Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with pharmaceuticals

What should I do when I grow up?

LolaGeek — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:31:56 -0800

The future of my current job is uncertain (familiar story, I'm sure). What should I do to plan for the future? My background is in art, and ... pharmaceutical training and compliance. I'm a pretty much self-taught graphic designer and web designer. I graduated from college five years ago with a BA in Commercial Art. The program was woefully behind the times, so I actually learned very little about the software side of things, and our training in web design was nonexistent. (I ended up teaching HTML to half my class during that lesson.) While I can write up a nice HTML web page in notepad, and I'd consider myself an above average-level user of most standard design software (e.g. the Adobe Creative Suite), I feel like I'd be totally lost if I walked into a job tomorrow as a "graphic designer." My local community college has a Web Development certificate program that starts with the basics and works up to different server technologies. As a county resident, it would run me ~$4000 to complete, and can supposedly be done in a year, full-time.

On the other hand, for the past five years I've been in the pharmaceutical industry, working in compliance and training. So I'm now very familiar with compliance issues working in a highly regulated industry, and have lots of experience with training development and administration. Part of my job is that I'm the webmaster of a large, unruly intranet site, but that doesn't require too much specialized skill. Another large part of my job is being a glorified administrative assistant, and I do some customer service-type work, communicating with clients about training issues, and troubleshooting their technical problems (so I'm also a technology help desk, sort of).

There's really no specific career I'm interested in switching to (e.g. education, nursing, etc.), though I could if I needed to, if there was someplace my skills would be a good fit. I feel like my general skills (organized, good communication, highly technologically competent, etc.) would be desirable in a lot of areas, but in the current climate I'd want to make myself as marketable as possible. So should I focus on graphic design and/or web development, should I try to stay in the pharma industry, or should I totally change gears? And if so, what should I learn now to help me in a future career?

Is it okay to take Effexor without its capsule?

Anonymous — Sat, 16 May 2009 07:22:02 -0800

Is there any particular reason that Effexor comes in gelatin capsules? Inside the capsule there are a number of small pellets.

I'm a vegan so I've just been pulling the capsules apart over my mouth, with my head tilted back, and tossing the capsules in the garbage.

I haven't noticed any difference in mood after doing this for a month or so. The only difference I have noticed is that the pellets are extremely bitter (so discovered after having one of them catch in my teeth).

But why aren't the pellets just one solid pill, like bupropion? Is it the bitterness, or does the capsule actually do something (and if so, what)?

Antipsychotics when you're not (yet?) psychotic...

specialfriend — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:35:22 -0800

Antipsychotics-filter: A conversation with a friend has me turning to the hive mind. Feeling out of sorts for a year prompted my friend to see a psychiatrist. Her symptoms (foggy mind, problems with executive mental tasks, dull emotions, fatigue) and family history (sister has schizophrenia) led the doctor to consider that while she has no positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions) she might be late prodromal (pre-schizophrenic) and is now considering treating her symptoms with low-dose antipsychotics. Looking around online, it appears that antipsychotics come with hefty side-effects. Our question is a 2-parter: 1: What is the rationale in treating someone before it's clear they have developed (or will develop) a psychosis? And 2: Do you have experience taking these drugs (especially for reasons less severe than schizophrenia or bipolar disorder)? Thanks so much, everybody.

I can haz Proscar?

Anonymous — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 18:28:07 -0800

What's the real deal with offshore "no prescription needed" pharmacies? Which ones (if any) are legit? Okay, the anon is probably overkill, but it's for reasons of vanity. Basically, I'm looking for a way to get cheap-ish Proscar to cut up and take as a substitute for Propecia (hair loss drug; same as Proscar, but in a smaller dose) without going 10 rounds with my somewhat conservative doctor. I've been looking at offshore "no scrip needed" pharmacies, and want to give one a shot. But I'm worried that a) the one I pick will be a scam, or b) the one I pick will be legit, but my order won't reach me.

Googling around hasn't done much good. Have any mefites had luck (good or bad) with any of these services? Any other tips?

Do we have to throw them out?

Anonymous — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 21:37:46 -0800

Can anything be done with extra pharmaceuticals? A friend recently finished a medical procedure, with extra pills, sealed and dated. We would like to get the pills to someone without medical insurance because they are outrageously expensive.

The legal ramifications are obvious, so we can't send them to you. What we want to know is, will the medical clinic dispose of them if we take them to the clinic? Does anyone handle extra pharmaceuticals? Is throwing thousands of dollars worth of pharmaceuticals in the garbage the only option?

We are near New York City, if it matters.

Guide to Prescription Drugs?

jammy — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 05:20:40 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good guide to prescription drugs? I am looking for a guide book for a person with no internet access. They are currently on a regimen that they have little control over, but they want to be able to at least understand what they're taking.

