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What You Should Know About Your Medication's Side Effects

Prescription and over-the-counter medications can have side effects that you should be aware of before you take them for the first time. Health professionals and pharmacists should tell you about any known side effects. You should also know that some medications could react when taking alcohol, nicotine or other prescription medications. There can be long-term and short-term consequences and side effects of taking drugs. Some common medications can cause injury, pain or symptoms of mental health disorders.

Pain relievers, stimulants and tranquilizers (both legal and illegal) can produce symptoms of confusion, depression and insomnia. When your doctor prescribes one of these medications for you, ask about the known side effects listed by the manufacturer of the medication.

Medications are made of chemicals that can cause side effects. Common side effects are nausea, blurred vision, mood swings, emotional upsets, and can even cause confusion, dizziness.

Some foods should not be taken with certain medications.

Certain drugs are addictive, can impair brain function, cause mood swings and disturb normal sleep patterns.

Did you know that pain relievers, anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxers and sedatives could have the side effect of agitation?

Did you know that pain relievers, drugs for angina relief, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, antihistamines, anti-inflammatory drugs, cold and cough drugs, steroids, decongestants, and sedatives could cause the side effect of confusion?

Antidepressants can cause those taking them to experience concentration problems?

Antidepressants can cause delusions, disorientation, euphoria, hallucinations, insomnia, and also nightmares.

Certain types of medications are known to have side effects including heart disease medications, pain relievers, cholesterol-lowering medications, antidepressants, blood thinners, sedatives, antibiotics, water pills, narcotic pain relievers, drugs that are taken for stomach or intestinal problems.

Side effects are not only uncomfortable; they can cause individuals to stop taking the medication because of the side effect. When the medication is stopped without a doctor's advice, there can be consequences such as when a patient is being treated for bipolar disorder (manic depression) and stops medication abruptly, causing unusual behavior because of the abrupt withdrawal of the medicine in the bloodstream.

Antidepressants have common side effects such as nausea, dry mouth, diarrhea or constipation, sexual issues, dizziness, difficulty sleeping, drowsiness, experiencing weight changes (loss or gain), and anxiety and agitation. If the patient discusses any side effects experienced with the doctor, then the doctor can adjust the dosage, change the time the dosage is taken or even change the medication to another medication. Different individual may respond to the same medication differently. It may take several tries before the correct medication is found. Some antidepressants can even increase the risk for suicide; so young people should be carefully monitored until they are regulated on any new dosage or new medicine.

Prednisone is a corticosteroid and has many common side effects including increased appetite, indigestion issues, nervousness or restlessness. If an individual on prednisone experiences darkening or lightening skin color, dizziness, or flushing of face or cheeks, hiccups, increased sweating or a sensation of spinning they should contact their doctor immediately. Any corticosteroid can lower your resistance to infections, so any infection you get while on prednisone can be harder to treat.