Traditional Medicines & Treatment

What To Ask About Your Medicines (Consumer-SOS)

Free Or Low Cost OTC & Prescription Drugs (Consumer-SOS)
For the thrifty shopper, the uninsured, the financially strapped or the unemployed.

FAQs About Your Medicine
Search by name, brand or generic, for
precautions, side effects, proper usage, drug interactions, etc.
For Back Up Site, Click Here.

Specific Medical Conditions & Treatment (Consumer-SOS)
Eyes, skin, heart, cancer, etc. If you can't find it, choose "other".

Clinical Trials (Consumer-SOS)

Medical Bills (Consumer-SOS)
Cutting your costs and negotiating with insurance companies.

10 Ways To Avoid Outrageous Hospital Overcharges
Profit-hungry hospitals are overcharging consumers an estimated
$10 billion a year. Some deliberately work to keep bills indecipherable.
Here's how to fight back.

Benefits Checkup
Find programs for people ages 55 and over that may pay for some of their costs of prescription drugs, health care, utilities, and other essential items or services. Please fill out their simple questionnaire to find programs that can assist you or your loved ones.

Doctor & Hospital Profiles (Consumer-SOS)
Look for the ones best at treating your condition.

Managed Care (Consumer-SOS)
HMOs, PPOs, Hospitals, etc./ Choosing a health plan, getting them to treat you right, and where to complain and get help. 

Articles

Is Purchasing Prescription Medication Over the Internet Safe?  

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What To Ask About Medications

My Medicines (What To Ask)
Tips on how to read the label, avoid problems, ask questions and keep a record.

Other Questions

·        What are the brand and generic names?  

·        Do You Have Any Trial Samples (Saves You $)

·        Is there a less expensive drug?

·        Which symptoms will it treat?

·        How long will I have to take it?

·        At what time of day?

·        What happens if I miss a dose?

·        Can I eat anything I want? Do I take it with food?

·        Are there side effects.

·        Should I avoid certain things like alcohol, smoking or sun exposure. (may cause problems with certain
 antibiotics).

·        Will I need to refill the prescription?

·        When Should I be feeling better?

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Free Or Low Cost OTC & Prescription Drugs

Cost Cutting On Prescription Drugs/Discount Assistance Programs (Illinois)
For More information, click Here.

The Cost Of Buying Prescription Drugs In Illinois
Drug Assistance Programs, p.29 (Their page 26)
Average Cost Of Each Drug, p.17 (Their page 14)

Patient Financial Assistance Programs 888-477-2669

Low Cost Medicines
One-stop link to thousands of low cost medicines offered through hundreds of patient assistance programs sponsored by member companies, non-member companies and government and local organizations.

Together RX Access
Provides participants with a card to save 25 percent to 40 percent on brand-name prescription products.

Benefits Checkup
Find programs for people ages 55 and over that may pay for some of their costs of prescription drugs, health care, utilities, and other essential items or services. Please fill out their simple questionnaire to find programs that can assist you or your loved ones.

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A Warning About Herbs
Herbs should be treated like medicine.  Indeed, many prescription and over the counter drugs are derived from herbs or herb combinations.  Always remember that like any drug, herbs can trigger adverse reactions or have unpleasant side effects.  Although herbs can be as potent as any drug, the government has classified them as foods, not drugs, and therefore they are not subject to the same rigorous evaluation and monitoring that the Food and Drug Administration does for every medicine on the market.  This means that many herbal side effects have yet to be discovered.

Talk to your physician before mixing herbs with prescription and over the counter drugs.  Seemingly benign remedies may have unexpected side affects.  For instance, massage can worsen some circulatory disorders, some aromatherapy oils can be dangerous to children, and some herbs can cause dangerous reactions when taken with certain prescriptions or over the counter drugs. 

Don't assume an herb is safe merely because it's used on the skin and not ingested.  Topical remedies can cause allergic reactions and sometimes even pass through the skin to the blood stream.  Given these facts, don't use an herb without knowing its name or ingredients.  If you're squeamish about telling your doctor, read some good books on the subject.  Good books should give balanced coverage and mention possible side effects. 

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Alternative Professional Associations

American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (800) 521-2262  
Helps you find physicians who practice acupuncture in your area.  

National Commission on Certification of Acupuncturists (202) 232-1404 
For practitioners who do not have a medical degree.

American Holistic Medical Association (919) 787-5181
For doctors and nurses who practice alternative specialties.

National Center For Homeopathy (703) 548-7790

American Massage Therapy Association (847) 864-0123

American Chiropractic Association (703) 276-8800


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Specific Medical Conditions & Treatment (Links)

General Health Information Sites
Addiction
Aging
Aids
Allergy, Asthma & Lung Diseases
Alternative Medicine/Herbs
Blood
Bones & Joints
Cancer
Children
Clinical Trials
Diabetes
Diseases & Treatments
Drug Info (Indications, Interactions, Precautions, etc.)
Ear, Nose & Throat
Eyes
Food & Nutrition
Guidelines
Heart
Medications
Mental Health
Skin
Other

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General Health Information Sites

Medscape
Search Medscape's 30,000 medical journal articles and medical news reports for the latest on diseases and treatments. First time users must sign up and become members.  Membership is free but requires you fill a short registration form telling about yourself.

