Evolution of love

SIDE EFFECTS OF MEDICINES

Types of effect
Some common examples mild adverse effects related to drugs include:

Constipation
Skin rash or dermatitis
Diarrhea
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Dry mouth
Headache
Insomnia
Nausea
Examples of more serious effects include:

Suicidal thoughts
Abnormal heart rhythms
Internal bleeding
Cancer
Some effects are more likely than others. The PIL that comes with a drug or device will categorize effects according to their probability.

For example, research may have shown that a headache occurs in 1 in every 10 patients who use the drug according to the instructions. Heart palpitations may occur in 1 in every 100 patients.

It is important to check the PIL on getting new drugs, to find out what effects may occur and how likely these are. The PIL will also advise on whether an effect is classed as an emergency or not.

In the U.S., DailyMed provide information about drugs and their effects through the FDA. It offers an online source for patients to check for details of their medications.

Side effects from vaccinations
Side effects may occur as a result of a vaccine. The effects will depend on the type of vaccine.

[Baby injection]
Vaccinations can carry side-effects, but it is worth speaking to your doctor to gauge the risk because of their preventive benefits.
Common vaccine side effects include:

Fever
A general feeling of being unwell, known as malaise
Skin reactions or pain at the vaccination site
Rarely, a person may have an allergic reaction to a vaccine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that this occurs in 1 in every 1 million vaccines and that the reaction usually appears within a few minutes to a few hours after the vaccination.

The CDC suggest that if a person feels faint after having a vaccination, they should lie down and rest for 15 minutes.

Examples of adverse effects associated with specific medications
Abortion, miscarriage or uterine hemorrhage associated with misoprostol (Cytotec®), a labor-inducing drug (this is a case where the adverse effect has been used legally and illegally for performing abortions)
Addiction to many sedatives and analgesics such as diazepam, morphine, etc.
Birth defects associated with Thalidomide and Accutane.
Bleeding of the intestine associated with aspirin therapy
Cardiovascular disease associated with COX-2 inhibitors (i.e. Vioxx)
Deafness and kidney failure associated with gentamicin (an antibiotic)
Death, following sedation in children using propofol (Diprivan®)
Dementia associated with heart bypass surgery
Depression or hepatic injury caused by interferon
Diabetes caused by atypical antipsychotic medications (neuroleptic psychiatric drugs)
Diarrhea caused by the use of orlistat (Xenical®)
Erectile dysfunction associated with many drugs, such as antidepressants
Fever associated with vaccination (in the past, imperfectly manufactured vaccines, such as BCG and poliomyelitis, have caused the very disease they intended to fight).
Glaucoma associated with corticosteroid-based eye drops
Hair loss and anemia may be caused by chemotherapy against cancer, leukemia, etc.
Headache following spinal anesthesia
Hypertension in ephedrine users, which prompted FDA to remove the status of dietary supplement of ephedra extracts
Insomnia caused by stimulants, Ritalin®, Adderall®, etc.
Lactic acidosis associated with the use of stavudine (Zerit®, for anti-HIV therapy) or metformin (for diabetes)
Liver damage from paracetamol
Melasma and thrombosis associated with use of estrogen-containing hormonal contraception such as the combined oral contraceptive pill
Rhabdomyolysis associated with statins (anti-cholesterol drugs)
Seizures caused by withdrawal from benzodiazepine
Drowsiness or increase in appetite due to antihistamine use. Some antihistamines are used in sleep aids explicitly because they cause drowsiness.
Stroke or heart attack associated with sildenafil (Viagra®) when used with nitroglycerine
Suicide, increased tendency associated to the use of fluoxetine and other SSRI antidepressants
Tardive dyskinesia associated with long-term use of metoclopramide and many antipsychotic medications

Some drugs can’t help but trigger side effects because of their chemical structure. The common allergy drug diphenhydramine (also known by the brand name Benadryl) is one. Though it eases allergy symptoms, it also blocks the chemical acetylcholine, and that leads to drowsiness and a host of other side effects, including dry mouth.

Some drugs have barely noticeable side effects at the right dose. Typically, warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven), used to prevent blood clots, usually works well and isn't bothersome, but serious internal bleeding can happen in the wrong situation.

This happened with the psoriasis drug Raptiva. The FDA required that the drug carry the agency's strongest warning, known as a black box warning, after it received reports of brain infections and meningitis in patients taking the drug. The drug was later taken off the market.

Sometimes, the post-marketing information coming in to the FDA is so disturbing that a drug is discontinued. Baycol, which lowers cholesterol, was strongly linked to a breakdown of muscle tissue that could be deadly. The drug was approved in 1997, and the manufacturer stopped selling it 4 years later. The anti-inflammatory drug Duract spent just 1 year on the market. It was approved only as a short-term use product, and the FDA found serious liver problems when people took the drug for longer than recommended