Lifestyle drugs

If you flip on the television, you’ll learn from myriad ads that you can’t sleep, your cholesterol is out of whack, your sex life is suffering and your allergies are keeping you from enjoying life. Oh yeah, and that you’re way too depressed to deal with any of it.

But don’t fear. There’s Lunesta and Ambien for sleep; Crestor and Zocor for cholesterol; Cialis and Viagra for erectile dysfunction; Claritin and Zyrtec for allergies; and Zoloft and Paxil for depression. Sure, there are some side effects (nausea, dizziness, drowsiness and four-hour erections), so "ask your doctor if this drug is right for you."

It’s called direct-to-consumer advertising, and pharmaceutical companies are counting on television viewers to take the bait, remember the drug name and call their doctors.

The Columbus Dispatch reports.