norml11 - Page 64

 treatment of glaucoma. All of these...drugs produce adverse effects While-
 several government witnesses lightly touched on the side effects of theFee drugs,
 none provided a full or detailed description of their knowd adverse conseqCLences.
 26.. The adverse physical consequences resulting from the chronic=use
 -Of°commonly emp:loyed glaucoma control-drugs incl, ude a vast range of'unint#ndeci
 Compl._Caltions from mild .problems like_drug induced fevers, skin rashes, headaches,
 anorexia, asthma, pulmonary difficulties, hypertension, hypotension and musc_e
 cramps to truly serious, even life-threatening complications including the forma-
 tion of cataracts, stomach and intestinal ulcers_ acute respiratory distress,
 increases and decreases in heart rate and pulse, d#sruption of heart function,
 chronic and acute renal disease, and bone marrow depletion.
 27. Finally, each FDA_approved drug family used in glaucoma therapy is
 capable of producing a lethal response, even when properly prescribed and used.
 Epinephrine can lead to elevated blood pressure which may result in stroke or
 heart attack. Miotic drugs suppress respiration and can cause respiratory
 paralysis. Diuretic drugs so alter basic body chemistry they cause renal stones
 and may destroy the patient's kidneys or result in death due to heart, failure.
 Timol.o'] and related beta:blocking agents, the most recently approved family of
 glaucoma" cont.rol drugs, can trigger severe asthma attacks or cause death due to
 sudden cardiac arrhythm_as often produc#ng cardiac arrest,
 28. 8oth of the FDA-approved drugs used in treating the symptoms of
 multiple sclerosis, Dantrium and Lioresal, _vhi_e accepted as _safe" can, in
 a
 fact, be very dangerous substances. Dantrium or dantrolene sodium carries a
 boxed _varning in the Physic#art's Desk Reference (PDR) because of its very high
 toxicity. Patients using this .drug run a very real risk of developing s}mpto-
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