Drugs Information Center(DIC)

1. Vitamin A and its derivatives (isotretinein, Accutane and etretinate) Women who are pregnant should not take regular vitamins. Too many vitamins can harm your baby. For example, very high levels of vitamin A have been linked with severe birth defects. Significant risk of spontaneous abortion [20] and risk of many significant anomalies 2. ACE inhibitors (May cause fetal hypotension, kidney damage in the fetus when used in II and III trimester, decrease in the amount of amniotic fluid and deformities of face, limbs and lungs) 3. Anticoagulants- warfarin During 1 st Trimester- defects like nasal hypoplasia and a depressed nasal bridge; termed as Fetal warfarin Syndrome During 2 nd and 3 rd Trimester- risk of fetal malformations 4. Anti-thyroids (Methimazole, Carbimazole) - Overactive and enlarged Thyroid gland. 5. Anticonvulsants- Carbamazepine (Risk of birth defects)                   ...

The sulfonylureas and meglitinides increase the secretion of insulin by the pancreas. _ Metformin inhibits glucose production by the liver and decreases insulin resistance. _ The alpha-glucosidase inhibitors delay absorption of glucose by the intestine. _ The thiazolidinediones decrease insulin resistance. _ The dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors promote the release of insulin from the pancreas after eating a meal. It is  necessary  to know before starting these drugs that  all the diabetes drugs have the potential to cause side effects and lifestyle changes have benefits to your health beyond controlling blood sugar, most doctors will recommend you try diet and lifestyle modifications first — before you try a drug. Subscribe to Drugs Information Center by Email

1.  Cetirizine HCl        =========>     Oculogyric crisis 2.  Codeine sulfate       =========>   Respiratory depression or arrest  resulting in death in children taking                                                        codeine who are CYP2D6 ultra-rapid  metabolizers 3.  Fluoroquinolone  =========>  Retinal detachment 4.  Olmesartan  medoxomil    =========> Malabsorption resulting in severe  diarrhea and weight loss        5.  Proton pump  inhibitors    =========> Pneumonia               Subscribe to Drugs Information Center by Email

Acetaminophen produces its analgesic effect by inhibiting the same cyclooxygenase, prostaglandin H2 synthase, that is the target of NSAID and aspirin. However, acetaminophen blocks this enzyme at its peroxidase catalytic rather than at the cyclooxygenase catalytic site. Therefore, the acetaminophen-mediated inhibition is sensitive to changes in the tissue peroxide levels; higher concentrations of peroxide in activated leukocytes and platelets block the effect of acetaminophen on inflammation and platelet thrombosis. However, acetaminophen is able to inhibit prostaglandins in the central nervous system, thus providing relief of pain and fever. Therefore, acetaminophen is not an NSAID or anti-thrombotic agent.   Subscribe to Drugs Information Center by Email

Ultram is the Generic form of Ultram. ULTRAN ® (tranadol hydrochloride  tablets) is a prescription medication indicated for the management of  moderate to moderately severe pain. ULTRAM received U.S. Food and Drug  Administration (FDA) approval in March, 1995. Ultram has been  prescribed to more than 55 million patients worldwide and ULTRAM has  been prescribed to more than 21 million patients in the United States  alone. Subscribe to Drugs Information Center by Email

Intravenous alteplase is the only approved treatment for acute ischemic stroke. Tenecteplase, a genetically engineered mutant tissue plasminogen activator, is an alternative thrombolytic agent. Tenecteplase was associated with significantly better reperfusion and clinical outcomes than alteplase in patients with stroke who were selected on the basis of CT perfusion imaging. Source Subscribe to Drugs Information Center by Email

A 65-year-old woman with no history of diabetes, developed hyperglycemia, after taking Gatifloxacin. She was admitted to the hospital with a one day history of abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Her blood glucose was 1,121 mg/dL (normal range 70 to 100 mg/ dL). She had a history of high BP, transient ischemic attacks, hyperlipidemia and renal failure. The patient was receiving Gatifloxacin 200 mg daily for 9 days empirically for bronchitis, which was started during a prior hospitalization. After admission, she responded well to an insulin infusion combined with subcutaneous doses of regular insulin. (Ann Pharmacother. 2005; 39(7):1349–1352) Reports of hypoglycemia with other fluoroquinolones have been documented, but only Gatifloxacin is reported to cause severe hyperglycemia Subscribe to Drugs Information Center by Email

FDA Approved OTC Version Of Heartburn Drug Zegerid (omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate) on December 2, 2009. Omeprazole is sensitive to acidic environment, so it is destroyed partly is stomach. Sodium bicarbonate saves it from destruction and increases the bioavailability by its acid neutralisation capacity. Subscribe to Drugs Information Center by Email

