medications library

There are medications for just about anything, whether it's a headache or something more serious. Get informed about prescription and over-the-counter drugs and medicine.

How Aspirin Works

Featured Article: How Aspirin Works

Feel a bit of a headache coming on? Muscle aches from yesterday's workout too distracting? Arthritis making that knitting project a pain? Discover how aspirin and other analgesics dull the pain and find out what else they're good for. See more »

Can Tamiflu cause psychiatric side effects?

Can Tamiflu cause psychiatric side effects?

Following more than 200 reports of strange behavior in minors taking Tamiflu, including 15 deaths, the FDA has made an addition to the drug's warning label.

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How Antidepressants Work

How Antidepressants Work

Antidepressants are the first line of treatment for depression. Sales of antidepressants total $50 billion annually, making this class of drugs one of the leading prescription medications. But are they effective?

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How Aspirin Works

How Aspirin Works

Feel a bit of a headache coming on? Muscle aches from yesterday's workout too distracting? Arthritis making that knitting project a pain? Discover how aspirin and other analgesics dull the pain and find out what else they're good for.

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How can a diet pill make you feel full?

How can a diet pill make you feel full?

A new diet pill is in the works that suppresses your appetite differently from most diet pills. Find out how an expanding diet pill can make you feel full.

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How Cipro Works

How Cipro Works

The threat of anthrax as a biological weapon has become a real concern for everyone. Ciprofloxacin is a drug used to treat people exposed to anthrax. Learn how this medicine works against the anthrax bacteria.

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How Diet Pills Work

How Diet Pills Work

Lose 30 pounds in 30 days with no diet or exercise! Sound too good to be true? It is: Most diet-pill promises have no real scientific backing. Learn the truth about diet drugs and what they can really deliver.

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How Diuretics Work

How Diuretics Work

Diuretics are used to treat a wide variety of conditions. Learn about diuretics in this article and find out what conditions diuretics can treat.

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How Generic Drugs Work

How Generic Drugs Work

About half of all prescriptions are filled with a generic equivalent of a brand-name drug. Generic drugs have the same active ingredients, safety and effectiveness as brand-name medications, but are they really just as good? And why are they so much cheaper than brand-name drugs?

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How Heart Failure Medications Work

How Heart Failure Medications Work

Among people over 65 years of age who are admitted to the hospital, heart failure is the most common diagnosis. And because the American population is aging, the number of heart failure diagnoses is increasing every year. Heart failure medication may be able to help.

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How Inotropic Drugs Work

How Inotropic Drugs Work

Inotropic drugs, which are used to manage various heart conditions, alter the force of your heartbeat. How do they work, and what are some of their side effects?

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How Malaria Drugs Work

How Malaria Drugs Work

Malaria is curable with accurate diagnosis and timely treatment. Learn about the latest approaches and preventive actions you can take before you leave home.

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How OxyContin Works

How OxyContin Works

According to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health, roughly 2.8 million people aged 12 or older had illegally used the prescription drug OxyContin at least once. Find out about this controversial drug.

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How Prescription Drug Benefits Work

How Prescription Drug Benefits Work

Many insurance plans have excluded high-cost drugs from coverage, cut down on refills and increased co-pays. Find out why, and how to get the medications you need.

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How Vasodilator Drugs Work

How Vasodilator Drugs Work

Vasodilator drugs help lower blood pressure by widening blood vessels. How do they work, exactly -- and are there any serious side effects?

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Is alcohol more dangerous than ecstasy?

Is alcohol more dangerous than ecstasy?

In Britain, illegal drugs are ranked as A, B, or C. Class A is supposed to be the most harmful, and Class C is supposed to be the least harmful. A recent study shows that the rankings may be all mixed up.

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Top 10 Weirdest Prescription Drug Side Effects

Top 10 Weirdest Prescription Drug Side Effects

Rainbow-colored pee? No, you're not crazy -- it could be the side effect of a medication you're taking. Sometimes, pills give you a little extra something on top of what they're supposed to do.

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Why are antidepressants the most prescribed drug in the U.S.?

Why are antidepressants the most prescribed drug in the U.S.?

Doctors are prescribing more antidepressant drugs than ever. What does this trend suggest? Are these drugs being overprescribed, or are patients simply more comfortable with confiding in doctors about depression?

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Why would you take poison as medicine?

Why would you take poison as medicine?

Sticks and stones may break your bones, but tarantula venom may prevent you from having a heart attack. Could some of the world's most fearsome creatures be harboring cures for disease?

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10 Most Profitable Drugs

10 Most Profitable Drugs

We often hear that antidepressants, cholesterol medicines, blood pressure drugs and countless other prescription medications are widely used in the U.S. How do the most commonly-used prescription drugs compare in terms of sales?

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Blood Pressure Medications

Blood Pressure Medications

High blood pressure is the leading cause of death among Americans. Fortunately, there are a number of blood pressure medications that can vastly reduce a patient's risk. Learn more about blood pressure medications.

