Over-the-counter (OTC) medications Archive

A favorite citrus fruit can unexpectedly boost statin levels in your bloodstream. Learn why this happens and what it may mean for your prescription.

Inhaled corticosteroids mostly act in the lungs, but some enter the bloodstream. Learn when they might nudge glucose higher and how doctors adjust care.

Certain diuretics flush out both water and potassium, but not everyone needs extra. Your doctor will consider blood test results and which other medications you're taking to determine the safest approach.

Very low vitamin D levels may prompt your doctor to prescribe a short regimen of high-dose vitamin D pills before switching to a lower daily dose. See how this approach boosts stores safely.

Widely trusted for pain and fever, acetaminophen can still harm the liver in high doses. Learn who’s most at risk and how to use it safely.

Proton pump inhibitors can calm severe reflux and heal the esophagus, but long-term use raises questions about when and how to cut back safely.

A 2025 study suggests that very low levels of lithium in the brain might be linked to Alzheimer's disease. In mice, certain lithium supplements seemed to protect memory and the brain. But scientists don't yet know if lithium pills are safe or helpful for people.

People sometimes have difficulty knowing if they should seek care at an emergency room or an urgent care center. Urgent care centers can treat health problems that don't endanger lives, while emergency rooms can treat serious or life-threatening problems.

For people who are concerned they're drinking too much but don't want to give up alcohol entirely, the Sinclair Method may help. It involves taking naltrexone (a drug that dampens alcohol's euphoric effects) an hour or two before drinking.

Daily nasal irrigation (nasal rinses) may reduce symptom severity and the duration of a cold. It can also relieve the congestion caused by sinus infections and allergies. By means of a squeeze bottle, neti pot, or battery-powered system, saline is inserted into one nostril and flows out the other.