Dexmedetomidine is a sedative medication used by intensive care units and anesthesiologists. It is relatively unique in its ability to provide sedation without causing respiratory depression . Like clonidine , its mechanism of action is agonism of alpha-2 receptors in certain parts of the brain. Dexmedetomidine has sedative, analgesic, sympatholytic, and anxiolytic effects that blunt many of the cardiovascular responses in the perioperative period. It reduces the volatile anesthetic, sedative and analgesic requirements of the patient without causing significant respiratory depression. Recent research has suggested dexmedetomidine to be an effective treatment for the dangerous cardiovascular symptoms of cocaine intoxication and overdose . It also seemed to be superior to lorazepam for ventilated patients in the intensive care unit . Compared to midazolam , dexmedetomidine was similarly effective for sedation, but shortened the time to extubation , was associated with less deliriu...

FDA notified healthcare professionals of new safety information concerning an interaction between clopidogrel ( Plavi x), an anti-clotting medication, and omeprazole ( Prilosec /Prilosec OTC), a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) used to reduce stomach acid. New data show that when clopidogrel and omeprazole are taken together, the effectiveness of clopidogrel is reduced. Patients at risk for heart attacks or strokes who use clopidogrel to prevent blood clots will not get the full effect of this medicine if they are also taking omeprazole. Separating the dose of clopidogrel and omeprazole in time will not reduce this drug interaction. Other drugs that are expected to have a similar effect and should be avoided in combination with clopidogrel include: cimetidine, fluconazole, ketoconazole, voriconazole, etravirine, felbamate, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, and ticlopidine. Subscribe to Drugs Information Center by Email

Dosing Information Adult: In Angina pectoris, chronic, initial, 500 mg orally twice daily; increase to the maximum recommended dose of 1000 mg orally twice daily as needed based on clinical symptoms. Pediatric: Safety and efficacy not established in pediatric patients. Contraindications • Concurrent use of potent and moderately potent CYP3A inhibitors, including diltiazem, verapamil, macrolide antibiotics, HIV protease inhibitors, ketoconazole and other azole antifungals, and grapefruit juice or grapefruit-containing products; increased ranolazine levels and QTc prolongation. • Concurrent use of QT prolonging drugs (such as Class Ia and Class III antiarrhythmics, and certain antipsychotic). • Hepatic impairment, Child-Pugh Classes A, B or C; QTc prolongation is increased approximately 3-fold. • QT prolongation, pre-existing, including congenital long QT syndrome and uncorrected hypokalemia. Precautions • Concurrent use of CYP3A and P-glycoprotein inducers (eg, carbamazepine, phenobarbi...

Asthma is a long-term illness that causes the airways of the lungs to be irritated, make mucus, and to swell. You may have some airway swelling all the time, even when you feel OK. Your airways may also become smaller causing you to have breathing problems or to wheeze. Wheezing is a loud noise you hear when you breathe in or out. An asthma attack happens when your airways narrow making it hard to breathe. Asthma attacks are also called flare-ups, exacerbations, or episodes. Causes : The following may be possible causes of an asthma attack. 􀁺 Air pollution. 􀁺 Animals. 􀁺 Cold weather. 􀁺 Dust. 􀁺 Exercise. Foods. 􀁺 Lung infections. 􀁺 Molds. 􀁺 Pollens. 􀁺 Smoke. 􀁺 Stress. Signs and Symptoms: Breathing faster than normal. 􀁺 Breathing trouble. 􀁺 Cough which may be worse at night or early morning. 􀁺 Drop in peak flow reading. 􀁺 Fast heartbeat. 􀁺 Head "stopped up." 􀁺 Itchy, scratchy, or sore throat. 􀁺 Short of breath. 􀁺 Tight feeling in the chest. 􀁺 Tired. 􀁺 Wheez...

Treats symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, such as problems with memory, concentration, and judgment. How to Use This Medicine : Tablet 􀁺 Your doctor will tell you how much of this medicine to use and how often. Your dose may need to be changed several times in order to find out what works best for you. Do not use more medicine or use it more often than your doctor tells you to. Most people need to wait at least one week between dose changes. 􀁺 You may take this medicine with or without food. If a dose is missed: 􀁺 If you miss a dose or forget to use your medicine, use it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to use the medicine and skip the missed dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up for a missed dose. Warnings While Using This Medicine: 􀁺 Make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or breast feeding, or if you have epilepsy or liver disease. Tell your doctor if you have any problems with your kidneys or bladder. 􀁺 Call your docto...

