10 Medications That are Dangerous to Stop Abruptly
Dr. Sharon Orrange - December 21, 2016
“Can I just stop my medication?” This question, frequently asked of primary care doctors, has a complicated answer. For starters, if you are taking a medication that is controlling an ongoing medical problem like high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol you should never stop it on your own—or your problem will return. Many patients do come clean though, and report that they just plain stopped their meds. See More
Who Gets Hooked on Opioids After Surgery?
Dr. Sharon Orrange - September 02, 2016
Many patients report becoming hooked on their opioid medications (like Vicodin, Percocet, Dilaudid, hydrocodone, and so on) after doctors prescribed them for postoperative pain.
If you’ve never used pain medications and are given them for pain after a procedure, who is most likely to have a problem down the line? Well, a recent JAMA study evaluated the risk for chronic opioid use following several common surgical procedures in opioid-naive patients (people who have never used opioid medications before). See More
FDA Requires New Warning on Opioid Pain Medications
Roni Shye - June 15, 2016
The FDA has issued a new required warning for all opioid pain medications. If you are taking an opioid, you should be aware of a few potential side effects, including reactions with other medications, and effects on hormone levels.
What are some examples of opioid medications?
Opioids are powerful prescription-only medications, used to manage manage pain when other treatments may not work. Some common opiods include:
- hydrocodone/acetaminophen (Vicodin, Norco, Lorcet)
- oxycodone/acetaminophen (Percocet, Endocet, Roxicet)
- oxycodone (Oxycontin, Roxicodone)
- fentanyl (Duragesic, Subsys)
- morphine
Why exactly was the FDA safety alert issued?
The FDA identified some safety concerns for anyone using opioid pain medications:
- They can interact with many other medications
- They can cause problems with a person’s adrenal glands
- They can decrease sex hormone levels
What kind of medications can react with opioids?
Specifically, opioids may react with antidepressants and migraine medications. See More
7 Secrets to Easy Pharmacy Transfers
Roni Shye - February 18, 2016
So you’ve used GoodRx to compare prices on your prescription, and you found a less expensive pharmacy. But transferring your prescription is a pain, right? It’s actually easier than you may think! Generally, your new pharmacy will want to make the transfer as smooth as possible—and there are a few things you can to do keep things simple:
- Let your new pharmacy know that you want to transfer your prescriptions from your old pharmacy. See More
Opioid Overdoses: How Do We Balance Help and Harm?
Dr. Sharon Orrange - February 04, 2016
Opioid pain medication is an emotional topic for everyone. Patients who struggle with chronic noncancer pain and need opioid medications feel they are portrayed as addicts when they ask for refills. Each week I see many patients using opioids for the appropriate reason, who have tried and failed with other medications and yet feel stigmatized by the use of medicine they need.
The flipside, however, is that more and more of us are dying from prescription pain medication overdoses, in addition to heroin overdoses when addicts move from Oxycontin to heroin. See More
Does Medical Marijuana Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse and Overdose?
Dr. Sharon Orrange - February 12, 2015
Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have now passed medical marijuana laws, and four more have pending legislation to legalize medical marijuana. Meanwhile, the use of prescription opioid medications (hydrocodone, oxycodone) has increased as the number of Americans with chronic non-cancer pain has increased. With that, we have seen in the United States the disturbing rise in prescription opioid abuse and overdose deaths. See More
Is Tylenol (Acetaminophen) Bad for Your Liver or Kidneys?
Dr. Sharon Orrange - October 16, 2014
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is one of the most commonly used medications so you should know if it hurts your liver or kidneys. The short answer: acetaminophen is safe on the kidneys and may damage your liver, but only at high doses. Here is what you need to know.
How much Tylenol can I take?
Acetaminophen is the generic name for Tylenol so they are the same thing. The recommended daily maximum is 4 grams per day, which would be 8 extra strength Tylenol (500 mg) or 12 regular (325 mg) Tylenol tablets. See More
Is Your Medication Making You Tired?
Dr. Sharon Orrange - June 10, 2014
One in ten visits to a primary care doctor is for fatigue. While certainly not the only cause, your medications can be the culprit for making you sleepy. Here are the players you need to know about.
Beta blockers. These are medications used for high blood pressure, migraine prevention, control of heart rate in atrial fibrillation, and they improve mortality after heart attack. Ok, now for the downside. They can make you sleepy. See More
Is Nucynta Better Than Other Pain Meds?
Dr. Sharon Orrange - April 23, 2014
One of the bright new changes in pain medications over the last few years were two medications: Ultram (tramadol) and now Nucynta (tapentadol). These are different from Vicodin (hydrocodone/acetaminophen), Percocet (oxycodone/acetaminophen), and Tylenol #3 (codeine/acetaminophen) in many ways and are considered much “gentler.” So, is Nucynta better? Lets look.
Ten points about Nucynta and Ultram you need to know:
1. See More
Which Medicine Is Best for Pain: Percocet, Vicodin, or Tylenol #3?
Dr. Sharon Orrange - April 16, 2014
You’ve had surgery, you have a toothache, or you can’t move without severe back pain and Tylenol (acetaminophen) and ibuprofen aren’t helping. What’s next?
Conventionally, patients who have moderate to severe pain have been offered one of the opioid-nonopioid combination drugs, such as acetaminophen plus hydrocodone or oxycodone.
Are they the same? What’s better? What is the prescription I have? It seems complicated but it’s not—let’s shed light on the common players:
Acetaminophen + Codeine:
You may have been prescribed Tylenol #3 or Tylenol #4 in the past. See More
