# "Side effects may include drowsiness, dizziness and diarrhea" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 17, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201 "2003-09-17T19:09:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/41 "2003-09-19T11:46:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by slortar \* > \*\*My personal favorite is that drug they advertise that clears up toenail fungus. Are they suggesting that there are people out there that actually care enough about their toenails yellowing a bit that they’re going to risk “projectile vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, flatulence, inducing spontaneous renditions of Abba’s ‘Dancing Queen’, hives, pink eye, genital itching, hallucinations, groin midgets, fever, yellow belly, dry mouth, back hair, heart arrhythmia, happy feet, gimp knees, body odor, projectile diarrhea, bad breath, itchiness, nervousness, schadenfreude, testicular cancer, spontaneous belching, acne, giant robots, miner’s lung and an increased appreciation for the lesser works of Chopin”? > > [sub]Okay, so I couldn’t remember the exact side effects. Sue me. :D[/sub] \*\* **slortar** , that about made my day! Robin ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/42 "2003-09-19T13:31:18Z")
Speaking of toenail fungus, have you seen the commercial with the hatchback toenail? My only response to seeing the fungi crack open the toenail - EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! I’m getting dizzy just thinking about it now. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/43 "2003-09-19T13:38:46Z")
The all-time winner for this is my prescription for Ambien. Ambien, in case you’re furrin or living under a rock and haven’t seen the **eight!** **hundred!** **ads!** a day for it, is a _sleeping_ pill. Warning label: “May induce drowsiness.” “May”?! **“MAY”!!!** This sucker’s about $2.50 a pill, and it **may** cause drowsiness?! ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/44 "2003-09-24T00:09:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MLS \* > \*\*No, actually, I think the possible side effect is priapism. You’ll have to look that up yourself. \*\* That would be [trazodone](http://www.mentalhealth.com/drug/p30-d03.html). Its cousin, nefazodone (aka Serzone®, Dutonin®) also carries the same warning. I take trazodone 50 mg at bedtime. It induces sleep within half an hour, improves overall sleep quality, and reduces nighttime awakenings. All this, and it’s non-addictive. But if you don’t fall asleep within that prescribed half hour, you get the munchies. Big time. :eek: Anyway, I’ve had a lot of the more common side effects from psych meds. What’s interesting is that while Prozac® and Paxil® - both SSRIs - caused me horrible sexual side effects (could get it up, but couldn’t finish the job), Celexa® - another SSRI - hasn’t affected me at all in that area, and I’ve been on it for three years now. Then there’s Wellbutrin®, which got a bad rap because its original formulation carried an elevated risk of seizure. Even once it was reformulated in sustained-release tablets and the seizure risk went down to a level comparable to that of other ADs, Wellbutrin had a hard time catching on as a first-line treatment for depression. A shame, because I think it’s very effective, at least in my case. The new XL formulation will theoretically reduce the seizure risk even further. And it doesn’t cause sexual dysfunction. In fact, it can _enhance_ sexual functioning. [Link.](http://bupropion.com/wonderwell/) 🙂 ← And the pills look like smiley faces. No, I don’t work for GlaxoSmithKline. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/45 "2003-09-24T00:19:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scott evil \* > \*\* > And it doesn’t cause sexual dysfunction. In fact, it can _enhance_ sexual functioning. [Link.](http://bupropion.com/wonderwell/) 🙂 ← And the pills look like smiley faces. > > \*\* Would ya tell that too my hubby? 😃 Well he had the couldn’t get it up and couldnt keep it up problem on Celexa… so the Dr. put him back on Wellbutrin. I don’t think its helping much.☹ ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/46 "2003-09-24T00:26:58Z")
Heh. The warning labels on my generic no-name caffiene pills are great. Warning: may cause sleeplessness. Do not use as replacement for sleep. Do not take more than one capsule every two hours. What’s worrisome, though, is the warning not to take it in combination with sedatives. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/47 "2003-09-24T00:31:45Z")
Unfortunately, my cough pills do indeed cause dizziness and drowsiness and irritability. But so far they have _not_ stopped my cough . . . ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/48 "2003-09-24T01:16:13Z")
