Council on Family Health Offers Medicine Use Information for

As many people age, they are faced with health problems that may need to be treated with the regular use of medicine. And with the normal body changes caused by aging, the likelihood of potential problems with medicines increases for many seniors. With this in mind, the Council on Family Health (CFH) has updated Medicines and You: A Guide for Older Adults -- its educational guide for seniors about safe and responsible medicine use. The revised guide, which is also available in Spanish, will be distributed in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Administration on Aging (AoA).

The new publication will be available for the first time at the 2004 Joint Conference of The National Council on the Aging and the American Society on Aging, April 14-17, in San Francisco, California.

Medicines and You, first published by CFH in 1991, provides practical information for older adults about the use of prescription and nonprescription medicines. The educational guide gives facts about drug interactions, tips for talking to healthcare professionals, and ways seniors can help lower their medicine costs. The 17-page guide also features “My Medicine Record,” a chart on which seniors can list the medicines they take and other important health information.

“Medicines and You offers everyday information that can help older adults manage their medicines and their overall health,” says CFH President Robert G. Donovan. “It is important for seniors to know as much as possible about their medicines. Knowledge and good communication between older adults and their health professionals can help avoid problems with medicines,” he adds.

Donovan urges: “Learn about your medicines. Read medicine labels and package inserts and follow the directions. If you have questions, ask your doctor or other healthcare professionals.”

For a free copy of Medicines and You: A Guide for Older Adults (please specify English or Spanish), write to - FDA/MEDYOU, PSC Personal Property Facility, 16071 Industrial Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20877; send an email request to dpapubs@cder.fda.gov; or call AoA’s Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116. To view the guide online, go to www.cfhinfo.org.

The guide also will be distributed through FDA’s and AoA’s regional offices nationwide.



The Council on Family Health, a nonprofit organization established in 1966, is dedicated to educating consumers about the proper use of nonprescription and prescription medicines, dietary supplements, home safety, and personal health.

Contacting a Celebrex Law Firm – The Best Medicine

by: Jeff Lakie
When the full side effects of Pfizer’s anti-inflammatory and pain-killing drug became apparent, the primary concern for many of the people who had been taking the drug to help with the management of their arthritis symptoms was the implications to their health. As it was revealed that the risk of enduring a major cardiovascular episode was two and a half times in former Celebrex patients what it was in the general population, this is enormously understandable. It is also understandable that for many patients, the next step in coping with the unexpected side effects of Pfizer’s drug is to contact a Celebrex law firm.

Most of the patients taking Celebrex were those dealing with the often-debilitating pain and compromised movement of arthritis, a diagnosis that can be upsetting to receive. Even in the day of modern medical miracles, there remains no cure for this condition, and the best that can be hoped for is that lifestyle changes and medication will impact enough to minimise the symptoms sufficiently to allow the patient to continue with life as best they can. Thus, it is no surprise that a drug like Celebrex was greeted so optimistically to the market place, and that it is with crushed spirits that many patients are now contacting Celebrex law firms.

It has been said that too often people file for compensation, seeking, it would seem, to place the responsibility for their own life choices upon some faceless corporation. Of course eating too much McDonald’s food will make you fat, eating too much of anything will. But the case of Celebrex is not one of insufficient responsibility – it is simply a matter of a trusted pharmaceutical company who gave to long suffering patients a holy grail. Arthritis patients eagerly and trustingly took Celebrex, hoping for an end to their daily difficulties, only to discover that their health had been further compromised. For many, contacting a Celebrex law firm is not a case of simply getting some financial recompense – though many will need this money in order to cope with future medical bills – but simply to stand up and say this: we trusted you, and you let us down. This will be a kind of medicine in itself.
Dave Hoffman is the founder of Celebrex Law Firm a website providing information on Celebrex attorneys.

Complementary Medicine

by: C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot

Complementary Medicine is the use of natural therapy and medicines to restore and maintain health in addition to conventional medicine. Dating back to 420 B.C., around the time of Hippocrates, complementary medicine is also considered a practice beyond the realm of conventional modern medicine - naturopathy, chiropractic, Ayurvedic, homeopathy, acupuncture and so many other complementary medicine treatments are steadily in demand and on the rise.

