New prescription drugs are full of possibilities for relief and remission of many illnesses. Television ads abound featuring youthful patients peddling bikes, dipping into pools, and eating all the hot sauce they desire. Most of us would conclude that most new drugs are safe, right? But it isn’t always the case.

Proton Pump Inhibitors

The common brand names for this are Nexium, Prevacid, and Prilosec. These drugs have only recently come to the forefront of medicine, and have become as common as candy. The precaution that Prilosec should not be taken routinely flashes only subliminally upon the TV screen, but don't blink and miss it. What the guy in the sleeveless shirt chomping a barbecued turkey leg doesn't say is that the drug may inhibit kidney function and cause bones to become brittle over time.

Allergy Medications

These drugs seem very innocuous, promoting TV ads featuring people with allergies sniffing flowers and enjoying country life. Terfenadine, sold in the United States as Seldane, was a popular, non-sedating antihistamine. It seemed the perfect remedy, but was withdrawn from the market for causing heart arrhythmias. You probably won’t find it on the shelves, but beware of other allergy meds that pop up with no side effects.

Chantix

Smoking is so detrimental to our health that any method to quit seems positive. Suicide may not be such a bargain though. Chantix is strongly linked to depression and suicide attempts, according to a study on the online medical journal PLoS One.

Yaz Birth Control

You’ve probably already been informed of the controversy of this one. An FDA advisory warned that Yaz birth control pills have a significant risk of blood clots, trumping older pills on the market. Women with more risk factors such as overweight, smoking, or family history of stroke should be very cautious about this medication.

Statin Drugs

Statin drugs are becoming more widely used as the United States' population ages. These drugs were touted as miraculous not long ago, but today they are known to raise the risk of diabetes and cause cognitive impairment. As these are conditions that high cholesterol levels may cause on their own, statins are receiving a closer look.

New versions like Praluent have entered the market, but they are much more expensive than statins like Lipitor.

Zohydro

Zohydro is an opiate for pain. It is a higher-dose formula than its predecessors, Vicodin and Oxycontin. Although pain management has become the mantra of medicine today, this drug has a powerful potential to kill, according to medical experts and lawmakers. It has yet to be marketed, although it has FDA approval for those who no longer respond to ordinary opiate strengths of prescription.

Although the war on Drugs in the U.S. fights illegal sales, legal dispersal of prescription drugs accounts for a quarter of the 62 million death certificates recorded annually. If you feel you have been harmed by prescription drugs, please contact a Collin County Criminal Defence Attorney.