Patricia Weiser, PharmD

Medical News Today • January 28, 2022

Amaryl: Dosage, side effects, uses, how it works, cost, and more

Amaryl is a brand-name prescription medication. It’s FDA-approved to lower blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. The drug is used in combination with regular exercise and a balanced diet. There are certain limitations to Amaryl’s use. For more information, see the “Amaryl uses” section below. Amaryl contains the active drug glimepiride and belongs to a drug class called sulfonylureas. Amaryl comes as an oral tablet. The drug is available in three strengths: 1 milligram (mg), 2 mg, a

Medical News Today • January 28, 2022

Levemir side effects: What they are and how to manage them

Levemir (insulin detemir) is a brand-name prescription medication. It’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve blood sugar levels in: • adults and children ages 2 years and older with type 1 diabetes Levemir is typically used as a long-term treatment to help manage blood sugar levels. Here are some fast facts about Levemir: • Drug form: solution given by subcutaneous injection using a vial or a prefilled Levemir FlexTouch pen Like other drugs, Levemir can cause side effect

Medical News Today • January 28, 2022

Tecfidera: Side effects and how to manage them

Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) is a brand-name prescription medication. It’s typically used as a long-term treatment for multiple sclerosis. Specifically, Tecfidera is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat the following conditions in adults: Here are some fast facts about Tecfidera: Like other drugs, Tecfidera can cause side effects. Read on to learn about potential common, mild, and serious side effects. For a general overview of Tecfidera, including details about its uses,

Medical News Today • December 20, 2021

Eucrisa side effects: How to manage them

Eucrisa (crisaborole) is a prescription brand-name medication. It’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat mild to moderate atopic dermatitis. This skin condition is often referred to as eczema. Eucrisa can be used in adults and children ages 3 months and older. Here are some fast facts about Eucrisa: You apply Eucrisa to the affected areas of your skin twice per day. It’s meant to be a long-term treatment. Like other drugs, Eucrisa ointment can cause side effects. Read on t

Medical News Today • December 20, 2021

Afinitor side effects: What they are and how to manage them

Afinitor (everolimus) is a brand-name prescription medication. It’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat certain types of cancers, tumors, and seizures.* Here are some fast facts about Afinitor: • Drug forms: • Afinitor Disperz: tablet for liquid suspension (a tablet that you’ll dissolve in water and then swallow) Like other drugs, Afinitor can cause side effects. Read on to learn about potential common, mild, and serious side effects. For a general overview of Afinitor an

Medical News Today • December 20, 2021

Kadcyla: Side effects, vs. Herceptin, cost, uses, and more

Kadcyla is a brand-name prescription medication. It’s FDA-approved to treat certain types of HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer in adults. HER2 is a protein involved in cell growth. Cancer cells that have high levels of HER2 are called HER2+. These cancer cells may grow and spread more quickly than typical cancer cells. Specifically, Kadcyla is used to treat metastatic HER2+ breast cancer. (Metastatic breast cancer is cancer that’s spread from the breast to other parts of the body.) For this us

Medical News Today • December 20, 2021

Mavenclad dosage: Form, strength, how to use, and more

Mavenclad (cladribine) is a prescription brand-name medication. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it to treat certain types of multiple sclerosis (MS) in adults. This includes relapsing-remitting MS and active secondary progressive MS. The active ingredient in Mavenclad is cladribine. It belongs to a group of medications called antimetabolites. Mavenclad doesn’t come as a generic version. For information about the dosing of Mavenclad for MS, including the drug’s strengths and h

Medical News Today • December 13, 2021

Piqray dosage: Form, strengths, how to take, and more

Piqray (alpelisib) is a brand-name prescription medication. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it in combination with fulvestrant, another medication, to treat specific types of advanced or metastatic breast cancer. It can be prescribed for females* who have been through menopause and for males.* Piqray belongs to a class of drugs called kinase inhibitors. There isn’t a generic version of this drug. Piqray comes as an oral tablet. For information about the dosage of Piqray, incl

Medical News Today • November 23, 2021

Tradjenta: Side effects, dosage, cost, uses, and more

Tradjenta is a brand-name prescription medication. It’s FDA-approved for use in adults with type 2 diabetes. Tradjenta is used in combination with a balanced diet and regular exercise to help lower blood sugar levels. With type 2 diabetes, your blood sugar levels become high. Over time, high blood sugar levels can lead to complications. With a balanced diet, physical activity, and medications such as Tradjenta, you can manage your blood sugar levels. Doing so can help prevent diabetes complicati

Medical News Today • November 19, 2021

Byetta dosage: Form, strengths, how to use, and more

Byetta (exenatide) is a prescription brand-name medication. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it to improve blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. The active drug in Byetta is exenatide, which belongs to a drug class called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists. Byetta isn’t available in a generic form. Byetta comes as a prefilled injection pen. It’s given as a subcutaneous injection. Read on for information about the dosage of Byetta, including its strengths and

