As a pharmacist, I spend a lot of time thinking about the side effects of medications. Unfortunately, they come with the territory of taking medications, but as you know not all side effects are equal. Someone may be able to live with some constipation or nausea, but the medications that list death as a possible side effect are a very different story. Even more disheartening is that medications affect individuals differently, so what may be safe for one person could be a disaster for someone else. There are a lot of gray areas, and it is messy at best.
So, you may wonder – is suicide a side effect? Some medications, especially antidepressants, will come with a warning of increased suicide risk. Recently there has been media coverage that Tamiflu (used for the flu) has led to suicide as well. Not all medications come with a warning for increased suicide risk, but for those that do I think it is important to take it seriously. For example, the idea with suicide and antidepressants is pretty straightforward. Before someone starts an antidepressant they are too depressed to act on any suicidal feelings. However, if the medicine starts to work but has not been on board long enough for the patient to feel better, that may just give the person enough ability to act on any suicidal thoughts. Again, I think it is important to take any medication warnings about suicide seriously.
In general, medications are very powerful things. They can do some great things, but they can also be harmful. No matter what medication you take, if it is new to you try to be extra aware and see if you are noticing any changes in behavior, mood, physical changes, etc. Side effects can and do happen, and while I don’t want people to overreact, I want everyone to have a healthy respect for the medications they are putting into their bodies.