What Are Black Box Warnings?
A black box warning is a precautionary statement from the Food and Drug Administration printed on medication packaging. It warns doctors and patients that the medication has been linked to a severe risk or side effect. However, this side effect is not bad enough that the medication needed to be taken off the market. For example, Advair, Elidel, and Protopic are 3 allergy medicines with black box warnings for various reasons. Xolair, an injectable allergy medicine, may also have a black box warning added to it soon. Don’t automatically stop taking a “black box warning” medication! Just because a medication has a black box warning, it doesn’t mean you should stop taking it. It’s important to talk with your doctor to weigh the risks versus the benefits for your situation before any decisions are made. Many people continue to take these medications without any problems. In fact, not taking your medication could be riskier than taking it. Still, the wise health care consumer goes into any t
