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What is nonprescription medications?
Clinical depression is not just grief or sadness. It is an illness that can challenge the person's ability to perform even routine daily activities. At its worst, depression may lead the person to contemplate or commit suicide. Depression represents a burden for the person and his or her family. Sometimes that burden can seem overwhelming. Several different types of mood disorders exist.
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nonprescription medications information from trusted sources:
Pain Medications
Pain medicines are also called analgesics. Every type of pain medicine has benefits and risks. Specific types of pain may respond better to one kind of medication than to another kind. What takes away your pain might not work for someone else. OVER-THE-COUNTER PAIN MEDICINES Over-the-counter (OTC) medications are good for many types of pain. OTC medicines include: Acetaminophen (Tylenol) Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) Acetaminophen is a non-aspirin pain reliever. It can be used to lower a fever and soothe headaches and other common aches and pains. However, acetaminophen does not reduce swelling (inflammation). This medicine is easier on the stomach than other pain medications, and it is safer for children. It can, however, be harmful to the liver if you take more than the recommended dose. See: Acetaminophen overdose NSAIDs include aspirin, naproxen, ibuprofen, and several others that require a prescription. These medicines relieve pain, but they also reduce inflammation caused by injury, arthritis, or fever. NSAIDs work by reducing the production of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, which cause pain. DO NOT give aspirin to children. Reye syndrome is associated with the use of aspirin to treat children with viral infections, such as chicken pox or the flu. If you have high blood pressure, kidney disease, or a history of gastrointestinal bleeding, you should talk to your health care provider before using any over-the-counter NSAID. PRESCRIPTION PAIN MEDICINES Prescription medications may be needed for other types of pain. COX-2 inhibitors are a type of prescription painkiller that block an inflammation-promoting substance called COX-2. This class of drugs was initially believed to work as well as traditional NSAIDs, but with fewer stomach side effects. However, numerous reports of heart attacks and stroke have prompted the FDA to re-evaluate the risks and benefits of the COX-2s. Patients should ask their doctor whether a COX-2 drug is appropriate and safe for them. Narcotic painkillers are very strong, potentially habit-forming medicines used to treat severe pain. They include oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and codeine. Talk to your doctor if your pain lasts longer than a few days, if over-the-counter pain medications do not relieve your pain, or if other symptoms develop. A pain specialist may be needed to help manage long-term pain. ALTERNATIVES TO PAIN MEDICINE You might ask your doctor about alternatives to pain medicines, which include: Heat Ice Massage Rest Biofeedback Relaxation techniques Read more on
www.nlm.nih.gov
Nonprescription Medications and Products-Overview
May 1, 2008 ... A nonprescription medication-sometimes called an over - the - counter, or OTC, medication-is any drug that you can buy without a doctor's ... Read more on
www.webmd.com
Over-The-Counter Drugs - Dietary Supplements - Herbal Remedies
Relief from arthritis pain and inflammation can be found in some non-prescription medications, dietary supplements, natural remedies, and other ... Read more on
arthritis.about.com
Use of Prescription and Over-the-counter Medications and Dietary ...
by DM Qato - 2008 - Cited by 109 - Related articles Read more on
scholar.google.com
Elderly Often Use Prescription and Nonprescription Medications ...
by L Barclay - 2008 Read more on
www.medscape.com
Over-the-counter drug - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines that may be sold directly to a consumer without a prescription from a healthcare professional, as compared to ... Read more on
en.wikipedia.org
TSA: Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions
You may bring all prescription and over-the-counter medications (liquids, gels, and aerosols) including petroleum jelly, eye drops, and saline solution for ... Read more on
www.tsa.gov
OTC Medicines: An Introduction -- familydoctor.org
OTC medicines are medicines you can buy without a prescription from your doctor. Learn what you need to know before taking these drugs. Read more on
familydoctor.org
Over-the-Counter Drugs To Be Covered <br>by Health Care Flexible ...
