As the saying goes: A medicine is three parts poison.
Countless people agree with this sentence, especially the older generation. Every time they take medicine, they are very taboo about this “poison”.
In fact, this “poison” mostly refers to drug side effects.
Does this medicine have any side effects?
Will taking too much medicine damage the kidney and liver?
Is it possible that the original disease is not cured and another disease occurs after eating it?
There are many questions like this. Today, I will talk to you about the side effects of drugs.
Why do drugs have side effects?
To be clear, Almost all medicines have side effects. If someone tells you that this medicine has no side effects, there is no doubt that he is a liar.
Drugs have a selectivity, it can choose to affect multiple functions of the body, or it can only affect one function, the former is highly selective, and the latter Low sex. If ibuprofen asks you if it hurts from head to toe, it is also a manifestation of drug selectivity.
When selectivity is low, drugs have multiple functions, but we only need one of them for the purpose of treatment, and the other functions become side effects.
In other words, after taking the medicine, in addition to treating the symptoms that need treatment, it may also bring some things that were not there, unnecessary, or even uncomfortable. Symptoms.
（Photo source veer）
But this side effectuseis relative, and when the purpose of the drug is changed for different diseases, the side effect strong>Use and treatment can be converted into each other.
For example, atropine can inhibit glandular secretion, relieve smooth muscle spasm, and increase heart rate.
Atropine is used during general anesthesia to suppress the secretion of the patient’s glands, which relieves smooth muscle spasm and increases the heart rate and causes abdominal distension or urinary retention as a side effect;
When atropine is used to relieve smooth muscle spasms, dry mouth and palpitations caused by its suppression of glandular secretion and increased heart rate are a side effect.
Simply put, Side effects are an inherent effect of the drug itself, most symptoms are mild and predictable (on the label), and can be recovered after stopping the drug.
Side effects≠adverse effects
This is a comment made by a fan in the message area. Before answering the question, please do a question:
00
Is liver damage from medication a side effect?
A, yes
B, not
(click option, green is correct answer, red is wrong answer)
Any reactions that are unrelated to the purpose of the drug and bring discomfort or pain to patients are collectively referred to as adverse drug reactions, including side effects, toxic reactions, sequelae effect, drug withdrawal reaction, allergic reaction, idiosyncratic reaction, etc.
Side effects are the most common type of adverse drug reaction.
（Photo source veer）
And liver injury is a toxic reaction among adverse drug reactions, which refers to the harmful reaction that occurs when the dose is too large or the drug accumulates too much in the body.
If the liver damage is caused by short-term medication, the liver will recover on its own after stopping the medication; but if the liver damage has already caused serious damage, such as liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis, etc., it cannot recover on its own. .
So people who need to take medicine for a long time must pay attention to the protection of the liver.
Seeing this, some people will definitely think: Since there are so many adverse reactions to the drug, why not take it?
Medicine is for the cure, for the futureKnowing the risk of giving up treatment for the current disease, this is due to choking.
We can learn about the adverse effects of a drug and give us a sense of it, instead of resisting it and fearing it.
Skin topical medication also has adverse reactions
In the impression of many people, only oral medicines have side effects.
External medication is more casual. It is normal to not read the instructions, but external medication will also have adverse reactions.
Medications for acne
The most common retinoic acid drugs (adapalene, tretinoin, etc.) may appear irritated, dry, skin Peeling and other adverse reactions.
In order to reduce adverse reactions, it is recommended to start using low concentration, few times, and small range, and gradually build up tolerance, which can prevent adverse reactions reaction.
If skin peels during use, gently remove with a towel before applying cream.
It should be noted that retinoids may cause users to experience symptoms of increased sensitivity to sunlight. It is recommended to apply at night and pay attention to sun protection during the day .
Hormonal drugs
Such as hydrocortisone acetate, dexamethasone cream, etc., long-term external use is prone to skin atrophy, telangiectasia, flushing, purpura, pigmentation Decreased or calm, hirsutism and other adverse reactions.
However, as long as it is used in a reasonable and standardized manner under the guidance of a doctor according to the condition, generally there will be no adverse reactions, or the adverse reactions can be minimized.
There are many adverse reactions of drugs that are not listed one by one. You can develop a good habit of reading instructions, but the most important thing is to follow the instructions. When the doctor orders medication, engrave these 5 words in your mind!
[References]
[1] Yang Baofeng, Chen Jianguo editors. Pharmacology Human Health Ninth Edition [M]. People’s Health Publishing House. 2018.07.
[2] Emmy Graber, MD, MBA.Acne vulgaris: Overview of management.UpToDat