Because our bodies are composed of chemical and physical reactions, holistic practitioners affirm that illness is not directly caused by pathogens such as viruses or bacterium; instead is the consequence of the body's reaction (in an effort to shield and heal itself) to a pathogen. Naturopathic and holistic doctors assist potential clients through complementary medicine by plainly alleviating symptoms of disease. Complementary medicine can treat most conditions like headaches, sore throats, flu and cold, indigestion, ear infections, dermatitis, urinary tract infections, sprains and strains. Some chronic conditions such as migraines, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, cancer, muscle-skeletal pain, depression, stress, and even pregnancy and childbirth may be treated with complementary medicine as well.

Complementary medicine teaches proper nutrition in conjunction with vitamin and mineral supplements. Plants and herbs are commonly used in alternative medicine to treat illness, as well as remedies produced from animals and minerals. Hydrotherapy and hypnotherapy are also utilized in complmentary medicine for maximum benefits. All in all, complementary medicine improves mental, emotional, and physical health. It encourages psychic and spiritual growth, and an overwhelming sense of wellness.

You can read more about complementary medicine here at Holistic Junction where you will find a broad spectrum of complementary medicine articles, information and complementary medicine directories.

Cialis – The Latest in ED Medicine

by: John M. Davidson

Erectile Dysfunction is defined as the consistent inability to attain and maintain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse. ED affects an estimated 189 million men worldwide. Experts believe that 80 percent to 90 percent of ED cases are related to a physical or medical condition, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and prostate cancer treatment, while 10 percent to 20 percent are due to psychological causes. In many cases, however, both psychological and physical factors contribute to the condition.

Lilly ICOS LLC, a joint venture between ICOS Corporation and Eli Lilly and Company, developed Cialis for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. ICOS Corporation, a biotechnology company headquartered in Bothell, Washington, is dedicated to bringing innovative therapeutics to patients. ICOS is working to develop treatments for serious unmet medical conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, pulmonary arterial hypertension, cancer and inflammatory diseases.

When an erection goes limp, you have PDE5 to thank . Specialized penis tissue produces a substance called cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in response to sexual stimulation. The more cGMP available, the more durable the erection. Cialis inhibits the PDE5 enzyme, preserving cGMP levels, therefore aiding erection viability and durability. Cialis (tadalafil), an oral treatment for erectile dysfunction, is a selective inhibitor of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-specific phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5). Tadalafil has the empirical formula C 22 H 19 N 3 O 4 representing a molecular weight of 389.41.

We all know that Cialis isn't the first oral treatment medicine for erectile dysfunction. It came after Viagra and Levitra. However both Viagra and Levitra works for up to 5-6 hours, while Cialis gives you 36 hours to enjoy sex. All three drugs should take about 30-40 minutes to take action. No longer does an erection or sexual activity have to be rushed. If you Expect to go to a Bar and meet a girl, you probably wouldn't want to take Viagra or Levitra and get a really hard erection after 40 minutes, because you don't know how things would go, Instead you can take Cialis before you go out, and you should be on the safe side of the erection, even if you decide to spend the night.

Canine Arthritis Medicine

by: Niall Kennedy

Arthritis in dogs is just like in humans, it is when a joint becomes inflamed. It can be very painful, swell and become hard to move. Dogs can have different types of arthritis also. Before just giving your dog any type of medication you find at the store, you should have your veterinarian check your dog for signs of arthritis.

Before you decide to give your dog canine arthritis medicine you should understand what arthritis is and why medication will ease your dog’s symptoms.

Canine arthritis medicine will not make the arthritis go away. There are no cures for arthritis. In severe cases, surgery can be an alternative. But, many medications will relive the pain and swelling associated with arthritis. After your veterinarian has diagnosed your dog with canine arthritis it would be best to find out what medicines he thinks would be best for the type of arthritis you dog is suffering with.

There are many different types of pain killers and anti inflammatory medications that are great in helping your dog. With these medicines your dog will be able to play again and even enjoy life more.

The main thing to remember is that you do not want your best friend suffering with pain if he doesn’t have to. He will not be happy and can become worse without the medication. The pain from arthritis will have him lying around and then his joints can become stiffer. He needs to exercise and that is very hard to do, if he is in severe pain.

Luckily, its an ailment that can be treated with treatments such as Arthramine which helps repair the damaged tissue.