Prescription Drugs

Sometimes we're just not in the mood for sex, but a persistent lack of sexual desire is a bigger issue. Numerous factors can contribute to low libido, including common prescription drugs.

If you've been battling a weak libido, maybe your meds are to blame. To see which drugs can decrease a woman's sex drive, read more

I have a friend who is allergic to peanuts, so she carries an EpiPen wherever she goes. When people catch a glimpse of the injection, it prompts inevitable Pulp Fiction jokes, but there's nothing fun about having to use an EpiPen.

Commonly known by its brand name, this epinephrine autoinjection is used to treat anaphylaxis, a sudden and severe allergic reaction that can be life-threatening. Certain foods, such as eggs and peanuts, can cause an anaphylactic reaction, as can bee stings and certain medications, particularly penicillin. Symptoms of anaphylaxis include hives, swelling, and itching that gives way to shortness of breath, chest tightness, and increased or irregular heartbeat.

For five essential facts about this allergy-kit essential, read more

I've always wondered what exactly an expiration date means on a drug. Does it become less effective? Could it poison me? Obviously, there's a big difference in those two things, so I was glad to see this NPR story that sheds some light on drug expiration dates.

Just because a drug is past its expiration date doesn't necessarily mean you should toss it. Many states require drug labels to carry an expiration date just one year past the date of sale, but drug manufacturers often set dates two years later, based on testing.

The FDA's Ilisa Bernstein says there are no guarantees that drugs will be effective after the expiration date but that medications stored in a cool, dry place can last much longer. Does that mean we should focus on decoding drug names and drug interactions and not worry about the expiration dates?

If the drug is used to treat something commonplace, such as headaches or heartburn, you're probably safe using it past the date. But for medications your life depends on — particularly meds for severe allergic reactions such as EpiPens — you should not use them past the expiration date.

Feeling anxious? You are not alone. Antianxiety drug Xanax is the top-popped pill among psychiatric drugs in the US, according to IMS Health's list of the 25 most prescribed psychiatric medications in 2009. Antianxiety drug Ativan jumped from the number five spot in 2005 to number three last year. Interestingly, Xanax and Ativan prescriptions were up 29 and 36 percent since 2005, while Prozac and Zoloft were down.

Are doctors more likely to prescribe anxiety drugs than they used to be? Or — I'm just gonna throw this out there — perhaps the recreational and/or casual popping of antianxiety pills helps propel them to the top of the list. Andrew on Kell on Earth was keen on handing Ativan out like candy, and he's not the only one.

This doesn't necessarily mean Americans are more anxious than we are depressed. For more insight and to see the full list, read more

Chances are you've seen more prescription drug commercials than you can count — Viagra, Cymbalta, Celebrex, and Yaz are just a few that I can name from memory. The ads are pervasive and influential and pharmaceutical companies know that. From 1997 to 2005, drug companies tripled their spending in television ad campaigns from $1.3 billion to $4.2 billion. In 2006 that number bumped up even further to $4.6 billion.

Though the ads do inform consumers of what's available to them, health advocates say they present drugs and symptoms in very general terms and can confuse consumers into thinking they have something they don't. A national study found that one-third of all Americans have asked for a drug they saw on a commercial and of those that asked, 82 percent were given a prescription of some sort.

To give your opinion and hear more about this issue, read more