Medication side effects
The information below will help you understand your new medications and common side effects you should know.
If you have any questions or concerns, please ask your physician, nurse or pharmacist.
Pain relief
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol®)
- Ibuprofen (Motrin®)
- Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (Hycet®, Norco®)
- Ketorolac (Toradol®)
- Hydromorphone (Dilaudid®)
- Morphine (MS Contin®)
- Oxycodone (Oxycontin®)
- Oxycodone/Acetaminophen (Percocet®)
Common side effects
Dizziness/Drowsiness, Constipation, Nausea, Rash, Confusion
Antibiotics
- Ampicillin
- Amoxicillin (Amoxil®)
- Amoxicillin/Clavulanate (Augmentin®)
- Cefazolin (Ancef®)
- Cephalexin (Keflex)
- Cefotaxime (Claforan®)
- Ceftriaxone (Rocephin®)
- Ceftazidime (Fortaz®)
- Cefepime (Maxipime®)
- Cefdinir (Omnicef®)
- Levofloxacin (Levaquin®)
- Ciprofloxacin (Cipro®)
- Gentamicin
- Tobramycin
- Amikacin
- Metronidazole (Flagyl®)
- Ampicillin-sulbactam (Unasyn®)
- Piperacillin-tazobactam (Zosyn®)
- Azithromycin (Zithromax®)
- Vancomycin (Vancocin®)
- Clindamycin (Cleocin®)
- Linezolid (Zyvox®)
Common side effects
Upset Stomach, Diarrhea, Rash/Flushing, Headache
Prevent / treat blood clots
- Enoxaparin (Lovenox®)
- Warfarin (Coumadin®)
- Aspirin
- Clopidogrel (Plavix®)
- Heparin
Common side effects
Bruising, Risk of Bleeding
Control blood sugars
- Insulin glargine/detemir (Lantus®; Levemir®)
- Insulin aspart (Novolog®)
- Insulin lispro (Humalog®)
- Insulin regular (Humulin R®, Novolin R®)
- Metformin (Glucophage®)
Common side effects
Stomach Upset
If blood sugar too low, then:
Shakiness, Anxiety, Sweating, Clamminess, Increase Heart Rate
Brings down fever
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol®)
- Ibuprofen (Motrin®)
Common side effects
Difficulty going potty, Dark colored urine
Calm nerves or make you sleepy
- Diazepam (Valium®)
- Midazolam (Versed®)
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
Common side effects
Dizziness/Drowsiness, Headache, Confusion
Help breathing (quick relief)
- Albuterol (Proventil®,Ventolin®)
- Albuterol/Ipratropium (DuoNeb®)
Common side effects
Dizziness, Headache, Shaking, Possible increased heart rate
Long-term asthma controller medications
(take every day)
- Budesonide/Formoterol (Symbicort®)
- Fluticasone/Salmeterol (Advair®)
- Fluticasone (Flovent®)
- Beclomethasone (Qvar®)
- Montelukast (Singulair®)
Common side effects
Oral Thrush with steroids, Cough, Hoarseness
Inflammation with asthma
- Methylprednisolone (Solumedrol®)
- Prednisolone (Orapred®)
- Prednisone (Deltasone®)
- Dexamethasone (Decadron®)
Common side effects
Upset stomach, increased hunger, Increased glucose, Weight gain
Allergies
- Cetirizine (Zyrtec®)
- Loratadine (Claritin®)
- Epinephrine (Epi-Pen®)
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl®)
Common side effects
Headache, Drowsiness, Sleep issues, Abdominal pain
Reflux or upset stomach/throwing up
- Ranitidine (Zantac®)
- Lansoprazole (Prevacid®)
- Pantoprazole (Protonix®)
- Ondansetron (Zofran®)
- Promethazine (Phenergan®)
Common side effects
Headache, Abdominal cramping, Diarrhea
Relieves constipation
- Lorazepam (Ativan®)
- Polyethylene glycol (Miralax®)
- Docusate (Colace®)
- Bisacodyl (Dulcolax®)
- Glycerin suppository
- Senna
Common side effects
Bloating, Cramping, Nausea, Diarrhea, Belching
Treat / prevent seizures
- Lorazepam (Ativan®)
- Diazepam (Valium®)
- Fosphenytoin (Cerebyx®)
- Phenobarbital (Luminal®)
- Valproic Acid (Depakote®)
- Levetiracetam (Keppra®)
- Clonazepam (Klonopin®)
- Clobazam (Onfi®)
- Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®)
Common side effects
Drowsiness, Mood changes, Electrolyte changes
Migraine control
- Ibupofen (Motrin®)
- Ketorolac (Toradol®)
- Prochlorperazine (Compazine®)
- Sumatriptan (Imitrex®)
- Magnesium sulfate
- Valproic acid (Depakote)
- Dihydroergotamine (D.H.E®)
Common side effects
Drowsiness/Dizziness, Chest pain, Upset stomach
Disclaimer: The information above is only a summary of the names of medications in each category and the possible side effects from each drug listed. More detailed information is available from your doctor, nurse, pharmacist or the manufacturer’s package insert from each medication.