An old saying like “what goes up must come down”. The basic scientific stance is everything comes at a cost. There’s no free ride with drugs. If it has a strong effect it will most definitely have a strong side-effect. The reason people miss this is:

1. Side effect(s) may not be immediate and may be delayed by weeks months….years.

2. Side effect(s) may be cumulative, that is it may be the sum of multiple smaller side-effects which add up to a big problem.

3. The drug approval process is complex and far from transparent. Much of the safety signal comes from “post public release” ( think vioxx/rofecoxib)

Drugs are used for highly specific effects. The additional actions and interactions can vary widely. The fact is you never….ever get something for nothing.

Be well, be strong,

Andrew and Tierney