Intro: Your doctor hands you a prescription. Now what? You’re wondering if your doctor didn’t tell you all there was to know about the side effects of this new drug or you’re worried that there was an important question you forgot to ask. Or you’ve started a new prescription and now you feel dizzy or nauseated. Is this normal? Like many people, you turn to the Internet (or other sources) for information about drug side effects and find yourself inundated with material. What do you do? Here are 5 ways to research your drug’s side effects — calmly and effectively — without having to earn a medical degree.
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4 Check out government sources
The FDA regulates and approves prescription and non-prescription drugs, and its website has a wealth of information about drug safety, drug recalls and side effects. The FDA also maintains an Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), a database of information on adverse event and medication error reports submitted to the FDA.
Consumers can access this information through the FDA website or by sending a Freedom of Information request to the FDA. (Be aware, however, that drug side effects are thought to be largely underreported to FAERS, so you may not get a complete and adequate assessment of the drug you are researching.) If you want to report your own side-effect problems, contact the FDA’s MedWatch.
Other government sources that can prove helpful include the National Institutes of Health Medline Plus: Medicines and Medline Plus: Over-the-Counter Medicines.
