Medicines A to Z
Plain-English guides to 140 common medicines: what they treat, how they work, their side effects and what to know about stopping them.
A
- Acamprosate Medicine to help prevent relapse in alcohol dependence
- Adalimumab Biologic medicine (TNF blocker)
- Adapalene Retinoid acne treatment (applied to the skin)
- Aflibercept Anti-VEGF eye injection
- Alemtuzumab Disease-modifying therapy for multiple sclerosis
- Alfuzosin Alpha blocker
- Allopurinol Urate-lowering medicine
- Amitriptyline Tricyclic antidepressant
- Amlodipine Calcium channel blocker
- Apixaban Anticoagulant (blood thinner)
- Aspirin Antiplatelet medicine and painkiller
- Atorvastatin Statin (cholesterol-lowering medicine)
- Azathioprine Immunosuppressant
B
- Beclometasone Corticosteroid (preventer inhaler and nasal spray)
- Betamethasone Corticosteroid
- Bimatoprost Prostaglandin eye drops
- Bisoprolol Beta blocker
- Brimonidine Alpha agonist eye drops and skin gel
- Brinzolamide Carbonic anhydrase inhibitor eye drops
- Budesonide Corticosteroid
- Budesonide with formoterol Combination inhaler (steroid and long-acting reliever)
- Buprenorphine Opioid
C
- Capsaicin Topical painkiller made from chilli peppers
- Carbamazepine Anticonvulsant (epilepsy medicine)
- Carbocisteine Mucolytic (mucus thinner)
- Citalopram SSRI antidepressant
- Clomifene Fertility medicine (ovulation stimulant)
- Clomipramine Tricyclic antidepressant
- Clopidogrel Antiplatelet medicine
- Colchicine Anti-inflammatory medicine for gout
D
- Dapagliflozin SGLT2 inhibitor
- Dexamfetamine Stimulant (ADHD medicine)
- Diazepam Benzodiazepine
- Diclofenac Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)
- Diltiazem Calcium channel blocker
- Dimethyl fumarate Disease-modifying therapy for multiple sclerosis
- Disulfiram Alcohol deterrent
- Donepezil Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (dementia medicine)
- Duloxetine SNRI antidepressant
- Dutasteride 5-alpha reductase inhibitor
E
- Edoxaban Anticoagulant (blood thinner)
- Empagliflozin SGLT2 inhibitor
- Entacapone COMT inhibitor (Parkinson's medicine)
- Escitalopram SSRI antidepressant
- Esomeprazole Proton pump inhibitor (PPI)
- Ezetimibe Cholesterol absorption inhibitor
F
- Famotidine H2 blocker (antacid medicine)
- Febuxostat Urate-lowering medicine
- Fexofenadine Non-drowsy antihistamine
- Finasteride 5-alpha reductase inhibitor
- Fluoxetine SSRI antidepressant
- Fluticasone Corticosteroid (preventer inhaler and nasal spray)
- Fluvoxamine SSRI antidepressant
- Furosemide Loop diuretic (water tablet)
G
- Gabapentin Anticonvulsant (also used for nerve pain)
- Galantamine Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (dementia medicine)
- Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) Nitrate
- Glycopyrronium Antimuscarinic medicine
- Guanfacine Non-stimulant ADHD medicine
H
- Hydrochlorothiazide Thiazide diuretic (water tablet)
- Hydroxychloroquine Disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)
- Hyoscine butylbromide Antispasmodic
I
- Indapamide Thiazide-like diuretic (water tablet)
- Insulin aspart Rapid-acting insulin
- Insulin degludec Ultra long-acting insulin
- Insulin detemir Long-acting insulin
- Insulin glargine Long-acting insulin
- Insulin lispro Rapid-acting insulin
- Ipratropium Short-acting antimuscarinic bronchodilator
L
- Lacosamide Anticonvulsant (epilepsy medicine)
- Lamotrigine Anticonvulsant and mood stabiliser
