Most people take medication expecting relief from pain, anxiety, allergies, or insomnia. Occasionally, however, medicine can actually end up making you feel worse.
This unusual response is known as a paradoxical reaction.
This type of reaction occurs when a medication triggers unexpected symptoms that are the complete opposite of its intended purpose. While relatively uncommon, paradoxical reactions are well documented in medicine and can occur with several types of drugs, particularly those that affect the brain and nervous system.
Understanding which drugs they are and what to look out for can help. Click on to learn all about paradoxical reactions and what to do if you have one.