Medicine Tablet Types

• Chewable tablet

Antacids and most vitamin tablets are designed as chewable types. These forms are agreeable tasting that no water is necessary for a follow up. While chewable tablets are applicable for antacids for fast relief, these types are also beneficial for people and younger individuals who are incapable in swallowing a regular tablet type.

• Sublingual tablet

This form is placed under the tongue for immediate effect. An example is Isordil sublingual 5mg. This drug is normally administered for minor heart palpitation attacks.

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• Buccal tablet

Same as sublingual, the use of a buccal tablet is to make a drug work faster. However, instead of placing the tablet under the tongue, a buccal tablet is placed at the side of the cheek or between the lip gums. Like the sublingual type, a buccal tablet also contains active ingredients that should be absorbed through the oral mucosa to avoid being destroyed by the GIT.

Fentanyl (Fentora) tablet for cancer pain is a buccal tablet type.

• Implantation tablet

Implantation tablets are also known as pellets. These types are without excipients or additives (disintegrants, colorants, lubricants etc.) Implantations tablets must be sterile because they are inserted into the body tissues by surgical procedures. An example is testosterone hormone and stilbestrol. Implantation is designed to be more compact thus, has slow solubility into the body tissues. However, these tablets have been replaced by other dosage form such as diffusion controlled silicone tubes filled with drug or biodegradable polymers that contain entrapped drug in assortment of forms.

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Buclizine, Pizotifen, Lysine and Dibencozide Facts

• Dibencozide

Dibencozide also known as cobalamin enzyme or adenosylcobalamin is the most active type of vitamin B12. Not only that it is important for producing new blood cells, dibencozide is also an effective appetite enhancer.

Dibencozide is usually indicated for premature babies and infants with low birth weight; for children and adults with poor appetite; and for those people who are recovering from critical cases such as strokes and depression. It increases protein, carbohydrate and fat metabolism, which indirectly stimulates appetite. More to this, dibencozide can also improve mental concentration, muscle mass and strength.

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Heraclene, Aktibol, Bidicozan, Biotrefon- L, Calomide, Cobaxid and Cobazim are popular brand names of dibencozide.

Dibencozide precautions: Pregnancy and breast-feeding; gastrointestinal conditions such as ileal disease for this can reduce that amount of Vitamin B12, including dibencozide, which is absorbed from the intestine.

Dibencozide side effects: No reported side effects.

Dibencozide drug interactions: Chloramphenicol. Taking chloramphenicol for a long time might decrease the effects of dibencozide on new blood cells.

Read more about 'Appetite Stimulant Facts' here

Herbs Alert : Drug Interaction Possibilities

If you are taking maintenance drugs like antihypertensive or oral hypoglycemic types for your high blood pressure or diabetes respectively, it is important that you check the herb or the supplement you intend to use. Ginkgo biloba for instance, is said to be beneficial for the elderly for it can help treat age-associated memory impairment including Alzheimer’s. However, if an individual is taking a diuretic or other blood pressure control medicine, gingko biloba may hinder the effect of these drugs.

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Ginkgo biloba won’t also work with aspirin and other blood thinners like clopidogrel, ticlopidine, warfarin, heparin etc. This herb contains some constituents that affect blood clotting therefore, can potentiate the effect of the anti-coagulant drugs causing uncontrolled bleeding or haemorrhage.

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Tramadol - Addicting Drug?

Grünenthal has promoted tramadol as an opioid with a lower risk of dependence than that of traditional opioids. Grünenthal offered a theory that, since the M1 metabolite is the principal agonist at μ-opioid receptors, the delayed agonist activity reduces abuse liability. The norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor effects may also play a role in reducing dependence.

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More to this, the term ‘opioid’ has been devised to refer to synthetic morphine like compounds. Many of these substances offer the same narcotic and pain relieving properties of morphine but they are not addicting.

Unfortunately, tramadol is not one of those synthetic morphine like compounds. There are cases of tramadol dependence. The use of this medication can be addicting and the best way to avoid this is not to take tramadol frequently. There are other drug alternatives, just ask your doctor or pharmacist about them.

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Glutathione as a Skin Whitening Supplement

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Melanin is one of the two pigments responsible for the hair and skin color. While melanin comprises of the brown color, the other pigment – carotene is responsible for the yellow shade. Generally, the darker the color means the more melanin in the skin. With this, glutathione works its wonders in four ways:

1. It binds with the color forming tyrosine (a precursor amino acid to melanin) to form a less colored pigment.
2. It modifies black/brown/yellow melanin pigmentation (Eumelanin) to reddish white pigmentation (Phaeomelanin).
3. It deactivates the free radicals caused by sun exposure.
4. Its antioxidant activity lowers the rate of melanogenesis or the production of melanin.