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Diseases and Conditions Glossary:

  ABO Incompatibility   AIDS   ARDS (acute Respiratory Distress Sy...   Aarskog Syndrome   Aase Syndrome   Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm   Abortion - Complete   Abortion - Elective Or Therapeutic   Abortion - Incomplete   Abortion - Infected   Abortion - Threatened   Abscess   Acanthosis Nigricans   Achalasia   Achilles Tendinitis   Achondrogenesis   Achondroplasia   Acidosis   Acne   Acoustic Neuroma   Acoustic Trauma   Acquired Platelet Function Defect   Acrodermatitis   Acrodysostosis   Acromegaly   Actinic Keratosis   Actinomycosis   Acute Adrenal Crisis   Acute Arterial Occlusion - Kidney   Acute Bilateral Obstructive Uropath...   Acute Bronchitis   Acute Cerebellar Ataxia   Acute Cholecystitis (Gallstones)   Acute Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infecti...   Acute Gouty Arthritis   Acute HIV Infection   Acute Interstitial Nephritis Not NS...   Acute Kidney Failure   Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)   Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia In-Depth   Acute Mountain Sickness   Acute Myeloid Leukemia   Acute Nephritic Syndrome   Acute Pancreatitis   Acute Tubular Necrosis   Acute Unilateral Obstructive Uropat...   Acute Upper Airway Obstruction   Addison’s Disease   Adenomyosis   Adhesion   Adjustment Disorder   Adolescent Depression   Adolescent Pregnancy   Adrenocortical Carcinoma   Adrenoleukodystrophy   Adult Still's Disease   Agammaglobulinemia   Age-related Hearing Loss   Agoraphobia   Agranulocytosis   Aicardi Syndrome   Albinism   Alcohol Withdrawal   Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy   Alcoholic Ketoacidosis   Alcoholic Liver Disease   Alcoholic Neuropathy   Alcoholism   Alcoholism In-Depth   Alkalosis   Alkaptonuria   Allergic Conjunctivitis   Allergic Rhinitis   Allergic Rhinitis In-Depth   Allergic Vasculitis   Allergies   Allergy To Mold - Dander - Dust   Alopecia Areata   Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency   Alport Syndrome   Alström Syndrome   Alveolar Abnormalities   Alzheimer’s - Resources   Alzheimer’s Disease   Alzheimer's Disease Epidemic?   Alzheimer's Disease In-Depth   Amaurosis Fugax   Amblyopia   Amebiasis   Amebic Liver Abscess   Amelogenesis Imperfecta   Amenorrhea   Amniotic Constriction Bands   Amphetamine Or Sympathomimetic Into...   Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis   Anal Fissure   Analgesic Nephropathy   Anaphylaxis   Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer   Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome   Anemia   Anemia - B12 Deficiency   Anemia In-Depth   Anemia Of Chronic Disease   Anencephaly   Aneurysm   Aneurysm In The Brain   Angina   Angiodysplasia Of The Colon   Angioedema   Ankylosing Spondylitis   Annular Pancreas   Anorchia   Anorectal Abscess   Anorexia Nervosa   Anthrax   Antisocial Personality Disorder   Anxiety Disorders In-Depth   Aortic Arch Syndrome   Aortic Dissection   Aortic Insufficiency   Aortic Stenosis   Apert Syndrome   Apnea Of Prematurity   Apoplexy   Appendicitis   Arrhenoblastoma of the Ovary   Arrhythmias   Arterial Embolism   Arterial Insufficiency   Arteriosclerosis Of The Extremities   Arteriovenous Malformation - Cerebr...   Arthritis   Arthritis - Resources   Asbestos-related Pleural Effusion   Asbestosis   Ascariasis   Ascites   Aseptic Meningitis   Aseptic Necrosis   Asherman Syndrome   Asperger Syndrome   Aspergillosis   Aspiration Pneumonia   Asthma   Asthma And Allergy - Resources   Asthma In Adults In-Depth   Asthma In Children And Adolescents ...   Astigmatism   Asymptomatic Bacteriuria   Asymptomatic HIV Infection   Ataxia-telangiectasia   Atelectasis   Atheroembolic Renal Disease   Atherosclerosis   Athlete's Foot   Atrial Fibrillation/flutter   Atrial Myxoma   Atrial Septal Defect   Atrophic Vaginitis   Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Dis...   Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Dis...   Atypical Mycobacterial Infection   Atypical Pneumonia   Aural Polyps   Autism   Autism - Resources   Autoerythrocyte Sensitivity   Autoimmune Disorders   Autoimmune Hepatitis   Autonomic Hyperreflexia   Autonomic Neuropathy   Avian Influenza   Avoidant Personality Disorder   Axillary Nerve Dysfunction   Back Pain And Sciatica In-Depth   Back Strain Treatment   Backaches And Stress   Bacterial Gastroenteritis   Baker’s Cyst   Balanitis   Barbiturate Intoxication And Overdo...   Barrett’s Esophagus   Bartholin’s Abscess   Bartter Syndrome   Basal Cell Carcinoma   Basal Cell Nevus Syndrome   Basal Ganglia Dysfunction   Bassen-Kornzweig Syndrome   Bathing Trunk Nevus   Becker's Muscular Dystrophy   Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome   Bedwetting   Bell's Palsy   Benign Ear Cyst Or Tumor   Benign Positional Vertigo   Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia In-Dep...   Beriberi   Bezoar   Bilateral Hydronephrosis   Bile Duct Obstruction   Biliary Atresia   Biliary Stricture   Bipolar Disorder   Bipolar Disorder In-Depth   Birth-acquired Herpes   Birthmarks - Pigmented   Birthmarks - Red   Bladder Cancer   Bladder Outlet Obstruction   Bladder Stones   Blastomycosis   Blastomycosis Skin Lesion   Bleeding Disorders   Bleeding Esophageal Varices   Blepharitis   Blind Loop Syndrome   Blocked Tear Duct   Blood Clots   Blount's Disease   Body Lice   Bone Tumors   Borderline Personality Disorder   Botulism   Bowlegs   Brachial Palsy In Newborns   Brachial Plexopathy   Brain Abscess   Brain Herniation   Brain Tumor - Adults   Brain Tumor - Children   Brain Tumors - Primary In-Depth   Branchial Cleft Cyst   Breast Cancer   Breast Cancer In-Depth   Breast Infection   Breast Milk Jaundice   Breath Holding Spell   Brief Reactive Psychosis