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Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix
When it comes to medication, what you don’t know could kill you. Or cause eyelid droop, amnesia and decreased sweating. We’ve scoured the warning labels for possible side effects. Do you know what else these drugs can do? Take our quiz:
The Not-So-Fine Print: Popular Drugs, Ominous Labels
Then come back and tell us how you did.
Comments (99)
Comment
In The Magazine
Only 3/10. And I thought I would do good on this one because I work in a pharmacy!
Oh well.
posted by Janel on 9-10-2007 at 10:54 pm
I got a 70%.
Just goes to show you what conventional medicines can do to you, and not just for you.
Can ya tell I work at a natural foodstore?
posted by Emily on 9-10-2007 at 10:55 pm
10/10. I’ve taken 3 of these (don’t take any of em now), and been recommended 2 others (both of which I decided against due to side effects).
and the worst effects of the 3 I took were NOT listed on the labels.
@Emily:”Natural” treatments can have similar side effects. for example, St. John’s Wort is often touted as a replacement for antidepressants. it can cause the same gastrointestinal symptoms, dizziness, confusion, tiredness and sedation as RX antidepressants and can also be toxic in large doses. In addition it can cause deadly interactions with other medications. Also, the contents of herbal remidies are not regulated like RX medications. you have no way of knowing how much of an active compound is actually IN that “homeopathic” pill. it can vary from brand to brand, or even pill to pill within a bottle.(I’m not saying “unconventional” medicine doesn’t have uses, I’m just saying it has drawbacks of it’s own)
posted by moonablaze on 9-10-2007 at 11:45 pm
50% here, also in part because of the crossovers between Paxil and Accutane, and Flomax and Rogaine. The liver risk and retinoid quality of Accutane also tripped me up.
If you take it as an arcane quiz, rather than an attempt to convey medical advice, the specifics of the wording make it tricky. Good game.
posted by Anonymous Peon on 9-11-2007 at 1:29 am
I made one tweak to the quiz to cut down on the Flomax/Rogaine confusion.
posted by Jason on 9-11-2007 at 6:20 am
80%. Not terrible (at least not as bad as some of these side effects!)
posted by JaneM on 9-11-2007 at 7:04 am
80%, and I’m a med student who should’ve known all of ‘em. (In my defense, I only missed the Paxil/Accutane ones.) I did question the Accutane because those birth problems didn’t quite match up with the classic birth defects associated with it, but I hadn’t known (or, more likely, had forgotten) about the suicide risk. Not good!
posted by Sara on 9-11-2007 at 7:08 am
10/10… some of them were educated guesses (knowing the mechanism and excretion helps).
posted by xenylamine on 9-11-2007 at 8:42 am
7/10 wow. Accutane and Paxil tripped me up a bit. I know that SSRI’s can cause suicidal ideation.
posted by Jay on 9-11-2007 at 8:51 am
6/10 Honestly, I just randomly answered. The only two I’m familiar with are Frontline and Rogaine. I have a bald cat.
posted by natlynn on 9-11-2007 at 9:41 am
80%, surpringly. i just mixed up paxil and lipitor.
posted by timaree on 9-11-2007 at 10:03 am
70%! Woot! Pharma school, here I come. (Same trouble caused by the Paxil/suicide.)
posted by viraginity on 9-11-2007 at 10:31 am
60%
I guess it goes to show that sometimes the cure is worse. Granted, most of these side effects are restricted to a rather small population.
