ValleyHills HealthCare Pharmacy

31/05/2023

11/05/2023

16 𝗗𝗿𝘂𝗴𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗢𝗻 𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘁.

1. Thalidomide

Thalidomide is teratogenic, meaning, it can affect embryonic development. This particular drug was initially made to be a sedative, it was later used to treat “morning sickness” in pregnant women amongst other things, but it resulted in children born to the mothers who took the said drug to be born with defective limb- some were born without limbs, loss thumb and the likes.

2. Tetracycline

Tetracycline can harm the fetus. It affects the bone & teeth development of the baby. It can also cause the teeth of your child to be permanently stained. If you are pregnant or get pregnant while taking this drug, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

3. Chloramphenicol
This drug can cause gray baby syndrome and serious blood disorder.

4. Ciprofloxacin & Levofloxacin
They are both fluoroquinolone antibiotics. According to a study conducted in 2017, fluoroquinolone may also increase the chances of having a miscarriage. It can also cause problem to the baby’s muscle, skeletal growth as well as joint pains for the mother.

5. Primaquine
Is an anti-malaria, animal studies have shown that it can damage blood cells in a fetus.

6. Methotrexate - A drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and certain types of cancer, methotrexate can cause birth defects and fetal death

7. Ibuprofen

Taking high doses of this drug can have dangerous consequences on pregnant mothers like; miscarriage, delayed onset of labour, jaundice, and it can increase the risk of bleeding for both mother and baby. Ibuprofen should not be used by pregnant women.

8. Warfarin
This particular drug can cause birth defects and should only be used when benefits outweighs the risks.

9. Lorazepam
This particular drug is used for treating anxiety or other mental disorders. It can lead to withdrawal symptoms and birth defects on the baby.

10. ACE inhibitors(e.g Enalapril, Lisinopril etc)- A group of drugs used to treat high blood pressure, ACE inhibitors can cause kidney damage and fetal death.

11. Phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine
Phenylephrine is a decongestant (same with pseudoephedrine) used for short-term relief of nasal congestion from the common cold, sinusitis, upper respiratory allergies. They are available in several combinations with other over-the-counter cough and cold medications.

If you’re pregnant avoid pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine or medicines that contain them especially during your first trimester.

12. Accutane (Isotretinoin)

Isotretinoin is used to treat a severe kind of acne called nodular acne. Taking this drug during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects in babies. And it is irreversible.

13.Aminoglycosides(Streptomycin, Gentamycin etc).
If you’re pregnant, don’t use aminoglycosides as it may cause hearing loss in babies born to women who use the drug during pregnancy.

14. Albendazole

Albendazole is a drug for treating infections caused by worms. It is an anthelminthic. It should not be used during pregnancy as animal studies indicates it can cause fetal harm when used by pregnant women. If you get pregnant while on this drug speak to your doctor immediately.

15. Sodium Valproate - A drug used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder, valproate has been linked to an increased risk of birth defects such as neural tube defects, heart defects, and cleft palate.

16. Fluconazole

Fluconazole should only be used during pregnancy in the instance of life threatening fungal infection where the anticipated benefits outweighs the risk if not, an alternative should be used as it may harm the baby or cause spontaneous abortion.

Being pregnant is a very delicate situation, you should be careful about anything you take especially drugs, it’s not just you, even the life and wellbeing of your baby is at stake here.

Always consult your healthcare provider before taking any medication and talk to them about the medications you use already. It is very important.

Your Caring Pharmacist.

16/03/2023

07/11/2022

10 BABY MEDICATION TIPS YOU MAY KNOW.

1. Do not give ASPIRIN(commonly called JUNIOR CAFEMOL ) to KIDS YOUNGER THAN 16 YEARS OLD.

👉There is a common trend of giving junior cafemol(Aspirin 81mg) in children as young as 4 months after vaccination to relief the fever.

Just because Aspirin reduces the fever in a baby 👶 does not mean it is also safe for a Child.

Giving Aspirin commonly known as Junior Cafemol during an illness is not allowed or recommendable unless your Paediatrician says so.

Giving Cafemol to a child when they have an illnesses such as a viral infection( for example a cold, flu or chickenpox) is linked to a SERIOUS condition known as Reyes Syndrome ( inflammation or swelling of the brain or spinal cord and liver damage).

It is not recommended in children less than 16 years.

Use Paracetamol(Aka Capol or Panadol). It is more safe in a child and works effectively to reduce the fever.

2. Don’t use bleaching creams on babies

This creams contains very powerful corticosteroids and may have serious effects on the Child.

Using Bleaching creams on babies can increase their risks of skin cancer, cause liver and kidney damage.

