Do you have a prescription for a certain medical condition You are one of the many then. In fact over 50% of Americans take at least one type of prescription drug regularly and staggeringly over 80% of Americans take some kind of pharmaceutical drug, like Tylenol, on a regular basis. However, as unbelievable as this may seem, there are some prescriptions that should have been scrapped from inception, some that we have a hard time believing the FDA actually approved. Are you taking one of them

The first worst prescription pharmaceutical drugs are Vicodin and Oxycontin. These are listed here not because they have the worst side effects, but because they are the most freely available and the most abused. In fact, Vicodin and Oxycotin account for more deaths than ALL of the illegal drugs, like cocaine, meth, heroin, LSD, etc., combined. The reason is because alcohol should never be mixed with either Vicodin or Oxycontin. Yet almost all of those who abuse these drugs combine them with alcohol. The amount of pills taken should not be more than 1 or 2 at a time. There are those who will take 4 or more pills at a time. Combine those 4 pills with alcohol and you have a recipe for disaster.

There are certain ratings used by research facilities which rate drugs based on their benefit versus risk ratios. What is difficult to understand is why there are certain drugs that are rated as “worst drugs” meaning that there is very little benefit and very high risk, yet some of them are still approved by the FDA. The drug Vioxx, an arthritis pain relief medication, was recently removed from the market. People who took Vioxx had a significantly higher risk for heart attacks, or perhaps better said is a bunch of people died from it. It is one of several banned pharmacy drugs, most of these being weight loss drugs. The FDA has banned these drugs, however they can still be illegally acquired online.

Third we will cover the drugs with the worst side effects. For example a drug that the FDA has approved and it is still on the market is called Mirapex, which is used to reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Many people who take this drug develop amnesia. Amnesia is also common among those that take cholesterol drugs. As one man relates, Duane Graveline, a former astronaut, reported coming back from a short walk and not recognizing his wife while he was taking Lipitor. Then he lost memory of any events beyond his high school graduation. One drug that is designed to help deal with menopause symptoms is called EvaMist. However its side effects include cancer, stroke, heart attack, blood clots, and even dementia! How bad does your menopause have to be for you to be willing to take those kinds of risks Chantix, a drug used to help quit smoking, causes people to commit suicide. Lariam is a drug given to soldiers and tourists to help stop the spread of Malaria but often time will cause those who take it to have intense hallucinations and psychotic behavior. Many who take Plavix, a medicine that is supposed to help prevent heart attacks, vomit blood as a side effect. How is it that the FDA deems these drugs as acceptable to be used by the public

Fourth we will cover the worst drugs that are now so common that we stop to consider how horrible it is for you, for example, Prozac. Depression has become such a commonplace illness and the conventional pharmaceutical drugs used to treat them so publicized, that when we hear them mentioned we assume that they are reasonably safe. This is far from the truth. The side effects of Prozac are insomnia, nausea, weakness, headache, diarrhea, loss of appetite, drowsiness, anxiety, nervousness, shakiness, dry mouth, decreased sex drive, yawning, indigestion, dizziness, sweating, impotence, ejaculation problems, flushing (redness of the skin, especially the face), abnormal dreams, constipation, gas, vomiting, fever or chills, weight loss, vision changes, chest pain, high blood pressure (hypertension), increased appetite and weight gain and taste changes. Many who take Prozac will experience many of these side effects. However more than all of these combined is the way that Prozac affects the person’s mind. The person becomes, probably most accurately described as, a zombie.

