Patricia Weiser, PharmD

Healthline Medical Reviews

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Lialda and Dosage: Strength, Form, How to Take, and More

If you have ulcerative colitis (UC), your doctor may suggest Lialda (mesalamine) as a treatment option. It’s a prescription medication used to treat mild to moderate UC in adults and some children. Lialda belongs to a group of drugs called aminosalicylates, which help decrease inflammation in your intestines. Lialda comes as a tablet you take by mouth. This article describes the dosages of Lialda, as well as its form, strength, and how to take it. To learn more about Lialda, see this in-depth ar
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Apriso Dosage: Form, Strength, How to Take, and More

If you have ulcerative colitis, your doctor might suggest Apriso (mesalamine) as a treatment option for you. Apriso is a prescription medication that’s used to treat ulcerative colitis in adults. It belongs to a group of drugs called aminosalicylates. Apriso comes as a capsule that you take by mouth. This article describes the dosage of Apriso, including its form, strength, and how to take the drug. To learn more about Apriso, see this in-depth article. Note: This article covers Apriso’s typical
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Ajovy Dosage: Forms, Strength, How to Use, and More

If you have migraine, your doctor might suggest Ajovy (fremanezumab-vfrm) as a treatment option. Ajovy is a prescription medication that’s used to help prevent migraine headaches in adults. This article describes the dosages of Ajovy, as well as its forms, strength, and how to take the drug. To learn more about Ajovy, see this in-depth article. Note: This article covers the typical dosages of Ajovy injections. These dosages are provided by the drug’s manufacturer. But when using Ajovy, always ta
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Repatha: Side Effects, Cost, Dosage, and More

If you have heart disease, your doctor may recommend Repatha. It helps decrease your risk of heart attack, stroke, or the need for heart surgery. If you have certain forms of high cholesterol, your doctor may also recommend Repatha. It’s used in specific situations for people with this condition. Repatha is a medication that’s prescribed for adults, and in some cases, for children too. To learn more about Repatha’s uses, see the “What is Repatha used for?” section below. You’ll take Repatha a
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Vivitrol: Side Effects, Cost, Uses, Dosage, and More

If you have a dependence on either alcohol or opioids, your doctor may suggest treatment with Vivitrol. (With dependence, your body needs a certain substance for you to feel comfortable.) It’s a prescription drug used in adults to: • treat alcohol dependence in people who have stopped drinking and aren’t in the hospital for treatment. • prevent opioid dependence in people who have detoxed from opioids. (During opioid detox, your body clears opioids from your system.) Vivitrol should be used as p
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Dexilant Side Effects: What They Are and How to Manage Them

If you have a certain problem with your stomach or esophagus, your doctor might suggest Dexilant (dexlansoprazole) as a treatment option for you. Along with other questions you may have about the drug, you could be wondering about its side effects. Dexilant is a prescription medication that’s used in adults and children to: • help heal erosive esophagitis (damage to the esophagus that’s caused by stomach acid) • help lessen symptoms of erosive esophagitis that has already healed Dexilant comes a
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Tofacitinib IR Oral Tablets: Side Effects, Uses, Cost, and More

If you have a certain autoimmune condition, your doctor may recommend tofacitinib IR oral tablets. Autoimmune conditions cause your immune system to become overactive and attack your own body. Tofacitinib IR oral tablets are used to treat the following autoimmune conditions: • ulcerative colitis (a condition that causes swelling and ulcers in your colon) • rheumatoid arthritis (a condition that causes swelling and deformity of your joints) • psoriatic arthritis (a type of arthritis that may occu
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Reyvow: Side Effects, Uses, Cost, and More

If you have migraine, your doctor may suggest Reyvow. It’s a prescription drug used in adults to treat migraine episodes while they’re happening. It’s not used to prevent episodes of migraine. Migraine is a condition that can cause moderate to severe headaches, in addition to other symptoms. To learn more about migraine and how Reyvow is used for it, see the “Is Reyvow used for migraine?” section below. Reyvow comes as tablets that contains the active ingredient lasmiditan. You’ll take Reyvow by
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Gilenya: Side Effects, Uses, Costs, and More

How is Gilenya taken? Your doctor will explain how you should take Gilenya. They’ll also explain how much to take and how often. Be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions. Below are commonly used dosages, but always take the dosage your doctor prescribes. Gilenya comes as a capsule that you’ll take by mouth, with water. You should take a dose each day, without missing a dose. Gilenya should not be taken every other day. Usually, Gilenya only needs to be taken once daily. Your dose will depend
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Quetiapine ER Oral Tablet: Side Effects, How it's Taken, and More

