Post meds

When needed, medicines that may relieve a tension headache include: Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medicines, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen. Narcotic pain relievers are generally not recommended. Muscle relaxers.

In the case of a high fever or a fever that causes discomfort, your care provider may recommend nonprescription medication, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others). Use these medications according to the label instructions or as recommended by your health care provider.

Doxycycline is the drug of choice (DOC) in Q fever; however, in a series of pregnant patients with Q fever, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) was used with some success. In the chronic setting, the addition of chloroquine to doxycycline may improve outcomes, although data are sparse.

Fever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness. A child has a fever when the temperature is at or above one of these levels: 100.4°F (38°C) measured in the bottom (rectally) 99.5°F (37.5°C) measured in the mouth (orally).

Treatment for painkiller addiction
Fortunately, there is expert support and evidence-based treatment available to help someone who has developed a painkiller addiction. Here is what you can expect in treatment for opioid use disorder:
Withdrawal management: The recovery journey starts with withdrawal management. Throughout the withdrawal process, symptoms will be closely observed and mitigated by the support of a medical detox team.
Medication supported recovery (MSR): MSR is an adjunctive treatment element that utilizes medications like buprenorphine and others to ease cravings and minimize withdrawal discomfort.
Individual psychotherapy: During the one-on-one therapy sessions, the psychotherapist guides the individual toward identifying factors that may be driving the painkiller addiction. Cognitive behavioral therapy can guide individuals in shifting disordered thought and behavior patterns toward healthy, productive ones.
Group counseling: Having the support of peers in recovery is a vital aspect of substance use treatment. Group therapy provides an opportunity to connect with others on a deeper level by sharing personal experiences and struggles.
Complementary therapies: These include family therapy, meditation, yoga and art therapy. These activities can augment clinical results and improve recovery success rates.

What are the signs of painkiller addiction?
Here are three categories of signs and symptoms that may indicate an opioid use disorder is present:
Behavioral signs:
Seems obsessed with obtaining the medication.
Engages in doctor shopping to obtain more refills.
Steals painkillers from friends and family.
Experiences financial problems associated with opioid use.
Experiences legal problems related to opioid use.
Has a decline in work performance.
Withdraws from social activities.
Neglects responsibilities.

What is opioid use disorder?
Painkillers, or opioids, are highly addictive substances. They interact with our brain’s opioid receptors, attaching to the receptors and creating a surge of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that signals the body to feel pleasure, which is recorded in the brain’s reward system.
With continued painkiller use, the neurotransmitters in the brain become altered, which leads to drug dependence. With prolonged use, the body requires higher doses more frequently in order to satisfy its physiological demands. As a result, dependence and addiction, or an opioid use disorder, can develop within weeks.

There is absolutely no one who enjoys suffering from acute or chronic pain. To someone who’s experienced an injury or endured surgery, prescription painkillers can help them deal with the discomfort. Unfortunately, tens of thousands of Americans lose their lives each year due to painkiller addiction.

Many painkillers are available from pharmacies without a prescription. They can provide effective pain relief, but might also cause side effects or complications. In order to use them safely, it is important to pay attention to the dose and interactions with other medicinal products.

To treat your child's pain, you can give them a non-prescription (over-the-counter) pain medicine such as acetaminophen (Tylenol or Tempra) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin). You can get these medicines as a liquid, pill (tablets) or chewable tablets. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen both treat pain and a fever.

For most older adults, the safest oral OTC painkiller for daily or frequent use is acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol), provided you are careful to not exceed a total dose of 3,000mg per day. Acetaminophen is usually called paracetamol outside the U.S.

Hard Facts about Medication Safety
Medicines are the leading cause of child poisoning.
In 2017, nearly 52,000 children under the age of six were seen in the emergency room for medicine poisoning. That’s one child every ten minutes.
Top Tips about Medication Safety
Keep medicine up and away, out of reach and sight of children, even medicine you take every day. Kids are naturally curious and can easily get into things, like medicine, if they are kept in places within their reach. Put all medicines and vitamins at or above counter height where kids can’t reach or see them.

