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.
Why Popular Heartburn Drugs PPIs Are Linked to P…
Millions of people take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to suppress the secretion of stomach acid. The last time we checked, doctors wrote over 100 million prescriptions for drugs like dexlansoprazole (…
Have We Forsaken Mentally Ill Patients?
According to the CDC, “More than 1 in 5 US adults live with a mental illness.” Some have anxiety or PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), while others may suffer from bipolar disorder or schizoph…
Amlodipine (Norvasc) Side Effects
For reasons that remain somewhat mysterious to us, amlodipine (Norvasc) is one of the most popular blood pressure medications in the pharmacy. This calcium channel blocker lowers blood pressure in par…
Clonidine (Catapres) Side Effects & Complic…
Clonidine is an old drug by any standard. It was developed by Boehringer Ingelheim in the early 1960s to treat nasal congestion. The idea was to administer clonidine as nose drops. But the medication …
Prednisone Can Cause Anxiety, Depression and Ins…
Corticosteroids are both a blessing and a curse. They can calm a serious allergic reaction and reduce inflammation. People with asthma may profit from a drug like prednisone during a flareup. Patients…
Will Ketamine Really Battle Life-Long Depression…
People with depression have a really tough time. Not only does the condition suck all of the joy out of life, the medications used to treat it have some potentially serious side effects. Moreover, ant…
Will Ozempic Lead to Hair Loss?
Over the past several years, the FDA has approved a number of injectable medications designed to help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar. You may have seen some of them advertised o…
Can Statins Cause Memory Loss and Transient Glob…
The relationship between statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs and memory problems has been controversial for decades. When we first wrote about a link between drugs like atorvastatin (Lipitor), lova…
Many Drugs Cause Bad Dreams
If you have ever been awakened by a frightening dream, you know the feeling of terror it can produce. Once you are fully awake, you may feel relieved that your nightmare wasn't real. On the other hand…
Is Hormone Therapy Safe for Menopausal Women?
For the last 30 years, experts have warned women that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) posed a risk for both breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. That's because the first really large, randomize…
Veozah Is A New Non-Hormonal Drug for Hot Flashe…
On May 12, 2023 the FDA announced that it "approved Veozah (fezolinetant), an oral medication for the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms, or hot flashes, caused by menopause...It works…
Is Fish Oil Linked to Heart Rhythm Changes?
Could a supplement that people take for heart health actually lead to heart rhythm changes? Most people take fish oil with the expectation that it will lower their likelihood of a heart attack or stro…
Should Doctors Prescribe Ozempic for Weight Loss…
If you have been reading our newsletter, you know that semaglutide is one of the hottest medications in the pharmacy. As I write this, the Food and Drug Administration is reporting that this self-inje…
Probiotic Can Help Prevent C. Diff Due to Antibi…
Have you ever experienced a bad bout of diarrhea after finishing a course of antibiotics? This reaction is not uncommon. Now, researchers are beginning to recognize that often this problem is caused b…
The Dark Side of Cortisone Shots: Joint Deterior…
You have no doubt heard about “steroids.” By the way, this is a terrible term! It causes nothing but confusion. We promise not to overwhelm you with chemistry. The core structure of steroids can b…
Fluoride Exposure and Thyroid, Kidney and Liver …
According to the CDC, nearly 3/4 of the American population on "community water systems" have fluoride exposure from their water. That's more than 200 million people. Growing up ,I remember hearing ra…
Is Donanemab a Breakthrough Against Alzheimer…
The news from Eli Lilly about its experimental Alzheimer's drug donanemab was upbeat. Some might say the headlines were downright euphoric: The company's headline on May 3, 2023 stated: "Lilly's Donan…
Pharmacists’ Biggest Secret (About Themselves)
Dennis Miller, R.Ph. is a retired chain store pharmacist. His book, The Shocking Truth About Pharmacy: A Pharmacist Reveals All the Disturbing Secrets, can be downloaded in its entirety at Amazon fo…
Will Chinese Herb Andrographis Ease Misery of Fl…
As we move into spring, flu season is receding. We will not hear public health announcements urging us to get our flu shots for another six months. But the question remains: what can you do if you cat…
Is Hair Loss a Side Effect of Wegovy and Ozempic…
The hottest drugs in weight control these days are Wegovy and Ozempic. Ozempic does not have FDA approval for weight loss, but this injectable diabetes drug contains the exact same ingredient as Wegov…
Cortisone Injections Can Have Devastating Effect…
What will the doctor offer you if you have a stubborn pain in a joint? Frequently, physicians turn to cortisone injections to ease the pain for a while. Before you agree to such treatment, make sure y…
Reclast Side Effects Incapacitate Patient
Before agreeing to take any medication, people should be aware of the benefits and risks. There are a number of drugs that are used to combat osteoporosis, which is certainly a benefit. But all of the…
St. John’s Wort Can Lift Mood, But May Dam…
About twenty years ago, people who were reluctant to take prescription antidepressants were excited to learn that the herbal medicine St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) could help alleviate mild t…
Do Your Medicines Suppress Your Vitamin D?