- Lansoprazole Proton pump inhibitor (PPI)
- Latanoprost Prostaglandin eye drops
- Leflunomide Disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)
- Letrozole Aromatase inhibitor (hormone therapy)
- Levetiracetam Anticonvulsant (epilepsy medicine)
- Levothyroxine Thyroid hormone replacement
- Liraglutide GLP-1 receptor agonist
- Lithium Mood stabiliser
- Loperamide Antidiarrhoeal medicine
- Loratadine Non-drowsy antihistamine
- Lurasidone Atypical antipsychotic
M
- Mebeverine Antispasmodic
- Memantine NMDA receptor antagonist (dementia medicine)
- Mesalazine Aminosalicylate (anti-inflammatory for the bowel)
- Methadone Opioid
- Methotrexate Disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) and chemotherapy
- Methylphenidate Stimulant (ADHD medicine)
- Mirtazapine Antidepressant (NaSSA)
- Mometasone Corticosteroid
N
- Naltrexone Opioid blocker
- Naltrexone with bupropion Weight management medicine
- Naproxen Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)
- Natalizumab Disease-modifying therapy for multiple sclerosis
- Norethisterone Progestogen hormone
O
- Olanzapine Atypical antipsychotic
- Omeprazole Proton pump inhibitor (PPI)
- Orlistat Weight loss medicine (lipase inhibitor)
- Oxybutynin Antimuscarinic bladder medicine
P
- Pantoprazole Proton pump inhibitor (PPI)
- Paracetamol Painkiller and fever reducer
- Paroxetine SSRI antidepressant
- Pimecrolimus Calcineurin inhibitor (non-steroid eczema cream)
- Pioglitazone Thiazolidinedione (diabetes medicine)
- Pramipexole Dopamine agonist
- Prednisolone Corticosteroid (steroid tablet)
- Pregabalin Anticonvulsant (also used for nerve pain and anxiety)
- Propranolol Beta blocker
Q
- Quetiapine Atypical antipsychotic
R
- Ramipril ACE inhibitor
- Ranibizumab Anti-VEGF eye injection
- Rasagiline MAO-B inhibitor (Parkinson's medicine)
- Risedronate Bisphosphonate (bone-strengthening medicine)
- Risperidone Atypical antipsychotic
- Rivastigmine Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (dementia medicine)
- Rizatriptan Triptan (migraine medicine)
- Rosuvastatin Statin (cholesterol-lowering medicine)
S
- Salbutamol Short-acting reliever (bronchodilator)
- Secukinumab Biologic medicine (IL-17 inhibitor)
- Semaglutide GLP-1 receptor agonist
- Sertraline SSRI antidepressant
- Sildenafil PDE5 inhibitor
- Solifenacin Antimuscarinic bladder medicine
- Spironolactone Potassium-sparing diuretic (aldosterone antagonist)
- Sumatriptan Triptan (migraine medicine)
T
- Tamsulosin Alpha blocker
- Teriflunomide Disease-modifying therapy for multiple sclerosis
- Teriparatide Bone-building medicine (parathyroid hormone analogue)
- Theophylline Xanthine bronchodilator
- Tiotropium Long-acting antimuscarinic inhaler (LAMA)
- Tolterodine Antimuscarinic bladder medicine
- Topiramate Anticonvulsant
- Tramadol Opioid painkiller
- Tretinoin Retinoid (applied to the skin)
V
- Valproate (sodium valproate) Anticonvulsant and mood stabiliser
- Venlafaxine SNRI antidepressant
- Verteporfin Light-activated medicine (photodynamic therapy)
- Vibegron Beta-3 agonist bladder medicine
Z
- Zoledronic acid Bisphosphonate (bone-strengthening medicine)
- Zolmitriptan Triptan (migraine medicine)
Getting help with your medicines
Pharmacists are experts in medicines and can help you for free, without an appointment. You can also ask your GP practice for a medication review. Find out if you can get free prescriptions, or tell us which medicines you would like us to add.