Worst Pills, Best Pills: A Consumer's Guide to Preventing Drug-Induced Deat

"More than 100,000 people a year die in American hospitals from adverse reactions to medication, making drug reactions one of the leading causes of death in this country, researchers are reporting today...." -- Journal of the American Medical Association study, as quoted in The New York Times It is no longer a secret that adverse drug reactions can be dangerous or even fatal, or that doctors often prescribe two relatively safe drugs -- which may cause a life-threatening interaction if taken together. THIS IS THE BOOK THAT TELLS YOU WHAT OTHER PILL BOOKS WON'T ABOUT YOUR MEDICATION! Top-selling drugs that are among the 160 Do Not Use Drugs discussed inside: Ultram Darvoset-N Lopid Desogen & OrthoCept Elavil Ativan Restoril Flexeril Valium Bentyl Entex LA Glucophage Macrobid Patients fill more than 80 million prescriptions a year for these drugs! Consumer advocate Sidney M. Wolfe, M.D., director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, has thoroughly revised and updated this accessible, indispensable bestseller that alerts you to the potential risks of hundreds of medications available today. Worst Pills, Best Pills gives you the information you need to become actively involved in caring for yourself -- by asking your doctor smart questions about the drugs prescribed for you. Arranged by disease/condition, it offers chapters on adverse drug reactions, alphabetical indexes listing pills by their brand and generic names, new information about commonly used drugs, guidelines for helping you to say "no" if your doctor prescribes a drug you should not take, and safer alternative choices. Worst Pills, Best Pills also includes startling information about certain drugs that can actually cause depression, hallucinations or psychoses, sexual dysfunction, dementia, auto accidents, insomnia, parkinsonism, and more. Caution: Call your doctor before stopping the use of any drug.

Table of Contents:
CONTENTS Introduction How This Book Was Compiled Medical Advisers Index of Drugs 1: Misprescribing and Overprescribing of Drugs Evidence of Misprescribing and Overprescribing The Causes of Misprescribing and Overprescribing 2: Adverse Drug Reactions How Extensive Is the Problem of Specific Adverse Drug Reactions? Specific Patient Examples Nine Reasons Why Older Adults Are More Likely Than Younger Adults to Have Adverse Drug Reactions Which Adverse Effects Can Be Caused by Which Drugs? Summary of Adverse Reactions and the Drugs That Cause Them Drugs That Can Affect the Mind (Such as Those Causing Depression or Psychoses) Drugs That Can Cause Abnormal, Involuntary Movements Drugs That Can Disturb Balance Drugs That Can Cause Sexual Dysfunction Drugs That Can Affect the Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract Drugs That Can Cause Lung Toxicity Drugs That Can Affect the Urinary Tract 3: 456 Drugs Commonly Used by Consumers How to Use This Chapter Drugs for Heart Conditions Drug Listings High Blood Pressure Potassium Supplementation Beta-blockers Calcium Channel Blockers Cholesterol-lowering Drugs Drug Profiles Mind Drugs Drug Listings Tranquilizers and Sleeping Pills Antipsychotic Drugs Depression Drug Profiles Painkillers and Arthritis Drugs Drug Listings Salicylates Narcotics Arthritis and Inflammation Drug Profiles Gastrointestinal Drugs Drug Listings Diarrhea Constipation Gas Drug Profiles Cold, Cough, Allergy, and Asthma Drugs Drug Listings Cold Allergy and Hay Fever Asthma, Chronic Bronchitis, and Emphysema Drug Profiles Drugs for Infections Drug Listings Antibiotics Penicillins and Cephalosporins Fluoroquinolones Tetracyclines Drug Profiles Drugs for Diabetes Drug Listings Diabetes and Its Treatment Drug Profiles Drugs for Neurological Disorders Drug Listings Drug Profiles Nutritional Supplements Supplement Listings Nutritional Supplements Supplement Profiles Eye Drugs Drug Listings General Instructions for Application of Eye Drops and Ointment Glaucoma Drug Profiles Drugs for Other Conditions Drug Listings Corticosteroids Drug Profiles 4: Protecting Yourself and Your Family from Preventable Drug-induced Injury Sample Drug Worksheet 5: Saving Money While Avoiding Injury When Buying Prescription Drugs Glossary Drug Worksheet

About the Author :
Sidney M. Wolfe, M.D., is the director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group in Washington, DC, a consumer lobbying group that he cofounded with Ralph Nader in 1971. His previous bestsellers include Pills That Don't Work and Over-the-Counter Pills That Don't Work.