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- antipsychotic
- a class of drugs that are used to treat psychosis. These conditions include schizophrenia, mania and delusional disorder. Antipsychotics are also commonly used in treating bipolar disorder. This class includes both the older "typical" antipsychotics, such as Haldol, as well as the newer "atypical" antipsychotics Abilify, Seroquel, and Zyprexa.
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- asthma
- a respiratory system disease in which the airways shrink due to exposure to an allergen, cold air, exercise, or emotional stress. This can cause symptoms such as wheezing and coughing, chest tightness, and the inability to breathe.
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- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- a condition that manifests itself in children in the early school years. It is difficult for them to control their behavior and pay attention. The primary characteristics of characteristics of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD, are a lack of attention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity. Common drugs prescribed for ADHD include Adderall and Strattera.
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- atypical antipsychotic
- a relatively new class of medications used in the treatment of schizophrenia and Bipolar I disorder. See also antipsychotic. This class of drugs includes Abilify, Seroquel, and Zyprexa.
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- beta agonist
- a medication that serves to open the airways. They work by relaxing the muscles around the airways that tend to tighten during asthma attacks. They are administered orally or by inhalation.
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- bipolar disorder
- a mood disorder in which a person experiences extreme shifts in mood between depression and mania.
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- bisphosphonates
- class of medications designed to inhibit the breakdown of bone tissue by decreasing the activity of osteoclasts. The class includes Fosamax, Zometa, and Aredia.
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- black box warning
- a class of warnings appearing on drugs that may cause serious and potentially life-threatening side effects according to medical studies. The FDA requires that a black box warning be placed on the labeling or literature of a prescription drug, or in literature describing it. It is the strongest warning that the FDA requires.
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- blood clot
- coagulated blood that often results in stroke, heart attack, or pulmonary embolism.
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- bone metastases
- different condition than primary bone cancer, which is cancer that actually begins in bone tissue. In this case, cancer cells break off from another "primary" tumor and enter the bloodstream. The blood is a medium of metastasis, allows the cancerous cells to spread, and the cancer affects bone tissue.
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- cancer
- a class of diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell division that often cause death if untreated.
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- carcinogen
- a cancer-causing agent.
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- Contraceptive
- a device or drug that prevents pregnancy.
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- cox-2 inhibitor
- a relatively new type of pain-relieving drug that selectively blocks the enzyme cox-2 (cyclooxygenase-2); blocking this enzyme stops production of prostaglandins, which cause inflammation.
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- dermatitis
- a skin condition where there is itching, redness and inflammation, much like an allergic reaction.
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- erectile dysfunction
- the inability to maintain an erection for sexual intercourse
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- estrogen
- hormone that functions as the primary female sex hormone.
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- heart attack
- a heart condition occurring when a part of the heart muscle is injured because of an interruption of blood flow to the area. It is often life-threatening and demands immediate medical attention.
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- hypercalcemia
- an excessive amount of calcium in the blood.
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- hypoventilation
- breathing that is not able to meet the needs of the body, possibly resulting in the inadequate oxygenation of the blood.
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- inflammatory bowel disease
- a disorder of the colon that causes cramps and abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhea.
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- insulin
- a hormone that regulates carbohydrate metabolism. It also has an effect on storage and release of fat. It also affects muscle tone, controls storage and release of fat, and controls cellular uptake of some amino acids and electrolytes.
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- monoamine oxidase inhibitor
- a class of antidepressant drugs prescribed for the treatment of depression. In cases where patients are unresponsive to other treatments they are used successfully.
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- multiple myeloma
- also referred to as plasma cell myeloma, it is a cancer of the plasma cell, which is part of the immune system that produces antibodies.
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- neuroleptic malignant syndrome
- a life-threatening, neurological disorde. Symptoms include muscular rigidity, fever, and changes in cognitive functions. These symptoms can last anywhere from eight hours to forty days.
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- non-Hodgkins lymphoma
- a type of cancer arising from lymphocytes. The most common symptom of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, underarm and/or groin. It may also result in skin-irritation, fever, and excessive sweating.
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- NSAID
- a drug used in the treatment of pain and inflammation. Well-known NSAIDs include aspirin and ibuprofen.
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- osteoporosis
- a condition that causes bones to become brittle and weak, which increases the likelihood of fractures.
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- Paget's disease
- also known as osteitis deformans, a chronic skeletal disorder that can lead to deformed or enlarged bones. The bones excessively breakdown and reform leading to bones that are weak, possibly resulting in fractures, pain, and arthritis.
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- progestin
- a synthetic hormone often used in the production of contraceptives.
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- psoriasis
- a serious and often painful and debilitating disease of the immune system. It occurs when faulty signals in the immune system cause skin cells to regenerate too quickly.
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- schizophrenia
- a mental illness that affects a person's perception of reality. Schizophrenics often exhibit disorganized thinking, delusions, and/or auditory hallucinations.
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- selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
- a drug designed to enhance the use of serotonin in the brain to improve the sending of nerve impulses in order to treat the symptoms of depression.
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- statin
- a drug used for lowering cholesterol, and therefore preventing and treating atherosclerosis that causes chest pain, heart attacks, and strokes. Common statins include Baycol, Crestor, and Zocor.
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- stroke
- a condition occurring when blood flow is suddenly interrupted to the brain. Death of brain tissue can lead to loss of the function controlled by that tissue, and more substantial damage can lead to physical and/or mental impairment, or death.
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- tardive dyskinesia
- a serious neurological disorder caused by antipsychotics. It is characterized by repetitive, involuntary movements.
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