Share Medicine Safety Information:
Share medicine safety information with family and friends. Teach other caregivers such as family members, babysitters and friends about medicine safety and make sure they know the Poison Help number.

Talk to Your Kids about Medicine Safety
Teach your child that medicine should always be given by an adult. It's important for kids to know that they should not take medicine on their own. Parents and caregivers can help make sure they are taking it correctly.
Don't refer to medicine as candy. While saying medicine is candy may make it easier to get younger children to take medicine, it may encourage them to try it on their own.
Model responsible medicine use. Make sure to store medicine out of reach of children, read drug facts and prescription labels before taking medicine and follow the dosing instructions.

How to Get Rid of Medicine Safely
Clean out unused and expired medicines in your home. Reduce the risk of kids getting into medicine by getting rid of unused or expired medicine. Many communities have a medicine take-back program. This is an easy way to get rid of your unused or expired medicine.
Get rid of medicine safely. Pour the medicine into a sealable plastic bag and add water to dissolve the medicine. Add kitty litter, sawdust or coffee grounds to the plastic bag to make it less appealing for children or pets before throwing it away. Check the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendations for medicines that should be flushed down the toilet.

Read the label and know what's in the medicine. Check the active ingredients listed on the label and make sure you don’t give your child more than one medicine with the same active ingredient.
Follow the dosing directions on the medicine label. Even if you have used the medicine before, sometimes the directions about how much medicine to give change.
Use the dosing device that comes with the medicine. A teaspoon or tablespoon used for cooking won't measure the same amount as the dosing device.
Write clear instructions for caregivers about your child’s medicine. When other caregivers are giving your child medicine, they need to know what medicine to give, how much to give and when to give it.

Read on for important safety tips.
Take Medicine as Prescribed — with Input from Your Health Care Provider.
Store your Medicines Properly and Check the Expiration Date.
Be Aware of Potential Medication Interactions and Side Effects.
Keep a Medication List.

In the United States, the most commonly transplanted organs are the kidney, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas and intestines.
In the U.S, the most commonly transplanted tissues are bones, tendons, ligaments, skin, heart valves, blood vessels and corneas.

Organs:
Organ transplantation has become a worldwide practice, bringing immense benefit to patients. The use of human organs for transplantation has steadily increased. Organ transplantation is now the most cost effective treatment for end stage renal failure while for end stage failure of organs such as the liver, lung and heart it is the only available treatment.
The extensive use of organs for transplantation demands that their quality and safety should be such as to minimise any risks associated with the transmission of diseases. Hospitals including procurement organisations and transplantation centres that perform any activity associated with the donation, testing, characterisation, procurement, preservation, transport or transplantation of organs intended for transplantation to the human body fall within the scope of the Organs Legislation.

Managing and Communicating Risks:
Since July 2012 all new medicinal products must now have a Risk Management Plan (RMP) which focuses on the assessment and minimisation of important risks associated with the medicine throughout its lifecycle. Some risks can be effectively managed by including warnings in the product information (Summary of Product Characteristics- SmPC and Patient Information Leaflet-PIL), the labelling of the product, its pack size or design or through the prescription status of the product (e.g. available through prescription-only). However, when necessary, additional measures can be taken in order to ensure that healthcare professionals and patients remain informed about specific risks and how to minimise them. Examples of such measures include writing directly to healthcare professionals (Direct Healthcare Professional communications-DHPCs), providing educational materials and tools for healthcare professionals and patients or recommending specific tests be carried out before the patient receives the medicine or during the time the patient is on the medicine in order to recognize a side effect at an early stage, lessen the side effect or avoid it altogether. The RMP may also include plans to gain more information about certain aspects of the safety of the medicine (post authorisation safety studies).

Medicines shortages:
In European law, pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers must ensure an appropriate and continuous supply of the medicines they market. Companies should notify the HPRA of medicines shortages or potential shortages impacting the Irish market
We publish and maintain an up-to-date list of a medicines shortages impacting the Irish market. The information we provide is to help keep patients and healthcare professionals informed of current and resolved shortages.
We recognise that medicine shortages can be challenging for those relying on medicines for their health and well-being. Many medicines supplied in Ireland have more than one strength, form, pack size or brand available from different suppliers. If the medicine you have been taking is not available, your doctor or pharmacist will often be able to supply an alternative strength, form, or product. This will help ensure continuity of treatment.
Further information on medicines shortages for patients and healthcare professionals is provided below. This includes information on preventing, managing, and reporting shortages.

