three meds who have scary side effects

Sure, medicine is supposed to make you feel better—but before you go popping prescription pills, you may want to look into their side effects. ????

there are three med must you know about the side effect...

 Ambien

Ambien (zolpidem tartrate) is commonly prescribed to treat insomnia. But upon closer inspection, it appears this little pill does much more than help the sleep-deprived catch some Zs. According to early case studies published in the journal Sleep Medicine, patients who were on Ambien began developing odd habits such as “sleep eating”— some having no memory of their odd behavior upon waking. Yet as time passed (and the side effects continued to worsen), the FDA slapped this on Ambien’s Medication Guide: “After taking AMBIEN, you may get up out of bed while not being fully awake and do an activity that you do not know you are doing. The next morning, you may not remember that you did anything during the night.”

And as for those activities referenced above that you “may not remember”—that list was also printed on Ambien’s Medication Guide: driving a car (“sleep driving”), making and eating food, talking on the phone, having sex, and walking around.

If you’re looking for something a little less extreme to help you catch some shuteye, try an alternative such as Sonata. The pill—typically used by individuals who wake during the night and need to fall back asleep—will only keep you under for about 4 hours.

Chantix

Chantix (or Varenicline) is prescribed to help you quit smoking. But after getting a load of this medication’s crazy side effects, you may feel safer quitting cold turkey. In a recent study published in the journal PLoS One, researchers analyzed more than 3,000 reports of suicidal behaviors or depression in people taking Chantix, Zyban,or nicotine replacement drugs and found that 90 percent of the reports were linked with Chantix. Since learning of all the extreme side effects associated with Chantix, the FDA placed a “black box” warning label on the drug—which is the strongest warning the FDA can give out—informing doctors and patients about the risks of depression, hostility, and suicidal thoughts.

The FDA also required the following statement to be published on the Medication Guide: “Serious neuropsychiatric events have been reported in patients taking CHANTIX”—as well as a lengthy list of side effects, including: serious skin reactions, cardiovascular events, night terrors, insomnia, nervous system disorders, and eye disorders.

If you’re looking to wean yourself off  Chantix, aim for a more noninvasive method such as nicotine-replacement therapy (think the patch, gum, etc). According to research from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, these nicotine-replacement therapies can increase your chance of quitting by 50 to 70 percent. (And if you’re interested in more information on ditching the drugs.

Ropinirole

Ropinirole—also known as Requip—is used to treat individuals with Parkinson’s disease as well as restless legs syndrome. Common side effects include constipation, dizziness, increased sweating, lightheadedness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and weakness. But that’s not the strange part. It’s this: The Medication Guide lists “Falling Asleep During Activities of Daily Living” as it’s first side effect under its “warning and precautions” section. To quote, “Patients treated with ropinirole have reported falling asleep while engaged in activities of daily living, including the operation of motor vehicles, which sometimes resulted in accidents.”

But if falling asleep sporadically throughout your day doesn’t catch your attention—the research published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings just might. Researchers monitored the medical records of 267 patients who were taking Ropinirole between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2006, and found that, due to the drug, nearly 20 percent of the subjects were documented with hypersexuality as well as experiencing the new-onset of compulsive gambling.

And although there is no cure for Parkinson’s, there are other treatment methods out there. If you’re looking to avoid meds, you could always try a more natural route. According to the National Parkinson Foundation, exercising (walking, jogging, or biking) can help ease the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s and improve a person’s coordination, motor function, and manual dexterity.