When you collect prescription medicine from the chemist, do you do the right thing and carefully read the leaflet inside the box?

I'm a relatively infrequent visitor to the doctor's, fortunately, so whenever I'm prescribed something it's quite an occasion. I read the label. I read the box. And then I settle down with the leaflet inside it.

It can be an unsettling experience. Last week I was prescribed some nasal drops for a minor ear and sinus problem. Two drops up each nostril three times a day was what the doctor ordered.

The leaflet told me this: "After using these drops in the nose, irritation, dryness, sneezing, headache, lightheadness, itching, feeling sick, nose bleeds, blocked nose, loss of smell, difficulty breathing and holes in the tissues dividing the two halves of the nose may occur".

What? All I'm suffering from is a bit of pressure on my inner ear and according to the leaflet I could end up a total wreck!

Eager for further alarmist reading, I rushed to the medicine cupboard and found the remains of a box of tablets my wife was prescribed last year when she had an over-acidic stomach (the result of stress induced by living with me, she says).

Here's a part of what the leaflet in her box had to say: "The following side-effects may occur very rarely: kidney problems, pancreatitis (indicated by the sudden onset of abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting), headache, fever, muscle pain, joint pain, changes in heart rate, blood problems (may be indicated by bruising, bleeding points in the skin) and including anaemia (indicated by tiredness), hair loss, impotence, enlargement of breasts in males, liver damage or confusion in the elderly or very ill.

"Very rarely this drug may cause a severe allergic reaction. This will cause faintness and other symptoms may include an itchy, raised rash, difficulty in breathing and swelling of the tongue and throat."

I ask you - wouldn't you rather have an acidic stomach? Take those at the same time as you're using the nose drops and a bloke could end up with big bosoms and a connecting hatch between his nostrils!

I appreciate that the drug companies have to cover themselves. They are so litigation-conscious nowadays that they want to list every conceivable side-effect, however unlikely, so that if you do develop a problem they can say "Well, we did warn you, and you still went ahead and took the medication. So it's your responsibility." Fair enough, given the barmy world we currently live in.

But it's enough to frighten you to death, isn't it?

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.