Drug Information
Is Your Doctor Prescribing Inappropriate Medicat…
Have you ever heard the expression: “Seatbelts save lives”? This public service announcement became popular in the 1980s. It helped increase the use of seatbelts in private vehicles. By the mid-19…
Flu Kills. Antiviral Treatments Exist. Why Don…
In a moment I will ask you to step into my time machine and visit The People's Pharmacy newspaper column 43 years ago on February 7, 1983. But first... Antiviral medications have become standard medic…
Nighttime Nasal Congestion | Is There a Non-Addi…
Do you breathe through your mouth when you sleep? A lot of people do. That’s because they experience nighttime nasal congestion. It’s not pleasant. Your mouth gets terribly dry and scuzzy. Nightti…
Metformin Side Effects | Diarrhea and Other Seri…
Metformin (Glucophage) is a great drug. It is the most popular medicine for treating type 2 diabetes. At last count more than 20 million Americans take metformin daily. It is the # 2 most prescribed m…
Cetirizine (Zyrtec) Withdrawal & Unbearable…
Zyrtec and its close chemical cousin Xyzal are popular antihistamines for allergies. They both used to be available only by prescription. Zyrtec became available over the counter in 2008 and Xyzal we…
Should You Avoid Pain Relievers When Trying to C…
Women who are trying to become pregnant often want to know what they should do to improve their chances for success. Some research suggests that those trying to conceive should avoid taking pain relie…
Who Is Watching Out for Older People’s Med…
As we get older, things change. We can see the gray hair cropping up, and try as we might, we can't hide the wrinkles. (At least, not entirely.) Interior changes aren't so visible, but aging also alte…
BP Drug Lisinopril: Swollen Genitals or Intestin…
Lisinopril is taken by over 18 millions Americans to lower blood pressure. That makes it the most prescribed blood blood pressure medication in the United States. It is a very effective medication. Mo…
Do Statins Lower CoQ10 Levels? Can Supplements C…
Doctors prescribe the cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins as an essential step in treating heart disease. Many physicians also prescribe them for prevention. While many people take these medicin…
Mental Health Funding Chaos Puts Lives at Risk…
For 24 chaotic hours this week, the nation’s mental health system was thrown into mental health funding chaos. Thousands of programs that provide addiction treatment, crisis services, school-based c…
Could Common OTC Drugs Sabotage Cancer Immunothe…
Cancer patients and oncologists are working hard to get the best possible results from immune checkpoint blockade—one of the most promising advances in cancer care. But a new warning from Duke resea…
Excessive Flatulence Creates Challenges
Flatulence–aka gas–is an embarrassing problem. It can't be broached in polite conversation, and many patients are reluctant to bring it up during a doctor visit. Nonetheless, excessive flatulence …
Will Semaglutide Prevent Heart Attacks, Strokes …
, buOzempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss are now familiar brand names for the pharmaceutical compound semaglutide. Seven years ago, when Ozempic was first introduced to treat type 2 diabete…
Will NAC Prevent Overdosing on Acetaminophen in …
Many over-the-counter medicines marketed for treating colds and flu contain acetaminophen (paracetamol in the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand). This non-aspirin pain reliever also helps lower fe…
Dangers of Drinking Listerine: Alcohol Addiction…
Most people don’t think of the bathroom as a place where alcohol abuse begins—or returns. Mouthwash seems harmless, even health‑promoting. But for some people, especially those struggling with a…
When Treating Hyperthyroidism Results in Too Lit…
An overactive thyroid gland that pumps out too much thyroid hormone can be extremely uncomfortable or even dangerous. When this condition is caused by the immune system attacking the thyroid gland, it…
Aspirin and Cancer: The Overlooked Protection Hi…
When you think of aspirin you probably think of 1) a pain reliever, 2) a fever reducer and 3) heart attack protection for high-risk patients. But for more than three decades, we have been talking abou…
Do Statins Affect Memory or Scramble Your Brain?
