I am so afraid of side effects!

Tomlin Paul, 50 and living better

Imagine you are having severe headaches and visit your doctor. You are given a prescription for medication and told that it will definitely get rid of your headaches, but it could give you bad feeling, cause your eyes to get yellow and change the colour of your stool. Would you accept that prescription?

Many of you, I believe, would say no, or at least think hard about what you are getting into. If you are 50 and over, most likely you would have taken the drug being offered. It's the common over-the-counter medication called acetaminophen widely used for fever and headaches.

Side effects vs main effects

A drug which is approved to treat a particular condition will have a main effect, such as getting rid of your headache or bringing down your blood pressure. When the drug is being developed, there is also a search for its side effects. Of course, the ideal drug would have only its main or helpful effect and no side effects, but this is not the case. Let us accept then that all drugs can have side effects. Side effects can range from minor to more serious or lethal.

The fear of side effects

Drug advertisements, particularly those we see on cable TV, often leave us seeing the side effects in big print and forgetting that this drug has a main or helpful effect. Many individuals are now way ahead of their doctors in researching the very fine print on side effects and can end up anxious and paralysed by fear. So in addition to treating serious chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes, I have found myself daily having to treat an emerging and now common condition, 'the fear of side effects'.

Treating the fear of side effects

When you see the ads or read the fine print, you see the phrase 'this drug may cause your eyes to get yellow'. It does not say that 'this drug will cause your eyes to get yellow'. So it may happen! Ask, therefore, about the chances of it happening. A common side effect will occur between one in 10 and one in 100 while a rare side effect takes place between one in 1,000 and one in 10,000 persons. Some of the side effects that are put in your face on cable TV are, in fact, quite rare.

Taking your chances

Many chronic diseases affecting you in the 50s and beyond, if not controlled, have a high chance of seriously damaging your vital organs. Controlling them by a mix of lifestyle changes, complementary interventions and medications when necessary is your best option. Talk with your doctor about the benefits of using medication, the kind of side effects, and how common they occur.

Get your check-up and get tested as needed for both the main effect or benefit of the medication and any potentially serious side effects. If you have an uncontrolled chronic disease and you are suffering from the 'fear of side effects' you may well be missing out on an opportunity for living longer and better.

Dr Tomlin Paul is a family physician at Health Plus Associates in Kingston; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.