May
19
DIET IF YOU HAVE PROSTATITIS. WHAT DIET TO TAKE WHEN HAVING PROSTATE PROBLEMS
May 19, 2011 | Leave a Comment
DIET IF YOU HAVE PROSTATITIS
The main thing you can do to protect your prostate and to prevent it from causing you problems later in life is to follow a prostate-friendly diet. The idea of a diet that’s good for the heart has been around for a long time and people are slowly becoming better educated about this and following the advice given. But a diet that’s good for the prostate is a relatively new idea and not something that most men take very seriously. But before you dismiss this idea as being silly or unnecessary, remember, prostate disease is terribly common. The more you can do about keeping it at bay, the better.
Dietary tips
• Keep your intake of saturated fats (butter, animal fats, palm oil, coconut oil) to a minimum, as the latest research shows that it can increase the risk of prostate cancer.
• Switch to low-fat milk, cheese, dressings, etc.
• Reduce your consumption of meat, in particular red meat, which you should eat either not at all or only occasionally.
• Remove the skin from chicken.
• Increase your consumption of fish. Fish oil may have anticancer benefits.
• Eat a diet that is rich in fibre (fruit and vegetables, particularly potatoes and sweetcorn), wholemeal bread, pulses, brown rice and pasta. Fibre reduces the chances of constipation, and regular constipation can put pressure on the prostate gland.
• Try to eat a minimum of five portions of fruit or vegetables each day. Ideally, eat them raw or only lightly cooked.
• Drink plenty of fluids - around 1.75-2.25 litres/3-4 pints a day - as this also helps prevent constipation diet. Drink milk, mineral waters and diluted fruit juices rather than alcohol or coffee, both of which are diuretics. Drinking sufficient fluids also helps protect your bladder from infections.
• Eat plenty of nuts and seeds. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommend that everyone should eat at least 30 g of nuts or seeds per day.
• Green, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables are particularly beneficial because they are rich in beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the intestine and liver, and has an antioxidant effect which is thought to protect against cancer. Rich sources of beta-carotene include carrots, oranges and apricots.
• Make sure your diet is rich in vitamins C and E, because of their ability to mop up dangerous free radicals which can form during the body’s metabolic processes and thus weaken their protective powers against cancer. Foods rich in vitamin C include most fruits and vegetables, particularly citrus fruits, strawberries, potatoes and peppers; while foods rich in vitamin E include most vegetable oils, eggs, fish, green leafy vegetables and pulses.
• Good sources of zinc include shellfish (particularly oysters), fish (particularly herrings), wholegrain cereals, oatmeal, eggs, cheese, nuts and seeds (particularly pumpkin and sunflower seeds).
• Make sure your diet is rich in essential fatty acids, such as sun-flower oil, safflower oil, linseed oil, walnut oil and soya oil.
• You may find that spicy foods have an adverse effect on your prostate problems. This is because they upset the bowel, and the prostate rests against it.
• You may find it helpful to keep a diary of the food you eat and your symptoms; this should help you work out what foods or drinks precipitate symptoms, and you can then avoid them.
Food supplements
• Take zinc supplements (around 10 mg three times a day). If this amount upsets your stomach or makes you feel nauseous, both of which are possible side-effects, you can reduce your dose (10 mg just twice a day).
• Take evening primrose oil.
• If you’re worried about your diet, take dietary supplements. Take vitamin C (around 150 mg a day), vitamin E (around 30-40 mg a day); and beta-carotene (around 15 mg a day). These are all antioxidants and can help reduce inflammation as well as protecting against cancer.
May
19
Casodex (Bicalutamide) 50 mg
May 19, 2011 | Leave a Comment
Buy Casodex without a prescription cheap online. Order generic Casodex without rx online with fast delivery at internet pharmacy. Purchasing Casodex on line is an easy and convenient way to get this drug.
Generic Name: Bicalutamide
Brand name: Casodex
Generic Ingredient: Nilutamide Nilandron
Type of Drug: Antiandrogen.
Prescribed For: Prostate cancer.
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General Information
Antiandrogens are prescribed together with another hormone product for prostate cancer. Casodex Bicalutamide competes with testosterone and other natural androgens (male hormones) by binding to the same places in body tissue where androgens normally bind. Prostate cancer is androgen sensitive and responds to treatments that counteract the effects of androgen or remove the sources of androgen.
Cautions and Warnings
Do not take Casodex if you are allergic or sensitive to it or any of its ingredients.
People taking Casodex may develop severe liver injury. People with liver disease may be at greater risk for serious side effects.
Almost 40% of men taking Casodex bicalutamide as single therapy for prostate cancer develop breast pain and enlargement. Casodex may also reduce sperm count.
Two of every 100 people taking nilutamide develop interstitial pneumonitis (symptoms include cough, chest pain, fever, and breathing difficulties). People with lung disease and Asians may be at greater risk. Report any breathing difficulty or worsening of pre-existing breathing difficulty to your doctor immediately.
Isolated cases of aplastic anemia (a potentially fatal blood disorder) have been reported in people taking nilutamide, but the relationship between the drug and the disease is not established.
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Possible Side Effects
Most common: hot dashes, hot flushes, general pain, headache, weakness, back pain, nausea, constipation, sleeplessness, breathing difficulties, and swollen breasts. Nilutamide, difficulty seeing in the dark and loss of testicle function.
Common: diarrhea and pelvic pain.
Less common: vomiting, abdominal pains, chest pain, flu-like symptoms, high blood pressure, swelling in the ankles or lower legs, high blood sugar, weight loss, dizziness, tingling in the hands or feet, sweating, rash, nighttime urination, blood in the urine, urinary or other infection, loss of libido, impotence, breast pain, painful urination, anemia, and bone pain.
Rare: Rare side effects can occur in almost any part of the body. Contact your doctor if you experience any side effect not listed above.
Drug Interactions
• Casodex Bicalutamide and nilutamide increase the effect of oral anticoagulant (blood-thinning) drugs such as warfarin. Dosage adjustment may be necessary.
• Nilutamide may increase the risk of the potentially serious side effects of phenytoin, theophylline, or vitamin K antagonists.
Food Interactions
None known.
Usual Dose of generic Casodex Bicalutamide
Adult: Casodex 50 mg once a day, morning or night.
Nilutamide
Adult: Casodex 300 mg a day, reduced to Casodex 150 mg a day after 30 days.
Overdosage
Symptoms of Casodex overdose may include nausea, vomiting, tiredness, headache and dizziness. Overdose victims should be taken to a hospital emergency room. ALWAYS bring the prescription bottle or container.
Special Information
Report anything unusual to your doctor, especially pain or tenderness in the upper right abdomen, yellowing of skin or whites of eyes, severe itching, dark urine, persistent appetite loss, and unexplained flu-like symptoms. These may be signs of severe liver toxicity. Also report any breathing difficulties, cough, chest pain or fever.
Up to half of people taking Casodex can take from a few seconds to a few minutes to adapt to darkness. This can be a problem especially when driving at night or through tunnels. Wearing tinted glasses will minimize this effect. Up to 5% of people taking Casodex may experience intolerance to alcohol. Symptoms include flushing, tiredness, and lightheadedness. If you experience this reaction, you should avoid alcohol.
Casodex Bicalutamide should be taken at the same time each day for best results. If you forget a dose of Casodex, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you forgot and continue with your regular schedule. Call your doctor if you forget to take more than 1 dose.
