Niacin is a B vitamin that occurs naturally in plants, animals and can be found as an additive in many foods according to Drugs.com. Niacin is used to treat niacin deficiency in the body and higher doses are used to treat high cholesterol and...
A migraine is a severe headache associated with pulsating or throbbing pain, nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light. According to Medline Plus, a migraine is three times more common in women than in men. The cause of migraine headaches has been...
Prilosec OTC is a proton pump inhibitor in a non-prescription dose. It's a 20mg pill taken by mouth each morning before breakfast. It can be taken for two weeks and repeated four months later. Prilosec OTC is indicated for frequent heartburn and...
Xenical is a drug used for weight loss, which works by helping move fat through the body without being absorbed. Xenical in a 120 mg prescription dose is typically taken three times a day either with a meal or no longer than one hour after a meal....
Pseudovent works as an expectorant to loosen phlegm and mucus in the throat, chest and nose. Generic forms of the drug include guaifenesin and pseudoephedrine. Many cough syrups, decongestants and flu treatments include Pseudovent as an...
Diet pills, although effective for short-term weight loss, must be combined with changes in eating habits and exercise to achieve long-term weight loss. The average person loses 5 percent to 10 percent of body weight over a year using diet pills...
Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate used to treat moderate to severe pain. It is 100 times stronger than morphine, which is considered the standard base of effective narcotic pain killers, according to the 2009 edition of Anesthesia. The short-term...
Alli is the first weight-loss medication the FDA approved for over-the-counter sales. The drug, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, gives people a boost at developing a healthy lifestyle program that promotes weight-loss and weight maintenance. Many...
Fibromyalgia is a disease of unknown cause, but it definitely makes its presence known with sometimes-debilitating symptoms that can include body-wide pain and tenderness, fatigue, depression and sleep disorders. There are few drugs available to...
Elevated triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein, the "bad" cholesterol, levels are major risk factor for developing atherosclerosis and heart disease. You can lower "bad" cholesterol and raise "good" cholesterol with a number of prescription...
Omega-3 fatty acids have proven benefit in improving lipid levels and reducing your risk of developing heart disease. Lipids consist of several types of fat. Low-density lipoprotein, often called the "bad" cholesterol because it can stick to...
Calf cramps stop a healthy runner in his tracks. Leg spasms wake peaceful sleepers without warning. Cramps occur in the toes, feet and leg muscles. Because, in most cases, a runner cannot have immediate relief to stop the pain of a spasm or cramp,...
Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because most people obtain the majority of their vitamin D from sun exposure. Vitamin D can also be found in dietary sources such as dairy products, fish and fortified breakfast cereals and is available...
According to the FDA, Alli, or orlistat, is the "only weight-loss medication approved for longer-term use." Its prescription-strength counterpart, Xenical, is prescribed for overweight and obese patients with chronic health problems such as...
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient your body makes when your skin is exposed to the ultraviolet B rays from the sun. Vitamin D is an essential component in maintaining calcium absorption and maintaining the correct levels of serum calcium and...
Vitamin B12, a water-soluble vitamin, plays an important role in red blood cell production, growth and development and neurological function. Most people get enough vitamin B12 from dietary sources, including meat and fish. People who do not eat...
A back spasm is an abnormal contraction of the muscle that continues and does not relax. According to the Patient Education Institute, a library of interactive patient education used by hospitals and physicians, back spasms are the most common...
Alli, an over-the counter dietary supplement that limits the amount of fat your body absorbs, has a number of unpleasant side effects, including oily stools, diarrhea, urgency and frequency. The drug also has more severe side effects, such as as...
Lowering LDL, or "bad," cholesterol and raising HDL, or "good," cholesterol reduces your risk of heart disease, including heart attacks and strokes. Many vitamins have been investigated for improving cholesterol levels, but niacin in particular...
Diet pills you can buy over the counter often claim to be "doctor approved," but that doesn't mean all doctors think they're safe or effective for weight loss. In fact, many diet pills -- including Fen-Phen and the original Dexatrim -- have been...
People take no-flush niacin, an over-the-counter form of vitamin B-3 also known as inositol hexanicotinate, to avoid the unpleasant side effects of niacin. Niacin lowers triglycerides and cholesterol levels, but also causes skin flushing and other...
The thyroid gland at the front of your neck secretes hormones that help to regulate your metabolism. Thyroid hormones trigger every cell in your body to produce proteins and increase the amount of oxygen used. Diet pills often are prescription...
Fish oil has proven benefits in lowering cholesterol levels, which can decrease the risk of heart disease. Many people take daily supplements of over-the-counter fish oil products or prescription-dose fish oil capsules; sales of fish oil products...
When giving medication to a child, it is important to calculate the dosage correctly. Because of a child's size, a miscalculation can cause harm. Pediatric medication dosages are most commonly calculated according to a child's weight in kilograms....
The health benefits of prescription statin medications that lower bad cholesterol have been widely reported, but they aren't the only form of therapy you can take if you have problems with cholesterol. There are a few other classes of medications,...
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin required by the body to maintain appropriate levels of calcium in the bloodstream. Vitamin D deficiency can occur as a result of intestinal disease that impairs fat absorption, kidney failure or insufficient...
Ergocalciferol, also commonly referred to as vitamin D2, is a form of vitamin D that is available as an over-the-counter supplement or in higher doses as a prescription medication to treat vitamin D deficiencies. Although our bodies can produce...
Niacin -- vitamin B3 -- from your diet aids digestion and liver function, among other health benefits. Niacin in supplement form may also improve some medical conditions, including high cholesterol. But taking large amounts of niacin can elevate...
Alli is an over-the-counter weight loss drug, which, when it is used in conjunction with a low fat, low calorie diet as well as a regular exercise, may help obese individuals lose weight. Alli is a brand name of the drug, orlistat, which is also...
Contracting poison oak can be torturous, but remedies and treatments are available. Learn about poison oak from a doctor in this video on skin care.
