Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with medications

Can I fill my written US prescriptions in person at a local Canadian pharmacy??

soulbarn — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:56:02 -0800

I'm going to be in Canada next week. I was wondering if I could go into a local pharmacy with my written US prescriptions (non-controlled substances) and have them filled at Canada prices. Does anyone know? Pittfalls? (I'll be in Sherbrooke, if anyone ha recommendations.)

InsuranceFilter: What exactly makes a medication fall into the maintenance medication category in the eyes of insurance companies?

lrkuperman — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:17:38 -0800

InsuranceFilter: What exactly makes a medication fall into the maintenance medication category in the eyes of insurance companies? Is it the fact that the doctor writes the prescription and allows for refills? Would getting a new prescription with no refills every month circumvent the whole maintenance medication designation? My husband and I have medical insurance and prescription insurance through his employer. For the past 6 years, the companies have been easy to deal with and we've always had great coverage with lots of options. Just recently (within the past 2 months) the prescription insurance - Express Scripts - struck some kind of deal with my husbands employer and now they are making it mandatory that we use their mail-order pharmacy for any medication that they consider to be routine/maintenance medication. I have no desire to use any mail-order service for my medications and I am resentful of the fact that this is being forced down my throat. I feel that there is something fishy about the fact that they are not even allowing a choice of mail-order pharmacies, but instead are mandating that we use theirs OR pay 100% out of pocket for our medications... Also then we face the possibility that the company will sell detailed claims data on prescribing and dispensing history which drug companies often use to target sales efforts. I don't want someone selling my medical information!!! They infer that fact themselves on their own website:

"Business Associates: We arrange to provide some services through contracts with business associates. On occasion, we may disclose your medical information to business associates acting on our behalf. If any medical information is disclosed, we will protect your information from further use and disclosure using confidentiality agreements."

So I guess my question comes down to this - what exactly makes a medication fall into the maintenance medication category? Is it the fact that the doctor writes the prescription and allows for refills? Would getting a new prescription with no refills every month circumvent the whole maintenance medication designation?

I really want to find a way to beat them at their own rules and would appreciate all insight, suggestions or guidance that any of you may have to offer!

Expiration Dates and Medication Instructions

Mael Oui — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:02:23 -0800

I have two questions related to medications that I take (or should be taking). Question about Acidophilus expiration dates and how to take Synthroid inside. First off, these questions are going to seem really silly, but an honest answer hopefully will contribute to the regularity with which I take my medications.

1) I have a bottle of Acidophilus (Lactobacillus Acidophilus, 10 mg) in the refrigerator. The expiration date says 07/08. Can I still take it, or should it be thrown away? If it were Tylenol, Benedryl, etc., I would continue to take it, but considering the nature of Acidophilus, I'm not sure if it's still effective (or even harmful) at this stage.

2) I have been taking Synthroid for over ten years (current dose .2 mg). When I began taking it, my endocrinologist's only directions were to take it first thing in the morning and wait an hour before eating anything. He said that, should I miss taking it first thing in the morning and end up eating something first, I must wait two hours until I can take the medication and wait another hour before consuming anything more. My Synthroid question is (and this is something I've tried to ask him a few times, but he just gives me a look, and I never end up getting an answer): So, I understand that having a buffer of time when I've not eaten solid food is important for the efficacy of this medication. But, does this include non-water beverages? Does drinking an iced tea or a soda count as 'food'? Can I drink a non-water beverage right before or after taking Synthroid? Or can I even take Synthroid with another liquid besides water? I don't drink milk at all, so I wouldn't be taking it with anything dairy. At this point, if I drink a soda first, for instance, I have been waiting two hours to take my medication. I'm wondering if that's unnecessary. Also (and yes, these are serious questions), would chewing gum or using toothpaste/mouthwash effect when I can take the Synthroid? Once again, do I have to wait until an hour passes to do either? Reading that sentence back, I know it doesn't sound logical, but I just mean that I swallow some amount of all of those substances (with the gum, I really just mean the minty saliva).

I realize these are probably silly questions, but, in the past, I've opted not to take the medication at all over these concerns.. which is obviously not the best thing. Anyway, thank you for your patience and your advice!

Claritin + Benadryl

Raichle — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:11:09 -0800

Is it safe to mix 24 hour Loratadine (Claritin) with 25-50 Diphenhydramin HCl (Benadryl)? My allergies are killing me and the loratadine does not seem to be doing the job.

When the cure is worse....

ohdeanna — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 06:31:22 -0800

How to wean off of tramadol? I have been taking 400mg/day for 3 months for serious neck/ spine problems and I think I've developed a tolerance and I think it's messing with my health in other ways. I can tell that abruptly stopping is going to be hideous and possibly dangerous b/c even when I step down 50mg I feel as though my BP is through the roof.

I am definitely go to see a doctor about this- but I would be grateful if anyone could share what worked/ didn't work for them...

This really really sucks.

To drug or not to drug? That is the question...

FergieBelle — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:48:33 -0800

I want to hear from women who have given birth using narcotics and analgesics via IV as pain relief. I am concerned about the risks associated with an epidural, not only with the risks associated with placing the epidural but also the risk of infection from needing to have a catheter placed. So for my impending labor and delivery in July I am re-thinking my pain management plan. My main concern is this is my first child, so I am anticipating a long labor, and I want to be rested and calm (as much as possible) to preserve my energy for the hard work.

In my life I have had some pretty painful events. I have fallen down the stairs and had a compression fracture (on a 0-10 scale, 4). I have suffered through appendicitis for about 12 hours (on a 0-10 scale, 7). I have had an ovarian cyst burst (on a 0-10 scale, 8.5-9). And I have had long, lingering, killer menstrual cramps for as long as I can remember (on a 0-10 scale, 3-7).

