Drugs with the most side effects
Did you know that many side effects of drugs are avoidable? How? You can read that in this overview.
A side effect is an effect of a drug that is not intended, such as stomach pain or dizziness. Unfortunately, there are no medicines without side effects. Some side effects are dangerous: 36,000 people end up in hospital every year. In some 7200 people, this would not have been necessary if the doctor had prescribed something else or had also given protective medication. In the elderly, 6 percent of acute admissions are the result of a side effect.
These are the six conditions and the medicines with the most side effects in people over 50 in 2013:
Diabetes: metformin
The digestive system does not tolerate this drug well. It can cause gastrointestinal complaints such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and loss of appetite.
What to do? Take the tablets with a meal. The side effects often go away after a few weeks. If it bothers you a lot, ask your doctor if you can start with a lower dose and increase it slowly so that your stomach can get used to it. If that doesn’t help, ask if there is another remedy.
Cardiovascular disorders: carbasalate calcium
This anticoagulant makes the mucus layer on the stomach wall thinner and it irritates the stomach wall. Possible side effects include stomach irritation, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, feeling full, loss of appetite, belching and heartburn. The side effects can also occur if you use the medicine as a suppository. The drug then reaches the stomach wall via the bloodstream.
what can you do about it? Take the medicines with some food and a glass of water or milk. Do not consume alcohol or other foods that irritate the stomach, such as pungent herbs. If this does not help enough, ask the doctor for gastro-protective medication. Are you older than 65? Then the risk of stomach bleeding is greater, so always ask for stomach-protecting medicines. It can also give you an uncomfortable feeling in your stomach. There’s nothing you can do about it.
Pain: diclofenac
This medicine thins the mucous layer on the stomach wall and irritates the stomach wall. You can also suffer from suppositories. It then reaches the stomach wall via the blood.
What helps? Take it with some food and a glass of water or milk. Do not consume alcohol or other foods that irritate the stomach (sharp herbs).
Diclofenac is an anti-inflammatory pain reliever, also known as an NSAID. If you have had a stomach ulcer, or if you are older than 70, as an NSAID user you should be given a stomach protectant from your doctor. This is also necessary if you are over 60 and are taking a high dose of NSAIDs (for example the maximum daily dose) for a long time, or if you are also taking another medicine that increases the risk of stomach bleeding (such as oral anticoagulants or the diuretic spironolactone).
The symptoms often go away over time. If a stomach protector does not help enough, discuss with your doctor whether you can try another painkiller.
Bacterial infection: amoxicillin
This antibiotic often causes diarrhea because it kills not only pathogens but also many healthy bacteria in the gut.
Amoxicillin is usually used for a short period of time, after which the diarrhea goes away. Make sure you get enough fluids, salt and sugar, for example by drinking ORS liquid. There are indications that probiotics help against antibiotic diarrhea. Contact your doctor if the diarrhea gets really bad, and don’t stop the course of antibiotics on your own.
Fluid retention: furosemide
If you take furosemide, you pee more. This can leave you dehydrated. With the urine you not only lose fluids, but also salts that your body needs, such as potassium. You can then get a potassium deficiency.
Side effects: headache, dry mouth, thirst and dry eyes, muscle weakness, cramping or muscle pain, anorexia or constipation.
In consultation with your doctor, start with a low dose and increase it slowly. Take in 2 liters of fluid a day, which includes the fruits and vegetables you eat. Drink even if you are not thirsty. Choose potassium-rich food if you use this remedy for a long time (lots of potatoes, bananas, tomatoes, fruit juices, dried fruits, cauliflower, spinach). Don’t eat too much liquorice. In consultation with the doctor, have your blood potassium level checked at least once every six months.
High Blood Pressure: Metoprolol and Enalapril
Metoprolol is a beta blocker that slows down the heartbeat and lowers blood pressure. This can cause fatigue and drowsiness.
Wait a few days. Often the side effects start after you start taking these drugs, or after the dose is increased, and they pass quickly. Ask the doctor if you can try another medicine if it bothers you a lot, for example because you are permanently tired or too sleepy to drive.
Enalapril is an ACE inhibitor. ACE inhibitors inhibit the enzyme that raises blood pressure. But ACE also causes the breakdown of the vasodilator protein bradykinin. If ACE is inhibited, bradykinin is no longer broken down properly. And bradykinin causes cough. Ask your doctor if you can try another medicine for high blood pressure if the usual medicines for tickling cough do not help.
Sources):
- Plus Magazine
