I'm sure we've all seen the ads on television or in a magazine or on the internet. Drug companies push their pills in our faces as if we'll die in the next 30 seconds without them! I'm not sure what percentage the commercials on television are of prescription drug ads, but I bet it's high. At least a third, I think...

Ever wonder about them? Advair, a drug that is supposed to help with asthma, can increase the chance of you dying from an asthma attack. Drugs meant to treat things like depression and fibromyalgia can cause or increase suicidal thoughts, something both diseases already do by themselves! That new drug to help you quite smoking? It can cause increased aggression, which can lead to who knows what else.

Oh, and let's not forget the amount of drugs on the market that have the side effect of death, something they like to slip in at the end of their list in a nonchalant manner, as if it isn't a big deal.

So my question is, do the possible benefits of these drugs really outweigh the risks of taking them?

I think that this specifically depends on two things:

The drug itself (and what it's intended to treat).

The person taking it.

Some people get horrible side effects, some get none.

I think it's really a personal choice.

The side effects are different for everyone, and just because you have a bad side effect with one type from a group of drugs doesn't mean you'll have the same problem with a different drug used to treat the same condition.

I was dealing with the beginnings of depression for a year, and then the intensity of an actual depression for another six months before I started taking anti-depressants. I made the decision to go on them because I had been seeing a therapist for several months and the growth of my suicidal thoughts had begun to worry me. First I went on Prozac and although my suicidal thoughts increased during that period; whose to say that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been taking it? After that I tried Citalopram which I didn't feel the benefits of either. However during these difficult months I did also take an anti-psychotic called Chlorpromazine, which I really found helped with my anxiety. Although I did experience intense suicidal thoughts whilst taking these drugs, the anti-psychotic was able to calm me down and probably saved my life. I honestly don't know what I'd do without it. And before anyone quotes that as an addiction, I'd clarify that I don't depend on it, but without it my troubling experiences really increase to the point where I'm scared not to take it. Maybe that's a disadvantage of taking it I don't know.

So really it's down to personal experience and discretion; some people may find medication helps, where as other people may find they just aren't worth the risk. However for mental illnesses like depression, it isn't safe to rely on medication to cure the problem alone; you have to engage in therapy to deal with the thoughts you are having.

Sometimes the side effects of the drugs can really scare me, for example I tried a new anti-depressant recently called Trazodone but it gave me a very violent migraine and made me horribly sick through out the whole day. I stopped taking it because although I couldn't guarantee that the medication had caused the migraine, I had never experienced a migraine before taking it and therefore I thought it was likely to be connected. This bad experience hasn't put me off trying other anti-depressants in the future though, however currently my doctor is only keeping me on Chlorpromazine.

Personally, I really think that the lesser side effects can still make the medication worthwhile, because some of these prescriptive drugs, particularly in my case can really change someone's attitude and way of life.

I honestly think that they shouldn't advertise all those prescription drugs over the T.V. It's best to go to your doctor and get what YOU need, and what not the T.V. tells you what you should try. And what I've noticed with a lot of those prescriptions drugs is - that most of the commercial is talking about side effects than what the drug actually does. It doesn't seem worth it to me. I'd rather go without it.

But I'd said, go to your doctor and see what they want you to take. I myself take medicine for my epilepsy. And of course what I take has some side effects. Taking my meds makes me a bit drowsy. Solution, take them at night. Also they give me a higher chance of gum disease (or something like that), solution - go to the dentist.

Originally Posted by Laila Izuka

Taking my meds makes me a bit drowsy. Solution, take them at night.

That's not necessarily a solution for everyone though; sure, fair enough if you only have to take them once a day. But for my medication (which also makes me extremely drowsy with little warning) I have to take it in the morning so it is in my system throughout the whole day. There are alot of medicines which require you to take the pills at a certain time in the day or after a certain activity (for example, eating), so simply saying take the medication before you sleep doesn't really solve the problem because not everyone can do that.

I wasn't really thinking about personal preference and risk when I made this thread... Frankly, I'm appalled at the types of things that are passed by the FDA (though only mildly surprised, as I trust the entire FDA as far as I can throw it, and seeing as it is a large government agency, that isn't far at all). I am aware that the side effects do not affect everyone, and generally if something serious like a death is reported during a clinical trial it is very rare... But some of these medications, especially the ones that deal with psychological issues, can increase the symptoms of whatever it is they're supposed to be treating, and that seems not only counterproductive but dangerous.

I know that in a lot of cases some of these medications are lifesavers to those who take them, but isn't there a less risky method of doing the same thing?

