Alcohol and antibiotics
Dear Alice, I am confused!! What are the effects of drinking alcohol while taking antibiotics? I have heard that it damages your kidneys? I have also heard that it does nothing at all? Does it make a...
View ArticleBarbiturates
Hey Alice, A kid had some pills and told me they were "bars." What kind of pills are these?
View ArticleOver-the-counter (OTC) hangover meds?
Dear Alice, We've noticed that students at our college are asking about these new over-the-counter hangover meds. As student health educators, we don't know where to go for more accurate information...
View ArticleAre Epsom salts a safe laxative?
Dear Alice, A friend and I were talking and she mentioned that she'd used epsom salts once after a particularly extravagant post-Thanksgiving food binge to "clear out her system". I've been...
View ArticleSnorting Adderall and Ritalin
Dear Alice,Recently I have started snorting Ritalin and Adderall (not at the same time though). I have found that the effects closely resemble that of snorting cocaine, but are not quite as intense. I...
View ArticleSafety of prophylactic antibiotics for those without a spleen
Dear Alice,My sons are 16 and 18 and have Hereditary Spherocytocis, a disorder that makes the red blood cells spherical instead of "bialy" shaped like they should be. The condition is essentially cured...
View ArticleDES (Diethylstilbestrol)
Dear Alice,Do you know anything about the drug DES, taken by some women to enable them to have children? It seemed to have prevented miscarriages and the doctor recommended this drug in the 1940s. Now...
View ArticleHow to dispose of empty medication bottles?
Hi Alice!How do I properly dispose of my empty prescription medication bottles? Can I just throw them in the trash? That seems unsafe since they have my name, but I also throw out junk mail with my...
View ArticleMarijuana and Ritalin
Dear Alice,I have ADHD and am prescribed 30 mg of Ritalin a day. However I also smoke pot at least once a week. Is it okay to be smoking while on Ritalin?
View ArticleMysterious meds arrive in the mail
Dear Alice,My boyfriend received a package of unknown white pills in the mail with no return address. He doesn't know who sent them or what the pills are. To my horror he took one while out drinking...
View ArticleIt's hot here — Where can I store my medication?
Dear Alice,Recently, I was reading the fine print on the box and saw that it said, "Don't store above 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit)." Here, the ambient temperature is normally 35-40...
View ArticleDoes Ritalin have sexual side effects?
Dear Alice,Can Ritalin, or similar medications, affect a male's ability to orgasm or ejaculate?
View ArticleGeneric versus brand name drugs
Dear Alice,I've been using name brand birth control pills for eight years and now my insurance company will only cover generic birth control pills. Do you know anything about the pros and cons of using...
View ArticleAdderall, alcohol, and alternative treatments for ADHD
Dear Alice,I've recently been evaluated for ADHD. The doctor kept asking about the amount of alcohol that I used and I must admit that it is a lot. I am a college fraternity boy and alcohol is...
View ArticleTripping on cough medicine
1) Dear Alice,What are the long-term and short-term effects of abusing NyQuil? I've heard it's very dangerous to use it recreationally, but I'm not sure what's dangerous about it. I've heard you can...
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