And if the child has rash using very high potent corticosteroids causes rebound rashes.

Examples of creams abused as bleaching creams include, Funbact, epiderm, betasol etc.

3. Don’t let strangers/relatives kiss your baby on the lips

By kissing babies on the lips visitors can transfer fever blisters which can form around their mouth and then spread to other parts of their body even their brain as their immune system is still fragile. Don’t let visitors kiss your babies especially on the lips.

Relatives/visitors can kiss your baby’s hands and feet if they like. They have no business with your baby’s face and lips.

4. Never load your baby with Antibiotics just because they're teething or have diarrhea unless recommended

Exposing babies to many antibiotics may give a lifetime of ill health because it is likely to destroy their growing microbioma, millions of good bacteria that aids the absorption of vitamins and help boost their immune system.

And majority of diarrhea in babies are caused by rotavirus a virus and viruses do not respond to antibiotics.

5. Ciprofloxacin may harm the bone development of the baby

Animal studies conducted using ciprofloxacin showed that juvenile (young) animals developed arthropathy (i.e it harmed their joint development) after use. This is why Ciprofloxacin is contraindicated in children.

Interestingly, in practice, clinicians have closely monitored pediatric patients treated with ciprofloxacin and so far, serious cartilage toxicity is yet to be seen. This still doesn’t totally guarantee it safety in children so whenever Ciprofloxacin is used in children it should be used with caution, with the risks and benefits discussed with parents/caretakers.

And it is also important to note that children react differently. In some children it might not affect their joints while in others it might as such caution is advised.

6. Don’t put tight fitting shoes on babies

Don’t put tight fitting shoes on babies, it can affect their toe nails causing ingrown toe nails and that can hamper your child’s walking. Allow your babies to walk barefoot doing that will help strengthen their feet and improve their balance.

7. Don’t feed babies honey

Don’t feed babies below 1yr honey. Feeding them honey can result in paralysis as the honey may be contaminated with bacteria known as clostridium. Clostridium can release toxins in the baby’s intestines resulting in what is known as infant botulism.

Adults can be able to handle this but in babies it can result in a very serious illness, this is generally because the baby’s defense system is still weak.
Don’t feed babies below 1 year honey. Not feeding your babies honey will also prevent tooth decay as honey contains sugar

8. Children below 2 years should not be given promethazine(Phenegan)

What is this promethazine? What is it even used for ? And why should you not give it to children ?

I have answers for you.

Promethazine sold under brands names commonly known as “Phenergan” is used as an anti-emetic (i.e it is used to prevent nausea and vomiting).

Promethazine should not be given to babies or children who are younger than 2years old and should be given with caution to children who are 2years of age or older. This is because promethazine can cause severe breathing problems or death in very young children

9. Parents should know all the names and contents of medicines they are giving to their children

This prevents giving of medicines that have similar content most common with Paracetamol which can cause serious toxicity.

10. Always Consult your PHARMACIST or other Health care providers before giving certain drugs to your babies.
Example of such drugs includes : Chloramphenicol, Tetracycline, Ciprofloxacin (& other Fluroquinolones), Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Cough Syrups, etc.

They all have certain age range before it can be administered to Children because their organs, bones, etc aren't fully developed.

Your Caring Pharmacist.

07/11/2022

Mumps

1. Eating 🍴 small mangoes does not cause mumps( locally called Sakatila)

2. Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus. It can cause painful swelling in your parotid salivary glands (parotitis).

3. Just like Covid-19, Mumps does not respond to antibiotics(don't abuse Pen V).

4. Treatment for mumps is focused on relieving symptoms until your body's immune system fights off the infection. There are currently no medicines to treat the mumps virus.

The infection usually passes within a week or two.

In the meantime, the measures below may help.

👉 Get plenty of bed rest until your symptoms have passed

👉Take over-the-counter painkillers, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol, to relieve any pain (children aged 16 or under should not be given aspirin)

👉Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid acidic drinks such as fruit juice as these can irritate your parotid glands; water is usually the best fluid to drink

👉Apply a warm or cool compress to your swollen glands to help reduce any pain
eat foods that don't require a lot of chewing, such as soup, mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs

For more information ℹ️, speak to your healthcare provider near you.

Your Caring Pharmacist.

14/10/2022

For Judith;

Every Diarrhea needs Flagyl
Every stomach pain needs Flagyl
Every period pain needs flagyl ,
Every small va**nal itching or stomach gases and sometimes even prevention of s*xually transmitted infections, Judith uses Flagyl

Here are 18 facts Judith should know about flagyl(metronidazole)

1. Flagyl is a medicine used to treat different types of bacterial and parasitic infections, including those that affect the skin, va**na, blood, heart, bone, stomach, liver, joints, nervous system, respiratory tract, and other areas of the body.