*coughs* Of course, you know, this could easily turn into a discussion on our current overdependence on chemical drugs to treat the things that ail us when alternative treatements are avaliable. >_>

Also, I agree with you, Laila... The drugs that are meant to treat us are getting way to commercial and corporate.

All drugs are dangerous. You can overdose virtually on anything but you have to take enough of a substance to build up a toxic level in your body. Medicine works by taken a certain amount which will cause a therapeutic effect. Unfortunately the therapeutic dose of a drug can over lap with the toxic level of drug, hence the unpleasant side effects.

To add to Una's post, Everything can be harmful if taken in excess, not just drugs.

In my opinion, drugs/medication/over-the-counter are being way too commercialized and used by people that don't really need them. I, myself, have fallen victim to relying on Tylenol for every little headache I have. I used to have the headache and just simply get over it by sheer willpower, but now I must rely on man's creations to soothe me. It's rather disgusting, but unfortunately it is the truth :(

Over the counter drugs do have that potential to be misused unintentionally. For example I kept getting headaches, like Tutela, so I would take paracetamol. Although it controlled the pain it did not stop the headaches from reoccurring. It wasn't until I had my eyes tested that I found out my glasses' prescription was too strong for me, and thus were causing my headaches. Thankfully now I do not get headaches :)

My biggest concern with the commercials etc.....

Has anyone else noticed the drastic increase in lawsuits over prescribed medications causing serious health problems?

So many drugs they come out with now are obviously not tested very well when after being on the market for a year (or 5 years) it turns out they were the cause of so many other health related issues.

I myself have gone through this for an anti-depressant I was on as a teenager that they later discovered caused sever dental decay. And of course dental is not an insurance covered for MANY people, and this drug never did have the lawsuits that so many now have as it was so long ago.

Now I find out that some of the other medications I have been on, including birth control, can and have been known to cause serious problems including cervical cancer.

While some of us do honestly need some forms of medication it has made me scared to take anything. I have gone off every prescription I have, which with my health issues are more than a few, in the last few years because of this. I live with constant pain from ruptured disks because I am afraid to even take Tylenol at this point (after so long of that type of thing, many years, it can build up and cause liver damage).

I think our doctors, etc need to go back to actually caring about their patients and stop "working for" the drug companies. The commercials should be banned, as they leaad people to believe this next "new" drug will be what they need and the doctors tend to prescribe things without the proper testing just because the patient says they think it will help them based on a commercial.

Sorry if that was rant-ish and half off topic, but people need to realize how bad this system is getting.

I think legiation has gone mad. I wouldn't be inclined to say that pharmaceutical companies rush drugs out on to the shelves. Honestly it is cheaper to launch a shuttle into space then it is to launch a drug, and there is so much legislation it takes approximately 7 years of clinical trails for a drug to passed. Logically a drug company would want to make sure that a drug was safe before giving to the public, otherwise the public would sue and they would go bust pretty quickly. You are right about drugs being pulled off the market because of various issues. In Britain the British National Formulary, the drug bible to all hospitals and staff, is republished every month to include any changes ect.
Living in the UK we don't have problems with doctors affiliated with pharmaceutical companies, but I can see how it can be problematic. :(

I personally agree with this: Hooray for youtube music video goodness. :)
I suggest listening to the music first then watching the video, because the words in the video aren't the lyrics. Confused me at first. xD Good video though. :D

Great thread. I think it is important to make an informed choice when it comes to using medications because the risks are great but often the benefits are too. People should not trust others to inform them of everything they might need to know. Some people might think the chance is worth it others might think it is just too great and the risks often have such life impact that a person really needs to ask themselves if it is something that they could deal with if the worst happened.

I think that really depends on what drug you're taking and its potential risks.
Take, for example, birth control. We all know it can cause blood clots, but for the majority of women the risk of pregnancy is FAR higher than the risk of blood clots.

I never saw the point of drug commercials. If a person needs those drugs, a doctor should prescribe them based on the person's individual need, not on the fact that they saw a commercial for it. And half the commercial is just side effects anyway, which usually makes the drug just look bad. :\
Medications need to be decided upon by the doctor and the patient, not by the media.

Melancholy - Well, I do take them one a day, every day. And I have to take them with some food, so that way my meds work with the food, or something like that, and doesn't mess with the rest of my body.

Sen Lee - They are, and it drives me crazy. Most of the commercials I see these days are about drugs that people should take if they have this or that. But there are also those lawsuit commercials that come in handy for those that get hurt by the drugs that are thrown on the market.

