By Trevor Shewfelt, Pharmacist at the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy
Have you heard Trevor on the radio? Listen to 730 CKDM Tuesday Mornings at 8:35 am! We now have most of the articles published in the Parkland Shopper on our Website www.dcp.ca
The information in this article is intended as a helpful guide only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice. If you have any questions about your medications and what is right for you see your doctor, pharmacist or other health care professional.
In my line of work, dose is very important. Warfarin can stop a blood clot from giving you a stroke. This is good. Too much warfarin can make your brain bleed and cause a stroke. This is bad. “A little of this is good, more must be better,” definitely doesn’t apply to medications. If you take enough of anything it can be bad for you. Did you know you can drink enough water to cause swelling of the brain? The same goes for acetaminophen or Tylenol. We consider acetaminophen a very safe medication. However, too much acetaminophen can be harmful. In fact the FDA in the US is considering new regulations to limit the doses of acetaminophen.
Acetaminophen is used for pain and fever, but it does not reduce inflammation. Acetaminophen is less irritating to the stomach than some other over the counter products like ibuprofen, naproxen sodium or asa. Acetaminophen is found in many, many products. It can be a single ingredient like in Tylenol or in combination with other medications. Combination products include many cough and cold products, sinsus products, and pain medications like robaxacet. Also many prescription products like Tylenol #3 and Percocet have acetaminophen in them too. So you can see how it would not be difficult to accidentally take two or more products all with acetaminophen in them and so get too much.
If you take too much acetaminophen it can damage the liver and kidneys. Acetaminophen is usually metabolized by the liver. Your liver breaks it down into non-harmful chemicals and excretes it. If you take too much acetaminophen the usual metabolic pathway gets overwhelmed and the acetaminophen is broken down by another pathway which leads to a poisonous product. Some of the symptoms of acetaminophen poisoning are loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, confusion, yellowing of the skin and eyes, coma and even possibly death.
At the end June 2009 a sub-committee at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US made some recommendations to the FDA about acetaminophen. They recommended prescription products with acetaminophen and other painkillers should be pulled off the market. The panel recommended that the daily maximum of acetaminophen should be lower than its current 4 grams (although they didn’t say what it should be). The panel would like the single dose maximum of acetaminophen to be reduced from 1000 mg to 650 mg. The panel would like 1000 mg of acetaminophen to only be available by prescription. However the panel rejected the idea of pulling cough and cold products that contain acetaminophen.
Now the FDA doesn’t have to follow the panel’s recommendations. But especially with the acetaminophen and strong painkiller combination prescription drugs, the panel cites that 60% of acetaminophen deaths are due to prescription products. Acetaminophen remains the leading cause of liver failure in the US despite years of warnings. And the panel says acetaminophen sends 56,000 people to the emergency room in the US every year.
Canada obviously doesn’t have to follow the decisions made by another country. But it will be interesting to see what Health Canada has to stay after studying the FDA decision. Will 1000 mg of acetaminophen become a prescription product? That could make for a whole lot of people needing to see their doctor in an already over-taxed health care system. Will medications like Percocet be pulled off the market? If yes, what will replace them? Oxycontin? It is effective, but has some issues with some people abusing or selling it. NSAID’s? They are effective, but will we now get more ulcers and kidney disease?
I think the answer should be for people to read their bottles of medication more carefully and ask their pharmacist before they take medications together. The FDA would argue we have been telling people that for years and it hasn’t helped. But does it make sense to take away useful drugs instead of coming up with better educational campaigns?
As always if you have any questions or concerns about these or other products, ask your pharmacist.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
ALEVE
By Trevor Shewfelt, Pharmacist at the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy
Have you heard Trevor on the radio? Listen to 730 CKDM Tuesday Mornings at 8:35 am! We now have most of the articles published in the Parkland Shopper on our Website www.dcp.ca
The information in this article is intended as a helpful guide only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice. If you have any questions about your medications and what is right for you see your doctor, pharmacist or other health care professional.
Aleve is here. This is a pain killer that is heavily advertised on US television stations. It has always been available in Canada, but until very recently, only by prescription. Aleve is now available without a prescription in Canada.
