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.
Licorice Overdose Can Be Life Threatening
Everyone knows that candy is not healthful, but can you imagine that too much could kill you? The New England Journal of Medicine (Sept. 24, 2020) published a case report describing the death of middl…
Pain Medicine Triggered Life-Threatening Bleedin…
Q. My husband was just released from the hospital as a result of taking naproxen for tendinitis. He used it exactly as prescribed, and it still caused more trouble than it was worth. He had severe gas…
Citalopram (Celexa) Escitalopram (Lexapro) &…
Tinnitus, an annoying and often constant or near-constant sound that nobody else can hear, drives many sufferers crazy. An estimated 30 million people cope with this debilitating and invisible condit…
Antidepressants Cause Sexual Difficulties
Q. My husband has suffered from depression for years. It got really bad last winter and I finally convinced him to see a psychiatrist. Ever since he started taking sertraline he is a different person.…
Iodide-Containing Contrast Disrupted Thyroid
Q. To diagnose my appendicitis a few years ago, I had a CT scan with contrast. When my energy didn't return after the surgery and my weight started dropping rapidly, I underwent tests that resulted in…
Does Coumadin Interact with Tylenol?
Q. I was very upset to read your response to a question about the blood thinner Coumadin. You listed several drugs that may interact with Coumadin; one of them was Tylenol. I am a heart valve patient.…
Heartburn Drugs and Hip Fractures
Call it the law of unintended consequences. Drug companies, doctors and druggists all thought that they were doing something wonderful for patients. After all, severe heartburn or GERD (gastroesophage…
Anxiety & Stopping Alprazolam & Atenol…
Q. I have a long history of anxiety and panic attacks. I am also a performing musician, which can often cause performance anxiety. I have been prescribed Xanax (alprazolam) off and on over the years a…
Aspirin Benefits vs Risks
A British meta-analysis of aspirin users suggests that this common preventive medicine may carry significant risks along with modest benefit. Investigators analyzed nine randomized, placebo-controlled…
Statins Increase Risk of Diabetes
Statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs put patients at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The most recent research to show a connection is the Women's Health Initiative, a very large stu…
Statins Make Diabetes More Likely
The evidence continues to mount that statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs prescribed to prevent heart disease may spur the onset of type 2 diabetes. The latest research comes from the Women's Health…
Generic Blood Pressure Patch Failed
Q. I have been on Catapres patches for several years to help control high blood pressure. My insurance company switched me to generic clonidine patches without my knowledge. Within 36 hours of switchi…
Chantix Causes Mother Distress
Q. My mother has taken the stop-smoking drug Chantix for nearly a month. She no longer has any desire to smoke, but she has had severe side effects. They were nausea, a bad taste in her mouth, stomach…
Drugs Can Cause Life-Threatening Falls
I read your article about the danger some drugs pose for falls. I would like to share my experience. In October 2009, I underwent major spinal surgery. I was given a combination of pain meds. When I l…
Can Cholesterol Levels Go TOO Low?
We have been told for more than 50 years that cholesterol is our enemy--that it causes heart attacks and strokes and the lower it is the healthier we are. But some physicians are beginning to question…
Chantix May Harm Heart
A popular stop-smoking drug may be hard on the heart. The smoking cessation drug Chantix is being prescribed world-wide to help smokers give up their dangerous addiction. Smoking increases the chance …
Statin-Diabetes Connection Is Troublesome
Q. I have taken a number of statins to help control cholesterol and am currently on simvastatin. Over the years my blood sugar levels started to climb despite my efforts to eat a healthy diet and exer…
Lowering Cholesterol Without Statins
Q. My doctor says that my cholesterol level of 212 is way too high and I am at risk for a heart attack. Simvastatin caused joint and muscle pain and I began having trouble getting out of the bathtub. …
Did Drugs (Furosemide & Metoprolol) Trigger…
Q. I take furosemide and metoprolol for high blood pressure. After several years on this regimen I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Now I need to take metformin for elevated blood sugar. Everything…
Small Overdose of Pain Reliever Risky
Acetaminophen can be a dangerous drug despite its reputation for safety and its ready accessibility. For years, commercials for the popular pain reliever used to proclaim: "Trust Tylenol. The pain rel…
Watch Out for Problem Pills
When Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, many people might have concluded that propofol is an especially dangerous drug. This is the medication that …
More Medicines Increase ED Risk
The more medications men take, the higher their risk of erectile difficulties. That is the finding from a study of nearly 40,000 men who were part of the California Men's Health Study. ED was reported…
Birth Control Pills and Blood Clots
A new study from Israel contributes to the concern that some newer generation birth control pills may put women at an increased risk of blood clots. Pills that contain drospirenone, sold under the bra…
Is Anxiety Drug Appropriate for Elderly?
