Category: D

In the United States, a rigorous systematic procedure by which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determines whether a drug is safe and effective. The US system of approval is considered the most stringent in the world. Only five in 5,000 compounds get t o the point of being tested in humans, and only one…

The flow of un-swallowed saliva from the mouth, normal in children up to about age 1. In babies 3 to 4 months old, more saliva is produced than can be swallowed. Excessive drooling becomes even more common during teething. Most children no longer drool after the age of 4 years. Children who have neurological problems…

A drug that controls nausea and vomiting and stimulates appetite. Dronabinol (Marinol) is used to treat or prevent nausea and vomiting caused by cancer drugs or when other drugs do not work. It is also used to increase the appetites of people with AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Dronabinol is a synthetic form of cannabis (marijuana).…

A group of symptoms that often follow a heart attack or open-heart surgery. People who have had a heart attack or open-heart surgery frequently experience sharp, severe chest pain that may vary with breathing or changes in position. The symptoms occur because of pericarditis (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart), an increased white blood…

A series of thoughts, emotions, or images experienced during sleep as real events. Most dreams are visual, but they can also involve the other senses, such as taste and hearing. Dreams occur during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, a portion of the sleep cycle accompanied by fast, jerky eye movements and irregular heartbeat and breathing.…

A drug used as an eye drop to treat glaucoma. Dorzolamide (Trusopt) lowers eye pressure. A carbonic anhydrase inhibitor drug restricted to use in patients with raised intra-ocular pressure in ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma. It can be used alone or as an adjunct to a topical beta blocker.  

An herbal medicine derived from the root of angelica, a kind of wild celery, used to treat menstrual and menopausal problems. Doctors in China use it to treat high blood pressure, poor circulation, and anemia because, they claim, it stimulates production of red blood cells; however, there is no clinical proof of its effectiveness.  

A drug used to treat atrial fibrillation or flutter; an antiarrhythmic agent. Dofetilide (Tikosyn) tries to normalize a person’s heartbeat by changing some of the electrical currents that run through the heart. Dofetilide is recommended for use only when atrial fibrillation or flutter is very serious. It is often used in conjunction with an implantable…

A laxative. Docusate sodium (Colace, Senokot) softens stool to facilitate elimination for a person who should not strain, such as a person who has inflamed hemorrhoids. Docusate sodium is used to prevent and treat constipation and is available without prescription, but it is ineffective if used on a long-term basis. A faecal-softening agent used to…

An anticancer drug. Docetaxel (Taxotere) is given intravenously to treat advanced breast cancer that has spread (metastasized). Docetaxel works by disrupting cell division. A member of the taxane group of anti-tumour drugs, docetaxel is used to treat advanced or metastatic cancer arising in the breast. It is also used to treat non-small cancer of the…