In pregnant women serum propranolol concentrations are increased by 50%. However, in hypertensive pregnant women treated with 90 mg of phenobarbital, a significant decrease in serum propranolol concentration has been observed, thus suggesting that pregnancy alters the half-life of propranolol therapy associated with phenobarbital. It has also been reported that clearance of lamotrigine in pregnancy may be increased. Moreover, in one study lamotrigine plasma concentrations were slightly lower in females (13.7%) than in males. However, in another study this difference was not confirmed. Combination of phenobarbital and theophylline results in increased theophylline clearance in children and adults but not in premature neonates. Serum concentration of tirilazad mesylate (a membrane lipid peroxydation …
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FROBEN 50 mg TABLETS FROBEN 100 mg TABLETS Flurbiprofen 1 .What an Froben Tablets and what are they used for? Froben Tablets belong to a group of medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NS1AID3). They can be used to relieve pain and inflammation (redness, heat and swelling) in conditions such as: » osteoarthritis (a …
[ Continue Reading... ]Overview Corticosteroids have long been employed in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and remain a key component of symptom management. They produce potent, rapid suppression of inflammation with consequent improvements in joint pain and swelling. Studies showing that corticosteroids can reduce the rate of joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis patients led to their initial classification as disease-modifying agents. However, rheumatologists caution that the disease-modifying properties of corticosteroids are limited, and they should not be administered as a monotherapy to rheumatoid arthritis patients with active disease. Instead, true Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, either conventional or biological, should be initiated, and corticosteroids used as supplemental therapy to control symptoms as …
[ Continue Reading... ]Oral prednisone (Pfizer’s Deltasone, generics) is commonly prescribed in low doses (less than 10 mg daily) to treat the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Oral corticosteroids — including prednisone — can be used as a short-term therapy during periods of high disease activity or as a bridge therapy and can be administered for long-term use in combination with Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Corticosteroids act as anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agents through multiple effects: inhibiting synthesis of proinflammatory mediators (prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and cytokines); disrupting cellular activation, migration, and proliferation; and blocking edema formation. Corticosteroids can also inhibit the expression of COX-2 and block the activity of collagenase and other cartilage-damaging enzymes. Low-dose oral …
[ Continue Reading... ]Overview The conventional Disease-modifying antirheumatic drug class includes a wide range of agents as diverse as antimalarials, cytotoxics, and immunosuppressants. Unlike anti-inflammatories, which provide symptomatic relief without altering the natural course of the disease, Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs lack a direct analgesic effect but have the potential to slow or prevent joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis patients. It may take months of treatment for the clinical benefits of conventional Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs to become apparent, and some clinicians and researchers use the term slow-acting antirheumatic drugs to indicate that these agents take longer than anti-inflammatories to achieve an effect. However, Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs is the more widely used …
[ Continue Reading... ](British Approved Name, US Adopted Name, rINN) Drug Nomenclature International Nonproprietary Names (INNs) in main languages (French, Latin, Russian, and Spanish): Synonyms: Carbamazepina; Carbamazepinum; G-32883; Karbamatsepiini; Karbamazepin; Karbamazepinas BAN: Carbamazepine USAN: Carbamazepine INN: Carbamazepine [rINN (en)] INN: Carbamazepina [rINN (es)] INN: Carbamazépine [rINN (fr)] INN: Carbamazepinum [rINN (la)] INN: Карбамазепин [rINN (ru)] Chemical name: 5H-Dibenz[b,f]azepine-5-carboxamide Molecular formula: C15H12N2O =236.3 CAS: 298-46-4 ATC code: N03AF01 Read code: YM3qs Pharmacopoeias. In China, Europe, International, Japan, and US. European Pharmacopoeia, 6th ed., 2008 and Supplements 6.1 and 6.2 (Carbamazepine). A white or almost white crystalline powder. It exhibits polymorphism. Very slightly soluble in water; sparingly soluble …
[ Continue Reading... ]The standard for showing wanton disregard is much higher than for a negligent mistake. T here should be no doubt that pharmacists and pharmacies will be held liable in a civil lawsuit when a dispensing error causes patients to be harmed. The damages usually awarded to the patient are for compensation of the injuries actually suffered and may include an amount for pain and suffering. In some states, patient-plaintiffs may also seek punitive damages if there is evidence that the defendant did something willful or wanton in reckless disregard for the plaintiff’s safety. Two recent cases demonstrate the distinction. Case #1 The plaintiff entered a weight-loss treatment program in …
[ Continue Reading... ]Improved knowledge of how asthma operates as an inflammatory disease has led to a major change in the way medications are used to relieve bronchospasm and remove mucous. Doctors are moving away from an emphasis on relatively short-acting agents to using long-term strategies with inhaled corticosteroids to prevent and eradicate airway inflammation. Elderly asthmatic patients are prone to the same factors that worsen asthma in younger sufferers: viral respiratory infections, paint and household cleaning product fumes, cold air, exposure to smoke, etc. The pharmacological management of asthma does not differ very much in the elderly from what is used at any age, except in three ways: the elderly are likely to …
[ Continue Reading... ]Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs OTC NSAIDs are indicated for self-treatment of pain rather than inflammation, and the dosing guidelines on the package should not be exceeded unless the patient is instructed to do so by a physician. Patients taking OTC products should be closely monitored for effectiveness of therapy and the development of toxicities. NSAIDs are the initial drug treatment of choice for rheumatoid arthritis since they work to reduce joint pain and swelling, and improve function. While their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties provide benefit, NSAIDs do not alter the course of rheumatoid arthritis or prevent joint destruction. Their mechanism of action is related to the inhibition of prostaglandin (PG) …
[ Continue Reading... ]Agents That Impair Absorption of Calcium Medications that impair the absorption of calcium can have a negative impact on serum calcium levels. The malabsorption of calcium has been documented in patients receiving colchicine, mineral oil, or sodium sulfonated polystyrene resin. Similarly, agents known to enhance the renal excretion of calcium — such as loop diuretics — also predispose patients to hypocalcemia. Magnesium Depletion: In addition to medications that directly alter serum calcium levels, agents that deplete the body of magnesium ultimately cause hypocalcemia. In fact, drug-induced hypocalcemia is often due to a depletion of magnesium stores. Magnesium deficiency can induce a transient hypoparathyroidism by reducing the …
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