Pregnancy/Breast-feeding: Antiandrogens are not intended for use by women.
Seniors: Seniors may take Casodex without special precaution.
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13
Estazolam - Estrogens - Eszopiclone - Exemestane - Exenatide
August 13, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Generic Name
Estazolam (es-TAZ-oe-lam) V
Type of Drug Benzodiazepine sedative.
Prescribed For
Insomnia and sleep disturbances.
General Information
Estazolam is a member of the group of drugs known as benzodiazepines. They work by a direct effect on the brain. Benzodiazepines make it easier to go to sleep and decrease the number of times you wake up during the night. Estazolam is considered an intermediate-acting sedative and generally remains in your body long enough to give you a good night’s sleep with minimal “hangover.”
Cautions and Warnings
Do not take estazolam if you are allergic or sensitive to any of its ingredients. Severe allergic reactions may occur. People with respiratory disease taking estazolam may experience sleep apnea (intermittent cessation of breathing during sleep). People who already have, or suspect they have, sleep apnea should not take estazolam.
People with kidney or liver disease should be carefully monitored while taking estazolam. Take the lowest possible dose to help you sleep.
Clinical depression may be increased by estazolam, which can depress the nervous system. Intentional overdose is more common among depressed people who take sleeping pills than among those who do not.
All benzodiazepines can be addictive if taken for long periods of time and can cause drug withdrawal symptoms if discontinued suddenly. It should be used With caution in people with a history 0 YATUg dependence. Withdrawal symptoms include tremors, Muscle cramps, insomnia, agitation, diarrhea, vomiting, sweating, and convulsions.
People with a history of seizures should not abruptly stop taking estazolam.
Possible Side Effects
♦ Common: drowsiness, headache, dizziness, talkativeness,
nervousness, apprehension, poor muscle coordination, light-
headedness, daytime tiredness, muscle weakness, slow-
ness of movement, hangover, and euphoria (feeling “high”).
♦ Less common: nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, confusion, temporary memory loss, upset stomach, stomach cramps and pain, depression, blurred or double vision and other visual disturbances, constipation, changes in sense of taste, appetite changes, stuffy nose, nosebleeds, common cold symptoms, asthma, sore throat, cough, breathing difficulties, diarrhea, dry mouth, allergic reaction, fainting, abnormal heart rhythm, itching, acne, dry skin, sensitivity to bright light or to the sun, rash, nightmares or strange dreams, sleeplessness, tingling in the hands or feet, ringing or buzzing in the ears, ear or eye pain, menstrual cramps, frequent urination and other urinary difficulties, blood in the urine, discharge from the penis or vagina, lower back and joint pain, muscle spasms and pain, fever, swollen breasts, and weight changes.
✓ Rare: Rare side effects can affect your heart, stomach and intestines, urinary tract, blood, muscles, and joints. Contact your doctor if you experience any side effect not listed above.
Drug Interactions
• As with all benzodiazepines, the effects of estazolam are enhanced if it is taken with an alcoholic beverage, antihistamine, sedative, barbiturate, anticonvulsant medication, antidepressant, or monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressant.
• Carbamazepine and phenytoin may reduce blood levels and the effectiveness of estazolam by stimulating liver enzymes responsible for its breakdown.
• Ketoconazole, itraca(\ailzAe, netazodone, fluvoxamine, diltiamm,’isoniazid, some macrolide antibiotics, contraceptive drugs, cimetidine, and disulfiram may increase the effect of estazolam by interfering with the drug’s breakdown in the liver. Probenecid also increases estazolam’s effects by interfering with it passing through the kidneys into urine.
• Cigarette smoking, rifampin, and theophylline may reduce the effect of estazolam.
• Levodopa + carbidopa’s effectiveness may be decreased by estazolam.
• Estazolam may increase the amount of zidovudine (an HIV drug—also known as AZT), phenytoin, or digoxin in your bloodstream, increasing the chances of side effects.
• The combination of clozapine and benzodiazepines has led to respiratory collapse in a few people. Estazolam should be stopped at least 1 week before starting clozapine treatment.
Food Interactions
Estazolam may be taken with food if it upsets your stomach.
Usual Dose
Adult (age 18 and over): 1-2 mg at bedtime.
Senior: 1 mg at bedtime. Small or frail patients should start on 0.5 mg. Dosage should be increased cautiously.
Child (under age 18): not recommended.
Overdosage
The most common overdose symptoms are confusion, sleepiness, depression, loss of muscle coordination, and slurred speech. Coma and death may also occur. People who take an estazolam overdose must be made to vomit with ipecac syrup—available at any pharmacy—to remove any remaining drug from the stomach: Call your doctor or a poison control center before doing this. The victim must be taken to a hospital emergency room for treatment if 30 minutes have passed since the overdose was taken or if symptoms have begun to develop. ALWAYS bring the prescription bottle or container.
Special Information
Never take more estazolam than your doctor has prescribed. Avoid alcoholic beverages and other nervous system depressants while taking estazolam.
Exercise caution while performing tasks that require concentration and such as driving: estazolam may make you tired, dizzy, or lightheaded. People taking estazolam or any other sleeping medicine may experience unusual and complex reactions while asleep, such as driving, making phone calls, and cooking with no memory of the event.
If you take estazolam daily for 3 or more weeks, you may experience some withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking the
drug, especially temporary sleep disturbance. In rare cases, patients discontinuing estazolam have suffered seizures or delirium. Patients with a history of seizures should taper when stopping use
of this drug.
If you forget to take a dose of estazolam and remember within about 1 hour of your regular time, take it right away. If you do not remember until later, skip the dose you forgot and go back to your regular schedule. Do not take a double dose.
Special Populations
Pregnancy/Breast-feeding: Estazolam absolutely should not be used by pregnant women or by women who may become pregnant.
Estazolam passes into breast milk. The drug should not be taken by nursing mothers.
Seniors: Seniors are more susceptible to the effects of estazolam. Type of Drug
Estrogens (ES-troe-jens)
Brand Names
Generic Ingredient: Conjugated Estrogens Premarin Premarin Cream
Generic Ingredient: Conjugated Estrogens (Synthetic) Cenestin Enjuvia
Generic Ingredients: Conjugated Estrogens + Medroxyprogesterone
Premphase Prempro
Generic Ingredient: Esterified Estrogens Menest
Generic Ingredients: Esterified Estrogens + Methyttestosterone Estratest
Generic Ingredient: Estradio(& Alora,
Climara Divigel Elestrin Estrace Estraderm
Estring Estrogel
Evamist Transdermal Spray Femring
Femtrace Gynodiol
Innofem Menostar Vagifem
Vivelle Vivelle-Dot
Generic ingredients: Estradiol + Drospirenone Angeliq
Generic Ingredients: Estradiol + Levonorgestrel Climara Pro Nuvaring
Generic Ingredients: Estradiol + Norgestimate 99 Pretest
Generic Ingredient: Estropipate
Ogen Cream Ortho-Est
Generic Ingredients: Ethinyl Estradiol + Norethindrone Activella Combipatch FemHRT 1/5
Prescribed For
Moderate to severe menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and sleep problems, vaginal dryness and irritation (creams and gels); also prescribed for ovarian failure, osteoporosis prevention, male breast cancer, advanced prostate cancer, abnormal bleeding of the uterus, female castration, Turner’s syndrome, and birth control.
