What is niacin and lovastatin, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Advicor is an oral drug that is used for lowering cholesterol levels in the blood. It is a combination of extended-release niacin and lovastatin. It reduces blood levels of total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides and increases blood levels …
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What is efavirenz, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Efavirenz is an oral medication that is used for the treatment of infections associated with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Efavirenz is in a class of drugs called reverse transcriptase inhibitors, which also includes zalcitabine (Hivid), zidovudine (Retrovir), didanosine (Videx), and lamivudine (Epivir). It is in a subclass of …
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Migraine and seizure definitions, auras, symptoms, and signs Readers Comments 6 Share Your Story Migraines and seizures have similar symptoms and signs. A migraine is a collection of neurological symptoms that usually includes a severe and throbbing headache. A seizure is a change in the brain’s electrical activity that may affect how a person acts or what they do for …
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What is gefitinib, and how does it work? What are the uses for gefitinib? Gefitinib is a drug that is used to treat several types of lung cancer. It works by preventing lung cancer cells from growing and multiplying. Many cells, including cancer cells, have receptors on their surfaces for epidermal growth factor (EGF), a protein that is normally produced …
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What is nevirapine, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Nevirapine is an oral medication that is used for the treatment of infections with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is in a class of drugs called reverse transcriptase inhibitors that also includes zalcitabine (Hivid), zidovudine (Retrovir), didanosine (Videx), and lamivudine (Epivir). It is in a subclass of protease …
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What is tolmetin, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Tolmetin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is effective in treating fever, pain, and inflammation in the body. It is similar to ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil), naproxen (Naprosyn), and others. As a group, NSAIDs are non-narcotic relievers of mild to moderate pain of many causes, including injury, menstrual …
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What does stillborn mean? Stillbirth statistics Share Your Story What is stillbirth vs. miscarriage? Can you have a healthy pregnancy after stillborn baby? Stillborn (stillbirth) means the death of a baby prior to birth. This can occur before or during delivery of the baby. About 1% of pregnancies overall result in stillbirth, meaning that there are about 24,000 stillbirths each …
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What is paliperidone palmitate? What is paliperidone palmitate used for? Invega trinza (paliperidone palmitate) is an atypical antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia. It is a longer acting form of Invega sustenna and Invega. Other atypical antipsychotic drugs include olanzapine (Zyprexa), quetiapine (Seroquel), ziprasidone (Geodon), asenapine (Saphris), iloperidone (Fanapt) and aripiprazole (Abilify). Atypical antipsychotics differ from typical antipsychotics because they cause …
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What is erlotinib, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Erlotinib is a synthetic (man-made) oral drug that is used for treating cancer. It is approved for treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). There are more than 1.2 million cases worldwide of lung cancer each year, causing one death every 3 seconds. According to the National Cancer Institute, …
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What is nafarelin, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Nafarelin is a synthetic (man-made) protein that blocks the effects of the natural gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), a hormone that regulates the output of gonadotropins (a class of hormones) by the pituitary gland (a small gland located at the base of the brain). Gonadotropins (follicle stimulating hormone or FSH and …
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