Aleve has been available in the US without a prescription since 1994. It was quite a marketing feat when they launched it. Within one week of its launch, supermarket scanner data showed it was available in more than 90% of monitored stores. In two months it had over 6% of the market share. After 4 months it was tied for third place in its category. The makers of aleve spent over $100 million dollars in marketing during its first year. In fact they felt they had to pull the television ads for the last 3 months of 1994 for fear that the stores would run out of stock. Now that is a well marketed, well funded drug launch.
Is aleve better than other pain killers like ibuprofen (Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol) or asa (aspirin)? Well it is different than acetaminophen (Tylenol), may be a little safer than asa and is practically the same as ibuprofen. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a good painkiller and good at relieving fever, but it doesn’t reduce inflammation. So, if you sprained your ankle, it would hurt and get swollen. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) would reduce the pain but not the swelling. Aleve would reduce both the pain and swelling so would probably work better. However, acetaminophen (Tylenol) is safer because it doesn’t cause ulcers, bleeding problems or affect the kidneys. When you compare aleve and asa, they both reduce pain and inflammation, but aleve is probably a little safer. ASA is more likely to cause bleeding problems (bleeding problems are possible with aleve but less likely) and asa is more likely to cause ulcers. Ibuprofen (advil) and aleve are very similar. They are both NSAIDs (non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs). In fact you can sub-divide NSAIDs into different sub-types, and even still ibuprofen (advil) and aleve are still both in the same sub-type called arylpropionic acids. So what does that mean? Well even though milligram for milligram aleve is stronger than ibuprofen, if you take an equivalent dose of each drug, they should work the same.
So what is in aleve? Aleve contains 220 mg of naproxen sodium. The claim is that it can relieve pain for up to 12 hours. Its prescription name used to be anaprox. For those of you who have a prescription of naproxen at home and wonder if it is the same thing, it is probably a little different. If you doctor wrote a prescription for naproxen , the pharmacist would have filled it with just plain naproxen, not naproxen sodium. When naproxen sodium was originally marketed as anaprox, the manufacturers claimed naproxen sodium worked a little faster than naproxen. On an interesting side note, naproxen sodium was never paid for by Manitoba’s pharmacare program even when it was prescription only, whereas plain naproxen is covered.
So who will aleve be good for? Younger patients with no pre-existing health conditions. If a person is between 20 and 50, has no history of ulcers, kidney problems or heart problems and sprains their ankle, aleve may be a good choice. The aleve should only be used for a relatively short time, like a couple of weeks, and if the pain lasts longer than a couple of weeks the person should see their doctor.
Who do I have concerns about? The elderly with arthritis. Compared to younger patients, people over 60 are about 4 times more likely to get bleeding in their stomachs from taking NSAIDs. People over 65 are more likely than younger patients to develop kidney problems while on NSAIDs. If you have arthritis, the pain you have is probably not only short term pain. I worry about people over 65 with arthritis treating their pain for months or years with aleve and not mentioning that to their doctors. Their doctors won’t know to monitor these people for kidney or stomach problems.
As always if you have any questions or concerns about these or other products, ask your pharmacist.
Have you heard Trevor on the radio? Listen to 730 CKDM Tuesday Mornings at 8:35 am! We now have most of the articles published in the Parkland Shopper on our Website www.dcp.ca
The information in this article is intended as a helpful guide only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice. If you have any questions about your medications and what is right for you see your doctor, pharmacist or other health care professional.
Aleve is here. This is a pain killer that is heavily advertised on US television stations. It has always been available in Canada, but until very recently, only by prescription. Aleve is now available without a prescription in Canada.
Aleve has been available in the US without a prescription since 1994. It was quite a marketing feat when they launched it. Within one week of its launch, supermarket scanner data showed it was available in more than 90% of monitored stores. In two months it had over 6% of the market share. After 4 months it was tied for third place in its category. The makers of aleve spent over $100 million dollars in marketing during its first year. In fact they felt they had to pull the television ads for the last 3 months of 1994 for fear that the stores would run out of stock. Now that is a well marketed, well funded drug launch.
