Have you been living with the buzzing, whistling and humming sounds of tinnitus for years? Have you seen your doctor, only to be told that your tinnitus was caused by damage to the sensitive parts of the cochlea, and there is no cure, and only limited treatments available? Suffer no longer!
There may be reason for you to look at some other causes of your tinnitus - namely some common drugs that can cause tinnitus as a side effect.
About 50% of the American population is taking at least one prescription drug, many for common ailments such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and depression. As is usually the case, every drug has has some type of side effect. In addition to the drug performing as advertised in treating a particular ailment, the drug also causes other reactions in your body that are not desired, but tolerated in order to receive the positive benefits. Some of these medications are drugs that cause tinnitus.
I've researched 5 common drugs taken by large segments of society that can cause tinnitus as a side effect.
Imitrex Nasal Spray
Also known as Sumatriptan, Imitrex is a receptor subtype agonist, used in the treatment of migraine headaches. Simply put,Imitrex works by constricting blood vessels (vasoconstriction) to relieve that intense pain from a migraine headache. Imitrex may increase blood pressure - not good for tinnitus. Those with chronic vascular disease or heart conditions should be careful when using the drug. Of course, one of the side effects of Imitrex is tinnitus.
Levaquin
Levaquin is in a class of drugs called quinolones and is usually prescribed to treat serious cases of bacterial infections of the lungs, skin and urinary tract. One of the major side effects of Levaquin is the rupture and injury of tendons - mainly in the elderly. Phototoxicity (sunburns and blistering sunburns) are another serious side effect. Tinnitus is another, irritating side effect of this drug.
Lopressor
A beta blocker, used in the treatment of high blood pressure, angina (chest pain caused by blocked arteries in the heart) and heart attack. Lopressor is also used as a preventative for migraine headaches and the for treatment of anxiety. Tinnitus is a common side effect of this medicine.
Neurontin Capsules
Neurontin is an anti-epileptic medication that is also used to treat nerve pain from the herpes virus (shingles). Neurontin is a powerful drug that can have serious side effects relating to kidney, liver and heart disease. Count tinnitus as another possible side effect of this drug.
Pepcid
Pepcid. (Famotidine) is a histamine-2 blocker that reduces the amount of acid in the stomach. Pepcid is used to prevent and treat ulcers of the stomach and intestines. Side effects of Pepcid may impair quick thinking and reaction time. Tinnitus is high on the list of possible side effects too.
Of course, this is just a short list of drugs that cause tinnitus - consult with your doctor if you feel that any drugs that you're taking now are contributing to your tinnitus.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
A Study on Better Migraine Treatment
If your migraine treatment isn't providing the benefit you had hoped, new research shows an easy way to boost its effectiveness.
This latest study in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked specifically at the group of medicines called triptans, and focused on perhaps the best known, imitrex.
It found patients could get more relief by adding to imitrex a common over the counter medicine.
Four years ago, Amy Lapa- Stochel started to get a migraine more frequently than every other day. She uses several medicines, including imitrex.
Amy says,In the past when I just Took the Imitrex alone the headache would just rebound; your headache would go away for a little bit and then come back.
Many patients like Amy don't get adequate relief.
There are several potential reasons.
Dr. Larry Newman, Director of the Headache Institute at Roosevelt Hospital Center, says,Part of the reason may be on the wrong dose, another reason they are on the correct dose but take the medication too late during the attack and another reason is that the drugs as good as they are they don't address all of the features of migraine.
The medicines called triptans are widely used, and very effective when taken shortly after the onset of migraine or migraine warning signs.
But now, the latest research found by adding the antiinflammatory naproxen to imitrex, patients got more relief than when using imitrex alone.
Dr. Newman says, What we know with migraine is that it is a disorder of the nerve, it is a disorder of the blood vessel but there is also inflammation associated with the headache and the triptans work on the blood vessel and they work on the nerve but the medications we have currently don't address the inflammation.
In the study, patients either got a single tablet containing both imitrex and naproxen, 500 milligrams, or got only imitrex or only naproxen, or a placebo with nothing in it.
The combination pill containing both medicines did better at relieving headache at two hours, relieveing senstiivty to light and loud sounds, and relief of nausea was better.
The combo pill also did better at sustaining the Online Pain Relief through the twenty four hour period after the begninning of the migraine.
You get the initial relief of the headache from the sumatriptan right away and then the naproxen is pushed forward in time so it last twenty four hours later, so we get the initial relief of the headache and then the naproxen lasting longer prevents the headache from coming back later,states Dr. Newman.
