*I'd Rather Be Sick*!

[Guest guest]

As some of our members may recall, this is a favorite article of

mine and worth posting again for the benefit of our new folk:

Ellen

(NSR on Dofetilide)

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*I'd Rather Be Sick! "

According to a recent television commercial, an injectible

contraceptive is 99.7% effective. With possible side effects like

decreased sexual desire, convulsions, weight gain, fatigue, acne,

problems with eyesight, rashes, depression and hot flashes - why

wouldn't it be? How can you have sex when you're an overweight,

tired, semi-blind, depressed woman with acne, a bad headache and an

occasional seizure?

Recently Americans have been inundated by pharmaceutical advertising

on television and radio. These Ads which follow guidelines issued

by the Food and Drug Administration and must contain the medications'

side effects, are also on billboards, websites, subways and even

bathroom stalls. It used to be the doctor's job to tell us about

medication, now it's an announcer's. Has it occurred to these

companies that their Ads might be counterproductive, considering

that their products seem to cause more problems than they cure?

This idea first struck me when I had the Flu, complete with fever,

congestion and a cough. I learned that taking one prescription Flu

medication, my symptoms would be relieved, but that I was at risk of

developing bronchitis and other upper-respiratory infections. No,

thank you, I said.

I started noticing these Ads, like the one for allergy medication

that shows a vibrant woman swirling around in gorgeous pollinated

gardens. Music coaxes viewers into this daydream of sneezeless

springs, until a mile-a-minute voice-over cites all of the drug's

potential side effects and complications during clinical trials.

'Thismedicationmaycauseserioussideeffects.

Watchoutifyouhavehighbloodpressurediabetesheartdiseaseeyepressurethyr

idliverorkidneyproblemsenlargedprostate,ifyouarepregnantplanningtobe

nursing. Nottobecombinedwithantihistaminesordecongestants.'

When we buy clothing, do the tags warn us that hems might unravel or

the zippers stick?

Another allergy drug claims to offer 24hr relief. But who wouldn't

prefer itchy eyes and a runny nose to pharyngitis, coughing, and

nervousness? Of course, if you are nervous, you can take a drug

that claims it will calm you down, but the possibilities of

sweating, sexual discords and insomnia, however slim, might make you

even more nervous. If you need something to treat the insomnia, you

can try a drug to help you sleep, but there's a chance you'll wake

up to chills, facial paralysis and tongue discoloration

If you suffer from persistent heartburn, talk to your doctor about

the pill advertised to give you complete relief, possibly for 24hrs.

But you might need an extra dose after reading you could get

constipated, have incessant gas, feel confused and abnormally

aggressive, with an irritable colon. After a battle with those side

effects, that initial heartburn might be a relief.

If a deluge of bowel and digestive troubles isn't enough to make you

lose your appetite, then maybe taking a particular medication for

high cholesterol would be. It's side effects include chest pain,

face edema, neck rigidity, amnesia, taste perversions, deafness and,

oh, yes, impotence.

While worrying about an illness can be harrying, and learning about

the side effects of its treatment, scary, nothing could be more

daunting as hearing the *conflicting* side effects of these

medications. I have seen Ads warning the prospective

consumer/patient of diarrhea *and* constipation. What should you

do, stock up on rice - or prunes?

A rheumatoid arthritis medication has a picture of woman laughing,

playing in the pool with a child. 'I can't believe I'm feeling this

good,' the caption reads. But one of the listed side effect seems

much worse than even terrible arthritis: Death. How much better can

a medicine make you feel if you know that taking it could kill you?

Scary stuff. Makes me tense. I was thinking of popping something

for it. But tense is fine. Tense is good. I can live with tense.

Especially compared to prolonged facial swelling and nosebleeds. "

Author: Polly Volk Blitzer

Polly Volk Blitzer is a writer and copy editor for " Marie "

Magazine

Just me,

Ellen