Medication Side Effects and Asthma Treatments

Ranitidine and other H2-blockers can cause confusion, headache, erectile dysfunction, and nausea.
Other side effects include dizziness, constipation, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, blurred vision, malaise, and weakness.

The patient has a productive cough for 4 months.
Is not eating enough and losing weight.
Has a history of recurrent respiratory infections.
Sweat chloride level is 86 mmol/L.
Treatment includes antibiotics, pancreatic enzymes, chest physiotherapy, and dornase alpha (a mucolytic drug).

Fatigue, gait imbalance, difficulty with activities of daily living, and breathlessness after walking short distances are reported.
Multiple falls and trouble navigating narrow/dark alleys are also noted.
Hypothyroidism and vitiligo are in his medical history.
Conjunctival pallor and glossitis were noted.
Neurological examination revealed diminished proprioceptive sensation in both lower limbs, and an abnormal Babinski reflex.
Hemoglobin is 7 g/dL, WBC count 2,000/μL, platelet count is 70,000/μL, and reticulocyte count is 1.5%.
Intramuscular injections of an appropriate agent are started.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is suspected, requiring monitoring of serum potassium in addition to hematological parameters.

Sweat chloride level above 60 mmol/L confirms the diagnosis.
Dornase alfa is a mucolytic medication that depolymerizes DNA polymers found in excess in cystic fibrosis sputum, reducing viscosity and surface adhesiveness, which sometimes increases antibiotic effectiveness.
The expectorante properties are not clinically significant.

Complaints of nausea, malaise, and general unwellness.
Digoxin toxicity is suspected.
Therapeutic digoxin levels are 0.8-2.0 ng/mL in patients with arrhythmia, and 0.5-1.0 ng/mL in patients with heart failure.

AKN is frequently complicated by foreign-body reactions and superinfections.
Cephalosporins and dicloxacillin are effective against AKN.
Intralesional triamcinolone can reduce keloid formation and can cause shrinkage of AKN.
Important to control infection before intralesional steroid injections.
Avoiding short haircuts, close shaving, and tight collars/headgear during treatment can be helpful.

Itchy rash and white discharge from the penis.
Curdy white discharge from the head of the penis are noted.
Clinical presentation of balanitis.
Clotrimazole cream is a treatment option and acts by inhibiting the fungal cytochrome P450 enzyme responsible for converting lanosterol to ergosterol (the main sterol of the fungal cell membrane).

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen combination, low-dose opioids, high-dose opioids, or abdominal nerve block may help manage pain.
NSAIDs and paracetamol are the first-line treatment on the World Health Organization pain ladder.
Tramadol, a low-potency opioid, should then be considered if the first combination is ineffective.
Opioid medications should be paired with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, or gabapentinoids.

MMP-1, MMP-9, and MMP-12 are linked to emphysema.
MMPs are extracellular-matrix-degrading enzymes.
Increased levels of these enzymes increase lung tissue destruction and inflammation.

Clopidogrel is a platelet aggregation inhibitor and is used after myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident to prevent further platelet aggregation.
When combined with aspirin, its therapeutic effect increases in comparison with monotherapy.

A patient taking niacin (nicotinic acid) for hypertriglyceridemia needs a second drug that specifically lowers triglycerides.
The second drug's mechanism can increase triglyceride hydrolysis by lipoproten lipase, or increase the expression of high-affinity LDL receptors.
Gemfibrozil, a fibrate, is a frequently used second-line medication in this context.