I know someone whose child was on an allergy medicine since they were two-years-old. Six years later the child was still taking it. When the child was taken off the medicine, children in this child’s class noticed a difference in the child’s personality. The child wasn’t as aggressive or irritable. Their mother noticed this too. The child actually told their mother that they felt happy in the mornings now and not crabby. This made me wonder about the behavioral side affects of prescription medicine, especially allergy medicine. I asked a Licensed Pharmacist, Treza, the following questions. I hope you find them useful.

Question 1) When you read the information about the side effects on your child’s prescription medicine you might see- can cause headaches, nausea, dry mouth, but what about behavioral effects

Answer: Behavioral side effects are important to look for, especially for children. This is their time to form personalities, grow up healthy, etc.

2) How common are behavioral effects in medicine

Answer: It depends on what kind of medicine it is. In the case of XXX (an allergy medicine) behavior side effects are listed under less common side effects. It means it occurs less than the other side effects but it could still happen to your child.

3) What are the most common behavioral side effects

Answer: In XXX (allergy medicine)- Mood changes, agitation, aggressive behavior, bad/livid dreams, depression, feeling anxious, hallucinations, irritable, restless, tremor, trouble sleeping.

4) What questions should a parent ask their doctor about their child’s prescription medicine

Answer: a) What is the medicine for (b) How to take (c) How to store it (d) Possible side effects (e) When to stop taking (f) Possible monitoring aspects, lab tests, etc (g) What are signs of allergic reaction (h) Is there reading information about the medicine (i) What do I do in case of a side effect (j) When to talk to doctor with questions to ask pertaining to medicine

5) What should parents be aware of when giving their child medicine

Answer: (a) When to start and stop medicine. (b) How often should the child be monitored by doctor. (c) Acute vs. chronic medications.

6) Should parents ask their doctor about slowly introducing a new medicine

Answer: This is sometimes used in a clinical setting to desensitize a certain condition. It really depends on the condition and the practitioner.

For those of us who always seem to have a problem with out feet, finding a foot doctor has never been easier. Indeed, podiatry has taken a turn for the better since experts these days believe in preventative medicine to keep any problems at bay. Try searching out which experts are within the local area by using a good search engine which should provide plenty of choice.

Whenever we see a pair of fashionable shoes, we really want to buy them and wear them whenever possible. However, what we should first consider is what they will do to our beloved feet. The style for extremely high heels these days make it difficult to walk at the best of times, but what it does to the skin on the feet is something else.

Although women love to move voluptuously along, with the help of high heels, what they are actually doing is hurting their feet and spine at the same time. In later life people suffer terrible pain because of the mistakes they made following fashion when they were younger. However, this does not stop most of us from wearing those stylish shoes every time we get the chance.

When the inevitable happens, and pain occurs, we are well advised to seek the help of an expert so that they can treat whatever is ailing us and we can get right back into those shoes again!

Probably some of the worst things that happen to feet are fungal infections and plantar warts. Both of these unsightly conditions can occur seemingly out of the blue but they can stop us from joining in with certain activities when the symptoms become too bad.

For example, fungal infections of the toe nails look and smell terrible. Itching and flaking scaly nails turn yellowish and they look disgusting to those who have not seen this before. Very often, the only cure for this is to take off the nail completely. Although this sounds quite drastic, it can be done in the clinic on an outpatient basis and will certainly pave the way for a full cure.

Although many people try their own cures at home, including toxic chemicals available over the counter, this is rather unwise since it could make the situation much worse. Indeed, if these chemicals, which have acid like properties, touch the skin then a serious burn can be made. Also, the toxicity levels of such fluids are a bit questionable and no one knows what they do when absorbed by the body. It is much better to leave this kind of thing to the expert for sure.

Finally, although there are many things that can go wrong with the feet, there are also many things that we can do to eliminate some of the more common ailments. Proper hygiene is one of them plus not wearing the same shoes day after day. We all sweat during the day and shoes have to dry out properly if we are to avoid some rather nasty fungal infections.