Is aleve better than other pain killers like ibuprofen (Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol) or asa (aspirin)? Well it is different than acetaminophen (Tylenol), may be a little safer than asa and is practically the same as ibuprofen. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a good painkiller and good at relieving fever, but it doesn’t reduce inflammation. So, if you sprained your ankle, it would hurt and get swollen. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) would reduce the pain but not the swelling. Aleve would reduce both the pain and swelling so would probably work better. However, acetaminophen (Tylenol) is safer because it doesn’t cause ulcers, bleeding problems or affect the kidneys. When you compare aleve and asa, they both reduce pain and inflammation, but aleve is probably a little safer. ASA is more likely to cause bleeding problems (bleeding problems are possible with aleve but less likely) and asa is more likely to cause ulcers. Ibuprofen (advil) and aleve are very similar. They are both NSAIDs (non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs). In fact you can sub-divide NSAIDs into different sub-types, and even still ibuprofen (advil) and aleve are still both in the same sub-type called arylpropionic acids. So what does that mean? Well even though milligram for milligram aleve is stronger than ibuprofen, if you take an equivalent dose of each drug, they should work the same.
So what is in aleve? Aleve contains 220 mg of naproxen sodium. The claim is that it can relieve pain for up to 12 hours. Its prescription name used to be anaprox. For those of you who have a prescription of naproxen at home and wonder if it is the same thing, it is probably a little different. If you doctor wrote a prescription for naproxen , the pharmacist would have filled it with just plain naproxen, not naproxen sodium. When naproxen sodium was originally marketed as anaprox, the manufacturers claimed naproxen sodium worked a little faster than naproxen. On an interesting side note, naproxen sodium was never paid for by Manitoba’s pharmacare program even when it was prescription only, whereas plain naproxen is covered.
So who will aleve be good for? Younger patients with no pre-existing health conditions. If a person is between 20 and 50, has no history of ulcers, kidney problems or heart problems and sprains their ankle, aleve may be a good choice. The aleve should only be used for a relatively short time, like a couple of weeks, and if the pain lasts longer than a couple of weeks the person should see their doctor.
Who do I have concerns about? The elderly with arthritis. Compared to younger patients, people over 60 are about 4 times more likely to get bleeding in their stomachs from taking NSAIDs. People over 65 are more likely than younger patients to develop kidney problems while on NSAIDs. If you have arthritis, the pain you have is probably not only short term pain. I worry about people over 65 with arthritis treating their pain for months or years with aleve and not mentioning that to their doctors. Their doctors won’t know to monitor these people for kidney or stomach problems.
As always if you have any questions or concerns about these or other products, ask your pharmacist.
Friday, July 17, 2009
COENZYME Q10
By Trevor Shewfelt, Pharmacist at the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy
We now have this and most other articles published in the Parkland Shopper on our Website. Please visit us at www.dcp.ca
The information in this article is intended as a helpful guide only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice. If you have any questions about your medications and what is right for you see your doctor, pharmacist or other health care professional.
Statins are a type of cholesterol medication. At the moment they are the most effective medications we have to reduce LDL or bad cholesterol. If we reduce a patient’s LDL they are less likely to die of a heart attack or a stroke. Statins are usually considered very safe in most people. However, a small number of people on statins get muscle pain. The other day I was explaining to a customer how coenzyme Q10 may prevent or treat this statin related muscle pain. I also said co-enzyme Q10 was a B vitamin. Ever say something and then immediately wonder if what you said was right? Let’s do some fact checking.
Coenzyme Q10 was discovered in 1957. It is a naturally occurring fat soluble compound that is structurally similar to Vitamin K. So I was wrong about it being a B Vitamin. About half of the body’s coenzyme Q10 is obtained through the diet and the rest the body produces itself. It does many things in the body including acting as an antioxidant and helping the cell burn carbohydrates and fats to get energy.
So why should we care about coenzyme Q10? Well, there isn’t a definite answer yet, but it does seem to show some interesting properties. Coenzyme Q10 levels are highest during the first 20 years of life and then decline. At age 80 the levels may be lower than when you were born. If you give Q10 to certain bacteria, you can make them live longer. However, if you give Q10 to rodents for their whole lives, they don't live any longer. Since we are closer relatives to rats than bacteria, that probably means Q10 isn't a fountain of youth. Coenzyme Q10 does have some promise, though. It may help patients with early stage Parkinson's disease not deteriorate as fast and may help people with HIV/AID’s improve their immune function. When some peopled added Q10 to their other blood pressure pills, their blood pressure went down further than with their usual blood pressure pills alone. Coenzyme Q10 may help reduce the number of migraine headaches in some people.