General Information
Six estrogens have been identified in women but only 3 are present in large amounts: estradiol, estrone, and estriol. Estradiol is the most potent and most important. Other estrogens are produced by chemical conversions in the body. Estradiol, for example, is transformed into estrone, which in turn becomes estriol. Estrogens all have the same actions and side effects; only potency varies. More potent types require smaller dosages to produce the same effect.
Millions of women have taken hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to manage menopausal symp<oms, but studies show that HRT doeq WMpYove quality of life for most. Women who experience severe menopause symptoms must weigh the benefits of prolonged hormone replacement therapy against its risks.
Estrogens are largely responsible for the growth and maintenance of the female reproductive system and sex characteristics. They affect the release of hormones from the pituitary gland (con-troller of hormone production and regulator of basic bodily functions). These hormones control the functioning of capillaries (smallest blood vessels), may cause fluid retention, affect protein breakdown in the body, prevent ovulation and breast engorgement after childbirth, and influence the shaping and maintenance of the skeleton through an effect on calcium.
Estrogen products differ in their hormone content and dosage. Some may affect one part of the body more than another. Generally, though, estrogens are interchangeable as long as dosage differences are taken into account.
Cautions and Warnings
Do not take estrogens if you are allergic or sensitive to any of their ingredients.
Products containing an estrogen and a progestin should not be used for the prevention or treatment of bladder-control problems, heart disease, or mental decline (dementia).
Women with an intact uterus who choose hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms should take the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time to minimize the risks associated with these medicines. The results of a very large study called the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) first published in 2002 and updated with new reports, have drastically changed the face of estrogen replacement therapy. The study found a small but insignificant increase in the risk of non-fatal heart attacks. There was no increase in heart disease in the estrogen plus progestin part of the WHI. Early results of the WHI found 4-6 more cases of invasive breast cancer for every 10,000 women in the study and tumors were harder to detect. But this result was not confirmed after more than 7 years of additional study. Estrogens may also lead to abnormal mammograms. An increased risk of a stroke was found in the WHI study. The risk of blood clots forming in the body was doubled in women taking hormone therapy. This study did show some benefits of long-term hormone replacement in colon cancer and osteoporosis, but these benefits may not outweigh the risks of hormone replacement therapy.
Women with liver damage or disease, blood-clotting problems, or abnormal vaginal bleeding whose cause is unknown, should not take estrogens.
Women who smoke cigarettes and take estrogen have a greater risk of cardiovascular side effects, including stroke and blood clotting.
Estrogens may increase the risk of endometriat cancer by 4.514 times in postmenopausal women taking them without progestin for prolonged periods of time; the risk depends on duration of treatment and dosage. Women who have a strong family history of breast cancer or who have breast nodules or cysts or an abnormal mammogram should be cautious about using estrogens. Women with estrogen-dependent cancer or breast cancer should not take estrogens, except some being treated for breast cancer that has spread. Women taking an estrogen for breast cancer that has spread to their bones can develop large increases in blood calcium.
Postmenopausal women taking estrogen are 2-3 times more likely to develop gallbladder disease.
Estrogens can raise blood pressure. Pressure usually returns to normal when the drug is stopped.
People with thrombophlebitis should avoid these drugs. The risk is greatest with very high dosages. Lower hormone dosages may not be a problem.
Estrogens should not be used to treat painful breast enlargement that sometimes develops after giving birth.
Estrogens can cause significant increases in blood triglycerides and cause pancreas inflammation in women with inherited blood-fat disorders.
Vaginal estrogen cream may stimulate bleeding of the uterus. It may also cause breast tenderness, vaginal discharge, and withdrawal bleeding if the product is suddenly stopped. Women with endometriosis may experience heavy vaginal bleeding.
Women taking hormone replacement therapy are at a 50% greater than normal risk of senile dementia.
Drospirenone, a progestin and an ingredient in Angeliq, can raise blood potassium levels in some people because it opposes the hormone aldosterone. It should not be used in people with conditions that can lead to high blood potassium such as kidney disease or a poorly functioning adrenal gland. Drospennone should be used with caution by women who we also taking other medicines that raise tl(QW potassium, such as nonsteroidal antiWkvmmMory drugs (NSAIDs), potassium-sparing diuretics, potassium supplements, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, All receptor antagonists, and heparin. Your doctor may want to check your blood potassium level if you might be at risk of high blood potassium.
Possible Side Effects
v Most common: breast enlargement or tenderness, ankle and leg swelling, appetite loss, weight changes, water retention and bloating, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps. The estrogen patch may cause rash, irritation, and redness where it is applied.
V Less common: bleeding gums, breakthrough vaginal bleeding, vaginal spotting or discharge, changes in menstrual flow, painful menstruation, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), absence of menstrual periods during and after estrogen use, uterine fibroid enlargement, vaginal Candida infection, a cystitis-like condition, mild diarrhea, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, eye lesions, contact-lens intolerance, rash, hair loss, development of new hairy patches, migraine, mild dizziness, depression, increased sex drive (women), and decreased sex drive (men).
♦ Rare: stroke, blood-clot formation, dribbling or sudden passage of urine, loss of coordination, chest pain, leg pain, breathing difficulties, slurred speech, and changes in vision. Men who take large estrogen dosages for prostate cancer have a greater risk of heart attack, phlebitis, and blood clots in the lungs. Contact your doctor if you experience any side effect not listed above.
Drug Interactions
• Phenytoin, ethotoin, mephenytoin, and topiramate may interfere with estrogen’s effects.
• Estrogens may reduce the effect of oral anticoagulant (blood-thinning) drugs. Your anticoagulant dosage may need an adjustment.
• Estrogens may increase the side effects of antidepressants and phenothiazine sedatives.
• Low estrogen dosages may increase 0\enolhiazine’s effectiveness.
% ‘ittrogens may increase cyclosporine and corticosteroid blood levels. Dosage adjustments of the non-estrogen drugs may be needed.
• Estrogens may reduce the effectiveness of thyroid replacement therapy.
• Rifampin, barbiturates, carbamazepine, St. John’s wort, and other drugs that stimulate the liver to break down drugs may reduce estrogen blood levels.
• Estrogens may interfere with tamoxifen and bromocripline.
• Women, especially those ova. 35, who smoke cigarettes and take estrogen have a much greater risk of developing stroke, hardening of the arteries, or blood clots in the lungs. The risk increases with age and tobacco use.
• Estrogens interfere with many diagnostic tests. Make sure your doctor knows you are taking estrogen before conducting any blood tests or other diagnostic procedures.
Food Interactions
Estrogens may be taken with food to reduce nausea and upset stomach. Avoid drinking grapefruit juice if you are taking this drug.
Usual Dose
Dosage varies. All of these products, including the transdermal skin patch, may be taken continuously or on a cyclic schedule of 3 weeks on, 1 week off.
Tablets
Chlorotrianisene: 12-200 mg.
Conjugated estrogens: 0.3-30 mg.
Conjugated estrogens, synthetic: 0.625-1.25 mg. Esterified estrogens: 0.3-30 mg.
Estradiol: 0.5-30 mg.
Estropipate: 0.625-7.5 mg.
Ethinyl estradiol: 0.02-3.0 mg.
Estradiol Transdermal Patch (0.025, 0.0375, 0.05, 0.075, or 0.1 mg) Alora, Estraderm, and Esclim: 1 patch twice a week: or use 1
patch twice a week for 3 weeks, stop for 1 week, then start again. Climara and Fempatch: 1 patch every week; or use 1 patch once
a week for 3 weeks, stop for 1 week, then start again.
