Drug and therapeutics bulletin
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Drugs that suppress the immune system are widely used. They are part of the treatment of patients with organ transplants, malignancy, and increasingly those with conditions such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and liver and bowel disease in which inflammation is an aetiological factor. ⋯ This article looks at five commonly used immunosuppressive drugs in turn (corticosteroids, cyclosporin, azathioprine, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide), discussing the main, non-infection, unwanted effects, ways to avoid them and what to do if problems arise. The management of infection is dealt with as a separate section.
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Gabapentin (Neurontin--Parke-Davis) is a new antiepileptic drug. Like lamotrigine, which we reviewed 2 years ago, it is marketed for the add-on treatment of patients with partial or secondarily generalised (tonic-clonic) seizures that are inadequately controlled with standard antiepileptic drugs.