Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The risks of being prepared...

I am planning a trip to Kenya, so responsibly visited my doctor with immunization card in hand. She confirmed that I was up-to-date on all my shots, but advised that I would need to get a prescription for malaria medicine. She explained my options: you can take a pill every day while your gone, and you must continue the medicine for 30 days after you return from your travels; OR, you can take a pill once a week while you're gone, and just take one more pill once you get back. Easy, right? I'll take the weekly dose.
She said, well, the weekly medicine is known to have some side effects.  Oh? Like what? (I'm thinking nausea, dizziness...) She says: "homicide." What?!? 
Yes, apparently this medicine has induced documented homicidal tendencies. How often? Only one in twenty.
Who knew that the FDA would approve homicide as a side effect?