Diseases symptoms and conditions

Why is it OK with the DR. if synthroid makes us gain weight?!!! I've been hyperthroid before and lost weight...why does the med make us GAIN weight...I've tried EVERYTHING....We must demand they do more research..something just isn't right..but what do they care as long as our blood work LOOKS right! We should have the same rights to meds that work as the rest of the population.

I am a 51 y/o white female that has been on Lipitor for 2 years. I am 5' 1" and when I had to go on it my cholesterol was 267 I weighed 112 lbs. I was shocked.... my doctor told me weight had nothing to do with cholesterol. She kept a close watch on me and my cholesterol came down...... and then my ex-husband of 17 years and I re-connected and got back together and I moved so I had to get another primary care physician. I took all my meds to her, she also kept a close watch on everything. At this time my cholesterol is down to 109 and I asked if I could stop taking it, as I take quite a lot of meds, due to different things and if I could stop anything it would be great, but she said it I stopped it, my cholesterol would go right back up. So since I am not experiencing any side effects I'm okay with continuing it.

I surely hate to hear what you all are experiencing with your Lipitor..... could your doc try another cholesterol medication?

The only one of my meds that is giving me any problem is TOPAMAX........ that we are using as a Migraine preventative! HORRORS!!! Today is pretty good day. But my cognitive abilities are in the trash... I say the wrong word when I mean something else...... I search my mind looking for a memory...... I am also on disability since 2002 because of the Migraines....... I have has them since 1978, but they got progressively worse over the years until I was sick more days per week, sometimes more than 7-10 days at the time, having to be in the hospital being rehydrated and on IV pain meds.......... and as awful as the TOPAMAX is.....it has been reduced the migraines to approx 2 per month and they do not last nearly as long.

So sorry, I got waaay off topic, but I know that it is not the Lipitor that is giving me the side effects as it the last med I had to go on and I had no new side effects....... but that TOPAMAX is kicking my behind.

Through the past years I have been looking for information about the quinolone antibiotics, Levaquin, Cipro and others.

I have not taken this kind of medications myself but a close friend did and I am absolutely sure that`s why he suffered psychiatric symptoms as well as extreme sesitivity to light and also had cramps/convulsions.

It`s a terrible long story which also etails other medications for instance statins.

I am surprised at how similar quinolone and statin side effects seem to be.

A few minutes ago I found a new site which might be interesting:

Google for "Death by Levaquin" and you will probably find the site I am thinking about.

If I write down the exact address it will be replaced by *****.

O passed away at an old people`s home at the age of 74. I will never forget his suffering.

The best thing you can do for yourself and the people around you is to "educate" yourself on diseases/medications and how the pharmaceutical industry is run.

Here are two books on that issue: Overdosed America (John Abramson) and The Truth About The Drug Companies (Marcia Angell).

Don´t give up.

I just googled "Prilosec & weakness with sweating" and came up with this site. I have been on OTC Prilosec for at least 2 yrs. taking it off & on...mostly on (everyday). I have been getting more ill over the last 2 months than I have ever been! I am diagnosed with Firbomyalgia & CFS, so I keep blaming my worsening symptoms on those two diseases. My doctor has done so many tests & can't find any answers. I am so glad I found this site. My symptoms of severe weakness, & profuse sweating, with many heart palps, may be coming from the Prilosec. I am going off of it starting today to see if I get any relief. I will have to find something else for my acid reflux...no more medicine!! If anyone knows of a natural product or food to lessen the acid, I would love to hear!

I am a parent of a 14 year old son. He has been on many meds due to having migraines, adhd, seizures, and asthma. For 3 years his ADHD meds have been switched. Now Thanks to a friend she told me about singular side effects. OH MY GOD. it blows my mind reading this stuff. He has been on singular for 3 years and never once did I think all these problems were caused by that drug. Flipping out over the smallest things, arguing with us his parents, his friends, being mean to us and a real smartass, depression, and MAJOR attitude. Getting upset over nothing at all then crying for no reason What was his Dr. thinking? Needless to say, I took the singular while she was telling me this stuff about her own son, and threw them away, I will never allow my son to take that shit again. I hope in three days like all of you say, that my son will be that loving, caring, friendly person he use to be ! Singular free is how he will be!!

