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Medicines: A guide for Everybody
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This is an unique guide to medicines written in plain english to help you to find out more information about any medicines you are taking. The chapter format of the original book is maintained for easy reference.
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There were 53 articles found in this category:
 10. Drugs used to treat the Common Cold
There is no such drug as a cold cure. There is no drug on the market which prevents colds or reduces their duration. But, because there is no cure, there are numerous remedies. The common cold produces swelling and inflammation of the lining membrane of the nose which produces blockage and a r ...
- 9. Drugs which act on the Autonomic Nervous System
The autonomic nervous system, as the name implies, is not under voluntary control. It supplies internal organs, e.g. the stomach, intestine, bronchi (the lungs), heart, blood vessels, sweat glands, bladder and the eyes. Therefore, it controls all sorts of functions – from breathing to sex ...
- 8. Slimming Drugs
Being overweight is considered to be the commonest nutirtional disorder in Western countries. However, this implies that there is a range of normal weights to which we should conform. In order to persuade us that this is true and in order to help us conform to these ‘normal weights’ ...
- 7. Tonics
Millions of pounds are spent every year on tonics and yet most doctors accept that there is no single substance which may be called a tonic. Many medical experts are highly critical of the whole concept of tonics and their criticism has influenced prescribing doctors. However, although medical ...
- 6. Stimulant drugs - amfetamines
Amfetamines The amfetamines are synthetic compounds which cause an increased concentration of stimulant nerve transmitters (noradrenaline(norepinephrine) and dopamine) in the brain and nervous system. They lift mood and are drugs of abuse (see p. xxviii). They include amfetamine and dexamfetam ...
- 5. Stimulant drugs, tea, coffee and cola
Coffee contains the drug caffeine, plus certain oils; tea contains caffeine, theobromine and tannin; cola contains caffeine, and cocoa contains caffeine, theobromine and tannin. Caffeine is also present in numerous over-the-counter tonics, ‘pick-me-ups’, and pain-relievers. The drug ...
- 4. Antidepressant drugs
Depression Antidepressant drugs are prescribed to patients who are ‘labelled’ by their doctors as suffering from ‘depression’. But what is depression? We can all feel sad or happy and some of us at times may feel very happy or very sad. These feelings are part of everyd ...
- 3. Antipsychotic drugs
Antipsychotic Drugs These drugs are used to control acute symptoms and to prevent relapse in patients suffering from schizophrenia and mania. They are also used to treat acute confusional states and to treat certain symptoms produced by dementia and brain damage. In addition they may be presc ...
- 2. Drugs used to treat anxiety
Drugs used to treat anxiety are referred to as anti-anxiety drugs or anxiolytics. Sometimes they are referred to as anxiolytic-sedatives, sedatives, tranquillizers or minor tranquillizers. The most frequently used group of anti-anxiety drugs is the benzodiazepines. They are also the most freque ...
- 1. Sleeping Drugs
Sleep Sleep requirements vary from person to person and so ‘normal’ sleep is what suits you under ordinary everyday circumstances. The amount of sleep you need is as much a part of you as your appetite or your conscience. If your sleep is disturbed for only a night or two, this is ...
- 13. Drugs Used to Treat Disorders of the Ears and Eyes
1. Disorders of the Ear Removal of Ear Wax Wax (cerumen) in the ear is normal and it helps to protect the lining of the outer ear. It only needs removing if there is so much that it is causing deafness or if the doctor cannot examine the ear drum properly in a patient with some other ear compl ...
- 14. Drugs Used to Treat Bronchial Asthma
1. Drugs Used to relieve the Symptoms of Asthma Bronchodilators Drugs which open up the airways are called bronchodilators because they act by dilating (opening up) the bronchial tubes. They are used to reverse or decrease obstruction to the flow of air to the lungs caused by narrowing of these ...
- 15. Drugs Used to Treat Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a general term for a group of disorders of the brain which produce sudden and transitory attacks or seizures which may affect various parts of the brain. The attacks are caused by an excessive or disordered ‘electrical’ discharge from nerve cells in the affected part of ...
- 16. Drugs Used to Treat Parkinsonism
Parkinsonism is a disorder of the nervous system in which voluntary movement is disturbed, involuntary movements occur and the tone of muscles is altered. Voluntary movements become slow and shaky (tremor) and muscles become stiff (rigidity). The group of signs and symptoms produced are usually ...
- 18. Drugs Used to Treat Nausea, Vomiting and Motion Sickness
Nausea and vomiting are symptoms. These symptoms may occur with all kinds of physical disorders, some of which are quite simple and short-lived, such as food poisoning, and some very serious and long-lasting, such as cancer of the stomach or a brain tumour. Drugs often cause nausea and vomiting ...
- 17. Antihistamine Drugs and Immunosuppressants
Allergy In defence against infecting organisms, the body produces antibodies which combine with protein in the organisms to neutralize any effects which they may have upon the body. By means of this defence mechanism the body develops resistance or immunity. This often gives protection against ...
- 12. Drugs Used to Treat Disorders of the Mouth and Throat
Thrush, Cold Sores and Mouth Ulcers Thrush of the mouth is caused by a fungus, candida albicans. It is treated with an antifungal drug such as nystatin suspension (Nystamont, Nystan) or with amphotericin lozenges (Fungilin). Miconazole oral gel (Daktarin) or fluconazole (Diflucan) are useful fo ...
- 19. Drugs Used to Treat Indigestion and Peptic Ulcers
The middle and upper parts of the stomach act as a reservoir for food; the part near its outlet into the duodenum contracts and relaxes to churn and mix the food. The rate of emptying of the stomach varies with the volume of contents: the greater the volume the faster the rate of emptying. A fa ...
- 20. Drugs Used to Treat Diarrhoea
Rehydration The greatest risk from diarrhoea is the loss of large volumes of water containing salts of sodium and potassium. The loss of these salts and water is particularly dangerous in babies, infants and in elderly and/or debilitated people who require urgent treatment. The priority is the ...
- 21. Drugs Used to Treat Constipation
Drugs used to treat constipation are called laxatives. They are often misused – the result of the mistaken belief that there is some relationship between regular daily emptying of the bowels and health. It does not matter if you have your bowels opened two or three times a day or two to t ...
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