The top five statin-type cholesterol-lowering medications are atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, and lovastatin. Our back of the envelope calculations suggest that roughly 200 milli…
Our Top 10 Articles of 2025: The People’s …
This year brought urgent revelations about medication safety, surprising insights into dementia prevention, and practical wisdom about heart health that challenges conventional thinking. From generic …
The Miracle of Metformin Against Diabetes, Cance…
One of the cheapest and most effective medicines for controlling blood sugar has been around for decades. In truth, though, herbalists were using goat's rue (French lilac) for hundreds of years before…
Wegovy Shots vs. Wegovy Pills for Weight Loss an…
Semaglutide has gotten a lot of attention over the past few years. If you don’t recognize this generic drug name, you probably do recognize the brand names: Ozempic for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy fo…
Drug Recalls From India – Can You Trust Fo…
This has been a landmark year for generic drug stories. Here at The People's Pharmacy we have published over 20 articles about generic drug recalls and quality concerns. That's a record, even for us. …
When Holiday Cheer Turns Toxic: Dangerous Drug a…
The holidays are supposed to be joyful. Instead, many of us end up exhausted, overscheduled, and stressed—dealing with traffic jams, juggling shopping lists, family gatherings, and too little sleep.…
The FDA Often Doesn’t Test Generic Drugs for Q…
by Debbie Cenziper and Megan Rose, ProPublica This story was originally published by ProPublica. It’s a fundamental tenet of health care in America: Generic drugs are just as safe and effective as b…
Losartan Side Effects: Tremor and Unbearable Dry…
Nearly half of all American adults (120 million people) are now labeled hypertensive. That's according to the CDC. For most, that will mean blood pressure medications. One of the most prescribed antih…
How FDA’s Lax Generic Drug Rules Can Put P…
by Megan Rose and Debbie Cenziper, ProPublica This story was originally published by ProPublica Wrapped in a flashy fur coat she’d found at a thrift store for the occasion, Hannah Goetz blew out the…
Is There Any Natural Way to Stop Hair Thinning?
No one welcomes hair thinning, even if they may not be surprised by a receding hairline just like Uncle Charlie's. Women often wear their hair longer than men do and may rely upon it more heavily to e…
How Can You Trust Incomplete Drug Side Effect In…
Have you ever left the pharmacy with a new prescription and, before taking the first dose, looked it up online to get some idea about side effects? Many people do. They put the name of their medicine …
Possible Brain Side Effects of Repatha to Lower …
In 2015, the FDA approved evolocumab (Repatha) based on its remarkable ability to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. It was initially intended for people with inherited high cholesterol or those at ve…
Do Statins Cause Nerve Pain (Neuropathy)?
Statin enthusiasts have a hard time accepting that statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs have side effects. One clinical trial analysis from the UK concluded “At the doses tested in these 83,880 pa…
Will Tamiflu Side Effects Stop You from Taking I…
Many people are tired of paying attention to influenza. However, flu season is just getting underway. This viral infection is capable of killing vulnerable individuals and making hundreds of thousands…
Why Buy Brand Name Drugs from Canada?
If you have tried to buy brand name medicine in the US, you know that prices can be unbelievable. Most generic drugs are cheap by comparison. Imagine trying to buy a box of Kleenex only to discover th…
Do Tattoos Induce Inflammation or Increase the R…
Tattoos have become a popular fashion statement. It is estimated that about 20% of Swedes and 30% of American adults now have tattoos. This body art makes an esthetic statement and often conveys expli…
Sertraline Withdrawal Symptoms Make Stopping the…
Antidepressant medications can be very helpful in getting a person through a really difficult time. But are patients warned before they start such medicines, especially SSRI drugs, that they might hav…
Safe Solution for Dry Nose
When the weather gets chilly and we turn the heat on, often we find that our noses become uncomfortably dry. Even if we don't suffer frequent nosebleeds, the inside of the nose may hurt. As a result, …
Is Pharmacy at War with Human Biology?
Dennis Miller, R.Ph. is a retired chain store pharmacist. His book, The Shocking Truth About Pharmacy: A Pharmacist Reveals All the Disturbing Secrets, can be downloaded in its entirety at Amazon for …
GLP-1 Depression Warning: Weight-Loss Drugs May …
Weight loss drugs such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) continue to set record sales. Most people assume that the side effects of medicines prescribed for weight l…
Do Tamiflu Side Effects Outweigh Its Benefits?
Viruses are on the move…though the air and on surfaces. Subclade K type A H3N2 influenza is spreading. People catch it primarily by inhaling invisible viral particles. Public health authorities are …
Prednisone Withdrawal: Why Stopping Steroids Can…
Prednisone can feel like a lifesaver when symptoms are spiraling — but stopping it can plunge people into a physical and emotional tailspin. I have often characterized corticosteroids as powerful do…
What’s the Story on Metformin for Diabetes?
Metformin has become the go-to drug for type 2 diabetes. It's easy to understand why. The drug works to control blood sugar and it is incredibly inexpensive compared to many of the newer diabetes drug…