My son (9) was on advair off and on for a while for severe asthma. I noticed depression, anxiety, fatigue and fibromyalgia type pains all over his body. I had him checked for lupus and other diseases and all negative. He also developed a severe rash between his legs causing much pain and discomfort as he had to walk like a bull-legged horse-riding cowboy. Showering often never helped. I assume he has candidis yeast infection(systemic). He was finally put on Prozac and I took him off Advair against my doctors advice. i took him off slowly and your body may need to make it's own steriods and not go into shock. He takes as much albuterol as needed to get him better and then i give him prednisone for 3 days when things become an emergency. tTe prednisone leads my son to anger and suicide but it goes away after he finishes his course, but it saves his life. He is now 13 and much happier and his face and body has thinned out by half. I will never give my son Advair again.

I Take loads of medications & have always tolerated all side effects but Lipitor has floored me. I have only been on it for a month but have ceased last night after waking up vomiting. I spent a day where I had so little energy I hardly moved & was almost suicidally depressed. I have no sex drive, such an itchy scalp that my colleagues were worried I had fleas !. No appetite, flu like symptoms & muscular aches that were unbearable. I still feel woozy headed but can feel some normality returning, my doctor will not be happy as I have scarily high cholesterol that needed urgent treatment, but I am afraid that I have to find an alternative as my reactions to this drug actually made my life unlivable.

I am 22, I have Lupus and RA. I am on other meds too but I am more than positive that Prednisone has brought about my moon face and maybe my sleepless nights. I workout everyday and in the best shape I have been in my whole life but it sucks because I am only able to be this healthy because I am on all these meds including Prednisone. I probably would be using a walker. So basically its a choice of vanity(huge head) or good health.But I have asked my doctor to lower my doses. Was at 30mg, I am now at 20....hopefully I can get down to just 5mg and still be able to move my joints as freely as I do now

This medication f----- me up! It made me hate my job so much that I had panic attacks before going to work. I've had extreme mood swings and severe paranoia. I am a nurse and I have never been worried about catching anything but all of a sudden I thought I had all sorts of diseases. Also, I was exhausted all the time!! It got so bad that I felt like I couldn't get out of bed. I had no motivation and I couldn't concentrate on anything. Then I started getting a rash that would come and go which only fed into my paranoia. I've never had any of these problems and I couldn't figure out what could be wrong with me until I saw this website. I have been off of singulair for several days and I have already noticed a difference in my mood.

symptoms ---- paranoia, nausea/stomach pains, depression, rash, anxiety

I'm aged 51 and have had high blood cholesterol for years, diagnosed in my mid thirties. Over the years I have tried changing diet but it didn't reduce tha bad cholesterol. Three years ago I decided maybe I better reduce the cholesterol as they say it clogs up you arteries etc. I went to the doctor and he put me on Lipitor and within a few months my levels were down to normal. I got joint pains in my hands, back, neck , legs and had sore heels after long walks. The doc then decided I'd go off the Lipitor to see if my levels stayed normal but they went back up. After a week the new pains had gone away. I came up with a plan to take 3 x 10mG a week rather than one each day and this worked with a lot less joint pain. The last test I had my levels are back up again so he put me back on 10mG a day and now three weeks later the pains have built back up and I don't like them. Desperate for a different solution I was listening to one of the Juice Plus promotions and something they said set me thinking. They said that having a high level of bad cholesterol doesn't always mean it will badly affect your arteries as it has to react with free radicals in your body to cause the damage. Their theory is that a diet rich in antioxidants will combat the free radicals and generally reduce the risk of disease which also includes any bad effects from high bad cholesterol. Now I'm wondering two things, how do I know if my high cholesterol is causing me any harm? is there a test I can get done to measure how it is or is not affecting me? Can anyone throw any more light on this?