Medical News Today • November 15, 2021

Avastin: Side effects and what to do about them

Avastin can cause a variety of side effects, some of which are more common than others. The drug’s side effects may vary depending on which type of cancer it’s treating, such as ovarian cancer or brain cancer. These side effects may be temporary, lasting a few days to weeks. But if the side effects last longer than that, bother you, or become severe, be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist. The list below includes a few of the most common side effects reported by people who used Avastin i

Medical News Today • November 5, 2021

Bosulif: Side effects and how to manage them

Bosulif (bosutinib) is a prescription brand-name medication. It’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat a certain type of leukemia (blood cancer). Specifically, Bosulif is used as a long-term treatment in certain adults with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (Ph+ CML). Here are some fast facts about Bosulif: Like other drugs, Bosulif can cause side effects. Read on to learn about potential common, mild, and serious side effects. For a general ove

Medical News Today • October 25, 2021

Aimovig dosage: Form, strengths, how to use, and more

Aimovig (erenumab-aooe) is a prescription brand-name medication. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it to prevent migraine headaches in adults. Aimovig comes as a liquid solution, in a prefilled autoinjector pen, that you’ll inject yourself. Erenumab-aooe (the active drug in Aimovig) is a type of drug called a monoclonal antibody. Specifically, it belongs to a group of drugs called calcitonin gene-related peptide inhibitors. Aimovig is a brand-name medication. It’s not available

Medical News Today • October 25, 2021

Valproic acid and cost: Reducing long-term drug costs and more

Valproic acid is a generic prescription medication. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it to treat the following types of epilepsy in adults and children ages 10 years and older: • absence seizures (previously known as petit mal seizures) with or without other seizure types For more detailed information about valproic acid’s uses, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Here are some details about valproic acid: Read on to learn about valproic acid and cost, as well as how to save

Medical News Today • October 21, 2021

Rizatriptan and cost: Generic, brand names, and more

Rizatriptan is a generic prescription medication. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it to treat migraine episodes, with or without aura, in adults and in children ages 6 years and older. Rizatriptan treats a migraine episode after it starts. It’s not used to prevent migraine episodes. For more information about rizatriptan’s uses, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Here are some details about rizatriptan: Read on to learn about rizatriptan and cost, as well as how to save mon

Medical News Today • October 21, 2021

Myfembree: Uses, dosage, side effects, cost, and more

Myfembree (relugolix/estradiol/norethindrone) is a brand-name prescription medication. It’s FDA-approved to manage heavy periods caused by uterine fibroids. These fibroids are growths on or in the uterus that aren’t cancer. Myfembree is prescribed to adult females* who haven’t yet gone through menopause. It’s important to note that Myfembree shouldn’t be taken for longer than 24 months. This is because the medication may cause bone loss that can’t be reversed.† * Sex and gender exist on spectrum

Medical News Today • October 18, 2021

Bydureon BCise dosage: Form, strength, how to use, and more

Bydureon BCise (exenatide extended-release) is a prescription brand-name medication. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it to improve blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Bydureon BCise is approved for use in adults and children ages 10 years and older. The active drug in Bydureon BCise is exenatide in an extended-release form. Bydureon BCise is classified as a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist. Bydureon BCise isn’t currently available as a generic. Bydureon

Medical News Today • September 30, 2021

Viokace: Dosage, alternatives, cost, side effects, and more.

Viokace is a brand-name prescription medication. It’s FDA-approved for use in adults with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) that’s caused by: • chronic pancreatitis, which is long-term inflammation (swelling) in your pancreas • pancreatectomy, which is a surgery that removes all or part of your pancreas To treat EPI, Viokace is taken with another type of medication called a proton pump inhibitor. (For more information, see the “Viokace use with other drugs” section below.) Typically, the p

Medical News Today • September 30, 2021

Levemir dosage: Forms, strength, how to take, and more

Levemir (insulin detemir) is a prescription brand-name medication. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it to lower blood sugar levels in adults and children with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes. The active drug in Levemir is insulin detemir, which is a long-acting insulin. It’s a drug that’s not currently available as a . Levemir comes as a liquid solution that’s given by subcutaneous injection. It’s available in two forms: a vial and syringe, and a prefilled pen. For informat

Medical News Today • September 30, 2021

Belsomra: Side effects, dosage, alternatives, and more

Belsomra can cause mild or serious side effects. The following lists contain some of the key side effects that may occur while taking Belsomra. These lists do not include all possible side effects. For more information about the possible side effects of Belsomra, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can give you tips on how to manage any side effects that may be concerning or bothersome. Note: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tracks side effects of drugs it has approved. If you would