Side Effects of Drugs

Drug Drug Interactions Cephalosporins

There are many reports of acute renal insufficiency from combined treatment with gentamicin (or another aminoglycoside) and one of the cephalosporins (174176). The potential nephrotoxic effect of the combinations seems to be related mainly to the nephrotoxic effect of the aminoglycosides. In contrast, there is some evidence, both experimental (177) and clinical (178), that ticarcillin may attenuate the renal toxicity of the aminoglycosides. The nephrotoxic and ototoxic effects of cisplatin and...

General adverse effects Bkt

Several reviews have focused on herbal medicines and have covered the toxicity of medicinal plants 32-34 the safety of herbal products in general 35-46 adverse effects in specific countries, for example the USA 47 and Malaysia 48 adverse effects on specific organs 49 , such as the cardiovascular system 50 , the liver 51,52 , and the skin 53,54 the safety of herbal medicines in vulnerable populations elderly patients 55 , pregnant women 56 , and surgical patients 57,58 the adverse effects of...

Aminaphtone

Experiments in the 1970s with aminaphtone suggested that it could significantly shorten the bleeding time in both normal and heparinized rabbits and mice 1 . Subsequent clinical experiments showed no adverse effects and toxicological studies in animals showed no evidence of acute or long-term toxicity, even at quite high doses 1 . No adverse effects were noted when patients who had initially been involved in an efficacy study of limited duration were treated with aminaphtone for a further year...

Red man syndrome

A unique and peculiar adverse reaction related to the rapid infusion of large doses is the so-called red neck or red man syndrome. It is the most common adverse reaction to vancomycin, characterized by fever, chills, par-esthesia, and erythema at the base of the neck and the upper back, and can be followed by a hypotensive episode (12). It is not a true allergic reaction. It seems to be due to vancomycin-induced release of histamine and possibly other vasoactive substances without the...

Rattlesnake meat

Dried rattlesnake meat SEDA-14, 442 SEDA-18, 2 is a well-known folk remedy that can be purchased without prescription in Mexico, El Salvador, and the South-western part of the USA. It is available as such and in the form of powder, capsules, or pills, which may be labeled in Spanish as v bora de cascabel,'' ''pulvo de v bora,'' or carne de v bora. All of 16 different formulations of rattlesnake powder capsules, obtained in six different cities in Mexico, were significantly contaminated with...

Spanish fly

Spanish fly (SED-11,1023), also known as cantharides, is the dried blistering beetle (Cantharis vesicatoria and related species), which contains cantharidin as a major active constituent. A related insect, which serves as an alternative source of cantharidin in the East, is the Chinese blistering beetle (Mylabris species). Spanish fly has gained a considerable reputation as an aphrodisiac, following observations that nearly toxic doses could cause priapism in men and pelvic congestion,...

Symphytum officinale

Symphytum officinale (black wort, boneset, bruise wort, comfrey, knitback, knitbone, slippery root) contains pyr-rolizidine alkaloids, such as lasiocarpine and symphytine, and their N-oxides, and has repeatedly been associated with hepatotoxicity. Comfrey products have been withdrawn from the market in several countries, including the USA and the UK. The German Federal Health Office has restricted the availability of botanical medicines containing unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids (1,2)....

Combinations of oral hypoglycemic drugs

The different mechanisms of action of the various classes of hypoglycemic drugs makes combined therapy feasible the sulfonylureas and meglitinides stimulate insulin production by different mechanisms, the biguanides reduce glucose production by the liver and excretion from the liver, acarbose reduces the absorption of glucose from the gut, and the thiazolidinediones reduce insulin resistance in fat. It is not necessary to wait until the maximal dose of one drug has been reached before starting...

Drug overdose Cly

Paracetamol is one of the most commonly ingested medications in deliberate self-poisoning and accidental ingestion by children. Fulminant hepatic failure occurs in 1-5 of cases of paracetamol overdosage 3-6 days after ingestion (71), with frequent deaths in people who take 20-25 g. There is only a narrow margin between the normal maximum 24-hour dosage and that which can cause liver damage and acute hepatic failure. Undoubtedly, some people are more susceptible than most to paracetamol...

Osmotic laxatives

The osmotic laxatives include inorganic salts and the synthetic disaccharide, lactulose, as well as magnesium salts and sodium phosphate. Osmotic agents are largely free of adverse effects, apart from flatulence, cramps, and abdominal discomfort. Lactulose (rINN) and lactitol (rINN) Lactulose is a non-absorbable disaccharide that is hydro-lysed in the large bowel by intestinal bacteria, yielding monosaccharides that act as osmotic agents it is also metabolized to hydrogen and carbon dioxide. In...

Chelidonium majus

Chelidonium majus (celandine, common celandine, greater celandine) contains a number of alkaloids, including chelidonine, chelerythrine, chelidocystatin, coptisine, sanguinarine, berberine, and sparteine. Greater celandine was traditionally used to improve eyesight and in modern times has been used as a mild sedative, and antispasmodic in the treatment of bronchitis, whooping cough, asthma, jaundice, gallstones, and gallbladder pain. The latex is used topically to treat warts, ringworm, and...

