Nursing School Pharmacology: Quiz #3 – Flashcards

Used temporarily for topical therapy (aloe gel) of skin ailments, including burns, psoriasis, acne, and stings. Also used orally (aloe latex) to relieve constipation. May increase risks associated with cardiac glycosides.

Used for inflammation and/or sprains. Available in topical and oral forms. Side effects of oral: GI distress, hypotension, tachycardia, shortness of breath, coma, death. Side effects of topical: contact dermatitis, irritation, burning.

Used for prevention and/or treatment of diabetic-retinopathy, glaucoma, cataracts, macular-degeneration, cancer, poor night-vision, and circulatory-disorders. (e.g., varicose veins) Herb-drug interactions: Due to coumarin-content, may potentiate risk of bleeding if used concurrently with anticoagulants and/or antiplatelets. NOTE: should NOT be confused with bilberry-leaf, which may cause hypoglycemia.

For pre-, peri-, and post-menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, depression, mood-swings, profuse sweating, and sleep disorders. Side effects: GI upset, hepatotoxicity, may increase toxicity of some chemo-agents. May potentiate therapeutic-effects of antihypertensive and hypoglycemia agents.

Widely used in teas for its relaxing effect. Also used for inflammation of skin and mucous-membranes, GI-disorders, and colic. Side effects: possible hypersensitivity reactions in people allergic to ragweed and/or chrysanthemums. Due to coumarin content, risk for bleeding is increased, especially when combined with anticoagulants and/or anti-platelet agents.

Has been used for thousands of years for menstrual symptoms, some types of infertility, and acne. Side effects: can cause GI problems, acne-like rashes, and dizziness. Contraindicated for women who are pregnant or taking birth control pills.

Used for prevention and treatment of urinary-tract infections (UTIs), ulcers, gum disease, and cancer. Cranberry juice may potentiate effects of warfarin (Coumadin). Clients taking warfarin (Coumadin) should avoid cranberry juice, due to increased risk for bleeding.

Used by some as a liver or kidney 'tonic', as a diuretic, and for minor digestive-problems. Leaves and roots (the whole plant) may be used fresh or dried in teas, capsules, or extracts. Leaves are used in salads or as a cooked green. Flowers are used to make wine. Side effects: generally considered safe; there have been rare reports of upset stomach and diarrhea. Contraindications: people with an inflamed or infected gallbladder, or blocked bile-ducts, should avoid using it.

Used in traditional Chinese medicine herbal-formulas for menstrual and menopausal symptoms and as a blood-tonic. Contraindicated in pregnancy, lactation, and hormone-sensitive cancers. Due to coumarin content, may increase anticoagulant effects and increase risk for bleeding. Can also cause photosensitivity reactions.

Oral - echinacea is primarily used for treatment and prevention of common cold and influenza. Topical - echinacea is used to treat wounds, burns, herpes-simplex. Most common side effect is unpleasant taste. Rarely causes allergic-reactions, including acute-asthma, urticaria, angioedema, and a anaphylaxis. NOTE: Belongs to daisy plant-family (members include: ragweed, chamomile, chrysanthemums.)

Used to promote urination and to treat asthma, bronchitis, and coughs. Has been widely-promoted as a natural stimulant and appetite-suppressant. Increases energy; enhances athletic-performance. Also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Contraindications: anxiety, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, glaucoma, prostate-enlargement, hyperthyroidism, pregnancy. Adverse reactions reported: strokes, heart-attacks, seizure, death. Herb-drug interactions: aspirin, benzodiazepines and other sedatives, beta-adrenergic agonists, CNS-stimulants, theophylline, digoxin, and MAOIs (monoamine-oxidose inhibitors) Warning: potentially dangerous. To date, thousands of adverse-events have been reported. At this time, products containing more than 10 mg/dose are now banned in the U.S.; products contains 10 mg or less are still legal.

Used for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), premenstrual symptoms (PMS), eczema, fatigue, and diabetic neuropathy. Contraindications: pregnancy. Adverse Reactions: headache, GI-upset, nausea, increased-risk of pregnancy-complications. Herb-drug Interactions: combined with anti-coagulants and anti-platelets, may have addictive-effects and increase risk of bleeding. Also, may lower the seizure-threshold and precipitate seizures in clients taking phenothiazines.

