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Concept
Side effect
Summary
In medicine, a side effect is an effect, whether therapeutic or adverse, that is unintended; although the term is predominantly employed to describe adverse effects, it can also apply to beneficial, but unintended, consequences of the use of a drug.
Occasionally, drugs are prescribed or procedures are performed for their side effects; in that case, said side effect ceases to be a side effect and is now an intended effect. For instance, X-rays were historically (and are currently) used as an imaging technique; the discovery of their oncolytic capability led to their employ in radiotherapy (ablation of malignant tumours).
The World Health Organization and other health organisations characterise the probability of experiencing side effects as:
Very common, ≥ 1⁄10
Common (frequent), 1⁄10 to 1⁄100
Uncommon (infrequent), 1⁄100 to 1⁄1000
Rare, 1⁄1000 to 1⁄10000
Very rare, < 1⁄10000
The European Commission recommends that the list should contain only effects where "at least a reasonable possibility" exists that it is caused by the drug and the frequency "should represent crude incidence rates (and not differences or relative risks calculated against placebo or other comparator)". That is, the frequency describes how often symptoms appear after taking the drug, not caused by the drug. Both health care providers and lay people misinterpret the frequency of side effects as describing the increase in frequency caused by the drug.
Serendipity
Bevacizumab (Avastin), used to slow the growth of blood vessels, has been used against dry age-related macular degeneration, as well as macular edema from diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and central retinal vein occlusion.
Buprenorphine has been shown experimentally (1982–1995) to be effective against severe, refractory depression.
Bupropion (Wellbutrin), an anti-depressant, is also used as a smoking cessation aid; this indication was later approved, and the name of the smoking cessation product is Zyban.
Official source
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