Do you read the 'side effects' bit on medication?

I always read them... just the 1 in 10's and the 1 in 100. Not the lesser statistical ones. And the totally unlikely ones...it's all CYA material.

But the 1 in 10s often are the common side effects that go away with time. So I like to know what to expect. Then I know it's not 'me' and can monitor it. If the side effect does not stop, I go back to the doc and we move on to a substitute. They often are under pressure to prescribe the cheapest, but they can use their own judgment.

I am on a cocktail of drugs which have to taken every day I do read the instructions that come with it mainly on how to take the drugs some with food or on an empty stomach the rest of the instructions for general reference

I always read the accompanying leaflet , some side effects very low , but need to know .

I read, then ignore.

phoenix I so sympathise.

A few years ago my hair started falling out and I began to develop a bald patch. I was under a lot of stress at the time and put it down to that. One day in a moment of boredom and feeling too lazy to get up and actually do anything and I started reading the leaflet in a packet of hay fever tablets that I was taking and read that one of the possible side effects was hair loss. I stopped taking them and the hair loss stopped immediately. I still shed a bit more than I would like but I don't think it is more than would be normal at my age. I had developed a bald spot behind my fringe that has almost totally regrown now.
My mother was getting depressed and started talking about euthanasia. Then I spoke to her and she sounded much better and said that she had stopped taking some of the tablets she had been given and felt much better. At 92 I think she probably takes quite a few.
I think people don't automatically think of any tablets they may be taking when their mood changes but it is important to have them reviewed every so often.

Once bitten twice shy - always, always check!

You know your own body better than anyone else too so be vigilant whilst remaining sensible.

I do or I would not have realised that my muscle aches were caused by my statin , now on a new one that doesn't cause me to have any side effects

I like to check common side effects with GP before taking a new drug as I want to assess the value of it. Am currently in discussions with medical practitioners about the value of going on to a regular anticoagulant. I don't want to but am being pressurised as my risk of stroke is higher than average. I have been researching the side effects which is an increased risk of internal bleeding. I think it is important to look at the frequency and ignore the rare ones.

I don't look at the contra indications as I would be suffering from them all! I did, however, look at the increased cancer risks from taking HRT and found it was a couple of cases in a thousand for breast cancer offset by the slightly lower risk of ovarian cancer - which is more difficault to spot and is, therefore, a bigger killer.

Thus, I was able to make an informed decision as to whether to take it rather than be influenced by the ill informed, doomy scare stories concerning HRT being peddled by the media.

I sometimes read them. It makes me laugh when you're advised to " contact your doctor immediately if you experience sudden blindness, paralysis, vomiting blood" etc, etc.
I think I might just have worked that out for myself!

My DH suffered very badly years ago with dizziness(Labrynthitis) and was prescribed tablets for this, the warning on the pack said These tablets may cause dizziness!!!

I was given that antibiotic Tegan when I had root canal treatment. The dentist who prescribed it said if I drank alcohol whilst on it I would wish I was dead. Frightened the life out of me.

Yes I always read them, usually medication prescribed for DH I have to date been extremely fortunate and not needed much for myself.
Sadly his health is not so good

Yes; metronidazole must be the one. It was on one of the lower shelves in the dispensary so must have been in the latter part of the alphabet!

I do, but for all the wrong reasons

I am especially intrigued by the ones that state they may cause constipation OR diahorrea (sp)

Same as Charleygirl, I do read the contra-indications in case they have a reaction with my daily medication.

Just as well I did as I was prescribed something that could have had adverse effects if taken for any longer.

I don't really like to as it seems a tad neurotic, but I think it is sensible really. DH has heart pills and one of the side effects is a cough, which he has developed, so he trooped to the Dr. Who changed the pills and said that the cough would take a while to go. So we do know what to expect.

I thinks that's Flagyl, Tegan, or metronidazole. It is definitely a bad idea to drink alcohol with it!

Studying nursing at Uni we were told these should be re-titled Unwanted Effects. All licensed drugs in the UK have to provide this info. If just one person in 3000000 suffered an outbreak of boils after taking a single dose of Lactulose the company is obliged to make it public. The majority of GPs will point out the unwanted or dangerous effects when prescribing a drug. If we all took the possible unwanted effects literally, none of us would ever consume a Paracetamol, Cough Linctus or indeed Lactulose ever again.

There is one antibiotic [can't remember what it's called] that is often used for toothache, and I can remember my doctor saying that you do NOT drink alcohol at the same time because, if you do you'll wish you'd never been born. Made me think it must be like the only ever time that I got drunk on barley wine only much much worse.

I rarely take any medication and haven't taken anything new for donkey years but no I would nt read them as if I did I d imagine I had them all
I once took part in some blind trials for a herbal remedy no one knew if there were getting the real thing or the sugar pill afterwards when the results were sent out for us to read the people on the placebo had more side effects than those on the pill itself LOL it was so funny there were headaches, belly aches, dizziness, even one suicidal ideation, not sleeping properly upset tums etc etc and all on a sugar pill

I always read them and then ignore them. Sods law says the side effects I suffer, if any, are never the ones on the bit of paper, always the ones they leave off.

Personally I think they include the same list of side effects in every packet of pills regardless of what the chemical composition of the pills may be.

No I'm a bit of a hypercondriac so I'd imagine all sorts.
My husband recently had a very painful trapped nerve and referred nerve pain down the front of his leg the g.p gave him amitriptyline tablets and told him under no circumstances to read the enclosed leaflet.

Best not to - I know several people who do- and within a few minutes or hours, get every single symptom listed

People get serious side effects from taking placebos given with a list of the above!

Nah.