NAILS Anti-malarials can discolour nails, making them bluish-black. Long-term use of tetracycline (prescribed for various kinds of ailments including respiratory infections and severe acne) can coulour nails yellow. Ridged nails is one minor side-effect of anti-cancer Drugs. Prolonged use of certain anti-biotics may cause the Nail to separate from its bed, but this is rare.


TEETH Till recently, teeth were considered essential equipment for chewing and that was all. Now that good teeth have become a vital component of good looks, you will want to know which drugs can dim their sparkle. Tetracycline, which would be given for something as common as diarrhoea or kidney problems, can permanently stain the teeth of children, turning them brown or yellow.

Says dentist, "Usually, doctors will not prescribe this drug to children below thirteen. But if the mother-to-be takes it during pregnancy, the child's first set of teeth may be yellow." Some anti-tuberculosis drugs can gradually give an orange shade to the teeth. Children who are given various fluorides for strengthening the enamel may end up with mottled teeth.

Says dentist, "Particular drugs given to epileptics can enlarge the gums so much that they (the gums) show more than the teeth!" If your medication includes the drug bismuth, a blackish-purple line may develop around the margin of the gums. But no cause for alarm - once the medication stops, the teeth and gums usually return to normal.

WEIGHT GAIN AND BODY SHAPE Your medicines can provide relief and a few extra pounds as well. Steroid drugs are the big culprit in this respect. Users develop a jumbo appetite and the effect of all that extra eating soon shows.

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