Estradiol Transdermal Spray: 1-3 Sprays (1.53 mg estradiol in each spray
face of the forearm, starting near the elbow. Do not allow the sprays to overlap each other. Allow the spray to dry for about 2 minutes and do not wash the arm for 30 minutes. Do not apply the spray to any other part of the body.
3Wkw1 Onext to each other every morning on the inner sur-Estradiol Gel: Spread 1 pumpful of the gel as thinly as possible over the entire area on the inside and outside of your arm from wrist to
shoulder, once a day at the same time every day.
Vaginal Cream
Conjugated estrogens: 0.52 g a day for 3 weeks; stop for 1 week,
then start again.
Dienestrol: 1 applicatorful 12 times a day for 12 weeks, half the
original dosage for another 12 weeks, then 1 applicatoviO 13 times
a week.
Estradiol: 24 g a day for 2 weeks, half the starting dosage for an-
other 2 weeks, then 1 g 13 times a week.
Estropipate: 24 g a day for 3 weeks; stop for 1 week, then start again.
Estradiol Ring
Insert once every 3 months.
Overdosage
Symptoms may include nausea and vaginal bleeding in adult women. Call your local poison control center or a hospital emergency room for information. If you seek treatment, ALWAYS bring the prescription bottle or container.
Special Information
Call your doctor if you develop breast pain or tenderness, swelling of the feet and lower legs, rapid weight gain, chest pain, breathing difficulties, pain in the groin or calves, unusual or persistent vaginal bleeding, missed menstrual period, lumps in the breast, sudden severe headache, dizziness or fainting, disturbances in speech or vision, weakness or numbness in the arms or legs, abdominal pain, sudden severe vomiting, depression, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, or jerky or involuntary muscle movement.
Women taking estrogens or combined estrogen and progestin therapy should have yearly lamasN exams, perform monthly breast self -Paw i)26ions, and have regular mammograms.
Talk to your health care provider about ways to reduce risk factors for heart disease (blood-pressure control, improving your diet, stopping tobacco use) and osteoporosis (an appropriate diet, vitamin D and calcium supplements, weight-bearing exercise).
Tell your doctor if you are having surgery or require bedrest: your doctor may have you stop taking estrogen 4-6 weeks beforehand to prevent the risk of blood clots.
Your doctor should reevaluate your need for estrogen vaginal cream every 36 months. Do not stop using the drug suddenly because this may increase your risk of developing unpredicted or breakthrough vaginal bleeding.
Women using the cream who develop breast tenderness, start to bleed, or have other vaginal discharge should contact their doctors at once.
Estrogen skin patches should be applied to a clean, dry, non-oily, hairless area of intact skin, preferably on the abdomen. Do not apply it to your breasts or waist, or to any area where tightfitting clothes may loosen the patch from your skin. The application site should be rotated to prevent irritation, and each site should have a patch-free period for 7 days.
Good dental hygiene is important while taking estrogen because estrogen may increase your risk of oral infection. Dental work should be completed prior to starting estrogen, if possible.
Vaginal estrogen cream should be inserted high into the vagina, about 2/3 of the length of the applicator.
Press the vaginal ring into an oval and insert as deeply as possible in the upper 1/3 of the vagina.
Some of these products contain tartrazine (a commonly used orange dye and food coloring). If you are allergic to tartrazine or have asthma, check with your pharmacist to find out if your estrogen product contains this coloring agent.
If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the one you forgot and continue with your regular schedule. Do not take a double dose.
Authorities note that the risk of serious complications for an individual woman taking hormone replacement therapy is very small. Thus, you may decide to take hormones but your decision should be based on a complete discussion of the facts and your individual situation with your doctor. Continue to talk with your doctor regularly about weighing tt% i1%’Ks against the benefits of taking estrQ(;e5\.
Special Populations
Pregnancy/Breast-feeding: Estrogens harm the fetus and should never be used during pregnancy for any reason.
Estrogens pass into breast milk and reduce its flow. Nursing mothers who must take them should use infant formula.
Seniors: The risk of side effects increases with age, especially if you smoke. Women age 65 or older taking estrogens may be more likely to develop a stroke, blood clot, or dementia, a condition where people suddenly or gradually lose normal mental function and intellectual capacity.
Generic Name
Eszopiclone (ess-oh-PIK-lone)
Brand Name Lunesta
Type of Drug Sedative.
Prescribed For Insomnia.
General Information
Eszopiclone is a nonbenzodiazepine sleeping pill that is believed to work in much the same way as the drug zolpidem and as benzodiazepine-type sleeping pills and sedatives. Unlike the benzodiazepines, however, eszopiclone has little muscle-relaxing or antiseizure effects. This drug is rapidly absorbed and usually starts working within a few minutes. Eszopiclone causes little or no “hangover,” and there are no rebound effects after stopping the drug. In studies of eszopiclone, tolerance to its effects did not develop even after 6 months of continued use. Eszopiclone is broken down in the liver, and the level of this drug in the body does not increase after you take it for several days.
Cautions and Warnings
Do not take eszopiclone if you are allergic or sensitive to any of its ingredients.
People With severe liver disease should use eszopiclone with caution and must take less of this medication than those with normal liver function or mild liver disease.
Sleeping problems often result from a physical or psychological illness. Eszopiclone does not affect the underlying causes of
insomnia. It should be taken only with your doctor’s knowledge. If you cannot sleep even after 7-10 days of taking eszopiclone, con-
tact your doctor.
Eszopiclone has caused amnesia (memory loss), but this happens mostly at dosages larger than 2 mg per night.
Suddenly stopping eszopiclone after having taken it for some time may produce drug withdrawal (symptoms include fatigue, nausea, flushing, lightheadedness, crying, vomiting, stomach cramps, panic, nervousness, and general discomfort).
People with a history of substance abuse may be more likely to develop drug dependence on eszopiclone. Eszopiclone doses of 612 mg are similar to 20 mg of diazepam in their potential for abuse.
Eszopiclone is a nervous system depressant and may cause loss of coordination and concentration. It should be taken just before bedtime. People taking sleep medicine may experience unusual and complex reactions while asleep, such as driving, making phone calls, or cooking with no memory of the event. Eszopiclone may also interfere with normal activities the next day, especially if taken with alcohol.
Eszopiclone should be avoided by people with severe depression, severe lung disease, and sleep apnea (intermittently stopping breathing when you are asleep). You should not take this drug if you are drunk.
Possible Side Effects
Adults
Some side effects are more likely with larger doses (viral infection, dry mouth, dizziness, hallucinations, infections, rash, and unpleasant taste).
♦ Most common: headache, drowsiness, unpleasant taste, and lung infections.
✓ Common: dry mouth, dizziness, and nausea.
✓ Less common: nervousness, vomiting, viral infections, anxiety, confusion, depression, hallucinations, reduced sex drive, rash, male breast e”k-aigement and/or pain, painful meR%k5UMlrjn, chest pain, migraines, and swelling of the arms or legs.
♦ Rare: Rare side effects can occur in almost any part of the body. Contact your doctor if you experience any side effect not listed above.
Drug Interactions
• Mixing eszopiclone with olanzapine can affect your coordination and ability to perform tasks.
• Mixing eszopiclone with ketoconazole more than doubles blood levels of eszopiclone. Other drugs that may have a similar interaction include itraconazole, clarithromycin, nefazodone, troleandomycin, ritonavir, and nelfinavir.
