The Magic of Medicine Trivia Quiz

Answer: Control of acne

The hormones estrogen and progesterone are present in birth control pills. These hormones are the reason acne improves, although some pills are better than others in acne treatment and none are exact.

Answer: Benign prostatic hyperplasia

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) causes urinary discomfort in men. They present with urinary flow and stream issues because the prostate enlarges and causes pressure and obstruction of the urethra. Finasteride is the generic name for the medication that helps with reducing the size of the prostate by blocking a hormone.

This same drug is prescribed at lower doses to assist with male-pattern baldness.

Answer: Pfizer

Pfizer developed the drug sildenafil, Viagra as it was first branded, to treat cardiovascular issues. It blocked a protein called PDE-5 and was meant to dilate the heart vessels. During the study, it was found that other of the body's blood vessels would dilate, thus assisting with erectile dysfunction. Although that is now sildenafil's prescribed purpose, it may also benefit patients with early congestive heart failure and cardiac hypertrophy.

Pfizer's sildenafil was approved in 1998 by the FDA and is known as "the little blue pill".

Answer: Longer, thicker lashes

In 2008, Allergan's compound bimatoprost was approved for use to enhance eyelashes. It is marketed under the name Latisse. The same compound is in a drug branded as Lumigan that reduces eye pressure. This is the same generic medicine with two completely different uses.

Answer: Treat muscle spasticity

Baclofen is a muscle relaxant and antispastic medication primarily intended to treat muscle spasms, stiffness and pain due to multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injuries. Studies have differed on the treatment of GERD and it is not commonly used for that treatment. It is used for severe GERD patients who have failed to respond to other medications and treatments.

Answer: Pain relief

Salicylic acid has been in use since the time of Hippocrates! It was found in willow bark and other plants and was used for its anti-pyretic effects and pain relief. In more modern times of manufacturing medications, aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid, was manufactured in 1899 by Bayer for pain relief.

It wasn't until the 1950s & 1960s that the anti-thrombotic effect was discovered and researched. In the 1980s aspirin began being widely used in heart attack treatment regimens.

Answer: Diarrhea & vomiting

Botulism is a life-threatening disease caused by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin. It is a type of food poisoning. The same toxin is prescribed as Botox.

Botox is used in smaller, injectable, doses for the treatment of migraines, wrinkles, overactive bladders and also excessive underarm sweating. The effects of Botox wear off over time. Botox treats the symptoms only and does not provide a cure for the indicated issues.

Answer: Gold

Gold makes up 29% of the drug auranofin. The drug is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. It does not show an immediate benefit like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) but can sometimes be preferred over NSAID treatment. Therapeutic levels of auranofin do not occur for 3-4 months. That is also when patients begin seeing benefits in reduced joint pain.

There have been studies that show auranofin could possibly be helpful in the treatment of HIV, TB and ovarian cancer.

Answer: Horse

Conjugated equine estrogen is made from the urine of pregnant mares. Conjugated in this instance means a mixture of more than one type of estrogen. The hormone assists females with menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. A side benefit is the treatment of osteoporosis and some cancer-treatment regimens.

Answer: Intense headaches

Besides being a highly explosive substance, nitroglycerin is helpful for health issues. As a group of medicines called nitrates it is used to alleviate chest pain and dilate blood vessels. This dilation of blood vessels is very beneficial to the heart but also occurs in other parts of the body. That dilation in the head and brain is what causes headaches and is also a sign the medicine is working.

Workers handling nitroglycerin need to wear proper equipment and wash their hands to avoid unnecessary headaches. There are limits to nitroglycerin exposure set in the workplace.