I have fibromyalgia so when I complained to my doctor about the increased and almost unbearable pain after being on Lipitor it was not taken seriously, also blood tests showed up negative for any problems. Finally after being sent to a arthritis specialist he took me off the drug. He also told me that half of the patients that he see that are on Lipitor have serious side effects even though blood works shows nothing. More than a year off the drug I still have chronic and debilitating tendonitis in both arms and bursitis in both hips- which doctors tell me is highly unusual.

Hi Everyone,
I am a fourth year medical student and recently I started having horrible panic attacks, I feel like crying all the time and I actually feel depressed. I am a "hypochondriac" generally (I guess it comes with the territory of knowing about different diseases out there), but I have been feeling like I am going crazy. I started Yasmin in November of 2006 and I was fine for a few months. Lately, with stress at school and exams, I started feeling like I've just crumbled. I get anxiety/panic attacks (the latest one was at the movies), horrible heart palpitations, nausea, I am sweating, I can't sleep, I feel this knot in my stomach. It's horrible. I thought it was me cracking under pressure, but I was never like this before I started Yasmin. Recently, I was placed on an antidepressant because everyone assumed it was depression, but after reading this post, I really think it might be the pill. I got off it a week ago, so I hope I will see a difference. Thanks guys!!!

I'm a 55 yo male, that has been taking Vytorin for 6 yrs. A year ago I was diagnosed with Fybromyalgia, at a very large research hospital in St. Louis.
I entered a drug study, but after 4mos had to leave due to a neccessary surgery. I was able to find out, what the medicine was, and contimued taking it. It was Cymbalta. It provided about a 75% reduction in my symtoms, which were: Major muscle pain, throughout my body, fatique, constipation-diarrehea, memory loss(Fybro Fog), erectile dysfunction, body temp, always hot, with sweating, and just feeling tired and crappy 24/7. I accidently came across this site, about 2 wekks ago, and began reading these and other testamonials, and started thinking, maybe it's not Fibrom, but the Vytorin. So I quit taking it. My symtoms have dramatically decreased, almost by 90%. I hadn't told my Doc, so I'll be doing that this week.And run some blood tests to see what my numbers are doing. But I am convinced, Vytorin has something to do with my condition.

i recieved 3 kenalog epidural injections for herniated disc, 2 weeks apart, followed by a decompression nucleoplasty, also with Kenalog injection. after the first epidual. i began having extreme irritablity which i reported to the pain management doc. he said he couldn't prescribe anything but could refer me to a psychologist, which i declined , realizing i was having a reaction to something. after the 3rd epidural, my irritabilty had increased to the point where i was shouting and screaming, and had completely lost my patience. my face had blown up, and cheeks were hard to the touch, and my neck skin was swollen and hanging down. i described my appearance as "looking like a blowfish".

on the day of the nucleoplasty, i agreed that the doc should go ahead and use it again, since it was important for the procedure, and it was not a "true (anaphalctic) type reaction.

after this last injection of Kenalog, i had a terrible terrible reaction. my face became even larger, with big dark circles under my eyes, and my eyes partially closed, appeared like slits. i was frightened by my reflection in the mirror.

my feet, ankles and legs swelled up to the point where it was painful and difficult to walk.

i also i developed insomnia.

at the same time i was "off the wall" with irritability, anger, impatience, and could not stop crying.

during the day i had a general ill and sleepy feeling, and fell asleep driving, without notice.

throughout this period of Kenalog adminstration, i also had flu like symptoms every morning. sore throat, laryngitis, loose cough, muscle pains. i noticed black and blue marks on my extremities as well.

now i have a full blown flu and full blown bronchitis, and i feel so very very ill.

my feet and calves, hands and fingers are experiencing very painful cramping, intermittantly throughout the day and night. it's happening right now in my left hand, so i have to stop typing. i wait for one minute and try to continue typing, but that causes the painful spasm to return. i try again 2 more times, waiting a minute in between spasms. finally it stops and i can continue typing.

there are probably more symptoms, like the irregular heart beat, and these little bumps on the skin of my right cheek, but i need to rest now.

generally, i feel sicker probably than i can ever recall feeling in my life.

would appreciate hearing from anyone with similar symptoms, and especially how long before my face returns to normal. i live with the fear of what will i do if it does not?