Grapefruit juice can decrease the absorption of fexofenadine from the stomach into the bloodstream. This could make fexofenadine less effective. To avoid this interaction, take fexofenadine with water or liquids other than fruit juices. Do not take fexofenadine with grapefruit juice or grapefruit itself. Also avoid taking fexofenadine with apple juice and orange juice.Discuss this potential interaction with your healthcare provider at your next appointment, or sooner if you think you are having problems. Subscribe to Drugs Information Center by Email

Clinical Use :Ø ART experienced patients with CCR5 tropic HIV-1 virus and withdetectable viral resistance to multiple ARTs Ø Should not be used in treatment naïve patient Failure :• Tropism for conversion from CCR 5 to CXCR 4 or dual or mixedtropism of HIV-1 • v3 loop mutation in gp120 Recommended Maraviroc Dose :1) 150mg oral BD in combination with CYP3A inhibitors (proteaseinhibitors,azole itraconazol/ ketoconazol, clarithromycin).2) 300mg oral BD in combination with ritonavir boosted tipranavir, NRTI,enfuvirtide, nevirapine or other drugs without CYP3A effect.3) 600mg oral BD with CYP 3A inducers efavirenz, entravirin, rifampicin,st. jone`s wart.Metabolism :Primarily by liverToxicities: Diarrhoea, nausea, fatigue, headache and derangement ofliver function testVicriviroc:Plasma half life markedly increased by CYP 3A4 inhibitorsPlasma half life >24 hrsNo food effectDurable antiretroviral activity in CCR5 tropic strainUnder Phase III trialAlpraviroc: Hepatotoxic, so trial was termin...

Raltegravir is the first integraseinhibitor to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in antiretroviral treatment–experienced adult patients with viral resistance. Raltegravir blocks HIV replication by inhibitingessential strand-transfer activities of integrase. Raltegravir is rapidly absorbed, with a median Tmax of~4 hours in the fasting state. No dose adjustment is recommended in patients with moderate renal or hepaticinsufficiency, and raltegravir may be taken withoutregard to meals. Subscribe to Drugs Information Center by Email

Outbreaks of chloramphenicol-resistant typhoid stimulated a search for alternative oral antibiotic therapies and accelerated efforts to develop a new generation of better-tolerated, efficacious typhoid vaccines. The efforts bore fruit when live oral S. Typhi vaccine strain Ty21a and parenteral Vi polysaccharide vaccine were licensed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Despite extensive data documenting the safety, efficacy, and practicality of the Vi and Ty21a vaccines, these preparations have not been widely applied programmatically in developing countries. The limited use of the Vi vaccine has been partly due to doubts about the programmatic feasibility and effect of Vi vaccination in public health programs, as well as questions about whether the vaccine is protective in children between the ages of 2 and 5 years and whether it can confer herd immunity. According to the Sur et al. report, the Vi vaccine conferred an adjusted vaccine effectiveness in preschool children of 80% after two...

The FDA warned prescribers about the risk of serious liver injury associated with the use of the anti-thyroid drug propylthiouracil (PTU). FDA’s warning highlights: There is an increased risk of liver injury with propylthiouracil (PTU) when compared to methimazole. Monitor for symptoms and signs of liver injury when propylthiouracil is chosen as anti-thyroid therapy. This should be emphasized during the first six months after initiating therapy. Subscribe to Drugs Information Center by Email

Insulin is injected into the fatty tissue. The body areas that can be used for injections are shown in the picture below. Insulin absorption varies with the body area that is used. The abdomen has the fastest rate of absorption followed by the arms, legs and buttocks. Randomly changing the body areas used for injections may result in variability in blood sugar levels. It is best that injection sites be changed within one body area instead of between body areas. The body area used for each routine injection (for example, before breakfast) should be the same every day. Abdomen - stay 2 inches away from the navel (belly button) or scars and go sideways to the hips. You can go above or below the waist if there is good tissue. Arms - measure one hand width down from the shoulder and one hand width up from the elbow. Use the fleshy outer surface. Legs - measure one hand width down from the groin and one hand width up from the knee. Use the top and outer part of the leg staying away from the ...

India has become a dumping ground for banned drugs; also the business for production of banned drugs is booming. Plz make sure that u buy drugs, only if prescribed by a doctor (Also, ask which company manufactures it, this would help to ensure that u get what is prescribed at the Drug Store) and that also from a reputed drug store. Not many people know about these banned drugs and consume them causing a lot of damage to themselves. 1. PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE: cold and cough. Reason for ban : stroke. Brand name : Vicks A 2. ANALGIN: This is a pain-killer. Reason for ban: Bone marrow depression. Brand name: Novalgin 3. CISAPRIDE: Acidity, constipation. Reason for ban : irregular heartbeat Brand name : Ciza, Syspride 4. DROPERIDOL: Anti-depressant. Reason for ban : Irregular heartbeat. Brand name : Droperol 5. FURAZOLIDONE: Antidiarrhoeal. Reason for ban : Cancer. Brand name : Furoxone, Lomofen 6. NIMESULIDE: Painkiller, fever. Reason for ban : Liver failure. Brand name : Nise, Nimulid 7. NI...