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.
Did Simvastatin (Zocor) Cause Back, Hip, Leg Pai…
Statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs are a mainstay of treatment for heart disease. But many people find it difficult to stick with their treatment. They may complain that medicines such as simvasta…
Antidepressant Pulled Off Market
The FDA has taken the unprecedented step of making a manufacturer withdraw its generic antidepressant from the market. Budeprion XL 300 was a branded generic that was introduced in 2006 after the anti…
OTC Pain Pills Linked to Hearing Loss
Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen are taken daily by millions of Americans. Because they are available without a prescription most people believe they are completely saf…
Medication Blamed for Impulse Buying
Q. Mirapex is a medicine prescribed for Parkinson's disease and restless leg syndrome (RLS). I read online that this medication can promote compulsive behaviors such as shopping, porn, sex, gambling o…
Sleeping Pills Make for Risky Driving
Q. Ambien frightens me. I have seen two people very close to me do crazy things while on the drug and then go back to sleep and not remember what they did. My mother found herself in her nightgown, st…
Quetiapine (Seroquel) Side Effects Are Disastrou…
Q. Seroquel (quetiapine ) was given to my father-in-law at a nursing home where he was to recover strength after a stroke to then go to a rehab hospital. The nursing home gave him Seroquel along with …
Sleeping Pills, Anti-Anxiety Drugs & Dement…
Can medications you take to get a good night's sleep or ease anxiety increase your risk for Alzheimer's disease or dementia? That was the scary question raised in a study published on September 27th, …
Drugs That Impair Driving
There are strict laws in every state about driving under the influence of alcohol. That's because legislators realize that alcohol impairs reaction time and judgment and increases the risk of accident…
Diovan Side Effects & Mild High Blood Press…
One of the most popular blood pressure pills in the pharmacy these days is Diovan (valsartan). It belongs to a class of medications called ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers). Other drugs in the clas…
Valsartan (Diovan) Side Effects & Mild Hype…
One of the most popular blood pressure pills in the pharmacy these days is Diovan (valsartan). It belongs to a class of medications called ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers). Other drugs in the clas…
Medication Can Trigger Gout
Q. My husband has had several gout attacks over the last few years. The last one caused terrible pain in his knee and immobilized him for days. I am pretty sure his blood pressure medications have cau…
Popular Pain Relievers Trigger Heart Attacks!
Miners used to take a canary with them into the coal mine because if the bird died, the air had gone bad and it was time to get out of the mine. Heart attack patients are like those canaries. They are…
Furosemide (Lasix) Side Effects & Generic T…
Furosemide is a diuretic that is one of the most prescribed drugs in the world. At last count over 7 million Americans swallow this water pill every day to lower their blood pressure or help their kid…
Crestor Side Effects: Real Life Stories
If you are struggling to keep your cholesterol under control, no doubt you have considered taking a statin. Crestor is one of these popular cholesterol-lowering drugs. What do you know about Crestor s…
Broken Thigh Bone Linked to Drug
Q. My sister (60 years old) just broke her femur without any trauma. She simply stepped down and as she stepped her femur snapped. She had taken Fosamax for 5 years and stopped last year when she hear…
Antibiotics Cause–Then Cure–IBS
Q. For over 30 years, my husband dealt with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). He came to suspect that the problem might have been triggered by over-prescription of antibiotics. We tried medical treatmen…
NSAIDs Raise Risk of Heart Attack
Using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen may raise the risk of heart attacks for lengthy periods of time. Tens of millions of people take such pain relievers every day for a…
Deciphering Side Effects from Ads
Ads for prescription drugs always include a long list of possible side effects. They may warn about such serious complications as heart attacks, strokes, kidney damage, liver failure or muscle pain an…
Are Some Statin Side Effects Irreversible?