That said, I am reminded of what my Dad always says, “Minor operations are those that happen to people other than the ones you love.”
posted by Dusty on 9-11-2007 at 11:01 am
60%
I can’t deny my distaste for Big Pharma. I’ve read some blogs with all this nastiness revealed…Alli has to be the scariest one, if you like white undees, and not bringing an extra change of clothes to work, as much as I do.
posted by Paul on 9-11-2007 at 1:00 pm
70% -
posted by Leslie on 9-11-2007 at 1:32 pm
60%, phooey. I thought Accutane was for treating acne, and Topamax was for excessive sweating, so that certainly didn’t help.
posted by Leisa on 9-11-2007 at 1:37 pm
70%. I didn’t know what “Alli” was. I thought Accutane was for acne, too… What med am I thinking of there?
posted by lisa on 9-11-2007 at 5:04 pm
8 out of 10! I confused Paxil and Accutane.
posted by togetherless on 9-11-2007 at 7:11 pm
100%, surprised as I am 3 years removed from my healthcare related profession…its the maddening degree to which these ads pervade my brain due to casual interest more than any retained healthcare knowlege
posted by commonsense_scm on 9-11-2007 at 10:06 pm
Accutane IS for acne, but it’s taken internally. (messed up side effects, I know)
posted by moonablaze on 9-11-2007 at 10:32 pm
Woo hoo! 70%!! And I probably would have gotten 80 if I had had any idea what Alli was… never heard of it before this.
posted by caro on 9-12-2007 at 7:02 am
6/10, I should know better because I am a Nurse!
posted by PM Toone on 9-12-2007 at 7:34 am
80%–mistook Pxil for suicide risk
posted by Susie on 9-12-2007 at 1:09 pm
7/10~ Not bad for not paying attention during commercials!
posted by Erin on 9-12-2007 at 1:49 pm
I got a 10 out of 10, some educated guess, most I knew.
posted by Jeff on 9-12-2007 at 6:41 pm
80%
I mixed up Topamax and Paxil. Granted, those were the two I was most unsure about (and I’m a Pharmacy Tech- don’t tell my boss, lol) so I’m glad I did as well as I did.
posted by Wendy on 9-12-2007 at 9:01 pm
Oh, Paxil, how i hate you. I started burning myself while i was on it (ironically, not for depression).
posted by spiffy on 9-13-2007 at 12:50 am
80%, only 2 wrong! I guess I watch those damn drug commercials (where they say all the side effect really really fast at the end) a little TOO closely!
posted by Tas on 9-13-2007 at 10:05 am
YIKES! When I was in high school, I took Accutane. They definitely did NOT tell me it might make me want to kill myself. Luckily, I didn’t have any side effects from it myself.
I got a 70%, and the only one I’ve taken is one of the ones I got wrong. Nice!
posted by Molly on 9-13-2007 at 2:34 pm
Hey folks, I got 100% on the drug side effects and warnings quiz. I knew I knew a lot about Rx pharmaceuticals, but I thought I might get 80% right. What a pleasant surprise that I’m up to date on all these important health matters. Do I get a party? A glass of champagne? A long-stemmed red rose?
posted by medicalmind on 9-14-2007 at 2:18 am
10/10. Um, google.
posted by dizzlebizzle on 9-14-2007 at 4:45 pm
10/10 BUT a couple of them I wasn’t sure about so googled, sorry. Could have been 8/10 without the cheating :-|
posted by paula on 9-15-2007 at 11:06 am
If you read all of the answers it said that paxil also has this side affect. I had 10 out of 10. Alli was also a prescribed med at one time.
posted by kim on 9-15-2007 at 10:03 pm
it’ name is zenical
posted by kim on 9-15-2007 at 10:04 pm
I got 100%, the funny thing is that I have never taken any of these and don’t take any medications now! LOL
posted by Andrea on 9-17-2007 at 6:09 am
8/10 for me. Guess that’s b/c I actually READ the patient inserts (I take Topamax, and I’ve had family on some of the others) and listen to the patient cautions given in advertising for many of the others. Maybe commercials are somewhat useful after all.
posted by s.brown on 9-17-2007 at 8:02 am
100% I knew that habit I have of reading everything (including advertisements) would pay off. I’m still waiting for the one that says “May cause temporary headlessness.”
posted by Lisa on 9-17-2007 at 11:55 am
80%–I watch too much TV!
