Side effects may include death...

I don't know about you, but it has always struck me as something to be avoided when a particular medicine advertises that "side effects my include death." To me, that seems a bit extreme, doesn't it? These ads are usually on while I'm at the dinner table and are interspersed with adds for various products that will help one not pee at inappropriate times or allow one to defaecate after inordinately long periods.

Other dinner time advertisements feature products that tend to deal with various sensitive female issues or that all-time favorite for men - erectile dysfunction. I've searched a bit in my area and have yet to find a good source for those old bathtubs that people apparently are driven to sit in when they use these erectile dysfunction aids. Apparently libido and bathing have some weird connection

But, I digress; back to our topic if the hour. Apparently there are many ways in which some of these health products can cause death. There is the ever popular swelling of the throat and tongue, which one must assume would prevent calling out for help. Then there is internal bleeding, which would be particularly insidious, since one would not realize that one was bleeding until such time as one passed out and died. Of course many of these products just cause heart attack or stroke, which would be much more noticeable and one presumes treatable.

It would seem that companies that produce products to treat one disease or problem would not want to cause other problems, especially a problem like death. This is akin to providing an athlete's foot cure upon which you have to be warned, "may cause your foot to fall off." Who would buy that? Of maybe an antiperspirant that carried the warning, may cause your underarms to rot and your arms to fall off. Not good.

Now I understand that most really potent drugs probably have really potent potential side effects. I can accept the warning that my medicine may cause vomiting or diarrhea, But, death? I have a hard time with that side effect. And then there are those which warn not take them if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. How many pregnancies are unplanned events? So best just not to take them at all.


So, for me at least; I hope that I never have drugs prescribed that may have that unpleasant death side effect. Occasional irregularity I can deal with. In fact I think I saw something advertised last night during dinner that can deal with that or was that for diarrhea? I can never remember if it was for to much or too little, just that at least it apparently doesn't cause death and that's a good thing.