The phrase “may come with side effects” doesn’t stir up much concern for your well-being these days. Let’s be honest; most of the time you don’t even bother to read what they are. The worst your prescription drugs can do to your wellness is a few unwanted bowel movements or a slightly queasy feeling, right? Unfortunately, there’s a reason why certain drugs are only available via prescription; the side effects could leave you with some serious health concerns.
1. Amnesia. Though, in the movies, amnesia is usually caused by a head injury or traumatic emotional event in a character’s life, in real life it can affect you simply because of the medication you’re taking. For example, if you’re taking Mirapex or pramipexole for Parkinson’s disease or Restless Leg Syndrome, temporary amnesia is a fairly common side effect and you need to go on a different drug to cure it. You may also experience amnesia from cholesterol-lowering drugs, known as statins.
2. Loss of senses. Your senses are so important as they connect you to the rest of the world. Can you imagine not being able to taste cake anymore? Or smell dinner cooking in the other room? Vasotec or enalapril – which is used to treat congestive heart failures and high blood pressure – can adversely affect all of your senses, causing loss of smell, loss of taste, blurred vision and ringing in the ears. Also, according to a study from the University of Minnesota, going on Viagra for long periods of time can lead to permanent blindness.
3. Hallucinations. Mirapex is another culprit in this area, but you also need to be wary of hallucinations before taking Lariam. If you go travelling, you might be prescribed this drug to prevent malaria, but reports of hallucinations grew in the early 2000s, such as snakes crawling on the ceiling and hiding demons in the closet. It’s best just to take an alternative malaria medication, especially if you have a history of psychosis or depression.
4. Night terrors. If you’re using Champix to help you quit smoking, it can cause nightmares and even night terrors, which cause you to wake up screaming and moaning. Also, drugs that induce sleep, such as Lunesta/Eszopiclone and Zolfresh/zolpidem, cause night terrors, as well as other weird sleep behaviour. You can eat, talk, walk, drive and even have sex in your semi-conscious state and have no recollection later.
5. Birth defects. When you’re pregnant, the doctor will give you an exhaustive list of medicines that you can safely take. This is because even a couple of dosages of the wrong medicine, can result in you giving birth to a deformed baby. In the 50s, thalidomide was infamous for causing more than 10,000 women to give birth to babies with no limbs or extremely short limbs. If you’re on Accutane for treating acne, getting pregnant is an absolute no-no, as your baby can also have the disease that causes limb defects; phocomelia.