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Pharmacology/Questions Answered by Expert Joe Haynes, R.Ph., MBA
| Subject | Date Asked |
| How safe is Ranitidine, long-term? | 6/8/2010 |
| Q: I have been taking something for gastric reflux since 1982. Back then it was Tagamet, by ... A: Histamine receptor antagonists like Tagamet and Zantac are very safe for long term use. Tagamet did ... | |
| vitamin B12 | 5/19/2010 |
| Q: I am a nurse who was trained that vitamin B-12 (cyanocobalamin) had to be given parenterally or ... A: B-12 is a water soluble vitamin and can be given orally. The dosing for all routes is anywhere from ... | |
| sinus infection medicines | 5/18/2010 |
| Q: My dr. Gave me calithromyacin 500mg for a bad sinus infection and cough. Also told me to use a ... A: Don- Yes, that is a common side effect of Symbicort. It contains a long acting bronchodilator ... | |
| DM ii | 5/16/2010 |
| Q: age 50 weight 98 height 5.7 + after failure in alone metformin Dr has prescribed gliclazide 80 mg ... A: It is better to take gliclazide/metformin 30 minutes prior to the meal so the medication has time to ... | |
| restoril and ambien | 4/5/2010 |
| Q: i read an article on internet by some doctor that high doses of restoril 30mg over long period of ... A: Usually not recommended because you could become over sedated. I would only recommend that if your ... | |
| Medicine Doses | 4/5/2010 |
| Q: If there are two versions of the same medicine, one is extended release and the other one standard ... A: Alfonso- You are correct. Usually a sustained (SR) or extended release (XL or XR) is the equivalent ... | |
| restoril and ambien | 4/5/2010 |
| Q: i read an article on internet by some doctor that high doses of restoril 30mg over long period of ... A: Howard- I have seen similar things as well. Nothing in the package literature indicates that ... | |
| omeprazole and rantitidine | 3/9/2010 |
| Q: I have been diagnosed with the helicobacter bacteria and given the triple therapy. After all this ... A: Paul- You can use both together but therapeutically there really is no advantage. It's preferable to ... | |
| Combatting Stimulant-caused insomnia | 3/8/2010 |
| Q: I am a college student who takes Focalin (IR) for diagnosed ADHD. Because of night classes, I take ... A: Brian- Xyrem is mostly indicated in people who are narcoleptic during the day and then cannot sleep ... | |
| Mixing drugs | 3/7/2010 |
| Q: What would happen if someoneone took the following drugs: metoprl/hctz 100/25 zocor 40 augmentin 875 ... A: Sam- Question is a little vague. Are you looking for the drug interactions for all of these when ... | |
| Lexapro Insomnia | 3/2/2010 |
| Q: I have been treated for RLS for the past nine months with Mirapex .25mg with no problems. I have ... A: Brock- Lexapro can cause insomnia in some people because it works by increasing serotonin in the ... | |
| Xanax Testing | 2/27/2010 |
| Q: recently my ex and I had to take hair drug test for a custody trial.. I got my results back and I ... A: Jennifer- Unless they are testing for benzodiazepines, Xanax will not show up based on the ... | |
| aspirin replacement | 2/26/2010 |
| Q: I am 48 years old and very near to 49.............I live a sedentary life and am a little ... A: Paul- The next step up from aspirin is called Plavix here in the US (generic name clopidogrel) but ... | |
| Hydroxyzine | 2/24/2010 |
| Q: My question is.......can use of Hydroxyzine on a daily basis cause any side effects. I've read this ... A: I can sympathize. I encounter sleep issues myself. The only other non-benzo or non-Ambien product ... | |
| pain relievers | 2/24/2010 |
| Q: Why do certain pain relievers, like Ibuprofen, help some pain conditions and not others? For ... A: Lee- Very good question. It depends on the nature of the pain. Ibuprofen and other non-steroidals ... | |
| Hydroxyzine | 2/23/2010 |
| Q: My question is.......can use of Hydroxyzine on a daily basis cause any side effects. I've read this ... A: Eileen- Sure- any long term use of any medication can result in chronic side effects. Usually drugs ... | |
| Hydrocodone | 1/4/2010 |
| Q: Is it common (or not that uncommon) for Hydrocodone to have reverse sedating effect when it comes to ... A: James- I did a couple of quick searches and did find other cases where insomnia was a side effect of ... | |
| sulfa drugs | 5/3/2009 |