Codeine is a good cough suppressant… but it’s harder to come by down in the U.S. You poor bastards. Unless I read too quickly and your cough medicine contains codeine, **Eve** … ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/49 "2003-09-24T01:17:33Z")
Pssst, **Eve** : I have a crush on you! _Shhh!_ 😛 ---
**Author:** ![litost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@litost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/litost)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/50 "2003-09-24T06:43:56Z")
Taking Allegra to suppress the perpetual blocked nose and frequent sneezing and sniffling will cause…you guessed it… the cold. Yipee! ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/51 "2003-09-24T10:39:00Z")
You poor suckers in the U.S. We had all of those non-drowsy antihistamines go OTC years and years before they did down there. And the one I take - Reactine® (cetirizine) - is still prescription-only in the States as Zyrtec®. So let’s take stock, here: in Canada, we can get codeine OTC (but you have to ask for it), a large selection of non-drowsy antihistamines, we can buy Sudafed without having to fill out a form to prove we’re not running a crystal meth lab in our basements… but we can’t get Aleve® (naproxen, aka Anaprox®) OTC. Weirdness. I believe a recent thread addressed these inconsistencies. ---
**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 24, 2003, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/52 "2003-09-24T11:30:54Z")
Cheer up, folks! After all, the side effects _could_ have included “lycanthropy”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/53 "2003-09-24T12:44:18Z")
I love Zyrtec. Another reason to move North! Allegra didn’t do squat for me. I was prescribed Rhinocort for my sniffling. Its a spray anthistamine… one of its side effects is causing bloody noses:eek: Yeah I didn’t use it for long! ---
**Author:** ![LucysLogic101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19b73/32.png) [@LucysLogic101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LucysLogic101)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/54 "2003-09-24T13:38:29Z")
how about this allegra warning: “Side effects with Allegra 30 mg are low and may include headache, cold, coughing, or accidental injury.” to which my friend, who takes allegra, commented: “I dunno, I just took Allegra, and the next thing I knew, I stabbed myself in the face…”…Accidental injury? ---
**Author:** ![wireless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f14d63/32.png) [@wireless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wireless)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/55 "2003-09-24T14:37:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by featherlou \* > \*\*Speaking of toenail fungus, have you seen the commercial with the hatchback toenail? My only response to seeing the fungi crack open the toenail - EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! I’m getting dizzy just thinking about it now. \*\* I HATE that ad for the same reason. That and the way that awful Crayola “flesh” color turns to yellow. ICK! Something about it makes me change the channel faster than usual whenever it comes on. ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/56 "2003-09-24T16:31:17Z")
A psychiatrist acquaintance once told me he had a female patient on Welbutrin who had the side effect of spontaneous orgasm EVERY TIME she stood up or sat down! I have nothing to add but WOW! ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201/57 "2003-09-26T11:00:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Encinitas \* > \*\*A psychiatrist acquaintance once told me he had a female patient on Welbutrin who had the side effect of spontaneous orgasm EVERY TIME she stood up or sat down! > > I have nothing to add but WOW! \*\* Orgasm upon yawning has been reported as a very rare side-effect of clomipramine (Anafranil®). I read some studies on it not too long ago, and one of the male patients who was experiencing this particular side-effect simply took to always wearing a condom. _Always._ I guess the medication was working really well for him. Either that, or he was developing a fetish for shooting his load in everyday situations with a medically legitimate excuse. _“Sorry, boss. I know I just spooged in my pants while giving a PowerPoint presentation in front of the Board of Directors. Here’s a note from my doctor. You’ll note that under the Americans With Disabilities Act, I cannot be disciplined for this … outburst.”_ Who knows. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/side-effects-may-include-drowsiness-dizziness-and-diarrhea/202201.md?page=2)