Boniva for post menopausal bone loss / osteoporosis

Boniva is a prescription medication used to treat bone loss in women after menopause, when this can become a major issue in bone health. The medication can stop and even reverse bone loss in many cases.

Boniva is known from a very prominent TV Advertising Campaign featuring actress Sally Fields of "The Flying Nun", "Norma Rae", and "Brothers and Sisters" fame.

From the official Boniva Website:

BONIVA is a prescription medication used for osteoporosis treatment in women after menopause. BONIVA helps reverse bone loss in most women who take it, even though they won't be able to see or feel a difference.

For BONIVA to treat osteoporosis, you have to take it as prescribed. BONIVA will not work if you stop taking it.

How BONIVA Works
Find out how BONIVA can protect your bones from the effects of postmenopausal osteoporosis—not only maintaining your bone density but actually helping to reverse bone loss.

How to Take BONIVA
Learn the proper steps for taking BONIVA medication, and what to do if you miss a monthly dose—plus view a list of activities you can do while taking your once-monthly BONIVA tablet.

Why BONIVA?
Read more about BONIVA and ask your healthcare provider if BONIVA might be right for you.

BONIVA Side Effects
Get a better understanding of the common side effects of BONIVA.

For more information about BONIVA Tablets, please download a copy of our educational brochure in your preferred language.

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Restasis for Dry Eyes. (Prescription Eye Drops Emulsion)

Restasis is a prescription brand of eyedrops used to fight dry eyes.

According to the maker of Restasis:

Restasis is the only prescription eye drop that helps increase your eyes’ natural ability to produce tears.

Tear production can be reduced by inflammation due to a condition called "Chronic Dry Eye" or CDE.

This condition - CDE or Chronic Dry Eye - reduces your ability to make your own tears.

Note that RESTASIS did NOT increase tear production in patients using topical steroid drops or tear duct plugs.

Although many will find relief from over the counter eye drops, these do not increase your tear production which is what Restasis can do. Therefore if you have tried many types of eye drops, several times a day, for a long time without sufficient relief you may want to talk to your eye doctor about Restasis.

The Restasis website has a "Dry Eye Actionnaire" which can help as a discussion guide with your doctor.

Also, you can get more information about RESTASIS and a $20 rebate off your prescription by signing up with them at the official Restasis website here.

Before you go with prescription medications for many conditions you should consult your doctor and also try non-prescription alternatives. For dry eyes and eye discomfort here are some alternatives such as nutritional supplements (fish oil may help your dry eyes) types of contact lenses, and more:

http://www.allaboutvision.com/contacts/cld-remedies.htm

Here's some good advice about contact lens dryness from ACLENS.com who recommend Restasis as one of several approaches to dry eyes. Here are more from them:

Contact lens rewetting drops: This is usually a temporary solution but does offer some relief. Some examples are Refresh Contacts, Clerz Plus, or Clear Eyes Contact Lens Relief. For those with sensitive eyes, it is best to use a preservative-free drop.

Re-soak lenses during the day: People who have dryness symptoms after a few hours of wearing time often experience much relief by removing and soaking their lenses for a few minutes. Upon reinsertion, most are able to wear their lenses comfortably for many more hours.

Take good care of lenses: Inserting fresh new lenses as often as prescribed, as well as cleaning lenses properly, greatly contributes to contact lens comfort. Protein deposits and other types of buildup on the lens surface contribute to increased lens dryness. Sometimes switching to a more disposable lens or switching to a different or stronger lens cleaning system also helps.

More complete and frequent blinking: Blinking completely and often is necessary to rewet the lenses and maintain comfort. It is often the case that when a person is concentrating, they do not blink as often as they should. This is why computer users often complain of lens dryness. It is important to consciously be aware of blinking frequently and completely under these circumstances.

Switching to a different lens material: There are lens brands designed specifically to provide more comfort for those who have problems with dryness. Some examples are Proclear Compatibles and Acuvue Oasys. The newer, more oxygen permeable silicone hydrogel materials such as Focus Night & Day, Ciba O2 Optix, and Acuvue Advance have proven to be more comfortable for patients with moderate dry eye issues.

