I’m not saying this about your answer @JLeslie, but if that’s true those doctors are ridiculous and deserve to be struck off.
Side effects can be dangerous. What if @Adirondackwannabe had no idea and took off on a trip and ended up on the side of the road feeling nauseous?
I had one situation where my eyes watered for a month. I couldn’t drive, I couldn’t read. I was pretty much disabled. My doctor hadn’t warned me of that side effect. Thank goodness I had taken time off work.
I’m pretty sure in Australia, doctors are required to tell patients of any side effects. Pharmacists will often go through them when you pick up medication too. “You’re aware this drug can…” so people can’t not know what they’re getting into. They still don’t do it. I had to take a drug recently that killed my libido. It was prescribed by a MALE specialist. Now TMI, but I really like sex. I suddenly lost all interest. I spoke to my own FEMALE doctor who told me this is a common side effect and to stop taking that drug. When I saw him, I told him I’d stopped taking it and why and that it just was not an acceptable side effect for me and to suggest a different drug.
Not wanting to promote a placebo effect is not a good enough reason to avoid giving your patients the information they need.