What about statins, coenzyme Q10 and muscle pain? I’m getting to that. Statins are more properly called 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, but statins is way shorter to say. The point of the long name to remind us that statins block an enzyme. That enzyme creates something called mevalonate. Melvalonate is a key building block to make cholesterol. So statins stop a key building block of cholesterol from being formed and thus reduce cholesterol levels. This is good. However, melvalonate is also a key building block for making coenzyme Q10. So statins also reduce the blood levels of conenzyme Q10. This may be bad.
Remember I said coenzyme Q10 helps the cell get energy from burning carbohydrates and fats? This happens in the powerhouses of the cell called the mitochondria. Well, the theory says that statins reduce the coenzyme Q10 in the mitochondria of the muscles. The muscle mitochondria can’t burn carbohydrates and fats as well so they get damaged and cause pain. It’s a good theory! The problem is that the evidence is conflicting. When the scientists look at the muscles of animals and people, statins don’t always make the conenzyme Q10 levels in the muscles go down. Sometimes the muscles even seem to get damaged while having their Q10 levels stay high. On the plus side there were studies that showed a decrease in muscle pain caused by statins in patient who took coenzyme Q10.
So should people take coenzyme Q10 to prevent or treat statin related muscle pain? A 2007 review article in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology said although routine use of Q10 can’t be recommended as the evidence is conflicting, as there are no known risks to Q10 and there might be some benefit, it can be worth a try in individual patients even if it is just a placebo effect.
Who shouldn’t take coenzyme Q10? It is generally considered safe, but as it is chemically similar to Vitamin K, people on warfarin should be careful as it may make warfarin not thin their blood as well.
As always if you have any questions or concerns about these or other products, ask your pharmacist.
We now have this and most other articles published in the Parkland Shopper on our Website. Please visit us at www.dcp.ca
The information in this article is intended as a helpful guide only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice. If you have any questions about your medications and what is right for you see your doctor, pharmacist or other health care professional.
Statins are a type of cholesterol medication. At the moment they are the most effective medications we have to reduce LDL or bad cholesterol. If we reduce a patient’s LDL they are less likely to die of a heart attack or a stroke. Statins are usually considered very safe in most people. However, a small number of people on statins get muscle pain. The other day I was explaining to a customer how coenzyme Q10 may prevent or treat this statin related muscle pain. I also said co-enzyme Q10 was a B vitamin. Ever say something and then immediately wonder if what you said was right? Let’s do some fact checking.
Coenzyme Q10 was discovered in 1957. It is a naturally occurring fat soluble compound that is structurally similar to Vitamin K. So I was wrong about it being a B Vitamin. About half of the body’s coenzyme Q10 is obtained through the diet and the rest the body produces itself. It does many things in the body including acting as an antioxidant and helping the cell burn carbohydrates and fats to get energy.
So why should we care about coenzyme Q10? Well, there isn’t a definite answer yet, but it does seem to show some interesting properties. Coenzyme Q10 levels are highest during the first 20 years of life and then decline. At age 80 the levels may be lower than when you were born. If you give Q10 to certain bacteria, you can make them live longer. However, if you give Q10 to rodents for their whole lives, they don't live any longer. Since we are closer relatives to rats than bacteria, that probably means Q10 isn't a fountain of youth. Coenzyme Q10 does have some promise, though. It may help patients with early stage Parkinson's disease not deteriorate as fast and may help people with HIV/AID’s improve their immune function. When some peopled added Q10 to their other blood pressure pills, their blood pressure went down further than with their usual blood pressure pills alone. Coenzyme Q10 may help reduce the number of migraine headaches in some people.
What about statins, coenzyme Q10 and muscle pain? I’m getting to that. Statins are more properly called 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, but statins is way shorter to say. The point of the long name to remind us that statins block an enzyme. That enzyme creates something called mevalonate. Melvalonate is a key building block to make cholesterol. So statins stop a key building block of cholesterol from being formed and thus reduce cholesterol levels. This is good. However, melvalonate is also a key building block for making coenzyme Q10. So statins also reduce the blood levels of conenzyme Q10. This may be bad.
