Hesperian Health Guides
Common Kinds of Medicines
Medicines treat a variety of problems. When you can treat a problem using any of several medicines, you can think of them as a groupâa kind of medicine. For example, aspirin and paracetamol are painkillers. Ampicilin, doxycycline, and metronidazole are antibiotics (see box below). This is helpful when you cannot use a specific medicine because:
- it is not available where you live.
- it is not safe to take when you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- you are allergic to it.
- it no longer works where you live, because of drug resistance (see box below).
For these situations, the Medicines Pages often lists other medicines in the same group that you can use instead to treat the problem. If you are unsure of what medicine to take, talk to a health worker.
Contents
Medicines for infections: Antibiotics
Antibiotics are used to fight infections caused by bacteria. They do not fight viruses or cure the common cold. But not all kinds of antibiotics will fight all kinds of infections. Antibiotics that share the same chemical make-up are said to be from the same âfamily.â It is important to know about the families of antibiotics for 2 reasons:
- Antibiotics from the same family can often treat the same problems.
- If you are allergic to one antibiotic in a family, it is likely you will be allergic to other antibiotics in that family. It is safest for you to take an antibiotic from another family instead.
The major families of antibiotics discussed in this book are:
Penicillins: amoxicillin, ampicillin,
benzathine benzylpenicillin, benzylpenicillin, dicloxacillin, procaine penicillin, and others.
Medicines of the penicillin family are very effective for a variety of infections. They have very few side effects and are safe to take when pregnant or breastfeeding. They are widely available, cheap, and come in oral and injectable forms. But they also cause more problems with allergic reactions than other medicines. Because they have been used incorrectly in many places, some infections are now resistant to penicillins.
Macrolides: azithromycin, erythromycin, and others
Erythromycin is an older, commonly used, and widely available antibiotic that works for many of the same infections as penicillin and doxycycline. It is often a good substitute for doxycycline during pregnancy and breastfeeding, or if there is penicillin allergy.
Tetracyclines: doxycycline, tetracycline
Tetracycline and doxycycline both treat many different infections and are widely available. These drugs can harm developing bones and teeth, so neither should be taken during pregnancy, or by children under 8 years old. People who are breastfeeding should not take tetracycline, but can take doxycycline for a short time to treat infections.
Sulfas (sulfonamides): sulfamethoxazole (part of cotrimoxazole), sulfisoxazole
These medicines fight many different kinds of infections and they are widely available. They are less effective now because some infections are resistant to them. They can be taken during pregnancy, but it is better to take a different medicine during the last month of pregnancy and for the first month of the babyâs life if breastfeeding. Allergic reactions to sulfas are common. Stop using sulfonamides immediately if you develop signs of allergy.
Aminoglycosides: gentamicin, streptomycin, and others
These are effective and strong medicines, but they can cause serious side effects and can only be given by injection. They should only be used when infection is severe and no safer drug is available
Cephalosporins: cefixime,ceftriaxone, cephalexin, and others
This is a large family of antibiotics that treat many infections that have become resistant to older antibiotics. They are often safer and have fewer side effects than older antibiotics but can be expensive and hard to find. They are safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Quinolones: ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, and others
Ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin may be harder to find or more costly than other antibiotics. They usually are not used by children or during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Use antibiotics only when necessary
Antibiotics are often used when they are not needed. This is a problem because:
- while they kill bacteria (germs) that cause illness, they also kill the healthy bacteria in our bodies needed to digest food and keep the body well. This can cause problems like diarrhea and vaginal yeast infections.
- using antibiotics that are not needed means people have more bothersome side effects and risk allergic reactions.
- using antibiotics for diseases they cannot cure has made some harmful germs stronger and resistant to these medicines. This means the medicines stop working well against diseases where they were useful before.
For example: In the past, penicillin could cure gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted infection. But penicillin became less effective after years of use on illnesses it could not cure.
|
Before
Now
medicines
to cure gonorrhea gonorrhea
|
Now gonorrhea resists (is stronger than) penicillin and other antibiotics, and is much harder to cure. |
Medicines for heavy bleeding from the vagina after birth or abortion
Ergometrine, oxytocin, and misoprostol are medicines that cause contractions of the womb and its blood vessels. They are important medicines to control heavy bleeding after birth.
Ergometrine is used to prevent or control severe bleeding after the placenta has come out. Ergometrine should be injected into a large muscle, not into a vein (IV). Do not use if the person giving birth has high blood pressure.
Oxytocin is used to help stop severe bleeding after the baby is born. Oxytocin is injected into a large muscle. Never use oxytocin to speed up labor. This is dangerous to both the person giving birth and the baby.
Misoprostol was developed to stop bleeding from stomach ulcers, but it is also used to stop bleeding after birth. Misoprostol tablets can be taken by mouth or inserted into the rectum to treat heavy bleeding after birth.
Medicines for HIV
Antiretrovirals to treat HIV are usually taken as a combination of 3 or 4 medicines. They must be taken regularly and without missing doses, usually every day at the same time.
Medicines for allergic reactions
A person can be allergic to medicines, foods, or things that are breathed in or touched. Mild allergic reactions cause discomfort with signs like itching, hives, rash, or sneezing. Severe allergic reactions and allergic shock can be life-threatening and must be treated quickly. Any medicine that causes an allergic reaction should be stopped and never given againâeven if the reaction was mild.
Depending on how severe an allergic reaction is, it can be treated with one or more of the following kinds of medicines:
- Antihistamines, like diphenhydramine, hydroxyzine, or promethazine. are often used for itching, sneezing, and other mild allergic reactions. All of these should be avoided if the person is pregnant or breastfeeding, but promethazine is the least dangerous.
- Steroids, like dexamethasone or hydrocortisone. Dexamethasone is a better choice during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- Epinephrine (adrenaline). Epinephrine is the most important treatment for severe allergic reactions and allergic shock. It is safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.