May 9, 2006, by Denise Grady
May 15th, 2006
For the first time, a pharmaceutical company has produced a once-monthly injectable drug to treat dependence on alcohol. The FDA has approved Vivitrol, expected to be available to medical providers and their patients by late June. The injectable drug is nonaddictive and must be administered by a health professional.
Intended for alcohol-dependent patients in an outpatient setting, the injection is used in combination with counseling or group therapy. Vivitrol works best for patients who are not actively drinking when beginning the treatment.
A six-month study of Vivitrol was conducted with 624 patients who had typically spent 20 days a month drinking heavily – five or more drinks daily for men and four or more drinks a day for women. Participants were randomly assigned to get the monthly shot of Vivitrol or a similar shot as a placebo (no medication). All received psychosocial support.
Results for those receiving the new drug were dramatic, according to Dr. Michael Bohn, a board-certified addiction psychiatrist and one of the study researchers. For those who received Vivitrol instead of placebo, their rate of continued heavy drinking was 25% lower than in the control group.
All participants had been asked to abstain from alcohol for a week before receiving the first shot. Some complied and some did not. Patients who abstained for at least four days before getting an injection of Vivitrol were more likely to remain abstinent, or they drank much less than they had previously.
Two-thirds of those enrolled in the study based at a Wisconsin treatment center completed the six-month treatment regimen. All who did were allowed to stay on Vivitrol. Those who received only the placebo were offered the drug, and 85% of them accepted the new injectable drug.
The medication was well-tolerated by most patients taking part in the clinical trials. A few experienced mild nausea, vomiting, headache, fatigue, or reactions at the injection site. The once-a-month injection made compliance relatively easy.
The drug manufactures warned, however, that persons taking opiods or in acute opiod withdrawal should not take Vivitrol. In addition, the active ingredient, naltrexone, can cause liver damage if given in excessive doses.
Vivitrol works by binding to and blocking the opioid or pleasure-sensing receptors in the brain, thus removing or reducing the incentive to drink. Naltrexone has been successfully used in tablet forms by alcohol treatment programs for many years. However, Vivitrol is the only injectable drug given once per month to treat alcohol dependence.
About 18 million people in the U.S. are dependent on alcohol or drink excessively. More than 2 million of them receive treatment each year. Vivitrol offers new hope for a significant number of those seeking help from treatment programs for their alcohol addiction.
Sources: WebMD; FamilyDoctor.Org
April 28th, 2006
An international trial of a vaccine designed to prevent asthma from developing in young children is being tested in 200 babies and toddlers from the U.S. and Australia. The clinical trial could expand to Germany and Sweden, as well. All are receiving daily oral drops of common allergens over a one-year period.
All children receiving the oral vaccine are from families with a strong history of asthma or other allergies. They will be followed for three years to determine whether their immune system can be educated to prevent allergies that trigger asthma. The drops are similar to those used to treat patients with established allergies and are considered to be safe.
This first attempt to prevent young children from getting allergies is considered promising. If successful, children all over the world could benefit. Asthma can be a debilitating and life-threatening condition, and preventing it from developing early on would be a major breakthrough.
Source: ABC Online
April 24th, 2006
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