| Q: A couple years ago I used a dye on my hair that contained PPDA (para-phenylenediamine)and developed ... A: Lee- Yes, sulfacetamide is a sulfonamide and can cause the same allergic reactions. Sulfonamides ... | |
| instead of imitrex | 5/1/2009 |
| Q: A few times a month I'll get a headache that I'd really rather do without. Fortunately, the ... A: Vascular type headaches like yours sometimes respond well to caffeine (either coffee, soda, Excedrin ... | |
| WELLBUTRIN | 5/1/2009 |
| Q: I WAS TAKING WELLBUTRIN FOR A LONG TIME 10YRS, I JUST LOVED IT FOR ADD AND MY MOOD. BUT I HAD A ... A: Antidepressants work a little differently for everyone. Unfortunately, there is no other drug ... | |
| azithromycin 250 mg tablets | 3/7/2009 |
| Q: I was given azithromycin 250m tablets(5 daily dose) on 02/23/2009 for a possible bacterial ... A: No not a problem. With antibiotics the thing to watch out for is diarrhea because the bacteria in ... | |
| azithromycin 250 mg tablets | 3/6/2009 |
| Q: I was given azithromycin 250m tablets(5 daily dose) on 02/23/2009 for a possible bacterial ... A: Sherry- The half life (the time it takes for 1/2 of the drug in your blood to me removed) is 24 ... | |
| please help | 3/6/2009 |
| Q: i want to start off by thanking you for taking the time to respond to my question. this is hard for ... A: That will be dictated by the laws in your state. As for the doctor, I don't think passing it off ... | |
| vyvance overdose | 3/5/2009 |
| Q: will doubling a dose of vyvance 30mg in a child under 50 pounds hurt a child..what are the possible ... A: Anna- I'm going to provide you with the following link to help answer this. ... | |
| please help | 3/5/2009 |
| Q: i want to start off by thanking you for taking the time to respond to my question. this is hard for ... A: Jennifer- Thanks for being willing to share your situation. I cannot imagine what you must be going ... | |
| pharmacology | 3/3/2009 |
| Q: I am currently going through a custody battle with my exhusband where we are both guilty of throwing ... A: Robbi- The following link opens up a PDF file that describes what a paracervical block is. I had to ... | |
| vitamins | 1/9/2009 |
| Q: I have been taking Vitamin B12 pills and Folate pills every day for the past six months. But I would ... A: Al- Yes, vitamins can be stopped immediately without any problem. If you were/are using them as a ... | |
| Drug interaction | 1/5/2009 |
| Q: Dr. Haynes I am currently taking lamictal for bipolarity and I had taken benadryl for my allergies, ... A: I performed an interaction check (http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.php) with Lamictal and ... | |
| Levocarnitine | 1/1/2009 |
| Q: What is the exact action of levocarnitine(CARNITOR) on human body,which is given especially in some ... A: Prajessh- This is kind of a lazy method to answer your questions but here is the link to the ... | |
| drug interactions | 1/1/2009 |
| Q: my dads neurolgist prescribed lexapro 10mg but i read of some possible interactions with meds he is ... A: Mark- Very good question. Yes, there are interactions between the three that may be cause for ... | |
| orlistat and kidney stones | 12/31/2008 |
| Q: Can you tell me if this drug causes kidney stones or not? I have had one kidney stone back in 1999. ... A: Alison- Yes, some people do develop high levels of calcium oxalate which is a salt excreted in the ... | |
| chronic nausea | 12/31/2008 |
| Q: I have suffered from chronic nausea for 2 years and have been tried on all the anti nausea meds with ... A: It seems as if the hernia is independent of the nausea. Do you have any other underlying conditions ... | |
| ZPack | 12/31/2008 |
| Q: I have been taking Azithromycin, 250mg for my soar throat and am on the 4th day. I have had a nail ... A: Malinda- Zithromax has no antifungal activity- it only treats bacteria. My guess is that due to your ... | |
| Drug test | 12/31/2008 |
| Q: I was recently given a urine drug test and it came back as positive. My boss said that the test said ... A: Adderall is a mixture of four amphetamine salts (dextroamphetamine sulfate, dextroamphetamine ... | |
| Liver and Kidney test | 12/29/2008 |
| Q: Our son is diagnosed as having ADHD, Bipolar and anxiety. He is currently on Vyvance, Lamictal, and ... A: Ransom- The only reason those tests may be necessary would be if your son were experiencing reduced ... | |
