Published in Pharmacotherapy
Glycerol is a potent osmotic dehydrating agent with additional effects on brain metabolism. In doses of 0.25-2.0 g/kg glycerol decreases intracranial pressure in numerous disease states, including Reye's syndrome, stroke, encephalitis, meningitis, pseudotumor cerebri, central nervous system tumor, and space occupying lesions. It is also effective i...
Published in Pharmacotherapy
Timolol, a nonselective beta-adrenoreceptor blocking agent without intrinsic sympathomimetic or membrane stabilizing activity, has been shown effective in the treatment of angina and hypertension. It is particularly useful in patients with stable angina pectoris and patients with mild to moderate hypertension. In both of these conditions, timolol a...
Published in Pharmacotherapy
Trimethoprim has recently been marketed as a single-entity product for the treatment of initial episodes of uncomplicated symptomatic urinary tract infections; it was previously available only in combination with sulfamethoxazole. Trimethoprim exerts antimicrobial activity by blocking the reduction of dihydrofolate to tetrahydrofolate, the active f...
Published in Pharmacotherapy
Temazepam is a 1,4-benzodiazepine, newly marketed in the United States for the symptomatic treatment of the complaint of insomnia. The manufacturer recommends a dose of 30 mg before bedtime for most adults and 15 mg for geriatric or debilitated patients. A dose of 30 mg usually produces peak plasma concentrations within 3 hours after oral ingestion...
Published in Pharmacotherapy
Studies in animals and humans have demonstrated that clonidine hydrochloride, an alpha-2-noradrenergic agonist, significantly attenuates the opiate withdrawal syndrome. Inpatient and outpatient clinical studies have shown that clonidine is a reasonably safe, specific, and effective agent for detoxifying opiate addicts. Clonidine seems best suited f...
Published in Pharmacotherapy
Published in Pharmacotherapy
Metronidazole is a 5-nitroimidazole that has selective activity against anaerobic microorganisms, including bacteria and protozoa. Intravenous metronidazole has recently been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of serious anaerobic bacterial infections. It is usually bactericidal at low concentrations, and its spectr...
Published in Pharmacotherapy
Maprotiline, a tetracyclic antidepressant with sedative properties, exhibits strong inhibitory effects on norepinephrine uptake across nerve cell membranes but interferes relatively little with serotoninergic mechanisms. The biological half-life of unchanged maprotiline in blood averages 43 hours. Though several studies suggest a more rapid onset o...
Published in Pharmacotherapy
Ibuprofen is a derivative of propionic acid that was originally marketed in the United States as an antirheumatic agent in 1974. In 1979, it was approved for use as an analgesic. Of the 18 published double-blind clinical trials reviewed, only 6 were well designed. These six studies provide strong evidence that ibuprofen is effective for dental pain...
Published in Pharmacotherapy
Amoxapine, a new antidepressant, exhibits both antidepressant and neuroleptic effects in laboratory animals and in humans. Evidence from human studies (extrapyramidal reactions, hyperprolactinemia, and galactorrhea), animal screening tests, and neurochemical experiments support the contention that amoxapine or a metabolite occasionally produces neu...