The fifth worst drugs are the ones that are the most addictive. Vicodin and OxyContin again make the list, perhaps this is part of the reason for why so many deaths have resulted from taking these drugs. In spite of these facts the FDA still rules these drugs as being ok. What difference is there in weed and other drugs from Vicodin Perhaps only because those in charge cannot control the production of illegal drugs where as Vicodin they do control, meaning all of the profit goes to them Drugs like Demerol, Percocet*, Darvocet, Ritalin** and any amphetamine, are all extremely addictive and are the drugs most pushed on the black market to our kids at their schools. Do you not remember Jr High How important was peer pressure to you then We all had to fit in. What if your 13 year old daughter is peer pressured into taking this thing that will destroy her life

So is there an alternative to these evils Is there anyway we can stop this I do not know how to stop this but I know that there are alternatives. There are alternative methods to treating the problems of many of the illnesses that these drugs treat. As far as your 13 year old daughter, my best advice is you talk to her tell her that you know about these drugs and how bad they are for her.

* Also commonly causes death

** Also causes serious mental side-effects

Recent reports indicate that patients larger in size may need higher doses of antibiotics instead of the regular dose. The ‘one size fits all’ idea for prescribing medicine may not treat infection in obese people and only develop more resistance in the body. One of The Lancet’s narrative review brought this concern into light. The review discussed several pressing issues about drug treatments. Authors of the review indicated the need for proportional prescriptions. Simply, authors proposed the prescription of drugs and doses according to the person’s body weight. The same way is used in prescribing drugs to children.

It was raised that when drug doses and prescriptions are relative to the patient’s body weight, it will be more advantageous for the condition of the patient. It was also noted that comparative prescription may make it easier to fight diseases in general. The major concern in this matter is the build up of microbes that are resistant to antivirals, antibiotics, or antifungals. Given that individual prescription can help avert resistance, then healthcare professionals should consider this method.

However, changing existing prescribing practice will have significant implications in practice and cost. These factors should be carefully considered. There is a need to further conduct trials before implementing the proposed method in a wider scale. The results of trials will determine if the benefits outweighs the costs and implications of changing current practice.

Discussion points of the proposal

The authors of the review indicate that even though pharmacokinetic studies (studies about drug processes and distribution) take into consideration age differences and variations of the disease, it is important to consider other characteristics such as body size.

The physiological alterations observed in the body like increased adipose (fat) tissue, tend to influence metabolism, distribution, as well as clearance of drugs in the body. More specifically, there should be careful consideration to hydrophilic (’water-loving’) as well as lipophilic (’fat-loving’) drugs. The distribution of these two drugs differs for lean and obese individuals. The size of the person’s body can also influence kidney and liver functions. These functions affect the clearance of drugs in the body.

Available data confirm the prescribing according to body size helps achieve desired outcomes in the body. Nonetheless, further research is still needed to fully verify the effects of comparative prescription as opposed to current practices. Successful clinical trials are needed to determine the extent of the method’s effects.

Everyone knows we need to increase our consumption of fruits and vegetables. They’re healthy, right? Why would something is common as an orange be a major problem for some people?

The answer is called an interaction. Some foods will have negative interactions with some medications. Some of the problems caused are minor and others are potentially deadly. Do you take a medication that could cause a problem?

The first introduction I had to the idea that citrus fruit could cause problems with prescriptions was when my husband had to start taking several medications for a serious heart problem. Grapefruit was the problem citrus family member.

Eating grapefruit or drinking the juice can interact with several medications. Not all of these medications are heart drugs. The list includes antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, immunosuppressants and statins. In fact, at least 50 medications have some sort of interaction with grapefruit.

The interaction is one of two types. It either doesn’t break down fast enough and there is too much medicine in your blood for too long, or it breaks down too fast.

Grapefruits aren’t the only citrus fruits with interaction problems. Oranges…both sweet and bitter…also interact. Bitter oranges tend to interact in the same way as grapefruit. Sweet oranges have the same potential, with a few additions. Some antibiotics and medicines that act on the pump found in cells may also interact.

If you take any medications for a chronic condition, it is a good idea to sit down with your medication list and look up information from a reliable source about interactions. Citrus fruits are not the only potential pit falls in your diet.The same holds true for herbal supplements. Either look them up or ask your pharmacist if they can be a problem for you.