"The sedating effects of the antihistamine are greater than the stimulating effects of the decongestant," says Dr. You wouldn't think the combo would make for a good night's sleep, but this formulation is nevertheless considered sleep-inducing. The decongestants in these meds make you peppy, while antihistamines make you sleepy. This meager trove of weapons means drugmakers will routinely combine ingredients that have opposing side effects-assuming the company can make a new claim for a cold remedy. Potions for coughs and colds take up miles of pharmacy aisles, but all those formulations hide a mundane reality that can baffle customers: They simply recombine the same drugs-pain relievers, antihistamines, decongestants, cough suppressants, and expectorants. "If you've hurt your back and it's going to be bothering you for a couple of days, take Aleve," he says. For long-lasting pain, he recommends naproxen (Aleve). Pacosa prefers ibuprofen to acetaminophen because of its anti-inflammatory effects. What's the best way to combat your pain? Dr. (Acetaminophen also shows up in several common prescription pain meds, including Vicodin, so be careful about combining them.) Too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) can mess up your liver, so never take more than 4,000 milligrams in a 24-hour period. Taking too much ibuprofen (Advil) can cause acute kidney failure-the maximum daily dose is 1,200 milligrams. "Guys often assume that because a drug is available without a prescription, it's not dangerous," says Vincent Hartzell, Pharm.D., of Hartzell's Pharmacy in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. It's hard to believe, but the FDA actually trusts us to read the labels on drugs sold over the counter. Try these eight ways to stay healthy without spending money. "It would be about the same as taking a 1-milligram Propecia tablet. "I tell people to quarter the generic tablets with a pill cutter and take a quarter once a day," Dr. Finasteride comes in 5-milligram tablets and costs $70 a month. But its active ingredient, finasteride, is also found in the generic version of Proscar, a drug used to treat enlargement of the prostate. The brand-name hair-loss drug Propecia, for example, comes in 1-milligram tablets and rings up at about $60 a month. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you determine which other pills can be similarly divided, and even how far you can stretch one. This can save you hundreds of dollars a year. "Have your doctor prescribe the 100-milligram pill, and then cut the pills in half," he says. Viagra, for instance, costs the same-$10 to $18 per pill-whether you buy it in 50-or 100-milligram form, says Josh Pacosa, Pharm.D., a pharmacist in Asheville, North Carolina. To bring down your monthly cash outlay, start slicing and dicing your pills. (Of course, their tips should supplement your doctor's advice, not replace it.) Read on for your pharmacist-endorsed action plans. We asked these highly trained drug specialists to jump over the counter and give us their unvarnished opinions about the ways men are most likely to fumble or be stymied by their pharmaceuticals. Pills aren't always the answer-discover six uncommon cures for everyday ailments. Not only can a great pharmacist help steer you away from making a bad situation worse, but he or she also knows how you can use pills smarter-for your health as well as your wallet. And fortunately for us, a pharmacist looks at the side effects, uses, and costs of pills the way Brett Favre reads Charles Woodson's break on a Percy Harvin slant. We need as many tips from the back of the store as pharmacists can provide. But we can't blame simple male obstinacy for the problem drugs are complex and confusingly marketed. Such bungling costs this country $177 billion a year, according to the Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association. "They also struggle with taking their prescriptions consistently if they don't 'feel' the medication working."Īre your meds fixing one problem, and creating another? Learn the eight drugs you should seek a second opinion on. "Guys tend to ask fewer questions about drug interactions and how to take a medicine," says Greg Collins, Pharm.D., a pharmacy supervisor for CVS. But ask any pharmacist on the front lines of medicinal mayhem about the sorts of shenanigans men pull, and you'll hear a litany of sordid tales like these. There are no statistics that show how often men triple-dose on pain medications, toss their antibiotics before finishing the bottle, or use an energy drink to wash down a sleep aid.
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