Drug Addiction Database from National Institutes of Health

An excellent government resource for drug abuse, the science of drug addiction and drugs of addiction is at DrugAbuse. gov: http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugpages/

Here you can find the leading abused drugs and a lot of information about the science of addiction and drug abuse.

Here is a chart from the site that shows the most commonly abused drugs:

Commonly Abused Drugs

Substances: Category and Name " align="center" width="105">DEA Schedule*/ How Administered** Examples of Commercial and Street Names Intoxication Effects/Potential Health Consequences Cannabinoids euphoria, slowed thinking and reaction time, confusion, impaired balance and coordination/cough, frequent respiratory infections; impaired memory and learning; increased heart rate, anxiety; panic attacks; tolerance, addiction hashish boom, chronic, gangster, hash, hash oil, hemp I/swallowed, smoked marijuana blunt, dope, ganja, grass, herb, joints, Mary Jane, pot, reefer, sinsemilla, skunk, weed I/swallowed, smoked Depressants reduced anxiety; feeling of well-being; lowered inhibitions; slowed pulse and breathing; lowered blood pressure; poor concentration/fatigue; confusion; impaired coordination, memory, judgment; addiction; respiratory depression and arrest; death Also, for barbiturates—sedation, drowsiness/depression, unusual excitement, fever, irritability, poor judgment, slurred speech, dizziness, life-threatening withdrawal for benzodiazepines—sedation, drowsiness/dizziness for flunitrazepam—visual and gastrointestinal disturbances, urinary retention, memory loss for the time under the drug's effects for GHB—drowsiness, nausea/vomiting, headache, loss of consciousness, loss of reflexes, seizures, coma, death for methaqualone—euphoria/depression, poor reflexes, slurred speech, coma barbiturates Amytal, Nembutal, Seconal, Phenobarbital: barbs, reds, red birds, phennies, tooies, yellows, yellow jackets II, III, V/injected, swallowed benzodiazepines (other than flunitrazepam) Ativan, Halcion, Librium, Valium, Xanax: candy, downers, sleeping pills, tranks IV/swallowed, injected flunitrazepam*** Rohypnol: forget-me pill, Mexican Valium, R2, Roche, roofies, roofinol, rope, rophies IV/swallowed, snorted GHB*** gamma- hydroxybutyrate: G, Georgia home boy, grievous bodily harm, liquid ecstasy I/swallowed methaqualone Quaalude, Sopor, Parest: ludes, mandrex, quad, quay I/injected, swallowed Dissociative Anesthetics increased heart rate and blood pressure, impaired motor function/memory loss; numbness; nausea/vomiting Also, for ketamine—at high doses, delirium, depression, respiratory depression and arrest for PCP and analogs—possible decrease in blood pressure and heart rate, panic, aggression, violence/loss of appetite, depression ketamine Ketalar SV: cat Valiums, K, Special K, vitamin K III/injected, snorted, smoked PCP and analogs phencyclidine; angel dust, boat, hog, love boat, peace pill I, II/injected, swallowed, smoked Hallucinogens altered states of perception and feeling; nausea; persisting perception disorder (flashbacks) Also, Also for LSD and mescaline—increased body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure; loss of appetite, sleeplessness, numbness, weakness, tremors for for LSD—persistent mental disorders for for psilocybin—nervousness, paranoia LSD lysergic acid diethylamide: acid, blotter, boomers, cubes, microdot, yellow sunshines I/swallowed, absorbed through mouth tissues mescaline buttons, cactus, mesc, peyote I/swallowed, smoked psilocybin magic mushroom, purple passion, shrooms I/swallowed Opioids and Morphine Derivatives pain relief, euphoria, drowsiness/nausea, constipation, confusion, sedation, respiratory depression and arrest, tolerance, addiction, unconsciousness, coma, death Also, for codeine—less analgesia, sedation, and respiratory depression than morphine for heroin—staggering gait codeine Empirin with Codeine, Fiorinal with Codeine, Robitussin A-C, Tylenol with Codeine: Captain Cody, schoolboy; (with glutethimide) doors & fours, loads, pancakes and syrup II, III, IV, V/injected, swallowed fentanyl and fentanyl analogs Actiq, Duragesic, Sublimaze: Apache, China girl, China white, dance fever, friend, goodfella, jackpot, murder 