Side effects may include...

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 4:06 am

These commercials are getting insane. It would be nearly impossible to even parody the side effects that are common for some of the drugs advertised on television. I usually only watch 2-3 hours of TV a week (usually Simpsons/Futurama/Family Guy when it's on and I'm bored) but the thing I see the most of is drugs to take care of depression.

A list of "side effects may include" included (and these are just off the top of my head):

Nausea
Constipation
Drowsiness
Headache
Drymouth
Blurred vision

Alright, these aren't terrible. But then you get...

Heart palpatations
Sexual side-effects (now THAT's something to be depressed about!)
Kidney failure (what?!?)

Increased risk of:

Stroke
Heart Attack (How is this acceptable!?!?)

And, in the most recent one:

Increased thoughts of suicide.

(but wait, it gets better)

(by better, I mean worse!)

This is more frequent in children.

WHAT IN THE BLUE HELL?!? Who gives this drug to their children with side effects like that? How depressed does your kid have to be in order to merit increased risk of stroke and heart attack, heart palpatations, kidney failure, and a high risk of increased thoughts of suicide as a better option?

Then, it goes and says something the completely floors me:

All were similar to sugar-pill.

I don't know about you, but that tells me something VERY clear...STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM SUGAR!

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 4:31 am

Yea... I know loads of people who felt like they had been saved forever when first on Prozac/Zoloft, and two years later were 60 pounds overwieght and more depressed than before.

It is supposed to be an antibiotic to treat a disease, not a dependency. THe companies actuall;y recommend getting off the drug after 6 months of so. The problem is, therapy is not utilized nearly enough to make a person feel capable without the drug. Therapy should be about five times as long as it usually is.

That's me wee opinion, anyway.

Eline · Post by **Eline** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 6:54 am

There are tv-commercials for anti-depression drugs?!!

IronHide · Post by **IronHide** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 7:51 am

I like the libido enhancing drug commercials best.

"For erections last longer than 36 hours please consult a doctor."

NO SH*T!!!

After an hour if its not gone I'm gonna be freakin out.

But my what great pranks those little pills make.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 12:36 pm

Prozac is *****. they stopped that here, but yes all the things u have listed can be a side effect because they are 'beta-blockers'
and when I was on them they do effect your sex drive!

the anti-smoking drug 'zyban' is in fact an anti-depressive from the states, they found a side effect was you didnt want to smoke, so they repackaged it as Zyban! - hurrah.

Optimus Prime Rib · Post by **Optimus Prime Rib** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:11 pm

IronHide wrote:I like the libido enhancing drug commercials best.

"For erections last longer than 36 hours please consult a doctor."

NO SH*T!!!

After an hour if its not gone I'm gonna be freakin out.

But my what great pranks those little pills make.

If I have an erection that lasts longer than 36 hours the LAST person Im telling is my doctor. The first person Im telling is my wife. Then Im telling everyone else (and yes that includes you people)

Master_Fwiffo · Post by **Master_Fwiffo** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:17 pm

Professor Smooth wrote:These commercials are getting insane. It would be nearly impossible to even parody the side effects that are common for some of the drugs advertised on television. I usually only watch 2-3 hours of TV a week (usually Simpsons/Futurama/Family Guy when it's on and I'm bored) but the thing I see the most of is drugs to take care of depression.

A list of "side effects may include" included (and these are just off the top of my head):

Nausea
Constipation
Drowsiness
Headache
Drymouth
Blurred vision

Alright, these aren't terrible. But then you get...

Heart palpatations
Sexual side-effects (now THAT's something to be depressed about!)
Kidney failure (what?!?)

Increased risk of:

Stroke
Heart Attack (How is this acceptable!?!?)

And, in the most recent one:

Increased thoughts of suicide.

(but wait, it gets better)

(by better, I mean worse!)

This is more frequent in children.

WHAT IN THE BLUE HELL?!? Who gives this drug to their children with side effects like that? How depressed does your kid have to be in order to merit increased risk of stroke and heart attack, heart palpatations, kidney failure, and a high risk of increased thoughts of suicide as a better option?

Then, it goes and says something the completely floors me:

All were similar to sugar-pill.

I don't know about you, but that tells me something VERY clear...STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM SUGAR!