Mucinex DM is a two component, over the counter medicine that is effective in fighting cold symptoms. The product is marketed by Reckitt Benckiser and is one of three products that the company sells. Mucinex DM is designed to relieve the production of phlegm along with cough symptoms. Guaifenesin is the component that relieves congestion from phlegm while the dextromethorphan present in the medicine fights off the cough.

The product is marketed in an extended release tablet form in strengths of 600mg and 1200mg. The product is available both online and at many local grocery stores and pharmacies. Both products are the only FDA approved 12 hour extended release products that contain dextromethorphan.

Although most people can take the medicine with no side effects, consumers should read the product label prior to purchasing. The product should be avoided by persons taking MAOI’s. The product may be taken once persons have stopped taking MAOI’s for at least two weeks. Also, pregnant women should talk to their physician before taking this product.

It is important for consumers to remember that this product will not cure colds, flu or other illnesses. Rather, the product is used to alleviate the symptoms of cough and phlegm production. Persons that are experiencing a persistent cough or other long lasting symptoms should see their doctor. Some illnesses require additional treatments that this product cannot provide.

In summary, Mucinex DM is an effective over the counter product that can alleviate the symptoms of routine cough and drainage associated with phlegm.

I was reading a study on the efficacy of a therapy to treat Hepatitis C, but my mind kept drifting to Tiger Woods. I was thinking about Woods, not because he is the current topic of every trash news source, but because he is an example of why race-based medicine does not work.

Race-Based Medicine

The study I was reading concluded that this particular Hepatitis C therapy was not as effective in African-Americans. This is not the first time I read a study such as this. But after reading each one, I have had the same question. How do these researchers or physicians know that their study participants are African-American? The answer is obvious. They don’t know.

Physicians and researchers racially stratify their participants similar to the way society does. Socially, a person is considered Black as long as they have one drop of Black blood. Whether they are 90% Black or 10% Black, they are still considered Black. Societal definitions of race are of little concern to me as a physician. That is until these societal definitions affect medical decisions.

Multi-Racial

Tiger Woods is multi-racial and considers himself "Cablinasian". He is 25% Chinese, 25% Thai, 25% African-American, 12.5% Native American, and 12.5% Dutch. Despite his Cablinasian status, society considers Woods to be African-American. There is nothing wrong with that. The problem ensues when physicians make the same mistake as society. Most physicians would look at Woods and assume he was African-American, but based off of his heritage he is not. If I was forced to pigeonhole him, I would classify him as Asian because he is 50% Asian and at most 25% African.

President Obama is also multi-racial but he considers himself African-American. He is 50% African and 50% European. Obama is as White as he is Black, but society considers him to be African-American. The average physician would probably do the same.

Both men are multi-racial and both men are considered African-American. However, we have no idea what they are physiologically. Most African-Americans are multi-racial to varying degrees and lumping them in to a category by looking at them is ridiculous. Until we have an objective race test, race should not be used as a basis for therapy.

Personalized Medicine

Personalized genomic-based medicine is the future and I look forward to it revolutionizing health care. However, race-based medicine is not personalized medicine, it is trash medicine. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but physiology is not.

Are you suffering from genital warts and feeling embarrassed? You might avoid meeting doctor and discussing about it. Better you find some quality cream to cure it. Have these creams at the medical store which sell them as over the counter medicines. As these creams have excellent results they are preferred choice for people suffering from this embarrassing infection. Be sure to apply these creams carefully. It is mandatory to choose preventive measures for avoiding further infection occurring in its application.

You should follow careful approach in the selection of genital warts creams for removing genital warts. Prefer those creams only which has proven track record to remove from its root. Today’s market is flooded with many creams which can’t cure warts completely. Interestingly these creams are sold on higher rates. Make sure that you have not chosen any of them. Check the details minutely before buying any cream. These are some best quality creams:

- Dermisil

- Terrasil

- Wartrol

- ClearNatural

- Gardasil

Usually Dermisil is made available in both capsule and topical solution form. It is not necessary to consult doctor for applying the topical solution Dermisil medicines. Its application is easy and you can do it by yourself without asking anybody. Even doctor’s prescription is not necessary for purchasing Dermisil because it is an over the counter medicine. This removal medicine is available easily at any pharmacy or drug shop. You must get information about schemes related to Dermisil medicine while buying one.

