- Jul 26, 2010
- 2,969
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The side effects list has to list EVERYTHING that has EVER happened to ANYONE taking the drug with no judgement as to whether the drug caused it, causes it only in certain situations, or only causes it when the person is suffering from another disease.
For example, aspirin side effects include everything people get from taking huge overdoses of aspirin.
The side effects lists have to list EVERYTHING - whether they occur rarely or frequently. They say nothing about what percentage of people the given side effect would get.
If you suffer from a lifethreatening disease like obesity and nothing else has helped you lose weight, if you and your doctor agree that something could help you - DO IT! Some people lose weight without additional help - for those who cannot, meet with your doctor and discuss your options. Don't discard options simply because of an advertisement.
I took a medication for asthma and I came in with symptoms of dizziness and blurred vision. I very proudly told the nurse practitioner I'd looked the medication up on the internet and that dizziness and blurred vision were a side effect of the medication.
The nurse's eyes got as big as saucers - 'that is so rare that it is VERY unlikely this medication is responsible'. She sent me for a CAT scan, I had an extensive sinus infection that if not treated, would have gotten into my brain and killed me. I had to take antibiotics to remove the infection, and we had to completely change my asthma management program to prevent this from happening again.
It's not good to make assumptions about drugs based on advertising or internet information.
With new medications, I tend to wait a year or so until more information accumulates with real-world use. However, many drugs are simply combinations (often combinations people have taken separately for decades) or slight reformulations of drugs that have been out on the market for decades - in those cases I feel there's little justification to not treating a life threatening disease with that medication.
Other than that, I don't feel avoiding a medication that might help a person, is wise. Overweight can lead to joint damage, spinal disk damage, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. High fat diets and overweight have even been linked with a number of cancers.
These things kill so many people and disable so many others and cause great limitations to their lives and reduction in quality of life. These 'lifestyle' diseases are what are ruining our lives now. If a tested, evaluated, released medication could be useful to help a person manage their weight, the risks of using it may be far, far less than allowing the obesity to continue unchecked.
The degree of obesity in our country is a national horror, to be completely frank. I regard obesity and a medical emergency, and studies even suggest it is a big reason for the high cost of medical care in the US. If you and your doctor find something that helps reduce obesity and feel would help you - go for it!
Even for young people, obesity is a very serious matter. It sets a pattern for those older years that may be very, very hard to break. It on;y gets worse, unless one takes action.
For example, aspirin side effects include everything people get from taking huge overdoses of aspirin.
The side effects lists have to list EVERYTHING - whether they occur rarely or frequently. They say nothing about what percentage of people the given side effect would get.
If you suffer from a lifethreatening disease like obesity and nothing else has helped you lose weight, if you and your doctor agree that something could help you - DO IT! Some people lose weight without additional help - for those who cannot, meet with your doctor and discuss your options. Don't discard options simply because of an advertisement.
I took a medication for asthma and I came in with symptoms of dizziness and blurred vision. I very proudly told the nurse practitioner I'd looked the medication up on the internet and that dizziness and blurred vision were a side effect of the medication.
The nurse's eyes got as big as saucers - 'that is so rare that it is VERY unlikely this medication is responsible'. She sent me for a CAT scan, I had an extensive sinus infection that if not treated, would have gotten into my brain and killed me. I had to take antibiotics to remove the infection, and we had to completely change my asthma management program to prevent this from happening again.
It's not good to make assumptions about drugs based on advertising or internet information.
With new medications, I tend to wait a year or so until more information accumulates with real-world use. However, many drugs are simply combinations (often combinations people have taken separately for decades) or slight reformulations of drugs that have been out on the market for decades - in those cases I feel there's little justification to not treating a life threatening disease with that medication.
Other than that, I don't feel avoiding a medication that might help a person, is wise. Overweight can lead to joint damage, spinal disk damage, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. High fat diets and overweight have even been linked with a number of cancers.
These things kill so many people and disable so many others and cause great limitations to their lives and reduction in quality of life. These 'lifestyle' diseases are what are ruining our lives now. If a tested, evaluated, released medication could be useful to help a person manage their weight, the risks of using it may be far, far less than allowing the obesity to continue unchecked.
The degree of obesity in our country is a national horror, to be completely frank. I regard obesity and a medical emergency, and studies even suggest it is a big reason for the high cost of medical care in the US. If you and your doctor find something that helps reduce obesity and feel would help you - go for it!
Even for young people, obesity is a very serious matter. It sets a pattern for those older years that may be very, very hard to break. It on;y gets worse, unless one takes action.
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