• Rifampin can be expected to drastically reduce the effectiveness of eszopiclone because it increases levels of liver enzymes that break down eszopiclone.
• Avoid combining eszopiclone with alcohol and other nervous system depressants, including sedatives, narcotics, barbiturates, antidepressants, and antihistamines.
Food Interactions
For the most rapid and complete effect, take eszopiclone on an empty stomach at least 2 hours after a meal. It will take longer for eszopiclone to work if you have had a high-fat meal immediately before taking it.
Usual Dose
, abnormal dreaming, nery
Adult (q% 1% and over): 2-3 mg immediately before bedtime or after you are in bed and have trouble falling asleep. Eszopiclone can act very quickly.
Child (up to age 17): not recommended.
Senior: 1-2 mg immediately before bedtime.
People with liver disease: 1 mg.
Possible Side Effects (continued) Seniors
Some side effects are more com the cluding dry mouth, pain, and unpleasant easant
♦ Most common: headache.
♦ Common: pain, dry mouth, diarrhea, rrhea, and upset
♦ Less common: accidental injury,
ousness, nerve pain, itching, and urinary• Rare: Rare side effects can occur in almost any part body. Contact your doctor if you
ou experience any side ef fect not listed above.
infection. of - , mon with larger doses in
Overdosage
Overdose can result in nervous system depression, from unconsciousness to light coma. Combining eszopiclone with alcohol or other nervous system depressants may be fatal or affect other body organs. One person took up to 36 mg of eszopiclone and fully recovered. Take the victim to a hospital emergency room at once. ALWAYS bring the prescription bottle or container.
Special Information
Eszopiclone may cause tiredness, drowsiness, and an inability to concentrate. Be careful when driving or performing any task that requires concentration on the day following a dose. Make sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep after taking eszopiclone.
People taking eszopiclone on a regular basis may develop a drug withdrawal reaction if the medication is stopped suddenly (see “Cautions and Warnings”).
Do not take a double dose of this medication.
Special Populations
Pregnancy/Breast-feeding: Some animal studies with doses of eszopiclone up to 800 times the human equivalent showed it did not affect a developing fetus, and other studies showed some modest effects. However, there is no information on the use of eszopiclone in pregnant women. If your doctor considers eszopiclone crucial for you, its potential benefits must be carefully weighed against its risks.
It is not known if eszopiclone passes into breast milk. Nursing mothers who must take this drug should use infant formula.
Seniors: Seniors, who are likely to be more sensitive to eszopiclone and its side effects, should start on a 1 -mg dose and take the lowest effective dosage.
Generic Name
Etanercept (eh-TAN-er-sept)
Brand Name Enbrel
Type of Drug
Immune system modulator.
Prescribed For
Rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriasis.
General Information
Etanercept binds to a specific protein in the body known as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and blocks it from interacting with cell surfaces. TNF is involved in normal inflammatory and immune responses and the inflammatory processes of rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and other conditions. Etanercept can also interfere with biological actions that are either caused or regulated by TNF.
Cautions and Warnings
Do not use etanercept if you are allergic or sensitive to any of its ingredients.
Serious infections and malignancies are possible in people using etanercept because of its ability to suppress the immune response. This may be more common in people with other conditions that predispose them to infections such as advanced or uncontrolled diabetes.
Levels of blood platelets and some white blood cells may be reduced in rare cases, leading to persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, and pale skin. Contact your doctor if any of these symptoms develop.
Etanercept may increase the risk of some nervous system disorders including multiple sclerosis.
Etanercept may cause or worsen congestive heart failure.
In rare cases people taking etanercept have developed a lupus-like syndrome which may disappear when the drug is discontinued.
People taking etanercept should not receive any live vaccines, because the body may not be able to respond as expected to the vaccine.
Possible Side Effects
RPndmt may develop at the site where etanercept is injected. Injection sites should be rotated among the thigh, abdomen, and upper arm to avoid excessive bruising or other skin damage.
Possible Side Effects (continued)
♦ Most common: infection, injection-site reactions, upper respiratory infection, headache, and runny nose.
♦ Common’. nausea, dizziness, sore throat. cough, weak-
ness, abdominal pain, rash, and respiratory problems.
♦ Less common: upset stomach, sinus irritation, vomiting.
swelling in the legs or feet, mouth sores, and hair loss.
✓ Rare: malignancy, stroke, seizure, tingling in the hands or feet, nervous system irritation similar to multiple sclerosis, eye inflammation, joint pain, generalized pain, appetite loss, blood vessel inflammation in the skin, dry eyes, lumps under the skin, fever, flu-like symptoms, weight gain, chest pain, flushing, diarrhea, taste changes, difficulty breathing, worsening of existing lung conditions, itching, and skin reactions. Contact your doctor if you experience any side effect not listed above.
Drug Interactions
• Do not mix etanercept in the same syringe as another drug.
• Using etanercept with anakinra increases the risk of serious infections.
Food Interactions None known.
Usual Dose
Adult: rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis-50 mg a week. Plaque psoriasis: 50 mg twice a week, reducing to 50 mg a week after 3 months.
Child (age 4-17): 0.36 mg per lb. of body weight, up to 50 mg a week, 3-4 days apart.
Child (under age 4): not recommended.
Overdosage
In one study, ‘A patient accidentally self-administered 62 mg of etanercept twice a week for 3 weeks with no ill effects. Call your local poison control center or a hospital emergency room for more information. If you seek treatment, ALWAYS bring the prescription container.
Special Information
Etanercept is taken by injection under the skin. Be sure you understand how to measure the proper dose of etanercept and how
to self-inject it.
To mix and inject etanercept: Withdraw all the water supplied with the medicine into a syringe and slowly inject it into the vial containing etanercept. Swirl the mixture gently to avoid excess foaming in the vial. Do not shake the vial.
Do not combine etanercept with any other injectable drug. Etanercept may be stored in a refrigerator for up to 14 days after it is mixed.
Single-use pre-filled syringes must be refrigerated. Do not use past the provided expiration date.
If you forget to administer a dose, do so as soon as you remember. Remember that etanercept doses must be administered at least 3 days apart. Call your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about how to time your etanercept doses.
Special Populations
PregnancylBreast-feeding. The safety of using etanercept during pregnancy is not known. When this drug is considered crucial by your doctor, its potential benefits must be carefully weighed against its risks.
It is not known if this drug passes into breast milk. Nursing mothers who must take it should use infant formula.
Seniors: Seniors are more likely to develop infections while using etanercept.
Generic Name
Exemestane (ex-eh-MES-tane)
Bnj(kod WaYne Aromasin
Type of Drug Aromatase inhibitor.
Prescribed For
Breast cancer. Also prescribed for prostate cancer prevention.
General Information Some breast cancers depend on the presence of the hormone estrogen to stimulate their growth. Depriving these cancers of estrogen is an effective way of treating the condition. Exemestane significantly reduces the amount of estrogen in the blood by binding permanently to an enzyme called aromatase, an essential element in the conversion of androgen (male hormones) to estrogen in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Exemestane does not affect other hormones in the body. Exemestane is broken down in the liver.
Cautions and Warnings
Do not take exemestane if you are allergic or sensitive to any of its ingredients.
Exemestane may be prescribed for men and postmenopausal women only.
Possible Side Effects
✓ Most common: fatigue, hot flashes, pain, depression, sleeplessness, anxiety, nausea, and breathing difficulties.
✓ Common: flu-like symptoms, leg swelling, high blood pressure, dizziness, headache, vomiting, abdominal pain, leg swelling or other fluid retention, sweating, appetite loss, constipation, and coughing.