| Nexium | 12/26/2008 |
| Q: When does the license or patent expire on Nexium so that it can go generic? A: Judy- Not sure of when the patent is due to expire. Just so you are aware, Prilosec (omeprazole) is ... | |
| Prescription Drugs | 12/25/2008 |
| Q: My elder father is in a nursing home and is prescribed numerous drugs. Is there a specialist who ... A: Perry- If your father is in a nursing home, a consultant pharmacist (licensed in your state) is ... | |
| taking niacin to lower triglyceride levels | 12/22/2008 |
| Q: I am beginning to take niacin at 100 mg dosage and increase up to a level to lower triglycerides. ... A: Virginia- Sorry I took so long to answer. For niacin, usual dose is 500mg of a sustained-released ... | |
| depression/anxiety | 12/21/2008 |
| Q: my adult son is currently on prozac 20mg per day and perphenazene 2mg bid. He can have klonipin 1mg ... A: Shirl- I apologize for the delayed response (mainly due to the holidays). Psychotropic medications ... | |
| Duricef and Cellulitis | 12/14/2008 |
| Q: I took a course of Duricef for 14 days for cellulitis in an arm that has lymphedemia. I got an ... A: Marge- Simple cuts once they are washed and dressed usually pose no risk of causing systemic ... | |
| safety of nexium's degradation products after expiration date | 12/14/2008 |
| Q: Are the degradation products of nexium after expiration date safe? A: Sameh- Expiration dates on drugs are intended to prevent drug companies from incurring liability if ... | |
| Please Help! | 12/11/2008 |
| Q: Haynes, My name is Amy, I have been suffering from generalized anxiety disorder from the age of 7. ... A: The combination is not a problem; however, I cannot recommend the use of someone else's medication ... | |
| Medication dosing schedule | 6/25/2008 |
| Q: I have been taking Effexor XR 37.5mg for 2 months and I love it. The only problem is that I take it ... A: Beverly- Most antidepressants will cause some sleep disruption because they increase the amount of ... | |
| Toporal Side Effect? | 6/16/2008 |
| Q: My mom is 89 years old, and is having a lot of lethargy and dizziness. She has a slight arrythmia, ... A: Dory- Usually blood pressure medication is adjusted based on blood pressure more so than body weight ... | |
| Shingles | 6/16/2008 |
| Q: My wife suffers from shingles. She’s 57 years old. So far it’s been 8 weeks. What causes it… ... A: Larry- My apologies for being tardy in answering your inquiry. Shingles is caused by the same virus ... | |
| Vitamin A | 5/24/2008 |
| Q: As an M.D. I have used 50,000 IU vitamin orally for one month in treatment of skin keratosis with ... A: Acute toxicity does not manifest itself until approximately 1 million units/dose which you are well ... | |
| Tourette's | 5/23/2008 |
| Q: My nine yr old son has Tourette's Syndrome. He is on Prozac, Clonidine and Tenax. Last week he had ... A: My only guess would be since opiates are central nervous system depressants (sleep,somnolence, ... | |
| filled prescriptions | 5/14/2008 |
| Q: When a doctor writes a paper prescription for someone, is the doctor able to know whether or not the ... A: Jenna- Once you leave the doctor's office, there is no way for them to know whether you got it ... | |
| timolol maleate | 5/12/2008 |
| Q: Can timolol maleate reduce pressure from 54 hh mg to 15 hh mg in 2.5 days? Thank you! ANSWER: ... A: Lauren- That seems reasonable to wait and I agree- why risk the side effects of the drug if there is ... | |
| Allergic to most pain meds | 5/6/2008 |
| Q: I will be having oral surgery in a few days and need some advice on pain medications. I am allergic ... A: Adrian- Not much left. There is Ultram (tramadol) or Ultracet (tramdol and Tylenol) which may work ... | |
| Taking Zantac in less and more frequent doses? | 5/5/2008 |
| Q: Our 7-week old son has been taking Zantac for reflux for two weeks. The prescription from our ped ... A: Since the total daily dose you are giving is less than prescribed, there will not be an overdose the ... | |
| Vaccinations and Autism | 5/1/2008 |
| Q: The rate of autism 40 years ago was 1 and 10,000. Now it's 1 in 150. Being I just had a son I ... A: Having no scientific proof that vaccines do not cause autism does not automatically mean you have ... | |
| insomnia after benzo | 4/23/2008 |