Una - That almost happened to me. I was at a toxic level with my medicine (and my doctor's told me how many meds I should be taking at the time). It was hard for me to concentrate on anything (not ADD, but just spacey). My eyes would keep spazzing (so if you looked me in the eyes, and told me to follow a pen with my eyes, they would spazz and stuff). My level was at 49, and the safe area is between 5 and 10 (or something close to that). Either way, it was a good thing that nothing happened to me.

I believe that the small risk of taking perscription drugs is worth it. The chance of having serious side effects is very low. I've been taking several perscription drugs a day ever since I was a little kid because of my hearing loss and not once have I had side effects. I can't even name all the percriptions I've been on.

@ Laila Izuka: It does happen and sometimes people have a greater sensitivity to a drug so what is a normal dose for one person could be toxic for another. My sister had a rare reaction to a chemical in the contraceptive pill. She kept getting migraines and one morning she woke up and was blind. We took her too the hospital and found out she had hypertension in the brain.
Plus people's conditions change over time. When I worked in accident and emergency we use to get a lot of people who had collapsed/fainted because they were taking high blood pressure medication when they no longer had high blood pressure.

Originally Posted by una

@ Laila Izuka: It does happen and sometimes people have a greater sensitivity to a drug so what is a normal dose for one person could be toxic for another. My sister had a rare reaction to a chemical in the contraceptive pill. She kept getting migraines and one morning she woke up and was blind. We took her too the hospital and found out she had hypertension in the brain.
Plus people's conditions change over time. When I worked in accident and emergency we use to get a lot of people who had collapsed/fainted because they were taking high blood pressure medication when they no longer had high blood pressure.

Yup, though I had been taking six pills a day for awhile. And then my blood tests showed I was taking too much. So I got lowered down to four a day, and I'm doing just fine now. I'm not sure what would of happened to me if my doctor hadn't found out my level was that high later on.

Wow, is your sister fine now, or is she still blind??? I would of totally freaked out if that were to of happened to me. Or anything else like that. But if people are having bad side effects, or minor ones, it's always a good idea to check with your doctor. Because you never know when something bad might happen.

Originally Posted by Laila Izuka

Yup, though I had been taking six pills a day for awhile. And then my blood tests showed I was taking too much. So I got lowered down to four a day, and I'm doing just fine now. I'm not sure what would of happened to me if my doctor hadn't found out my level was that high later on.

You need to find the right dose that suits you. Some people require less or more of a drug. Sometimes it takes a bit of trail and error.

Originally Posted by Laila Izuka

Wow, is your sister fine now, or is she still blind??? I would of totally freaked out if that were to of happened to me. Or anything else like that. But if people are having bad side effects, or minor ones, it's always a good idea to check with your doctor. Because you never know when something bad might happen.

She's okay now, but she had slight brain damage which resulted in an involuntary twitch in her her left arm- it usually happens when she carrying coffee or someone is handing her change, we try to see the funny side of it. It was a very rare side effect.

I've been taking medication since I was in middle school for my ADHD and it has been a godsend. If I didn't have the medication I have, I have a terrible time staying focused. I don't remember what all the side effects were, but I feel that the medication despite whatever side effects it may have.

I must apologize... I've been very tired lately and haven't felt much like thinking, so I've been avoiding this forum, and consequently, my own thread.

Okay, I have to point out that a lot of medications that are on the market for this or that have very mild side effects... one I see commercials for is Flomax, which is a medication for men with enlarged prostates. The effects for it are dry mouth, runny nose, and a decrease in sperm. o_o Big deal, right?

But that isn't really on the same level as a drug like Advair that is supposed to treat asthma, but runs the risk of increasing the chance of asthma related death. That seems counterproductive to me!

A lot of the commercials on these days are for depression medication, which is something that I don't agree with at all. I don't think it's right to go out dosing up depressed people with Prozac or what not, because all that does is put a band-aid on an arterial bleed! None of those medications treat the actual problem, and most of them don't even work all that well.

I've been dealing with depression for a long time... over a decade now. I learned one day what causes it, purely on accident. I moved out and was living on my own... I didn't have to work because I had other income. I didn't have to deal with people. I was stress free.

I was also depression free. I'd forgotten what it was like to go through a day not being tired or get angry at everything for no reason (I'm an angry depressed person o_O).

So I don't need drugs. I need either less stress, or a better way to deal with my stress.

Anywho, recently the FDA actually admitted to being pressured to release some medication that had seriously bad side effects. So I guess getting pressured gives you a scapegoat, but they won't admit to the other things 'cause they're bought off?