Sexual function Dxd

Anorgasmia has been quoted in the Physicians Desk Reference as an infrequent adverse effect. Anorgasmia was reported by a 52-year-old man while he was taking gabapentin, 900-1500 mg day, for the treatment of neuropathic pain 36 . The condition lasted for over 2 months and remitted when gabapentin was replaced with mexiletine. A 25-year-old man taking gabapentin 900 mg day reported anorgasmia during sexual intercourse 37 . He was given valproate instead and his symptom resolved within 12 days....

Rifampicin

Rifampicin (rINN) is a semisynthetic derivative of rifamycin B. By suppressing the initiation of chain formation in RNA synthesis, it inhibits the DNA-depen-dent RNA polymerase of mycobacteria and other microorganisms (1). It inhibits the growth of most Gram-positive and many Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, some strains of Pseudomonas, Proteus, Klebsiella, Staphylococcus aureus, Neisseria meningitidis, Hemophilus influenzae, and Legionella species. Mycobacterium tuberculosis,...

Monograph Structure

Within each monograph the information is presented in sections as follows Includes, when necessary, notes on nomenclature, information about the results of observational studies, comparative studies, and placebo-controlled studies in relation to reports of adverse drug reactions, and a general summary of the major adverse effects. ORGANS AND SYSTEMS Cardiovascular (includes heart and blood vessels) Respiratory Ear, nose, throat Nervous system (includes central and peripheral nervous systems)...

Stimulant laxatives

All of the anthraquinones can cause cramping and abdominal discomfort. Chronic use can be associated with melanosis coli. The urine can be colored red. The possibility of colonic injury has been discussed (see General adverse effects of laxatives in this monograph). Hepatitis, confirmed by rechallenge, has been reported, possibly due to re-absorption of rhein anthron produced in the intestine (SEDA-16, 425). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ruled that the stimulant laxatives aloe...

Papaver somniferum

Papaver somniferum opium poppy contains a variety of opioid and related alkaloids, including codeine, morphine, noscapine, papaverine, and thebaine. Crude opium is the air-dried latex obtained by incising the unripe capsules of P. somniferum. Paregoric is ammoniated tincture of opium Scotch paregoric or camphorated tincture of opium English paregoric . The use of these formulations has largely been replaced by use of the purified compounds. The adverse effects of opium are generally the same as...

Larrea tridentata

The major phenolic component of Larrea tridentata (chaparral, creosote bush) is a catechol lignan called nordihydroguaiaretic acid. It causes lymphatic and renal lesions when given chronically in high doses to rodents. Table 1 The genera of Zygophyllaceae Balanites (balanites) Bulnesia (lignum vitae) Fagonia (fagon bush) Guajacum (lignum vitae) Kallstroemia (caltrop) Larrea (creosote bush) Peganum (peganum) Tribulus (punturevine) Zygophyllum (bean caper) There have been several reports of...

Insulin biguanides

Metformin was given as an adjunct to insulin in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 28 adolescents needing more than 1 U kg day (19). The dose of metformin was 1000mg day when body weight was under 50 kg, 1500 mg day when it was 50-75 kg, and 2000 mg day when it was over 75 kg. Metformin lowered insulin requirements. The number of episodes of hypoglycemia increased compared with placebo. There was gastrointestinal discomfort in six patients taking metformin and five taking placebo. A...

Momordica charantia

Oral formulations of Momordica charantia (karela fruit, bitter melon) have hypoglycemic activity in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (8,9), and can interfere with conventional treatment with diet and chlorpropamide (10). In 15 patients aged 52-65 years a soft extract of M. charantia plus half doses of metformin or glibenclamide or both in combination caused hypoglycemia greater than that caused by full doses during treatment for 7 days (11). Subcutaneous injection of a principle obtained...

Substances that affect the skin Contact urticaria

Contact urticaria (1-4) refers to a wheal-and-flare response to the application of chemicals to the intact skin. Various cutaneous and extracutaneous symptoms and signs have been described, justifying the term contact urticaria syndrome.'' The broad spectrum of clinical manifestations is classified in Table 1. The symptoms usually develop within 20-30 minutes after contact with the offending chemical, but later reactions after several hours have also been recorded. Most cases of contact...

Excipients

Methylcellulose is a vehicle used in eye-drops and contact lens solutions (SEDA-1, 369). It is non-irritant and has a good refractive index. A 1 solution is well retained in the conjunctival sac. Corneal cultures have been stimulated by methylcellulose, resulting in increased growth of cells (2) tear-film break-up time was increased four-fold with 2 methylcellulose. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose is also used as artificial tears for people with dry eyes (3).

Aminoglycoside antibiotics

See also Individual agents General Information Eleven aminoglycosides have been, or are still, important in medical practice amikacin (rINN), gentamicin (pINN), isepamicin (rINN), kanamycin (rINN), neomycin (rINN), netilmicin (rINN), paromomycin (rINN), sisomicin (rINN), streptomycin (rINN) and dihydrostreptomycin (rINN), and tobramycin (rINN). The following aminoglycosides are also covered in separate monographs amika-cin, gentamicin, isepamycin, kanamycin, and tobramycin. Being chemically...