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Helpful Insights for Patients Taking Medications
DALLAS (August 7, 2003) - - Beiks LLC has released the MedicineNet Pocket Guide to Common Medications, a new handheld version of MedicineNet, Inc.'s (http://www.medicinenet.com) doctor-produced informational database informational database of 400+ monographs covering over 1,000 generic and branded names of the most popular U.S. medications. Beiks, with its innovative BDicty Dictionary Reader, now gives any user with a Palm OS or Pocket PC PDA convenient access to valuable drug information. The Guide to Common Medications is available for immediate download in two versions for $9.95 and $17.95, with the latter version including a copy of BDicty Dictionary Reader Pro with the ability to add and edit articles.
"Every day, MedicineNet.com is used by individuals around the world who are concerned about their health or the health of those who matter to them," said Bobby Kolev, president of Beiks LLC. "We are excited to be able to bring this invaluable medical resource to our customers."
"The MedicineNet Pocket Guide to Common Medications gives quick and convenient access to important information on common medications to mobile users. Each monograph is written in lay language to provide helpful insights for patients taking medications," stated William C. Shiel, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.P, Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder of MedicineNet.com.
With just a few taps on the screen of a PDA, users can perform keyword searches to quickly view drug information written and edited by MedicineNet's pharmacists and physicians. Topics covered in each drug monograph include:
* Generic name Brand name
* Drug class and mechanism
* Preparations
* Storage
* Prescribed for
* Dosing
* Drug interactions
* Pregnancy and nursing mothers
* Side effects
About MedicineNet, Inc.
MedicineNet, Inc. is an online healthcare publishing company, creating proprietary consumer information that is 100% produced by a network of 70+ U.S. board-certified physicians. Since 1996, it has been the trusted source for easy-to-read, in-depth, authoritative medical information via its robust, user-friendly, interactive web site at www.medicinenet.com. The Doctors of MedicineNet are also proud to author the Webster's New World™ Medical Dictionary now in its second edition, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
About Beiks LLC
Beiks LLC (http://www.beiks.com) is a privately-held company with headquarters in Dallas. The company specializes in developing and distributing essential applications for mobile platforms such as Palm OSr, Windows CEr, Sharp Zaurusr and J2MEr. Founded in 1997, the company is best known for its BDicty Dictionary Reader, one of the most popular dictionaries for handheld devices on the market. Beiks' product list now includes a growing catalog of over 250 titles across all major mobile platforms. Those include the award-winning BDicty Dictionary Reader dictionary series, games such as NetWalk and Karateka, the Wall Street Financial Assistant business calculator, the Woman Calendar personal organizer and many others. The company's Medical Dictionary was honored as Best Medical Application in the Handango Champion Awards of 2003.
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1 amitriptyline Index | Next page
Medication Written by Pharmacists Reviewed by Doctors
GENERIC NAME: amitriptyline
BRAND NAME: Elavil, Endep
DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Amitriptyline is an antidepressant medication. Depression is an all-pervasive sense of sadness and gloom. In some patients with depression, abnormal levels of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters may relate to their depression. Amitriptyline elevates mood by raising the level of neurotransmitters in brain tissue.
PRESCRIPTION: yes
GENERIC AVAILABLE: yes
PREPARATIONS: Tablets: 10mg, 25mg, 50mg, 75mg, 100mg, 150mg.
STORAGE: Amitriptyline should be stored at room temperature in a tight, light resistant container.
PRESCRIBED FOR: Amitriptyline is used to elevate the mood of patients with depression. Amitriptyline is also a sedative, and is useful in depressed patients with insomnia, restlessness, and nervousness. It has also been found to be helpful for treating fibromyalgia and symptoms related to chronic pain.
DOSING: Amitriptyline may be taken with or without food. Amitriptyline is metabolized by the liver and should be used with caution in patients with liver dysfunction.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: Amitriptyline should not be used with monoamine oxidase inhibiting drugs. High fever, convulsions and even death can occur when these two drugs are used together. Epinephrine should not be used with amitriptyline, since together they can cause severe high blood pressure. Amitriptyline is used with caution in patients with seizures, since it can increase the risk of seizures. Amitriptyline is used with caution in patients with prostate enlargement because of risk of urine retention. Amitriptyline can cause elevated pressure in the eyes of certain patients with glaucoma. Alcohol blocks the antidepressant action of amitriptyline but increases its sedative effect. Amitriptyline can aggravate paranoid symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, and increase symptoms of mania in patients with manic-depressive disease. Cimetidine (Tagamet) can increase blood levels of amitriptyline and its side effects. Overdose with amitriptyline can cause life threatening abnormal heart rhythms. The sedative effect of the medication can possibly impair the mental and physical abilities required for driving or operating machinery.
PREGNANCY: Safety in pregnancy and children is not established.
NURSING MOTHERS: Amitriptyline is secreted in human milk, and potentially can adversely affect the nursing infant.
SIDE EFFECTS: Sometimes troublesome side effects include fast heart rate, blurred vision, urinary retention, dry mouth, constipation, weight gain or loss, and low blood pressure on standing. Rash, hives, seizures, and hepatitis are rare side effects.
"If antidepressants are discontinued abruptly, symptoms may occur such as dizziness, headache, nausea, changes in mood, or changes in the sense of smell, taste, etc. (Such symptoms even may occur when even a few doses of antidepressant are missed.) Therefore, it is recommended that the dose of antidepressant be reduced gradually when therapy is discontinued."
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