Minor Side-Effects

Something was always  troubling me about so-called 'minor' side-effects of medications, though I never could clearly verbalize it. Then in the P. Weintraub article (see Statins and More) I read that certain drugs cause

‘…reduced energy and a lack of interest in activity, increased fatigue after exercise, erectile dysfunction…’

It just made me realize that many modern medications, which sole purpose is  ‘to control a condition’, or ‘to improve one’s quality of life’ in fact do nothing of the kind!

For the moment let’s disregard that such drugs are not intended to cure - with this old-fashioned and naïve idea I parted years ago. So, because they are incapable of curing modern drugs are largely focused on alleviating symptoms (see… practically any doctor-related posting of mine).

And though frantically trying to avoid pills myself, I always hesitated criticizing those who were not, as for many people medication might be the only way to manage through the day.   

Regarding possible side-effects I used to think like this:

‘As long as I am generally healthy I naturally do not want to put up with minor discomforts. But if my life were at stake, I might become much more tolerant to such things.‘

When I started reading fine prints more attentively it hit me that side-effects of modern drugs may be much more damaging then they seem.   

For example, when they warn you of ‘possible dizziness’ – it means - you might abandon your regular walks (out of fear to lose balance and fall).  Dizziness is also likely to lower appetite and weaken the determination to follow clean and healthy diet:

This is not easy to do even when you feel OK. Now imagine trying to eat right when you are nauseous and your taste buds are all confused.

When a drug instruction mentions such effects as ‘reduced energy and… increased fatigue after exercise’ – it means that your resolution to exercise regularly would be additionally and powerfully obstructed.  

It all looks like not a big deal, but healthy diet and exercise are exactly the factors that help body to heal: to strengthen its immune system, to increase metabolism, to suppress inflammation. This way diet and exercise contribute to prevention and reduction of practically all modern debilitating diseases!

Well, because of the side-effects of medications, people who need lifestyle changes most are particularly hindered in making these changes!

Quite a paradox.

Have you ever tried working out with an inflammatory back ache? 

Yoga, by the way, is highly beneficial against muscle inflammation. It increases blood circulation and flashes toxins out of your body.

But doing yoga with aching back or shoulder is hard. Almost every asana that you did with mindless ease hundreds of times turns into a pretty painful challenge. And it may take some time (weeks at least) to calm things down.

I know people who discontinued yoga for months in such conditions.

Even a zealous yogi would hesitate to work out while feeling ‘dizzy’ or ‘overly fatigued’ – that is, experiencing the most innocent of the common  medication side-effects.

It would present an even tougher challenge for a sedentary-living person. Would such a person dare to start exercising in these circumstances? I doubt it.

I also wonder how many people around me are driving every day with ‘minor cramps’, or ‘light markers of depression’ and other disregarded attention deficit inducers...

So it looks like the impact of drugs with minor side-effects basically comes to this:

Regular consumption of chemicals without cure

Experiencing all sorts of discomfort and having difficulty performing everyday tasks

Inability to assist natural healing processes

And then there are such effects as ‘lack of sex drive’ and ‘erectile dysfunction’ that do not physically hurt but may impact your life on a fundamental level.  

Who decided that these things are 'minor'?