Sunday, April 19, 2009

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


Saturday, April 18, 2009

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

Saturday, April 11, 2009

VESIcare for Bladder Control

Vesicare is a drug for bladder control also commonly called "incontinence" or "Overactive bladder", where patients experience trouble regulating their urination and experience leaks.

The official VESIcare website has more information including this safety recommendation:

Important Safety Information
VESIcare is for urgency, frequency, and leakage (overactive bladder). VESIcare is not for everyone. If you have certain stomach or glaucoma problems, or trouble emptying your bladder, do not take VESIcare. Tell your doctor right away if you have a serious allergic reaction, severe abdominal pain, or become constipated for three or more days. VESIcare may cause blurred vision, so take care while driving or doing unsafe tasks until you know how VESIcare affects you. Common side effects are dry mouth, constipation, and indigestion.

For more information about Overactive Bladder (OAB) and other urology and incontinence disorders check out these websites:

American Urological Association Foundation
www.auafoundation.org/auafhome.asp

American Urogynecologic Society
www.augs.org

American Urological Association
www.auanet.org

National Association for Continence
www.nafc.org

National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
www.kidney.niddk.nih.gov

The Simon Foundation for Continence
www.simonfoundation.org

Urologyhealth.org
www.urologyhealth.org