Search results below include Worst Pills, Best Pills Newsletter Articles where your
selected drug is a secondary subject of discussion.
October 2023
A recent large adequately powered randomized clinical trial that directly compared furosemide and torsemide found that both drugs are equally effective in improving the survival of patients with heart failure.
November 2022
Patients taking the commonly prescribed diuretic spironolactone should be aware that it has clinically important interactions with many other commonly used prescription and over-the-counter medications.
February 2022
It is estimated that more than a quarter of adult Americans take a magnesium supplement. However, preference should be given to relying on dietary sources of this critical mineral whenever possible to avoid adverse effects.
August 2021
Patients taking the widely prescribed calcium channel blocker nifedipine (PROCARDIA, PROCARDIA XL) should be aware that it has clinically important interactions with many other prescription medications.
May 2021
In this month’s Question & Answer feature, we respond to a reader’s question about whether the potassium-sparing diuretic spironolactone (ALDACTONE, CAROSPIR) can cause magnesium deficiency.
April 2018
When the beta blocker nebivolol was approved by the FDA in 2007, we advised readers not to use the drug until 2015, in accordance with our seven-year rule. Find out why we now have designated nebivolol as Limited Use and whether it is the right choice for treating hypertension.
July 2017
Nocturnal or nighttime leg cramps (charley horses) are very common in adults, afflicting nearly half of those over the age of 50. Find out why magnesium supplements are not the solution for this often distressing condition.
June 2017
We discuss new studies confirming that the widely used angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers can potentially harm the kidneys and cause dangerous elevations in blood potassium levels. These studies also indicated that many doctors are not heeding recommenda¬tions to look out for these side effects.
May 2013
The article discusses possible breathing risks of nebivolol (BYSTOLIC)and how other, older drugs — just as effective as this relatively new high blood pressure drug — are preferred because more is known about their risks.
July 2012
Find out why we recommend that you do not use the recently approved high blood pressure drug azilsartan.
June 2011
This article lists 355 drugs with names that are often confused with similar-sounding drug names. Find out what you can do to prevent getting the wrong drug.
February 2009
Twenty different NSAIDS (nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs) are listed in this article that can adversely affect your blood pressure control. The article discusses the way in which this happens and what you can do about it.
July 2008
Low levels of sodium in the blood are one of the most common laboratory abnormalities and the consequences range from mild and non-specific to life-threatening. The article discusses the symptoms of low blood sodium and lists 53 prescription drugs that can cause it. We urge that both patients and health professionals be alert for symptoms that may signal the onset of hyponatremia if the patient is predisposed to this disorder as a result of their drug therapy or diseases.
December 2003
This statement appears in the professional product labeling, or package insert, for eplerenone: “The principal risk of INSPRA is hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia can cause serious, sometimes fatal, arrhythmias (heart rhythm disturbances).”
July 2003
You should check the list of drugs that can cause loss of bladder control before starting drug treatment for this condition. You may be able to change from a drug that causes loss of bladder control to a drug that does not or alter the dose. This may be enough to solve the problem.
June 2003
This study does provide additional support to what the National Institutes of Health and the Health Research Group have been saying for years: low-dose hydrochlorothiazide should be the first drug used in the treatment of mild to moderate high blood pressure.
January 2003
The August 2002 issue of the Australian Adverse Drug Reactions Bulletin reviewed reports of low blood levels of sodium (hyponatremia) induced by the water pill, or diuretic, indapamide (LOZOL). The main symptoms of hyponatremia involve the central nervous system and include lethargy, confusion, stupor, or coma. If you are taking indapamide for high blood pressure, you should ask your doctor why you have not been prescribed hydrochlorothiazide.
January 2003
There is an additional similarity (aside from our listing both as DO NOT USE drugs) between valdecoxib and celecoxib, both are sulfa drugs and individuals who are allergic to sulfa drugs should not use them. Although celecoxib came on the market with a warning about sulfa drug allergy, valdecoxib did not. We previously wrote “It may be a dangerous oversight on the part of the FDA not to have required the same warning for valdecoxib.” Unfortunately, because uninformed patients have been needlessly harmed, our prediction has come to pass.