Many prescription medications have dangerous side effects that cause physical injuries, mental problems, drug addiction, and death.
Dangerous Prescription Drugs
Some prescription drugs have negative side effects that cause a variety of health problems ranging from strokes, heart attacks and heart failure to liver damage, birth defects, and suicidal behaviors. Many prescription drugs used for pain have high risks of addiction that often lead to long-term health problems, drug overdose, and death. Every year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves new prescription drugs that have the potential to cause serious side effects and health risks.
Prescription medications generate huge profits for pharmaceutical companies, so some companies put profits above health risks for consumers by limiting trial studies to small groups of people, failing to conduct adequate research for side effects, and omitting reports of negative drug side effects to the FDA. Although the FDA is responsible for investigating the safety of prescription drugs to protect consumers, some problems are overlooked due to the lack of information. All prescription medications include warning labels and information on potential side effects. However, people taking medications may experience no side effects or dangerous life-threatening side effects from the same drug.
Any prescription drug can have negative side effects, but a variety of them have well-known risks for illness and injury:
- Actos and Avandia – As well-known type 2 diabetes medications, these drugs carry warnings for bladder cancer and heart failure.
- Accutane – A widely used drug for acne treatment, Accutane has side effects including skin rashes, nosebleeds, joint pain, and birth defects.
- Depakote – Depakote is a mood stabilizer that is linked to nausea, drowsiness, abdominal and back pain, tremors, hair loss, blurred vision, and birth defects.
- Fosamax – Used for osteoporosis treatment, Fosamax has been shown to cause serious side effects ranging from inflammation and ulcers of the esophagus to atrial fibrillation.
- Paxil, Prozac, Effexor, Zoloft, and Lexapro – These commonly prescribed antidepressants are linked to birth defects, as well as violent behaviors and increased suicide risks.
- Pradaxa and Xarelto – Prescribed as blood thinners, these drugs can cause severe bleeding, muscle pain and spasms, back pain, weakness, fatigue, and arthritis.
Popular pain medications including Codeine, Demerol, Lortab, Vicodin, Morphine, Fentanyl, and Oxycodone have high dependency risks. These highly addictive drugs have the potential for drug addiction and overdose deaths. Oxycontin and Fentanyl have contributed to a national epidemic of overdose deaths within the last few years.
