People's Pharmacy: Is death an acceptable side effect?

[Guest guest]

http://www.buffalonews.com/185/story/242352.html

By Joe and Graedon

Updated: 01/03/08 9:48 AM

Would you take a medicine that listed death as a possible side effect?

Lots of people do. If you read drug ads in popular magazines, you

might end up wondering who would ever beg a doctor for a prescription.

Abilify is a case in point. This drug was originally approved to treat

schizophrenia but is now being advertised aggressively for bipolar

disorder (manic-depressive illness). One ad promotes the drug for

managing mood swings and implies that Abilify might help you " feel

more like yourself. "

That sounds appealing, but read on and you learn that elderly dementia

patients who take Abilify are at increased risk of death " when

compared with patients who are treated with a placebo (sugar pill). "

Not elderly, you say? Another complication is rare but potentially

fatal: neuroleptic malignant syndrome, characterized by " very high

fever, rigid muscles, shaking, confusion, sweating, or increased heart

rate and blood pressure. "

Abilify also can cause headache, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, vomiting,

constipation, dizziness, restlessness, high blood sugar, seizures,

uncontrollable facial movements and suicidal thoughts.

Speaking of suicidal thoughts, a widely advertised stop-smoking

medicine also comes with such a warning. Chantix commercials feature a

tortoise and a hare with the slogan, " It's all about getting there. "

There is a brief mention of side effects including " nausea, trouble

sleeping, changes in dreaming, constipation, gas and vomiting. " Such

symptoms sound like a small price to pay for help quitting smoking.

But read the prescribing information and you will discover that

Chantix has been linked to diarrhea, headache, high blood pressure,

changes in the sense of taste, nosebleeds, sweating, chest pain,

muscle cramps and pain, dizziness, anxiety, irritability and

depression.

Most people find such a list of side effects overwhelming and tend to

stop reading before they reach the end. Such symptoms may seem

abstract until someone like Pam shares her story: " I started taking

Chantix 3 1/2 weeks ago. At first I felt great and stopped smoking

after the first five days. The vivid, crazy dreams were even kind of

fun, but now I am so depressed I can barely get up in the morning. ...

All I want to do is sleep and cry. I thought about killing myself

yesterday. ... The nausea, stomach pain and constipation are so bad

it's been a chore to function. I have never suffered from depression

in my life, so I was kind of blindsided by all this.

" I didn't associate any of this with Chantix. My mother mentioned that

there were some horrible side effects associated with Chantix that she

just heard about on the news today. " Having read similar posts on our

Web site, Pam feels relieved to know she is not alone.

The point here is not that Chantix is a bad drug. Smoking puts health

at risk, and helping people quit is valuable.

All medications have risks, however. Even rare side effects do happen.

Whether the medicine is Abilify, Chantix or any other prescribed

medication, take a few minutes to read the small print. Being well

informed about risks and side effects could save your life.

www.PeoplesPharmacy.com

[Guest guest]

http://www.buffalonews.com/185/story/242352.html

By Joe and Graedon

Updated: 01/03/08 9:48 AM

Would you take a medicine that listed death as a possible side effect?

Lots of people do. If you read drug ads in popular magazines, you

might end up wondering who would ever beg a doctor for a prescription.

Abilify is a case in point. This drug was originally approved to treat

schizophrenia but is now being advertised aggressively for bipolar

disorder (manic-depressive illness). One ad promotes the drug for

managing mood swings and implies that Abilify might help you " feel

more like yourself. "

That sounds appealing, but read on and you learn that elderly dementia

patients who take Abilify are at increased risk of death " when

compared with patients who are treated with a placebo (sugar pill). "

Not elderly, you say? Another complication is rare but potentially

fatal: neuroleptic malignant syndrome, characterized by " very high

fever, rigid muscles, shaking, confusion, sweating, or increased heart

rate and blood pressure. "

Abilify also can cause headache, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, vomiting,

constipation, dizziness, restlessness, high blood sugar, seizures,

uncontrollable facial movements and suicidal thoughts.

Speaking of suicidal thoughts, a widely advertised stop-smoking

medicine also comes with such a warning. Chantix commercials feature a

tortoise and a hare with the slogan, " It's all about getting there. "

There is a brief mention of side effects including " nausea, trouble

sleeping, changes in dreaming, constipation, gas and vomiting. " Such

symptoms sound like a small price to pay for help quitting smoking.

But read the prescribing information and you will discover that

Chantix has been linked to diarrhea, headache, high blood pressure,

changes in the sense of taste, nosebleeds, sweating, chest pain,

muscle cramps and pain, dizziness, anxiety, irritability and

depression.

Most people find such a list of side effects overwhelming and tend to

stop reading before they reach the end. Such symptoms may seem

abstract until someone like Pam shares her story: " I started taking

Chantix 3 1/2 weeks ago. At first I felt great and stopped smoking

after the first five days. The vivid, crazy dreams were even kind of

fun, but now I am so depressed I can barely get up in the morning. ...

All I want to do is sleep and cry. I thought about killing myself

yesterday. ... The nausea, stomach pain and constipation are so bad

it's been a chore to function. I have never suffered from depression

in my life, so I was kind of blindsided by all this.

" I didn't associate any of this with Chantix. My mother mentioned that

there were some horrible side effects associated with Chantix that she

just heard about on the news today. " Having read similar posts on our

Web site, Pam feels relieved to know she is not alone.

The point here is not that Chantix is a bad drug. Smoking puts health

at risk, and helping people quit is valuable.

All medications have risks, however. Even rare side effects do happen.

