“Can I have a drink while I’m taking my medication?” This is a question that primary care doctors are frequently asked, rightly so. Almost 50% of Americans report taking a prescription medication in the previous month. Alcohol in moderation (3 – 5 drinks per week) is recommended for stroke and heart disease prevention, and many folks taking medications known to interact with alcohol still report regular use. See More
Dr. Sharon Orrange - January 17, 2017
When asked about the medical conditions they fear the most, adults overwhelmingly answer dementia, specifically Alzheimers dementia. Treatment options for dementia are dismal, so the focus needs to be on prevention. Many risk factors for dementia are things you can control: diabetes, high blood pressure, physical inactivity and even some medications.
Multiple studies have found an association between the use of certain medication classes with dementia and cognitive (thinking, understanding, learning, remembering) impairment in older adults. See More
Dr. Sharon Orrange - September 02, 2016
If you’ve never used pain medications and are given them for pain after a procedure, who is most likely to have a problem down the line? Well, a recent JAMA study evaluated the risk for chronic opioid use following several common surgical procedures in opioid-naive patients (people who have never used opioid medications before). See More
Dr. Sharon Orrange - February 04, 2016
Opioid pain medication is an emotional topic for everyone. Patients who struggle with chronic noncancer pain and need opioid medications feel they are portrayed as addicts when they ask for refills. Each week I see many patients using opioids for the appropriate reason, who have tried and failed with other medications and yet feel stigmatized by the use of medicine they need.
Dr. Sharon Orrange - April 23, 2014
One of the bright new changes in pain medications over the last few years were two medications: Ultram (tramadol) and now Nucynta (tapentadol). These are different from Vicodin (hydrocodone/acetaminophen), Percocet (oxycodone/acetaminophen), and Tylenol #3 (codeine/acetaminophen) in many ways and are considered much “gentler.” So, is Nucynta better? Lets look.
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Dr. Sharon Orrange - April 09, 2014
Heroin, Oxycontin or any opioid overdose is easily reversed with naloxone. You’ve seen it in the movies and it’s true, naloxone works to wake people up from the dead, well . . . most of the time. Now people won’t have to wait for paramedics to arrive or to get to the ER, it will be available as a prescription.
The FDA has approved Evzio (naloxone injection) for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose, which as you know manifests as respiratory and/or central nervous system depression. See More
The GoodRx Pharmacist - November 01, 2013
Controlled substances and prescription drug abuse have been increasingly under the spotlight. This has been fueled, in particular, by overuse of drug such as opioids. Opioids are used as painkillers and include hydrocodone, oxycodone, hydromorphone, and morphine. Hydrocodone and oxycodone are among the top most abused prescription drugs.
Overdose is the second leading causing of accidental death in the United States, with an estimated 16,600 deaths from overdose in 2010. See More
Dr. Sharon Orrange - April 18, 2013
You are all stopped up and can’t find an obvious reason. Look over your medication list and you may find the source. Constipation has many causes but medications are among the most common.
First, if your stools are too hard or too small or pooping is too difficult or infrequent you are constipated. Officially, constipation is defined as a stool frequency of less than three per week. It can be miserable and medications prescribed by us, your physicians, are frequently to blame. See More
Dr. Sharon Orrange - October 04, 2012
Dilaudid is the short acting hydromorphone most people are familiar with. In August 2012, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a 32 mg strength of Exalgo (hydromorphone) extended-release tablets for use in opioid-tolerant patients with moderate-to-severe chronic pain who require opioids for an extended period of time. See More