| Q: I took clonopin 1-2mg for 4yrs only at night to sleep and 1mg of xanax for 6 months. Of course they ... A: You have at least two other drug options. One is Ambien which is a non-benzo but acts at the same ... | |
| Infant Zantac Dosage | 4/16/2008 |
| Q: Our pediatrician prescribed Zantac syrup for our nearly 2 month old for reflux. He weighs approx. ... A: Chris- Usual dose for Zantac is 2mg/kilogram of weight twice daily. Your baby weighs about 4.4 kilos ... | |
| medication interaction | 4/14/2008 |
| Q: My 22-year old son takes a low dose(10mg)of Adderol once a day as needed to function at school. He ... A: Donna- Any decongestant is going to work with the Adderall to raise blood pressure because ... | |
| Xanax hair drug test | 4/10/2008 |
| Q: I took one .25mg pill of Xanax in early April to help me sleep. It was the first and only time I ... A: Most drug tests are for classes of drugs like opiates or benzos in general. Xanax has a half life of ... | |
| Nexium expiration | 4/10/2008 |
| Q: I have some nexium with an expiration date of 12/25/07 E/09. My prescription calls for me to take ... A: Without seeing the prescription label or the bottle, I'm not sure what E/09 is. But as far as the ... | |
| switching antidepressants | 3/30/2008 |
| Q: Dr. Haynes - My mother is 76, she has suffered chronic depression for many years, and has been on ... A: Russell- Sorry for the delayed response. I have been on vacation. You are correct, cross tapering ... | |
| azathioprine & prednisolone | 3/29/2008 |
| Q: prednisolone and azathioprine have been used for sclerosing peritonitis. Is this a recognised ... A: Sorry for the delay in response as I have been on vacation. I am not familiar with this particular ... | |
| drug interactions | 3/28/2008 |
| Q: I have been told to avoid Vitamin c supplementation as I take low-dose Vytorin. Is this tru, and if ... A: I use www.drugs.com to check for interactions and there were no documented interactions between ... | |
| Xanax Drug testing | 3/25/2008 |
| Q: How long does xanax stay in your system for urine testing, I weigh 140 lbs. I am 42 years old, and ... A: Larry- Xanax has a half-life of 6.3-27 hours which means it can take that amount of time for one ... | |
| breathing difficulties relating to medication | 3/23/2008 |
| Q: Any medication i take appears to depress my respiratory system and gives me very bad breathing ... A: David- If you could be more specific regarding the medications you are taking and for what ... | |
| Zovirax 400mg | 3/16/2008 |
| Q: I'm Melojane from Philippines. My mother had been exposed to varicella for 3 days now. The doctor ... A: There are no cures for viral infections- only treatments that will lessen the symptoms and reduce ... | |
| viagra/cialis | 3/4/2008 |
| Q: What are the effects of viagra/cialis on a young healthy male not needing them? Lots of people today ... A: Well other than the obvious, most common side effects are lowered blood pressure, painful erections ... | |
| Vyvase | 2/20/2008 |
| Q: My 10 year old son has been taking Vyvase for about 3 full months. Aside from appetite suppression ... A: It is a possibility as all amphetamines increase the amount of epinephrine in the brain. The package ... | |
| difference? | 2/13/2008 |
| Q: What is the difference between Lorazepam and oxazepam?? Thank you very much for your time and help. ... A: Keep the questions coming. That's what we are here for. Half-life refers to how long it takes for a ... | |
| difference? | 2/13/2008 |
| Q: What is the difference between Lorazepam and oxazepam?? Thank you very much for your time and help. ... A: Not a problem. Keep asking until you get the answer you need. You are correct- Serax has a longer ... | |
| difference? | 2/13/2008 |
| Q: What is the difference between Lorazepam and oxazepam?? Thank you very much for your time and help. ... A: Yona- Both are benzodiazepines use for anxiety or to help facilitate sleep. The main difference ... | |
| zantac overdose | 2/7/2008 |
| Q: My daughter who is 7 years old (40 pounds) has been in a steroid therapy. To prevent a side effect ... A: JP-- Let's take your concerns in order. I apologize for being long-winded: 1. Pediatric dosing for ... | |
| diaphenhydramine | 1/28/2008 |
| Q: A person I love is addicted to diaphenhydramine and has asked me to support her in an effort to ... A: Adam- She obviously is not suffering the overt signs of overdose, however, signs like increased ... | |
