Smoking and Drug Interaction
Posted on December 23, 2008 - Filed Under Health | Leave a Comment
Theophylline (Aminophylline, Deriphyllin, Theolong, Theomac)
This is a frequently prescribed bronchodilator to relieve and prevent symptoms of asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. In smokers, the drug is more rapidly eliminated from the body than in non-smokers, and thus its level in the blood decreases faster, reducing the duration of action.
Some heavy smokers may require as much as one and a half to two time the maintenance dose of theophylline. It may take six months to three years to return to normal after smoking is stopped.
Propranolol (Inderal Corbeta), Metoprolol (Metolar, Betaloc)
Potentially Dangerous Drug Similar to Ketek Marketed in Asia
Posted on November 2, 2008 - Filed Under Health | Leave a Comment
Ketek has been associated with severe side effects that are causing liver failure and liver damage among patients. Although the drug has been linked to dangers and fatalities among patients the drug is now being marketed to patients in Asia.
According to news reports a new drug known as cethromycin, part of the ketolide drug class, will begin being marketed in Asia even though a similar medicine known as Ketek, from the same drug class, raised serious red flags among physicians and drug regulators when the antibiotic was linked to severe liver toxicity among patients leading to several fatalities.
