If you have a symptom and suspect a medicine or supplement is behind it, this index lets you work backwards from what you are feeling. Symptoms are grouped by body system below, with the relevant guide for each. For the wider picture, start from the medication side effects hub.
Start here: find the right side-effect guide
Possible medicine categories
Before browsing by symptom, it helps to know that a handful of medicine groups account for a large share of everyday side-effect questions: anti-inflammatories and painkillers, antibiotics, antidepressants and other psychiatric medicines, blood pressure and cholesterol medicines, diabetes medicines, hormonal contraception and hormone therapy, and supplements taken alongside any of these. If your symptom appeared after starting or changing one of those, that is a reasonable place to begin.
Timing clues
Timing is the single most useful piece of information you can bring to a pharmacist or doctor. Note when you started the medicine, when the symptom began, whether it follows each dose, and whether it is getting better or worse. A symptom that began the same week as a new medicine and eases on days you miss a dose points somewhere very different from one that has been present for months. See how to know if a medicine is causing your symptoms.
Common side effects vs serious side effects
Common examples linked to side effect symptoms A-Z
Digestive
- Nausea, vomiting after taking medicine
- Diarrhoea, including after antibiotics and on metformin
- Constipation, including from iron tablets
- Stomach pain, including from ibuprofen
- Digestive side effects overview
Skin
- Skin rash and drug rash, including rash after antibiotics
- Itchy skin and hives
- Blistering or peeling rash, which needs urgent assessment
Head, mood and sleep
- Headaches, dizziness, drowsiness
- Insomnia, memory problems, confusion
- Mood changes, anxiety, low mood, irritability
- Tremors and numbness or tingling
Heart, circulation and breathing
- Palpitations, low blood pressure, raised blood pressure
- Swollen ankles and fluid retention
- Shortness of breath, which needs urgent assessment if sudden or severe
Weight, appetite, sexual and hormonal
- Weight gain, weight loss, appetite loss
- Sexual side effects, low libido, erectile difficulty
- Irregular bleeding, missed period, breast tenderness, vomiting after the morning-after pill
Organ and blood warning signs
- Liver problems and kidney problems
- Bruising and bleeding, muscle weakness
- Face swelling and swollen lips, which can signal an allergic reaction
How to describe frequency without overclaiming
A symptom appearing on this index does not mean your medicine caused it. These pages describe effects that have been reported with some medicines, not effects that any particular medicine will produce in you. Common illnesses cause the same symptoms, and several of them have nothing to do with medicine at all. Use the index to ask a better question, not to reach a conclusion. See common medicine side effect symptoms for the effects reported most often.
Medicine, supplement and symptom categories covered
Priority related pages
- Medicine side effects A to Z, if you would rather search by medicine name
- How long medicine side effects last and whether they go away
- Side effect or allergic reaction
- Long-term mental health medication side effects
- Chronic pain medication side effects and arthritis medication side effects
- Chronic kidney disease medication side effects
How to choose the right next guide
If you take one medicine, the medicine page will usually be more specific than the symptom page. If you take several, or a medicine plus supplements, the symptom page is the better entry point, because the cause may be a combination rather than any single product.
When to speak to a doctor or pharmacist
Red-flag symptoms
Some symptoms should never be researched first. Get emergency help immediately for:
- Difficulty breathing, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat
- Chest pain, fainting or collapse
- Seizures, or sudden confusion or unresponsiveness
- A rash that blisters or peels, or sores in the mouth or eyes with fever
- Vomiting blood, or black tarry stools
- Thoughts of harming yourself
When to contact a doctor, pharmacist, or emergency service
Speak to someone the same day for yellowing of the eyes or skin, passing much less urine than usual, fever with a new rash, or unexplained bruising. For symptoms that are mild but persistent, a pharmacist is usually the quickest first contact in South Africa. See serious medication side effects for the full escalation guidance.
How side effects can be reported in South Africa
What information to record
- The product name, strength and batch number from the packaging
- When the medicine started and when the symptom began
- Whether the symptom follows each dose, and whether it is improving
- Everything else you take, including supplements and herbal products
Where reporting fits into medicine safety
Symptom reports from patients are how uncommon effects are detected after a medicine reaches the market. SAHPRA accepts reports directly from the public in South Africa, and you do not need to be certain the medicine was responsible. See reporting side effects in South Africa.
Most useful next pages
Priority related pages
- Medication side effects hub
- Medicine side effects A to Z
- What to do if a medicine causes side effects
- Report a side effect in South Africa
How to choose the right next guide
Work from the most specific page you can find. A guide about your exact medicine and your exact symptom will be more useful than a general one, and a general one is more useful than guessing.
Medical Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical diagnosis, prescription, or professional advice. Always read the patient information leaflet and consult a qualified doctor or pharmacist regarding any medicine or health concern.