posted by Liz on 9-17-2007 at 12:17 pm
2/10 Please¡ Need a doctor¡ Seriously, I live in Mexico and here most of the population don’t read or know the medicines side effects. Here’s a good reason why we would have to read what can happen to us while consuming these products.
posted by Andres Andrei on 9-17-2007 at 1:27 pm
70%, not too bad for educated guessing!
posted by Kate on 9-18-2007 at 6:31 am
10/10 and I have not taken any of those medicines. It is really sad when you actually listen to the side effects on commercials. My favorite though is the restless leg syndrome medicine that causes compulsive gambling.
posted by Jared on 9-18-2007 at 4:29 pm
80% yep, that Paxil/Accutane tripped me up also. And I do watch the commercials
posted by protocrone on 9-19-2007 at 6:20 am
7/10, but I’m a hypochondriac by trade, so its all in a day’s work.
posted by Mickie on 9-19-2007 at 7:07 am
I got 70% not too bad.
posted by QT 31415926 on 9-19-2007 at 7:16 am
8 out of 10 - mixed up accutane and topamax, but since I couldn’t remember what those were for, I’m not surprised (and yes, I work in the industry, too)
posted by Michele on 9-19-2007 at 7:55 am
I can’t believe I got a 10/10! I did Google Accutane and Topamax to find out what they were used for, but did not look up any of the side affects. I knew most of the others fairly easily…especially Alli which a friend of mine has taken and has experienced the ‘leakage’ issue. Eeeeuuuuwwww!
posted by jeigh on 9-19-2007 at 9:30 am
80% The botox and the fontline were a bit easy, and the Drex morning show helped me out with the Levitra and Paxil, but I hadn’t even heard of some of the other drugs.
posted by kellahinx on 9-19-2007 at 9:32 am
5/10
posted by grainne on 9-19-2007 at 9:50 am
10/10 hmmmm maybe I take too many pills??
posted by kristine on 9-19-2007 at 12:17 pm
7/10 and i know almost nothing about ALL these drugs.
posted by Emily on 9-19-2007 at 12:55 pm
60%. Much better than I expected since I don’t know drugs and filled in numbers by chance when I ran out of stuff I knew.
posted by Elaine on 9-19-2007 at 2:38 pm
80%
posted by Pat on 9-19-2007 at 2:57 pm
Woohoo! 100% I grew up in a pharmacy: from 1st job cleaning floors to being a tech. I have also had more than my fair share of experiences with prescriptions, including some of these. I just love the commercials that list all the horrible ones!
posted by Anners on 9-19-2007 at 6:53 pm
70% - looks like average for everyone else here!
posted by Clyde on 9-19-2007 at 8:01 pm
Addendum - I see a few referneces to Flomax in above comments - did they change the quiz? Mine did not feature Flomax, but had one called Frontline Plus…???
posted by Clyde on 9-19-2007 at 8:05 pm
8/10. Obviously I’ve watched too much television in my lifetime because that’s the only way to know most of this….
posted by Jessica on 9-19-2007 at 8:44 pm
60% ???? Well, guess I need to read up on the new meds. I was looking for Xenical too for the loose stools and gas and stuff. Makes you nice to be around while losing weight, eh! And wasn’t there a topical roll-on Accutane? I thought it was an eye drop. But I don’t take any of these.
posted by zoesgarden on 9-19-2007 at 8:53 pm
10/10 - SIGH
Thirty years as a patient has taught me a lot. Medical School of Hard Knocks..
BTW - Snake venom is, “natural”. I use non traditional treatments but verry carefully.
