What is hydralazine-oral, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Hydralazine (Apresoline) is an antihypertensive medication used to treat high blood pressure. It is a peripheral arterial vasodilator and causes relaxation of blood vessels which carry blood away from the heart and towards the organs and tissues. The exact mechanism of how hydralazine causes …
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What is ramipril, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Ramipril belongs to a class of drugs called angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors that are used for treating high blood pressure, heart failure and for preventing kidney failure due to high blood pressure and diabetes. Other ACE inhibitors include enalapril (Vasotec), quinapril (Accupril), captopril (Capoten), fosinopril (Monopril), benazepril (Lotensin), …
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Do I need a prescription for doxycycline? Yes What is doxycycline? Doxycycline is a synthetic (man-made) antibiotic derived from tetracycline. What brand names are available for doxycycline? Brand names for doxycycline hyclate include Vibramycin, Oracea, Adoxa, Atridox, Acticlate, Acticlate Cap, Doryx, Doxteric, Doxy, Monodox, and others. Is doxycycline available as a generic drug? Yes Why is doxycycline prescribed to patients? …
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What is tramadol and acetaminophen, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Ultracet is a combination of two drugs, tramadol (Ultram) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) that is used to relieve moderate, acute pain such as pain following dental or surgical procedures. Tramadol and acetaminophen each relieve pain, but they do so by different mechanisms. Tramadol achieves pain relief in two …
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What is steroid and antibiotic eye drops, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? These eye drops and ointments contain a combination of a steroid and one or more types of antibiotic for treatment of infection and inflammation of the eye. The steroid reduces inflammation while the antibiotic treats or prevents infection which may be the cause of the …
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What is sildenafil, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Viagra (sildenafil) is an oral drug that is used for treating impotence (or erectile disfunction, ED, the inability to attain or maintain a penile erection). It is in a class of drugs called phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDE-5 inhibitors) that also includes tadalafil (Cialis), vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn ODT), and avanafil (Stendra). …
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What is propylthiouracil, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Propylthiouracil (PTU) is an oral medication that is used to manage hyperthyroidism which is due to an overactive thyroid gland. It is an anti-thyroid drug that has a mechanism of action that is similar to methimazole (Tapazole). Graves’ disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. It is an …
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What is potassium citrate-oral tablet, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Potassium citrate is a urinary alkalinizing medication. It makes urine less acidic. Potassium citrate works by crystallizing stone-forming salts such as calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, and uric acid within the urinary bladder by increasing the urinary pH and urine citrate levels. Urocit-k was approved in August 1985. …
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What are nitrates (nitrate medications)? Nitrates are medications used for treating or preventing heart pain (angina, chest pain) caused by heart disease, usually of the arteries in the heart. What are examples of nitrates available in the United States? Examples of generic and brand names of nitrates include: nitroglycerin sublingual tablet (Nitrostat) nitroglycerin lingual aerosol (Nitromist) nitrolinglycerin pumpspray (Nitrolingual Pumpsprapy) …
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What is modafinil, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Modafinil is an oral drug that is used for improving wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness. It is similar to armodafinil (Nuvigil). Like amphetamines, modafinil promotes wakefulness by stimulatIng the brain. The exact mechanism of action of modafinil is unknown. It may work by increasing the amount of dopamine …
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