Ever read the paperwork that comes with a prescription?

[daughtersrus]

I had to get an antibiotic last night. Always talk to the doctor about the side effects of a new medication but last night I actually read the paperwork. It's kind of scary. "WARNING: This medicine should be used only for serious infections because infrequesntlythere are severe, rarely fatal, intestinal problems..."



I have an infection in a tooth. I'm allergic to penicillin and erythromycin gives me pain that doubles me over. The dentist had a hard time finding an antibiotic that I can take. He ended up giving me clindamycin.

 

[~disneydiva~]

I was prescribed 800 mg ibuprofen and the paperwork said not to lie down for 30 minutes after taking. I hadn't heard that before.

 

[Jeafl]

I was prescribed 800 mg ibuprofen and the paperwork said not to lie down for 30 minutes after taking. I hadn't heard that before.

That's weird...I wonder why?? I take 4 Advil twice a day (which is 800 mg.) and at night I go right to bed after taking it. I wonder if I shouldn't??

When I get my prescriptions from Walgreens the amount of information they staple to the bag is mind boggling. I actually have looked through it a couple of times, but sometimes I think I would rather not know!

 

[Kathi OD]

Every time there is a commercial on TV for a drug they list all the potential side effects and I sit there shaking my head thinking "why in God's name would anyone want to even think about taking that drug?"

 

[clhcpaca]

You aren't supposed to lie down for 30 minutes so the pills have a chance to get down to your stomach into the gastric juices (I think that's what it's called). It's to keep the pill from stopping somewhere along its travel and irritating the lining, etc. I've asked my doctor about this instruction.

Cindy

 

[LuvOrlando]

I do read them, every time. It's because I read them that i refuse to take the migraine medicines the Dr's are always trying to push on me. Why would I risk that list every day for something that doesn't happen every day? My personal favorite is when the Dr's brush off the risks trying to tell me it's not a real risk... if not why tell me about it? If it's no big deal why don't THEY sign off on the risk not being valid and absorb the risk themselves? No thanks.

I hope you feel better soon

 

[Micca]

Any time I get a new med I read all that stuff, and usually feel worse after reading it.

 

[DMass]

Every time there is a commercial on TV for a drug they list all the potential side effects and I sit there shaking my head thinking "why in God's name would anyone want to even think about taking that drug?"

There's more about the side effects than the condition your taking the drug for.

You need more pills to deal with the side effects.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Clindamycin is serious stuff. It is one of the relatively few antibiotics that still shows effectiveness against MRSA.

Please be sure you take the full course of your prescription unless instructed to stop by your doctor/dentist. This helps to limit the amount of drug resistant strains of infectious bacteria that are floating around.

Clindamycin kills off the "bad" bacteria causing your infection but also will kill off a lot of the normal bacteria in your intestines. There is a certain type of bacteria normally present in the gut called Clostridium difficile that is not affected by clindamycin and then can start to grow wild. This overgrowth of C difficile can cause, in rare cases, some very serious conditions.

 

[DisMN]

Every time there is a commercial on TV for a drug they list all the potential side effects and I sit there shaking my head thinking "why in God's name would anyone want to even think about taking that drug?"

No kidding......and when they announce "may cause death" in just so many words it's like OH YEAH I'm gonna sign me right up for that one! LOL

 

[BCV513]

I actually refused a medicine at the pharmacy once over the side effects. My doctor told me about this great new migrained med that he wanted me to try. The pharmacist pulled me aside and said that as a woman of childbearing age, she wanted me to be aware that they were putting all women who took this pill in a registry to track possible birth defects of their future children.

 

[Jennasis]

I have a little knowledge in this department. Apparently, during clinical drug trials, ANYTHING that happens to any of the participants (even if unrelated to taking the drug MUST be listed as a side effect).

You'd be surprised to learn that the number one side effect of Tylenol is....HEADACHE!

If someone on the drug trial dies, they must lizt death as a possible side effect. If someone on a seizure med has a seizure then they must list seizure as a possible side effect. It's kind of funny. That isn't to say some drugs don't really have serious side effects, cause they do.

The "no laying down" thing is to allow the pill time to get down your esophagus and into your stomach. If it lodges or gets stuck in there it could damage the lining of your esophagis (doxycycline does this to me terribly).

 

[DisMN]

You'd be surprised to learn that the number one side effect of Tylenol is....HEADACHE!

I also pass on the drugs that "may cause anal leakage". Excuse me??

 

[Becky2005]

Every time there is a commercial on TV for a drug they list all the potential side effects and I sit there shaking my head thinking "why in God's name would anyone want to even think about taking that drug?"

And sometimes listening to what they are talking about the drug is for sounds far less serious an issue than the side affects.

I always think "Hmm...I think I would take my chances with the disease, sounds like my odds would be better" especially when it's things like "if you have this problem you MAY develop problem X, our pill will help you from developing problem X" -- so, you take a pill that may prevent problem X that you may not even get in the first place but by taking the pill it could cause sudden death which X wouldn't have caused in the first place.

 

[Becky2005]

If someone on the drug trial dies, they must lizt death as a possible side effect.

Although I'm not quite sure but I think every single prescription medicine I have ever taken does list "death" as a side effect somehow on it. I'm not so sure about over the counter stuff though.

I wonder if Excedrin Migraine lists that...hmmm...because that is my wonder drug. It has not met a headache it can not handle for me anyway (I don't think I get true Migraines but even my really bad ones are gone within 30 minutes of taking the pills -- most the time even just 1 pill will take care of it but if not, definitely taking the 2nd one will). I don't like to take too much of any medicine because of reading all the side effects but sometimes it IS worth it even with the side effects.

ETA: I just looked and didn't see that at least not where I looked but I saw one that you should see a doctor if you are getting your first headache after age 50. What I want to know is how in the world do you get to age 50 with NEVER having a headache in your life before? Lucky person! ALL of my kids have already had headaches. I can't even fathom never having a single headache until after you get to be 50...that to me would be like never catching a cold.

 

[Katie Dawn]

I also pass on the drugs that "may cause anal leakage". Excuse me??

Reminds me of the commercials for Xenical a few years ago (the drug that you took with food that absorbed some of the fat and wouldn't allow you to digest it.) It went something like:

May cause gas with oily discharge, a frequent need to have them, and an inability to control them.

 

[DisMN]

Reminds me of the commercials for Xenical a few years ago (the drug that you took with food that absorbed some of the fat and wouldn't allow you to digest it.) It went something like:

May cause gas with oily discharge, a frequent need to have them, and an inability to control them.

I'm guessing this product is sponsored by Depends.

 

[daughtersrus]

Clindamycin is serious stuff. It is one of the relatively few antibiotics that still shows effectiveness against MRSA.

Please be sure you take the full course of your prescription unless instructed to stop by your doctor/dentist. This helps to limit the amount of drug resistant strains of infectious bacteria that are floating around.

Clindamycin kills off the "bad" bacteria causing your infection but also will kill off a lot of the normal bacteria in your intestines. There is a certain type of bacteria normally present in the gut called Clostridium difficile that is not affected by clindamycin and then can start to grow wild. This overgrowth of C difficile can cause, in rare cases, some very serious conditions.

Now I'm really worried. My dad died of c-dif.

 

[Minnie_me]

My SIL has MS and won't take the medication her dr recommends because it might cause cancer.

But she smokes 2 packs of cigarettes a day.

 

[stichy]

My favorite is on a lot of my prescriptions. This medicine may cause diarreah or constipation. Just pick one for god's sake.