Iatrogenesis Explained: What Diseases Do Drugs Give You?

October 6, 2025 •

4 min read

Each year in the United States, adverse drug events lead to over 1.5 million emergency department visits and nearly 500,000 hospitalizations [1.2.1]. The critical question for patients and providers is, what diseases do drugs give you and how can they be prevented?

Quick Summary

An examination of how essential medications can lead to new health conditions, known as iatrogenic or drug-induced diseases. This covers specific drug classes, their associated risks, and strategies for patient safety and risk mitigation.

Key Points

Iatrogenesis: This term describes harm, such as a new disease, caused by medical treatment or medication [1.4.1].
Common Culprits: NSAIDs, antibiotics, corticosteroids, and antipsychotics are frequently linked to specific drug-induced conditions like ulcers, C. diff infection, osteoporosis, and metabolic syndrome [1.3.4, 1.7.2, 1.8.1, 1.9.1].
Polypharmacy is a Major Risk: Using multiple medications (typically five or more) significantly increases the risk of adverse drug events, falls, and hospitalization, especially in older adults [1.11.1, 1.11.3].
Mechanisms Vary: Drugs cause harm through different pathways, including direct organ toxicity, allergic reactions, or by disrupting the body's natural functions like gut flora or metabolic regulation [1.6.4, 1.7.4, 1.9.1].
Prevention is Key: Active patient engagement, including regular medication reviews with a doctor, reporting new symptoms, and understanding each drug's purpose, is crucial for safety [1.12.3, 1.14.1].

Understanding Drug-Induced Diseases (Iatrogenesis)

Iatrogenesis refers to any unintended harm or adverse outcome resulting from medical treatment, and drug-induced diseases are a major component of this issue [1.4.1]. While medications are designed to heal, they can sometimes cause new health problems, ranging from mild side effects to severe, life-altering conditions. These events can occur through various mechanisms, including direct toxicity to organs, allergic reactions, off-target effects, or disruption of the body's natural processes [1.6.4, 1.10.2]. Factors like age, taking multiple medications (polypharmacy), pre-existing conditions, and genetics can significantly increase an individual's risk [1.2.4, 1.11.3].

Common Medications and Their Associated Diseases

Certain classes of drugs are well-known for their potential to induce specific diseases. Understanding these links is the first step toward prevention and early detection.

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

Commonly used for pain and inflammation, drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen can cause significant gastrointestinal problems [1.6.1]. Long-term use is associated with gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastrointestinal bleeding [1.6.2]. NSAIDs inhibit prostaglandins, which protect the stomach lining, leading to mucosal injury [1.6.4]. In some cases, this can result in severe complications like perforation [1.6.1]. They are also linked to kidney damage, as they can reduce renal blood flow [1.3.4, 1.5.3].

Antibiotics

While crucial for fighting infections, antibiotics can disrupt the natural balance of gut bacteria. This disruption can allow harmful bacteria like Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) to overgrow, leading to severe diarrhea and colitis [1.7.4]. Antibiotics frequently implicated include clindamycin, cephalosporins, and fluoroquinolones [1.7.2, 1.7.4]. Beyond C. diff, antibiotics are also a common cause of drug-induced liver and kidney injury [1.2.3, 1.5.2].

Corticosteroids

Drugs like prednisone are powerful anti-inflammatories used for conditions ranging from asthma to autoimmune disorders. However, their long-term use is fraught with risks. Corticosteroids can cause significant bone loss, leading to glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis and an increased risk of fractures [1.8.2, 1.8.3]. They also have metabolic effects, including glucose intolerance, which can result in steroid-induced diabetes mellitus [1.8.1].

Atypical Antipsychotics

Used to treat schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders, second-generation antipsychotics like olanzapine and clozapine are strongly associated with metabolic syndrome [1.9.1]. This syndrome is a cluster of conditions including weight gain (especially abdominal obesity), dyslipidemia (abnormal cholesterol levels), high blood pressure, and hyperglycemia [1.9.1, 1.9.3]. These metabolic changes significantly increase the risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes [1.9.1].

Chemotherapy Agents

Cancer treatments are designed to be toxic to cancer cells, but they often damage healthy cells in the process. A significant concern is cardiotoxicity, or damage to the heart muscle [1.10.1]. Anthracyclines (e.g., doxorubicin) can cause irreversible heart muscle damage, while other agents like trastuzumab can cause reversible dysfunction [1.10.2]. This damage can manifest as heart failure, arrhythmias, or hypertension [1.10.3].