| Amoxicilin | 1/28/2008 |
| Q: How long does this drug stay in the system after completeing a 7 day course? Thank you. A: The half-life (the time it takes for your body to eliminate 1/2 of the ingested dose) for ... | |
| Wellbutrin/Paxil....... | 1/22/2008 |
| Q: I've been taking Wellbutrin for about 8 years, and my doctor and I have come to the conclusion that ... A: Dave- Switching between classes of antidepressants should be done gradually. While tapering off of ... | |
| flexeril vs soma | 1/22/2008 |
| Q: Please discuss if you can, known differences between flexeril and soma. when i do a web search on ... A: TK- The differences are based on their chemistry and mechanisms of action. Soma (carisoprodol) is ... | |
| Can Kenalog in Orabase c | 1/21/2008 |
| Q: "Dear Dr.I am 28 year old, relatively healthy male I recently finished a five day treatment of ... A: Eric- Kenalog can cause some localized reactions although they tend to be rare (see table below). It ... | |
| Reaction or all in my head? | 1/7/2008 |
| Q: In the past I have had some itching after taking antibiotics so I have stopped them, I was recently ... A: It's not uncommon to be confused about potential allergic reactions. Let's start with what a ... | |
| Treatment of prostatitis | 1/7/2008 |
| Q: About 1.5 years ago i was treated with 1g IM Ceftriaxone once a day for 4 consective days followed ... A: Mike- The use of IV or IM Rocephin (ceftriaxone)for the first 4 days is to achieve rapid prostatic ... | |
| Trileptal | 1/3/2008 |
| Q: Happy New Year. I know that Lamictil causes short term memory loss. How does trileptal compare for ... A: Just from my brief search on this topic, I gather that memory loss is also a result of the seizure ... | |
| drug interactions | 12/28/2007 |
| Q: I have a question about a possible drug interaction between propranolol and fluoxetine. I ... A: Sounds like you have a good handle on this one. I cannot find anything specific between fluoxetine ... | |
| diabetic and smoking | 12/27/2007 |
| Q: patches gum and everything you can think of I think that smoking increases blood sugar levels can ... A: There was a study back in 2002 by the Joslin Diabetes Center (an affiliate of Harvard University) ... | |
| medicine | 12/16/2007 |
| Q: I'm 56 years old and have had chronic constipation since about 21. Usually I just ignore it (after ... A: Sorry this is late;have been out for a while. Hyperosmolar just means the laxative draws water into ... | |
| medicine | 12/16/2007 |
| Q: I'm 56 years old and have had chronic constipation since about 21. Usually I just ignore it (after ... A: Miralax is also a bulk forming laxative. Like Citrucel, it requires a lot of water in order to ... | |
| medicine | 12/15/2007 |
| Q: I'm 56 years old and have had chronic constipation since about 21. Usually I just ignore it (after ... A: Constipation can be a chronic health problem related to possible food allergies, chronic use of ... | |
Pharmacology
Answers by Expert:
Joe Haynes, R.Ph., MBA
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer pharmacy/pharmacology questions as they relate to both pediatric and adult therapies. Please note that since I practice in Florida that I may not be able to answer specific questions regarding pharmacy practice in your state. As a disclaimer, I have no financial interest in recommending or failing to recommend any drug product. My goal is to give you the best answer to your questions regardless of product.
Experience
I have 24 years experience in pharmacy practice including pediatric and adult hospital, home-infusion, and long-term care (nursing home/ALF). I enjoy assisting with pediatric dosing and medication questions since children respond differently and are dosed differently than adults. I can help you determine if the dose you want to administer to your child is appropriate. I am currently director of pharmacy for a small community hospital in St. Petersburg, FL.
Organizations
Florida Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists
American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists
Florida Pharmacy Association
Education/Credentials
BS in Microbiology from Auburn University (1989)
BS in Pharmacy from Northeastern University (1994)
MBA (generalist) from St. Leo University (2005)
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