Car accidents aren’t America’s leading cause of accidental death, but instead prescription drugs are to blame, according to a National Health Statistics report published in 2011. Before you pop the pill prescribed to you, take a look at this list of the 10 most dangerous prescriptions riddled with safety problems.
- Lipitor and Crestor: These prescriptions are statins, which means they can help prevent heart attacks in high risk patients. But many times they are over prescribed to those with bad cholesterol and instead of getting the benefits, more often patients get the serious side effects such as dizziness, weakness, pain and arthritis.
- Yaz and Yasmin: After the birth control pill Yaz was released in 2006, women who were taking it started to come down with blood clots, gallbladder disease, heart attacks and stroke. The TV ads for Yaz in 2008 were so misleading that FDA ordered Bayer to run correction ads.
- Lyrica, Topomax, and Lamictal: According to their labels, these seizure drugs have all been linked to an increase in suicidal thoughts and behaviors. In just five years, they were linked to 26 suicides, 801 attempted suicides and 41 violent deaths.
- Chantix: The U.S. government banned pilots and air traffic controllers and interstate truck and bus drivers from taking the anti-smoking drug Chantix in 2008 after the Federal Drug Administration received 397 cases of possible psychosis, 227 domestic reports of suicidal acts, thoughts or behaviors and 28 suicides caused by Chantix.
- Ambien: Law enforcement officials say this sleeping pill has increased traffic accidents with some drivers not even recognizing arresting police. Because of the numerous car accidents, Sanofi-Aventis had to run ads telling the public to go straight to bed after taking Ambien.
- Prempro and Premarin: Pfizer’s hormone drugs Prempro and Premarin can cause a 26 percent increase in breast cancer, 41 percent increase in strokes, 29 percent increase in heart attacks, 22 percent increase in cardiovascular disease, double the rates of blood clots and links to deafness, and a slew of other scary side effects.
- Boniva: This bone drug has been approved by the FDA, but can be very dangerous if you don’t take it exactly as is stated, following directions such as: “avoid lying down for at least 60 minutes to help decrease the risk of problems in the esophagus and stomach.” Also, you shouldn’t take it if you have difficult or painful swallowing, chest pain or continuing or severe heartburn, low blood calcium or severe kidney disease or if severe bone, joint or muscle pain.
Often patients take the drugs prescribed to them because they trust their doctor to know what’s best. But if you were unaware of the side effects of a prescription drug and suffered pain from it, you deserve compensation. Contact Crowe Arnold & Majors, LLP today, and set-up your free, no-obligation consultation.
