Valium / Diazepam Side Effects

Catalogue of side effects for the medication Valium - generic Diazepam - a benzodiazepine antianxiety medication sometimes prescribed in the treatment of bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses.

Common Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Clumsiness or unsteadiness; dizziness or lightheadedness; drowsiness; slurred speech

Less Common or Rare Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Abdominal or stomach cramps or pain; blurred vision or other changes in vision; changes in sexual desire or ability; constipation; diarrhea; dryness of mouth or increased thirst; false sense of well-being; headache; increased bronchial secretions or watering of mouth; muscle spasm; nausea or vomiting; problems with urination; trembling or shaking; unusual tiredness or weakness

Always Notify Doctor:

Less Common: Anxiety; confusion (may be more common in the elderly); fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat; lack of memory of events taking place after benzodiazepine is taken (may be more common with triazolam); mental depression

Rare: Abnormal thinking, including disorientation, delusions (holding false beliefs that cannot be changed by facts), or loss of sense of reality; agitation; behavior changes, including aggressive behavior, bizarre behavior, decreased inhibition, or outbursts of anger; convulsions (seizures); hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there); hypotension (low blood pressure); muscle weakness; skin rash or itching; sore throat, fever, and chills; trouble in sleeping; ulcers or sores in mouth or throat (continuing); uncontrolled movements of body, including the eyes; unusual bleeding or bruising; unusual excitement, nervousness, or irritability; unusual tiredness or weakness (severe); yellow eyes or skin

Levitra

Levitra

Generic Name: vardenafil (var DEN a fil)

Brand Names: Levitra

What is Levitra?

Levitra is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor. It works by helping to relax muscles and increase blood flow into the penis during sexual stimulation. This helps men to achieve and maintain an erection.

Levitra is used to treat erectile dysfunction (impotence).

Levitra may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

Important information about Levitra

Do not take Levitra if you are also using a nitrate drug for chest pain or heart problems. This includes nitroglycerin (Nitrostat, Nitrolingual, Nitro-Dur, Nitro-Bid, and others), isosorbide dinitrate (Dilatrate-SR, Isordil, Sorbitrate), and isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur, ISMO, Monoket). Nitrates are also found in some recreational drugs such as amyl nitrate or nitrite ("poppers"). Taking Levitra with a nitrate medicine can cause a serious decrease in blood pressure, leading to fainting, stroke, or heart attack.

FYI: Free Prescription Drug Card

Yes, yes, I know this is about dental-related stuff but I want to quickly point out that one of my dental distributors as just opened up a new web site for people who do not have prescription drug coverage. It's called the USA Drug Plan and it's absolutely free!

All you need to do is go to the web site, type in the name of your prescription, the dosage and the amount prescribed and you can find out exactly how much money you can save by using this Rx card. You can even type in your ZIP code and get a list of pharmacies in your area that accept this prescription plan. If you decide on getting this plan, you can print out your membership card directly from the web site so you can start using it the same day.

Folic Acid

Folic Acid

Generic Name: folic acid (FOE lik AS id)

Brand Names: FA-8, Folacin-800

What is folic acid?

Folic acid is a type of B vitamin that is normally found in foods such as dried beans, peas, lentils, oranges, whole-wheat products, liver, asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and spinach.

Folic acid helps your body produce and maintain new cells, and also helps prevent changes to DNA that may lead to cancer.

As a medication, folic acid is used to treat folic acid deficiency and certain types of anemia (lack of red blood cells) caused by folic acid deficiency.

Folic acid is sometimes used in combination with other medications to treat pernicious anemia. However it will not treat Vitamin B12 deficiency and will not prevent possible damage to the spinal cord. Take all of your medications as directed.

Inflamed Gums... More Serious Than You Think

Research Suggests Chronic Inflammation Links Gum Disease To Other Diseases

Not only dentists but more and more medical physicians are stressing the importance of good oral health in an effort to keep the rest of the body healthy. Research has long suggested an association between gum disease and other health issues- including heart disease, stroke and diabetes- but now an emerging theory, and one gaining support from researchers worldwide, is that inflamed gums -or gum disease- may link the health of the mouth to the health of the body.

Inflammation is the body's instinctive reaction to fight off infection, guard against injury or shield against irritation. Inflammation is often characterized by swelling, redness, heat and pain around the affected area. While inflammation initially intends to heal the body, over time, chronic inflammation can lead to dysfunction of the infected tissues, and therefore more severe health complications.

Dentists Frequently The First To Discover Eating Disorders

Healthy and beautiful looking teeth have a dramatic effect on a person's attractiveness to others as well as on his or her own self-image and self-esteem. Studies have shown that appearance will have a strong effect on social and career success by influencing how a person is perceived.

According to the Institute of Dental Research and Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, 28% of bulimia cases are first diagnosed during dental exams. Yet in a study conducted by Old Dominion University, fewer than 33% of dentists and 43% of dental hygienists currently assess patients for eating disorders. Worse yet, fewer than 20% of dentists and 17% of dental hygienists refer these patients for treatment.

Americans Get Failing Grade On Oral Health Knowledge

The American Dental Association, in collaboration with Crest and Oral-B recently revealed findings from a national public opinion survey on oral health care. If you go to nobody's surprise that Americans labor under many misconceptions, and they do so at the risk of their own and their children's health.

Here is a sneak peek at the key findings of the national survey:

1. While eight of 10 Americans say taking care of one's mouth, teeth and gums is "absolutely needed," only one-third of them say they do an "excellent" job taking care of them.

2. One parent in four says his or her kids do only a "fair" or "poor" job taking care of their own mouth, teeth and gums.