Q. My mother is getting on in years, and her physician recently increased her dosage of Ativan. As a result it seems she changes from more anxious to more out of it than before. Is this kind of mood s…
Is Your Allergy Medicine Stealing Your Sleep?
Q. I would like to point out a side effect of allergy medications that contain pseudoephedrine for nasal decongestion. Taking Claritin D left me completely unable to fall asleep. I was literally up al…
Corticosteroids Linked to Low Levels of Vitamin …
Millions of people take corticosteroids to ease symptoms of arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, and lupus, as well as allergies and asthma. A new study suggests that such medications are linked to seri…
Physician Warns about Drug Dangers
Q. I am a physician. Often, we are afraid to stop medications because if something bad happens, we could be sued for causing Mom's stroke, heart attack or death. I love it when my patients stop their …
Gout Drug Caused Tragic Death
Q. I read with interest your column regarding Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS). My brother was diagnosed with gout and given allopurinol. Within two weeks he had a horrific reaction and was hospitalized…
Many Medicines Can Cloud Thinking
Aging baby boomers are worried about their brain power. A report in The New England Journal of Medicine (Oct. 6, 2011) notes that three fourths of people over the age of 60 are concerned about problem…
Cough Causes Loss of Bladder and Bowel Control
During cold and flu season, a terrible cough may accompany a nasty respiratory tract infection. It makes sense to check in with your doctor right away if you suspect you have caught the flu. Antiviral…
Are Your Drugs Safe and Effective?
Commercials on television and ads in magazines make medications seem like magic. They are supposed to solve problems like overactive bladder, elevated cholesterol and erectile dysfunction. Smiling fac…
Side Effects From Calcium And Alendronate (Fosam…
Q. I have been suffering terribly from constipation and heartburn. I am convinced that the calcium and Fosamax I take to build my bones are contributing to these problems. When I complain, my doctor j…
Newer Diabetes Drugs Raise Risk of Pancreatic Ca…
Two relatively new drugs for type 2 diabetes have been linked to a higher risk of pancreatic cancer. Byetta and Januvia are pricey prescription medications that can cost hundreds of dollars a month. T…
Pain Relievers and Risk of Kidney Cancer
Two long-term studies of health professionals have uncovered a disconcerting link between the use of certain popular pain relievers and the risk of kidney cancer. Over 77,000 nurses have been tracked …
Understanding Medication Risks and Benefits
A new national survey of nearly 3,000 people reveals that many Americans have an unrealistic understanding of the FDA drug approval process. Approximately 4 out of 10 mistakenly believe that the agenc…
Antidepressant Medicine Led to Suicide
Q. A family member took his life while on Cymbalta. He had never been depressed, but when he explained to his physician the suicidal thoughts he was having the physician doubled his dose of Cymbalta, …
Will Female Hormones Help Him Be Girlish?
Q. I'm a 20-year-old male who has been cross-dressing off and on since junior high school. With old age, I'm losing some of my femininity. I'd like to try taking female hormones. Would this be safe? W…
OTC NSAIDs Linked to Miscarriage
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs are among the most popular pain relievers in the pharmacy. They are available without a prescription under names such as Advil, Motrin IB or Aleve. Docto…
Do Heartburn Drugs Deserve Strong Warning?
Is your heartburn drug harming you? Acid-suppressing drugs are among the most popular pills in the pharmacy. But evidence is growing that they may produce some unexpected and unpleasant complications.…
Even Topical NSAIDs Have Side Effects
Q. My doctor gave me Voltaren Gel samples for joint pain. I cannot tolerate even tiny amounts of NSAIDs any more, so when I read the warnings, I asked about them. He dismissed them, saying the gel was…