Most horrifying list of side effects ever.

Paula was reading a magazine this afternoon when she came across an advert for Topamax - a new drug to hit the market which supposedly combats migraine. The small print for Topamax is 2 pages of 8-point print in a full-size American magazine. Most horrifying of all is the list of common side effects. This came from a clinical trial of 487 people. Think of that number, then look at the side effects. They are:
Cystitis, renal calculus, urinary tract infection, dysuria, micturition, fever, paresthesia, diarrhea, weight decrease, anorexia, mood disorders, attention deficit, cognitive problems, nervousness, viral infection, rhinitis, upper respitory tract infection, bronchitis, sinusitis, alopecia, asthenia, leg pain, chest pain, paresthesia, dizziness, hypoaesthesia, ataxia, hypertonia, constipation, dry mouth, gastritis, acid reflux, somnolence, memory loss, insomnia, depression, anxiety, psychomotor slowing, confusion, decrease libido, vaginal hemorrhage, anemia, dyspnea, rash, pruritis, acne, taste perversion, fatigue, asthenia, back pain, chest pain, flu-like symptoms, leg pain, hot flushes, allergy reactions, edema, body odor, rigors, speech disorder, nystagmus, tremors, language problems, coordination problems, abnormal gait, involuntary muscle contractions, stupor, vertigo, gingivitis, loss of hearing, myalgia, skeletal pain, epistaxis, agitation, increased aggression, emotional lability, apathy, depersonalisation, breast pain, amenorrhea, menorrhagia, reproductive disorder, prostatic disorder, moniliasis, sweating, hernaturia, incontinence, diplopia, loss of vision, leukopenia, fatigue, hypertension, leg cramps, tinnitus, hyporeflexia, fecal incontinence, glossitis, flatulence, gum hyperplasia, bradycardia, thrombosis, eczema, sebhorrhea, thirst, and vomiting.

Worse, there's a list of not-so-common side effects. They are: vasodilation, syncope, enlarged abdomen, hypertension, alcohol intolerance, angina pectoris, dyskenisia, dysphonia, scotoma, ptosis, dystonia, irregular EEG, upper motor neuron lesion, tongue paralysis, hemorrhoids, stomatitis, melena, tongue edema, dehydration, hypocalcemia, hyperglycemia, xerophthalmia, diabetes mellitus, hyperchloremia, hypernatremia, hyponatremia, hypocholesterolemia, arthralgia, arthrosis, gingival bleeding, pulmonary embolism, impotence, hallucination, psychosis, suicidal tendencies, euphoria, paranoid reaction, delusion, paranoia, delirium, abnormal dreaming, manic reaction, marrow depression, pancytopenia, ejaculation disorder, breast discharge, urticaria, photosensitivity reaction, abnormal hair texture, taste loss, parosmia, urinary retention, face edema, renal pain, albuminuria, polyuria, oliguria, conjunctivitis, abnormal accommodation, photophobia, strabismus.

And believe it or not, there's a list of secondary side effects too : bullous skin reactions, erythemia multi forme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, hepatic failure including fatalities, hepatitis, pancreatitis, pemphigus and renal tubular acidosis.

There it is again - death listed as a side effect. Now I don't know if its just me, but I consider death to be a primary effect, not a side effect. Frankly I think I'd live with the headache.

If you don't have a temporal lobe dysfunction or problems with other parts of your brain that Topamax hits, or you're at the wrong dosage, it will make you dumber than a box of rocks. The kidney stones aren't likely to be much fun either, and nor will the deafness or blindness.

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