Sep 3, 2003 ... Treasury and IRS issued guidance clarifying that reimbursements for nonprescription drugs by an employer health plan are excluded from ... Read more on
www.irs.gov
Contents
Medication in the Treatment of Obesity
Obesity means accumulation of excess body fat. Obesity is considered a chronic (long-term) disease, like high blood pressure or diabetes. As such, it usually requires long-term treatment to successfully lose weight and keep it off. Obesity has many serious long-term consequences for your health, and it is the second leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States (tobacco is the first). Obesity is an epidemic in the United States and in other developed countries. More than half of Americans are overweight. Nearly one third are obese. Obesity is on the rise in our society because food is abundant and physical activity is typically an option.
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Pain Medications
What Is Pain Pain is an unpleasant sensation. Pain can be sharp or dull, burning or numbing, minor or major, acute or chronic. It can be a minor inconvenience or completely disabling. Both the area of the injury and how the brain deals with signals from the area of pain affect the sensation. Generally, medications try either to stop the transmission of pain from the site of injury or to affect the brain directly.
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Pubic lice
Pubic lice can be treated with the same nonprescription and prescription treatments used for head lice.
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www.mayoclinic.com
Trilisate
Check the labels of all nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) and prescription medicines you now take. If any contain aspirin or other salicylates (including bismuth subsalicylate [e.g., Pepto-Bismol] or any shampoo or skin medicine that contains salicylic acid or any other salicylate), check with your health care professional. Taking or using them together with this medicine may cause an overdose.
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www.mayoclinic.com
Pepto-Bismol
Check the labels of all over-the-counter (OTC), nonprescription, and prescription medicines you now take. If any contain aspirin or other salicylates, be especially careful. Using other salicylate-containing products while taking this medicine may lead to overdose. If you have any questions about this, check with your health care professional.
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www.mayoclinic.com
NEXT CHOICE
Emergency contraceptive tablet. Each Next ChoiceTM tablet contains 0.75 mg of a single active steroid ingredient, levonorgestrel [18,19-Dinorpregn-4-en-20-yn-3-one-13-ethyl-17-hydroxy-, (17α)-(-)-], a totally synthetic progestogen. The inactive ingredients present are colloidal silicon dioxide, corn starch, FD&C Yellow #6, magnesium stearate, povidone, and lactose monohydrate. Levonorgestrel has a molecular weight of 312.45, and the following structural and molecular formulas:C21H28O2... ... Next ChoiceTM is a prescription-only emergency contraceptive, for women age 17 and younger, that can be used to prevent pregnancy following unprotected intercourse or a known or suspected contraceptive failure. This product is not approved for nonprescription use.
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dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
Lice
Head lice Over-the-counter lotions or shampoos (Nix, Rid, others) are usually the first line of defense against head lice. However, if nonprescription products don't kill the lice, your doctor can prescribe a stronger shampoo or lotion.
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www.mayoclinic.com
Aldolase test
You may be told not to eat or drink anything for 6 hours before the test. Your health care provider will tell you if it's necessary to stop taking any drugs that may interfere with this test. Make sure that your doctor is aware of all drugs you are taking, both prescription and nonprescription.
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www.nlm.nih.gov
Orvaten
Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This especially includes over-the-counter (nonprescription) medicines for appetite control, asthma, colds, cough, hayfever, or sinus problems, since they may tend to increase your blood pressure.
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www.mayoclinic.com
Helidac
Check the labels of all over-the-counter (OTC), nonprescription, and prescription medicines you now take. If any contain aspirin or other salicylates, be especially careful. Using other salicylate-containing products while taking bismuth subsalicylate in this combination of medicines may lead to overdose. If you have any questions about this, check with your health care professional.
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www.mayoclinic.com
Contraceptive patch
You'll need to request a prescription for Ortho Evra from your health care provider. Your health care provider will review your medical history and check your blood pressure. Talk to your health care provider about any medications you're taking, including nonprescription and herbal products.
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www.mayoclinic.com