Written by Stacia Woodcock, PharmD | Reviewed by Christina Aungst, PharmD Key takeaways: If you’re feeling tired, it’s possible your medication is to blame. Common culprits include antihistamines, muscle relaxers, and benzodiazepines. Opioid pain medications commonly cause drowsiness, too. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and antibiotics aren’t known to make you drowsy. But they both treat conditions (pain,...
Tag: <span>medications</span>
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8 Types of Medications That Can Cause Weight Gain, and What You Can Do About It
Written by Christina Aungst, PharmD | Reviewed by Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS Updated on January 31, 2023 Key takeaways: Some commonly prescribed medications can cause weight gain. Both prescription and over-the-counter medications have been linked to this side effect.Certain diabetes medications, antidepressants, and antipsychotics are medications that can cause weight gain. Antihistamines, some hormonal birth...
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Which Medications Can Cause Edema?
Medscape Family MedicineCOMMENTARY Mauricio Wajngarten, MD DISCLOSURES | August 20, 2024 Edema in the feet and legs is a common complaint in our practices. It can cause pain, weakness, heaviness, discomfort, limited movement, and a negative body image. Medications can contribute to edema, either alone or in combination with other health issues. Edema is also...
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These 17 Medications May Cause Double Vision or Harm Your Eyes
Written by Nishika Reddy, MD | Reviewed by Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPHUpdated on April 3, 2024 Key takeaways: Medications people take for certain health conditions can affect vision and eye health.Some medications can cause blurred vision, eye pain, redness, or double vision.If you develop eye symptoms from a medication, your healthcare professional may need to...
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Can You Take Medications After Their Expiration Date?
Written by Christina Aungst, PharmD | Reviewed by Amy B. Gragnolati, PharmD, BCPSUpdated on November 1, 2022 Key takeaways: Manufacturers set medication expiration dates. But they don’t always mean that the medication stops working after that date. Some medications, though, can be harmful if taken after their expiration date.Storing your medications according to the instructions...
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What Medications Can Cause Leg Cramps At Night, And How Can You Treat or Prevent Them?
Written by Stacia Woodcock, PharmD | Reviewed by Sanjai Sinha, MD Updated on April 24, 2024 Key takeaways: Long-acting beta agonist inhalers, diuretics, and statin are among the medications most likely to cause leg cramps at night.Pregnancy, heart conditions, and liver or kidney problems can also make leg cramps more likely. Often, once your health...
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7 Medications That Can Cause Hearing Loss
Written by Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP | Reviewed by Sanjai Sinha, MD Published on April 20, 2023 Key takeaways: While it’s not common, some medications can cause hearing loss. Examples include certain antibiotics, high doses of aspirin, and water pills (diuretics). Medication-related hearing loss tends to be more common if you take more than one...
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11 Medications You Should Take on an Empty Stomach
Written by Kristianne Hannemann, PharmD | Reviewed by Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP Key takeaways: Some medications work better when taken on an empty stomach. Common examples include thyroid medications, bisphosphonates, and sucralfate (Carafate).The general rule of thumb is to take your medication either 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal. But how long...
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Top 5 Medications That Can Increase Blood Glucose Levels
Akshay B. Jain, MD It’s that time of the year, when social media is rife with many top 5 and top 10 lists. Perhaps the beginning of a new year is a good time to review how different medications can have side effects beyond the disease state they’re used to address. Among the most common...
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Prescriptions for ADHD Medications Are Going Up Among Adults, What to Know
ADHD prescriptions surged among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to prior years. Milko/Getty ImagesAdult prescriptions for ADHD medication surged during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to prior years, a new study reports.Other categories of drugs, including benzodiazepines, medications to treat opioid use disorder, and antidepressants, continued along regular trends or remained flat.The increase in ADHD...