Remember I said coenzyme Q10 helps the cell get energy from burning carbohydrates and fats? This happens in the powerhouses of the cell called the mitochondria. Well, the theory says that statins reduce the coenzyme Q10 in the mitochondria of the muscles. The muscle mitochondria can’t burn carbohydrates and fats as well so they get damaged and cause pain. It’s a good theory! The problem is that the evidence is conflicting. When the scientists look at the muscles of animals and people, statins don’t always make the conenzyme Q10 levels in the muscles go down. Sometimes the muscles even seem to get damaged while having their Q10 levels stay high. On the plus side there were studies that showed a decrease in muscle pain caused by statins in patient who took coenzyme Q10.
So should people take coenzyme Q10 to prevent or treat statin related muscle pain? A 2007 review article in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology said although routine use of Q10 can’t be recommended as the evidence is conflicting, as there are no known risks to Q10 and there might be some benefit, it can be worth a try in individual patients even if it is just a placebo effect.
Who shouldn’t take coenzyme Q10? It is generally considered safe, but as it is chemically similar to Vitamin K, people on warfarin should be careful as it may make warfarin not thin their blood as well.
As always if you have any questions or concerns about these or other products, ask your pharmacist.
Friday, July 10, 2009
HEAT DISORDERS
By Trevor Shewfelt, Pharmacist at the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy
Have you heard Trevor on the radio? Listen to 730 CKDM Tuesday Mornings at 8:35 am! We now have most of the articles published in the Parkland Shopper on our Website www.dcp.ca
The information in this article is intended as a helpful guide only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice. If you have any questions about your medications and what is right for you see your doctor, pharmacist or other health care professional.
A few years ago, I was volunteering at Country Fest and working at the Kinsmen Bar. It wasn’t that hot out, maybe 25 C. The work area was shaded and I was allowed to take breaks. Apparently, I didn’t take enough of them, and didn’t consume enough fluids. At the end of my shift I was dizzy, and nauseous. What was wrong with me? What did I do? First, let’s talk about different heat disorders. Having your body get too hot is dangerous. To see how heat leaves the body, let’s go back to high school physics.
It takes energy for water to go from a liquid state to a vapour. When the thin film of perspiration on your skin changes into water vapour, it takes heat energy away from your body and you cool down. Heat loss through perspiration accounts for about 30% of the body’s heat loss. This is why you feel much cooler if it is 25oC and 0% humidity than if it is 25oC and 100% humidity. At 0% humidity you can think of the air as empty of water vapour, so the perspiration on your skin can easily change to vapour, and take heat away from you. At 100% humidity, the air is full of water vapour so the perspiration on your skin stays as liquid water and doesn’t cool you down. So if you exercise when it is warm and humid, your body will produce extra heat, but your perspiration won’t be able to remove it and you can dangerously over heat.
What are some of the heat disorders? Heat edema is quite mild and is when the hands or feet swell. Heat cramps are caused by sore muscles especially in the arms, legs, and stomach. Heat cramps can be the first sign of heat exhaustion which is more serious. Heat syncope is dizziness or fainting from the heat and is more serious. Heat exhaustion has symptoms like weakness, dizziness, nauseau, vomiting, and headache. It is when the core body temperature rises above 38 C but less than 40.5C. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. People die from heat stroke. It is when the core temperature goes above 40.5 C. Get heat stroke patients to an emergency room.
So what actions should be taken for which symptoms? If the person losses consciousness, is confused or hallucinating, has convulsions, has trouble breathing, is vomiting a lot, or has hot dry skin with no sweat, it could be heat stroke so get the person to an emergency room or call an ambulance. If the person is nauseated and vomits a little, has headaches, cramps, dizziness or tiredness this may be heat exhaustion. Take off excessive clothing and get the person somewhere cool. Have them drink fluids. Wet the skin with cool or lukewarm water. Elevate the feet or hands if they are swollen. If the person doesn’t recover in 2-3 hours get them to an emergency room. Again, if in doubt about how serious the heat disorder is, assume heat stroke and get them to an emergency room.
Some medication can make it more likely to have heat related problems. Certain antipsychotics and antidepressants, diuretics and beta-blockers can inhibit sweat production. Cocaine constricts the blood vessels to the skin which can lead to over-heating. Amphetamines (including Ecstasy) can disrupt the hypothalamus which is the part of the brain that effects heat regulation.
