# Do NOT take this medication if you..... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 8, 2000, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523 "2000-09-08T18:13:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kellibelli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e480ec/32.png) [@kellibelli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellibelli)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/1 "2000-09-08T18:13:51Z")
I love those commercials, you know the ones: [wonderdrug] will fix all your problems, BUT do not take it if: You are pregnant Nursing planning on getting pregnant - _ever_ know any pregnant women will ever see a pregnant woman. Side effects are usually mild and include: dry mouth headaches bleeding from all orifices intestinal leakage impotence bladder control problems cerebral hemmorage seizures death. [wonder drug] is not for everyone, ask YOUR doctor if [wonderdrug] is right for you! What are they thinking? Sure baldness and toenail fungus are terrible tragedies, but when they tell you that pregnant women shouldnt touch broken tablets - you gotta wonder if the side effects are worse than the sickness!!! ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/2 "2000-09-08T18:27:55Z")
I wholeheartidly (spelled wrong?) agree with you. Personally, I believe that baldness is BETTER than serious liver and kidney problems, but what do I know. My favorite though is for heart burn medication (can’t remember the name though.) But a side effect is a stomach ache and minor chest pains. Stomach ache? Chest pains? Isn’t that what the medication is suppossed to STOP! Eh, what do I know… ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/3 "2000-09-08T20:19:06Z")
I think it is funny on the Doritos Wow Chips package, it says “Warning, may cause cramping and loose stools”. Yeah, that’s what I want in a snack. ---
**Author:** ![Akatsukami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Akatsukami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akatsukami)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/4 "2000-09-08T20:43:23Z")
Kind of makes you wonder about [truth in advertising](http://www.nukees.com/d/19980623.html), doesn’t it? However, the manufacturers _do_ have to say that. If they don’t, and someone experiences any side effect, from dry mouth to death, whilst taking the drug…can you spell “lawsuit ending big money judgment for the plaintiff”? Can’t emphasis, or even state, the unlikeliness of those side effects, either. Sure as the sun rises in the east, if they stated, “Our studies show that one in ten thousand users may suddenly drop dead on taking in”, the Center for Science in the Progressives’ Interest or some other band of penthouse pinkoes will come along with a “study” showing that, no, the risk of sudden death is really one in _five_ thousand, and, whoops, the manufacturer is back in court again. ---
**Author:** ![Suo\_Na](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@Suo\_Na](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suo_Na)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/5 "2000-09-08T20:53:22Z")
I love the one (can’t remember the drug, but it was something innocuous for men) that says, “Should not be handled by pregnant women.” Obviously the stuff can be absorbed through your skin! Scary. ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/6 "2000-09-08T22:26:33Z")
Suo: Propecia, I believe. –Tim may case intestinal discomfort ---
**Author:** ![oldscratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@oldscratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oldscratch)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/7 "2000-09-08T22:37:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bouv \* > \*\* Personally, I believe that baldness is BETTER than serious liver and kidney problems, but what do I know. > \*\* Eh. Some people would say the same about being sober. I’ll take the possibility of serious liver and kidney problems as well as possibility of death and addiction any time. The problem is that they are required to post all possible side effects. Most drugs and foods aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2000, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/8 "2000-09-09T00:10:17Z")
Propecia is a synthetic male hormone. Broken tablets should not be handled by a pregnant woman because if absorbed (I don’t know if it’s trough the skin, or inhalation, or what) the fetus is in for some bad shit. In the onion, they have stories proper, and just little headlines (sometimes with apicture). My favorite of the latter was “Pregnant woman explodes after handling broken propecia tablet”. Hah! ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2000, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/9 "2000-09-09T02:14:34Z")
btw propescia is the exact same drug as proscar (a prostate drug), just in a smaller dose… some guys trying to deal with mpb will buy proscar and a pill splitter instead of ponying up for propescia (not covered by most insurance) ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2000, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/10 "2000-09-09T17:07:01Z")
[slight hijack] In the same vein as BeagleDave’s comment: Wellbutrin and Zyban are exactly the same–same dose, same round purple pill, identical in every way except for the little black letters stamped on them. Wellbutrin’s marketed as and antidepressant, and is covered by insurance. Zyban is marketed to help stop smoking, and is not covered. My mom’s doctor gave her Wellbutrin to stop smoking, so the insurance would pay for it. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Silo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Silo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silo)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2000, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/11 "2000-09-09T18:54:18Z")
Actually they say possible side effects are: … Not side effects are: … And after your body gets used to nearly any prescription drug the side effects go away. ---
**Author:** ![Kiki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kiki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiki)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2000, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/12 "2000-09-09T19:00:36Z")
I was taking a prescription pain pill (can’t remember the name)for lower back pain several years ago that caused severe abdominal pain. My stomach hurt so bad I forgot about my back pain! ---
**Author:** ![Shadowfox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Shadowfox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadowfox)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2000, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/13 "2000-09-09T22:49:00Z")
I just looked Zyban and Wellbutrin up in my prescription drug book, and he is right! Now my hubby can finally afford to get those Zyban pills he has been wanting for a couple of years now. ---
**Author:** ![Shadowfox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Shadowfox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadowfox)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2000, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/14 "2000-09-09T22:50:04Z")
Lets try that again. I just looked Zyban and Wellbutrin up in my prescription drug book, and **Gunslinger** is right! Now my hubby can finally afford to get those Zyban pills he has been wanting for a couple of years now. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2000, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/15 "2000-09-09T23:37:43Z")
I started taking a medicine about a year ago, and I asked the doc about alcohol (I didn’t want to stop drinking; a man has to have hobbies). He said something to the effect of “I’m supposed to tell you stop drinking when taking any drug, but I know most people won’t. But just be careful, the drug will enhance the effects of alcohol.” Enhance the effects? That’s not a warning, that’s a serving suggestion! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/16 "2000-09-10T00:18:50Z")
😃 Enjoy 😃 [http://sluggy.com/d/981029.html](http://sluggy.com/d/981029.html) ---
**Author:** ![nederlander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8e8cbc/32.png) [@nederlander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nederlander)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2000, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/17 "2000-09-10T00:19:10Z")
things has potential side affects of headaches and nosebleeds. it harkens back to the post about the heartburn medication that can cause stomach aches and chest pains. i remember maybe 5-6 years ago, when i first recall seeing ads on tv for perscription medications, that the earlier ones didn’t even talk about what they did. they just said to consult your doctor and gave you a 1-800 number you could call. the one that stands out in my my mind was claritin i think. they’ve since modified their ads to say what the drug is supposed to do for you. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2000, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/18 "2000-09-11T01:26:41Z")
The most ironic thing is when a drug that’s supposed to grow hair (Propecia) and one that supposed to cure social anxiety (Paxil) causes impotance. The guy is finally confident enough to a meet a woman because of his full head of hair and lack of anxiety, but… ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2000, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/19 "2000-09-11T01:50:06Z")
I seem to remember hearing somewhere that the side effect caused by pregnant women handling propecia(sp?) is that the child can be born with greatly reduced, if not non-exisitan genitalia. I will have to research further… I mean to be sure if that is true, not as some sort of weird science project breeding real-life Barbie ™ dolls… ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2000, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523/20 "2000-09-11T03:12:34Z")
Hmmm, I don’t remember which drug it was, one of the weight loss drugs, (Zenocal? Xenocal?) but in the commercial they listed some of the side effects as “increased bowel movements and an inability to control them” as well as an “oily discharge.” I do not want to lose weight that badly! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-take-this-medication-if-you/32523.md?page=2)