It should be accessible to the layperson - the more current, the better - bonus points for covering drug interactions.

Soma and other substances in literature

Knigel — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 10:06:52 -0800

I am interested in literary works that discuss various substances like recreational drugs or pharmaceuticals. I am interested in anything with associations or references to philosophy, politics, religion, mind-expansion etc. Some examples of what I am looking for are Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World' and Soma, or Dune and Melange. Any dystopia/utopia parallels, anticipations of the future, criticisms of drug culture, criticisms of pharmaceuticals, or allegories to anything substance related would be incredibly useful. This is a follow up of this thread: http://ask.metafilter.com/83142/Literary-works-anticipacting-the-future-trends

Can NSAID reaction look like Crohn's?

Anonymous — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 08:11:08 -0800

Medical/pharm filter: Could use of NSAIDs end up looking like Crohn's or IBD? (Warning: contains potentially gross descriptions of Crohn's.) I've suffered with GI tract problems since my early teens. I started using Ibuprofen in my late teens or early 20s. I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in my early 20s. Tests showed ulceration and I frequently had bleeding. In my mid-20s, I was put on an NSAID (Alleve) to control some migraine problems. That entire year, I was in and out of the ER with bowel problems, especially bleeding and blood in the stool. I ended up with a fistula and an abscess, following by surgery. THings settled down and, aside from bouts of diarrhea (which could be just IBS, I suppose), I was fine. A few years later, I had a baby and was given Voltaren, an NSAID, which is contraindicated for people with Crohn's and IBD. I started having bloody diarrhea right after the birth and then a Crohn's flare up caused ulceration of a perineal tear. My GI explained that I should not have ever been given Voltaren suppository, since it is an NSAID. I don't think I was ever told to avoid NSAIDs before that. My GP, OB and a few other doctors were stunned to hear that Crohn's patients should not have NSAIDs.

Aside from occasional bouts of "normal" diarrhea, my Crohn's has gone into remission. Scopes and tests show that all the ulceration has gone away. Even when I had the flare up after childbirth, all the internal ulceration was gone and the external ulceration was around the tear.

I am expecting another baby. Because of the problems healing, my team of doctors has recommended a C-section. After researching childbirth & Crohn's and going through what I went through before, I absolutely agree with them. (Among other things, I don't want a recto-vaginal fistula, let alone any of the things I experienced last time.)

However, is it at all possible that I don't have Crohn's and that all the problems have been caused by NSAIDs so far? Could it just be a repeated reaction to NSAIDs?

I know you are not my doctor and that you are probably not a doctor. However, I can't get in to see a GI for 2-3 months and I wouldn't mind some info right now. I'm also not sure if I could get referred to a GI just to ask that question.

I don't want to start my own needle exchange

otherwordlyglow — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:24:24 -0800

What should I do with a large quantity of unused but unneeded insulin syringes? My cat was diabetic and I gave him twice daily insulin shots with a prescription that I had filled a Walgreen's. The prescription included single-use syringes and I guess they are the same kind that are used for people. My cat died two years ago and I've been carting around the pack of unused syringes ever since. They are still packed 10 to a plastic bag and I have probably about 80 syringes (in 8 packs).

Throwing them in the garbage doesn't seem like a good idea from many perspectives and I really don't want to snap the needle off each one to render it useless before doing so. I've tried calling the pharmacy, they suggested donating to a place like the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic. I sent them email and got no response. I'd rather not wander into a park and offer them to the first potential junkie I see but surely there's someone out there who can use them? If it were just the insulin I'd know what to do - it got thrown away a long time ago but I can't figure out how to give them in a responsible manner to someone who might need them. Freecycle? Is it even legal for me to give them to someone else? Is there some cool art project I could do with them?

Cute little glass medicine bottles.

dog food sugar — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 10:36:03 -0800

Pharmacy Geeks: Why are some medicines still packed in glass ampules? A nurse at the hospital I work at gave me an ampule opener so I wouldn't have to risk cutting myself with glass shards as I tried to open tiny glass vials when I become a nurse in a few months.

What is the purpose of packaging medication in glass ampules anyway? Is it something about the type of solution? Preserving it in some way? Is it preparation for use for a particular group of practitioners or something? Why can't the same solution be in another type of container that didn't involve breaking glass to get to it?

Options for self-medicating -- not the kind in a bottle

hodyoaten — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 15:00:13 -0800

What's the situation currently like in the US for ordering drugs over the Internet without a prescription? My wife and I are peak-oil aware and have made some efforts to obtain a small stock of medical necessities. Needless to say, our shelves are empty for painkillers and a few non-OTC medical staples. While I do have concerns about having a contingency supply, my confidence in the medical system is eroded because I'm hearing analgesics are harder to get and that people with legitimate needs are getting the runaround from doctors. A couple of years ago my wife was unable to get even a basic hydrocodone syrup for a dry cough she had. So now I want to plan for not only socioeconomic contingencies, but contingencies for poor medical treatment too.

