Pharmacy Blog

Bone loss can happen without giving you any symptoms. It increases your risk of fracture. Calcium supplements reduce fracture risks but it cannot prevent fractures caused by osteoporosis. Proctor & Gamble’s Actonel reduces spinal fractures and protects your bones. It is also used for treating Paget’s disease of the bone in men and women caused by long term use of corticosteroids.
Uses:
Actonel is used to prevent or treat bone thinning in women soon after menopause.
How to Take:
Take Actonel with a full glass of water on an empty stomach. Take it at least 30 minutes before having food or any beverage. Don’t suck or chew the tablet. It’s best not to lie down after taking Actonel. The dose of Actonel may differ from one person to another. So follow your doctor’s advice.
Possible Side Effects:
-Fever , chills
-Stomach pain, joint pain, headache
-Nausea
-Diarrhea
-Skin rashes
-Bone pain
-Red sore eyes
-Blurred vision or change in vision
Drug Interactions:
Avoid certain medicines along with Actonel:
-Antacids which contains calcium
-Mineral supplements that has calcium contents
These medicines will interact with Actonel and reduce the drug’s effect. Your doctor will suggest the apt dosage and talk about precautionary measures if necessary.
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Toprol belongs to the class of drugs known as beta-blockers. Beta- blockers affect the heart and circulatory system. Toprol reduces hypertension and controls chest pain as well as heart failures thus reducing the risk of a heart attack. It is an FDA approved prescription drug.
Uses:
Toprol treats hypertension, chest pain and heart diseases.
How to Take:
Note that the medicine has to be taken with a full glass of water. Toprol should be taken soon after food or with it. Having the tablet in crushed or chewed form will reduce the effect. Always swallow it. If your doctor recommends half tablets cut it instead of powdering it. Try not to miss a dose, as regular intake of Toprol will give you more benefits. If by any chance your condition worsens, stop the medication immediately. Usually medical practitioners suggest regular monitoring of blood sugar levels as part of the treatment.
Possible Side Effects:
Chest pain
Lightheadedness
Irregular heartbeat
Swelling
Skin rashes
Itching
Wheezing or trouble breathing
Dry mouth
Problems with remembering
Loss of libido
Insomnia
Drug Interactions:
Before using the medicine, make sure your doctor knows about any other medicine including over the counter drugs or herbal products that you use. If you are being prescribed any of the given medicines, begin Toprol medication only after your doctor agrees to it.
Amiodarone
Celecoxib
Cimetidine
Clomipramine
Methadone
Prozac
Terbinafine
Zantac
Overdose:
Symptoms of Toprol overdose includes slow heartbeat, fainting, dizziness, confusion, and nausea. Call for emergency attention if you feel any discomfort.
Notes:
Dizziness is a drawback of the medicine. So avoid driving after taking Toprol. Stopping Toprol immediately will increase blood pressure.
Missed Dose:
Take Toprol as soon as you remember it. If you realize it only during your next medication period, take only the required dose at that time.

Common uses:
This medicine (Generic Flomax) is an alpha blocker used to treat symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy (bph).
Before using:
Do not take this medicine if you are also taking certain medicines for erectile dysfunction such as sildenafil or vardenafil. Additional monitoring of your dose or condition may be needed if you are also taking other alpha- blockers (e.g., prazosin, terazosin, doxazosin).
Do not start or stop any medicine without doctor or pharmacist approval. Inform your doctor of any other medical conditions including high blood pressure, or allergies. Contact your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions or concerns about taking this medicine.
Directions:
Follow the directions for using this medicine provided by your doctor. This medicine may come with a patient information leaflet. Read it carefully. Ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist any questions that you may have about this medicine. Swallow whole. Do not break, crush, or chew before swallowing.
Take this medicine 30 minutes after the same meal every day. Store this medicine at room temperature in a tightly-closed container, away from heat and light. If you miss a dose of this medicine, take the missed dose if you remember the same day. Skip the missed dose if you do not remember until the next day. Do not take 2 doses at once.
Cautions:
It may take 1 week for this medicine to work. Do not stop using this medicine without checking with your doctor. Do not drive, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how you react to this medicine. Using this medicine alone, with other medicines, or with alcohol may lessen your ability to drive or to perform other potentially dangerous tasks.
Alcohol, hot weather, exercise, and fever can increase dizziness. To prevent dizziness or fainting, sit up or stand up slowly, especially in the morning. Also, sit or lie down at the first sign of dizziness or weakness. Before you begin taking any new medicine, either prescription or over-the-counter, check with your doctor or pharmacist.
Possible side effects:
Side effects, that may go away during treatment, include dizziness, drowsiness, insomnia, nasal congestion, abnormal ejaculation, muscle weakness, back pain, or increased cough. If they continue or are bothersome, check with your doctor.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if you experience a decrease in vision. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.
If you take too much:
If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. Symptoms of overdose may include severe headache, dizziness, and fainting.
Additional information:
Do not share this medicine with others for whom it was not prescribed. Do not use this medicine for other health conditions. Keep this medicine out of the reach of children. If using this medicine for an extended period of time, obtain refills before your supply runs out.
Drug interactions:
Drug interactions can result in unwanted side effects or prevent a medicine from doing its job. Some medicines or medical conditions may interact with this medicine. Inform your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and over-the-counter medicine that you are taking.
 

Tramadol is used to relieve moderate to moderately severe pain. It may be used to treat pain caused by surgery and chronic conditions such as cancer or joint pain. Tramadol is in a class of medications called opiate (narcotic) analgesics. It works by decreasing the body’s sense of pain.
How to Use:
This medication comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It may be taken with or without food. Your doctor may start you on a low dose of tramadol and gradually increase your dose not more often than every 3 days. Tramadol may be taken every 4-6 hours as needed. If you take too much tramadol, you may experience serious side effects.Ask your doctor about the maximum number of tablets that you may take for each dose or for a 24-hour period.Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take tramadol exactly as directed. Tramadol can be habit-forming. Do not take a larger dose, take it more often, or take it for a longer period of time than prescribed by your doctor. Call your doctor if you find that you want to take extra medication or notice any other unusual changes in your behavior or mood.
Benefits:
Tramadol is used in the management of moderate to moderately severe pain.
Side Effects:
This medication is generally well tolerated and side effects are usually transient. Commonly reported side effects include nausea, constipation, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, and vomiting. Less commonly reported side effects include itching, sweating, dry mouth, diarrhea, rash, visual disturbances, and vertigo.
Precautions:
Inform your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to tramadol or other narcotic pain medications such as meperidine (Demerol), morphine, codeine (or medications that contain codeine such as Tylenol with Codeine), hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin), hydromorphone (e.g., Dilaudid), oxycodone (e.g., Percocet), propoxyphene (e.g., Darvon, Darvon N) or any other medications. Tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and non-prescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking.
Drug Interactions:
This medication can impair thinking and the physical abilities required for driving or operating machinery. It should be avoided in patients intoxicated with alcohol, hypnotics, and narcotics. Large doses of this medication administered with alcohol or anesthetic agents can impair breathing. This medicine can increase the risk of seizure in epileptic patients, especially with simultaneous use of tricyclic antidepressants, such as Elavil.
Things to be done in case of Overdose:
Seek immediate medical help in case of overdose. Symptoms of overdose may include confusion, vomiting, decreased size of the pupil (the black circle in the center of the eye); difficulty in breathing; extreme drowsiness, unconciousness, seizure and heart attack.
Notes:
Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
Missed Dose:
You should take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
Storage:
Dispense in a tight container and store at 25 degrees C (77degrees F).