2. You do not drink alcohol or products containing propylene glycol when on Flagyl wait at least 48-72 hours after the last dose of Flagyl. if you do, you will remember this post.

3. Flagyl has caused cancer in animal studies. However, it is not known whether this would occur in humans. Ask your doctor about your risk.

4. Flagyl will be present in breast milk in significant amount when you are taking it and this causes diarrhea in some babies. Some healthcare provider will advice you not to breastfeed within 24 hours after using flagyl and If you use a breast pump during this time, throw out the milk and do not feed it to your baby.

5. Flagyl can cause numbness, tingling, or burning pain in your hands or feet

6. Flagyl can cause life-threatening liver problems in people with Cockayne syndrome. If you have this condition, stop taking flagyl and contact your doctor if you have signs of liver failure--nausea, stomach pain (upper right side), dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice

7. Flagyl can cause depression, trouble sleeping and feeling irritable

8 Flagyl may cause va**nal itching or discharge even pain during s*x

9. Flagyl may harm an unborn baby. Do not use flagyl to treat trichomoniasis during the first trimester of pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant

10. If you are treating a va**nal infection, your s*xual partner may also need to take flagyl so you don't become reinfected.

11. Flagyl will not treat a va**nal yeast infection. You may even develop a new va**nal yeast infection, which may need to be treated with antifungal medication. Tell your doctor if you have symptoms such as itching or discharge during or after treatment with flagyl.

12. Do not share flagyl with another person, even if they have the same symptoms you have.

13. It comes as tablets, gel, va**nal gel, cream, a liquid you drink or a suppository which is a medicine that you push gently into your a**s (bottom). It's also given by injection, but this is usually only done in hospital.

14. Some people develop a fungal infection called thrush after taking a course of antibiotics like Flagyl. This is more common if you're using the va**nal gel/pessaries. It happens because antibiotics kill the normal harmless bacteria that help to protect you against thrush.

15. Some medicines to not mix well with Flagyl and this has potential to cause treatment failure or adverse effects. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements.

16. Flagyl works quickly. Once taken, Flagyl is quickly absorbed and gets into the bloodstream within a couple of hours. For certain conditions only one day of treatment may be prescribed.

17. Flagyl leaves a bitter, metallic taste in your mouth. This is a well-known side effect. For many, the bad taste lasts throughout treatment, too, not just when you're swallowing the medicine.

18. Bottom Line: Don’t abuse Flagyl, take exactly as prescribed by your doctor or pharmacist. Antibiotics resistant is on the rise. Let be safe out there.

NB: This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.

Your Caring Pharmacist.

08/10/2022

PAINFUL BALLS

From time to time men experience pain around their balls. The causes range from infections to lack of adequate blood supply to the testicles. So what causes painful balls?

1. Blue balls, this is as a result excessive fondling or stimulation without going all the way. You get the picture.

2. Testicular torsion is an emergency. This is when one has extreme pain because of sudden loss of blood supply to one of the balls. This needs to be seen by a surgeon urgently otherwise the affected ball will be lost for good.

3. Epididymochitis is inflammation of the testicle and it's tubes. Usually goes away with appropriate treatment.

4. Testicular cancer, depending on the stage of the cancer this too may present with pain around the balls.

5. Trauma, if someone kicks you in the nuts or if you fall astride the balls will hurt.

In conclusion, do not ignore pain around your testicles see your doctor early. In addition remember to examine your balls regularly, at least once a month. You have heard.
(Image by FactDr)

08/10/2022

26/09/2022

TINEA VERSICOLOR

What is tinea versicolor?
Tinea versicolor is a fungal infection of the skin. It's also called pityriasis versicolor and is caused by a type of yeast that naturally lives on your skin. When the yeast grows out of control it results in a skin disease which appears as a rash.

What can lead to tinea versicolor?
Tinea verscolor appears in the following situations: oily skin; if you live in a hot climate; if you sweat a lot; and if you have a weakened immune system

Is tinea versicolor contagious?
No it is not. The yeast grows naturally on your skin as such tinea versicolor is not contagious. The condition can affect people of any skin color. It's commonly affects teens and young adults.

What are the symptoms of tinea versicolor?
Refer to the pictures below. You will notice that the acidic bleach from the growing yeast causes areas of skin to be a different color than the skin around them. These can be individual spots or patches. Specific signs and symptoms of the infection include: patches that appear white or brown and can be lighter or darker than the skin around them. These spots appear anywhere on your body but are commonly seen on your neck, chest, back, and arms.