✓ Less common: increased appetite, diarrhea, fever, weakness, tingling in the hands or feet, broken bones, bronchitis, sinusitis, rash, itching, urinary infection, and swollen lymph glands.
♦ Rare: chest pain; confusion; reduced sensitivity to stimulation; upset stomach; joint, back, or other bone pain; respiratory infection; sore throat; runny nose; and hair loss. Contact your doctor if you experience any side effect not listed above.
Drug Interactions
• Estrogen-containing drugs reduce the effectiveness of exemestane. Do not combine these drugs.
• Rifampin, phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and St. John’s wort may potentially reduce the effectiveness of
exemestane.
Food Interactions
Take this drug with a meal. The amount of exemestane absorbed into the blood is increased by 40% when taken with a high-fat meal.
Usual Dose
Adult: 25 mg once a day with or just after a meal. Dose adjustment is not needed in people with kidney or liver disease. Child: not recommended.
Overdosage
Doses as large as 600 mg have been well tolerated by women with advanced breast cancer. Overdose victims should be taken to a hospital emergency room for evaluation and treatment. ALWAYS bring the prescription bottle or container.
Special Information
If you forget a dose, skip the forgotten dose and continue with your regular schedule. Contact your doctor if you skip more than one dose.
Special Populations
Pregnancy/Breast-feeding: Exemestane is intended only for postmenopausal women. It can cause birth defects and miscarriage and should not be used by pregnant women or women who may become pregnant.
Exemestane may pass into breast milk. Nursing mothers who must take it should use infant formula.
Seniors: Seniors may take this drug without special precaution.
Generic Name
Exenatide (ex-EN-ah-tide)
Brand Name Byetta
7Vpe of Drug Incretin mimetic.
Prescribed For Type 2 diabetes.
General Information
Exenatide is a unique drug that improves blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes who have been unsuccessful with diabetes pills. It is added to existing therapy and does not replace other treatments. Exenatide has many of the same actions as GLP-1, a natural incretin hormone. It differs chemically and works differently from other diabetes medications, including insulin.
Exenatide begins working about 30 minutes after injection and continues to work for at least 8 hours. It helps the pancreas to release insulin into the blood in response to sugar levels, so insulin rises when blood sugar is high and declines as blood sugar declines. It reduces the production of a hormone called glucagon, which raises blood sugar. Exenatide also keeps food in the stomach longer, which in turn helps reduce the amount of sugar absorbed from dietary sources. Exenatide increases the number of beta cells (that produce insulin) in animals and may have the same effect in humans. This could help reduce the need for other medicines and improve diabetes control.
Cautions and Warnings
Do not take exenatide if you are allergic or sensitive to any of its ingredients.
This drug is not a substitute for insulin. Exenatide has only been studied together with metformin, glitazones, and/or sulfonylureas. It has not been studied with other diabetes pills or insulin.
People with severe kidney disease should not use exenatide.
People with severe stomach or intestinal disease should not use exenatide.
Inflammation of the pancreas can occur with this drug. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fever, rapid pulse, and painful and swollen abdomen that may develop slowly and worsen when you eat or may be severe and constant.
Low blood sugar may ziccurit you are taking exenatide with a S\00ny)urea-type antidiabetes drug or with a glitazone.
Antibodies to exenatide may develop, but antibody levels generally go down with time. Most patients who develop antibodies still have good sugar control and similar types of side effects as people who do not develop exenatide antibodies.
Possible Side Effects
♦ Most common: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and low blood sugar (when mixed with a sulfonylurea-type drug or metformin plus a sulfonylurea).
♦ Less common: low blood sugar (when mixed with a glitazone), feeling jittery, dizziness, headache, and upset stomach.
✓ Rare: rash, abdominal swelling and pain, constipation, and kidney failure. Contact your doctor if you experience any side effect not listed above.
Drug Interactions
• Exenatide has been studied with a number of other medications commonly taken by people with diabetes (digoxin, lovastatin, lisinopril, and acetaminophen) and no significant interactions were noted.
• Combining exenatide with a sulfonylurea-type drug may lead to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Your doctor may change your sulfonylurea dose to solve this problem.
• Take all oral medicines at least 1 hour before you inject exenatide to ensure maximum absorption. If you must take oral drugs with food or meals, take them with a snack or meal when exenatide is not being injected. Exenatide extends the time that drugs remain in the stomach and may reduce the amount of medication absorbed when taken by mouth.
• Exenatide may reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptive pills. Take them at least 1 hour before an injection of exenatide.
• Exenatide may increase the amount of warfarin in the body and increase the risk of bleeding.
Food Interactions
None known. Usual Dose
Adult: 5 or 10 mcg twice a day by subcutaneous injection %M)iT) an hour before breakfast and dk”"tj.
CAWVEOnafide has not been studied in children. Overdosage
The effects of an exenatide overdose are severe nausea, severe vomiting, and severe, rapid drops in blood sugar levels. An oral sugar source may help, but overdose victims should be taken to a hospital emergency room for evaluation and treatment. ALWAYS bring the exenatide pen with you.
Special Information
Each dose of exenatide must be given as an injection under the skin of the thigh, abdomen, or upper arm within 1 hour before your breakfast and dinner meals. For information on how to properly administer this drug, see page 1242.
If you forget a dose of exenatide, skip the dose you forgot and continue with your regular schedule. Do not take a double dose.
Exenatide injection is clear and colorless. Do not use if it has any color, is cloudy, or if there are any particles floating in it.
Keep this drug in the refrigerator, and do not use it after the expiration date has passed.
This drug may lead to a loss of appetite and loss of body weight. Do not change your regular dosage if this happens to you.
Special Populations
PregnancylBreast-feeding. In animal studies using doses equal to 3 times the usual human dose, exenatide was shown to affect the growth of the fetus. If you are or might be pregnant and your doctor considers this drug crucial, its potential benefits must be weighed against its risks.
Small amounts of exenatide may pass into breast milk and may affect a nursing infant. Nursing mothers taking this drug should use infant formula.
Seniors: Seniors may take this drug without special restriction. Generic Name
Jul
16
Alpha Blockers
July 16, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Type of Drug
Alpha Blockers
Brand Names
Generic Ingredient. Alfuzosin Uroxatral
Generic Ingredient: Terazosin Hydrochloride Hytrin
Prescribed For
High blood pressure (terazosin) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (alfuzosin and terazosin).
General Information
Alpha blockers block nerve endings known as alpha, receptors. They reduce blood pressure by dilating (widening) and reducing pressure within the blood vessels. The maximum blood-pressurelowering effect of terazosin is seen between 2 and 6 hours after taking a single dose. Terazosin’s effect lasts for 24 hours.
In BPH, alpha blockers work by relaxing smooth muscles in the prostate and neck of the bladder. This effect is produced by blockage of alpha, receptors in the affected muscles. Despite the fact that terazosin alleviates the urinary symptoms of BPH, the drug’s long-term effect on complications of BPH or the need for urinary surgery is not known. Alpha blockers are broken down in the liver.
Cautions and Warnings
Do not take alpha blockers if you are allergic or sensitive to any of their ingredients.
Alpha blockers may cause dizziness and fainting, especially after the first few doses. This is known as the “first-dose effect” and may be minimized by limiting the first dose to 1 mg at bedtime. The first-dose effect occurs in about 1 % of people and may recur if the drug is stopped for a few days and then restarted.
