An antidepressant drug of the SSRI group. It is used for the treatment of depressive illness, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bulimia nervosa. Fluoxetine is available as capsules or liquid on prescription only.
Interactions with other drugs:
Antiepileptics: the plasma concentrations of carbamazepine and phenytoin are increased by fluoxetine.
Antipsychotics: plasma concentrations of clozapine, haloperidol, and sertindole are increased by fluoxetine. Selegiline: there is an increased risk of hypertension and adverse effects on the central nervous system.
Terfenadine: there is an increased risk of arrhythmias and fluoxetine should not be taken with terfenadine.
Proprietary preparation: Prozac.
An ACE inhibitor used as an adjunct to diuretics for the treatment of he art failure. It is also taken after myocardial infarction (heart attack) to reduce recurrence and is used to treat all grades of hypertension. Available as tablets on prescription only, it is usually taken once a day.
Proprietary preparations: Carace; Zestril; CARACE PLUS (combined with hydrochlorothiazide); ZESTORETIC (combined with hydrochlorothiazide).
An alpha blocker used to treat all grades of hypertension and to relieve the obstruction of urine flow that can occur in men with an enlarged prostate gland. It is available as tablets on prescription only.
Precautions: people with heart failure should be treated appropriately before taking indoramin. Indoramin should be used with caution in people with liver or kidney disease, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, or depression.
Proprietary preparations: Baratol; Doralese.
A drug that opposes the action of opioids (such as heroin) and is used to help maintain a drug-free habit in
people who were formerly dependent on opioids, Naltrexone is usually started after the individual has abstained from taking opioid drugs for at least 7-10 days. It is available as tablets on prescription only.
Side effects: include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, anxiety, nervousness, difficulties in sleeping, headache, reduced energy, and joint and muscle pain. Less frequently there may be mood changes and decreased potency.
Precautions: naltrexone should not be taken by people who are still dependent on opioids or by those with severe liver disease.
Proprietary preparation: Nalorex.
A proton pump inhibitor used for the treatment of reflux oesophagitis, gastric and duodenal ulcers (including those associated with Helicobacter pylori infection and the use of NSAIDs), Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, and other kinds of acid-peptic disease. It is available as capsules or a suspension on prescription only.
Side effects: include headache, dizziness, fatigue, malaise, diarrhoea, constipation, sore throat, rashes, and muscle aches.
Interactions with other drugs:
Antifungal drugs: the absorption of ketoconazole and itraconazole may be reduced by lansoprazole. Oral contraceptives: their metabolism may be accelerated (and therefore their effects reduced) by lansoprazole. Phenytoin: lansoprazole should be used with caution in people taking phenytoin.
Warfarin: lansoprazole should be used with caution in people taking warfarin.
Proprietary preparation: Zoton.
An angiotensin inhibitor used in the treatment of hypertension. It is available as tablets on prescription only.
Side effects: include headache, dizziness, and muscle and bone pain.
Precautions: irbesartan should not be taken by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. It should be used with caution by people with kidney disease, severe liver disease, heart failure, and some types of heart
disease.
Proprietary preparation: Aprovel.
A proprietary combination of vitamins used to prevent vitamin deficiency in people with metabolic disorders.
It is available as tablets or a liquid; these can be taken together as a vitamin supplement by people on special diets that lack vitamins.
The tablets, which are available on prescription only, contain ascorbic acid, members of the vitamin B complex (including inositol, riboflavin, and thiamine), and alpha tocopheryl acetate. The liquid contains vitamin A, ergocalciferol (vitamin D2), and the B vitamins choline chloride and cyanocobalamin; it can be obtained from pharmacies without a prescription.
An anticonvulsant drug used for the treatment of partial seizures and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. It is available, on prescription only, as tablets or dispersible tablets.
Side effects: include rashes, fever, malaise, influenza-like symptoms, drowsiness, and (rarely) liver disorders.
Precautions: people taking lamotrigine should be closely monitored initially: liver, kidney, and blood-clotting functions should be assessed. If rashes, influenza-like symptoms, or drowsiness occur, or if the drug becomes less effective in controlling seizures, treatment may need to be stopped. When stopping medication, lamotrigine should be withdrawn gradually over a two-week period.
Interactions with other drugs: Other anticonvulsants: taking two or more anticonvulsants together may
enhance their toxicity.
Proprietary preparation: Lamictal.
An antiviral drug that prevents retro virus replication: it is a nucleoside analogue that inhibits reverse transcriptase. One of the oldest antiviral drugs, zidovudine is used, in combination with other antivirals, for the treatment of HIV infection and to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to fetus. Zidovudine is available, on prescription only, as capsules, a syrup, or a solution for injection.
Side effects: include anaemia, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, indigestion, headache, rash, fever, aching muscles, pigmentation of the skin, nails, and mouth, and reduced production of white blood cells.
Precautions: zidovudine should not be given to people with severe anaemia or a very low white-blood-cell count; blood tests may be required during the first three months of treatment. It should be used with caution in those with kidney or liver disease and in pregnant women; breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment.
Interactions with other drugs:
Aciclovir: causes extreme lethargy.
Clarithromycin: reduces the absorption of zidovudine,
Gancidovir: greatly reduces production of blood cells in the bone marrow.
Methadone: increases the plasma concentration (and therefore side effects) of zidovudine.
Fhenytoin: the plasma concentration of phenytoin is altered.
Frobenecid: increases the plasma concentration of zidovudine.
Proprietary preparations: Retrovir; COMBIVIR (combined with lamivudine).
A drug that blocks the action of progesterone, a hormone that is essential for maintaining a pregnancy. Mifepristone is used to induce abortion up to the 20th week of pregnancy. It is taken by mouth under medical supervision; if the pregnancy is more advanced than 9 weeks gemeprost pessaries may need to be given in addition. Mifepristone is also used for softening and dilating the cervix (neck of the uterus)
before mechanical termination of pregnancy. It is available as tablets on prescription only.
Side effects: include malaise, faintness, headache, nausea, vomiting, rashes, vaginal bleeding (sometimes severe), and (especially after gemeprost) pain in the uterus.
Precautions: mifepristone should not be used if an ectopic pregnancy is suspected or in women with chronic adrenal failure or taking long-term corticosteroids or anticoagulants. It should not be used in combination with gameprost by women over 35 who smoke. Alcohol and smoking must be avoided for two days before gemeprost treatment and on the day of this treatment. Mifepristone should be used with caution by women with asthma, heart, liver or kidney disease, and during breastfeeding. Interactions with other drugs: Aspirin and NSAIDs: should not be taken for at least 8-12 days after mifepristone treatment.
Proprietary preparation: Mifegyne.
