What is the stomach flu (gastroenteritis)? Readers Comments 1 Share Your Story Stomach flu or gastroenteritis is a general term for a number of inflammatory problems that occur in the gastrointestinal tract. Gastroenteritis is a better term because when some individuals use the term "stomach flu," they get the term confused with the flu (influenza)...
What should you know about sore throat treatments? Readers Comments 3 Share Your Story Why Your Throat Hurts and How to Cure a Sore Throat Various natural sore throat remedies can be used at home to help soothe sore throat pain and other symptoms. Some of these may be familiar, like drinking warm liquids with...
What is allopurinol, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Allopurinol is used for treating gout caused by excessive levels of uric acid in the blood (hyperuricemia). It is a xanthine oxidase inhibitor and is similar to febuxostat (Uloric). Uric acid is a by product from the breakdown of certain proteins (purines) in the...
What is methyldopa? What is methyldopa used for? Methyldopa is an oral medication used to lower blood pressure. Although the exact mechanism of action is not yet understood, methyldopa is thought to lower blood pressure by activating receptors (alpha-2 receptors) in the central nervous system and by reducing the concentration of epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, and...
What are stimulants? Stimulants are medications or other compounds (including caffeine, cocaine and nicotine) that stimulate the central nervous system (CNS) in most individuals. Stimulants can be addictive and often are abused. Stimulants have similar effects as amphetamine. They stimulate the brain by increasing the level and effect of the natural neurotransmitters, dopamine, and norepinephrine...
What is alteplase (TPA, Activase, Cathflo Activase)? Alteplase is an injectable drug, given directly into a vein, that is used to treat conditions caused by arterial blood clots including heart attacks, strokes, chest pain at rest (unstable angina), blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary thrombosis or embolus), and other less common conditions involving blood clots....
What is cefuroxime? What are the uses for cefuroxime? Cefuroxime is a semisynthetic cephalosporin antibiotic, chemically similar to penicillin. Cephalosporins stop or slow the growth of bacterial cells by preventing bacteria from forming the cell wall that surrounds each cell. The cell wall protects bacteria from the external environment and keeps the contents of the...
What is testosterone gel, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Androgel is a gel containing testosterone. It is administered through the skin for treatment of low testosterone levels. It belongs to a class of drugs called androgens. Other testosterone replacement products include Androderm, Axiron, Testim, and Fortesta. Testosterone is the major male sex...
What is misoprostol? What are the uses for misoprostol? Misoprostol is a synthetic (man-made) prostaglandin that is used to reduce the risk of stomach ulcers in patients treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, for example, aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.) that are used for pain and various inflammatory conditions, for example, arthritis. Misoprostol is used primarily in...
What is piroxicam? What are the uses for piroxicam? Piroxicam is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is used to treat fever, pain, and inflammation in the body. As a group, NSAIDs are non-narcotic relievers of mild to moderate pain of many causes, including injury, menstrual cramps, arthritis, and other musculoskeletal conditions. Other members of this...