If you listen closely to the man in the TV ad for some drug, rapidly reciting the disclaimer at the end of the ad, in a monotone, one of the side effects usually mentioned is “may cause death”.
I have recurring colitis. If you don’t know what that is, look it up later. I’m also going to be 86 before Trump takes office again. Age matters here, keep it in mind for what comes next.
For my colitis my doctor prescribed 3 drugs to be taken multiple times a day each. They are Ciprofloxacin, Metronidazole and Prednisone.
Ciprofloxacin side effects are: Allergic reactions—skin rash, itching, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat. Heart rhythm changes—fast or irregular heartbeat, dizziness, feeling faint or lightheaded, chest pain, trouble breathing. Increased pressure around the brain—severe headache, blurry vision, change in vision, nausea, vomiting and SEIZURES. It is not recommended for people over 60. And my doctor prescribed it for me anyway.
Metronidazole has a Black Box warning from the FDA because it can have extremely dangerous side effects. Such as headache, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, severe diarrhea, stomach cramps, convulsions, headache, dizziness and lost of the ability to move, and CANCER.
Prednisone side effects include blurred vision, eye pain, or seeing halos around lights; swelling, rapid weight gain, feeling short of breath; severe depression, feelings of extreme happiness or sadness, changes in personality or behavior, seizure (convulsions); bloody or tarry stools, coughing up blood; pancreatitis (severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate); low potassium (confusion, uneven heart rate, extreme thirst, increased urination, leg discomfort, muscle weakness or limp feeling); or dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in your ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, seizure). Not safe for the elderly.
So my doctor prescribes this cocktail of 3 aggressive drugs to treat my colitis when all three are dangerous alone, by themselves.
After 6 days of taking them I had to stop as I could barely walk anymore. I’m ok again now, but that’s not my point, which is that doctors are no longer to be trusted. He didn’t spend one full minute with me, just asked me a couple quick questions, said he’d phone in the subscription for some meds for me, and walked out. That stuff could have killed me. You don’t prescribe 3 powerful medications at once in heavy and frequent doses like that to people my age, unless you don’t give a shit if they live or die.