8, TNT, Tango and Cash I, II/injected, smoked, snorted heroin diacetyl- morphine: brown sugar, dope, H, horse, junk, skag, skunk, smack, white horse I/injected, smoked, snorted morphine Roxanol, Duramorph: M, Miss Emma, monkey, white stuff II, III/injected, swallowed, smoked opium laudanum, paregoric: big O, black stuff, block, gum, hop II, III, V/swallowed, smoked oxycodone HCL Oxycontin: Oxy, O.C., killer II/swallowed, snorted, injected hydrocodone bitartrate, acetaminophen Vicodin: vike, Watson-387 II/swallowed Stimulants increased heart rate, blood pressure, metabolism; feelings of exhilaration, energy, increased mental alertness/rapid or irregular heart beat; reduced appetite, weight loss, heart failure, nervousness, insomnia Also, for amphetamine—rapid breathing/tremor, loss of coordination; irritability, anxiousness, restlessness, delirium, panic, paranoia, impulsive behavior, aggressiveness, tolerance, addiction, psychosis for cocaine—increased temperature/chest pain, respiratory failure, nausea, abdominal pain, strokes, seizures, headaches, malnutrition, panic attacks for MDMA—mild hallucinogenic effects, increased tactile sensitivity, empathic feelings/impaired memory and learning, hyperthermia, cardiac toxicity, renal failure, liver toxicity for methamphetamine—aggression, violence, psychotic behavior/memory loss, cardiac and neurological damage; impaired memory and learning, tolerance, addiction for nicotine—additional effects attributable to tobacco exposure; adverse pregnancy outcomes; chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, tolerance, addiction amphetamine Biphetamine, Dexedrine: bennies, black beauties, crosses, hearts, LA turnaround, speed, truck drivers, uppers II/injected, swallowed, smoked, snorted cocaine Cocaine hydrochloride: blow, bump, C, candy, Charlie, coke, crack, flake, rock, snow, toot II/injected, smoked, snorted MDMA (methylenedioxy- methamphetamine) Adam, clarity, ecstasy, Eve, lover's speed, peace, STP, X, XTC I/swallowed methamphetamine Desoxyn: chalk, crank, crystal, fire, glass, go fast, ice, meth, speed II/injected, swallowed, smoked, snorted methylphenidate (safe and effective for treatment of ADHD) Ritalin: JIF, MPH, R-ball, Skippy, the smart drug, vitamin R II/injected, swallowed, snorted nicotine cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, snuff, spit tobacco, bidis, chew not scheduled/smoked, snorted, taken in snuff and spit tobacco Other Compounds anabolic steroids Anadrol, Oxandrin, Durabolin, Depo- Testosterone, Equipoise: roids, juice III/injected, swallowed, applied to skin no intoxication effects/hypertension, blood clotting and cholesterol changes, liver cysts and cancer, kidney cancer, hostility and aggression, acne; in adolescents, premature stoppage of growth; in males, prostate cancer, reduced sperm production, shrunken testicles, breast enlargement; in females, menstrual irregularities, development of beard and other masculine characteristics Dextromethorphan (DXM) Found in some cough and cold medications; Robotripping, Robo, Triple C not scheduled/swallowed Dissociative effects, distorted visual perceptions to complete dissociative effects/for effects at higher doses see 'dissociative anesthetics' inhalants Solvents (paint thinners, gasoline, glues), gases (butane, propane, aerosol propellants, nitrous oxide), nitrites (isoamyl, isobutyl, cyclohexyl): laughing gas, poppers, snappers, whippets not scheduled/inhaled through nose or mouth stimulation, loss of inhibition; headache; nausea or vomiting; slurred speech, loss of motor coordination; wheezing/unconsciousness, cramps, weight loss, muscle weakness, depression, memory impairment, damage to cardiovascular and nervous systems, sudden death * Schedule I and II drugs have a high potential for abuse. They require greater storage security and have a quota on manufacturing, among other restrictions. Schedule I drugs are available for research only and have no approved medical use; Schedule II drugs are available only by prescription (unrefillable) and require a form for ordering. Schedule III and IV drugs are available by prescription, may have five refills in 6 months, and may be ordered orally. Some Schedule V drugs are available over the counter.

