Q: I went to my doctor recently because of symptoms of GERD. My doctor whom I trust and respect the opinion of put me on Nexium that I took for 12 days before discontinuing it. I suffered every symptom in the book and returned to tell him. I even went to the Nexium website and read the less common side effects. That endeavor was followed by a trip to the emergency room and a cast being placed on my arm to immobilize it because of the excruciating pain. I was not prepared for any of the issues I incurred because of my symptoms of reflux but it shows just what can happen.
Why don’t drug manufacturers tell us up front what could happen if we purchase their drugs?
A: To begin with, and fortunately enough, not everyone experiences side effects from drugs. After all, medication is prescribed to eliminate symptoms, not to exacerbate them and yet I hear regularly of that very occurrence.
Nexium is in a group of drugs known as proton pump inhibitors that is designed to reduce the amount of acid the stomach produces. It is commonly prescribed (and often with good results) for individuals who have symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and related conditions. You do not specify if you are on other drugs. I mention this because there are 248 drugs (1,507 brand name and generics), as well as alcohol and foods that are known to interact with Nexium. By all accounts, that creates an enormous possibility for unknown problems to surface.
Common side effects include abdominal pain and gas, constipation/diarrhea, headache, and dry mouth. Less common and clearly unwanted effects can include arthralgias (muscle pain), fibromyalgia syndrome, polymyalgia rheumatica, hypertension, tachycardia, heart arrhythmias, epigastric (stomach) pain, anorexia, anemia, hepatitis, and an increased risk of hip fracture from a cohort study. The issues go on and on but we must understand that the side effects would be almost as long for nearly any drug on the market, right down to the common over-the-counter aspirin. To be kind, they are frightening and fortunately, many of us do not suffer any ill effects, only positive ones.
Now, on to why pharmaceutical companies don’t give us advanced warnings. Well, they do. Every time you get a prescription, a new information sheet is included. It tells you what a pill looks like based on the milligrams ordered, its shape, color and whether to take it with food or on an empty stomach, etc. It will clearly state the brand name (and possibly the generic name) so you cannot become confused once the paper comes out of the bag the pharmacy uses. It is each and every person’s responsibility (or that of a family member when appropriate) to read the information thoroughly and to understand what he or she is reading. And, when all the refills have been used up and a new information packet accompanies your prescription, the information should be read once again, just in case there are updates. Enter the doctor. When you sit in his or her office and a prescription is discussed, you must ask about possible side effects BEFORE the prescription is written or telephoned into your local pharmacy. You may choose to decline a seemingly perfect drug. That’s your option. Don’t wait until you return home with a costly prescription that cost almost what a week’s groceries does. And, when you have concerns once you get home, call your doctor’s office and ask for clarification on points you don’t fully understand.
In defense of physicians, they cannot possibly predict who will experience a reaction nor how a drug will react. They go by symptoms and availability of products to control those symptoms. It’s extremely important that a physician keep a sheet of paper in the front your file listing all drugs with adverse reactions so he or she avoids problems in the future but you must help by being educated.
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