People who are interested in keeping their immune system functioning well–and who isn't, these days–know that vitamin D is critical. But how can you make sure that your level of the sunshine vitam…
When Treating Hyperthyroidism Results in Too Lit…
An overactive thyroid gland that pumps out too much thyroid hormone can be extremely uncomfortable or even dangerous. When this condition is caused by the immune system attacking the thyroid gland, it…
Is There a Natural Herbal Remedy for Colds?
Colds that hit late in the season can be especially nasty. We heard from a reader who has really suffered. Might an herbal remedy for colds offer relief? Spring Colds Are Miserable: Q. I have a terrib…
Statins and Muscle Pain: What Else Can He Do To …
One cornerstone of preventive cardiology is controlling LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels. Doctors use statin drugs as their primary tools in this effort. Many people respond well to th…
Should You Use NasalCrom for Your Allergies?
How do you manage your allergy symptoms? Sneezing, stuffiness and itchy red eyes are more than a bother. Unfortunately, many of the medicines you might take for relief can have unpleasant side effects…
Why Is Pharmacy Pushing to Refill Prescriptions?
Sometimes the decisions a business makes appear obvious, but at other times you wonder why they make particular choices. We are all familiar with pharmacies as the place to fill a prescription that th…
Do You Take Your Pain Medicine for Granted?
If you are like most Americans the chances are very good that you have one of the following in your medicine cabinet or in a kitchen drawer: acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin …
Paradoxical Excitation from DPH Sleeping Pills
When you think about sleeping pills you probably imagine medications that make you drowsy. After all, the whole point of sleeping pills is to help you fall asleep easier. In recent years "PM" pain rel…
Bupropion
Overview Even before Prozac, there was Wellbutrin (bupropion). It was the first of a new generation of antidepressants and was introduced in 1985, almost two years before Prozac received FDA approval.…
Alcohol for Longer Life? How Much Is Enough and …
The benefits and risks of alcohol consumption have been controversial for decades. Some studies have suggested that “moderate” amounts of alcohol have health benefits. In other words, people who d…
If You Take Paxlovid, Will You Get Over COVID Mo…
It appears that most people have put COVID out of mind. That’s because 99% of people shopping, traveling and attending events are no longer wearing masks. We get it. DONE with COVID seems to be the …
Will Naloxone (Narcan) Really Save Lives?
I first heard about naloxone in graduate school over 50 years ago. It was relatively new, having been granted FDA approval in 1971. The Department of Pharmacology at the University of Michigan Medical…
Quinolone Antibiotics Can Cause Devastating Side…
Americans think of antibiotics as silver bullets. Our reverence for this type of medication is understandable. Before penicillin was developed, people routinely died from pneumonia and other infection…
Is Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Safe For a Dry Nose?
Vaseline Petroleum Jelly dates back over 140 years. The Vaseline patent was issued in 1872 to British chemist, Robert Chesebrough. He had traveled to Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1859 to check out the…
Statin Side Effects Are All In Your Head! Really…
Statin enthusiasts are committed to convincing patients that these cholesterol-lowering drugs do not cause side effects. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published statin guid…
How Can You Stop PM Sleeping Pills?
People with insomnia are caught between two hard rocks. On the one hand, they are told that lack of sleep can lead to all sorts of health problems including high blood pressure, forgetfulness, diabete…
Is It Safe to Take Alli for a Long Time?
We love the idea of losing weight with less effort. Perhaps that is why people seem to embrace new diet drugs when they become trendy. Although all the attention these last several months has been on …