RE: Drugs you may want to re-think about taking

December 10, 2008

WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT YOU?!

From: lotajam@...

Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:06:50 -0600

Subject: [ ] Drugs you may want to re-think about taking

Advair - It's asthma medicine that can make your asthma deadly.

Advair contains the long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) salmeterol. A 2006 analysis

found that regular use of LABAs can increase the severity of an asthma attack.

Researchers estimate that salmeterol may contribute to as many as 5,000

asthma-related deaths in the United States each year.

Avandia - Diabetes is destructive enough on its own, but if you try to control

it with rosiglitazone, better known as Avandia, it could cause a heart attack. A

study found that people who took rosiglitazone for at least a year increased

their risk of heart failure or a heart attack by 109 percent and 42 percent,

respectively.

Celebrex - This painkiller has been linked to increased risks of stomach

bleeding, kidney trouble, and liver damage. And according to a 2005 study,

people taking 200 mg of Celebrex twice a day more than doubled their risk of

dying of cardiovascular disease. Those on 400 mg twice a day more than tripled

their risk.

Ketek - This antibiotic, which has traditionally been prescribed for

respiratory-tract infections, carries a high risk of severe liver side effects.

In February 2007, the FDA limited the usage of Ketek to the treatment of

pneumonia.

Prilosec and Nexium - The FDA has investigated a suspected link between cardiac

trouble and these acid-reflux remedies, although they did not find a " likely "

connection. But whether this is true or not, they can raise your risk of

pneumonia, and result in an elevated risk of bone loss. The risk of a bone

fracture has been estimated to be over 40 percent higher in patients who use

these drugs long-term.

Visine Original - These eye drops " get the red out " by shrinking blood vessels.

Overuse of the active ingredient tetrahydrozoline can perpetuate the vessel

dilating-and-constricting cycle and may cause even more redness.

Pseudoephedrine - This decongestant, found in many drugs, can raise blood

pressure and heart rate, setting the stage for vascular catastrophe. Over the

years, pseudoephedrine has been linked to heart attacks and strokes, as well as

worsening the symptoms of prostate disease and glaucoma.

FYI, ( Sources: MSN Health)

Lottie

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