Used primarily for prophylaxis and treatment of migraine-headaches. Mild-reactions: abdominal-pain, indigestion, diarrhea, flatulance, N&V. Bleeding-risk increased when combined with anti-platelets and/or anti-coagulants. NOTE: belongs to same plant family as Echinacea; hypersensitivity reactions possible for those who are allergic to ragweed.

Used primarily for effects on cardiovascular-system; to reduce levels of triglycerides and low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and to raise levels of high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Also used to suppress platelet-aggregation. Most Common Side Effects: unpleasant taste and bad breath. May cause heartburn, flatulance, N&V, diarrhea. Can also increase risk of bleeding.

Used primarily to suppress N&V caused by motion-sickness, and cancer-chemotherapy. Also used to improve appetite, calm stomach-upset. Use with caution during pregnancy. Also, can increase risk of bleeding when combined with anti-platelets and/or coagulants. NOTE: For suppression of N&V, the best source is the produce-section in your local-supermarket. Peeling and chewing a raw, medium-sized slice provides the best and most rapid relief. However, if raw form is too hot and irritating to the mouth and throat, you may prepare an herbal-tea instead.

Comes from the worlds oldest trees. Used to improve memory, sharpen concentration, and promote clear thinking. Also used to treat senile-dementia, dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus, headache, and mood changes. May be used for clients with Alzheimer's disease. May be used to counteract erectile dysfunction (impotence) induced by antidepressants, especially fluoxetine (Prozac) and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) Common Side Effects: are GI upset, headache, dizziness, vertigo. Seizures have occurred in clients predisposed to seizures or on meds that lower seizure-threshold. Use with caution in clients taking anti-platelet and/or or anti-coagulant agents, due to increased risk of bleeding.

Used to improve athletic-performance, strength, and stamina, and to treat diabetes and cancer. In Chinese herbal-formulas, frequently used to nourish 'Yin.' Increased risk for bleeding, especially combined with anti-platelet or anti-coagulant agents. Breast-cancer client should use this product with caution because it may stimulate growth of breast cancer cells.

Often combined with chondroitin. Used for pain, inflammation of articular (joint) diseases such as arthritis and (TMJ) temporo-mandibular joint disorder. Side Effects: may increase insulin-resistance and affect blood glucose levels (diabetics may need insulin and/or oral hypoglycemic doses adjusted.) NOTE: studies have yielded controversial findings.

The most abundant aminoOacid in the body, is used to treat cancer and HIV/AIDS related cachexia. Also used to recover from catabolic-states such as surgery, sepsis, and intense exercise. Used to treat peptic-ulcers, enhances gut-integrity, boost immune-function, and protein synthesis. Also used to increase strength and stamina; is popular with bodybuilders. No significant adverse-reactions reported. May interact favorably with methotrexate, an anti-neoplastic, immunosuppressant, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD); thereby increasing it'd therapeutic-efficacy.

Used to treat bacterial, fungal, and protozoan infections of mucous membranes in the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary tracts, as well as the oral and sinus cavities. Also used to treat inflammation of the gallbladder (GB) and to help correct liver-dysfunction. Has long history of use for skin and eye irritations, and is still an ingredient in some sterile eye-washes. Contraindications: in pregnancy and lactation and in clients with hypertension (HTN) or cardiovascular disease. Relatively non-toxic at therapeutic doses. Often sold in combination-product with echinacea.

Used as dietary-beverage and to prevent and treat cancer, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. Also used to treat GI-disorders and for weight-loss. Contains tannins that may reduce absorption and bioavailability of codeine, atropine, and iron supplements. Moderate-intake appears safe. However pregnant women and women who breast-feed should limit intake, due to caffeine-content.

Has been used for a digestive aid in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Currently, used primarily to treat heart failure. Adverse Reactions: nausea, fatigue, sedation, and sweating. Contraindications: women who are pregnant or nursing. Herb-drug Interactions: enhances action of digoxin (Lanoxin); dose may need to be lowered. May potentiate effects of anti-hypertensives and anti-arrhythmics. May have addictive effects with CNS-depressants.

Used for weight loss. (Comes from a cactus prevalent in southeastern Africa whee local tribesmen are known to consume it to ease hunger during periods of starvation.) NOTE: Research is underway to determine its effectiveness but so far there are no data on its safety or efficacy. Contraindications: none known. Adverse Reactions: none reported. NOTE: FDA has warned the manufacturer and distributor of a Hoodia product against making unsubstantiated and misleading claims about weight loss.

Used to relieve anxiety and restlessness, promote sleep, and relax muscles. In U.S., is promoted as natural alternative to benzodiazepines (diazepam/Valium) for treating anxiety and stress. Kava is generally well-tolerated. However, can cause excessive CNS-depression, skin-problems, and liver-damage (hepatotoxicity.) When taken in high doses, has effects like those of alcohol. Use caution when combined with agents that have CNS-depressant properties. NOTE: has been used for over 3000 years in ceremonial-rituals among natives of South Pacific. Due to mind-altering properties, there is some potential for abuse.

Most is grown in Greece, Turkey, and Asia. Used for stomach ulcers, bronchitis, and sore throat, as well as infections caused by viruses, such as hepatitis. Side-Effects: can cause HTN, salt & water retention, and low potassium levels, which can lead to heart problems. Drug-Interactions: when combined with diuretics or other meds that reduce body's potassium levels, could cause dangerously low potassium levels. If taken in large amounts, can affect body's levels of hormone called cortisol and related steroid drugs. Contraindications: pregnant women should avoid using it as a supplement or consuming large amounts of it as food, as some research suggest it could increase risk of pre-term labor. NOTE: safety of more than 4-6 weeks of use has not been thoroughly studied.

Used to treat insomnia, jet lag, and cancer. Adverse-Effects: reports are rare, but include drowsiness, headache, pruritus, abdominal-cramps, hypothermia, and tachycardia. Herb-drug Interactions: may interact with nifedipine (Procardia XL), resulting in elevated blood-pressure and heart-rate.

Used primarily to manage various liver-diseases. Also used for indigestion, cancer-prevention, and food poisoning. Common adverse-reactions: diarrhea, uterine and menstrual stimulation. Herb-drug Interactions: has been shown to inhibit cytochrome P-450 3A4. Thus, inhibition of drug metabolism may occur for several agents, such as erythromycin (macrolide anti-infective) and ketoconazole (anti-fungal.)

Used for nausea, indigestion, and cold symptoms. Also used for headaches, muscle and nerve pain, and stomach and bowel conditions. Possible side-effects: allergic-reactions and heartburn.

Used primarily to relieve urinary-symptoms associated with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Very well-tolerated. Rarely, may cause upset stomach or HA. High doses may cause diarrhea. Can reduce levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a marker for prostate-cancer. As a result, can cause false-negative results on PSA tests. Contraindications: pregnant women should not INGEST or even TOUCH this herb.

Generally used for depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and anxiety; also used for insomnia and premenstrual-syndrome (PMS). Common adverse-reactions: HA, nausea, fatigue, dry-mouth. May cause photo-sensitivity; discontinued one week before surgery or chemotherapy. Herb-drug interactions: warfarin digoxin, theophylline, tricyclic anti-depressants (TCAs), and others.

Used as a sedative, primarily to promote sleep, and relieve restlessness. Long term use associated with hepatotoxicity. Common side-effects: HA, morning-drowsiness, cardiac disturbances. Herb-drug Interactions: Addictive sedative-effect if combined with barbiturates and benzodiazepines. Should be discontinued about one week prior to surgery because may interact with anesthesia.

Traditionally, used in Africa as aphrodisiac. Currently, used for sexual-dysfunction, including erectile-dysfunction (ED). Side-effects: high blood-pressure (HTN), increased heart-rate, HA, anxiety, dizziness, sleeplessness. Contraindications: kidney problems and clients with psychiatric-conditions.