Q: What are the following medicines prescribed for and what are their side effects? What harm can they cause id used for long?The medicines are - Valus - 20; Stugeron; Zapiz 0.5; Tablet Optineuron and Femocid - 20.

A:You have not given as to why these medicines were prescribed. Hence it is not possible to give a considered reply. However the following information may be useful: Valus is the brand name of a drug called valdecoxib. It is approved for use in osteoarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. Recently its has been found that the medicine can cause heart problems of severe nature including heart attacks. It must never be used for long term. In fact the US Government has advised that this medicine should not be the first option but only when other conventional medicines are found to be ineffective. Its side effects are: Allergy, oedema (swelling due to water retention), stomach upset, diarrhoea, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, blood in stools and/or vomiting of blood, unusual weight gain, rash, signs of liver toxicity (e.g. fever, drowsiness, itching, tiredness, nausea), blood in urine, blurred vision, chills, decreased or painful urination, muscle aches and pains, nervousness, jaundice, tinnitus, tingling of the hands or feet, unusual bleeding or bruising, breathlessness, cough, headache, sore throat. Urinary Tract Infection. Anaemia, hypertension, loss of sleep. Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, skin eruptions, erythema multiforme. Rarely, stuffy or running nose. Stugeron is the brand name of a medicine called cinnarizine. It is used in Vertigo, Tinnitus and Menieres Disease. It can cause rash and drowsiness. For the approved conditions, the drug may need to be used for several weeks. Zapiz does not appear on the data bank of internationally recognized brands. Please see statement below. Optineuron is a combination of some vitamins such as vitamin B-1, B-6 and B-12. Multivitamins should only be taken if there is proven deficiency. Side effects: hot flushes, inflammation of nerves. Famocid is the brand name of a medicine called famotidine. It is used to suppress acid production. It should be used for limited period. Its side effects are: Headache, dizziness, dry mouth, constipation, diarrhoea, fatigue, rash, nausea, GI discomfort, loss of appetite,liver test abnormalities, jaundice, allergy, oedema, pain in joints, muscle cramps, nervous system disturbances. Fits, sleepiness, palpitations, depression. General statement on selection of brands: There are scores, sometimes hundreds, of brands of the same medicine. Against about 300 pharmaceutical manufacturers in western countries like Britain, there are over 20,000 producers in India that market more than 40,000 brands. Most manufacturers do not have quality testing laboratories. Hence selection of brands is important. Many companies give incentives to prescribers to patronise their products. Patients should check the reputation of manufacturers before consuming medicines.