[india-drug] Queries on Medicines (2)

["Dr Gurudas Khilnani" <drgurudas@rediffmail.com>]

Queries on Medicines (2)
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Dear Dr Amit, Here are the answers to the queries:
 
1. Rapid IV verapamil can lethally aggravate digoxin induced AV block in digoxin toxicity so it is absolutely contraindicated.
2. Minocycline a longer acting tetracycline and a weak DMARD. It inhibits tissue destroying enzymes in rheumatoid arthritis and has anti-inflammatory effects.Therefore, it has been tried in RA but its efficacy is uncertain.
3. Colchcine is less often used because it is not easily obtained. Only very few companies market it. As such primary gout is less common in India than elsewhere.
4. Probenecid is marketed by only one company (Bencid-Geno pharma).It is available with amoxicillin/cephalexin also. Thus because of less availability and less prevalence of gout its use is limited. As such it is likely to interact with a number of drugs also.
5. Propythiouracil is used and is now available
The treatment of "Pyrexia of unknown origin' depends on the identification of the cause. Many times chest physicians recommend a therapeutic trial of antituberculous drugs because TB may clinically present as a case of PUO. But ideally extensive investigations must be done to identify the cause.
    
Dr Gurudas Khilnani, MD (Gen Med); MD (Pharmacology), FISC, DHRM;     
Professor of pharmacology, JLN Medical College, AJMER.
Email drgurudas@rediffmail.com