Your side effects may include…
The only game where guessing wrong might leave you a little dizzy, itchy or suspiciously sensitive to light.
Every day: five real prescription drugs, four possible side effects each. Only one is on the FDA label. Find it. Mild overconfidence is a known side effect.
How it works
A new quiz starts every day at midnight: five prescription drugs, each with four possible side effects. One is printed on the drug's FDA label. The other three are made up. Pick the real one and you'll see the label's own wording, a practical "what to watch for" tip and how many reports about it the FDA has received.
Why side effects are worth knowing
Most people never read the folded paper that comes with a prescription. But the label is where the FDA requires drug makers to spell out what a medicine can do, from the common and mild to the rare and serious. Knowing what's on yours helps you tell an expected side effect from one that means calling your doctor.
Some of the most important ones are surprisingly specific: a blood thinner that can turn toes purple, an everyday antibiotic that can tear a tendon, a sleep aid that can lead to driving while not fully awake. Every answer is checked against the drug's current label from the FDA's openFDA database, and every answer links to the full label on DailyMed, the National Library of Medicine's label library.
Learn more
- How to read your prescription drug labelWhat's in the folded paper, and which parts matter most to you.
- What is a boxed warning?The FDA's strongest warning, and what it does and doesn't mean for you.
- Why drug labels list so many side effectsWhere the long list comes from, and how to tell the common from the rare.
- Side effect or something more? When to get helpWhich side effects can wait, which mean calling your doctor, and which mean 911.
- How to report a side effect to the FDAAnyone can report one. Here's how, and why it matters.
- What FDA adverse event reports do and don't tell youWhy the report counts in the quiz are useful, and why they aren't proof.
Recently in the drug guide
- VfendBrighter, blurry or color-shifted vision
- UloricA higher risk of death from heart disease
- XyremSleepwalking
- MacrobidLung damage, sometimes after months of use
- Propranolol (Inderal)Low blood sugar, especially in children who haven't eaten
- TegretolA severe skin reaction linked to a gene common in parts of Asia
- Methimazole (Tapazole)A sudden, dangerous drop in infection-fighting white blood cells
- EvistaLeg cramps
Which of these is on the FDA label?
Welcome to Your Side Effects May Include…
The only game where guessing wrong might leave you a little dizzy, itchy or suspiciously sensitive to light.
Each day you get five real prescription drugs and four possible side effects for each. Only one is printed on the drug's FDA label. The other three are made up, and they're often less strange than the real one. Think you can tell the real side effect from the fake? Mild overconfidence is a known side effect.
The game is for fun, but in real life side effects are no joke. Knowing your medication's side effects can save you a trip to the ER. Every pill, patch and puff can come with surprises, and knowing what to expect helps you tell what's normal from what needs a call to your doctor. Understanding your meds is the healthiest side effect of all.
- Quick, daily, fun
- Learning shouldn't be boring. One quiz a day, five questions, about two minutes. Keep your streak going and compare scores with friends.
- Health awareness first
- Every answer comes with a plain-language tip on what to watch for and when to call your doctor.
- Straight from the label
- Every real side effect is quoted word for word from the drug's official FDA label, with a link to the full label on DailyMed. Report counts come from the FDA's adverse event database through openFDA.
- Your privacy
- Your scores and streak are saved only in this browser. Nothing you do in the quiz is sent to us.
Drug guide · Learn · About · Privacy · Terms · Contact
Not medical advice. Don't stop or start a medication because of a quiz. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Label text and report counts from openFDA. Not affiliated with any drug maker.