Do not take alfuzosin if you have moderate to severe liver disease since this can drastically increase blood concentrations of the drug.
Alpha blockers should be taken with caution if you have kidney disease, since blood concentrations may be increased by 50%.
Do not take these medicines if you are already taking an alphablocker for either high blood pressure or prostate problems.
Terazosin may slightly reduce cholesterol levels and improve the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) ratio, a positive step for people with blood-cholesterol problems.
Terazosin may reduce the counts of red and white blood cells.
People taking terazosin may experience a weight gain of about 2 lbs.
Possible Side Effects
Alfuzosin
✓ Most common: dizziness, fatigue, upper respiratory infection, and headache.
✓ Less common: pain, abdominal pain, upset stomach, constipation, nausea, impotence, bronchitis, sinusitis, sore throat, low blood pressure, dizziness, and fainting.
✓ Rare: rash, rapid heartbeat, chest pain, and painful and persistent erection. Contact your doctor if you experience any side effect not listed above.
Terazosin
✓ Most common: dizziness, weakness, and headache.
✓ Rare: depression, reduced sex drive or abnormal sexual function (including painful and persistent erection), fluid retention, and weight gain. Contact your doctor if you experience any side effect not listed above.
Drug Interactions
• When taken with other blood-pressure-lowering drugs, terazosin severely reduces blood pressure.
• Verapamil may increase blood levels of terazosin.
• Antifungal drugs such as itraconazole and ketoconazole and protease inhibitors interfere with the breakdown of alfuzosin in the liver, raising the amount of drug in the blood.
• Alfuzosin moderately increases the amount of diltiazem in the blood.
• Alpha blockers should not be taken with ritonavir.
Food Interactions
Alfuzosin should be taken with food.
Usual Dose
Alfuzosin: one 10-mg tablet taken after the same meal every day. Do not crush or chew the tablets.
Terazosin: starting dosage-1 mg at bedtime. Dosage may be increased in increments of 1-5 mg to a total of 20 mg a day. Dosages of 10 mg a day are generally needed to control the symptoms of BPH.
Overdosage
Symptoms may include drowsiness, poor reflexes, and very low blood pressure. Take the victim to a hospital emergency room. ALWAYS bring the prescription bottle or container.
Special Information
Take alpha blockers exactly as they are prescribed and do not stop taking it unless directed to do so by your doctor. Avoid over-the-counter drugs that contain stimulants because they may increase your blood pressure.
Alpha blockers may cause dizziness, headache, and drowsiness, especially 2-6 hours after taking your first dose, though these effects may persist after the first few doses. Wait 12-24 hours after taking the first dose before driving, operating machinery, or performing any other task that requires intense concentration. You may take alpha blockers at bedtime to minimize this problem.
Some people undergoing eye surgery who take alpha blockers can experience an unusual effect called “floppy iris syndrome.” Make sure to tell your eye surgeon if you are taking or have ever been treated with an alpha blocker. There is no benefit to stopping alpha-blocker treatment before cataract surgery.
Prostate cancer and BPH may have similar symptoms. Talk to your doctor about ruling out prostate cancer before beginning treatment for BPH.
Call your doctor if you develop severe dizziness, heart palpitations, or any bothersome or persistent side effect.
If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the forgotten dose and continue with your regular schedule. Do not take a double dose.
Special Populations
Pregnancy/Breast-feeding: Alfuzosin is not indicated for use in women. Large dosages of terazosin damage the fetus in animal studies. When alpha blockers are considered crucial by your doctor, their potential benefits must be carefully weighed against their risks.
It is not known if terazosin passes into breast milk. Nursing mothers who must take this drug should use infant formula.
Seniors: Seniors may be more sensitive to the effects of terazosin.
Jul
15
Alternatives to Prostate Surgery
July 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Alternatives to Surgery
No treatment - orthodox treatments included - can ever be guaranteed to work perfectly every time, and can sometimes either fail to cure the condition in question, or can produce side-effects. It is therefore hardly surprising that some patients want to try alternative approaches, including some of the less conventional forms of treatment. Some patients, in any case, prefer to try the complementary, or alternative, therapies before resorting to strong drugs or to surgery. One thing that the complementary therapies have in common is that they treat the person as a whole - including the mental, emotional, spiritual and physical aspects. This approach is rather different from that of orthodox medicine, which tends to treat individual symptoms rather than the person.
If you choose to consult a complementary therapist, always make sure that he or she is fully qualified in his or her particular field side.
The evidence on how well complementary therapies work in the treatment of prostate disease tends to be anecdotal. It is not generally supported by conventional rigorous clinical trials, though that does not mean you should not try them.
Keep an open mind about treatment, and don’t expect miracles, any more than you would with a conventional doctor. Some of the most popular and readily available complementary approaches to prostate disease are acupuncture, acupressure, reflexology, herbal treatment, homeopathy.
WARNING!
If you have the symptoms of prostate disease, you must consult your doctor before seeking complementary options. You may need to undergo tests to rule out a serious condition such as prostate cancer.
Jul
14
PROSTATE CANCER
July 14, 2009 | Leave a Comment
PROSTATE CANCER
Cancer is the word that has brought agonizing pain and terror to the last half of the twentieth century. To most people cancer means death. Many still think that a man with cancer has a death sentence. Not true. Increasingly in this last decade of the century it is proving not necessarily so. There are hundreds of different kinds and types of cancers, the medical experts tell us, and some can and are being cured. One of those types of cancer strikes men in their prostate. Cancer is described as being an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. Cancer cells can spread quickly throughout the body through the blood stream and the lymph system. Wherever they lite they create new tumors that begin replacing the normal tissue.
Some types don’t move at all, some are aggressive and attack different parts of the body quickly first. Cancer can develop in the lymphatic system, in bones, a man’s lungs, chest, throat, colon, stomach, even his brain. One of the areas cancer hits in a man is his prostate. When cancer strikes a man’s prostate it is usually what doctors call a primary cancer. This simply means the cancer begins, originates, in the prostate and has not been transported there from some other cancer in another part of the body.
WHAT CAUSES PROSTATE CANCER?
Scientists say there are hundreds of different kinds of cancer and they undoubtedly are caused by hundreds of different inciters. A few of the cancers have been researched enough so the medical people have the beginnings of the causes of them and can then go ahead and utilize some kind of anti-body to stop or kill the cancer. Massive research is going on for many forms of cancer, but less than one percent of that work is being done on prostate cancer. What this says is that there probably won’t be a miracle cure for prostate cancer within the lifetimes of most of us. That, like some of the preventive inoculation vaccines we have, will have to be applied to our children or our grandchildren. So who can develop prostate cancer? Unlike smoking and lung cancer, there isn’t even a hint of what might cause prostate cancer. Most researchers have ruled out any of the usual work and behavior activities such as alcohol, diet, work place, smoking, venereal diseases, too much sex or too little, or any other currently defined lifestyle.
There is one exception: men who work in nearly constant exhaust fumes from cars and those exposed to cadmium in the work place, are found to be at slightly higher risks of prostate cancer than the rest of us.
The one constant in prostate cancer and man seems to be age. As with the enlargement of the prostate, cancer seems to strike older men. Yes, some men die of prostate cancer in their forties, but most of the confrontations with the disease comes when men are over sixty. One researcher reports that the average age of men who are diagnosed as having cancer is seventy-two. Slightly over eighty percent of all prostate cancers reported come in men who are over the age of sixty-five.
