9 to 5 by Harley Schwadron for April 12, 2024

Just like the TV ads

I like it when they list as a side effect the problem that you were taking the drug for.

The memory medicine I take has some dangerous side effects…but I forgot what they were.

And you have to pay for the drugs; the disease is free.

all too true

A long time ago, my mother had REALLY bad hay fever. She was given a course of 40 injections to get rid of it. The first few shots cured it, the rest sorted out the side effects. By the end of it though, she never had hay fever again. I’m hoping they’ve found a better way to do it these days.

That would be diabetes.

Do you have treatments for the side effects?

Aren’t they always?

Yeah. “Our acne drug is great! Side effects may include a potentially fatal heart problem.”

The Law of Unintended Consequences, in action.

yep

When my cat had fluid in her lungs, the vet prescribed a blood thinner “just in case”. It turned out there was nothing wrong with my cat’s heart (the most common reason for fluid in the lungs) but she nearly died of diarrhea caused by the blood thinner. She started getting better as soon as I was told she didn’t need it. I weaned her off the diuretic over a four month period and today, she is the very “poster cat” of good health.

I heard a commercial for a medicine that treats uncontrolled tics, one of the side effects was uncontrolled tics. What’s up with that?

“Don’t take it if you’re allegeric to whatever.” Well, how do you know unless you take it? (I can’t take Jardiance)

Sometimes the side effects are not “worse”, but instead just surprising. Like that high blood pressure drug, what was it called? Oh yeah, Viagra. I can’t seem to recall what its side effect was, but it was pretty famous for it…