Jump to content
IndiaDivine.org

8 Drugs Doctors Would Never Take - f they won't use these medications, why shoul

Rate this topic


Guest guest

Recommended Posts

8 Drugs Doctors Would Never Take

if they won't use these medications, why should you?

_http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth & channel=health & categ

ory=doctors.hospitals & conitem=a42dac93be8e9110VgnVCM20000012281eac_

(http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth & channel=health & categor\

y=doctor

s.hospitals & conitem=a42dac93be8e9110VgnVCM20000012281eac) ____

 

 

With 3,480 pages of fine print, the Physicians' Desk Reference (a.k.a. PDR)

is not a quick read. That's because it contains every iota of information on

more than 4,000 prescription _medications_

(http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth & channel=health & categor\

y=doctors.hospitals & conitem=534824

a991455010VgnVCM200000cee793cd____) . Heck, the PDR is medication -- a

humongous sleeping pill.

Doctors count on this compendium to help them make smart prescribing

decisions -- in other words, to choose _drugs_

(http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth & channel=health & categor\

y=doctors.hospitals & conitem=062a99edb

bbd201099edbbbd2010cfe793cd____) that will solve their patients' medical

problems without creating new ones. Unfortunately, it seems some doctors rarely

pull the PDR off the shelf. Or if they do crack it open, they don't stay

versed on emerging research that may suddenly make a once-trusted treatment one

to avoid. Worst case: You swallow something that has no business being inside

your body.

Of course, plenty of M.D.'s do know which prescription and over-the-counter

drugs are duds, dangers, or both. So we asked them, " Which _medications_

(http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth & channel=health & categor\

y=d

octors.hospitals & conitem=41d8f1f9a4aec010VgnVCM10000013281eac____) would you

skip? " Their list is your second opinion. If you're on any of these meds,

talk to your doctor. Maybe he or she will finally open that big red book with

all the dust on it.

Advair

It's asthma medicine . . . that could make your asthma deadly. Advair

contains the long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) salmeterol. A 2006 analysis of 19

trials, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that regular use of

LABAs can increase the severity of an asthma attack. Because salmeterol is

more widely prescribed than other LABAs, the danger is greater -- the

researchers estimate that salmeterol may contribute to as many as 5,000

asthma-related

deaths in the United States each year. In 2006, similarly disturbing findings

from an earlier salmeterol study prompted the FDA to tag Advair with a

" black box " warning -- the agency's highest caution level.

Your New Strategy No matter what you may have heard, a LABA, such as the one

in Advair, is not the only option, says Philip Rodgers, Pharm.D., a clinical

associate professor at the University of North Carolina school of pharmacy.

For instance, if you have mild asthma, an inhaled corticosteroid such as

Flovent is often all you need. Still wheezing? " Patients can also consider an

inhaled corticosteroid paired with a leukotriene modifier, " says Dr. Rodgers.

This combo won't create dangerous inflammation, and according to a Scottish

review, it's as effective as a corticosteroid-and-LABA combo.

Avandia

Diabetes is destructive enough on its own, but if you try to control it with

rosiglitazone -- better known by the brand name Avandia -- you could be

headed for a heart attack. Last September, a Journal of the American Medical

Association (JAMA) study found that people who took rosiglitazone for at least

a

year increased their risk of heart failure or a heart attack by 109 percent

and 42 percent, respectively, compared with those who took other oral diabetes

medications or a placebo.

The reason? While there have been some reports that Avandia use may cause

dangerous fluid retention or raise artery-clogging LDL cholesterol, no one is

sure if these are the culprits. That's because the results of similar large

studies have been mixed. So the FDA has asked GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of

Avandia, to conduct a new long-term study assessing users' heart risks. There's

only one problem: The study isn't expected to start until later this year.

Your New Strategy Stick with a proven performer. " I prefer metformin, an

older, cheaper, more dependable medication, " says Sonal Singh, M.D., the lead

author of the JAMA study. " Avandia is now a last resort. " Dr. Singh recommends

that you talk to your doctor about cholesterol-lowering medicines, such as

statins or the B vitamin niacin. Swallowing high doses (1,000 milligrams) of

niacin daily may raise your HDL (good) cholesterol by as much as 24 percent,

while at the same time lowering your LDL and triglyceride levels.

Celebrex

Once nicknamed " super aspirin, " Celebrex is now better known for its side

effects than for its pain-relieving prowess. The drug has been linked to

increased risks of stomach bleeding, kidney trouble, and liver damage. But

according to a 2005 New England Journal of Medicine study, the biggest threat

is to

your heart: People taking 200 mg of Celebrex twice a day more than doubled

their risk of dying of cardiovascular disease. Those on 400 mg twice a day more

than tripled their risk, compared with people taking a placebo.

And yet Celebrex, a COX-2 inhibitor, is still available, even though two

other drugs of that class, Bextra and Vioxx, were pulled off the market due to

a

similar risk of heart damage. The caveat to the consumer? In 2004, the FDA

advised _doctors_

(http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth & channel=health & categor\

y=doctors.hospitals & conitem=96d999edbbbd201099edbbbd2010cfe7

93cd____) to consider alternatives to Celebrex.

