The Informed Squid: Your Health Navigator - Page 3
Digoxin Interactions: What Heart Patients Need to Monitor
Digoxin helps manage heart failure and atrial fibrillation but has dangerous interactions with common medications, foods, and supplements. Learn what to avoid and how to monitor your levels safely.
Categories: Medications
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How to Request a Lower-Cost Therapeutic Alternative Medication
Learn how to ask your doctor for a lower-cost therapeutic alternative to save hundreds on prescription meds each year. Proven strategies, real savings, and step-by-step guidance.
Categories: Medications
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Fall Risk in Older Adults on Sedating Antihistamines: Prevention Strategies
First-generation antihistamines like diphenhydramine increase fall risk in older adults by causing drowsiness and impaired balance. Switch to safer alternatives like fexofenadine, remove tripping hazards, and talk to your pharmacist to prevent life-threatening falls.
Categories: Medications
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GABA Supplements and Sedatives: What You Need to Know About CNS Depression Risk
GABA supplements are often mixed with sedatives, but research shows they don't cross the blood-brain barrier in meaningful amounts. Learn why the risk of additive CNS depression is minimal-and what supplements actually pose a real danger.
Categories: Health
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How to Check Formularies and Preferred Drug Lists Before Prescribing
Learn how to check formularies and preferred drug lists before prescribing to avoid delays, reduce costs, and improve patient adherence. Understand tiers, prior auth, and real-time tools for Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial plans.
Categories: Medications
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Dietary Supplements and Natural Products: How to Fully Disclose Use to Your Care Team
Most people don't tell their doctors about supplements - but that silence can be dangerous. Learn why full disclosure matters, which supplements cause real risks, and how to talk to your care team safely.
Categories: Health
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Causality Assessment for Adverse Drug Reactions: How the Naranjo Scale Works in Real-World Practice
The Naranjo Scale is a proven, 10-question tool used worldwide to determine if a drug caused an adverse reaction. Learn how it works, its strengths, limitations, and how it's still shaping drug safety today.
Categories: Medications
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Shingles: Antiviral Treatment and Pain Management
Shingles causes intense pain and a blistering rash. Early antiviral treatment within 72 hours reduces pain, speeds healing, and lowers the risk of long-term nerve damage. Valacyclovir is the most effective and easiest to take. The Shingrix vaccine prevents most cases.
Categories: Conditions
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Personal Health Records: How to Manage Medications Across Pharmacies
Personal health records help you track all your medications across pharmacies, prevent dangerous interactions, and stay safe during care transitions. Learn how to use them effectively.
Categories: Online Pharmacies
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Type 2 Diabetes: Symptoms, Causes, and How to Manage It
Type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition caused by insulin resistance and declining insulin production. Learn the real symptoms, root causes, and proven strategies to manage or even reverse it through lifestyle, medication, and monitoring.
Categories: Conditions
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Look-Alike, Sound-Alike Medication Names That Cause Errors: What You Need to Know
Look-alike, sound-alike (LASA) medication names cause thousands of preventable errors each year. Learn the most dangerous drug pairs, why current safety measures fail, and how patients and providers can stop these mistakes before they happen.
Categories: Medications
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Long-Term Opioid Use: How It Slows Down Hormones and Kills Sexual Function
Long-term opioid use can drop testosterone and disrupt sex hormones in up to 86% of users, leading to low libido, erectile dysfunction, and menstrual problems. Learn how it happens, what helps, and what most doctors miss.
Categories: Medications
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