What Should I do if I have Side-Effects?
The first things to do if you think you have a side-effect from a medicine are:
- Read the patient information leaflet which accompanied the medicine
- Consider whether to consult your pharmacist or doctor.
Whether your experience is really a side-effect, or not, has to be considered carefully. In an individual case, it can be surprisingly difficult for patients, doctors and even experts in the safety of medicines to be sure. Other possible explanations include complications of the illness for which the medicine was used, or the development of an entirely new illness. Even when it seems fairly clear that a medicine is responsible, it may be quite uncertain which of several being taken is the culprit. Some side-effects are due to the combined effects of more than one medicine (this is known as a "drug interaction"). For this reason it is important that you make your doctor aware of all the treatments you are using, particularly those which he or she did not prescribe (e.g. medicines bought in pharmacies or shops, herbal medicines, alternative medicines).
When deciding whether or not side-effect has occurred, a judgement has to be made based on the facts of the individual case:
- When did the problem occur in relation to starting the drug?
- Is there anything in the patient's medical history that could be an alternative explanation?
and what is known about the medicine:
- Would we expect it to have such an effect?
- Have other users had this problem?
Whether or not a side-effect goes away when the medicine is stopped is also an important clue BUT first a decision has to be made as to whether or not the medicine should be stopped. This will primarily depend on how important it is to use the medicine and how serious the side-effects are. Some medicines (e.g. corticosteroids, treatments for epilepsy) should not be stopped suddenly and it is important to consult the patient information leaflet and/or your doctor or pharmacist before making this decision.
The main options when side-effects occur are to:
- Continue the same medicine, possibly at a reduced dose
- Try an alternative treatment
- Manage without a medicine for this condition/symptom
Depending on the circumstances, any one of these may be the best option. If your doctor has prescribed the medicine, you should seek his or her advice. If you bought the medicine without a prescription you still might wish to consult your doctor, particularly if you wish to continue the same treatment.
If the same medicine is to be continued despite side-effects, this is normally because it is considered that the treatment is having a useful effect or is vital to prevent a complication of the illness. Experience may suggest that the side-effect effect will lessen with time and that there will be no long-term consequences. It may be possible to limit side-effects by using the medicine in a different way (e.g. lowering the dose, taking it at a different time of day). Ultimately, though, the decision as to whether or not a side-effect is acceptable is one that you will probably wish to make, taking into account the advice of your doctor.
If you have experienced a serious side-effect, we are sure that you will not want others to do so if it can be avoided. Your experience should be recorded so that the authorities responsible for the safety of medicines are made aware. Gently remind your doctor to send in a "Yellow Card" report to the Committee on Safety of Medicines. In extreme circumstances you may also wish to know whether compensation or redress might be available, perhaps from the manufacturer. In general, this is only likely to be forthcoming where negligence on their part can be proven and experience shows that this is exceptionally difficult. It is advisable to talk it through with your doctor before incurring the expense of seeking legal advice.