29th April 2009, 03:10 pm
Bleomycin is an intravenous (IV) chemotherapy medication used to treat several types of cancers including testicular cancer and lymphoma, as well as cancers of the head and neck.
How It Works
Bleomycin interferes with a cell’s ability to divide and reproduce, resulting in the death of the cell. Each dose is usually given over a period of 10 minutes or continuously for 24 hours.
Why It Is Used
Bleomycin is used to slow or stop the spread of cancer cells in the body.
How Well It Works
Bleomycin is an effective antitumor medication. However, the type and extent of a cancer determines how effectively this medication slows or stops the growth of cancer cells in the body.
Side Effects
As with many chemotherapy medications, bleomycin is associated with some side effects, including:
- Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
- Fever and chills.
- Hair loss. This is reversible, and hair will grow back when treatment ends.
- Sores in the mouth or on the lips.
Other, less common side effects include:
- Scarring of lung tissue.
- Pain at tumor sites.
- Pain where medication is injected into the bloodstream.
- Lung irritation.
- Allergic (anaphylactic) reaction, which may cause decreased blood pressure, confusion, rapid heart rate, wheezing, and facial swelling.
What To Think About
Bleomycin should be administered only under the supervision of a medical oncologist.
For both men and women, bleomycin can affect your ability to have children. You may not be able to get pregnant or father a child after taking this medication. Discuss fertility with your doctor before starting treatment.
Bleomycin can cause birth defects. Do not use this medication if you are pregnant or wish to become pregnant or father a child while you are taking it.
Because bleomycin can damage the lungs, you may have tests to measure the function of your lungs before your doctor prescribes bleomycin. These tests may be repeated over the course of your treatment. Tell your doctor if you have any shortness of breath or other problems breathing after you begin taking bleomycin.
Talk to your doctor before taking bleomycin if you:
- Have any of the following medical problems:
- Chickenpox or have recently been exposed to chickenpox
- Gout
- Heart disease
- Congestive heart failure
- Shingles
- Kidney stones
- Liver disease
- Other forms of cancer
- Are a woman using birth control hormones (pill, patch, ring, or implant).
20th April 2009, 12:50 pm
Examples
Klonopin (clonazepam), Valium (diazepam), Ativan (lorazepam)
How It Works
Anxiolytic medications may reduce pain in the same way they reduce anxiety.
Why It Is Used
These medications are prescribed for men with prostatitis to:
- Relieve the pain associated with chronic prostatitis/pelvic pain syndrome, noninflammatory.
- Relax tense pelvic floor muscles associated with chronic prostatitis/pelvic pain syndrome, noninflammatory.
- Relieve anxiety associated with chronic pelvic pain syndrome, noninflammatory.
How Well It Works
These medicines can help relieve pain caused by chronic prostatitis/pelvic pain syndrome.1
These medications can reduce or manage anxiety caused by long-term symptoms of chronic pelvic pain syndrome.
These medications can help relax tense pelvic muscles.
What To Think About
These medications may be used in combination with alpha-blockers, which relax the muscles in the prostate.
These medications do not cure problems with anxiety that may have contributed to prostatitis. Curing an underlying problem with anxiety may require counseling with a psychiatrist or psychologist.
This class of medications can be habit-forming. Long-term use of these medications to treat a chronic health problem is not usually recommended.
8th April 2009, 04:37 pm
Examples
Enablex (darifenacin hydrobromide), Ditropan/Ditropan XL/Oxytrol (oxybutynin chloride), Vesicare (solifenacin succinate), Detrol/Unidet (tolterodine tartrate), Sanctura (trospium chloride)
How It Works
These medicines calm the nerves that control bladder muscles. They may prevent uncontrollable bladder contractions that force urine out of the bladder.
Why It Is Used
Antispasmodics and anticholinergics are used to control the symptoms of urge incontinence. These medicines may also be used to treat stress incontinence, especially if you have both stress and urge incontinence.
How Well It Works
Many people taking these medicines have fewer problems with urinary incontinence.
Side Effects
Side effects vary with some of these medicines and include:
- Dry mouth.
- Headache.
- Decreased sweating, skin rash.
- Nausea, constipation.
- Eye problems.
- Rapid heartbeat.
- Skin rash.
- Drowsiness, confusion.
- Nervousness.
- Urinary retention.
What To Think About
Some of these medicines may cause you to sweat less. In hot weather, this could lead to heat exhaustion. Ask your health professional whether you should be careful about being physically active in hot conditions.
