Possible medicine side effects: what to record and who to ask

Deal with urgent symptoms first

Call 999 now if you have sudden swelling of the mouth, tongue or throat, are struggling to breathe, or someone faints and cannot be woken. These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction. Do not wait to complete a diary, contact MedReview or submit a Yellow Card report. Follow any emergency plan you have already been given.

For other symptoms that need urgent advice, contact your GP or NHS 111. Read the patient leaflet for the medicine and follow its instructions about seeking help. The rest of this guide is for preparing a conversation once immediate care needs have been addressed.

Describe the symptom without deciding the cause

It is understandable to wonder about a medicine when a new symptom appears. The useful starting point is an accurate description: what changed, when it began and how it affects you. Your clinician can consider the medicine alongside other possible explanations. You do not need to prove a connection before asking for advice.

For example, ‘I felt dizzy twice on Tuesday, once while getting out of bed and once after lunch’ is more informative than ‘this tablet is unsuitable’. Add when you took your medicines and any recent changes, without assuming that the timing proves why it happened. If you cannot remember a detail, mark it as uncertain rather than guessing.

• What did you notice, and when did it first happen?
• Was it a single episode, repeated episodes or a continuing problem?
• What was happening at the time, and how did it affect ordinary activities?
• Which medicines, doses or products had recently started, changed or stopped?
• What advice have you already received, and what happened after following it?

Bring the product details, not just the tablet colour

Keep the medicine name, strength and instructions with your notes. Include occasional painkillers, cold remedies, vitamins, herbal products and medicines from other clinics. Bring the packaging or a clear record of its label if you are unsure which product you took.

The leaflet supplied with your medicine explains recognised side effects and what action to take. It is a useful source to discuss with a pharmacist, but matching a symptom to a list is not a diagnosis. Do not experiment with stopping and restarting treatment to test whether it caused the problem; ask the appropriate clinician what to do.

Yellow Card reporting and clinical advice have different roles

The MHRA Yellow Card scheme collects suspected problems with medicines. Members of the public can report, and a suspected reaction does not have to be proved before a report is made. Your pharmacist or prescriber can help you understand the reporting process.

A Yellow Card report is not a request for treatment and the scheme cannot give you medical advice. Seek that advice separately. Keep a note of any report you make so you can tell your care team, alongside the symptoms and follow-up already discussed.

Leave the conversation with a clear next step

Ask what needs assessment now, what information is still missing and who is responsible for follow-up. Record any agreed plan in the clinician’s words, including who to contact if the symptom continues or worsens. You can ask your usual pharmacist or GP for help; a private review is not required to raise a concern.

For a non-urgent question about your wider medicines list, MedReview can prepare a pharmacist-checked report from the information you supply. It does not diagnose a reaction, prescribe a replacement or replace prompt symptom assessment. Share the report with your usual care team before making treatment decisions.