Be well!
posted by Richard on 9-19-2007 at 10:24 pm
Score: 50% (5 out of 10)
dad-gum that was hard too!
posted by monkey on 9-20-2007 at 1:14 am
Got an 80. Guess I watch way too many drug commericals!
posted by Beth Agejew on 9-20-2007 at 4:55 am
100%
I’m a nurse and it’s my job!
posted by Indigo on 9-20-2007 at 5:44 am
80% — Got the Accutane and Topamax mixed up. We certainly are a drugged up society now aren’t we?!? Sad but true.
posted by Cyndi on 9-20-2007 at 11:22 am
6/10.
i have to admit i guessed a couple of times.
i hated paxil. it gave me tremors so bad i couldn’t barely write a sentance, much less pay attention in school.
and being bipolar, it made me constanly manic (probably making the tremors worse because i tend to shake when manic. lol)
and it gave me the damn munchies! lol
posted by sue on 9-20-2007 at 11:55 am
100% Im a toxicologist so maybe I had something of an advantage…
posted by homeslice on 9-20-2007 at 2:28 pm
Wow, I scored 100%! i think I take too many drugs and watch far too much television…
posted by Queen of Everything on 9-20-2007 at 9:35 pm
got 5 out of 10 which shocked me as I had only heard of two items on this list……….
posted by CJ on 9-20-2007 at 11:28 pm
60% for me…had not heard of three of the medications (Alli, Topamax & Accutane) so I guessed (wrongly) after the six I did answer correctly. But I also mute television commercials a lot…so I must have missed the ads for these.
posted by Christine on 9-21-2007 at 6:15 am
Yay! 80% That’s a B… but I think I can live with myself! :) Cool (and partially scary!) quiz!
posted by Jacqui on 9-21-2007 at 11:36 am
8/10 80% Well I did good for what I can remember of the drugs — I was a pharmacy tech some years ago.
posted by Bethany on 9-21-2007 at 2:42 pm
100% That’s from 25 years in the field.
posted by Danae on 9-21-2007 at 10:36 pm
I remember when the WOW potato and snack chips made with Olestra had a warning on the package : May cause Anal Leakage. Talk about chips and dip!! Mmmmm.
posted by Gale on 9-22-2007 at 1:30 pm
100%
…was slightly suprised due to multiple adverse side effects possible to several of these meds. But, I am a nurse educator, so the ‘education’ and ability to reason through one from another was a huge help!
posted by Susan on 9-22-2007 at 1:33 pm
80% - guess I’ve seen to many commercials
posted by eve on 9-22-2007 at 6:53 pm
80 % My dog had a very scary running around frantically and whining and snapping at nothing for hours episode after I used Frontline on him. And when I read up on it, I found that it is a neurotoxin that disrupts the nervous systems of fleas. I’m afraid it disrupted old Spock’s nervous system for awhile, too. We are lucky it was temporary. I have talked to other people whose dogs had more serious reactions and have never totally recovered. One died. Needless to say, we never used that again!
posted by lisa on 9-23-2007 at 12:07 am
I’m a college student and I got 100%.
That sad thing is that the only reason I knew all of them is because I watch a lot of TV.
posted by Catherine on 9-23-2007 at 9:47 am
I got 100% - 10 out of 10. I even surprised myself.
posted by Jeri on 9-23-2007 at 3:31 pm
I got 80%. That topomax was a tricky one.
posted by Diane K on 9-23-2007 at 7:09 pm
I got 70%. I take one of them and didn’t know the side effect. Lucky for me I don’t have that side effect either!
posted by Dawn on 9-24-2007 at 8:57 pm
I got 100 without googling or anything, but I used to work in healthcare and I usually have my ear to the ground for stuff like that.
But I’m not a professional, I was a secretary, so I’m pretty proud of myself.
posted by Beth on 9-25-2007 at 1:30 am
80%
I wonder if the suicide risk for Accutane is really a side-effect of the medication. Perhaps people afflicted with severe acne are more likely to attempt suicide. Just because some number (greater than the general population) attempted suicide while on the medication, it is not necessarily proof that the medication is the cause.
posted by pen on 9-25-2007 at 5:33 am
6/10…i pay attention to some of the commercials :)
posted by nicole on 9-25-2007 at 1:10 pm
I made an 80% and I’m an RN. :( And yes they have studies to back up that back up FACT that accutane definately has been proven to cause altered mental status with suicidal and homicidal ideations. That’s why it is not so widely used anymore
posted by moongoddess on 9-25-2007 at 8:03 pm
100% …
It’s obvious that i am the flossiest here.
posted by Chloe on 9-26-2007 at 7:13 am
I got a 7/10–and I only take one of them. I must say, I do enjoy the decreased sweating :)
posted by Erin on 9-26-2007 at 10:15 am
100% Guess I’m right to work in the pharmacy industry. Accutane’s side affects are recognized and regulated to the ages the medication can be dispensed in certain states.
