Moderately Confused by Jeff Stahler for March 13, 2024

What about the heart medicine that became Viagra? Or the diabetes meds people are now taking to lose weight?

Eventually you get to an age when short term side effects are an interesting surprise and talking point and long term side effects are something of a challenge to look forward to.

The only positive side effects occur if you don’t take that drug.

How about some with special effects for a change?

That would be things like lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, lower risk of heart attacks and whatever other thing the drugs are prescribed to prevent or improve.

“I’m positive you’ll have side effects…”

Wouldn’t we all?

In most cases, the side effects are worse than the ailment. “Thoughts of suicide” or “death” … for a cold medication.

Actually, I wouldn’t mind labels I can read. Lots of room for brand hype, teeny little dark patch for instructions and warnings.

Sometimes even magnifying glass doesn’t help, so I either try to scan and enlarge [works sometimes] or take a photo [with actual camera] and enlarge. That works.

And they talk about caring.

As @PurePaul says above, the side effects include nearly every thing that test subjects experience, without verifying that the medication was the cause.

Aspirin, the most under appreciated anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, pain reliever, has the side effect of reducing the probability of strokes or heart attacks.

My wife is a nurse and whenever one of her patients is taking a medication, she goes out to the web and pulls the sheet on it. Some medications have 6 pages of side effects.

If one in ten thousand people have a reaction that MIGHT be a result of the drug, it is reported as a side effect.

Nonetheless, I am reluctant to take a medication if one of the side effects is death.

That’s the main effect.

The positive side effects are the ones they’re prescribed for, like saving your ungrateful life!

a side effect of my gout medication is gout

My meds have severe side effects. They prevent me from spiraling into destructive and suicidal actions resulting in a need to work and pay taxes. It’s painful but worth it.

“Are you sure you’re experiencing side effects?”

“Positive.”

Why is it that we only “treat” illnesses now instead of “cure” illnesses? Surely they don’t let people stay ill to purchase medications over and over for life. Surely it’s not to have patients return time after time to visit the doctors, or labs, or therapist, over and over again? Surely the medical and pharmaceutical industry wouldn’t do that just for MONEY…..would they? You darn right they would…..and they do.

The positives are the effects. Like, “not dying”, for example.

A side effect of the Finasteride I take to shrink my prostate has helped me regrow hair it’s the same Med as Rogaine. Win Win!

To be fair, sometimes you get better and keep living. But sometimes…well…you know….

Drugs are poisons with positive side effects, according to a documentary I once saw on medical research (“Pain, Pus, and Poison” — worth watching).

Sweetie, the positive side effects are the reason you’re taking the medicine