This latest study in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked specifically at the group of medicines called triptans, and focused on perhaps the best known, imitrex.
It found patients could get more relief by adding to imitrex a common over the counter medicine.
Four years ago, Amy Lapa- Stochel started to get a migraine more frequently than every other day. She uses several medicines, including imitrex.
Amy says,In the past when I just Took the Imitrex alone the headache would just rebound; your headache would go away for a little bit and then come back.
Many patients like Amy don't get adequate relief.
There are several potential reasons.
Dr. Larry Newman, Director of the Headache Institute at Roosevelt Hospital Center, says,Part of the reason may be on the wrong dose, another reason they are on the correct dose but take the medication too late during the attack and another reason is that the drugs as good as they are they don't address all of the features of migraine.
The medicines called triptans are widely used, and very effective when taken shortly after the onset of migraine or migraine warning signs.
But now, the latest research found by adding the antiinflammatory naproxen to imitrex, patients got more relief than when using imitrex alone.
Dr. Newman says, What we know with migraine is that it is a disorder of the nerve, it is a disorder of the blood vessel but there is also inflammation associated with the headache and the triptans work on the blood vessel and they work on the nerve but the medications we have currently don't address the inflammation.
In the study, patients either got a single tablet containing both imitrex and naproxen, 500 milligrams, or got only imitrex or only naproxen, or a placebo with nothing in it.
The combination pill containing both medicines did better at relieving headache at two hours, relieveing senstiivty to light and loud sounds, and relief of nausea was better.
The combo pill also did better at sustaining the Online Pain Relief through the twenty four hour period after the begninning of the migraine.
You get the initial relief of the headache from the sumatriptan right away and then the naproxen is pushed forward in time so it last twenty four hours later, so we get the initial relief of the headache and then the naproxen lasting longer prevents the headache from coming back later,states Dr. Newman.
One Can Buy Imitrex Online and Get Relief From All Headaches
People who suffer the acute pain of migraine headaches may find relief with Imitrex.
In 1992 the FDA approved Imitrex the first drug in a class known as triptans. This class of drugs marked a huge sign of relief for headache sufferers. Unlike some previous drugs that dulled the perception of pain, triptans stop the pain by narrowing blood vessels in the brain and reducing inflammation.
The triptan class of drugs, that includes Imitrex as well as Amerege, Zomig and Maxalt, acts on specific serotonin receptors in the brain and relieves headache, nausea and light sensitivity soon after onset. To ensure they are not vomited, triptans can be found as nasal spray, injection and pills.
Migraines typically create throbbing pain on one side of the head that can last for hours or even days. They also are known as vascular headaches because they are associated with constriction of blood vessels outside the brain and in the face, neck, and scalp. Migraines usually stay with you all life long. The use of Imitrex helps relieve the pain and if taken right away can stop migraines cold.
Recent estimates of the number of Americans who have migraines vary widely from 11,000,000 to 23,000,000 individuals. They are much more prevalent in women, up to three times more so than in men.
About 70% of women who suffer from migraines report that they get them only in association with their menstrual periods or ovulation. Migraine headaches are common in children in equal numbers among boys and girls, up to the age of 14. They may be inherited; about half of migraine patients have a parent who had them.
Imitrex was the first drug produced to attach migraines. It is used by nearly 13 million people to treat about 300 million attacks; it is available in the U.S. in three forms: subcutaneous injection, nasal spray, and oral tablet.
Although Imitrex is effective in alleviating pain in a high proportion of patients, it is not a cure for migraines but only a relief agent. In addition, people with underlying heart disease should not take this drug because it may constrict coronary arteries. Its side effects include a mild, short-lived rise in blood pressure, fatigue, and drowsiness.
In two clinical trials held within the United States, more than 1,000 patients with acute migraine headaches were given a 6-milligram Injection of Imitrex. It relieved the pain in 75 percent of the patients within one hour. Some of them actually had relief within 10 to 30 minutes, and 80 percent of the patients felt pain relief after two hours.
Most headaches can be successfully treated with over-the-counter pain relievers. Now one can even Buy Imitrex Online without taking the headache of going to market. But you should seek professional help for headaches if they persist or get worse or if the headaches are keeping you from work and social activities. You should also see a doctor if you've never had headaches before and you start having them, if you get headaches upon exertion or if headaches are accompanied by a stiff neck, fever or neurological symptoms like dizziness or blurred vision.
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