Canadian Pharmacy » Archives for July 2006

Zetia can work on its own or with statins like Lipitor, Zocor, or Crestor to help lower your cholesterol. Statins work mainly with your liver to decrease the production of cholesterol and reduce it in your bloodstream. However, Zetia works in your digestive tract to help block the absorption of cholesterol that comes from food.

What kind of results can I expect with taking Zetia?

Zetia, along with a healthy diet, decreased bad cholesterol by as much as 30 points, based on an average Bad Cholesterol of 167 mg/dL. Taking Zetia, along with diet and a statin, has been shown to lower Bad Cholesterol by another 36 points. In a clinical study, people who combined Zetia with their statin medication reduced Bad Cholesterol by an additional 25% (36 points) compared with 4% (6 points) in people who added a placebo (a pill with no medication). These are average results and individual results may vary.

Can diet and exercise help lower cholesterol levels?

While diet and exercise are a good start, combining these two steps with a cholesterol-lowering medication like Zetia will get you a better result.
Many people find they have a problem with high cholesterol simply because their bodies produce too much of it. But eating foods that are high in cholesterol or fat will also add to the problem. Below are some tips for eating healthier.

• Try eating turkey breast (without the skin) instead of steak.
• Substitute whole milk for skim and sour cream with low-fat yogurt.
• Rice cakes or pretzels are a great way to get a potato chip fix.
• Angel food cake is a tasty low-fat alternative to pastries or sweets.

Staring an exercise regime may not be a the top of your list of things to do. But if you start off gradually and choose something you enjoy, you may find it will become part of your daily routine. Of course, you should always speak with your doctor before starting an exercise routine. Below are some great exercise tips.

• Join a gym or find an exercise partner.
• Walk on your lunch hour or coffee break.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Take a longer walk with your dog.

For people who enjoy being more active:

• Exercise 3-4 times a week, 30 minutes a day.
• Choose activities that use large muscle groups, such as swimming and biking.
• Vary your routine to avoid burnout and boredom.
• Pack a jump rope in your suitcase to use when you travel.

Does Zetia have any side effects?

There have been few side effects reported while taking Zetia, but they may include tiredness and stomach pain. Rare side effects may be unexplained muscle pain or weakness – these should be discussed with your doctor right away.

Levitra is a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction in men. It helps increase the flow of blood to the penis, allowing men with erectile dysfunction to achieve and maintain an erection that lasts long enough to finish having sex. Levitra also provided first-time success and reliable improvement of erection quality for many men, including those with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes.

How to take Levitra

Levitra may be taken with or without food about an hour before sex. It should not give you an instant erection; you’ll need to be sexually excited for it to work. Many men have found success with using Levitra for the first time, but if it doesn’t work after a couple of uses, talk to your doctor about adjusting your dose.

What are the signs that I may have erectile dysfunction?

At some point in their lives, almost all men will have some difficulty getting and keeping an erection. You may have erectile dysfunction if you:

• Have occasional difficulty getting or keeping an erection
• Have erections that are just not as hard as they used to be
• Can’t achieve an erection at all

What are the causes of erectile dysfunction?

Getting and keeping an erection that lasts long enough to finish having sex is dependent on the blood flowing smoothly and easily through the penis. Any health condition that interferes with the blood flow to the penis may lead to erectile dysfunction. Men with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes are at greater risk for erectile dysfunction than men who do not have these conditions.
Erectile dysfunction can also be caused by medical, physical and lifestyle issues such as:

• Smoking
• Lack of exercise
• Obesity
• Heavy drinking
• Side effects from medication
• Lack of sleep
• Stress
• Depression
• Spinal cord injury
• Prostate surgery

Who should not take Levitra?

Do not use Levitra if:

• You take any form of medication known as “nitrates” or recreational drugs called “poppers” like amyl nitrate or butyl nitrate. Taking Levitra in combination with nitrates (such as nitroglycerin, isosorbide mononitrate, and isosorbide dinitrate) may result in serious side effects.
• Your doctor determines that sexual activity poses a health risk for you.
• You have a known sensitivity or allergy to any ingredients in Levitra.

