7 Medications You Didn’t Know Are Multi-Use

If you’ve ever read the label on a bottle of aspirin, you’re well aware that a single medication can be used to treat all sorts of conditions. Aspirin, one of the most commonly used pain relievers, is a worthwhile example. While you may use aspirin to relieve joint and muscle pain, others use it to minimize their risk of cardiovascular health issues. When crushed, the medicine has proven to be quite soothing for irritated skin.

Here are 7 other medications that you didn’t know are multi-use:

  1. Botox

When you think of Botox, you likely think of the drug for its purely cosmetic uses. While Botox is widely used for treating wrinkles, the drug originated as a treatment for spastic conditions and even crossed eyes.

These days, Botox has shown to be a promising treatment for those who suffer from the overproduction of tears as well as for migraines. 

The medication is used to treat chronic migraines after being injected into the head and neck. Using Botox to treat migraines is FDA approved and has shown promising results in minimizing migraine symptoms, pain, and discomfort.

  1. Finasteride

Finasteride was initially tested positive as a treatment for hair loss in men as well as an enlarged prostate. As an added benefit for men taking the drug, finasteride has also linked to reduced risk of prostate cancer. In fact, the American Urological Association (AUA) now suggests that men over the age of 55 who are at a heightened risk of prostate cancer take the drug to minimize the risk.

  1. Cialis

Tadalafil often sold under the name Cialis, is one of the most commonly used treatments for erectile dysfunction. The drug has also prescribed as the treatment for enlarged prostate.

Aside from these conditions, tadalafil has also prescribed for those who suffer from pulmonary arterial hypertension. This condition causes high blood pressure in the vessels that carry blood into the lungs. It can cause dizziness, shortness of breath, and tiredness.

Tadalafil opens these vessels and improves breathing as well as the ability to exercise. Since there’s no generic option for Cialis just yet, if you suffer from any of these conditions, be sure to discuss Cialis coupon options with your doctor.

  1. Efudex

For years, Efudex used as a treatment for the early stages of skin cancer. However, studies have also found that the drug may be useful in preventing and minimizing wrinkles. Patients who used the skin cream found that it not only reduces the number of pre-cancerous spots on their faces, it also decreased wrinkles and reduced hyperpigmentation and dark spots.

While there are all sorts of treatments for offering more youthful skin, options like laser resurfacing can cost thousands of dollars. It wouldn’t be shocking for patients to ask for topical fluorouracil, the main ingredient in Efudex.

  1. Elavil

Elavil, which contains the active ingredient Amitriptyline, was initially approved an antidepressant. Amitriptyline has also proven to be beneficial in treating nerve pain and even migraines.

Aside from treating depression and pain, the drug has also prescribed for those who suffer from insomnia. The drug is said to be safe in low dosages but can cause certain side effects like skin rash, confusion, headache, and blurred vision.

  1. Avodart

When Avodart originally hit the market, it was approved as a drug to treat an enlarged prostate. However, studies also found that the medication may be useful in preventing prostate cancer. Avodart has also used as a treatment for preventing baldness. In fact, a specific study found that Avodart was more beneficial than finasteride in avoiding baldness and pattern hair loss.

When looking at the makeup of the medication, these uses make sense. Avodart targets the process that converts testosterone into DHT; this is also what’s suspected to be the biggest culprit behind hair loss.

It’s worth noting that the drug is only safe for men to take as it may cause congenital disabilities.

  1. Immunoprin

The history of thalidomide, sold under the brand name Immunoprin, is quite interesting. Back in the late 1950s, the drug used as a sedative. A few years later doctors found that the drug not only calmed the body, in smaller doses, but it was also helpful in preventing nausea and morning sickness in pregnant women. While the medicine did work, it caused all sorts of severe congenital disabilities and no longer prescribed to pregnant women.

In the late 1990s, thalidomide was then used to treat leprosy. Just a few years later, the drug was approved by the FDA to treat bone marrow cancer, namely multiple myeloma.

Conclusion

While the medical and healthcare fields continue to advance, sometimes it’s already existing technologies and drugs that can be used to treat varying conditions.

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