5 Types of Dangerous Drugs That Can Cause Injuries to Patients

 Posted on January 15, 2021 in Defective Drugs & Treatments

Modern medicine provides many benefits to patients, and a wide variety of treatments, medications, and medical devices may be used to address people’s health concerns. However, even though certain types of treatments may have been approved for public use, this does not always mean they are completely safe. In many cases, prescription drugs are found to have dangerous side effects for some people, or patients may suffer harm after using some medications due to allergies or interactions with other drugs. In cases involving injuries caused by defective or dangerous drugs, patients will want to determine how they can pursue financial compensation for the harm they have suffered.

Prescription Drugs With Dangerous Side Effects

While all prescription drugs must go through a testing and approval process before they can be made available for public use, this process does not always uncover the potential risks to patients. In some cases, a drug may be rushed to market with minimal testing, or side effects or harmful interactions may not be discovered until after the use of a medication has become widespread. In other cases, a manufacturer may not provide enough information to doctors or pharmacists about the safe use of the drug, or a medical provider may prescribe a medication without fully considering the health risks to a patient.

All drugs have some side effects that can affect patients, but certain types of medications have been found to be especially dangerous. These include:

• Opioids - Narcotics and other prescription painkillers can be very addictive, and overdoses of these drugs are unfortunately all too common. These medications can cause slowed breathing and heart rate, which can result in a lack of oxygen to the brain that may cause permanent brain damage or death.
• Antidepressants - By regulating chemicals in the brain, drugs such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Wellbutrin can be used to treat depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. However, some of these medications have been found to cause long-term effects on a person’s health, including increasing the risks of strokes or heart attacks.
• Sedatives - Benzodiazepines such as Xanax or Valium may be used to treat people with anxiety or sleep disorders, but these drugs can lead to cognitive impairment that affects a person’s coordination, concentration, and reaction time, and they also increase the risk of respiratory depression, which can be fatal.
• Anticoagulants - Blood-thinners such as Xarelto or Coumadin may be used to prevent blood clots, but they have been linked to serious conditions such as strokes, heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms, and deep vein thrombosis.
• Statins - These drugs, which include Lipitor and Crestor, are used to lower cholesterol, but they can also cause a breakdown of muscle cells, which can lead to kidney failure.

Contact Our Arlington Heights Prescription Drug Injury Attorneys

If you or a member of your family have been injured after taking a prescription drug, the attorneys of Newland & Newland, LLP can help you determine whether a drug manufacturer was responsible or whether your injury occurred because of prescription errors or other forms of medical malpractice. We will work to ensure that you are fully compensated for the damages you have suffered, including the costs of medical treatment, income you have lost, and the pain and suffering you have experienced. To set up a free consultation, contact our Schaumburg defective drug lawyers at 847-797-8000.

Sources:

https://www.addictioncenter.com/news/2019/08/15-most-dangerous-drugs/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/5-common-medications-that-can-have-serious-side-effects

https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/drug-addiction/news/25-most-dangerous-drugs/