The safety of pharmaceuticals is always a looming concern, even when they have been approved by the FDA. Over the years, some drugs have been taken off the market because they had serious side effects or simply didn’t work. While some withdrawn medications have ready alternatives, others may not be so easy to replace. Here are four drugs withdrawn for safety reasons, and the alternatives to them. Rozerem was taken out of circulation due to fears that it could cause liver damage in some patients. Prescribed as a sleep aid, it had been found to increase certain enzymes in the…

With many of us increasingly aware of how diet and lifestyle can affect our health, vitamins and supplements have become increasingly popular, especially with the wellness-focused. With a vast range of options from hundreds of manufacturers, it can be hard to know which supplements are most beneficial, most searched for, most in demand and, most importantly: most likely to help you reach the goal you seek. To make things easier, we’ve compiled a list of the ten most searched for vitamins and supplements on the market today. Vitamin C Topping our list is Vitamin C. A natural antioxidant found in…

Drug interactions are no laughing matter, particularly if you are taking multiple medications, or combining drugs and natural remedies. Even though drug interactions can be complex and hard to predict, there are some rules of thumb that are good to know. Here are the ten most important drug-interaction rules to keep in mind: 1. Know your medications – It’s important to keep track of all the drugs you’re taking, including prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies. Make sure your doctor is aware of each substance you are putting in your body, so they can check for drug…

Off-label prescriptions are prescriptions for medication for a purpose different from the one originally intended. The off-label use of drugs has been gaining more attention recently, with many doctors and researchers arguing that off-label prescriptions have the potential to offer new treatments and therapies that would otherwise be unavailable. Off-label use can do much good, but, as with any prescription drug, off-label prescriptions should be monitored closely by both doctor and patient to ensure that they don’t do harm. In recent years, off-label prescriptions have been used to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety, headaches, and even some forms of…