Cardiovascular Agent

Recently Answered

• QHow does epinephrine treat allergic reactions?

  2 Answers

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  A Sigma Nursing answered

  Epinephrine or adrenaline is an emergency injection used for those who suffer from anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction. It is often called an EpiPen and is injected when an individual starts showing signs of anaphylaxis. Epinephrine is a temporary solution for anaphylaxis and helps to deter anaphylaxis until emergency help is found. An individual who suffers an attack of anaphylaxis much seek emergency treatment, even after using epinephrine.

  If you have a serious egg or seafood allergy, you should keep a syringe of epinephrine with you at all times. Severe reactions require the immediate treatment that epinephrine pens can provide. More mild reactions may not require an injection of epinephrine, but you should talk to your doctor to be sure.

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• QWhen is Welchol helpful for treating diabetes?

  1 Answer

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  A Dr. Jack Merendino, MD , Endocrinology Diabetes & Metabolism, answered on behalf of The Best Life

  

  Welchol is a bile-acid sequestrant, a class of medications used to treat high cholesterol. The drug has also been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of diabetes, but only in combination with metformin, the sulfonylureas, or insulin. The blood-sugar lowering effect is relatively small, and standard treatment requires six pills per day. It would seem ideal to have a single drug that lowers both blood sugar and blood cholesterol, but given the cost, gastrointestinal side effects, and large number of tablets required for treatment, the medication is not considered first-line for either problem.

  

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• QWhat is Fampridine-SR for multiple sclerosis (MS)?

  1 Answer

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  A Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered

  Fampridine SR is classified as a selective neuronal potassium channel blocker. Exactly how Fampridine SR improves mobility in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients is unknown. It has been proposed that Fampridine SR improves conduction in nerve fibers in which myelin has been damaged and that this improves mobility.

  Initially, Fampridine SR will only be approved to treat people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who suffer from gait disturbances. However, it is also being studied as a treatment for gait disturbances in people who have suffered a spinal cord injury as well as a treatment of fatigue and heat sensitivity in patients with MS.

  The following are common adverse effects associated with Fampridine SR:

  • Drowsiness, lightheadedness and dizziness are very common; therefore, people should be careful driving a car or using dangerous machinery
  • Numbness and tingling in the face or hands
  • Stomach problems (nausea, vomiting, constipation, or abdominal pain) can occur; when stomach problems occur, try taking the medicine with food or milk
  • Restlessness
  • Anxiety
  • Headache
• QHow does dalfampridine treat multiple sclerosis (MS)?

  1 Answer

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  A Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered

  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Ampyra (dalfampridine) for use in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), specifically multiple sclerosis-related gait disturbances. This twice daily oral prescription drug was shown to improve walking as measured by walking speed in MS. In two trials of the drug, about 40 percent of people demonstrated improved walking. Ampyra is the FDA-approved version of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), a drug that has been used in MS for years through compounding pharmacists.

  Most people will be prescribed the medication twice per day. The first dose should be taken first thing in the morning and the second dose should be taken in the early afternoon. If you forget to take a dose, take the missed dose as soon as possible unless it is almost time for the next dose. Never take two doses at the same time. Fampridine SR can be taken with or without food. It is very important to swallow the capsule whole. It should never be crushed or chewed.

  This product should not be taken by women who are pregnant, nursing, or trying to get pregnant; or in people who have epilepsy or who have kidney problems.

• QHow does a physician treat high cholesterol with Lipitor?

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  A Dr. Joseph Saseen, PharmD , Cholesterol Management, answered on behalf of National Lipid Association

  Lipitor (atrovastatin is the generic name) is approved to treat patients with high cholesterol. Specifically, it lowers bad cholesterol, the LDL cholesterol. It also has been shown that using this drug to lower LDL in adults with cardiovascular risk will also lower your risk of heart disease. The way this drug is prescribed is once daily in a dose of either 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg or 80 mg. Higher doses are needed for patients with more severely elevated LDL cholesterol.

• QHow does digoxin treat congestive heart failure?

  3 Answers

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  A Stacy Wiegman, PharmD , Pharmacy, answered

  With heart failure (HF), your heart muscle is too weak to pump blood throughout your body. Digoxin (Digitek and Lanoxin) treats heart failure by enabling your heart to contract more forcefully, and can also slow your heart rate down.

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• QWhat is Zetia (ezetimibe)?

  1 Answer

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  A Stacy Wiegman, PharmD , Pharmacy, answered

  Zetia (ezetimibe) is a medication that lowers cholesterol by preventing cholesterol absorption in the intestines. It is prescribed, in addition to healthy lifestyle choices, to decrease the levels of cholesterol and fatty materials in the blood. Zetia is sometimes used alone but is often prescribed in combination with fenofibrate or a statin drug.