What is a Side Effect?

Simply stated, sometimes drugs due what they are supposed to do, but often they trigger other effects in the body unrelated to what they are intended to do. This may be related to the drug’s mechanism, dose, or effects on different systems in the body.

A lot of pharmacological research focuses on making drugs more specific, or having them do exactly what they are supposed to do and nothing more.  Our athlete runner who has a sprain may use an anti-inflammatory to help ease the pain and swelling but the way the medication interacts with the stomach lining can cause nausea.  In an ideal world, our athlete would be able to use a medication specific to the area of pain or injury without affecting the stomach.  At the Flatiron Group, we make every effort to find the best medication regimen with the fewest possible side effects.