10 Bizarre Side Effects From Common Medicines

Medicine has advanced immeasurably in the past few decades, with one of the biggest leaps in technology coming in the drugs that have been developed to treat people who have all types of afflictions. Millions of people around the world depend on a steady stream of medicines to ensure that they can live healthy lives. Unfortunately, many of these medications can cause side effects in addition to their health benefits. Although many of these side effects are common and well known, such as headaches or upset stomachs, there are some truly strange effects that everyday drugs can cause.

Losing Sense Of Smell

Losing your sense of smell, known officially as anosmia, is something that is usually the result of trauma or specific diseases. However, it has also been known to be triggered by interferon, a type of medication that is used to treat hepatitis and leukemia.

Hallucinations

Recent reports have indicated that the anti-malaria drug Melfoquine has a number of shocking side effects that no one would like to suffer. They largely consist of psychiatric problems, which can lead to drastic changes in behavior, with some of the most common issues being frequent hallucinations and suicidal thoughts.

Colored Urine

There are all types of medications and drugs that can turn the color of your urine a different color due to the ingredients that they are made up of. Arguably the most common yet bizarre of these is caused by the likes of the anti-depressant amitriptyline and propofol, which can turn urine from its usual color to blue.

Develop Lactating Breasts

With baldness being such a problem for many men, it is not unusual that there are drugs to help combat hair loss. One of the most popular is propecia, which the makers claim can reverse male hair-loss. What they don’t advertise is the fact that it can also make men develop full breasts that lactate.

Amnesia

Despite what the movies say, amnesia is an incredibly rare affliction that usually doesn’t even occur to those who have had serious head injuries. Some types of medicine can cause severe forgetfulness though, with the most common culprits being sleeping pills.

Rapid Hair Growth

Anyone suffering from severe acne is likely to be prescribed with Accutane. As well as helping to reduce pimples and spots, the drug can lead to various other problems. Some of these include the likes of rectal bleedings and psychosis, though the most irregular is rapid hair growth, with hair growing very quickly all over the body.

Compulsive Sex and Gambling

Ropinirole, otherwise known as Requip, is a common treatment for those who suffer from involuntary movement such as Parkinson’s disease or restless leg syndrome. However, it can cause a series of unusual side effects that include compulsive urges to gamble and have sex.

Stops Orgasms

Although Zoloft is generally used to combat depression and other disorders involving wildly varying moods, there have been reports of other more bizarre side effects. These include erections that can last for hours at a time and an inability for males to orgasm.

Color Blindness

Viagra is one of the most popular medicines on the planet, with millions of men using it to help combat impotence. The pills also have some other effects though, with many of those taking them complaining of color blindness. Generally, the color blindness affects the colors blue and green, while some people even get a blue tinge on their vision.

Fingerprints Erased

Immigration officials in the United States were confused when a man from Singapore tried to enter the country without any fingerprints. An investigation revealed that he had been taking the chemotherapy drug capecitabine, which can cause skin to peel. This frequent action had led to his fingerprints slowly fading away.