Usually I tune out the ads for medications on the TV or radio,...

Usually I tune out the ads for medications on the TV or radio, until they come to the part about side-effects.

Somehow the thought of a swollen throat or tongue, increasing thoughts of depression or suicide, bloody stools and “seek immediate attention for an erection lasting longer than four hours” makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. (Wait, is that a side effect from something that I’m taking?)

And “may cause obsessive gambling or compulsive sexual behavior” makes me very leery of new medications on the market.