From what I understand, lawyers these days require to put in everything that could, possibly, slightly happen as a result of taking these drugs. The actual chance of any of them happening is something like 1% or less.

Aaron Hong · Post by **Aaron Hong** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 3:58 pm

Optimus Prime Rib wrote: If I have an erection that lasts longer than 36 hours the LAST person Im telling is my doctor. The first person Im telling is my wife. Then Im telling everyone else (and yes that includes you people)

NO. PLEASE. DON'T.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 4:17 pm

I used to take Seroxat, but I was just as depressed ON it as when I wasn't. So I just quit it one day. Luckily I didn't have any side-effects - unlike that bloke who killed his wife and baby after three days on the tablets.
I still can't see how a tablet can make you think happier when the problem may be caused by outside influences ie. being overweight, generally hated, being handicapped or having lost a limb etc.
The tablets DO work for my sister (good for her), but I also have medication for crippling migraines that also doesn't do anything for me half the time.

Ultimate Weapon · Post by **Ultimate Weapon** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 4:25 pm

Eline wrote:There are tv-commercials for anti-depression drugs?!!

Yup that is the typical response most foreigners have when hearing about American TV. Which flies in the face of every medical oath dating back to Hippocrates. The medical cartel is not interested in healing the sick, but rather pushing drugs. As long as you take a pill. People actually want these drugs because of the psychological effetcs of the commercial. And ask their doctors for prescriptions based on popularity.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 6:53 pm

Apparently, some recent medical research is pushing exercise as an anti-depressant. Can't remember the link, but it was on the bbc's health news page.

"Regular exercise is Nature's anti-depressant, folks. Now, just stick your hands in your bunghole, that's Nature's pocket. Make sure noone picks your pocket! Can I hear a bacteria-friendly thumbs-up?"

Eline · Post by **Eline** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 6:38 am

Ultimate Weapon wrote:
Eline wrote:There are tv-commercials for anti-depression drugs?!!

Yup that is the typical response most foreigners have when hearing about American TV. Which flies in the face of every medical oath dating back to Hippocrates. The medical cartel is not interested in healing the sick, but rather pushing drugs. As long as you take a pill. People actually want these drugs because of the psychological effetcs of the commercial. And ask their doctors for prescriptions based on popularity.

Very strange. The most we have is commercials for over-the-counter medicine like anti-headache pills and vitamins and things like that. But why you should take brand A vitamins instead of brand C I don't know.

Ultimate Weapon · Post by **Ultimate Weapon** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:28 am

Rebis wrote: "Regular exercise is Nature's anti-depressant, folks."

So is semen.

Optimus Prime Rib · Post by **Optimus Prime Rib** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 3:31 pm

Ultimate Weapon wrote:
Rebis wrote: "Regular exercise is Nature's anti-depressant, folks."
So is semen.

Im not ingesting that just to be happy.. Other people ingesting it makes me happy though.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:53 pm

Having been a manic depresive and know alot through groups etc, exercise is good, but drugs do help aswell. its finding a balance.

Post by **Denyer** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:54 pm

Eline wrote:There are tv-commercials for anti-depression drugs?!!

Yeah, this is one of the fundamental differences between the States and most of Europe. Pharmaceutical companies are allowed to self-promote on TV with slogans such as, "Ask your doctor to prescribe [name-of-product]."

Rebis wrote:Apparently, some recent medical research is pushing exercise as an anti-depressant.

Common sense dating back centuries? It's like those bloody scientific studies researching how long different types of biscuit take to dissolve in tea. People getting paid to restate the obvious...

bobaprime85 · Post by **bobaprime85** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 8:47 pm

Denyer wrote:
Rebis wrote:Apparently, some recent medical research is pushing exercise as an anti-depressant.
Common sense dating back centuries? It's like those bloody scientific studies researching how long different types of biscuit take to dissolve in tea. People getting paid to restate the obvious...

Damn right!

As someone who comes from a family with a variety of mentally ill people (my own mother being a paranoid schizophrenic) I've watched as various new pharmaceutical drugs have been carted out with the overall result of not a damn thing.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 8:31 pm

Impactor returns 2.0 wrote:Having been a manic depresive and know alot through groups etc, exercise is good, but drugs do help aswell. its finding a balance.

I ain't exercising a damn thing goddammit!

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Side effects may include...

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