In the modern era antidepressant medications were introduced in 1949, according to Grinnell College, with the advent of lithium and then iproniazid in 1953. This became the first widely used antidepressant. There have been many classes of...
High dose chemotherapy is the administration of very high doses of chemotherapy drugs to treat cancer. Normally, patients may undergo a cycle of lower-dose chemotherapy treatment for several weeks, as a lower dose of drugs has a lower chance of...
Zocor is the brand name for simvastatin, one of the class of 'statin' drugs that lower blood cholesterol by blocking synthesis. Niacin is a vitamin, but when used in very high doses as a prescription drug, also lowers cholesterol. Doctors...
Most parents of kids with ADD, also referred to as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), become concerned about the daily drug dosing of their kids, but there are treatments for ADD that do not involve drugs. There are alternatives...
Depression is a treatable illness, and Wellbutrin is one of the medications used to treat major depressive disorder, among other conditions. Wellbutrin is generally well-tolerated, although as with any drug, there are side effects. One of the side...
HIV is a complex disorder that can cause many different health problems, including kidney disease. One way of treating kidney problems due to HIV is to prescribe diuretics, a type of medication that helps the kidneys excrete more water. Diuretics...
Cancer treatments vary, depending on the type of cancer, but common treatments include radiation and chemotherapy. Although the cancer itself can negatively impact nutrition, the treatments can cause problems with eating as well. Depending on the...
The method of chemotherapy administration depends on the type of drugs used and the type of cancer they should treat. Chemo is usually given with breaks between treatments, helping patients to regain strength and giving the body time to rebuild...
Tolterodine tartrate is a prescription drug used for the treatment of patients with an overactive bladder. It is the preferred treatment in patients with symptoms of frequency, urgency or urge incontinence. Tolterodine reduces these symptoms by...
Coumadin, also known as warfarin, is a blood thinner used to treat and prevent blood clots. Your doctor may prescribe it after you've had a stroke, heart attack or a blood clot in your lungs or another part of your body. Coumadin has the potential...
Chemotherapy is part of the treatment for many cancers, including breast cancer. Because chemotherapy works by killing rapidly multiplying cells, in addition to killing cancer cells, it also kills healthy cells that divide quickly, like those in...
Methadone is used to treat moderate to severe pain. However, methadone is also used to help opiate addicts taper off of narcotics such as Oxycontin, heroin and prescription medications. Methadone has a long half-life, so the drug user does not...
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), now called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), is the term used to describe a group of behaviors found in many adults and children. ADHD is the most common neurological disorder affecting 3 to 9...
Bitter orange is an herbal supplement, derived from a flowering plant that is known for its antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, according to Drugs.com. Because most cases of sinusitis are related to a bacterial, viral or...
As far back as 1747, a scientist named John Wesley identified a correlation between caffeine and the human nervous system. Centuries later, caffeine ranks No. 1 as the most widely abused stimulant drug in the US, according to the website...
Rose hips produce "hips," a scarlet fruit. The hips are actually the seeded fruit or ripe ovaries that grow after the flowers on branches. This perennial plant is native to North Africa and the temperate parts of Asia. During the fall, people pick...
The medication Ativan is the brand name for Lorazepam. This drug is a benzodiazepine and has sedative and hypnotic properties. The drug is also an anticonvulsant. Ativan's mechanism of action is slowing down central nervous system activities. It...
Prescription medications are written for a specific patient to address a certain medical need. The act of willingly seeking out another person's prescription or manipulating one's own prescription to feed a habit or achieve some personal gain is...
Metabolife International, Inc. manufactures products designed to suppress appetite, increase metabolism, and provide energy to aid in achieving weight loss and maintenance goals. The company's initial popular product was Metabolife 356, which...
Cyclosporine is a difficult drug to manage. Not only is getting a consistent serum concentration difficult, it also can cause some of the very conditions that it is calculated to cure. This paradoxical effect happens with several kidney...
Lustral is the brand name for sertraline, which is prescribed to treat depression, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Lustral is a selective...
Darvon, the brand name for propoxyphene hydrochloride, is a narcotic prescribed to treat mild to moderate pain. It is distributed by Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals and is typically taken every four to six hours as needed. As an opiate narcotic, Darvon...
Winstrol, or stanozolol, is a synthetic anabolic steroid that acts like testosterone, a naturally occurring hormone related to muscle mass, among other things. Anabolic steroids can be used as a treatment for anemia, some types of breast cancer...
Your energy levels can plummet from a simple lack of adequate sleep, but they also can drop because of deficiencies in certain vitamins, especially B vitamins. Eating healthy foods and drinking plenty of water can help greatly in increasing energy...
Omega XL is a fish oil supplement with a mixture of omega-3 fatty acids. Specifically, omega XL is from the green-lipped mussel from New Zealand, part of the shellfish family. Omega-3 fatty acids play a role in normal growth and development....
Blood sugar fluctuations are referred to as hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, and hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. According to MayoClinic.com, choosing a drug for controlling blood glucose levels is based on several factors: the safety and...
Prozac (fluoxetine) is an antidepressant known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, commonly referred to as a SSRI. Prozac effects serotonin within the brain, a chemical that when unbalanced can lead to depression, panic, anxiety, or...
Everything that comes into the body by mouth or via the blood system must pass through the liver. Your liver prevents harmful chemicals from gaining access to your body. At the same time, the liver accepts nutrients and medicines and metabolizes...
Methadone is a synthetic opioid drug with effects that can treat chronic pain and narcotic-based addiction, as well as other medical conditions. Methadone binds to opiate receptors in the brain and has effects similar to those of morphine and...
Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness is the world's second leading infectious cause of blindness. Get expert tips and advice on preventing, diagnosing, and treating onchocerciasis (river blindness) in this video.
A hallucination is a sensory experience of something that does not exist outside the mind, caused by various physical and mental disorders or by reactions to certain toxic substances. Learn about the different causes, symptoms, and treatments of...