Visit www.Flu.gov for excellent government advice about this year's Flu

Flu.gov is the US Government's Flu website with extensive information and advice.

There is an H1N1 questionnaire to help you determine if you have the "Swine Flu": http://www.flu.gov/evaluation/index2.html

In addition to getting the H1N1 flu shots when they are available to you, many will also want to get a regular flu shot. Most communities have regular flu shots available now.

Toviaz (fesoterodine fumarate) for overactive bladder (OAB)

Toviaz is a new prescription medication taken daily in extended release pill form (either 4 or 8mg dosages).

Toviaz is designed to me used in conjunction with a plan that focuses on these four areas:

One Toviaz Pill daily

Food and Drink

Teaching bladder to "wait"

Tracking progress to share with doctor.

Thus Toviaz is encouraging general behavior and dietary changes along with the drug in an effort to control the problems associated with Overactive bladder.

From the Official Toviaz website:

Toviaz (fesoterodine fumarate) is an overactive bladder (OAB) medication. It's clinically proven to significantly reduce bothersome symptoms of OAB like strong sudden urges to go, frequent bathroom visits, and accidents.

• Studies showed that Toviaz 4 mg and 8 mg, when compared to a sugar pill, significantly reduced the number of urinations in a 24-hour period.
• Toviaz is easy to take — just one pill, once a day, with or without food. Do not chew, divide, or crush the tablet.
• Toviaz is the only pill that comes with the YourWay support plan. The plan offers tips and advice to help you better manage your OAB symptoms.
  
  If you have certain stomach problems, glaucoma, or cannot empty your bladder, you should not take Toviaz. The most common side effects are dry mouth and constipation.

Toviaz Website

FDA approval of Toviaz in Nov. 2008

Trilipix (fenofibric acid), a statin for treatment of high cholesterol

Trilipix is a new treatment for high cholesterol, a condition most doctors feel is linked to an increased chance of heart disease.

Trilipix Official Website: http://www.trilipix.com

Download a free Doctor Discussion Guide created by Abbott Laboratories to help you talk to your doctor and make informed decisions about cholesterol. Even though guides like this are created by the Pharma companies, generally they offer excellent framework for understanding the risks and benefits of medications. As with any prescription drug use you should use information from many sources - most importantly your doctor's advice- when you decide about how to proceed.

More about this Prescription Medication from Abbott Labs Trilipix Website:

Uses

• TRILIPIX^® (fenofibric acid) delayed-release capsules is a prescription medicine used along with diet to lower triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol, and increase HDL (good) cholesterol.

• TRILIPIX is also used along with diet to lower triglycerides and increase HDL cholesterol in people who are at high risk of heart disease and are taking a statin medicine to control their LDL cholesterol.

• TRILIPIX has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or stroke more than a statin alone.

Important Safety Information

• TRILIPIX should not be taken by people with liver, gallbladder, or severe kidney disease, nursing mothers, or those allergic to any product ingredient.

• Unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, particularly when occurring with tiredness and fever, may be a sign of a serious side effect and should be reported to your healthcare provider right away. Rarely, muscle-related problems can cause kidney damage and can be fatal. The risk of these side effects may be higher when TRILIPIX is used with a statin.

• Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take.

• Your healthcare provider should do blood tests before and during treatment with TRILIPIX to check for liver or kidney problems.

• You should contact your healthcare provider if you experience abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting while taking TRILIPIX. These may be signs of inflammation of the gallbladder or pancreas.

• Women who are pregnant should not take statins. If you are pregnant or may become pregnant, talk with your healthcare provider about TRILIPIX.

• The most common side effects with TRILIPIX include headache, heartburn, nausea, muscle aches, and increases in muscle or liver enzymes that are measured by blood tests.