When Mevacor (lovastatin) was first marketed in 1987 it quickly became a game changer. That's because it was perceived as extremely effective for lowering cholesterol with far fewer side effects than …
Testosterone Made Woman Manly
Q. At age 29, I had to have a hysterectomy that included my ovaries. After the fat-stored estrogen left my body (producing horrid hot flashes), I complained to my ObGyn about my missing libido. He wro…
Too Much Licorice Could Be Deadly
I am a licorice lover, I admit it. Black Australian Licorice from Kookaburra is quite good but I am especially fond of Gustaf's Dutch Licorice CATS. There's something about the texture and the taste t…
Lactose in Pills Caused Distress
Q. I have had stomach pain and diarrhea for years, but over the last few months it reached a crisis. The pain was so bad I couldn't get comfortable sitting or even lying down. My stomach swelled up li…
Bad Bellyache Could Be Deadly Drug Reaction
Stomachaches are part of the human condition. Few symptoms are more common, though abdominal pain may be more complicated than it seems. Discomfort can range from mild to excruciating. As many as one …
Strong Cholesterol Drugs Linked to Muscle Proble…
Statin-type cholesterol-lowering medications have been linked to muscle pain and weakness. A new study from the University of California at San Diego suggests that the more powerful the statin, the mo…
Official Drug Information May Be Misleading
Have you ever wondered about the side effects of your medicine? Doctors, pharmacists, nurses and patients all have to rely on the official prescribing information approved by the FDA. The data come fr…
Scary Statin Side Effects Substantiated
When the very first statin-type cholesterol-lowering drug was approved by the FDA in July, 1987 there was great excitement. Lovastatin (Mevacor) was perceived as a magic bullet for lowering cholestero…
Blood Pressure Pills Linked to Lip Cancer
Commonly prescribed blood pressure medications can sensitize the skin to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. The diuretic hydrochlorothiazide or HCTZ is found in dozens of blood pressure pills. A new …
Bedtime Pill Could Raise Heat Risk
Q. I take amitriptyline at night to help me sleep. I have read that this drug might make me more sensitive to the heat. I have been really suffering with the temperatures hovering around 100 degrees. …
Allergies & Medicine Equal INSOMNIA!
During allergy season when your hay fever gets bad, you may find it difficult to sleep. Having trouble breathing through your nose can keep you awake. But be careful about the allergy medicine you tak…
Diovan HCT Side Effects
Q. Three months ago I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Iam a 61-year-old woman. My doctor prescribed Diovan HCT. The side effects have been really bad; my legs and back are so weak and the fati…
Hair Pill May Harm Sex Life Indefinitely
How many men would willingly trade in their sex drive for a full head of hair? For some, that might seem like a deal with the devil. Evidence is accumulating, though, that at least a few men make such…
Trazodone Side Effects
Q. I am hoping that you can shed some light on my situation. I'm an athletic 48-year-old female and have been taking both trazodone and Celexa for years. About a year after I began taking these medica…
Sleeping Pill Ignites Horrible Heartburn
Q. I have been taking Ambien for years, and in the past several months have been using it nightly. I started having problems with reflux, which I attributed to aging and stress. Last week the problem …
Does Baldness Drug Trigger Permanent Sex Problem…
Finasteride (prescribed as Propecia for baldness and Proscar for enlarged prostate) appears to have serious and potentially long-lasting sexual side effects such as lowered libido, impaired ejaculatio…
Heartburn Drugs Linked to Horrible Diarrhea
Acid-suppressing drugs have become the go-to drugs for digestive distress. Medications such as Prilosec and Prevacid were once only available by prescription. Now these brands and their generic equiva…
Drug Can Lengthen Lashes
Q. What is the name of the product that makes eyelashes grow longer? Mine are short and sparse. A. Bimatoprost (Latisse) is applied to the upper eyelid to increase eyelash growth. Be prepared for a bi…
Aspirin is a Hundred-Year Miracle Drug
For a drug that has been around for more than 100 years and only costs pennies per dose, aspirin still makes a lot of news. Nearly every other week there is another headline about the health benefits …
Can Ibuprofen Make You Jittery?
Q. Is it possible that NSAIDs can make you spacey and anxious? My doctor recommended ibuprofen for a bad back and knee. I think this drug makes me jittery. When I complained about nervousness, he pres…
Fatigue from Fighting Cholesterol
Statin medications lower cholesterol, but they can cause a range of side effects from muscle and nerve pain to cognitive impairment. A new study suggests that fatigue is a common but unrecognized comp…
Blood Pressure Pills and the Blahs
Q. I have enjoyed excellent health all my life, but last year my doctor diagnosed high blood pressure (170/90). He prescribed triamterene/HCTZ and atenolol. I also take vitamins and a half aspirin dai…