7 Weird Reactions To Prescription Drugs and Food

Everyone is taking medicines without giving a second thought to what they are eating. This is the pill popping generation. However, many a times, lots of people experience some sort of weird reaction to prescription drugs and also after consuming some food items.

Here are 7 weird reactions to prescription drugs and food that you may experience.

Taking medicines is not easy; particularly when you are suffering from something and getting adverse reactions from your prescription medicines. However, sometimes even food can make your body react in a weird manner that can leave you puzzled.

Following are the 7 weird reactions to prescription drugs and food that you may experience.

Garlic is known to have a pungent odor, but it is extremely beneficial thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties and the food tastes all the more sumptuous when garlic is added to it. Garlic is often recommended in the treatment of abdominal cramps and intestinal disturbances; however, consuming garlic sometimes can give rise to bad breath.^(2,3)

However, body odor is one of the 7 weird reactions to foods, commonly noted after eating garlic ^{(1, 2)}. Consumption of garlic can sometimes lead to a stinking odor from the body, making both the individual as well as the people sitting in close proximity to the individual, uncomfortable.

If such is the case, where your body doesn’t have the capacity to digest garlic properly, try reducing the consumption of garlic in your meals and you will find relief from this weird reaction from garlic.

If you note a peculiar smell when urinating, then it comes under the 7 weird reactions to prescription drugs and food. Smelly urine can occur as a result of asparagus consumption ⁽⁴⁾. Asparagus is known to impart a rotten egg like smell to urine, but is completely harmless otherwise, since the stench passes away quickly if you drink ample amount of water and flush it all out.

However, if you experience smelly urine often, it is better you seek medical advice as there are other causes of smelly urine too. If there is any medical concern related to it, you can get it diagnosed and treated in time.

Black tongue is one of the weird reactions to prescription drugs and food. Black tongue can be seen commonly amongst people who consume Pepto-Bismol drug, which consists of bismuth subsalicylate ^{(5, 6)}, which is a dark color imparting chemical, although it is originally bright pink in color. This is not harmful; however, the black colored tongue itself may look frightening and off putting. So, be careful when you consume Pepto- Bismol, the next time.

Viagra and similar drugs can be useful when needed, but you can very well expect a horde of side effects to pay you a visit. One of the creepiest and weirdest reactions of Viagra and similar drugs is cyanopsia, which can turn your vision blue.^(7,8) Yes, this is another weird reaction to prescription drugs.

So, in case if you have been seeing blue lately, these erectile dysfunctional drugs might just have accentuated this color to your surroundings. However, the side effects of these drugs do not stay for long and are harmless; except that everyone appears blue to you. Although the blue vision is temporary; however, if you feel any discomfort then it is worth taking a medical opinion.

What do you do if your mother forces you to have bitter gourd for lunch? You feast on some miracle berries and let your taste buds tackle the rest. Just like the name suggests, these berries unleash an absolute frenzy taste on your taste buds making every sour thing seem like cotton candy.⁽⁹⁾ This too is one of the weird reactions to food. Research studies suggest that a glycoprotein known as miraculin, which is an active ingredient of the berry leads to such role reversal.⁽⁹⁾ As miraculin gets excreted from the body, the taste buds start functioning normally again.

Red is such a color which is immensely fancied on roses, but equally hated and frightening when seen in stools. Red stool surely can leave you alarmed, but can also be one of the 7 weird reactions to prescription drugs and food. Consumption of red-colored gelatin, beet root and fruit punch might cause us to excrete red stools,⁽¹⁰⁾ which will subside once these food items are completely excreted out.

However, as food items are not the only reason for red colored stools, it is advised to consult your physician once. Also make note of any other complaints associated with it.

Red urine and tears, yet another weird reaction to prescription drugs. These are caused by Rifampin drug, which is a prescription drug for treating tuberculosis.⁽¹²⁾ Rifampin tends to turn the tears, urine and sweat into having a reddish hue.⁽¹³⁾ As the drug excretes out of the body, the color of urine and tears returns back to normal.

However, if you are not taking this drug and still experience red urine, it is advisable to seek medical advice.

Now that you are aware of the 7 weird reactions to prescription drugs and food, you can be more cautious. It is important to be aware of the side effects of the some of the common food items and medications that we consume so that we do not panic after seeing these above mentioned weird side effects. Having said that, it is strongly advised to confirm the exact reason of the side effects, as discussed, with your physician, to avoid any complications later on.

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