Do you trust medication when the side effects are worse than the disease?

[Hucket]

I was watching tv and came across one of these commercials for a new drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis. As an autoimmune disease one of the expected side effects is a lowered immune system response, making you suceptible to severe health issues from flus and colds. However other side effects included cancer and hemophilia (If I can find a website for the drug I will post a link)

So my question is, would you use a drug with such severe side effects? Also would you want to know the side effects, or that it just works?

 

[Anarchemitis]

If the side effects are worse than the disease, I would elect not to use the drugs, seeing as according to that line of logic which verifies one is less worse than the other, obviously without the drugs is the most ideal outcome from that set of options.

 

[Jedoro]

Hell no. I don't like taking medication anyways, but if there's a chance it can give me cancer, I'll live with the arthritis.

 

[AngelicSven]

I would probably not.

Interestingly, an anti-depressant Paxile has a side-effect to increase thoughts of and/or committing suicide in most people. That one really confused me.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

Maybe. If the disease is terminal with no chance of recovery, and the effects are the chance of death (super-death?) then I'll take it.

If it's something like face-melting for acne medication, then I wouldn't.

 

[Valate_v1legacy]

Not anymore.

A while ago I was prescribed Seroquel to "handle my depression"...

It didn't do that, it just made me tired, and I gained about 100 lbs (While dieting and exercising) in the time of about 3 months.

So no not really unless the gains REALLY outweigh the risks.

 

[emeraldrafael]

HUnh... I remember someone did a joke about how medicine cured a runny nose but gave you a leaky anus, and said you just moved the leak from my nose to my ass, and that pretty much sums up my opinion.

If someone can find the joke, I'd be grateful, cause I dont know who did it.

Also, kinda off topic, has anyone noticed how risk of using Anti Depressants included increased suicidal tendencies? suicides? I always thought that was rather funny in the morbid sense and that its just counterproductive.

 

[-Drifter-]

I remember seeing a commercial for an anti-depressant, and the list of possible risks went on forever. Not only that, but they included things like, say for sake of example, DEATH.

 

[Fangv2]

No.

What really makes me question the medicine is the fact that some cold medicines side-effects are basically a cold. Makes me go "What?".

 

[Exocet]

So I guess you won't buy my new drug,it's called cyanide.After taking a couple pills,you won't have any disease affecting you anymore,unfortunatly,as a side effect,you'll die.

 

[Ice Car]

Yes. I take meds for ADHD and one of the (albeit very rare) side effects are Stevens Johnsons Syndrome [http://www.skinassn.org/what-is-stevens-johnson-syndrome.html], which is a potentially fatal illness. The chances are immensely small though, so I trust it.

 

[dakorok]

I'm typically wary of chems in general. I try to avoid them, unless a doctor telles me to take them. Even then, I try to get off of them as soon as possible. I don't want any drugs messing up my body.

 

[Critical_Sneeze]

However other side effects included cancer and hemophilia (If I can find a website for the drug I will post a link)

So my question is, would you use a drug with such severe side effects? Also would you want to know the side effects, or that it just works?

My girlfriend takes about 30 different medications, including some immuno-suppressants. The list of side-effects is huge. Fortunately, side-effects that are listed in medications either come with a percentage chance of them occurring or are just incredibly rare.

 

[Not-here-anymore]

The anti-depressants I'm on have a list of side-effects longer than I am tall, and some of the ones that have affected me have been pretty annoying (the weight gain, for example). But overall, I'm glad to have the things.

But usually the side-effects are unrelated to whatever the medication is meant to be preventing, the worst ones are exceptionally rare, and you won't be prescribed the things if they'll cause worse than they prevent. Or so I hope

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Wait, why would I take medicine that makes me sicker than I already am? There's no net benefit.

 

[Catalyst6]

I probably would.

Bear in mind that those really nasty side-effects only might occur in maybe a tiny fraction of the users. Medicine can work differently depending on individual systems.

Plus, if the drugs had a high rate of those terrible effects then it would have been shot down during the FDA review.

Really, it's a game of probabilities. While some effects like the susceptibility to the common cold might hit everyone, you'd have a higher chance of winning the lottery than dying from arthritis cream.

 

[Gralian]

I generally take medicine regardless of any side effect warnings. I feel most companies just put that on the leaflet to cover their arse in case someone gets ill from unlisted side-effects and has a massive legal impact, up to and including suing the company in question.

However if i suspect i'm starting to feel to show any signs of said side effects, i'll stop taking the medication, or if it's prescribed, go see my doctor about changing it to something else.

 

[the-Wind]

Most arthritis drugs treat for pain (symptom) and actually can make the cause (inflamation) worse.
I have osteoarthritis which is not as severe as Rhumatoid and I take no medication. My pain and inflamation have been greatly reduced with Glucosomine/chondroitin and MSM. (supplements)

Excellent book on the subject 'the Arthritis Cure' by Dr. Theodoposakis.

Avoid letting your affected joints get chilled and maintain moderatetly high level of activity.

Don't forget Big Pharma spends more sending doctors on cruises for 'conferences' than it does on R&D. If the drug actually cured anything would it make money?

Big Pharma wants you dependant on them from cradle to grave. Find your health information yourself and take personal responsibility for it.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Depends on the disease. If the medication was going to make my life miserable for three months but ultimately save it, I would accept that. If the disease wasn't being effectively cured, I would look for alternative treatments.

 

[xdom125x]

I would probably not.

Interestingly, an anti-depressant Paxile has a side-effect to increase thoughts of and/or committing suicide in most people. That one really confused me.

Is it wrong that I almost always laugh out loud at those commercials?
I mean seriously, what is the point of an anti-depressant that can make you more depressed?