Drug Side Effects
I’ve been on both sides of the hospital bed, both as a nurse and as a patient with a chronic illness. I’ve given a lot of medications and I’ve taken a lot of medications.
For the most part, we have to trust our doctors and manufacturers. But as patients and consumers we should really do two things: ask a lot of questions, and do our own research.
I remember when I first began taking Prednisone for my Crohn’s Disease. The doctor never explained the side effects to me. Imagine my surprise when within a month, I gained 20 pounds from both fat and water, began noticing mysterious bruising all over my arms and legs, and my hair was falling out at an alarming rate. Not only that, but if I cut myself, even so much as a paper cut, it took me forever to stop the bleeding.
When we spoke to the doctor about it and my mom threatened to take me off the drug the doctor adamantly said “Oh no! You can’t do that! She’ll go into a coma.”
Recently Avandia was said to have the side effect of 43% increase in heart attacks. Back in the 90’s, the diet drug Fen Phen came with the side effect of death.
Even more natural supplements have side effects. Black Cohosh is routinely taken to stop hot flashes in menopausal women, but even it’s not without side effects. It’s recommended that it shouldn’t be taken for more than six months.
Used to we would have to buy one of those big pharmaceutical books, or ask the pharmacist, or pray that whatever we bought had some sort of informational insert inside the package.
Luckily for us in today’s age, we have the Internet. It makes researching both pharmaceutical drugs and natural supplements so much easier. Not only are there a wide variety of consumer sites and medical sites for researching, but also forums that make it easy to ask our peers about their experiences with taking any given drug.
Do the research, whether you want to know the side effects of Black Cohosh, or Phentermine side effects, do the research! It’s fairly quick and easy and basically a search engine away.
We have to be our own consumer advocates!
AGH!! What an amazing coincidence.My neice has just been diagnosed with Crohns a matter of days ago.Thanks for the tip.I am off to do a search now.
Sparrow, I haven’t posted anything there in awhile, but pop over to http://ibd.overfortyandlovingit.com It’s our site on Crohn’s and Colitis. If you need more info, just drop me an email to overforty@overfortyandlovingit.com I’ll be more than happy to help. I’ve had Crohn’s for 30 years.
l.a.
You’re so right about taking meds. We, as patients, should be more informed and proactive with them and must learn of the side effects of drugs that are prescribed to us. I suppose you have to watch your diet very closely with this condition, eh?
Stay well.
Tasha
Yes, diet is important with this (although even among my doctors I got contradictory regarding this aspect.) And you are so right. Soon I will post the Patients’ Bill of Rights for y’all. Nurses know what it is, but most patients don’t.
For years you could get a second opinion (and still can) but I suspect the Internet sorta, kinda evens the playing field a bit so we don’t have to take just two people’s word for something. Granted, every person is different and what works from one might not work for another.
We should all be our own advocates! It is important to be informed and ask questions!
Thanks for stopping by Tasha
l.a.
Found my way here via the Dragonfly Cottage. Enjoyed browsing your blog. I’m also an RN and author, so I see common interests.
I’m adding you to my favorites so I can come back and visit often.
Terri´s last blog post..O Christmas Tree
A very good post! My mom has Crohn’s and I remember those side effects; she must have been taking Prednisone. It was awful for her.
I am very appreciative of the Internet, too. It’s hard to be away from the computer, because when I am away from home, so many things pique my curiosity. I have to wait (and try to remember) to look up all these things when I return home, ugh!
Mrs. Mecomber´s last blog post..Cat Looking For Head
Hey, hope this comment gets through I’m still new to this whole blogging thing.
Thanks for the interesting dieting post! I found your blog while
looking for other people’s dieting stories. I’ve actually just started blogging about
my diet tips – I lost over 30 pounds in a month
with a diet I developed! Let me know what you think about it
Warmest wishes,
-Joan
Hi Terri! I’m glad you found us! I will be visiting you soon and thanks for stopping by.
Hi Mrs. Mecomber. I’ve had Crohn’s for 30 years. Yes the side effects with Prednisone are horrible. Luckily anymore they don’t dose use it for long periods of time, like they used to.
And yes, I know. I’ll be going camping next weekend and I don’t have a laptop. I will miss my computer for three days.