A baby can turn your world upside down! This question was submitted by jkledge01 in the Ask Anything box.
Husband & I are working on starting a family and I am unsure of what OTC meds I can/cannot take. I would love the help!
Motherhood is a mind boggler! Before driving yourself crazy looking for answers, head over to the LilSugar Community and type your inquiry away in our Ask the Community Anything box.
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'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.
It's important to bring pets to the doctor if they seem sick but what happens when it comes time to pay? Savvy consumers likely do some cost comparison and, while it's not a good idea to scrimp on a quality vet, what about two drastically different prices for the same medications? The following question was recently posed to me:
My kitty has had this persistent cough and I've taken her to the vet twice just this month, which is fine — I'll pay whatever fees to get her better. But here's the thing. My vet charged me 30 bucks for 15ml of Clavamox drops, and 22 dollars for 62.5mg pills when I came back the second time. On 1-800-petmeds, both medications are at least ten dollars cheaper!
Get the rest of the story when you read more
If mommy-to-be has nighttime sniffling, sneezing and coughing, she may not be able to take any over-the-counter cold medicine. Take our test to see if you know which meds are considered safe to take when mama's expecting.
Is it time to loosen the lids on pain medication bottles for kids? According to a new study, 25 percent of kids are not receiving sufficient pain meds after having common surgical procedures which could lead to dehydration and hospitalization. Moms and dads have heard so much about showing restraint when using children's cold medications that researchers suspect parents are withholding dosages out of fear of their repercussions. Those conducting the study looked at wee ones who had undergone the most common childhood surgery procedures – tonsil and adenoid removal – and found that with most lil ones unable to truly express their pain levels, parents believed that they don't need the elixirs. Do you hold off on giving your offspring pain medication unless it is an extreme situation?
Does a spoonful of sugar really help the medicine go down? Any parent who has had a sick child on their hands knows how hard it is to force-feed them their medicine. Kenny Kramm, a father and future pharmacist, had this same issue with his children. When his second daughter was born with cerebral palsy and physically couldn't take her medicine due to its bitter taste, Kramm put his chemistry skills to work and created a method for flavoring the antidotes. Today, there are more than 42 flavors available at pharmacies around the world.
Do you flavor your tot's medication to make it go down more easily?
You may be wondering why I've been going a tad tick crazy on the site during the Dog Days of Summer. Well, there's a reason. Last week when chatting with a pal in NYC, she shared a scary story about her rescued Rottie mix, Jack.
While he's seen here in sleepier times, my friend woke up one morning a couple weeks ago to find him not only resting, but totally unable to get up. Obviously, she freaked out and called a friend with a car to help carry the dog to his doctor. The vet did some tests but initially asked if her pooch had spent anytime in the country. Countryside? Does Brooklyn count? To learn where and when he contracted the disease, and what's happening now read more
I hope I didn't scare you with those tips on tweezing ticks! Keep in mind that the insects don't actually cause the disease, they merely harbor and transmit the bacteria that cause the disease. Unless you're an expert, or a super savvy ex-science major, the distinction may mean nothing to you. But since I took the time to understand the path from bug to infection, I knew I had to share my shocking finds with you. 
First off, the disease begins with a miniscule deer tick. This bug passes a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi into the bloodstream of a pet. However, in order for the deer tick to infect a dog with this bacterium, the tick must remain attached to the dog for about 48 hours. So spotting and quickly removing those pests can save a pet's life!
To learn my most surprising discovery, read more
Use your tween's texting obsession to your advantage. Parents who wish their kids independence, but need to remind them to take their meds can quit the nagging and turn to technology. When children are preoccupied with school, friends, dating and Hannah Montana, they tend to forget to take the pills and injections that regulate their asthma, diabetes and other ailments.
A recent CNN article on the experiment said:
Of necessity, parents start turning over more health responsibilities to their children at this age. It's also an age of angst, sometimes rebellion, and when youths may most hate feeling different from their friends because of medication, special diets or other therapy.
To see the specifics, read more