Comparison of Drug Classes and Potential Induced Diseases


Drug Class	Common Examples	Potential Induced Diseases	Primary Mechanism
NSAIDs	Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Aspirin	Peptic Ulcers, Gastritis, Kidney Injury [1.3.4, 1.6.1]	Inhibition of protective prostaglandins in the stomach and kidneys [1.6.4].
Antibiotics	Ciprofloxacin, Clindamycin, Cephalosporins	C. difficile Infection, Liver Injury, Kidney Injury [1.2.3, 1.7.4]	Disruption of gut microbiota, direct organ toxicity [1.5.2, 1.7.4].
Corticosteroids	Prednisone, Dexamethasone	Osteoporosis, Diabetes Mellitus, Cushing's Syndrome [1.8.1, 1.8.3]	Systemic effects on bone metabolism and glucose regulation [1.8.1].
Atypical Antipsychotics	Olanzapine, Clozapine, Risperidone	Metabolic Syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes, Significant Weight Gain [1.9.1]	Complex interference with hypothalamic centers, insulin secretion, and lipid homeostasis [1.9.1].
Chemotherapy	Doxorubicin (Anthracycline), Trastuzumab	Heart Failure, Cardiomyopathy, Arrhythmias [1.10.1, 1.10.2]	Direct cytotoxic effects on heart muscle cells, oxidative stress [1.10.2].

Minimizing Your Risk of Drug-Induced Disease

Patient vigilance and proactive communication with healthcare providers are key to mitigating risks.

Maintain a Medication List: Keep an updated list of all prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements you take, and share it with all your doctors [1.12.3].
Ask Questions: Understand why a medication is being prescribed, its potential side effects, and how long you need to take it [1.12.3].
Regular Medication Review: Have your primary doctor or pharmacist review all your medications annually to identify potential interactions, unnecessary drugs, or needed dosage changes [1.11.3, 1.12.3]. This process, known as deprescribing, is crucial for those on multiple medications [1.11.2].
Report New Symptoms: If you develop any new or unusual symptoms after starting a medication, report them to your doctor or pharmacist immediately [1.14.1].
Use One Pharmacy: Getting all prescriptions from a single pharmacy helps their system flag potential drug interactions [1.12.3].

Conclusion

Medications are a cornerstone of modern healthcare, but they are not without risk. Drug-induced diseases are a serious and common problem, particularly among older adults and those with multiple chronic conditions [1.11.1]. By understanding the specific risks associated with different medications, recognizing the contributing factors like polypharmacy, and maintaining open communication with healthcare providers, patients can play an active role in ensuring their treatment is both effective and safe. Being an informed and engaged patient is the best defense against iatrogenic harm.

For more information on medication safety, you can visit the FDA's resources for consumers.

Frequently Asked Questions

A side effect is any unintended effect of a drug, which can be minor. A drug-induced disease (or iatrogenic disease) is a more significant condition or pathology that arises as a direct consequence of medical treatment, such as developing diabetes from steroid use or heart failure from chemotherapy [1.4.1, 1.8.1, 1.10.1].

Yes. For example, long-term or high-dose use of OTC NSAIDs like ibuprofen can lead to serious gastrointestinal issues like peptic ulcers and kidney damage [1.5.3, 1.6.1]. It is important to discuss all OTC medications with your doctor [1.12.3].

Diagnosis often involves a detailed patient history to establish a timeline between starting a new drug and the onset of symptoms [1.13.3]. Doctors will also rule out other potential causes and may stop or change the suspected medication to see if the condition improves [1.13.3, 1.14.1].

Many drug-induced diseases are reversible if the offending drug is stopped or the dosage is adjusted [1.14.1]. For example, drug-induced lupus symptoms typically subside after discontinuing the medication [1.14.2]. However, some conditions, like cardiotoxicity from certain chemotherapies, can be irreversible [1.10.2, 1.14.1].

Polypharmacy is the regular use of multiple medications, often defined as five or more [1.11.1]. It is risky because it dramatically increases the chance of adverse drug interactions, falls, cognitive impairment, and hospitalization, particularly in older adults [1.11.1, 1.11.3].

You should contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately to report the new symptoms. Do not stop taking a prescribed medication without medical advice. Keeping a log of your symptoms can help your healthcare provider determine the cause [1.14.1].

Several drug classes can be harmful to the kidneys (nephrotoxic). These include certain antibiotics (aminoglycosides), NSAIDs, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), some blood pressure medications, and chemotherapy drugs [1.5.1, 1.5.2, 1.5.3].