Mixing alcohol and acetaminophen — How can I reduce my risk for side effects?
Dear Alice, I have been taking OTC cough/cold/flu preps for about a week. These all contain acetaminophen with the subsequent warnings against using if one imbibes due to possible liver damage. Is...
View ArticleUsing friend's muscle relaxant — Safe?
Dear Alice, I originally took a muscle relaxer because I was experiencing very bad back pain and could not sleep. I was not prescribed the muscle relaxers. My friend suggested I take one of hers. So I...
View ArticleWill a break from Prozac keep me awake when I drink?
Dear Alice, I am currently on Prozac and at college. I'm just wondering, what would happen if I stopped taking Prozac for one or two days before the weekend so that I could drink alcohol without...
View ArticleAdderall and sexual side effects?
Dear Alice, I am a teenage girl currently taking Adderall (20 mg) to treat my ADHD. My question: does taking this medication affect sexual wantings or behavior? I am supposed to start taking it at...
View ArticleAdderall: Health risks when combined with alcohol?
Alice, Many of my friends take Adderall while they drink. What are the possible health risks of doing this? I know Adderall is a stimulant, so can you drink much more alcohol while on it without...
View ArticleVomit looks like coffee grounds after drinking alcohol
Hi Alice, A few months ago I went to a party, without having eaten anything for quite some time, and ended up drinking a beer and a vodka. Soon after, I started retching and vomiting what looked like...
View ArticleSafe to take expired prescription medication?
Hi Alice, I wanted to know the dangers of taking expired pills. For instance, Xanax that expired over five years ago. I'm sure you're wondering why someone would still have them but I am curious what...
View ArticleWhat is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? Does Ritalin help?
Dear Alice, I know you're busy, but I really don't know who to talk to. Everyone is telling me that I'm stupid. I can hardly spell, don't know nouns, verbs. My teachers call me stupid! I get...
View ArticleGrapefruit juice and drug interactions?
Dear Alice, I heard somewhere that drinking grapefruit juice with vitamins and/or prescription medicine is harmful. Is this true?
View ArticleConfused about painkillers
Dear Alice, Why do many doctors and nurses say aspirin is bad for you? They say to take Advil or some other pain killer instead. — Pain killing confused
View ArticleShort- and long-term effects of misusing antihistamines
Dear Alice, I've experimented with the abuse of Benadryl on a few occasions now and have been absolutely blown off to another world, I was just curious as to what the side affects, long or short-term,...
View ArticleAlcohol 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?
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