5 Nasty Problems With Prescription Drugs

Posted on Jun 17 2016 - 7:23pm by Editorial Staff

Medicine

It can be frustrating when you’re feeling ill and know that you need a prescription but need a sign off from your doctor. But, let’s be honest. These drugs are protected from everyday people for a reason. Some very good reasons, in fact. Here are five nasty problems with prescription drugs that should underline the fact.

Addiction

Let’s start with an obvious example – addiction. Some prescription drugs are a very attractive option to certain people, and there is a genuine threat of addiction. Opiates, Barbiturates, and many others can all cause an addiction in a surprisingly short amount of time. It’s why hospitals and doctors only prescribe these types of drugs under certain circumstances. And, if you do get them, there’s no doubt you will be put on a review to ensure you aren’t taking them too much.

Interactions

Some prescription drugs have strange interactions with normal, everyday food and drink. Take the grapefruit, for example. Grapefruits contain a group of chemicals known as furanocoumarins. These chemicals can affect your metabolism by speeding it up, meaning anything you ingest could have a more powerful effect. The results can be unpleasant – and sometimes incredibly serious. According to medical professional, there are around 43 prescription medicines that interact with grapefruit. These include some cancer drugs, and also drugs to treat cholesterol, amongst others.

Internal damage

Of course, over the counter drugs such as ibuprofen can cause damage to your stomach lining if you take too much. However, you can never be too careful about what you take – even if it is prescribed. Take the case of the blood clot drug Xarelto, for example. It has incredibly serious side effects such as brain hemorrhages, intestinal bleeding, and much more. And, the worst thing about it is there is no antidote. Make sure you see a Xarelto lawyer if you suspect you have suffered from using the drug. And, the overall point is, you can never be too careful with what your doctor gives you.

Interference with sex life

OK, so maybe the threat of death, internal bleeding, and the downward spiral of addiction doesn’t make you sit up and notice. Surely, then, the interference many prescription drugs have over your sex life will do the trick. According to a lot of research, drugs such as Vicodin, Oxycontin and Percocet can lower your testosterone levels. Which, in turn, reduces your sex drives. Antidepressants can also reduce the dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the brain, which also has an effect on the libido.

Memory loss

We’ve left our final point until last on purpose – just in case you forget. There are many different drugs out there that can give you short-term memory problems. Benzodiazepines are one of the biggest culprits – and also one of the most prescribed drugs. They can dampen down your brain activity, meaning you just aren’t capable of remembering as well as you could on a regular basis.

As you can see, there are plenty of problems with using prescription drugs – and some that your doctor may not be aware of. It’s vital, then, to always talk to your family physician and keep them in the loop with any issues you might be experiencing.

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Editorial Staff at I2Mag is a team of subject experts.