1st January 2007
1st of all, you should ask your doctor (or multiples if you can) and pharmacists about it.
My own impression is it is not so bad. Headaches and diarrhea or constipation are known as regular side effects, and now news is coming about it making it harder to absorb calcium and thus, increasing risks of hip fractures (I bet other fractures, too) for older folk.
Other than that, nothing bad. Some people claim it gives them nightmares, and the literature talks about stomach polyps, but apparently these are unimportant.
While it's better not to have to take drugs at all much less continuously, you a) have to consider the alternative of not taking them and b) many drugs are rather "dull" in the effects dept.
My father has had epilepsy and taken phenobarbital and dilantin for 50 years, every day. He has no problem with this, absolutely no effect.
Not all drugs are the same, of course, but not all are back-stabbing killers.
My own impression is it is not so bad. Headaches and diarrhea or constipation are known as regular side effects, and now news is coming about it making it harder to absorb calcium and thus, increasing risks of hip fractures (I bet other fractures, too) for older folk.
Other than that, nothing bad. Some people claim it gives them nightmares, and the literature talks about stomach polyps, but apparently these are unimportant.
While it's better not to have to take drugs at all much less continuously, you a) have to consider the alternative of not taking them and b) many drugs are rather "dull" in the effects dept.
My father has had epilepsy and taken phenobarbital and dilantin for 50 years, every day. He has no problem with this, absolutely no effect.
Not all drugs are the same, of course, but not all are back-stabbing killers.