So what I'm wondering is whether it's easy to get this stuff over the Internet. Has anyone here done it lately? Are the risks of ordering small quantities mainly just in having them seized? Am I pretty safe from fraud as long as I do my homework on the website and not order from spam links? Awhile back I Googled a few hydrocodone sources, but they must have been US-based sites as they wanted a prescription.

We're actually close to Mexico, so there's that option too; maybe a pharmacist there would be sympathetic with what we want to do. However, I wouldn't want to spend time doing that if it's just going to be illegal once we re-enter the US.

I can assure you all that I'm not seeking... the only thing I seem to be addicted to is tacos and the Internet. Not only is it beside the point anyway, but I'm not asking for sources either. I'd just like to know what the situation is like and what my options are. We'll mull it over and try to figure out where to go from there.

Seasonale v. Ortho Tri-Cyclen

anjamu — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 00:07:45 -0800

Women of MeFi, your experiences with Seasonale? As part of a two-pronged attack on my migraine (part two being Zomig), my doctor suggested that I switch from Ortho Tri-Cyclen to Seasonale.

I've never taken anything but OTC, and I'm concerned about the switch. Breakthrough bleeding? Weight gain? (I had very little of the former, and none of the latter, on OTC.) Nausea? Cramps? Decreased libido?

I'm also somewhat concerned about the long-term effects of messing with my body chemistry this much.

Basically, I'm apprehensive about switching, and I'd like a little more information from women who actually have taken it (or their MeFi-inclined boyfriends/husbands/what-have-you).

Don't be shy because you're not a doctor; I have a perfectly good one of those, and pharmacist family members, and what I want is anecdotes and such.

Caffeine knocking my ass into bed

zek — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 18:34:46 -0800

Has anyone heard of a caffeine tablet producing heavy drowsiness? Coffee always wakes me up. Therefore I was surprised to get extremely sleepy after taking a caffeine pill. I figured it was a fluke, but after 3 more situations where I took a pill (the latest being tonight) and getting sleepy each time, it's obvious to me something is really hosed.

The pills in question are Kroger "Stay Awake" 200 mg caffeine expiring 06/09, bought in Texas. The tablets are in sealed foil pouches with the drug name printed on the outside of the foil packets. The pouches say "Distributed by Perrigo, Allegan MI". The tablets are yellow and are stamped L409.

What's the deal? Seeing as these are generics I distinctly get the feeling some Indian or Mexican dudes are having a laugh tossing barbiturates in the mixer and sticking it to the Yankees.

What happened to Kaopectate's old formula?

WCityMike — Tue, 02 Aug 2005 07:31:15 -0800

What does "nonmonograph designation" mean, with regards to pharmaceuticals and the FDA? Or, more specifically, why did the FDA pull attapulgite off the market? As best I can determine, antidiarrheals which used attapulgite (such as the old formula of Kaopectate) were pulled off the market or reformulated after the FDA, in 2003, gave it "nonmonograph designation." I'm curious as to what a "nonmonograph designation" by the FDA is, and what the background story is behind attapulgite specifically being yanked.

Kaopectate now works off of the same active ingredient as Pepto-Bismol, and when I tried to find out why Kaopectate was reformulated, and what other medications might have attapulgite, I ran across the FDA stuff that said attapulgite wasn't available, period, anymore.

This may be one of those obscure ones no one can answer, but then again, I got nearly everything wrong with Chapi Chapo, and you guys still got me an answer ... :-)

How Can I Get an Understanding of Why Legal Drugs are So Pricy, Without Attributing It to Greed?

jmd82 — Sun, 30 Jan 2005 22:13:26 -0800

I thought of asking this question in response to this comment, but thought it was better off here:
Why are legal drug prices so expensive. As a biochemistry major, I see first-hand how expensive very simple reagents and machines are to create simple research. It seems somewhat reasonable that in my naive on little world, drug prices are somewhat justified by the cost of r&d. Are there any reports out there of where drug companies spend their money. i.e., can I see how much are sent on salaries, equipment, court fees, etc to get more of an understanding of drug company costs and profits, especially since I'll probably being getting a job at one in a few months. Also, info on why drugs (beyond their being greedy) are so expensive in The States (or so I hear) vs. other parts of the world would be useful, too.

Online pharmaceuticals: Experiences

stupidsexyFlanders — Tue, 13 Jul 2004 11:30:01 -0800

Online pharmaceuticals: Experiences? Anybody buy drugs online? Like, stuff that you'd need a prescription for (Xanax, Tylenol w/codeine, Paxil, etc.)? Is it U.S.-legal to get a prescription online, or do you have to deal with a non-U.S. place? Are any safe/reputable?

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?