If you’ve been diagnosed with a certain mental health condition, your doctor may recommend quetiapine ER oral tablet. It’s a prescription drug that’s used in adults and some children to treat: • major depressive disorder (MDD), which is also called depression Your doctor may prescribe quetiapine alone for schizophrenia. The drug is used alone or together with other medications for bipolar disorder. And it’s used together with an antidepressant for MDD. To learn more about these conditions and ho

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Viibryd (vilazodone): Side effects, dosage, alternatives, and more

Viibryd can cause mild or serious side effects. The following lists contain some of the key side effects that may occur while taking Viibryd. These lists don’t include all possible side effects. For more information on the possible side effects of Viibryd, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can give you tips on how to deal with any side effects that may be bothersome. The more common side effects of Viibryd, discussed in “Side effect details” below, can include: • digestive system problem
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Zydelig side effects: What they are and how to manage them

Zydelig (idelalisib) is a brand-name prescription medication. It’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat the following types of cancer in adults in certain situations: Zydelig is used to treat cancers that have relapsed. The term “relapsed” means the cancer improved with treatment, but then it returned or worsened. Zydelig is typically prescribed as a long-term treatment. Here are some other fast facts about Zydelig: Like other drugs, Zydelig can cause side effects. Read on
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Entyvio side effects: What they are and what to do about them

Entyvio (vedolizumab) is a prescription brand-name medication. It’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat moderate to severe Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis in adults. It’s given when other medications haven’t relieved your symptoms enough. If you and your doctor agree that Entyvio is safe and effective for you, you’ll likely receive the medication long term. Here are some fast facts about Entyvio: • Drug form: single-dose vial of powder that’s used to form a solution
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Valtoco: Dosage, price, side effects, how to take, and more

Valtoco (diazepam nasal spray) is a brand-name prescription medication. It’s FDA-approved as a “rescue” (short-term) treatment for seizure clusters. The drug is prescribed for adults and children ages 6 years and older with epilepsy. Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes seizures. During a seizure, your brain cells send signals much faster than usual. With seizure clusters, you have two or more seizures within a 24-hour period. Seizure clusters are unpredictable, and they’re different from yo
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Invokana side effects: What they are and how to manage them

Invokana (canagliflozin) is a prescription brand-name medication. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it for the following uses in adults with type 2 diabetes: • to lower blood sugar levels, along with diet and exercise • to reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular problems, such as a heart attack, in people with cardiovascular disease • to reduce the risk of certain complications of diabetic nephropathy with high levels of the protein albumin in the urine For each of the uses a
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Padcev: Side effects, use for bladder cancer, cost, and more

Padcev is a brand-name prescription medication. It’s FDA-approved to treat locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer in adults. For this use, it’s given to adults who’ve received specific treatments for this condition in the past. Urothelial cancer is a type of bladder cancer that affects the lining of your bladder and urinary tract. The term “locally advanced” means the cancer has grown through your bladder wall or spread to nearby lymph nodes only. And “metastatic” means the cancer has
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Actemra side effects: What they are and how to manage them

Actemra (tocilizumab) is a prescription, brand-name medication. It’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat the following conditions in certain situations: • interstitial lung disease that’s linked to systemic sclerosis (also known as scleroderma that affects the whole body) in adults • cytokine release syndrome in certain adults and children ages 2 years and older • polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), which affects five or more joints, in children ages 2 year
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Exemestane and cost: Generic, brand name, and more

Exemestane is a generic prescription medication. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it for: Exemestane is used in females* who’ve gone through menopause and have tried the medication tamoxifen (Soltamox) to treat their breast cancer. For more information about exemestane’s uses, talk with your doctor. * Sex and gender exist on spectrums. Use of the term “female” in this article refers to sex assigned at birth. Here are some details about exemestane: Read on to learn about exemes
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Lantus dosage: Forms, strengths, how to use, and more

Lantus (insulin glargine) is a prescription brand-name medication. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it to improve blood sugar levels in: • adults and children ages 6 years and older with type 1 diabetes Lantus contains the active drug insulin glargine. It’s classified as a long-acting insulin. Lantus is given as a subcutaneous injection. For information about the dosage of Lantus, including its forms, strengths, and how to take the drug, keep reading. For a comprehensive look
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Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT: Side effects and how to manage them

Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT (rizatriptan) are prescription brand-name medications. They’re approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat migraine that happens with or without aura. Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT are for use in adults as well as children ages 6 years and older. Maxalt and Maxalt-MLT are not approved to help prevent migraine or treat cluster headaches. The drugs are prescribed only to people whom a doctor has diagnosed with migraine. You’ll take Maxalt or Maxalt-MLT as needed when
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Keytruda (pembrolizumab): Side effects, uses, cost, and more

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Keytruda. That’s different for each type of cancer that Keytruda is used to treat. And your individual response to Keytruda treatment will also be unique based on the form of cancer you have and your overall health. In many clinical studies, Keytruda was successful in shrinking the size of people’s tumors and reducing how quickly their cancer worsened. For example, in one study, up to 6% of people taking Keytruda for melanoma had their ca
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Dexilant (dexlansoprazole): Uses, side effects, dosage, and more

Dexilant is a brand-name prescription medication. It’s used in the following ways: • to help manage symptoms of erosive esophagitis that’s already healed and relieve heartburn Dexilant contains the drug dexlansoprazole, which belongs to a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors. Medications within a class of drugs work the same way in your body. Dexilant comes as a capsule. It’s available in two strengths: 30 milligrams (mg) and 60 mg. Dexilant is approved for use in adults and in children
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Abilify side effects: What they are and how to manage them

Abilify (aripiprazole) is a prescription brand-name medication. It’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat: • major depressive disorder (depression) in adults when used in combination with other medications for depression • schizophrenia in adults as well as children ages 13 years and older • manic and mixed episodes of bipolar I disorder in adults as well as children ages 10 years and older • irritability linked to autism in children ages 6 years and older Here are some fa
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Viagra and dosage: Forms, strengths, how to take, and more

Viagra (sildenafil) is a prescription brand-name medication. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved it to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) in adults. Viagra is an oral tablet that contains the active drug sildenafil. Sildenafil is also available in generic form. Viagra is classified as a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor. For information on the dosage of Viagra, including its pill form, strengths, and how to take the drug, keep reading. For a comprehensive look at Viagra, see
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Wegovy: Cost, use with other therapies, side effects, and more.

As with all medications, the cost of Wegovy can vary. To find current prices for Wegovy in your area, check out GoodRx.com. The cost you find on GoodRx.com is what you may pay without insurance. The actual price you’ll pay depends on your insurance plan, your location, and the pharmacy you use. Keep in mind that you may be able to get a 90-day supply of Wegovy. If approved by your insurance company, getting a 90-day supply of the drug could reduce your number of trips to the pharmacy and help lo
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Pristiq: Side effects and what to do about them

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) is a prescription brand-name medication. It’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat major depressive disorder in adults. This is a serious mental health condition often referred to as clinical depression or depression. If you and your doctor agree that Pristiq is working to treat your depression, you’ll likely take the medication long term. Here are some fast facts about Pristiq: Like other drugs, Pristiq can cause side effects. Read on to learn abo

Ozempic: Side effects and how to manage them

Ozempic (semaglutide) is a prescription brand-name medication. It’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. Ozempic is also used to lower the risk for major cardiovascular problems in adults who have both type 2 diabetes and heart disease. (“Cardiovascular” refers to the heart and blood vessels. The problems include heart attack, stroke, and in some cases, death from heart disease.) If you and your doctor agree that Ozempic

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

Aimovig is a prescription brand-name medication. It’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help prevent migraine headaches in adults. Aimovig is typically used as a long-term treatment. Here are some fast facts on Aimovig: • Drug form: liquid solution in an autoinjector pen, given by subcutaneous injection As with other drugs, Aimovig can cause side effects. Read on to find out about potential common, mild, and serious side effects. For a general overview of Aimovig, including d

Nourianz: Side effects, cost, dosage, and more

Nourianz is a brand-name prescription medication. It’s FDA-approved to treat “off” episodes of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in adults taking the PD medication levodopa/carbidopa (Sinemet, Duopa, Rytary). An off episode (also called off time or an off period) refers to a period in which your PD symptoms suddenly get worse. It happens when levodopa/carbidopa’s effects wear off, or the drug isn’t working as it should. For more information about PD and how Nourianz is prescribed to treat it, see “Nouria
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