Understanding The Signa PRN or 'As Needed'

Antibiotics are required to have a full dosage regimen from three to seven days to stop or kill the infection. Maintenance medications as amlodipine, losartan, nifedipine etc. and the anti- diabetics are strictly to be taken daily to control blood pressure and sugar respectively. In addition, in order to calm down an acid reflux condition, a Prilosec or Nexium should be taken for fourteen days.

The citations mentioned have definite dosage instructions to ensure positive results.

The signa PRN or as needed, simply instructs the patient to take the medicine ONLY when he needs it. A NSAID for example like the mefenamic – an analgesic is usually taken 3 times a day. However, when a physician jots down PRN, he instructs the patient to take the drug once a symptom of pain is experienced. The maximum dosing of mefenamic maybe three times a day but once the relief is achieved with the single take, the consumption of the following dose is not necessary anymore.

‘As needed’ means, don’t take an antipyretic if you do not have a fever or do not take Plasil if you are not experiencing a vomiting tendency.

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Herbal Remedies Not For Rheumatism

Most pain killers and anti-rheumatic drugs result to ulceration and liver damage for prolong use. These untoward reactions are the usual reasons more people switch to natural alternatives. There are a lot of herbs and medicinal plants for rheumatism. However, not all can be beneficial. Some can produce serious side-effects and some can even be carcinogenic.

Here are the five natural remedies that should be avoided for rheumatism.

• Alfalfa

Medicago sativa linne (Fam Leguminosae)

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Alfalfa or lucerne has a reputation for arthritic relief. It can stimulate appetite thus recommended for weight gain. More to this, its dried leaves, flowering tops and seeds have stimulating property when brewed into a tea. However, studies reveal that the alfalfa seeds can cause SLE or systemic lupus erythematosus - a chronic inflammatory connective tissue disorder that can affect joints, kidneys, mucous membranes, and blood vessel walls. If a person has already suffered from SLE, the use of alfalfa may result to recurrence of this disease.

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Is Folic Acid for Pregnant Women Only?

Some patients particularly the women complain to their doctor once they discover that they are also given folic acid for their anemic conditions. They tend to react, ‘Am I pregnant too?’

As silly as this sound, some people regard folic acid as an essential supplement for pregnant women only. Folic acid has been known to protect the fetus against neural tube defects which refers to birth abnormalities including the malformations of the spine (spina bifida), skull, and brain (anencephaly). On the contrary, folic acid is also an anti-anemic agent.

Background 

As a vitamin occurring in the leaves and foliage of spinach, the term folic acid was derived from the Latin word folium meaning leaf.  It has been previously called vitamin M and vitamin B9. Since then, folic acid has been in whey, mushrooms, liver, yeast, bone marrow, soybeans and fish food. Upon cooking however, folic acid is readily destroyed. Up to 90% of the dietary folates are lost during the cooking process. The best way to acquire folic acid from food sources is to take them raw. Fresh spinach salad and uncooked animal liver are best examples. Then again, there is always the synthetic form of folic acid.

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Cancer Producing Herbal Plants

Chaparral 

Larrea tridentata (De Candolie) Corille (Fam Zygophyllaceae)

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Chaparral also popular as creosote bush, is a strongly scented olive green bush. It grows from California to Texas and Mexico.

Chaparral has been employed in the cure of bronchitis, common colds and in rheumatism. It is an effective antioxidant because of the presence of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA). This compound is also used as preservative for animal fats. Yet studies revealed that NDGT produced cyst and kidney damage in rodents.

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On Motion-sickness Medication

One typical discomfort in traveling is motion-sickness.  Also known as kinetosis or travel sickness, motion sickness is characterized by symptoms of nausea, dizziness and fatigue. It is a condition when a disagreement exist between the eyes and the ears- the visually perceived movement and the vestibular system sense of movement. Travelers use inhalants or embrocations to relieve dizziness but taking an anti-emetic as a preventive measure is the most common practice.

 

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Medicine Myths

 

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• Cold and cough medicine can make you sleepy

The usual active constituent of a cold and cough medicine is Phenylpropanolamine which is indicated for cold; Guiafenesin or Dextromethorpan, intended for cough; and the antihistamines chlorpenamine or Brompheniramine.

The latter mentioned are anti allergies. These are the main culprit for making one drowsy or sleepy. A patient who doesn’t want to drowse off buy cold and cough formulation without the antihistamines.

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Antibiotic Hazards

• Amoxicillin

(Amoxil, Amusa, Axmel, Clearamox, Bactoclav, Globamox, Globapen, Natravox, Pediamox)

Amoxicillin is a semisynthetic penicillin introduced in 1974. It is similar with the broad spectrum activity of Ampicillin but with the lesser gastrointestinal disturbance. Indicated for UTI, upper and lower respiratory infection, gastro intestinal tract infection – including typhoid and para typoid, skin and tissue infection and some venereal diseases, Amoxicillin is probably the most abused antibiotic.

Most consumers buy this drug for tonsillitis, skin and for mouth infections. Contrary to the belief of most people that Amoxicillin is the safest antibiotic, its hazardous effect comprises of the Pseudomembranous colitis, Steven Johnson syndrome, anemia and anaphylaxis.

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