Your New Strategy What you don't want to do is stop swallowing Celebrex and

begin knocking back ibuprofen, because regular use of high doses of

nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can lead to gastrointestinal

bleeding. A

safer swap is acupuncture. A German study found that for people suffering

from _chronic lower-back pain_

(http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth & channel=health & categor\

y=back.pain & conitem=e802d8db55f35010VgnVCM100000

cfe793cd____) , twice-weekly acupuncture sessions were twice as effective as

conventional treatments with drugs, physical therapy, and exercise. The

strategic needling may stimulate central-nervous-system pathways to release the

body's own painkillers, including endorphins and enkephalins, says Duke

University anesthesiologist Tong-Joo Gan, M.D. You can find a certified

acupuncturist in your area at _medicalacupuncture.org/findadoc/index.html_

(http://www.medicalacupuncture.org/findadoc/index.html) .

Ketek

Most bacteria in the lungs and sinuses don't stand a chance against Ketek,

but you might not either. This antibiotic, which has traditionally been

prescribed for respiratory-tract infections, carries a higher risk of severe

liver

side effects than similar antibiotics do. " Ketek can cause heart-rhythm

problems, can lead to liver disease, and could interact poorly with other

medications you may be taking, " says Dr. Rodgers. " Unfortunately, it's still

available, and although many doctors are aware of the risks, some may still

prescribe

it without caution. " In February 2007, the FDA limited the usage of Ketek to

the treatment of pneumonia.

Your New Strategy Can't imagine catching pneumonia? The last time the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calculated the top 10 killers of

men,

this deadly lung infection (along with the flu) came in seventh. Avoid backing

yourself into a corner where you might need Ketek by always signing up for

your annual flu shot -- if you have pneumonia, it'll reduce your risk of dying

of the infection by 40 percent. And if you still end up staring at a scrip

for Ketek, Dr. Rodgers recommends asking to be treated with one of several

safer alternatives, such as Augmentin or the antibiotics doxycycline or

Zithromax.

Prilosec and Nexium

Heartburn can be uncomfortable, but heart attacks can be fatal, which is why

the FDA has investigated a suspected link between cardiac trouble and the

acid-reflux remedies Prilosec and Nexium. In December 2007, the agency

concluded that there was no " likely " connection. Translation: The scientific

jury is

still out. In the meantime, there are other reasons to be concerned. Because

Prilosec and Nexium are proton-pump inhibitors, they are both incredibly

effective at stopping acid production in the stomach -- perhaps too effective.

A lack of acid may raise your risk of pneumonia, because the same stuff that

makes your chest feel as if it's burning also kills incoming bacteria and

viruses. You may also have an elevated risk of bone loss -- in the less acidic

environment, certain forms of calcium may not be absorbed effectively during

digestion. " The risk of a fracture has been estimated to be over 40 percent

higher in patients who use these drugs long-term, and the risk clearly

increases with duration of therapy, " says Dr. Rodgers.

Your New Strategy When you feel the fire, first try to extinguish it with

Zantac 150 or Pepcid AC. Both of these OTC products work by blocking histamine

from stimulating the stomach cells that produce acid. Just know that neither

drug is a long-term fix.

" To really cure the problem, lose weight, " says Michael Roizen, M.D., chief

wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic and coauthor of YOU: The Owner's

Manual. That's because when you're overweight, excess belly fat puts pressure

on

and changes the angle of your esophagus, pulling open the valve that's

supposed to prevent stomach-acid leaks. This in turn makes it easier for that

burning sensation to travel up into your chest.

Visine Original

What possible harm to your peepers could come from these seemingly innocuous

eyedrops? " Visine gets the red out, but it does so by shrinking blood

vessels, just like Afrin shrinks the vessels in your nose, " says Thomas

Steinemann,

M.D., a spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Overuse of the

active ingredient tetrahydrozoline can perpetuate the vessel

dilating-and-constricting cycle and may cause even more redness.

Your New Strategy If you still want to rely on Visine, at least make sure

you don't use too many drops per dose and you don't use the stuff for more than

3 or 4 days. But you'd really be better off figuring out the underlying

cause of the redness and treating that instead. If it's dryness, use

preservative-free artificial tears, recommends Dr. Steinemann. Visine Pure

Tears

Portables is a good choice for moisture minus side effects. On the other hand,

if

your eyes are itchy and red because of allergies, pick up OTC antiallergy

drops,

such as Zaditor. It contains an antihistamine to interrupt the allergic

response but no vasoconstrictor to cause rebound redness.

Pseudoephedrine

Forget that this decongestant can be turned into methamphetamine. People

with heart disease or hypertension should watch out for any legitimate drug

that

contains pseudoephedrine. See, pseudoephedrine doesn't just constrict the

blood vessels in your nose and sinuses; it can also raise blood pressure and

heart rate, setting the stage for vascular catastrophe. Over the years,

pseudoephedrine has been linked to heart attacks and strokes. " Pseudoephedrine

can

also worsen symptoms of benign prostate disease and glaucoma, " says Dr.

Rodgers.

Your New Strategy Other OTC oral nasal decongestants can contain

phenylephrine, which has a safety profile similar to pseudoephedrine's. A 2007

review

didn't find enough evidence that phenylephrine was effective. Our advice: Avoid

meds altogether and clear your nasal passages with a neti pot, the strangely

named system that allows you to flush your sinuses with saline ($15,

_sinucleanse.com_ (http://www.sinucleanse.com/) ). University of Wisconsin

researchers found that people who used a neti pot felt their congestion and head

pain

improve by as much as 57 percent. Granted, the flushing sensation is odd at

first, but give it a chance. Dr. Roizen did: " I do it every day after I brush

my teeth, " he says.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...