Highly profitable scheme associated with Dermisil medicine is money back guarantee. Get more details from pharmacist while buying it. This medicine works in twofold manner while attacking warts. Dermisil topical solution treats external portion of to make them fall. Internal boost up is done through Dermisil capsules. They increase stamina in immune system of body which becomes capable to fight with warts for best cure. You get cured completely from once your immune system becomes strong. Possibility of reoccurrence of genital warts also remains minimal.

Feedback about Dermisil medicine is most favourable in medical circle and internet. Those used this medicine earlier are highly satisfied of it due to its miraculous result. Least known side effect of Dermisil medicine is one of the most important benefits. No doubt Dermisil medicine takes extra time in application but it remains gentle and smoother as well compared with other medicines. Don’t hesitate to ask your doctor for knowing more about Dermisil medicine including any doubt you may have about it.

Keeping a doubt free mind is the most important aspect for one treating? Get your doubts cleared first before you start any such treatment of genital warts to attain best possible result. You shouldn’t forget to monitor the entire treatment process while treating genital warts. It becomes more important for you when you use cream for such purpose. A notebook should be maintained by noting each and every observation in it while treatment undergoes. You should also note the details of medications applied during that treatment period.

You might have doubt about performance of Dermisil medicine and or feel that it doesn’t prove best treatment for then prefer other choice instead. Take better treatment which doesn’t harm your skin and remains affordable too. Any treatment showing positive result and early cure is best option to cure genital warts. You should choose that. Treatment must be economical. In case you look for economical treatment options then do comparative study of costs involved in various treatments. When you compare rates of these treatment options you will find some suitable option for curing your warts.

Seeking guidance from family members or friends who have treated on earlier occasions is one of the safest options to avail suitable and genuine information. Most often some people falsely presume that higher treatment cost provides quality treatment to them but such assumptions are baseless especially in the case of genital warts treatment. Some of the costliest and best quality laser treatments can’t ascertain complete cure of in certain cases. It is mandatory to think deeper and plan treatment procedure intrinsically.

Most of us visit our doctor, get the prescriptions that we need, have those prescriptions filled, and immediately start taking the medication - without giving it a second glance or a second thought. This is certainly one way to die. While pharmacists are typically very good at what they do, and very careful, they are still human and they do make mistakes that could be fatal to you. Even doctors make mistakes.

When you are at your doctor’s office, ask him what he is prescribing you. Ask the name of the medication, the dosage that he is recommending, how often you should take the medication, how many he is prescribing, how many refills the medicine has, and any other questions you may have regarding the medication. When he hands you the prescription, stop and read it - before he leaves the room. Make sure that the prescription says what he said to you. If you aren’t sure, ask him, and make him stop to look at what he has written. Don’t feel bad about ‘wasting’ his time…it is time that you are paying dearly for.

Now that you are certain that the doctor prescribed what he meant to prescribe to you, you are ready to visit your pharmacist. It is always a good idea to use the same pharmacy. While chain pharmacies may be cheaper, home town, privately owned pharmacies are often better, although more expensive. The pharmacist will know more about you, and this is important.

Have your prescription filled, and when you pick it up, ask the pharmacist about how this medication will react with other medication that you take, including over-the-counter medications. Take the prescription out of the bag! Read the label. Open the bottle and look at the pills. Did you get the right medication? Is it the right dosage? Go home and look up the pill online. The drug maker’s site is the best resource for this, because they will have pictures of the individual dosages of that medication, and you can compare what you have with what it is supposed to look like. This is true even if you have the generic form of the drug - look at the generic manufacturer’s site.

Remember that you are also human. If you take numerous medications, you can easily get them mixed up, and this can be dangerous. You need a foolproof system for keeping all of your medications straight, and for taking the proper medication, at the proper time, in the proper amount. Double check everything before you put medication in your mouth, your eyes, your ears, or your nose to ensure that you have the right medication, in the right amount, at the right time.