Archive for May, 2009

           If you reach for a household teaspoon to administer medication, you may be giving out the wrong dose. A one-teaspoon dose is precisely 5 milliliters while a regular teaspoon from the silverware drawer in your kitchen can hold anywhere from 2 to 10 milliliters. It is easy to see, therefore,  how using the household teaspoon can mean administering the wrong dose. A far better choice is an oral dosing syringe. It is accurate and easy to use, delivering all the medication with the push of the plunger, which also prevents spills. Otherwise, an oral dropper can be used, which often comes packaged with liquid medications. Finally, there is the cylindrical spoon, a small plastic cylinder with a pouring lip.

HINT: A one-tablespoon dose is equal to 15 milliliters.

For smokers who want to cut back on their habits or cease smoking entirely, nicotine replacement therapy may be an effective stop-smoking strategy. According to British researchers, using aids such as gum, inhalers, patches, and lozenges to replace the nicotine found in cigarettes not only helps users smoke less, they make it twice as likely that they will quit altogether. According to a study involving over 2,700 people over six to eighteen months, 6.75% of those using nicotine replacement stopped smoking for six months, which is twice the percentage of the study’s placebo participants. While many would argue that cutting down on smoking is not as good as quitting, others would say that smoking fewer cigarettes is a first step.

HINT: Most nicotine replacement drugs are available over-the-counter, but they are not approved in the United States for smoking reduction, only for smoking cessation.

About 2.2 million Americans suffer from atrial fibrillation (AF), in which the heart’s two upper chambers (the atria) quiver instead of beating effectively. AF sufferers, who are often fitted with pacemakers, also run the risk of blood clotting or pooling in the heart chambers, which could trigger a heart attack or stroke. Until very recently, oral anticoagulants, such as aspirin and warfarin, have been the only therapies proven to be effective in treating AF. However, many AF patients cannot take warfarin to stop blood clots because it increases the risk of internal hemorrhage by up to 70%. Fortunately, researchers recently found that clopidogrel (Plavix) could be combined with aspirin to help patients who are unable to take other blood-thinning medications. 

HINT: According to a study of the combined effect of clopidogrel and aspirin, the two reduced major vascular events by 11%, including a 28% reduction in stroke and a 23% reduction in myocardial infarction.

            If you are one of the millions of Americans who routinely takes herbal supplements, you should be aware that some have potentially dangerous interactions with certain prescription medications. For instance, one of the most serious herb/drug interactions involves the use of warfarin (an anticoagulant with a narrow dosage range that is often prescribed to prevent blood clots in people with atrial fibrillation) in conjunction with gingko (claimed to improve memory) or garlic tablets (claimed to improve glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure control). Either combination can prompt internal bleeding that may trigger a stroke. To limit the possibility of problems, patients are encouraged to tell their physicians and pharmacists what herbs they use.

HINT: Even though herbal preparations are often described as all-natural, they should be considered drugs by consumers.