What Are Common Side Effects When Using Medication?

There can be many different side effects to using various types of medication. The most common are fatigue or sleepiness, as well as headaches. While medicines help to balance and treat conditions, their chemicals may also affect other parts of the body adversely, although their effects are rarely long-lasting or serious to health. For example, an antidepressant can treat depression through affecting serotonin receptors, but can conversely lower blood pressure, as well as causing headaches and constipation. Most prescription medications will list possible side effects on the side of their containers, as well as the safe dosage. However, side effects can vary from person to person, depending on their unique chemical system, with the result that while some patients may feel very little in the way of side effects from drugs, others have the potential for massive allergic reactions. Drug companies often test their products for side effects in the development stages, and will try to reduce the extra risk caused by the chemicals in their drugs.