*has a really, really low opinion of the FDA*

Also, I'm still tired, and this isn't coming out right, so I think I'll get back with you guys later.

Originally Posted by una

You need to find the right dose that suits you. Some people require less or more of a drug. Sometimes it takes a bit of trail and error.




She's okay now, but she had slight brain damage which resulted in an involuntary twitch in her her left arm- it usually happens when she carrying coffee or someone is handing her change, we try to see the funny side of it. It was a very rare side effect.

Yeah, it was all about trial and error. My doctor was actually testing to see if I could get off my meds completely by reducing the amount that I took. Ended up with me having seizures (that I couldn't feel) every few seconds. They were just small ones, but could of ended in a bigger one that could of affected me.

That's good then I suppose. I guess that it could of been worse for her. I'm glad that she is doing better :3. And a twitch like that would drive me crazy. I hope that it doesn't happen too often to her. But from the sounds of it, she should be careful when she's driving o.O

Here's someone stuck on two prescription drugs daily for life, a third as needed, and probably gonna need more. Been falling apart for most of my life, especially so for the past year...it's my mother's fault. But anyway...

Thing is, the side effects of some of these things I'm on drive me nuts. I can hardly keep myself awake during a normal day. Can't drive because of my disorder, when I'm finally cleared I won't be able to anyway because of the pills. XD; Yes....I hate these things I'm stuck on.

But the thing is, I need them. If I weren't on them, I'd be in much worse shape than falling asleep all the time. My doctor and I have worked a lot to find the lowest effective dose of all of them for me (shame they still put me to sleep XD;;), and I have to keep myself on a strict schedule to make sure I don't have any kind of problems from getting the doses too far apart or close together (knocked myself out like that once...was NOT fun), but for the most part I'm okay.

I do think that some prescription drugs are terribly overprescribed, though - antidepressants, birth control pills (I know people who have been on those for PMS - not sexually active, totally regular periods, no worse cramping and whatnot than most women; newsflash, WE HAVE MIDOL FOR THAT), painkillers, and sleep aids being the easiest examples I can list. And the fact that there's a pill for everything, of course with potential side effects worse than the original condition...
Can't sleep? Take this pill - you'll sleep like a baby, and may throw yourself out a window while doing so! Sore joints? Take this pill and and feel no pain - until your liver fails. Can't get it up? Take this pill and you might not be able to get it down!* *Please note that this is a serious condition that can cause permanent damage, seek medical help immediately.

While some of these medicines are necessary, yes, I think many doctors rush to prescribe the highest dose their patient will tolerate (more money that way, after all!), despite the safety risks, and in many cases these medicines are outright unneeded. Like I said, you DON'T need birth control pills for garden-variety PMS. There are alternatives for that that DON'T carry the increased risk of blood clots and possible long-term side effects. Most people can get by with natural alternatives to prescription sleep aids. Warm milk works wonders. You're like me and don't like milk, make chocolate milk, heat it up, you've got hot cocoa that'll knock you out.

Really, though this overprescription crisis is partially the doctors' and pharmaceutical companies' fault for being so quick to prescribe the drugs, it's also partially the patients' fault for allowing themselves to be tricked into thinking they need this and that when they don't. Have we lost ourselves so much that we can't suck it up and deal with pain, that we can't find some way to put ourselves to sleep? Do we as a society NEED a pill for everything?

Both doctors and consumers need to start seeing prescription medicines as what they really are - something meant to help cure, prevent, or manage an actual medical problem, not something to be thrown around willy-nilly because we've grown too weak to handle the pains of being human.

Well with out my prescription drugs I wouldn't die in 30 seconds but I most certainly would die within 30 days.

I am on blood thinners because I get blood clots chilling in my lungs. Being on them increases by chances of internal bleeding to death but with out them I would suffocate for sure.

It's all about balancing the risks.
Some doctors can be to quick to prescribe medicines. You just have to decide if the risks out weigh the benefits.

You know what I really love about all those perscription drugs you see advertised on TV? All the side effects that are rapidly announced for more than half of the commerical. If any of you have heard Jeff Foxworthy rant about it in his comedy? He hits it right on the nose. Sure this perscription may cure your itchy watery eyes, but it might also cause cancer, sinus pressure, inflammation, infection, higher blood pressure, COPD, ADD, ADHD, AIDS, luekemia, onsilitis, fungal infection, and ultimately death... all listed out in about ten seconds. I think I'll just keep my itchy watery eyes thank you!