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 diphenoxylate and atropine, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Lomotil is a combination of two drugs, diphenoxylate and atropine. It is used to treat acute diarrhea (diarrhea of limited duration). Diphenoxylate is a man-made narcotic chemically related to meperidine (Demerol). Like other narcotics, diphenoxylate reduces diarrhea by interfering with the propulsion of intestinal contents through the …
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What is tacrolimus ointment, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Tacrolimus ointment is a topical drug (a drug that is applied to the skin) that is used for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (eczema). Atopic dermatitis is a chronic (long-lasting) disease of skin in which the skin becomes inflamed, causing itchiness, redness, swelling, cracking, weeping, crusting, and scaling. …
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What is rosuvastatin, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Rosuvastatin is an oral drug for lowering blood cholesterol levels. It belongs to a class of drugs called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, more commonly referred to as "statins." Other drugs in this class include simvastatin (Zocor), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), atorvastatin (Lipitor) and fluvastatin (Lescol). These drugs reduce cholesterol levels …
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What are tobramycin (Tobrex) eye drops? How does it work (mechanism of action)? Tobramycin (Tobrex) is an antibiotic eye drop. Tobramycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic that kills susceptible bacteria by blocking bacterial protein synthesis. Death of susceptible bacteria occurs because of the lack of functional proteins. Tobramycin treats only bacterial eye infections and does not work for other types of …
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What is nabumetone, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Nabumetone belongs to a class of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Other members of this class include ibuprofen (Motrin), indomethacin (Indocin), naproxen (Aleve) and several others. These drugs are used for the management of mild to moderate pain, fever, and inflammation. They work by reducing the levels of …
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What is oral ephedrine? Ephedrine directly stimulates alpha and beta-adrenergic receptors and increases the release of norepinephrine. Its actions include relaxation of bronchioles, increased heart rate and contractility, and increased blood pressure. It also causes blood vessels in the nasal passages to shrink (vasoconstrict). Vasoconstriction reduces nasal congestion by preventing fluid from draining from blood vessels into the lining of …
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What is esomeprazole, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Esomeprazole is in a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) which block the production of acid by the stomach. Other drugs in the same class include omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), rabeprazole (Aciphex) and pantoprazole (Protonix). Chemically, esomeprazole is very similar to omeprazole. Proton pump inhibitors are used …
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What is ezetimibe, and how does it work (mechanism of action)? Ezetimibe is an oral drug that is used for the treatment of elevated blood cholesterol. The most commonly used class of drugs for lowering cholesterol levels, the statins, act by preventing the production of cholesterol by the liver. Ezetimibe has a different mechanism of action and lowers blood cholesterol …
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What facts should I know about drug interactions? Whenever two or more drugs are being taken, there is a chance that there will be an interaction among the drugs. The interaction may increase or decrease the effectiveness of the drugs or their side effects. The likelihood of drug interactions increases as the number of drugs being taken increases. Therefore, people …
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