Dealing with Poison Ivy

It itches, it stings, and it leaves you feeling miserable for days on end. I should know as I seem to have developed a mild case after a weekend camping trip. The problem is how to I get the itching to stop. Well, there are many expensive products on the market that claim to help with poison ivy, but I've found the a few inexpensive products work just as well. The best thing to do if you have poison ivy is to first wash all clothing and bedding that has been exposed to the oil to prevent further spreading. Then apply hydrocortisone cream to all areas, except ones close to any mucous membrane. At night time, I would take an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine, but beware it may cause drowiness. If the rash does not go away within a few days call your doctor because prescription medication may be necessary. I've heard good things about old time remedies such as oatmeal baths, but since I've never personally tried on I'm not sure how well they work. Feel free to let me know anything else you have found to be success and please beware of expensive products.
-Fish-

Brand vs Generic Medications

I've been asked this question many times is there any difference between brand and generic medications. The answer is no. The generic medications have to pass all the same chemical tests and have to be approved by the FDA. The reason that they are cheaper is because there are no patents on generic medications so multiple companies can produce them. Did you know that many companies produce both brand and generic medications and that some even use the same assembly lines to produce these medications. There are only 3 medications that if you are taking the brand I would stick with the brand and those are the blood thinner warfarin, the thyroid medication levothyroxine, and the heart medication digoxin.
-Fish-

Problems with Antidepressant

I'm really glad that scientists where able to create medications that can help individuals get through a tough time in life because there are unexpected events that can really bring a person down. The problem that I have with antidepressants is that it seems like once a person is prescribe antidepressant that continue to take them for years and years. This was not the intended use of antidepressant, where a standard treatment course is a 6 to 9 month period. After this time the antidepressant should be slowly reduced and eventually the individual should stop taking it all together.
The problem in our society is that no one wants to deal with the problems at had. It goes back to my last post about how Americans have a pill for everything. The purpose of antidepressants is to get you started so that you can find support groups, change your lifestyles, and start exercise programs that will help relieve your problems. Not as a pill to "make you happy" as I've heard many people state. If you have any questions about antidepressants please email
-Fish-

America's Prescription Problem

There is a pill out there to treat every ailment today. There are pills to make you happy, pills to help your heart, and pills that make you concentrate. As a pharmacy student, I believe that every prescription medication available has the proper time and place to be used. The problem in America is thatin our fast paced society, everyone is looking for a quick fix. I feel that people would much rather take a tablet or capsule instead of having to change their lifestyle. Where does this leave us, down the road it complicates problems and leads to more serious medical issues.
It's an easy solution, but one that requires a little effort. Diagnoised with an illness, try improving three areas before taking a prescription. The three areas are diet, exercise, and stress management. More will follow on these lifestyle changes because this is one of my favorite topics.
-Fish-

My favorite supplement

Fish oil is by far my favorite supplement. I've been taking it on and off since I was 18 years old due to a family history of heart disease. Recently, fish oil became available in a prescription strength with the indication of a triglycerides above 500. Although this is the only indication, there is promising research for the use of fish oil in a lot of other illness. I've read articles and spoke to doctors who are using fish oil to treat pain, inflammation, depression, and many other conditions. My recommendation is that almost everyone take fish oil for the cardiovascular benefits. The only exception if for those individuals on blood thinner such as warfarin because fish oil can increase bleeding rate. Even these individuals can take fish oil you just need to speak to a doctor first.
-Fish-

Water

I think people sometimes forget the importance of water. Our body is over 70 percent water, which means that a person needs to be hydrating often. I think the most important time of day to drink water is first thing in the morning. Think about there is not one time during the day when you go 8 hours without drinking any water, except in the morning. Therefore, I always try to drink at least 1 glass of water when I first get up. There have also been studies done that show drinking water in the morning increases your metabolism and reduces hunger.
-Fish-

Workout 101

I'm tired of all these elaborate ways to get back in shape. I honestly think that people have the misconception that the more complicated the workout, the more benefits that it must have. This is completly untrue and many times the more complicated the movement, the higher the risk of injury.
Here's a simple workout that you cam do at home without any special equipment that will have you beach ready in no time. For the first 3 weeks do 1 set or each exercise, then increase to 2 sets during weeks 4 to 6. Try to complete 10 to 15 reps of each exercise.
Exercises
Pushup (if unable start with knees on ground)
Dips
chinups (I use the steel beams in my basement)
pullups (might not be able to do at first, but once you can great exercise)
Body weight squats
Body weight lunges
Situps
Leg lifts

If anyone has any questions on how to perform any of these exercises email.
-Fish-