Drug Side Effects
Learn what others have experienced when taking medications. Which side effects should you be alert for? Share your own experience so others can learn.
Ambien Led to Sleep Driving and Cleaning
Q. I need help getting off Ambien. I have discovered that I am driving, cleaning the house, cooking and eating while I am "sleeping" after taking this pill. How can I get a decent night's sleep withou…
Stop-Smoking Drug Chantix Has Risks
Smoking remains one of the biggest health hazards in the world today. Even after decades of dire warnings, more than 40 million Americans still smoke. That’s nearly one in five. Smokers die 10 years…
EpiPen Reversed a Life-Threatening Reaction to B…
Q. You have written about the EpiPen for treating allergic reactions, especially to bee stings. I just spent 8 hours in an emergency room with an allergic reaction to lisinopril, the prescribed blood …
New Research Confirms that NSAIDs Can Be Deadly
A study just published in the journal Rheumatology concludes that popular pain relievers called NSAIDs can raise the risk of developing blood clots in veins (venous thromboembolism or VTE) by 80 perce…
Amlodipine & Benazepril Side Effects Make N…
Q. I am taking the blood pressure drug amlodipine (Norvasc) along with benazepril (Lotensin). I have experienced tremendous swelling of my hands, feet and ankles. My doctor seems unconcerned about th…
Did Antipsychotic Drugs Contribute to Suicide?
Q. My 36 year old daughter told her doctor she was depressed so he prescribed Seroquel. She began hallucinating and after a month she became paranoid and thought demons were attacking her. She never h…
Simvastatin Side Effect Ruined Thanksgiving Dinn…
Q. After my husband had a heart attack he was prescribed simvastatin. It wasn't long before I noticed a change in his cognitive function. He loves to cook but suddenly had trouble following recipes an…
Lisinopril & Other Pril Pill Side Effects S…
Some of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the world for high blood pressure are called ACE inhibitors. These compounds help blood vessels relax and dilate by blocking angiotensin converting enzyme…
Do Statins Benefit Older People?
Statins such as atorvastatin, rosuvastatin or simvastatin have been the mainstay in cholesterol control for decades. The evidence that they prevent second heart attacks in middle-aged men is indisputa…
NSAIDs for Arthritis Tore Up Stomach
Q. I began taking meloxicam in April for inflammation. By June my stomach was so messed up I couldn't stand it. My pain doctor switched me to diclofenac, but I had the same stomach issues. My stomach …
A Big Weekly Dose of Vitamin D Caused Terrible H…
Q. My vitamin D level was low so my doctor prescribed vitamin D2 in a dose of 50,000 IU once a week. Within a day I was experiencing terrible nausea and heartburn. It took a couple of weeks for me to …
Which Popular Drugs Make People Dangerous Behind…
Who would guess that a common over-the-counter medicine could affect driving even more than alcohol? Law-abiding citizens who would never dream of drinking and driving could be a hazard on the highway…
Is Hair Loss a Minor Side Effect? Many Drugs May…
Q. I have heard that many medications can cause hair loss. Is this side effect temporary? Does the hair grow back when the drug is stopped? A. A surprising number of medications can cause temporary ha…
Did Heartburn Medicine Undermine His Bone Streng…
Most people think that weak bones are only a problem for older women. That is not necessarily the case. Certain medications can make men as well as women more susceptible to osteopenia. What is the be…
Stopping Cymbalta Triggered More Frequent Attack…
Q. I have narcolepsy with cataplexy. Cataplexy is sudden loss of muscle tone brought on by strong emotion, such as fear, anger or excitement. In my case, it is triggered by laughter. I can go a long t…
Using Headache Medicines Frequently Ends Up Caus…
Q. I have frequent if not constant headaches, possibly rebound headaches. I am now avoiding chocolate, cheeses and cold cuts. I drink lots of herbal teas and very little alcohol. I am sick of waking u…
Was Xarelto Responsible for Lethal Internal Blee…
Do you know what adverse reactions your medication might cause? Doctors might prescribe one of the newer anticoagulants such as rivaroxaban (Xarelto) without stressing that there are potentially dead…
Do Niacin Side Effects Outweigh the Benefits of …
For decades doctors have been telling patients to get their "bad" LDL cholesterol levels down and to boost their "good" HDL cholesterol. Cardiologists have been prescribing niacin to do both for more …
FDA Approves Jublia for Fighting Nail Fungus
Two new topical prescription drugs have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of nail fungus. Last month, the agency gave the green light to a drug called Jublia (efinaconazole). This month, the …
Older Americans Are in the Dark about Drugs That…
Q. My mom is on Detrol for a bladder problem and I fear that it is causing mental confusion. She is also on two blood pressure drugs (losartan and amlodipine) that make her dizzy. Last week she fell a…
Peppermint Oil for Digestive Woes (IBS) vs. Side…
Q. I've heard that taking enteric-coated peppermint oil can help IBS. My worst symptoms are stomach cramps and flatulence, but I'm reluctant to eat out or travel. Some of my friendships have suffered.…
Acid-Suppressing Medicine Can Deplete the Body o…
Q. My doctor prescribed Prilosec for heartburn and I took it for about a year. After discontinuing the Prilosec I was feeling very tired. The blood work that was done showed I had very low magnesium l…
Do Statins Interfere with Exercise?
