Migraine prevention

Medications that prevent migraines from recurring are only used by a small number of the roughly 15 percent of the adult population affected by the painful headaches. According to the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Headache Society (AHS), nearly 40 percent of migraine sufferers could benefit from preventive drugs, but less than a third of these individuals take them. New guidelines put forth by the AAN and AHS list several drugs that help stop migraines before they start. These include the anti-seizure drugs divalproex (Depakote), valproate (Depacon) and topiramate (Topamax), in addition to the beta-blockers metoprolol, propranolol and timolol. While all of these drugs have side effects, their benefit must be weighed against any potential downside.

Feeling feverish?

We have all been educated to think that 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the average body temperature of humans and that anything above that reading indicates a fever. However, it's not really that simple. Rectal temperature, which most accurately reflects true internal body temperature, varies from 97.9 degrees F. (morning) to 100.4 degree F. (late afternoon). Oral, armpit and ear temperatures, which are less accurate and can be influenced by external factors, can be as low as 94.5 degrees F. To determine your personal "normal" temperature, take three readings (morning, noon and night) at any one of the four sites, and calculate your average temperature for each of the three times of day. Use those numbers as your base temperature.

Does grapefruit juice stymie statin drugs?

If you are prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs, you should know that some may be vulnerable to an adverse interaction with grapefruit juice. While "statins" such as rosuvastatin (Crestor), fluvastatin (Lescol) and pravastatin (Pravachol) do not interact with grapefruit products, atorvastatin (Lipitor), lovastatin (Mevacor, Altoprev) and simvastatin (Zocor) are susceptible to harm from grapefruit juice.

What to take for arthritic knees

Osteoarthritis of the knees is a common problem, particularly after age 60. While low-impact aerobic exercise, muscle strengthening, and stretching can help increase range of motion and decrease pain, medications are often also necessary. If so, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends the following medications to control symptoms: no more than 4 grams of acetaminophen (Tylenol) per day; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) taken with food; cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors, such as celecoxib (Celebrex); or topical NSAID diclofenac sodium (Voltaren Gel). These recommendations are designed to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. If they cannot be tolerated or greater pain relief is needed, a corticosteroid injection may be needed.

COLUMN: Wisdom, education not same

While a humorous quip (that I want to replace "... public school with Sunday school") to a quote I used as a part of my response of a recent My Turn piece by Mr. Ruskovich (Voters: We don't need no education), it struck me as somewhat disingenuous that he chose to misconstrue the tenor of my letter in order to "score points" on a different matter.

Travel advice

Whether you are going to drive or fly, if you plan to travel with medications, it is best to keep them in the passenger compartment, not the vehicle's trunk or the jet's storage area. According to the U.S. Pharmacopeia, most medications should be kept at temperatures between 68 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit in order to maintain optimal quality and effectiveness. Practically speaking, a wider temperature range between 59 and 86 degrees is also acceptable, but excessive heat should be avoided. It is also prudent to check drug labels for warnings about proper storage. Drugs such as insulin require refrigeration. If there are any questions, ask the pharmacist about any special precautions that should be taken with medications while traveling.

Migraine medication may increase birth-defect risk

Cleft lips and palates occur when the mouth does not fully form, which leads to a split lip or hole in the upper palate. While such oral birth defects are relatively rare in the United States, it has been found that an epilepsy drug used to help prevent migraines can increase the risk of these defects in babies born to mothers who take the medication. According to the FDA, expectant mothers who take the drug topiramate (Topamax) are about 20 times more likely to have infants with cleft lips or cleft palates than women not taking the medication. Women of childbearing age should know that the defects occur during the first three months of pregnancy, often before a woman knows she is pregnant.

Treating sinus inflammation

When sinus inflammation (sinusitis) strikes, most people probably think that the best thing to do is get a prescription for antibiotics from their doctors. However, antibiotics are ineffective in 90 percent to 98 percent of all sinusitis case because nearly all sinus infections are viral in nature, and antibiotics don't kill viruses. Currently, one in every five antibiotic prescriptions written for U.S. adults is written for sinusitis. Keeping in mind that unnecessary and unneeded antibiotic use leads to more virulent strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The Infectious Diseases Society of America recommends that doctors only suspect a bacterial infection when sinusitis symptoms last ten days or more and do not improve. After that, a five to seven day course of amoxicillin is often recommended.

Briefs Oct. 22, 2013

Elk hunters concerned about wolves

IFG commission receives first report on 442 comments

TWIN FALLS (AP) - About a third of Idaho hunters who made written comments on the Idaho Fish and Game Commission's draft elk-management plan say they want more wolves killed to increase the elk population.

Expanded use of prostrate cancer drug

The FDA recently approved the expanded use of a drug that was initially approved to treat prostate cancer patients whose disease had progressed after treatment with the chemotherapy drug docetaxel. Now, Zytiga can also be used to treat men with late-stage, hormone therapy-resistant prostate cancer before they undergo chemotherapy. Zytiga works by decreasing production of the male sex hormone testosterone, which stimulates the growth of prostate tumors. The approval of this expanded use of Zytiga was made under the FDA's priority review program, which provides an accelerated six-month review for medications that may present major advances in treatment or provide a treatment when adequate therapy is not available for the treatment of disease.

Wisconsin's Walker pays visit to UK

MADISON, Wis. - Gov. Scott Walker may have picked the perfect time to leave Wisconsin for a few days.

Leaves of three, let 'em be

If you like this heat, be forewarned: You’re not alone. State and national parks teem with hikers, campers, and nature-lovers.

Resort bridge reopens

COEUR d'ALENE - Mudgy Moose and Millie Mouse led the way, followed by some area youngsters, as The Coeur d'Alene Resort celebrated the reopening of the Boardwalk Marina bridge.

Wallet theft leads to high-speed chase, arrests

Coeur d'Alene woman allegedly involved in Spokane Valley incident

SPOKANE VALLEY - A Spokane Valley man and his female Coeur d'Alene accomplice were arrested on felony theft charges Thursday after they stole a man's wallet and then led the victim on a 100-plus mph chase.

Is newer necessarily better?

Pharmacists can perform an important service to consumers by informing them about drug effectiveness. For instance, when an older drug is just as effective as a newer one and costs substantially less, the pharmacist may disabuse a patient of the widely held notion that something newer is necessarily better. Similarly, the pharmacist may help dispel the notion that, if something costs more, it is necessarily better. As a case in point, three of the oldest and least costly medications used to treat type 2 diabetes (metformin, glimepiride and glipizide), when taken alone or in combination, may be better first choices for diabetics than newer brand-name drugs like pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia) and sitagliptin (Januvia). It may pay to ask.

Leaves of three? Let 'em be

As North Idaho’s wilder areas teem with huckleberry seekers and other visitors, so does an occasional unwanted guest hiding among the wildflowers. Be on the lookout for poison ivy; climbing temperatures make the itchy weed grow bigger and faster.

EDITORIAL: Extremism about to face serious adversary

Call for closed primaries to re-open

U.S. consumer confidence jumps to a two-year high as inflation eases

The U.S. economy — the world's largest — has proved surprisingly resilient in the face of sharply higher borrowing costs

You have one important assignment today

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, inspiration goes a long, long way.