This is the most important information to know about TRILIPIX. For more information, talk with your healthcare provider.

Please see the Medication Guide and Full Prescribing Information for TRILIPIX and discuss them with your doctor.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

If you cannot afford your medication, contact: www.pparx.org or call the toll-free phone number 1‑888‑4PPA‑NOW (1-888-477-2669) for assistance.

Tamiflu and Relenza. Antiviral medications for the treatment of flu, influenza, swine flu, H1N1

The H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic of 2009 appears to be causing more concern than outbreaks of the flu as a sickness, but many experts suggest there is still potential for problems as they work on an antiviral that will target this strain directly. The Centers for Disease Control "CDC" in the USA is keeping very close watch on the global pandemic and offers excellent guidance at their website below.

In the meantime Tamiflu (generic name: oseltamivir) and Relenza (generic: zanamivir) are being used to treat some with exposure or early signs of Swine Flu. Early diagnosis and treatment are helpful to the medicine's efficacy, but this in turn is creating problems as thousands of "false Swine flu alarms" have crowded labs and hospitals with people who are not at risk.

From the Tamiflu Official Website:

TAMIFLU is only available by prescription from your healthcare provider. If you think you have flu symptoms contact your health care provider . You have 48 hours from the time you first experienced symptoms to take TAMIFLU.

The questions below can help your doctor understand your or your child's symptoms and recommend the right treatment. After you've answered the questions, print the completed worksheet, then bring it to your office visit to help facilitate your doctor discussion.

The following is a list of common symptoms associated with the flu. Check the ones that you are experiencing:

1. Fever (higher than 100° F)
2. Headache
3. Extreme tiredness
4. Dry cough
5. Sore throat
6. Runny nose
7. Muscle aches
8. Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea (more common in children)
9. Other symptoms: (enter any other symptoms you're experiencing below)

More about symptoms and treatment of the Swine Flu infection from CDC

CDC Swine Flu Updates

CDC Swine Flu Upates via Twitter

Tamiflu official website

Wikipedia on H1N1 Virus and Swine flu

Acne Treatments

The Mayo Clinic website has a great article on new developments surrounding acne treatments. Here is the Mayo Acne Article

Light therapy appears to be a useful treatment for many, while Mayo also discusses the many over the counter treatments here. Treatments like Proactiv and Nutrogena's acne regimen are promoted heavily on television but don't appear to be detailed in this article. We'll try to flesh out more on this topic later.

Omnaris - a nasal spray for nasal allergies and inflammation

Omnaris is a spray to treat the discomfort and congestion from nasal allergies.

From the Omnaris official website which is here:

OMNARIS is for the treatment of nasal (nose) symptoms (sneezing, runny nose, itchy nose, and stuffy nose) associated with seasonal nasal allergies in adults, adolescents, and children 6 years of age and older, and for year-round (perennial) nasal allergies in adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older.

After talking to your doctor about other options, if you decide on Omnaris you may want to consider this offer

Revia, Depade, Vivitrol (naltrexone): drugs to combat alcohol or opiate addiction

Promising new pill therapies are allowing some alcoholics and opiate abusers to regain their normal lives with addiction therapies that are primarily drug based rather than counseling based.

Naltrexone, marketed as Revia or Depade or Vivitrol (an injectable timed release version) is not to be confused with Naloxone, which is almost exclusively used in emergency drug overdoses. Naltrexone can be used in emergency therapy but usually is for long term alcohol addiction treatments:

Wikipedia:
The standard regimen is one 50 mg tablet per day. Initial problems of nausea usually disappear after a few days, and other side effects (e.g. heightened liver enzymes) are rare. Drug interactions are not significant, besides the obvious antagonism of opioid analgesics. Naltrexone has two effects on alcohol consumption.^[7] The first is to reduce craving while naltrexone is being taken. The second, referred to as the Sinclair Method, occurs when naltrexone is taken in conjunction with normal drinking, and this reduces craving over time. The first effect only persists while the naltrexone is being taken, but the second persists as long as the alcoholic does not drink without first taking naltrexone.


CNN reports on addiction pills