Statins may have an unrecognized adverse effect, especially for older men. More than 3,000 men over the age of 65 were included in this Oregon State University study. The scientists found that men tak…
Do Acid Suppressing Drugs Protect Against Cancer…
Drugs that shut down acid production in the stomach are among the most popular pills in the pharmacy. The FDA considers them so safe that you can buy acid suppressing drugs like Prilosec (omeprazole)…
Pharmacists Can Help Older People Become Empower…
Many doctors worry about the negative effects of benzodiazepine anti-anxiety drugs such as alprazolam for older people. They have been linked to an increased risk of dementia and falls. Getting off …
Statin Strikeouts: A Pause in the Statin Onslaug…
Statin enthusiasts have half jokingly suggested that statins are such marvelous medications that they should be introduced into the water supply, almost like fluoride. Their argument goes that if ever…
Sleeping Pill Problems Prompt Reader to Quit
People are caught in a terrible double bind. On the one hand they are told that chronic sleep deprivation can have negative health consequences including an increased risk of weight gain, type 2 diabe…
Popular Supplement May Cause Uncomfortable Side …
Q. My wife and I have tried resveratrol several times and had to stop because it triggered itchy bug bite-like feelings. I'm 100 percent sure it's the resveratrol. I recently tried taking half a capsu…
Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics (Avelox, Cipro, Flox…
Americans love antibiotics. We tend to think of them as magic bullets, protecting us from life-threatening infections with almost no downside. But one kind of antibiotic called fluoroquinolones (FQ, q…
Statin Studies Must Be More Meticulous About Rec…
Experts have been arguing about statin side effects for years. A recent meta-analysis suggested that muscle pain is not a common complication of drugs such as atorvastatin, lovastatin or simvastatin, …
FDA’s New Warning on Aspirin Contradicts C…
Q. I believe aspirin is a miracle drug. I've used it for pain relief for years and never once had a stomachache or heartburn. My doctor told me it was prudent to take a baby aspirin every day to preve…
Puffy Eyelids and Swollen Fingers Could Signal T…
Although the thyroid gland is small, it is important. Thyroid hormones affect every organ system. As a consequence, thyroid problems may show up in nondescript symptoms such as fatigue, clumsiness, co…
Prescription Drugs Don’t Lose Their Side E…
How safe are over-the-counter drugs? Many Americans assume that any bottle of pills you can buy without a prescription must not have side effects. After all, the FDA wouldn't allow easy access to a me…
Is Low-Dose Aspirin Too Risky to Use for Heart A…
The Food and Drug Administration is warning against using aspirin to prevent initial heart attacks. The agency has just rejected a request by the Bayer company to modify its aspirin label so that heal…
Constipation Is a Common Complication of Pain Me…
Narcotic medications can be essential for managing severe pain, but they also can cause quite serious constipation that is difficult to control with everyday remedies or laxatives. Sometimes the const…
High-Dose Antidepressants Can Be Dangerous for A…
Teenagers and young adults are twice as likely to hurt themselves or attempt suicide when taking high doses of antidepressant medication. That is the conclusion of a study of more than 160,000 patient…
Taking a Statin to Lower Cholesterol Resulted in…
Many people have found that statins have side effects that are difficult to endure. Although patients may complain of nerve pain or numbness in fingers and toes, doctors sometimes don't make the conne…
Can Too Many Tums Cause Trouble?
Q. My wife has been taking three Tums tablets (750 mg) daily for years as a source of calcium. Is this amount safe? She has lost her appetite. A. Your wife is getting 2250 mg of calcium carbonate dail…
Diabolical Dilemma: High Blood Pressure or Risk …
Q. I am a 73 year old retired RN who has been treated for high blood pressure since last August by an internist and a cardiologist. Every prescription they have written has had adverse side effects fo…
Are Popular Pain Relievers Really Killing People…
Every day millions of people swallow pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, etc) or prescription medications such as celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Catafl…