Goodbye Aquarius

Side Effects: Reasons to Think About Saying No to Drugs and Stick with Just the Sex and Rock ‘n’ Roll

The preceding was a dramatization, albeit not an especially good one, okay? Had it been an actual TV commercial for a new drug, you would have been interested, engaged, feeling pretty optimistic about getting relief from what ails you and possibly find the on-screen actor rather attractive, until an off-screen announcer casually mentions in a relaxed, friendly voice that, while this new product is approved for use by people who are still upright, there are some side effects that may occur when taking them. Side effects?

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The Woodstock Generation, which may be remembered from the much discussed Age of Aquarius and Summer of Love, adopted the mantra “if it feels good, do it,” as they embarked on a romantic period constructed around sex, drugs and rock and roll. The Age of Aquarius is an astrological era when increased spirituality and harmony are said to characterize people's lives.Hopefully, today sex and rock and roll remain joyful for them as the decades roll by, but the drug thing has taken on a decidedly different coloration. It can be good “when taken as directed.” But there are still thoses pesky possible side effects.

A person’s “drug of choice” in the 1960s and ’70s was fairly easily available, despite being illegal. Someone always seemed to know how and where to get pot (marijuana), blow (cocaine), and on special occasions (such as Tuesdays or Wednesdays) acid (LSD–Lysergic Acid Diethylamide). And special magical mushrooms.

There was other stuff, of course – poppers (amyl nitrite), qualudes, amphetamines, methamphetamines, and dextroamphetamines, used occasionally and recreationally by some people and more frequently by serious stoners. Many in the latter category are no longer among us and many of them are still around and may still experience the effects. Others insist the residual effect is just memories of times gone by, some good and some not so good. That, of course, could be said of non-drug users as well.

By way of full disclosure, the writer of this post was not a stoner, though I did manage to be in close enough proximity to see the affects serious “recreational” drug use can have on people and the people around them. Please note also that this is not intended to be a moralizing treatise on drugs. People make their choices and live their lives and I’m no one to be judgmental about it.

Bob Dylan, the poet of the generation, sang that everybody must get stoned, but he also pointed out that the times, they are a-changin’. (Mr. Dylan’s other messages to the faithful included verses about Tryin’ to Get to Heaven and staying Forever Young, but let’s save those for another day.)

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The times have a-changed. The drug era didn’t so much ever end as the torch was just passed to a new generation. The sadly aging flower children and would-be revolutionaries got haircuts and jobs, begat children and grandchildren. And they still use drugs, only now they are by prescription and are, hopefully, covered by some type of insurance plan. Not counting the folks who’ve joined the Viagra/Cialis/Levitra clubs, the love-not-war generation now worries about cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, acid reflux, and irritable bowel syndrome, to name just a few.

Chants of “Hell no, we won’t go!” are replaced now with mutterings about going too much or not enough. Paul McCartney, frequently on the cover of Rolling Stone, recently graced the cover of the AARP Magazine.

For this particular demographic, drugs are not as much about getting high now or turned-on or tuned-in, as they are about staying regular, staying calm, and holding things together. Exciting? Hardly. A little scary? Oh yeah.

Drugs, when administered by a doctor, can save lives. Still…

Prozac is one of the most popular drugs prescribed today, referred to by some doctors as the “gold standard” for anti-depressants. An estimated 35 million people worldwide have taken Prozac to combat depression. But the experience for some of them is not all that mellow.

Prozac^[1]

suggests calling your doctor if you experience an allergic reaction; skin rash or hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; new or worsening symptoms such as mood or behavior changes; anxiety; panic attacks; trouble sleeping; or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), become more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself. Or if you experience severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash; very stiff (rigid) muscles; high fever; sweating; fast or uneven heartbeats; tremors; overactive reflexes; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; loss of appetite; feeling unsteady; loss of coordination; or headache; trouble concentrating; memory problems; weakness; confusion; hallucinations; fainting; seizure; shallow breathing; or breathing that stops. (Breathing that stops?!) Less serious Prozac side effects may include cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat; drowsiness, dizziness, feeling nervous; mild nausea, upset stomach, constipation; increased appetite, weight changes; sleep problems (insomnia); decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm; or dry mouth. This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

Here are three more prescription drugs with names that all begin with “P.” They were chosen as examples because they are all popular and, fairly widely advertised in mass media. The relatively small percentage of people who actually read the microscopic label warnings and accompanying product literature appear unaware what they’re taking may produce side effects worse than what the prescription is intended to fix. Nausea, drowsiness or headaches are not unusual when taking medication. But when warnings include possible “seizures, hallucinations, impotence, or thoughts of suicide,” it might be time to ask your doctor how much safer what you are taking is than the old magic mushrooms.

Paxil^[2]

When taking Paxil, get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: skin rash or hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Contact your doctor promptly if you have any of the following side effects, especially if they are new symptoms or if they get worse: mood changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, irritability, agitation, aggressiveness, severe restlessness, mania (mental and/or physical hyperactivity), thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects: easy bruising or bleeding (such as a nosebleed); very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, overactive reflexes; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, feeling unsteady, loss of coordination; or headache, trouble concentrating, memory problems, weakness, confusion, hallucinations, fainting, seizure, shallow breathing or breathing that stops. Less serious Paxil side effects may include: feeling nervous; drowsiness, dizziness; sleep problems (insomnia); mild nausea, constipation; weight changes; decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm; or dry mouth, yawning, or ringing in your ears. This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur.

Plavix^[3]

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Plavix: severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); bleeding in the eye; change in vision; change in the amount of urine; chest pain; dark or bloody urine; black, tarry stools, unusual or severe bleeding (eg, excessive bleeding from cuts, increased menstrual bleeding, unexplained vaginal bleeding, unusual bleeding from the gums when brushing); loss of appetite; pale skin; seizures; severe, persistent headache; sore throat or fever; speech problems; unusual bruising; weakness; unexplained weight loss; yellowing of the skin or eyes.

Propecia^[4]

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. No COMMON side effects have been reported with Propecia . Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Propecia: Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); breast enlargement, lumps, pain, or tenderness; nipple discharge; testicular pain.

As noted earlier, drugs, when administered properly, used as directed, and monitored by a doctor, can save lives and very often improve a person’s quality of life. But this is not a perfect world. People make mistakes. And when I hear the friendly voice of the nice looking person in the TV commercial casually telling me the possible side effects of the newest highly advertised wonder drug, I need to be reassured that, in the words of Bob Dylan’s song from “back in the day,” to “don’t think twice, it’s all right.”

What do you think?