Alzheimer's Association

American Association Of Retired Persons

National Institute On Aging

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Aids

Center For Aids Prevention (multilingual)

Center For Disease Control & Prevention

See Consumer-SOS/Disabilities

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Allergy, Asthma & Other Lung Diseases

American Academy Of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology

American Lung Association

National Jewish Center

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Alternative Medicine/Herbs

Glossary Of Herbs and Synonyms

http://www.henriettesherbal.com/
Has a list of valuable herb links and descriptions.

http://www.bubbasonline.com/herbal.html
Has a list of herbs, what they’re good for and their side effects.

http://www.rrz.uni-hamburg.de/biologie/b_online/ibc99/dr-duke/module5.htm
Has a list of herbs, what they’re good for and their side effects.

Food & Drug Administration (888)463-6322
The FDA maintains a safety hotline where you can find out if anyone has reported problems with a particular product.  

http://www.henriettesherbal.com/
Has a list of valuable herb links and descriptions

http://www.henriettesherbal.com/
Has glossary of herbs and synonyms

http://www.bubbasonline.com/herbal.html
Has a list of herbs, what they’re good for and their side effects.

http://www.rrz.uni-hamburg.de/biologie/b_online/ibc99/dr-duke/module5.htm
Has a list of herbs, what they’re good for and their side effects.

www.mdconsult.com
Learn about suggested herb doses, their side effects and why some herbs are not recommended via a book published by "Commission E" (the German Government). Note: This web site charges for access but new users are allowed a ten day free pass.

The American Pharmaceutical Association
has compiled an A-to-Z encyclopedia of uses, dosages, and the current consensus on supplements in its Practical Guide to Natural Medicines.

To Find The Nearest Blood Center or Blood Drive,

Call (800) 448-3543 or (888) 256-6388 or the

www.redcross.org or www.americasblood.org


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Bones & Joints

Health Topics, A-Z (Illinois)

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Arthritis Foundation

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Cancer

American Cancer Society

OncoLink-University Of Pennsylvania Cancer Center

Mesothelioma (Consumer-SOS)

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Children

American Academy Of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

American Academy Of Pediatrics

Johns Hopkins University


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Clinical Trials

CenterWatch   
Listings of more than 41,000 industry and government
sponsored clinical trials as well as new drug therapies
recently approved by the FDA. This site is designed for 
both patients and research professionals.

National Cancer Institute

American Diabetes Association

Joslin Diabetes Center


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Diseases & Treatments

www.onhealth.com
Click on a medical condition and get a list of possible causes and treatments.  Also has links to authoritative sources on the subject.

Medscape
Search Medscape's 30,000 medical journal articles and medical news reports for the latest on diseases and treatments. First time users must sign up and become members.  Membership is free but requires you fill a short registration form telling about yourself.

www.mdchoice.com
Reviews medical web sites based on their content and readability.  

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Drug Information (Indications, Interactions, Precautions, etc.)

http://www.drugs.com/ (Requires Free Registration)
For Drug Information (indications, interactions, precautions, etc.) on over 24,000 prescription and over-the counter drugs.

RxList-The Internet Drug Index 
Use their key word search for brand or generic names, symptoms, side effects, or drug interactions.  

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Ear, Nose & Throat


American Academy Of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery

American College Of Cardiology

American Psychiatric Association

Mental Health Net


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Skin


American Academy Of Dermatology

Acne 

The National Institutes Of Health (Acne)

Acne-site.com  (Created By a Teenager Who Used 
Accutane)

Side Effects Of Accutane 

Other

Other Help For Diseases, Disorders & Conditions

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Evaluating Medical Websites

How To Judge A Medical Site On The Web
A list of criteria to help you distinguish the good from the
bad.

What To Look For When Looking At A Medical Website

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Herbs & Supplements

Alternative Medicines & Herbs (Consumer-SOS)
Links relating to herbs & supplements, what they're good for and their side effects.

A Warning About Herbs (Consumer-SOS)

Supplements Associated With Illness & Injuries (FDA)

Healthlinkplus.org
Index of health topics grouped by subject.  Links are arranged under "General Health Information", "Alternative Medicine", "Medical Research", "Health Care Providers", "Health Insurance",  "Mental Health",  and "Evaluating Health Information On the Internet".

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Practitioners

Find An Alternative Professional Nearest You
Search a database of thousands of practitioners to find the alternative therapist nearest you. 

Alternative Professional Associations (Consumer-SOS) 
Ask them for referrals or check out their websites.

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Other Resources

Evaluating Medical Websites (Consumer-SOS)
What to look for and how to tell if a site is credible.

Integrative & Alternative Medicine
Index of alternative medicine topics and links to related websites.

Death & Dying (Consumer-SOS)
Links dealing with death and dying issues such as hospice and palliative care, various terminal illnesses, grief and bereavement, and healthcare decisions.

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Death & Dying 

Death And Dying  
Links dealing with death and dying issues such as hospice and palliative care, various terminal illnesses, grief and bereavement, and healthcare decisions.

Hospices (Information Brochures & Links)

www.healthgrades.com
Free profiles on over 3000 hospice programs.

Healthlinkplus.org
Index of health topics grouped by subject.  Links are arranged under "General Health Information", "Medical Research", "Health Care Providers", "Health Insurance",  "Mental Health", "Alternative Medicine" and "Evaluating Health Information On the Internet".

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Report Adverse Reactions & Other Problems With Products Regulated By FDA (All States)

Healthlinkplus.org
Index of health topics grouped by subject.  Links are arranged under "General Health Information", "Alternative Medicine", "Medical Research", "Health Care Providers", "Health Insurance",  "Mental Health", and "Evaluating Health Information On the Internet".

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