Does Levitra have any side effects?

Although the medication is effective and generally well tolerated, some mild side effects are experienced. The most common ones are:

• Headache
• Flushing
• Stuffy or runny nose

Levitra may uncommonly cause an erection that won’t go away (priapism). If you get an erection that lasts more than four hours, get medical help right away. Priapism must be treated as soon as possible or lasting damage can happen to your penis, including the inability to have erections. Vision changes, such as seeing a blue tinge to objects or having difficulty telling the difference between the colors blue and green have also been found to occur.

What is Byetta and how does it work?

Developed to help treat people with type 2 diabetes, Byetta improves your blood sugar control and is used with pills like Glucophage, and/or Amaryl, Glucotrol, and others. When taken before your morning and evening meals Byetta works with these pills to help your blood sugar in several ways:

• Insulin production: It triggers your pancreas to produce the right amount of insulin after meals to help lower blood sugar closer to normal levels – then stops causing the pancreas to produce more insulin after blood sugar levels get closer to normal.
• Sugar production: It helps stop your liver from producing too much sugar when you don’t need it – helping you avoid high blood sugar levels.
• Sugar digestion: It helps slow down the rate at which sugar enters your bloodstream – also helping you avoid high blood sugar spikes.

What are some benefits of Byetta?

• Byetta helps you get improved control of your type 2 diabetes by helping your body produce the right amount of insulin at the right time.
• In clinical trials, blood sugar level improvements were seen as soon as the first day of taking Byetta.
• There is no need to do extra blood sugar monitoring while taking Byetta. However, since it is taken before a meal, checking your levels 2 hours after you eat will show how well your Byetta is working.

What is type 2 diabetes?

Having several factors, two being a family history and being overweight, type 2 diabetes is thought of as the most common form of diabetes. Someone who doesn’t have diabetes can easily produce insulin which helps lower blood sugar after meals. Whereas, someone with diabetes can no longer use insulin the right way or make enough of it to lower blood sugar, which is why levels are so high after you eat. When you have type 2 diabetes, sometimes the liver produces too much sugar at the wrong times, like during and after meals. This increased sugar can also raise blood sugar levels too high.

What is the most common side effect of Byetta?

A common side effect is mild-to-moderate nausea, which goes away with time in most people. Other side effects can include:

• Hypoglycemia
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Feeling jittery
• Acid stomach

If side effects persist or worsen while taking Byetta contact your doctor right away.

What is Relaxalyne?

Commonly called the “injection-free facial relaxer”, Relaxalyne (or Relaxaderm) significantly reduces the signs of skin aging and can help delay the appearance of premature aging. Scientific research shows up to a 50% reduction in the appearance of wrinkles in just 30 days. Relaxalyne also diminishes the appearance of well-established wrinkles, not just fine lines.

What are the ingredients in Relaxalyne?

Argireline, a clinically proven ingredient, is an injection-free facial relaxer. Research shows that it can:

• Reduce the appearance of wrinkles by up to 50% in 30 days
• Reduce collagen breakdown, which plumps cells, and thereby reduces wrinkle formation

How to apply Relaxalyne

Lightly pat the cream directly onto your wrinkles. For the best results, repeat the application day and night for a 30-day period. To maintain the effect after 30 days continue to apply Relaxalyne to the area once a day. After application, wait a few minutes then follow with your daily moisturizer.

What precautions should I take before using Relaxalyne?

Always do a patch test. Test your skin’s reaction by applying a small amount of the cream to the treatment area then wait 24 hours before full application. Discontinue use if irritation or increased sensitivity occurs. Avoid contact with your eyes. If contact does occur with Relaxalyne, wash out your eyes with water and pat dry.

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Why Combining Lipitor With Grapefruit Is A Bad Idea?