SIDE EFFECTS! Does Anyone Pay Attention to them Anymore?

Hey, it's Marco! One of the biggest obstacles people have to starting any medication, especially a psychiatric/neurological medication, has to do with side effects, you know "adverse reactions and adverse events,"  at least that's what the researchers and people in the pharmaceutical industry call them.

So I started thinking, hmm... Have you ever counted the number of side-effects you might hear in a prescription drug commercial? Although the number may seem like, and definitely IS a lot, there’s a good chance that what you’re hearing is only a partial list of damaging effects. New research shows that the average drug label contains an astonishing 70 possible negative side-effects! What’s more, the researchers found that the drugs prescribed on a very regular basis averaged around 100 side-effects each, with some reaching sky high for 525 negative reactions! Why don't I list a few...

Headache, Drowsiness/fatigue - even when taking stimulants in some circumstances. Insomnia, instead of or alternating with the drowsiness. Nausea,GI complaints (constipation, diarrhea, etc.) Generally feeling spacey / Totally out of it, which btw can all add up to the ever-helpful “flu-like symptoms." Hmm, what else...Anorexia (weight loss) blurry vision, confusion, constipation, dry mouth, sedation, difficulty urinating! That's gotta suck! Dizziness, dry mouth, headache, increased appetite and weight gain. Want more? Oh, but wait, please call your doctor if you have these...

Severe allergic reactions. Especially fast-spreading, itchy rashes accompanied with a fever.
Fainting (syncope) or otherwise losing consciousness.
Blood dyscrasias, which is fancy doctor talk for way too many or too few white or red blood cells, or some other weird problem with your blood.
Inexplicable bruises all over the place, especially lots of little bruises in clusters that look sort of like a big rash.
The whites of your eyes turning yellow and/or your skin looking waxy and yellowish, along with all the bruising this is a symptom of jaundice.
Your hair falling out in clumps, and not just thinning.
Seizures if you’re not epileptic or your epilepsy was under control. Otherwise you and your doctor can figure out if the med in question had anything to do with it.
Irregular heartbeats and similar problems (cardiac dysrhythmia/arrhythmia).
Manic reaction (you get way too happy and/or want to smash everything in sight) I used to live with this person... LOL! Anyway, I'm hungry and have to get back to work so I'll just leave you with that!
Have an AWESOME weekend!