To prevent heat disorders:
• drink plenty of cold water on hot summer days, especially before and during heavy physical exercise
• avoid heavy outdoor activity from 10 am to 3 pm
• stay out of the sun if possible and take lots of rest breaks (drink fluids during these breaks)
• get used to hot weather slowly over several days by gradually increasing you activity out in the hot weather
So what did I do when I got heat exhaustion? I had a cool shower, stayed where it was air conditioned and drank Gator Aid. I should have been smarter and drank more fluids before and during my activities.
As always if you have any questions or concerns about these conditions, ask your pharmacist.
Have you heard Trevor on the radio? Listen to 730 CKDM Tuesday Mornings at 8:35 am! We now have most of the articles published in the Parkland Shopper on our Website www.dcp.ca
The information in this article is intended as a helpful guide only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice. If you have any questions about your medications and what is right for you see your doctor, pharmacist or other health care professional.
A few years ago, I was volunteering at Country Fest and working at the Kinsmen Bar. It wasn’t that hot out, maybe 25 C. The work area was shaded and I was allowed to take breaks. Apparently, I didn’t take enough of them, and didn’t consume enough fluids. At the end of my shift I was dizzy, and nauseous. What was wrong with me? What did I do? First, let’s talk about different heat disorders. Having your body get too hot is dangerous. To see how heat leaves the body, let’s go back to high school physics.
It takes energy for water to go from a liquid state to a vapour. When the thin film of perspiration on your skin changes into water vapour, it takes heat energy away from your body and you cool down. Heat loss through perspiration accounts for about 30% of the body’s heat loss. This is why you feel much cooler if it is 25oC and 0% humidity than if it is 25oC and 100% humidity. At 0% humidity you can think of the air as empty of water vapour, so the perspiration on your skin can easily change to vapour, and take heat away from you. At 100% humidity, the air is full of water vapour so the perspiration on your skin stays as liquid water and doesn’t cool you down. So if you exercise when it is warm and humid, your body will produce extra heat, but your perspiration won’t be able to remove it and you can dangerously over heat.
What are some of the heat disorders? Heat edema is quite mild and is when the hands or feet swell. Heat cramps are caused by sore muscles especially in the arms, legs, and stomach. Heat cramps can be the first sign of heat exhaustion which is more serious. Heat syncope is dizziness or fainting from the heat and is more serious. Heat exhaustion has symptoms like weakness, dizziness, nauseau, vomiting, and headache. It is when the core body temperature rises above 38 C but less than 40.5C. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. People die from heat stroke. It is when the core temperature goes above 40.5 C. Get heat stroke patients to an emergency room.
So what actions should be taken for which symptoms? If the person losses consciousness, is confused or hallucinating, has convulsions, has trouble breathing, is vomiting a lot, or has hot dry skin with no sweat, it could be heat stroke so get the person to an emergency room or call an ambulance. If the person is nauseated and vomits a little, has headaches, cramps, dizziness or tiredness this may be heat exhaustion. Take off excessive clothing and get the person somewhere cool. Have them drink fluids. Wet the skin with cool or lukewarm water. Elevate the feet or hands if they are swollen. If the person doesn’t recover in 2-3 hours get them to an emergency room. Again, if in doubt about how serious the heat disorder is, assume heat stroke and get them to an emergency room.
Some medication can make it more likely to have heat related problems. Certain antipsychotics and antidepressants, diuretics and beta-blockers can inhibit sweat production. Cocaine constricts the blood vessels to the skin which can lead to over-heating. Amphetamines (including Ecstasy) can disrupt the hypothalamus which is the part of the brain that effects heat regulation.
To prevent heat disorders:
• drink plenty of cold water on hot summer days, especially before and during heavy physical exercise
• avoid heavy outdoor activity from 10 am to 3 pm
• stay out of the sun if possible and take lots of rest breaks (drink fluids during these breaks)
• get used to hot weather slowly over several days by gradually increasing you activity out in the hot weather
So what did I do when I got heat exhaustion? I had a cool shower, stayed where it was air conditioned and drank Gator Aid. I should have been smarter and drank more fluids before and during my activities.
As always if you have any questions or concerns about these conditions, ask your pharmacist.
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