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08/27/2008- I found an interesting article from MSN Health & Fitness regarding Eight Drugs Doctors Would Never Take. Most interesting to me was that two of the drugs listed were drugs I've taken in the past and never had any idea I shouldn't have taken them. More importantly -- they are still on the market and you may also be taking them.

The eight drugs and why you shouldn't be taking them are:

1. Advair - asthma medicine. Advair contains LABA, the long acting beta-agonist salmeterol. Apparently, regular use of LABAs can increase the severity of your next asthma attack.

2. Avandia - diabetes medicine. Also known as rosiglitazone - taken for at least a year can increase your chance of heart failure or a heart attack by 109% and 42% respectively.

3. Celebrex - nicknamed "super aspirin". Also, known for it's side effects of increased risk of stomach bleeding, kidney trouble and liver damage. Celebrex is still available, although two other COX-2 inhibitors, Bextra and Vioxx were pulled off the market.

4. Ketek - used for respiratory infections can cause heart rhythm problems and can lead to liver disease.

5 and 6. Prilosec and Nexium - proton-pump inhibitors - are very effective at stopping acid production in your stomach. A lack of acid can increase your risk of pneumonia. The burning sensation you feel in your chest is the same stuff that kills bacteria and viruses. Also likely, is elevated risk of bone loss increasing your risk of fractures.

7. Visine Original - this was a real surprise to me. Visine gets the red out by shrinking the blood vessels. Overuse of the ingredient tetrahydrozoline can hamper the dilating and constricting cycle and cause more redness.

8. Pseudoephedrine - decongestant. It not only constricts the blood vessels in your nose and sinuses it can also raise your blood pressure and heart rate.

I'm sure most of you at one time or another have used Visine Original. I used every morning until, thankfully, a good friend steered me clear of Visine and steered me toward an eye drop that is a lubricant for dry eyes as opposed to an eye drop that "gets the red out".

This article definitely opened my eyes. If you are taking one of these drugs, you may make an inquiry to your doctor to see if they would use these drugs or just prescribe them.

For more information about these and other drug side effects visit http://www.ennislaw.com