Your pharmacist may give you a medicine that comes in a different shape or colour and has a different name. For example, you may be given a generic version of an original, brand-name medicine.
A generic medicine has the same active ingredient as the original medicine it is based on. The active ingredient in a medicine is what makes the medicine work.
The generic medicine has the same effect and is just as safe as the original medicine. If you have any questions about generic medicines, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Storing your medicines
Every medicine is different so always read the storage instructions on the leaflet or packaging.
Store medicines in a cool dry place away from strong light. You may need to store some medicines in the fridge.
Don't store medicines in a bathroom or car, as heat and moisture can interfere with and damage medicines.
Always keep medicines in their original containers unless your doctor advises you to store them somewhere else.
Don't mix different medicines in one container.
Don't destroy or throw out unused or out-of-date medicines yourself. Return them to your pharmacist who can destroy them safely.
Always keep medicines safely out of sight and reach of children.

Before you start using your medicine
To get the most from your medicine, it is important that you use it safely. Here are some things to consider before you start taking a medicine.
Use the same doctor and the same pharmacy if possible. This will allow both to build a patient history for you.
Tell your doctor and pharmacist about any other medicines that you are taking including herbal medicines. Some medicines can react with each other if taken together, and this could be a health risk.
Always tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any allergies to certain medicines.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have scheduled surgery, if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, or if you are breastfeeding.
Check that you have received the correct medicine before you leave the pharmacy.
Always read the package leaflet that comes with the medicine. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you don't understand any information about your medicines.
Unless your doctor or pharmacist tells you differently, take your medicine at the same time every day and always take the recommended course.
If you are travelling, make sure you carry enough of your medicine with you so you can take the correct does while you are away.
If you are taking some medicines for a long time, ask your doctor or pharmacist to review them once a year.

Medicines can make the quality of our lives better in many ways. They can help cure or treat an illness or disease and can also prevent some conditions from developing in the first place. In this way, medicines can help us live longer and healthier lives.
Nearly all of us will need to take medicines at some point in our lives. These may be:
Medicines that are only available with a prescription from a doctor, dentist or certain nurses (known as prescription-only medicines); or
medicines that you can buy over-the-counter without a prescription (sometimes called OTC medicines).

What can I do to keep my kidneys healthy?
Make healthy food choices.
Make physical activity part of your routine
Aim for a healthy weight.
Get enough sleep.
Stop smoking.
Limit alcohol intake link.
Explore stress-reducing activities.
Manage diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

The benefits of medicines are the helpful effects you get, such as easing pain, controlling blood sugar, lowering blood pressure, or curing an infection. The risks of medicines are the possible unwanted or unexpected effects that might happen to you when you use them.

A lot of people go away from their general practice surgery with a medicine, with a prescription. It’s really important to fill in that prescription. You’d be surprised how many people don’t bother to fill it in. And it’s really important. A lot of the medicines you get are actually life-saving. They may not feel life-saving at the time, like cholesterol-reducing medications, blood pressure-reducing medications, low-dose aspirin, all sorts of medications like that, medicines for your diabetes. Really important that you fill in the prescription, and you take it.
It sounds as if, why am I saying this? Well, why I’m saying this is that after a year of a prescription, you’d be surprised how many people are no longer taking their potentially life-saving medication.

How are we use the medicine properly?
Follow the directions on the medicine label carefully. If you don't understand the directions, ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist to explain them to you. Keep a list of all the medicines, vitamins, minerals, and herbs you use — and share this information with your doctor at your next checkup.

All OTC medicines come with a Drug Facts label. The information on this label can help you choose the right OTC medicine for your symptoms.
The Drug Facts label also gives you instructions for using the medicine safely. OTC medicines can cause side effects or harm if you use too much or don’t use them correctly.