Hey, I started taking Yasmin this past spring and everything was going fine, some weight loss and my skin had really cleared up. BUT then in September I woke up one morning and got really dizzy, was throwing up and the right side of my body went numb and I couldnt see very well, so I went to the hosptial. They tested me for drugs, and other diseases. After a week in the hosptial and several tests, they told me I had a stroke, caused by Yasmin and smoking (I was a social smoker) All this happened because of this drug. The strange part is that I am only 21 years old.

After two years of lupron injections I lost six inches in height
due to severe osteoporosis also thyroid had to be removed.
Believe this medication removed normal male protection against what are normally womens' diseases. The reason for
lupron injections was to reduce psa. Bad medical decision.

I am having severe all-over pain, electrical like jolts, headache and chills. I've had these symptoms before and they were gone in days when I stopped. Now it's not going away after 7 days. Last night I couldn't fall asleep because I was freezing and my skins hurt all over, just like the flu. Has anyone had symptoms this severe disappear when Advair was stopped?

I don't smoke, am thin, a healthy eater and have no other diseases and take no other medications except vitamins.

Hello Silke and everyone
Former guest 18063 here, maybe I should call myself bitterRN? :) Anyway I hope you are all doing well. Sorry its been so long since I have written. I saw there were some questions about spironolactone what it is and if it could cause problems. Birth control pills are a combo of synthetic estrogen and progesterone. From what I have read on Yasmin the progesterone they use contains a hormone that acts like the diuretic spironolactone. Spironolactone is a potassium sparing diuretic, and Im not talking about an over the counter water pill to fight bloating, Im talking about a DRUG commonly used on patients with severe health problems like congestive heart failure and other diseases where they need a drug on a constant basis to combat swelling and water retention, which complicates the diseases they are having. (Quick example, I dont want to get too technical.) People with congestive heart failure have a weak heart that doesnt force blood through the body like a strong normal heart does. Therefore the blood does not circulate as it should causes all kinds of bad things including a lot of swelling especially in the ankles and even causes fluid in the lungs, which can quickly fill up with fluid causing respiratory distress (almost like drowning from the inside.) Drs put these patients on diuretics to keep the body constantly flushing fluids out to keep the lungs "dry" and so forth. Spironolactone is one such diuretic they use. Lasix is another. The difference between Lasix and Spiro is that Spiro holds on to the potassium in your body, while Lasix excretes it all out. So patients on Lasix frequently have to take a potassium supplement so that their potassium levels do not fall too low. My point here is not to scare you. They say the spiro level in Yasmin is very low compared to someone who is on the full drug. But I was shocked to see that they would put such a drug (I dont care how small amount it is.) In a birth control pill?!?!? Just to combat bloating? It is just my OPINION, but I dont see how this can be healthy to a normal healthy woman. I have noticed a lot of the side effects people mention in this website seem to be kinda related to dehydration. The muscle cramps you had, Silke, In my OPINION, I would think would be related to dehydration, being as that is a sign of severe dehydration, though I cannot say for sure if the spiro caused it. Probably even the drug company cant. All I know is that I was on ortho 777 for years without problems. Then all of a sudden I start taking yasmin and my whole life fell apart and I felt like I was dying...some days I wished I was dead. I looked at other birth control sites online, there is one where you can rate birth control meds on how well you liked it. I looked at yasmin and other birth control pills Yasmin had about a lot fewer people who liked it compared to the people who hated it. And while it is true, as my doctor said when someone does not like a drug or have a bad experience with it, they will write about it or post it on the site, but when someone likes the drug they do not write about it. This may be true, but I tried to find complaints about other birth control pills like ortho novum, etc. The only thing I found that people didnt like were things like, my period wasnt lighter, it didnt clear up my skin, it made me bloated, or gain weight. NOT serious things like chest pains, palpitations, severe headaches, severe depression, etc. Nor did any of the others have SO MANY symptoms!! Has anyone else found severe complaints about other bcp's? I would be curious to see them. So yes in my opinion I feel it is the spiro, because that is what is so different about this bcp compared to others, and NONE of the other bcp have this (spironolactone) component in them. I could be wrong though. As far as feeling better, I felt like I was going forward until this past week, feels two steps back again, my period is due next week too. It baffles my mind how a drug can hang in your system for soooo long, but I wonder if this bcp or just bcp pills in general have a cell binding action, so not only does it just circulate in your system and then metabolize out of the liver/kidneys as most drugs do, but binds to the cells in your body so that it takes longer (months) for your body to get rid of it? Maybe that is why my OB said it would take a few more CYLCLES to feel better. Maybe the drug is resurfacing during ovulation and we are shedding it with our cycle? I dont know Im just guessing. I will try to do more research on it, or ask my OB when I see her again. Gosh I'm so sorry I wrote too much again! I hope I kind of gave you a little more insight to spiro and why I was so PO'd when I found out it was in my bcp after 3 months of taking it and the OB didnt even bother to tell me it was in there when she put me on it. I'm so bitter! I wouldn't recommend Yasmin to my worst enemy!!!! To those of you who are on it and like it, just please be careful, if you notice a lot of the people on this website who were on it for years seemed to have symptoms come on either right away or years later and they tried to explain them away with stressful times in my life, or just tired, or some other reason other than the pill. I did it myself because I just didnt even realize it could be the birth control. My symptoms surely were not in the pamphlet. Oh and to the girl who is bulimic GUEST 18998 Yes vomiting can lessen or negate the effects of the pill. When you induce vomiting you dont know how much of the pill you have absorbed and how much you are throwing up. Chances are VERY good you are NOT getting the full dose of the birth control pill, being as that the pill takes a while to absorbed by the body, thats why they even like you to take it at the same time every day. Be careful to use another form of birth control on top of the pills (such as condoms) if you are mid pack now, and then I would explore other options for birth control (patch, IUD) something that is not ingested until and this is most important, you need to get help for your bulimia problem. This disease is not only a serious problem for your health, but I fear that if you are on Yasmin, which has the diruetic effect I have been talking about, and you are vomiting a lot, you are not only losing fluids and electrolytes from your bulimia, but also from the Yasmin, which can cause severe severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance in your body and serious health consequences, so please seek help, and I really feel if you are on yasmin please consult your doctor and be honest with him or her about the bulemia, because I really feel its a VERY dangerous combination. Please also consider if you decide to quit a pack of yasmin before you have finished the active pills, that you must again use another form of birth control such as condoms to keep from getting pregnant. A "withdrawal" period is normal after stopping a pack of bcp suddenly, even if you recently had a period. If you need help finding a treatment center please let me know, but please get help. The lasting effects of an eating disorder are so not worth it in the end. I feel for you and hope to hear fromyou and everyone else soon! Thanks for listening. BitterRN