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Generic Sertraline VS Branded Zoloft

The branded Zoloft against the generic equivalent  - can they be the same? In terms of effect, the answer is a straight yes. However, if it's all about the drug as a whole, definitely there are some differences between the two.

• Facts about Zoloft

Zoloft with the generic name Sertraline is a prescription drug manufactured by Pfizer. It is indicated for the symptoms of depression with or without history of mania and also for obsessive-compulsive disorders. It is available as a 50mg tablet.

Zoloft is to be used in precaution with the following:

Hepatic renal insufficiency, electro vascular therapy, unstable epilepsy, pregnancy and lactation and children.

Its side effects usually include:

Nausea, Loose stools, Dyspepsia, Tremor, Dizziness, Insomnia, Somnolence, Dry mouth, Increased sweating and Male sexual dysfunction (ejaculatory delay).

Note: Zoloft should not be taken with MAOIs.

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•  Zoloft has the same effect as the generic version

The low cost of a generic drug brings hesitation for some consumers. They tend to ask – Is it safe? Is it effective?

Considering the effectiveness, we are confident to give a positive answer. As a general rule, drugs having the same formulation or active constituent, strength and dosage form are considered as comparable. However, there are instances regarding safety.

• Branded and generic version differences

Not a secret:

Branded products like Zoloft has a higher price compared with the generic types. Generic drug companies cite their products being cheap for three reasons:

1. They do not hire medical representative or salesman to promote their products.

2. Unlike branded medications like Tylenol and other well-known brands, generic drugs are not advertised in television and in other forms of media.

3. A medicine can only be copied by manufacturers once its patent is finished. Once this happens, they do not have to pay the drug discoverer.

Some little secrets:

Not all generic companies offer a quality medicine. Although, we can be sure of the generic products manufactured by reliable companies, such as the United Laboratories or Sandoz, who also produces branded product counterparts, there are some – the local ones in particular who have some very poor standards. They usually use cheap raw materials and lack expertise in drug manufacturing. Suspension products tend to cake faster while tablets and capsules deteriorate so soon even without reaching the expiry period.

So is the branded Zoloft the same as the generic equivalent?

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The Truth About Dietary Supplements

The statement ‘No approved therapeutic claims’ is usually found in herbal and food supplement containers. Like the line, ‘Smoking is hazardous to your health’ in cigarettes or the declaration, ‘Drink moderately’ in liquor bottles, the statement serves as a warning for those who would rely solely with some particular food supplements.

Dietary supplement categories

Supplements can be grouped into two - those that can be used in treating ailments and those that function only for dietary support. Ferrous sulfate for instance belongs to the first group. It is a vitamin indicated for anemia. Vitamin C promotes faster wound healing and therefore often prescribed by doctors with the antibiotics. The B complex combination is another thing. This group is advised with patients suffering from neuralgia. These supplements mentioned not only provide nutrients but can be used as treatment as well. Thus, this group can be regarded as supplements with therapeutic claims.

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The second group on the other hand is exclusively for dietary sustenance. As mentioned earlier, these types are usually grouped in the herbal or food supplements. Encapsulated Ampalaya or Malunggay are best examples. These food supplements have numerous benefits. Ampalaya reveals good herbal supplement for diabetes. Malunggay is a good source to increase milk production for breastfeeding mothers.

Among others, are the new food supplement formulations that include Taurine, Lysine and the Chlorella growth factor or the CGF. Taurine holds a promise to make someone smarter; Lysine is an appetite stimulant; and CGF is said to be a height enhancer.

Misconceptions

The second group’s benefits are something for the consumers to look forward to. For a person who wants to have a taller or a smart child, supplements with CGF and Taurine are appealing news. However, the second group must be understood as mere provider of nutrients needed by the child for growth and development and nothing more. Their benefits may not be seen as positive. The Lysine for example may not work for a thin child. Two probable reasons - it could be an inappropriate appetite stimulant or it could have an inapt low dose. And because Lysine is included in a combination formula, its dose cannot be increased without affecting other active constituents. The bottom line is this, if a mother wants her child to improve his weight she should shift to real medication for appetite and not to rely with food supplements.

So are we really wasting money on food supplements?

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