whats the difference between side affect and an adverse reaction?

Answer 1

A side effect happens in conjunction with the desired outcome. An adverse reaction is an outcome that is opposite of the desired effect.

Answer 2

Side eeffects are precisely that, on the side. If you're taking medication for a headache, for example, a side effect would involve your neck or your stomach or some other are unrelated to head pain; in addition while a side effect may be negative it is generally not as bad as the original problem you were trying to fix, a mild stomach ache is better than a migraine any day! An adverse effect relates to the specific ailment you are trying to treat. Since it looks liemyou're taking some kind of allergy medication an adverse effect would basically mean the medication worsens your allergic reaction instead of alleviating it.
However a side effect and an adverse effect can be one and the same if the side effect puts you in a worse situation than you were before you took the medication. If you're given antibiotics for strep throat for example, but happen to be allergic to the antibiotic, the alergic reaction would most likely be an adverse effect as it would probably call for hospitalization.

Answer 3

That is an important question.
1. A side effect is a sometimes uncomfortable effect caused by a medicine you took. It isn't an allergice response. For example a side effect of taking morphine is that it makes you sleepy. Or taking Vicodin makes you nauseous. These don't cause harm.
2. An adverse reaction or allergy to something is a reaction that causes harm to you. For example when you take a certain type of antibiotic, your lips swell up and you find it hard to breathe. This means you cannot take the drug because to continue to do so would impair your breathing.

Note: when most people say they are allergic to a drug, they really mean they get side effects that they don't like from a drug. It is important to distinguish the difference because if you claim allergy when you aren't , then you deprive your MDs of treating you with medications you might need.

Answer 4

This is a massive topic in pharmacy and therapeutics to cover but to cut a long story short, there are two main types of adverse drug reactions:

Type A, which tend to be relatively rare, related to allergen reactions, can be fatal, usually unrelated to dose and are not related to the pharmacology of the medicine. For example rashes with penicillin, bone marrow problems with carbamazepine.

Type B are far more common, related to the actual pharmacology of the drug, usually dose related, unlikely to be fatal. For example, upset stomachs with antibiotics, decreased pulse rate with digoxin etc. 'Side effects' are usually classed as these but technically speaking either category could be classed as a side effect. Side effect is a term that is used in medicine leaflets because it is more patient friendly and doesn't sound as intimidating as 'adverse drug reaction'.

Hope that helps?

Answer 5

Side effect - is any effect which is associated with its curative effect - nausea, tummy trouble with most of the antibiotics. Side effect is usually not damaging to health


Adverse effect - is a rare effect and untoward. - like an anaphylactic reaction when one is sensitive to any particular drug like Penicillin -An adverse reaction/effect is serious and can kill or seriously damage the health

Answer 6

to me a side affect is a mild reaction and an adverse reaction is more serious.

Answer 7

adverse reaction is a negetave effect to you that does not promote recovery, side affect is caused by a prodect and usualy not so bad.

Answer 8

a side effect is something that you are aware of that could happen, and an adverse reaction is something you probably werent aware of and more serious!

Answer 9

side affects have to be expected and endured.
adverse reactions mean the medication isn't suitable for a particular prson