What a weird thread! Lot of very excitable parents out there! Most of the "side effects" I read here are symptoms of many different diseases...The clay or maroon colored stool is a well known side effect of Omnicef... every time my doctor has prescribed it she has mentioned it to me. My kids (5, 6, and 9) are currently taking Omnicef for Strep infection with no side effects. (except the strep is clearing up!!) They had stomach pain before the Omnicef because that is a symptom of Strep. Maybe your children are manic, grumpy, and not sleeping because they are ILL. It is common for children to "not be themselves" when sick. The rash or hives occurs in .3% of patients and should definitely be discontinued in such circumstances- just the same as when using any other antibiotics! HELLO.

After having done a lot of reading on the possible reasons people develop many of these auto-immune conditions that lead to taking Prednisone, I am wondering if anyone here has had any results from taking anti-inflammatory supplements such as fish oil, ginger, turmeric, etc. Many sites say that diet is at the bottom of these diseases - in my case, iritis - and I want to stop taking Prednisone. I have been changing my diet in the last few weeks, upped the Fish Oil and am planning to take other supplements.

Any experiences out there????

I've been using Edex for the last year, about 4 times a month. I have started to notice that when I'm erect...without the drug, that my erect penis is slightly curved now and seems to have lost a bit of its length!! Has anyone had this problem? Edex has worked fine for me with no problems. Maybe I should stop using it for a while? Any suggestions? I'm a very healthy male and exercise 5 times a week, no diseases/disorders ever.