Apprehensive symptoms and conditions

My Aunt is 61 and had a one sided Mastectomy in January of this year. She had been suffering for about 8 years with the menopause (she took HRT for 18 months a few years back). She was told her cancer was hormonal and once she had the tumour removed (behind her milk gland) she was advised that she didn't need any chemo or radiation. She had 6 lymph nodes taken and all were clear. She was originally put on Tamoxifen for 4 months and then switched to Arimidex. She has suffered with hot flushes and extreme coldness (she had this beforehand) but has increasingly suffered with very painful indigestion/heartburn/acid reflux or possibly IBS. She has tried all the over counter indigestion medications to no effect. Is this normal? I am trying to get her to go to the DR about it - but she is very apprehensive. Is there another drug she could try other than Arimidex and Tamoxifen? Are these stomach problems normal? I would also say she seems to suffer with depression and tiredness. She doesn't sleep well because of the hot sweats etc. She also bloats out quite a bit and is still numb from where they took the lymph nodes under her arm. She also says her scar gets sore. Her mastectomy was Jan 3, 2007. She obviously didn't have reconstruction and doesn't intend to.

Is there anything I can get for her to make life easier? I am at a bit of a loss as to how to help her. Any thoughts would be very much appreciated.

I have chronic and fungal sinusitis and was prescribed Singulair as of last week. I also had asthma most of my childhood but it went away around the age of 16. I am now 37 and only suffer from the allergies and sinus. Since taking the Singulair along with the antibiotic Biaxin I have started having the same tightness in my chest as when I had asthma, I have started wheezing again, am frequently dizzy and get extremely drained from the slightest exertion of energy. that being said, I exercise regularly and am very conscious of what I eat and haven't had that experience in some time. I am calling my Dr. and will stop taking this medicine as of today. Thank you for your post, I thought I was on my own, because whenever I ask Dr.'s they always say there are no side effects with this drug. Believe me , I always ask because I am generally apprehensive about taking drugs for reasons of side effects. However, after having been to several specialist over the last 35 years I've finally had to accept the fact that the only way to treat what I have and have a better qualtiy of life for me and my family is by taking something that hopefully minimizes my problems with the least side effects. Obviously, Singulair is not it. If anyone else suffers from chronic sinusitis and has found something that works with little side effects, please let me know. Thanks
Robert P

Its been almost a year since I started taking Yasmin, at first it was ok and then about 4 months later I started developing these bizzare symptoms. I never thought that birthcontrol could provoke such side effects. I quit taking it a week ago and I already feel better. Being a newlywed we're not ready for children but, I'm apprehensive about getting on another birthcontrol because of my experience with Yasmin. These some of the side effects that I didn't know could be due to Yasmin:

Nightmares-almost everynight and disturbing
Incredible Fatigue-sleeping 7 hours is just not enough
Gas/Bloating-i felt like my chest was going to explode
Anxiety-my mind could never shut off
Unsociable-I used to go out every weekend, now I stay home
Depression
Loss of sex drive
Dizziness
Cramping
Decreased Hearing-i'm so tires of saying "what?"

I was really surprised to see so many women going through the same thing all because of Yasmin.

my daughter is 5 years old. she was recently put on 5 mill of singulair. i couldnt figure out what was wrong or what had changed her moods so abrumptly. i had spoken with her school counseler and her teachers to see if anything unusual was happening in school because she totally refused and cried unconsolably when it was time to go. she had attended pre school in the previous year so school was not new to her. she began kindergarten this year at the same school without much of a fuss besides the usual kindergarten jitters. she came down with a pretty bad cold and allergy attack, so her doctor prescribed singulair and advert instead of just claritin. every since she started this medicine, she hasnt slept well, and it seems the small things that made her apprehensive before have magnified by 100. im very upset that parents arent better informed about the side effects that COULD happen while their children are taking the meds that they themselves prescribed. if i had not taken the time to read the papers associated with the meds given at the drugstore, i would not have known why my little girl was feeling the way she is. although these information papers barely touch on the side effects, i took it upon myself to call the pharmacist to get further information. i explained the symptoms my daughter was going through and i was utterly shocked and furious to hear her confirm eveything i was saying was a definate side effect of singulair. please parents, get ALL of the information on this drug before administering it to your child...some may not have any negative effects, but you need to know all of the possibilities that can occur.

I am not one to post my opinion on the web, but it is imperative that others taking ambien are aware of its potential risks. Ambien is extremely addictive. If taken properly (go straight to bed and don't take more than prescribed) it can work for a short period of time (just like the commercials say, 7 - 10 days). However, it appears that many dr's are prescribing it for years at a time. I have had a script for this drug for over 10 years. Ambien put me into a state of euphoria -- I'd take it and life suddenly appeared altered, for the better. I felt more confident and motivated while intoxicated on this drug. Although it makes you "high," it also wipes out your short-term memory, while you're on it and otherwise. You will not remember what you did after taking it -- whether it's raiding the refrigerator, drinking alcohol, having sex, manically cleaning/organizing your house, or calling friends. I could go on about the dizziness, lack of STM during the day (the hangover effect), or how difficult it can be to stop taking it. Ambien is now one of the drugs of choice by adolescents -- it's powerful high is appealing, but the "blacking out" is no different than a date rape drug. I have actually known adolescents that have been raped while using their drug of choice, ambien. If you have an addictive personality, ambien can be fatal and can effect your relationships -- especially with those that you interact with while on the drug (spouses, roommates, etc.). Your tolerance for ambien will also increase. Over the years, I went from taking 5 mg to 20 mg (always prescribed by my dr) -- in short, it stops working. Recently I switched to 25 mg of seroquel. It works like a charm. I was apprehensive to take it, as it's an antipsychotic drug (I just have dysthymia), but at such a lose dose, it puts my worries aside and I am able to fall asleep w/o getting high. I am certain that ambien is the next "oxycotin" due to it's addictive components, as well as the fact that it's so readily accessible. For all of you that rely on this drug to help you sleep to function, please find a new drug that won't enable you to make poor choices (most of which you won't remember). Perhaps you think you aren't addicted, but I insist that you will be. Because of abusing ambien, I have come close to divorce and have definitley lost or shall we say, "effected" many of my close relationships. I implore anyone that's investigating, taking or abusing ambien to explore alternative sleep aids. If you think you have control over this drug, you're wrong. It'll control you before you know it.

Wow! This forum is really informative and scary!

I have tried numerous pills, Marvelon, Ortho Tri-Cyclin, Diane, Alese and all have caused the same symptoms: Depression, lack of energy, emotional outburts, 10-15 pound weight gain and abdominal bloating to the point where people would ask me if I was pregnant (and the rest of my body would look porportional).

Its been 4 years since I have been on and off the pill and now at the age of 26 I am beginning to notice a chance in my hormones which I put facial hair on my chin and sideburns!

Being in a new relationship my doctor has prescribed Yasmin as birth control to help with facial hair and contraception.

I haven't started and am now apprehensive...does anyone have any suggestions or similar experiences with hair growth/reduction?