Pharma Tips-352

1776. RRMS = relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

1777. PPMS = primary progressive multiple sclerosis. 

1778. SPMS = secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. 

1779. Fingolimod is used to treat multiple sclerosis; avoid live vaccines during treatment and for 2 months after stopping.

1780. Separate the administration of different eye drops by 5-10 minutes, sometimes 15 minutes for convenience or if the drops are irritating.  

Pharma Tips-351

1771. ACEIs and ARBs decrease lithium clearance.

1772. Flunarizine is used in migraine prophylaxis; it may take several weeks to be effective and should not be used in depressed patients or those with EPS.

1773. Ketorolac for moderate to severe pain, 30mg is equianalgesic 12mg of morphine; it is used to treat renal colic.

1774. Trigeminal neuralgia (tic douloureux) is a sudden, brief, sharp episodic pain in one or more branches of the fifth cranial nerve. 

1775. Bell's palsy is caused by the herpes simplex virus one, predinsolone is the drug of choice 1mg/kg for 5 days and taper for 5 days; and antiviral therapy may be added.

Pharma Tips-350

1766. Carbamazepine treats seizures and trigeminal neuralgia and may cause aplastic anaemia and agranulocytosis.

1767. Migraine decreases gastric emptying, limiting the effectiveness of analgesics. 

1768. Hypothyroidism increases sensitivity to digoxin and opioids.

1769. Hyperthyroidism increases sensitivity to warfarin and decreases sensitivity to digoxin.

1770. Topiramate may increase the risk of nephrolithiasis during treatment; more hydration is recommended.

Pharma Tips-349

1761. Oxacillin and nafcillin are useful to treat β-lactamase-producing staphylococcal infections. 

1762. Acitretin is used to treat psoriasis; it is CI in pregnancy, so two negative pregnancy tests must be done before taking it, and two effective birth control methods must be used for one month before starting and for 3 years after stopping it.

1763. Mesalamine is a metabolite of sulfasalazine, and it is used to treat chronic ulcerative colitis.

1764. Tigecycline could be used to treat methicillin- and vancomycin-resistant bacteria; it is a structural analogue of tetracycline. 

1765. Antacids may decrease the absorption of gabapentin; it should be taken 2 hours after antacids. 

Pharma Tips-348

1756. NNRTIs include delavirdine, efavirenz, and nevirapine.

1757. Infliximab is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and ankylosing spondylitis.

1758. Almotriptan is used for acute migraine.

1759. Metoclopramide could be used for symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux and diabetic gastroparesis.

1760. Lactase enzyme is used to manage lactose intolerance.

Pharma Tips-347

1751. Heart rate and blood pressure are the parameters to watch when administering beta-blockers to patients with MI for acute treatment; if the heart rate and BP are too low, don't give beta-blockers.

1752. Hyperkalemia can be treated by stabilising the cardiac membrane with IV calcium, shifting potassium intracellularly with insulin and dextrose, and removing potassium from the body with dialysis or potassium-binding agents such as sodium polystyrene sulfonate. 

1753. Elemental iron percentage in ferrous gluconate is 12%, in ferrous sulfate is 20%, and in ferrous fumarate is 33%.

1754. Protease inhibitor antivirals include amprenavir, indinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir, and saquinavir. Other HIV protease inhibitors include atazanavir, darunavir, fosamprenavir, and lopinavir.

1755. NRTIs (nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors) include zalcitabine, lamivudine, and stavudine. Other important NRTIs include abacavir, emtricitabine, didanosine, tenofovir, and zidovudine.

Pharma Tips-346

1746. Henderson-Hasselbalch equation describes the pKa and pH of a weak acid or base.

1747. The Noyes-Whitney equation describes the rate of dissolution of a solid drug.

1748. Amiodarone has a very long half-life (up to 50 days); the therapeutic effect may be delayed for weeks, and side effects may persist for up to 4 months after therapy ends.

1749. Propranolol is used to treat hyperthyroidism because it provides symptomatic relief and reduces tachycardia, sweating and tremor; it also inhibits the conversion of thyroxine (T₄) to triiodothyronine (T₃).

1750. Tenecteplase (TNKase) is easier to administer than tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) as a single IV bolus dose for acute management of MI.