# Prescrition Drug Info **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507 "2001-02-14T20:33:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/1 "2001-02-14T20:33:33Z")
I friend found a pill in her son’s drawer that looks like a prescription drug, hidden away. Does any one know where I can find info on it by description? ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/2 "2001-02-14T20:51:42Z")
When I worked at the correction center and would find odd pills, I’d call any local pharmacist, claim to be a mom and describe the pill and they’d look it up for me. ---
**Author:** ![Yarster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7c8e57/32.png) [@Yarster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yarster)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/3 "2001-02-14T23:04:03Z")
Another option is to go to your local public or university library and ask for the PDR (Physician’s Desk Reference). They have pictures of all the common drugs. Of course, odds are that if this is hidden in some kid’s drawer, it’s not likely to be allergy medicine or antibiotics. I’d speak to the librarian at the reference desk and say to her that you are doing a project that will educate parents on illegal drugs and wish to find picture of common illegal drugs and other prescription drugs as part of a reference tool for a talk you hope to do. Then take the materials, bring them home, and check out the pill against the pictures until you have a match. I’d bet you’re dealing with a little Ecstasy (X) since that seems to be a popular abuse drug these days that is (erroneously) believed to be safe. Good warning sign to watch for is if the kid is constantly downing fluids (the drug dehydrates you quickly). I’d also suspect anyone into the ‘rave’ scene, though I don’t know if these people still do X, or if that is just something from the movies. ---
**Author:** ![lesa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/34f0e0/32.png) [@lesa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lesa)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/4 "2001-02-14T23:21:22Z")
Here is the online pdr site. You have to register to use it, but it’s free. It shows photos of presciption medications. However, it might take quite some time to track down a particular pill. [http://consumer.pdr.net/consumer/](http://consumer.pdr.net/consumer/) ---
**Author:** ![lesa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/34f0e0/32.png) [@lesa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lesa)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/5 "2001-02-14T23:28:11Z")
Oops, I forgot to add, what kind of markings does the pill have? If you describe it, someone here may recognize it. I’m assuming it has some kind of markings. If it’s plain, with no marking or distinctive colorings, it’s probably not a presciption medication. It could, however, be an over-the-counter medication. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/6 "2001-02-14T23:35:06Z")
Sure it’s a white soft capsule with 2 blue lines. One line is marked 7767, the other 100. Thanks for your help, and **wring** I’ll try your suggestion too. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/7 "2001-02-14T23:39:45Z")
I found the pharmacists to be very helpful - they work with the stuff and often kinda had an idea about what it was by the description. (So, it was quicker than me looking through the PDR etc.). hope it works for ya. They sound pharmaceutical vs. home made. ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/8 "2001-02-15T01:24:13Z")
Just call poison control, they can tell you exactly what it is by the shape and markings. In both pharmacies I’ve worked in, this is what we’ve told callers with the exact same question. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/9 "2001-02-15T02:19:20Z")
I typed **7767 capsule** into Yahoo. The second hit told me it was for **Celebrex** - an aspirin like drug. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/10 "2001-02-15T02:29:03Z")
As an aside to an earlier post, you shouldn’t have to tell the reference librarian anything if you want to take a look at the PDR. The librarian should just let you use it. Most librarians care little for why you are using any particular item unless they think you are going to steal the book. And at the reference desk, people would call up and ask us to identify pills quite often. I never cared what it was for. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/11 "2001-02-15T02:56:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KarlGauss \* > \*\*I typed **7767 capsule** into Yahoo. The second hit told me it was for **Celebrex** - an aspirin like drug. \*\* Oh boy, celebrex. A cox 2 inhibitor! No abuse potential that I know of. reduces pain, and also to some extent, inflammation, like ibuprofen or aspirin, but with (purportedly) less GI upset. Very weird! I wouldn’t rule out the kid getting it 'cause he thought it was something else. Might have heard “prescription pain killer” and jumped at it. I’d worry more about the behavior than this particular drug. Qadgop, MD ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/12 "2001-02-15T03:05:04Z")
[Hijack] [QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* \* > [@](#): > > \ celebrex. A cox 2 inhibitor! \ like ibuprofen or aspirin, but \*\*with (purportedly) less GI upset. \*\* > \* I admitted someone today with a massive upper GI bleed from Vioxx (no other risk factors) [/Hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Arjuna34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Arjuna34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arjuna34)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/13 "2001-02-15T03:13:56Z")
There’s a picture of Celebrex capsules halfway down this page: [http://www.celebrex.com/celebrex/index.htm](http://www.celebrex.com/celebrex/index.htm) Arjuna34 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/14 "2001-02-15T03:22:08Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by KarlGauss \* \*\*[Hijack] > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \* > > > [@](#): > > > > \ celebrex. A cox 2 inhibitor! \ like ibuprofen or aspirin, but \*\*with (purportedly) less GI upset. \*\* > > \* > > I admitted someone today with a massive upper GI bleed from Vioxx (no other risk factors) > [/Hijack] \*\* Yeah, (weary sigh). Figured it was too good to be true. ---
**Author:** ![Arjuna34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Arjuna34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arjuna34)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/15 "2001-02-15T03:44:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*\* > > I admitted someone today with a massive upper GI bleed from Vioxx (no other risk factors) > > \*\* > > Yeah, (weary sigh). Figured it was too good to be true. \*\* I take it Vioxx is also a cox-2 inhibitor? Does that mean all the fuss about Celebrex, et. al. may be over nothing? ☹ Arjuna34 ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/16 "2001-02-15T04:38:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arjuna34 \* > \*\* > > I take it Vioxx is also a cox-2 inhibitor? Does that mean all the fuss about Celebrex, et. al. may be over nothing? ☹ > > Arjuna34 \*\* Well, these drugs _are_ safer than their older predecessors, the so-called NSAID’s (eg. ASA, Naprosyn, Motrin, etc.). My read on the literature is that the former are about 50% less likely than the latter to cause ulcers and ulcer complications. This is good, but no panacea. They are probably as effective in relieving pain and inflammation. ---
**Author:** ![Facts\_R\_Us](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c4cdca/32.png) [@Facts\_R\_Us](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Facts_R_Us)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/17 "2001-02-15T06:27:51Z")
Celebrex & Vioxx are less likely to cause GI symptoms (heartburn, indigestion) than Motrin, Naprosyn, and aspirin, but not significantly less likely to cause ulcers and/or bleeding complications which can occur without warning symptoms of any kind. In controlled tests, patients did not get significantly more pain relief with the new drugs; in practice, many patients do report better pain control - I suspect that patients expect more from a drug that costs $100/month vs. $5/month for Motrin. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescrition-drug-info/54507/18 "2001-02-15T16:22:30Z")
Thanks everyone, I took a look at teh pic and that’s exactly what it is. I appreciate you guys alleviating some stress in my life, and proving the usefulness of this board. Take a bow folks.