Most doctors understand that by the age of eighty, nearly eighty percent of men have cancer of the prostate to some degree too. It may have been dormant for years, or it may just be starting and of a type that will grow slowly. Most of these men will never develop any symptoms of prostate cancer and will die of some cause not related to their prostate.
Most of our readers probably know someone who either has prostate cancer or has died of it. The American Cancer Society says that one out of eleven Americans will develop cancer of the prostate during his lifetime. Nearly 100,000 prostate cancer cases are reported by doctors each year. With men living longer now each year, there is expected to be an increasing number of prostate cancers. Men are simply living longer now and that’s when the disease develops. The American Cancer Society reports that nearly 28,000 men died of prostate cancer last year.
WHAT CAN THE AVERAGE MAN DO?
The problem is far from hopeless. They key to any cancer, and especially prostate cancer, is to catch the problem as early as possible. Some urologists suggest that all men over forty should have a digital rectal examination once a year.
Most of these examinations will be negative, which is good news to the man examined. We do dozens of examinations each year on people and expect negative results. Cholesterol testing is done routinely on people in their twenties and thirties, but the problem usually isn’t critical until much later in life. Chest X-rays are done routinely with usually a 99% negative result.
Testing for prostate cancer should be as routine for all men over forty. Yes, it’s a bit uncomfortable, but not painful. It takes about three minutes in a doctor’s office. Some urologists say the digital exam of the upper two lobes of the prostate will reveal ninety percent of prostate cancer. Other urologists think this is a bit high, but the exam should be made.
If such exams could catch 50% of starting prostate cancers in an early stage, most of those could be cured completely.
The big problem with prostate cancer is that it is a silent killer. It can show no symptoms at first. By the tune it starts hurting, the cancer usually has spread into other parts of the body and it’s often a matter of time until it kills the patient.
SCARE TACTICS?
If your reading this book does nothing more than makes you decide to have a yearly physical examination including a digital rectal exam of the prostate, that will be reward enough. You could be saving your life with a digital examination by discovering a cancer early enough to cure it.
Right now, about sixty-four percent of prostate cancers are discovered while they are small. Of these men, almost eighty-four percent are still alive five years after their surgery. Doctors compile statistics on cancer patients and most consider a man cured after a 15 year free period. The secret is catching it early so all of the cancerous tissue can be removed so it can’t spread or grow again. Ann Landers in her syndicated column has repeatedly pushed for greater awareness of testing to catch early cancer development. In one recent column she urged women to do the job this way. Whenever they go in for a mammogram, usually once a year, they should make an appointment for their husband to have his prostate checked by a digital exam or by the more expensive ultrasound probe. She urges women to do this so they won’t become premature widows. The lady has a good idea.
The American Cancer Society reports that currently seventy-one percent of all patients with cancer of the prostate live for five years or more after treatment. That’s for all cases whether diagnosed early or late. The later the diagnosis, the worse the chance for a cure.
HOW DOES YOUR DOCTOR KNOW IT’S CANCER?
More and more these days there is a push to try to catch prostate cancer in its earliest stages. This is a difficult job because very small cancers in the prostate traditionally have been from hard to impossible to detect by the traditional digital exam.
Now there are new tools to use to find these cancers. One of the best may be a simple blood test called the PSA. That stands for Prostate Specific Antigen. Prostate antigen is a protein found only in the prostate tissue. It has long been known that when the prostate is cancerous, the antigen level is elevated. The problem has been in finding how much this elevation may be made when the cancers are small and can’t be felt digitally.Now with the PSA there has been enough research to make some general pointings.
The tests showed that in the BPH men when the level of antigen had risen to 4 units, BPH was likely by a ratio of 4 to 1. But when the antigen level lifted to 10 or more units, the likelihood of cancer was more likely by a ratio of 33 to 1. Cooner also suggests the use of prostate ultrasonography as another diagnostic tool for screening patients who fall in the over 50 year category. This is done with a probe in the rectum and the use of ultrasound to reveal the tissue and mass in the prostate area.
Cooner concludes in his paper that we need to employ these two tools in a try to improve the ability to find curable cancers before they cause pain. He suggests that all men over 50 years should have a digital rectal elimination, then a PSA blood test, and a prostate ultrasound sonogram done as a baseline for future comparisons.
At this time PSA looks like a tool that the urologists need to make more use of. What if it only catches two or three percent of early cancer cases. Those men, cured of their cancer, are going to be wildly enthusiastic about the benefits of the test. As a parallel, how many positive readings do physical exams get these days from a routine chest X-ray? A dramatically low percentage.
Jul
2
Acne: Blue Light Photodynamic Therapy
July 2, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Blue Light Photodynamic Therapy
The latest thing in acne treatment is the Dusa Blue Light. The FDA initially approved this therapy for treating precancerous skin lesions called actinic keratoses. The approach utilizes a special photosensitizing chemical, aminolevulinic acid.
Dusa Blue Light
For people with precancerous skin lesions or severe acne, the Blue Light may be a valuable tool. The skin may took worse for a few days, but within a week or two the acne should clear up significantly. Results may last several months. This photodynamic therapy requires a two-step process: First a photosensitizing chemical.(Levulan Kerastick) is applied to the skin and then removed. Then the skin is exposed to the special light.
Side effects: Crusting, stinging, and redness.
Downside: Cannot be used if you have active cold sores (herpes simplex) or warts, if you’ve recently had chemotherapy, or if you are pregnant. People who have used isotretinoin within the last year may not be able to undergo Blue Light therapy. Stay out of the sun and avoid fluorescent light exposure for a couple of days after treatment.
Cost: Varies according to the practitioner. Some plastic surgeons charge $500 to $1,000 for a series of treatments. It is then rinsed off and the patient sits in front of the Dusa Blue Light for 8 to 12 minutes. This special fluorescent tube emits a narrow band of blue light (417-nanometer wavelength). It is not a laser. It looks like an ordinary fluorescent light.
This photodynamic therapy reverses precancerous damage to the skin and also seems to undo some of the effects of long-term sun exposure. In addition, this treatment appears to change the hair follicle and make the environment inhospitable for acne-causing bacteria. Dermatologists who adopted the Blue Light early on seem quite enthusiastic about its use for hard-to-treat acne. There is also a hint that it may help “rejuvenate” skin by reducing wrinkles and improving skin texture. It is a rather expensive treatment course, more expensive than taking Accutane Isotretion for acne treatment. Accutane remains one of the most popular remedies for fighting acne. Generic Accutane is available to buy online at a very affordable price without a prescription.
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Drugs for Bell’s Palsy Treatment
July 1, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Bell’s palsy
Bell’s palsy is a unilateral facial paralysis, characterizedby sudden onset and pain, usually behind the ear. The cause is unknown, but the symptoms are thought to be due to local swelling and a compression of the facial nerve. Patients should be reassured that the paralysis is unrelated to stroke and spontaneous recovery usually occurs after some weeks. Corticosteroids are effective if the condition is diagnosed early, and prednisolone is given initially in doses of 60-80 mg daily, decreasing by 10 mg every 2 days for about a week. As the palsy may prevent closure of the affected eye, local treatment with artificial tears or liquid paraffin may be required.
Approved names Brand names
hypromellose Tears Naturelle
(artificial tears) Isopto Alkaline & Plain
prednisolone Deltacortril, Deltastab, Precortisyl, Prednesol
liquid paraffin
Lacri-Lube
polyvinyl alcohol
Hypotears