The problem is that for a long time accutane was being dispensed to teenagers as they were suffering from Acne. Dangerous combination!
posted by Bilal on 9-26-2007 at 10:36 am
8 out of 10…not too shabby.
Missed the accutane one and I used to take it. Never made me suicidal, but it did dry the hell out of me. Cracked lips, nose bleeds from dryness, and all that jazz.
posted by Crash on 9-26-2007 at 11:16 am
70%
Some I knew, most I guessed. Not bad for casual interest! (I used to work for a psychiatrist, MIL is a doc, husband a nurse. Cha-ching!)
posted by SaDiablo on 9-26-2007 at 7:23 pm
Not too bad. I work in an analytical lab…nothing to do with medical stuff at all and I got 80% But, I do have to say that my sister works for a doctor. LOL. Maybe that’s why. You just kind of soak it up, I guess when you’re a Chemist geek!!!
The Not-So-Fine Print: Popular Drugs, Ominous Labels
Score: 80% (8 out of 10)
posted by Hemi Girl on 9-26-2007 at 7:48 pm
i got an 80%! w00t! mixed up 2 & 3 though. who said being a pill popper was good for nothing, but i buzz? LoL!
posted by lei on 9-27-2007 at 5:32 am
Like so many others, I got 80% due to Accutane/Paxil; no cheating, though.
Good quiz, good website!
posted by Nance on 9-27-2007 at 7:02 am
Yay! 100% . I do try to stay informed. I actually read the fine print. It comes in handy so often.
posted by Conni on 9-27-2007 at 10:56 pm
I missed one (#3) but 90% is pretty good. I unhappily take multiple meds and I don’t put much faith in the docs or the pharmacies to always know the side affects and/or interactions so I try to be my own advocate and read the labels AND literature on all products. When you read the sad stats of all the possible complications possible it pays to check for yourself.
posted by Cherie on 9-28-2007 at 6:55 pm
Yikes, I only got a 30%. Thank God neither I nor any members of my family take any of these poisons.
posted by Howard on 9-29-2007 at 3:44 pm
80% for someone who is just a technician is pretty good! I didn’t expect to do so well, but I guess I picked up on some knowledge over the past 3 and a half years after all. And people wonder why I’m slightly nervous about taking medication when the situation calls it…
posted by Lynda on 9-29-2007 at 4:31 pm
70% and I only watch Tivo’d shows so I skip over all the drug commercials.
posted by elli on 9-29-2007 at 10:05 pm
10/10. I am a veterinarian, so I’d feel a little embarrassed if I’d scored any less.
By the way, what they say about Accutane is very true and very serious. This drug is a retinoid compound used to treat skin disorders such as Pemphigus. It can cause intense anxiety and depression in some patients. If you take this, be vigilant.
posted by Curt on 11-24-2007 at 6:38 pm
100%, thanks to my hypochondriasis.
posted by kari on 3-19-2008 at 10:43 am
10/10 with a coin flip for the last two. I work in natural supplements so many of these are well known. What isn’t well known is that since the FDA rushes these to market so fast, all of those side-effects could possibly show up for any of the prescriptions. They’d just take it off the market after big pharma made their hundreds of millions and say… “My bad.”
posted by jfarley on 3-20-2008 at 12:25 pm
Wow, did I ever suck at that. Only 4/10 (i.e. the really obvious ones: Alli, Levitra, Rogaine, and Frontline Plus).
Not even Topamax, which I’ve been taking for a little over a year.
posted by Delia on 7-29-2008 at 3:37 pm