Some patients treated with antidepressants experience only partial improvement. If depression does not improve with monotherapy--single drug treatment--doctor sometimes recommend using two or more medications. A study examining Sequenced...
Several different treatments are available to help people stop smoking, including antidepressant medications such as bupropion SR and nortriptyline, the partial nicotine agonist/antagonist varenicline, nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) like the...
Bipolar disorder is a serious mood disorder characterized by manic and depressive episodes. These episodes typically last two or more weeks at a time; however, some patients experience rapid mood shifts. Bipolar disorder can effect many aspects of...
Vildagliptin a medication indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Vildagliptin helps to lower blood sugar and is often taken in combination with other diabetes medications such as metformin. Vildagliptin is usually taken as a second-line...
Zinc sulfate is a zinc salt that has many uses as a medication or nutritional supplement. Zinc sulfate is often prescribed for individuals deficient in the mineral zinc. Zinc sulfate is also used to treat acne, due to its anti-inflammatory and...
The thyroid gland, which is found in the neck, produces a hormone that keep cells healthy. When the thyroid isn't able to produce enough of that hormone, a condition called hypothyroidism, doctors prescribe hormone replacement therapy....
Seroquel 100 is a 100 mg dosage of Seroquel, a brand-name prescription drug that is in a class of medicines called antipsychotics. Seroquel 100 is FDA-approved to treat schizophrenia in people ages 13 and older, bipolar disorder in adults and...
Virchow-Robin spaces surround the arteries in the brain, and can only be seen using a microscope or in magnetic resonance images when dilated. According to a January 2006 study published in the "Brain Injury Journal," the relationship between the...
Aripiprazole is an antipsychotic medication that has been on the market since 2002. Aripiprazole works by altering chemicals in the brain known as neurotransmitters. It has been approved to treat symptoms related to schizophrenia, autism, bipolar...
High levels of total cholesterol in the blood are a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, having low blood levels of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, has been identified as a significant, independent predictor of cardiovascular...
According to the American Heart Association, more than 100 million Americans over age 20 have high cholesterol and are at increased risk of both heart attack and stroke. First marketed as Pravachol in 1991 by Bristol-Myers Squibb, pravastatin is...
Lisinopril, often sold under the brand name Prinivil, is a prescription medication used to treat high blood pressure. Although lisinopril is generally safe, it may cause side effects and interactions with other medications. Lisinopril may possibly...
While some people experience depression once, get treated and never suffer again, many people experience repeat episodes of depression. Ward off depression relapse by taking care of your health and regularly performing certain activities that have...
Hepatitis C is a liver disorder caused by an infection with the hepatitis C virus. It is generally a chronic condition that may have severe symptoms, but some people will not notice any effects for many years. Effective treatment of the hepatitis...
Etanercept, sold commercially as Enbrel, is a drug injected subcutaneously, under the skin. Enbrel blocks the action of tumor necrosis factor, or TNF, which helps produce immune responses and inflammation in the body, Drugs.com states. TNF is...
Casodex, the brand name for bicalutamide, is a hormone therapy drug used to treat prostate cancer. It works by blocking testosterone from acting on androgen receptors found on prostate cancer cells. This helps slow down or shrink a prostate tumor....
Abilify is a prescription drug for treatment of several mental health disorders in adults, adolescents and children. Taking the medication can cause changes in your weight and other more severe adverse reactions. Consult your doctor about your...
Bipolar disorder (sometimes called manic-depressive disorder) is a psychiatric condition characterized by periods of extremely high (manic) and low (depressive) mood. Medications are available to help those with bipolar treat symptoms that arise...
Dilantin, also called phenytoin, is a medication taken by some people for control of seizures. Like all anti-seizure medications, Dilantin can cause problems for the fetus when used by a woman during pregnancy, especially during the first three...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 3.2 million Americans are living with chronic hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a contagious disease that infects the liver and causes inflammation, preventing the liver from properly...
Weight loss may be a rare side effect of lamotrigine, or Lamictal. In people with bipolar disorder, lamotigine may lead to weight loss among those who are obese, according to a 2006 study published by Charles L. Bowden and colleagues in the...
Millions of Americans take prescription medications every day for various diseases, infections, and medical conditions. What you may not realize is that many medications can affect the levels of vitamins and minerals within your body and your...
According to Womenshealth.gov, approximately 5 million women in America suffer with polycystic ovarian syndrome, commonly called PCOS. As well as cysts on the ovaries which gives the condition its name, other typical symptoms of PCOS include...
Statins are medicines that can lower cholesterol. They work either by blocking a substance the body needs to make cholesterol, or by helping the body reabsorb cholesterol that is built up. Statins include several drugs that differ in several ways,...
Blood pressure is a measure of the force that blood exerts on the walls of arteries. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common medical condition that affects approximately one-third of adults in the United States, according to the U.S....
Niacin, also known as nicotinic acid or vitamin B3, is a medication that doctors prescribe to help you manage cholesterol levels in your blood. You may take it alone or in combination with one of the statin drugs used for lowering cholesterol...
Epilepsy is a brain disorder that results from the generation of electrical signals inside the brain, causing people to have recurring seizures. People with epilepsy may have strange sensations and emotions; they may simply stare blankly for a few...
Asthma is a chronic condition characterized by inflammation of the lungs and airways. When a person with asthma comes into contact with an irritant such as pet dander or cold air, the airways narrow and the muscles around them tighten, making it...
Asthma is a very common disease of the respiratory system found in adults and children, and it is a complex syndrome that is not easily defined. The symptoms found in affected patients revolve around airway obstruction and increased...