What is the treatment for tinea versicolor?
Topical anti-fungals. These products are applied directly to your skin and may be in the form of lotion, shampoo, cream, foam, or soap. Anti-fungal pills. These may be used to treat more serious or recurrent cases of tinea versicolor. Your doctor may decide to use a combination of options depending on how your condition.
(Image by Dermnet)

26/09/2022

23 MEDICATION TIPS YOU MAY KNOW

1. Don't put nifedipine tablets under your tongue, whenever your BP is very high. Visit the nearest health facility as soon as possible.

2. Never break, crush, or chew any capsule or tablet unless directed to by your healthcare provider or Pharmacist.

3. Do not give cafemol(Aspirin 81mg) to kids, you will increase their probability of having stomach ulcers(bleeding) or kidney failure. Only give when recommended by your Pediatrician.

4. Paracetamol will work faster on an empty stomach.

5. Eating oily food and taking malaria medication like Artemether/lumefantrine (e.g Coartem, Lonart etc) will make it work better.

6. Don’t take NSAIDs (e.g Brufen, indocid, Diclofenac) or Multivitamins on an empty stomach. They will irritate your stomach.

7. Dexamethasone and Prednisolone increases blood sugar and should not be taken by someone who is diabetic (when taken, the blood sugar should seriously be monitored). Talk to your healthcare provider about that.

8. Prednisolone interacts with birth control pills.

9. Don’t take take Dexamethasone for weight gain. Using it for such will only harm you. Only use it when prescribed. Dexamethasone works by reducing your immune system, it is to be used only when prescribed because the benefits outweighs the risks. Using it on your own is bad and very dangerous.

10. If you are taking Magnesium trisilicate (MMT, Polygel) and another drug, take the Polygel at least 3hrs before taking the drug or 2hrs after taking the drug.

11. Take tetracycline 2hrs before or 6hrs after taking an antacid.

12. Take tetracycline 2hrs before or after taking zinc containing products.

13. Tetracycline can HARM the FETUS. If you are pregnant or have plans of becoming pregnant while taking tetracycline, call your doctor immediately.

14. Taking Tetracycline with alcohol or within the period of alcohol intake is highly not advised.

15. If you have epilepsy don’t take Ciprofloxacin as it can precipitate seizure attack in people with epilepsy.

16. If you are severely depressed don’t take Ciprofloxacin.

17. Don’t take more than 2tablets of paracetamol once. It’s also important u know that the highest daily dose of paracetamol you can take is 3000mg/day and that’s 6tabs (i.e 500mg). Except u are being supervised by a healthcare provider, above that u’re doing damage to ur liver.

18. Don’t take Ciprofloxacin or flagyl for menstrual pain. Ciprofloxacin is an antibiotic and not paracetamol.

19. Taking Diclofenac for ulcer pain is suicidal. Diclofenac is a painkiller yes, but it can cause ulcer so it’s wrong to take it for ulcer pain.

20. Don’t take two NSAIDs:
Don’t take Ibuprofen(Brufen) and Diclofenac. Don’t take indocid and Ibuprofen(Brufen) together. Doing that can damage your kidneys and cause ulcer.

21. Don’t take Dexamethasone together with Ibuprofen or Diclofenac. Doing this results in increased side effects. You do more harm to yourself.

22. It’s particularly wrong to use alcohol or soda to take your drugs.

23. The time in which u take your drugs is very important. It’s not just there. Some drugs have higher effects in the morning, others in the evening, if it’s prescribed for u to take it in the morning, do that.

Remember, ALL drugs are POTENTIAL poison when Abused or used wrongly. Always consult your Pharmacist.

If you want to learn new things everyday, on health, lifestyle and drug use tips, you can like our page.

Your Caring Pharmacist

23/09/2022

Diclofenac is not a sweet 🍭. It is a potential poison when abused.

Normal kidneys produce a hormone called prostaglandins that are used to protect the kidney from stress.

Diclofenac and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like Ibrupofen, aspirin, ketoprofen, naproxen, mefenamic acid etc cause the kidney to lose the capacity to make these protective hormones and over time, can result in progressive kidney damage.

This damage may take years in some people but in others can occur after a single dose. NSAIDs are very unpredictable drugs in the kidney.

Even though you can buy Diclofenac and some other NSAIDs over the counter without a prescription 💊 please understand that they are not meant to be abused!

Your Caring Pharmacist.

12/09/2022

Why is sunlight so beneficial for us 🤔🤔

12/09/2022

The things we go through as Pharmacist.

We don't have supernatural powers to decipher every prescription 💊, don't be upset if we send you back, we also can't read some prescriptions.

Take note.

Thank you.

07/08/2022

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