The Simple Life: March 2014

Surely many of you will remember this pair from "Lost in Space" that I watched in another life. Today it serves as an attention tool for one of my pet peeves. As we sit and watch evening TV we are bombarded with commercials for strange sounding drugs for whatever ailment and at least half of the commercial time is taken up by listing possible side effects if you take their drug. I have compiled a list and it is actually a little long but it is alphabetical so you can scroll down to one that may peak your interest. Just felt you should have this information to be more knowledgeable.

Celebrex

Brief Side Effects:
Death, gastrointestinal hemorrhages, stomach bleeding, cardiovascular problems, kidney and liver damage, ulcers, indigestion, diarrhea, abdominal pain, allergic reactions

Cialis

Brief Side Effects:
Permanent, partial blindness

Coreg

Hypertension, heart attack, heart failure

With certain beta-blocking agents, stopping therapy abruptly has led to chest pain and, in some cases, heart attack.

Crestor

Brief Side Effects: Unexplained muscle pain, weakness, liver problems, constipation, weakness, abdominal pain, nausea, food interactions, drug interactions

Enbrel

Brief Side Effects:
Serious infections, fatal blood disorders, cancer

* In medical studies of all TNF inhibitors, ahigher rate of lymphoma (a type of cancer) was seen compared to the general population, however, the risk of lymphoma may be up to several-fold higher in RA and psoriasis patients.
* The role of TNF inhibitors in the development of lymphoma is unknown.

Paxil

Brief Side Effects:
Suicide

OFFICIAL:
- suicidal thoughts or behavior whether or not you are taking antidepressants. In some children and teens, antidepressants increase suicidal thoughts or actions. You and your family should watch closely and call the doctor right away, if you have worsening depression, thoughts of suicide, or sudden or severe changes in mood or behavior (for example feeling anxious, agitated, panicky, irritable, hostile, aggressive, impulsive, severely restless, hyperactive, overly excited, or not being able to sleep), especially at the beginning of treatment or after any change in dose.

Plavix

Brief Side Effects:
Excessive bleeding (sometimes fatal)

Procrit

Brief Side Effects:
Hypertension, increased death rate, seizures, thrombosis

Epoetin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
* redness, swelling, stinging, bruising, itching, or a lump at the place where you injected epoetin
* headache
* joint or muscle pain
* upset stomach
* vomiting
* indigestion or "heartburn"
* stomach pain
* diarrhea
* constipation
* runny nose
* sneezing
* difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
Some side effects can be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon, but if you experience any of them, call your doctor immediately:
* leg pain or swelling
* shortness of breath
* coughing up blood
* cough that doesn't go away
* blue-grey color or darkening around mouth or nails
* dizziness
* fainting
* blurred vision
* temporary confusion
* slow or difficult speech
* loss of memory or ability to concentrate
* hallucinating (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist)
* extreme tiredness
* seizures
* weakness, numbness, heaviness, or tingling in arms or legs
* floppiness or loss of muscle tone
* lack of energy
* increased or rapid heart beat
* irregular heart beat
* chest pain or tightness
* excessive sweating
* fever, sore throat, chills, cough, and other signs of infection
* rash
* hives
* itching
* swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, or ankles
* wheezing
* difficulty breathing or swallowing
* hoarseness
- risk of cardiovascular problems, including death, especially in patients with heart disease. It is important for your doctor to check your hemoglobin while you are taking epoetin. If your hemoglobin rises too high or too fast while using epoetin, serious problems may occur, including
- edema (swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs),
- heart attack or heart failure,
- high blood pressure, seizures, stroke,
- blood clots in your heart, legs, or lungs.
- high blood pressure, seizures
- other side effects.

Strattera
Brief Side Effects:
Jaundice, liver damage
Life-thretening if taken within 2 weeks of taking a MAO inhibitor.
* In children, the most common side effects wereupset stomach, decreased appetite, nausea orvomiting, tiredness, dizziness, and mood swings. In adults, the most common side effects were constipation, dry mouth, nausea, decreased appetite, dizziness, problems sleeping, sexual side effects, problems urinating, and menstrual cramps.

Valtrex
Brief Side Effects:
Headache, nausea, abdominal pain, constipation, allergic reaction, dizziness, tremors, compromised immune system, drug interactions
Viagra
Brief Side Effects:
Permanent, partial blindness
OFFICIAL:
- blood pressure to drop to an unsafe level.
- chest pain, nausea,
- erections lasting for more than four hours
- long-term loss of potency.
- headache, facial flushing,
- upset stomach.
- blurred vision, or being sensitive to light.

Vioxx
Brief Side Effects:
Fatal heart attack, fatal stroke
* Heart attacks and similar serious events have been reported in patients taking VIOXX.
* Serious allergic reactions including swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and/or throat which may cause difficulty breathing or swallowing and wheezing occur rarely but may require treatment right away. Severe skin reactionshave also been reported.
* Serious kidney problems occur rarely, including acute kidney failure and worsening ofchronic kidney failure.
* Severe liver problems, including hepatitis, jaundice and liver failure, occur rarely in patients taking NSAIDs, including VIOXX. Tell your doctor if you develop symptoms of liver problems. These include nausea, tiredness, itching, tenderness in the right upper abdomen, and flu-like symptoms.
In addition, the following side effects have been reported: anxiety, blurred vision, colitis, confusion, decreased levels of sodium in the blood, depression, fluid in the lungs, hair loss, hallucinations, increased levels of potassium in the blood, insomnia, low blood cell counts, menstrual disorder, palpitations, pancreatitis, ringing in the ears, severe increase in blood pressure, tingling sensation, unusual headache with stiff neck (aseptic meningitis), vertigo, worsening of epilepsy.
More common, but less serious side effects reported with VIOXX have included the following:
Upper and/or lower respiratory infection and/or inflammation
Headache
Dizziness
Diarrhea
Nausea and/or vomiting
Heartburn, stomach pain and upset
Swelling of the legs and/or feet
High blood pressure
Back pain
Tiredness
Urinary tract infection.

Wellbutrin
Brief Side Effects:
Suicide
OFFICIAL:
"Side Effect Overview

- weight loss, loss of appetite,
dry mouth, skin rash, sweating,
ringing in the ears, shakiness,
stomach pain, agitation, anxiety,
dizziness, trouble sleeping,
muscle pain, nausea, fast heartbeat, s
ore throat, and urinating more often.
Seizures may occur
Zocor
Brief Side Effects:
Terrible leg pain
OFFICIAL:
"IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
- liver problems. Unexplained muscle pain orweakness could be a sign of a rare but serious side effect
- interact with other medicines or certain foods,

Zyprexa
Brief Side Effects:
diabetes, hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis

OFFICIAL:
"Important Safety Information for Olanzapine

Increased Mortality in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis