By Andrea Lyn Van Benschoten, Web Content Editor
We’ve all seen them. Commercials that show a mother and child playing in the park, an elderly couple walking on a beach, or a woman sitting outside reading a book. They are commercials advertising different pharmaceuticals created to help fight disease and make life more comfortable.
Then it starts.
Side effects may include…
The narrator proceeds to read off a list of potential side effects that are as long as a phone book. They can include anything from itchy skin or dry mouth to, well, death. A personal favorite warning is “do not take this medication if you are allergic to any of the ingredients in {medication name}.” How do you know if you are allergic to any of the ingredients if they are considered proprietary and you don’t know what they are?
You then start to wonder about the patients that need this medicine. How much do they need it? Is it to make life easier? Is it keeping them alive?
Is the risk of the medication worth trying for the reward?
This is obviously a very personal question that requires discussion between the patient, the doctor, and the patient’s family members.
For some, it is worth the risk, without question. For a patient who is suffering with a serious disease and may be nearing the end of their life, it might not be worth the added risks and side effects. If you had six months to live and your physician told you a medicine could extend your life by another six months, but, it had the potential for terrible side effects, would you take it? Or would you do your best to enjoy the time you had left?
A tough decision indeed.
It is also important to remember that pharmaceutical companies are required to list every possible side effect and risk. Additionally, every person responds differently to a medication. Side effects experienced by one patient may not occur with another patient. And not every medication will be successful for every patient.
There have been times I have decided not to take a medication after consulting with my doctor. Other times I have decided it is worth any potential risks to feel better, improve my quality of life, or address a specific disease or injury.
It always boils down to the same question: is the risk worth the reward?