Whether the medicine is Abilify, Chantix or any other prescribed

medication, take a few minutes to read the small print. Being well

informed about risks and side effects could save your life.

www.PeoplesPharmacy.com

[Guest guest]

http://www.buffalonews.com/185/story/242352.html

By Joe and Graedon

Updated: 01/03/08 9:48 AM

Would you take a medicine that listed death as a possible side effect?

Lots of people do. If you read drug ads in popular magazines, you

might end up wondering who would ever beg a doctor for a prescription.

Abilify is a case in point. This drug was originally approved to treat

schizophrenia but is now being advertised aggressively for bipolar

disorder (manic-depressive illness). One ad promotes the drug for

managing mood swings and implies that Abilify might help you " feel

more like yourself. "

That sounds appealing, but read on and you learn that elderly dementia

patients who take Abilify are at increased risk of death " when

compared with patients who are treated with a placebo (sugar pill). "

Not elderly, you say? Another complication is rare but potentially

fatal: neuroleptic malignant syndrome, characterized by " very high

fever, rigid muscles, shaking, confusion, sweating, or increased heart

rate and blood pressure. "

Abilify also can cause headache, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, vomiting,

constipation, dizziness, restlessness, high blood sugar, seizures,

uncontrollable facial movements and suicidal thoughts.

Speaking of suicidal thoughts, a widely advertised stop-smoking

medicine also comes with such a warning. Chantix commercials feature a

tortoise and a hare with the slogan, " It's all about getting there. "

There is a brief mention of side effects including " nausea, trouble

sleeping, changes in dreaming, constipation, gas and vomiting. " Such

symptoms sound like a small price to pay for help quitting smoking.

But read the prescribing information and you will discover that

Chantix has been linked to diarrhea, headache, high blood pressure,

changes in the sense of taste, nosebleeds, sweating, chest pain,

muscle cramps and pain, dizziness, anxiety, irritability and

depression.

Most people find such a list of side effects overwhelming and tend to

stop reading before they reach the end. Such symptoms may seem

abstract until someone like Pam shares her story: " I started taking

Chantix 3 1/2 weeks ago. At first I felt great and stopped smoking

after the first five days. The vivid, crazy dreams were even kind of

fun, but now I am so depressed I can barely get up in the morning. ...

All I want to do is sleep and cry. I thought about killing myself

yesterday. ... The nausea, stomach pain and constipation are so bad

it's been a chore to function. I have never suffered from depression

in my life, so I was kind of blindsided by all this.

" I didn't associate any of this with Chantix. My mother mentioned that

there were some horrible side effects associated with Chantix that she

just heard about on the news today. " Having read similar posts on our

Web site, Pam feels relieved to know she is not alone.

The point here is not that Chantix is a bad drug. Smoking puts health

at risk, and helping people quit is valuable.

All medications have risks, however. Even rare side effects do happen.

Whether the medicine is Abilify, Chantix or any other prescribed

medication, take a few minutes to read the small print. Being well

informed about risks and side effects could save your life.

www.PeoplesPharmacy.com

[Guest guest]

http://www.buffalonews.com/185/story/242352.html

By Joe and Graedon

Updated: 01/03/08 9:48 AM

Would you take a medicine that listed death as a possible side effect?

Lots of people do. If you read drug ads in popular magazines, you

might end up wondering who would ever beg a doctor for a prescription.

Abilify is a case in point. This drug was originally approved to treat

schizophrenia but is now being advertised aggressively for bipolar

disorder (manic-depressive illness). One ad promotes the drug for

managing mood swings and implies that Abilify might help you " feel

more like yourself. "

That sounds appealing, but read on and you learn that elderly dementia

patients who take Abilify are at increased risk of death " when

compared with patients who are treated with a placebo (sugar pill). "

Not elderly, you say? Another complication is rare but potentially

fatal: neuroleptic malignant syndrome, characterized by " very high

fever, rigid muscles, shaking, confusion, sweating, or increased heart

rate and blood pressure. "

Abilify also can cause headache, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, vomiting,

constipation, dizziness, restlessness, high blood sugar, seizures,

uncontrollable facial movements and suicidal thoughts.

Speaking of suicidal thoughts, a widely advertised stop-smoking

medicine also comes with such a warning. Chantix commercials feature a

tortoise and a hare with the slogan, " It's all about getting there. "

There is a brief mention of side effects including " nausea, trouble

sleeping, changes in dreaming, constipation, gas and vomiting. " Such

symptoms sound like a small price to pay for help quitting smoking.

But read the prescribing information and you will discover that

Chantix has been linked to diarrhea, headache, high blood pressure,

changes in the sense of taste, nosebleeds, sweating, chest pain,

muscle cramps and pain, dizziness, anxiety, irritability and

depression.

Most people find such a list of side effects overwhelming and tend to

stop reading before they reach the end. Such symptoms may seem

abstract until someone like Pam shares her story: " I started taking

Chantix 3 1/2 weeks ago. At first I felt great and stopped smoking

after the first five days. The vivid, crazy dreams were even kind of

fun, but now I am so depressed I can barely get up in the morning. ...

All I want to do is sleep and cry. I thought about killing myself

yesterday. ... The nausea, stomach pain and constipation are so bad

it's been a chore to function. I have never suffered from depression

in my life, so I was kind of blindsided by all this.

" I didn't associate any of this with Chantix. My mother mentioned that

there were some horrible side effects associated with Chantix that she

just heard about on the news today. " Having read similar posts on our

Web site, Pam feels relieved to know she is not alone.

The point here is not that Chantix is a bad drug. Smoking puts health

at risk, and helping people quit is valuable.

All medications have risks, however. Even rare side effects do happen.

Whether the medicine is Abilify, Chantix or any other prescribed

medication, take a few minutes to read the small print. Being well

informed about risks and side effects could save your life.

www.PeoplesPharmacy.com