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Get answers to your most common health questions here.

 

Find Frequently Asked Questions in alphabetical order by category.

Acne

Prevention: How can I prevent acne?

Recommended Products: What acne products are recommended for teenagers?

Acne: What is acne?

Claravis: What is Claravis and what does it do?

Allergies

Claritin and Allegra differences: How do Claritin-D and Claritin, and Allegra-D and Allegra differ from each other?

Aspirin: If I'm allergic to aspirin, what over-the-counter pain medication can I use?

Penicillin: If I am allergic to penicillin, can I take clindamycin 150 mg?

Phenylephrine: My favorite over-the-counter allergy medicine now has phenylephrine instead of pseudoephedrine. What's the difference? Will it work as well as the old formula?

OTC Treatment: What can I take for allergies causing sneezing, runny nose and itchy, watery eyes?

Antibiotics

Storage: I left my son's liquid antibiotic sitting on the kitchen counter all day instead of putting it back in the refrigerator. Is the medicine still OK?

Antibiotics and Alcohol: Is it OK to drink alcohol when you are taking an antibiotic? I am on an antibiotic for 10 days. Next week is my 10-year wedding anniversary, and I would like to be able to celebrate with a glass of champagne.

Stopping Antibiotics: Is it OK to stop taking my antibiotic after a few days when I feel better?

Reusing Antibiotics: Is it OK to take leftover antibiotics to treat a current infection?

Refrigeration: Should liquid antibiotics always be stored in the refrigerator?

Cipro: What is Cipro?

Photosensitivity: Why do I have to stay out of the sun if I take sulfa antibiotics?

Anxiety

Buspar side effects: What are the side effects of Buspar?

Anxiety : What is an anxiety disorder?

Buspar: What is Buspar?

Arthritis

Mobic: What are the side effects of Mobic?

Remicade : What are the side effects of Remicade?

Synvisc: What are the side effects of Synvisc?

Celebrex: What is Celebrex?

Chondroitin: What is Chondroitin?

Cosamin DS: What is Cosamin DS?

Enbrel: What is Enbrel?

Asthma

Inhalers: I get a funny taste in my mouth after using my asthma inhaler. Is it OK to drink water right after?

Medications: What's the difference between the different kinds of asthma medications?

Asthma : What is asthma?

Birth Control

Antibiotic Interactions: Do antibiotics reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills?

Emergency contraceptive prescription: Do I need a prescription to get an emergency contraceptive?

Emergency contraceptive dosing: How do you take Plan B One-Step or Next Choice?

Condom effectiveness: How effective are condoms at preventing STDs and pregnancy?

Conception: How long does it take to get pregnant after stopping Depo-Provera shots or birth control pills?

Emergency contraceptive description: Is an emergency contraceptive (such as Plan B One-Step or Next Choice) the same thing as the RU-486 pill, the so-called abortion pill?

Plan B ingredients: What's the difference between emergency contraceptives, such as Plan B One-Step and regular birth control pills?

Emergency contraceptives side effects: What are the side effects of emergency contraceptives?

Contraceptive Sponge: What is a contraceptive sponge?

Missed pills: What should I do if I missed a tablet of my birth control pills?

Cancer

Colonoscopy: Should I get a colonoscopy and how often do I need one?

Gleevec: What are the side effects of Gleevec?

Tamoxifen: What are the side effects of tamoxifen?

Childrens Health

Head Lice: My 5th-grader's school sent a note home about some students having head lice. Is there anything I can do to prevent my child from getting it?

Infant Diarrhea: My 6-month-old baby has had diarrhea all morning. I can't get an appointment with my pediatrician until much later this afternoon. What can I do in the meantime?

Fever: My doctor told me to alternate using ibuprofen and acetaminophen to treat my child's fever. Why?

Cold Products: Please explain the FDA regulations about cold products for children.

Gardasil: What is Gardasil and who should get the HPV vaccine?

Cholesterol

Drug Types: What's the difference between cholesterol drugs like fibric acids and statins?

HMG-CoA: What are the side effects of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors?

Welchol: What are the side effects of Welchol?

Niacin side effects: What are Vitamin B3 or niacin's side effects?

Cholestin: What is Cholestin?

Red Yeast Rice: What is red yeast rice?

Cold and Flu

Jitteriness: Are there any over-the-counter cold or allergy products that do not make you feel jittery?

Bird Flu: How are people treated for bird flu? Is a vaccine available to prevent a person from catching it?

Egg Allergy: How can I avoid getting the flu if I'm allergic to eggs and can't get a flu shot?

Symptoms: How can I tell if I have the flu or a cold?

Starve a fever?: Is it true that you should follow the old saying, "Starve a fever, feed a cold"?

Relenza: What are the side effects of Relenza?

Tamiflu: What are the side effects of Tamiflu?

Medications: What can I take to treat a runny, stuffy nose and sinus drainage?

Zicam: What happened to Zicam?

Avian Flu: What is the Avian Flu?

Compliance and Safety

Reimportation: Are prescription drugs purchased in Mexico as safe and effective as medications in the United States?

Swallowing Pills: Can compounding help with trouble swallowing pills? Can any medication be made into a liquid or patch formula?

Directions: How do I get the most benefit from my medication?

Caregiving: How do I keep track of medications safely when there's more than one caregiver?

Medication Disposal: How should I dispose of old or unused medication?

Presurgery: If I can't eat or drink the night before my medical procedure, what should I do for my daily medication?

Crushing Medications: Is it OK to grind up pills and put them in food to make them easier to swallow?

Sharing Prescriptions: Is it OK to use another person's medication if I have the same health condition?

Take with Food: What does it mean when a medication says "Take with food"?

Adverse Drug Events: What is an adverse drug event?

Sharps Containers: What is the proper way to safely dispose of sharps such as lancets and needles?

Pseudoephedrine: Why do I have to purchase pseudoephedrine from the pharmacy and sign for it?

Contact Lenses

Solutions: Are contact lens solutions regulated for safety or purity?

Disposable Contacts: Are disposable contact lenses better than regular contact lenses?

Swimming: Can I wear my contact lenses when I go swimming?

Drug Interactions: Can some medications cause problems with my contact lenses?

Preventing Infections: How can I prevent fungal infections from wearing contact lenses?

Fungal Infection: How do I know if my contact lenses have caused a fungal infection in my eyes?

Schedule: How long can I leave my contact lenses in?

Disinfection: How often do I need to disinfect my contact lenses?

Replacement: How often should I change my contact lenses?

Pregnancy: Is it common to have problems wearing contact lenses when you are pregnant? Why is that?

Sleeping: Is it OK to wear my contact lenses while I am sleeping?

If you're looking for more specific answers to specific questions, ask a Walgreens pharmacist here.

DISCLAIMER:
The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. Consult your physician for diagnosis and treatment of your medical condition. Advances in medicine may cause this information to become outdated, invalid or subject to debate. Professional opinions and interpretations of the scientific literature may vary. Walgreens' terms of use and general warranty disclaimer apply to all services provided. If you are in need of immediate medical attention, contact your physician, poison control center or emergency medical professional. If you need to speak with a pharmacist for non-emergency matters, contact your local Walgreens pharmacist or call a Walgreens.com pharmacist toll-free at 1 (877) 250-5823.