Any time I've been in the hospital, Demerol and/or Fentanyl have worked very well on me with no side effects. In all cases they cut the pain to a 1 or at least took the worst edge off. I am wondering if I will have the same experience with my labor and delivery. Did you have these types of medications for your labor and delivery? Would you do it again?

Also, I am curious if medications like Versed are ever used in the US for labor and delivery? I know Fentanyl has a sedative property. Is Versed too strong of a sedative for an active labor?

Is it possible to buy a box of single-dose OTC medication packets?

IndigoRain — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 13:09:29 -0800

Is it possible to buy a box of single-dose OTC medication packets? A friend is putting together a bunch of home-made first aid kits. She wants to put in those medication packets, like these at Minimus (which I suggested). However, she said those are a bit expensive. (Some are almost a dollar each.) Are there medical supply stores or whatnot where you can buy a box of single-dose packets of OTC medications?

That website where that guy took a lot of drugs.

rossmik — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:34:59 -0800

Having personally taken most mental health drugs, somebody set up a humorous and serious website to review them. Can you help me find it again? I've tried likely keywords on google and yahoo.

Metafilter or Reddit probably pointed me there, but I can't find it in the archives.

What I remember most about it: he and his girlfriend both had horror stories about Effexor withdrawal. They may have used fairly course language in that description.

They had honest assessments of of side effects and severity.

I think the website was something like maddrugs.com or insanemeds.com.

Please help?

How can I test mail-order medications for purity?

soulbarn — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 22:30:15 -0800

Is there an easy, inexpensive way to check if the meds I order from overseas by are real? For example, would the solution linked below be something a total novice could do? How could I actually learn the process? (and please, no lectures on whether ordering from overseas is good idea. That's what I'm trying to find out.) thanks.

Scare me into compliance ...

Anonymous — Sun, 12 Mar 2006 21:52:20 -0800

DoctorFilter: Please scare me into being more conscientious, but not to a point where my anxieties go ape. I am a 325-pound man. I am currently on a prescription of 360 mg verapamil SR and 20 mg lisinopril, daily. I am normally extremely good about taking these, along with a multivitamin and three Metamucils. However, on the weekends, I seem to regularly forget about them, most likely because I don't follow any routine on the mornings I get up.

I'm wondering what I'm doing to my body and my blood pressure. By forgetting to take these medications on the weekends, and then beginning them again on the workweek, am I increasing my danger of a heart attack or a stroke? Am I reducing their effectiveness during the week?

I am currently between doctors; although I'm looking for a new one at the moment, I imagine once I select one there will be some slight delay with the transfer of paperwork and so on. I don't fully trust nor like the doctor I currently have, and I know some people have obtained medical advice on AskMeFi before, thus this anonymous question.

I'll take everything with a grain of salt, but at the same time, I would ask that only people with some very solid medical knowledge respond — either extremely knowledgeable laymen, or, preferably, professionals.

If I were reading this question as a respondent, I'm sure I'd urge the anonymous questioner to be compliant, and tell them they're not doing themselves any good forgetting on the weekend. Trust me, I plan to be compliant. But what I'm essentially seeking is mental ammunition that will encourage me to be conscientious on the weekend. (Please, however, keep in mind that I also unfortunately sometimes let my anxieties get the better of me. Thus, putting it in the context of telling me I'm going to have a heart attack tomorrow is not the best route to go in this answer, please.)

Thank you.

Postscript: please note I'm perfectly aware that my morbid obesity is an extremely dangerous situation in and of itself. I'm trying. I've been trying for a long time, but I'm trying. Weight loss advice would in other circumstances be appreciated, but need not be given in this thread.

Bacitracin vs Neosporin?

IndigoRain — Thu, 05 May 2005 13:46:32 -0800

I have a small Staph infection on my arm. My family nurse-practitioner gave me some Cipro. I asked her if I should put some Neosporin (which I already have in my medicine cabinet) on it. She said that Neosporin promotes redness, and Bacitracin would be better. So I get home and look at my Neosporin tube, and in smaller print under the word Neosporin, it says "Bacitracin Zinc - Neomycin Sulfate - Polymyxin B Sulfate." So are Neosporin and Bacitracin brands the same thing? And where does she get that Neosporin promotes redness? I've never heard that.

Straterra and ADHD

mygothlaundry — Thu, 09 Dec 2004 11:56:30 -0800

Straterra and ADHD. My 13 year old son has just been diagnosed with ADHD and the dr. is recommending Straterra. Does anyone have any experience with young adolescents and Straterra, especially side effects, good, bad experiences? Any helpful hints on young adolescents and ADHD in general? Thanks.

Effexor Alternatives

arse_hat — Tue, 30 Nov 2004 22:27:20 -0800

Does anyone know of an alternative to Effexor (Venlafaxine)? It is not a tricyclic, MAO or a SSRI. (MI) Effexor has just moved to a time-release formulation, which for physiological reasons my girlfriend can’t use. Has anyone found a useful replacement for Effexor (also non time-release) or know of a generic form (even foreign)? (I have tried to search Google for info but with drugs it is next to impossible to get past drug company hype and spam-web-pharmacies for any info)

Why do some drug advertisments not include the function of the drug whils others do?

stonerose — Mon, 16 Feb 2004 17:41:29 -0800

In the U.S., some televised prescription drug ads tell you exactly what the drug is for. Others only allude cryptically to the drug's function. Still others just show a middle-aged, sweater-clad couple enjoying a sunset on a beach. Or Mike Ditka. Why?