Danshen, a popular herbal supplement for heart health, can dangerously increase bleeding risk when taken with blood thinners like warfarin or rivaroxaban. Real cases show life-threatening INR spikes and internal bleeding. Avoid it entirely if you're on heart medication.
When a drug costs hundreds of thousands, is it worth the side effects? This article breaks down when expensive medications actually make sense - and how patients can get help paying for them.
Medical societies have conflicting positions on generic drug substitution. While most support it for cost savings, neurologists and others warn against swapping drugs with narrow therapeutic indices-like anticonvulsants-where small changes can cause serious harm.
Generic drug quality issues stem from manufacturing failures overseas, leading to dangerous impurities, inconsistent dosing, and life-threatening recalls. Learn how poor oversight, cost-cutting, and broken inspections put patients at risk.
Learn how ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics work to lower blood pressure, which ones are most effective, common side effects, and why combination therapy is now the standard for most patients.
Learn how absolute and relative risk affect your understanding of drug side effects. Discover why pharmaceutical ads use relative risk to make benefits look bigger-and how to see the real numbers behind the hype.
Second and third generic drug manufacturers drive prescription prices down dramatically-often to less than half the brand cost. This competition saves billions annually and makes life-saving meds affordable.
Colesevelam can cause constipation and bloating in up to 15% of users. Learn how to manage these side effects with dose titration, fiber, hydration, and when to seek help.
The Beers Criteria identify medications that pose higher risks than benefits for adults over 65. Learn which drugs to avoid, why they're dangerous, and how to work with your doctor to reduce unnecessary prescriptions.
Learn the five essential rules for taking medication safely to avoid dangerous errors. From knowing your pills to spotting reactions, these practical steps can prevent hospital visits and save your life.
