Bandaid symptoms and conditions

It is hard to tell what side effects come from which med but after reading other peoples experiences I think that its easier to put my finger on. I have been taking Lamictal and Lexapro since last spring/summer. I started to feel a lot better as soon as I started the Lamictal. I have a history of being severely depressed all the time. It has been a long road in search of the correct combo of meds. We added Lexapro and I got even better. I was on Wellbutrin and Topamax before this and it was too much drugs in my system causing loads of anxiety. I heard Topamax makes you Dopey so I was happy to get off that. I don't notice Lamictal doing the same thing. I think clearly now, but I do have trouble crying - which is fine with me. I am so sick of fucking crying everyday. Aren't you??? The whole point of treatment is to increase the quality of life and These drugs have definitely helped me to be happy which is all I care about. However, I do still wonder what I would feel like without them. It is tempting to stop once you feel this good. Why cant i just be able to feel this good naturally. WHY WHY WHY .

Please read his entire post in its entirety.

I spent 15 years on Klonopin. Initially I was placed on this medications for the side effects of Prozac, but it worked so well (initially) at curbing my panic attacks that I remained on it. It was a godsend for many years. My maximum dose was 1 mg twice daily (toward the end).

Several times I was able to discontinue this medication on my own with no problems, but in the late 90's I suddenly had trouble discontinuing this medication even with the help of a doctor, and I assumed this was because I had developed a 'dependence'.

My depression, anxiety, and panic attacks began to worsen during this time period, and I began to develop other symptoms - insomnia, pain in my spine and joints, IBS, a droopy left eyelid, restless legs, teeth-grinding - to name a few. I began to see more and more doctors as my list of symptoms grew, but doctors assumed that I was seeking more Klonopin and that there was nothing wrong with me.

There's a lot more to my story, but basically I almost died. Klonopin was merely a bandaid for what was really going on with me. I no longer even believe in "benzo dependence". Here's what was causing my anxiety:

Chronic Lyme, babesia, and several viral infections causing brain inflammation (join Lymenet!)

Also, severe electromagnetic hypersensitivities/microwave sickness.

If you've been placed on Klonopin, there is a good chance you are merely a victim of chronic Lyme and the wireless boom. Google "Elves Against ELF (& RF).

Electrical Sensitivity & Hypersensitivity:

http://www.ei-resource.org/illness-information/related-conditions/electrical-sensitivity-&-hypersensitivity/

Bioinitiative Report:

http://www.bioinitiative.org/report/index.htm

Klonopin only serves to sedate you to the fact that you have a raging infection in your nervous system, fueled by the wireless boom.

I put up with Yasmin for just 10 days because it turned me into a completely different person! I was shocked at how quickly it affected me! The doctor changed me to Yasmin because it would be better for my skin (I've been on Trifeme for about 3 years with no problems other than a recent skin pigmentation) and started taking it one Saturday morning. The next morning I woke up feeling terrible, and snapped at my bf really badly. I was really really angry for no reason at all! I got really dry, sore eyes and wasn't sleeping well at all. I'd be so tired during the day I felt like I could just put my head down on the desk and go to sleep!! These feelings continued and worsened every day, until I started feeling like I could punch something if it stepped out of line... and the tiniest things would annoy me so much, like simply my bf sneezing! After a week I looked up the side-effects of Yasmin (disbelieving that something could effect me so quickly) and when reading the many sites like these I suspected it could be the pill. After a few more anger attacks and crying for no reason (and a particularly bad case where I cut my finger and yelled at my bf because he got me a band aid, locking myself in the bathroom and crying for 30 minutes - go figure?) I decided to stop taking Yasmin. I've been off it for 5 days now and I feel so much better!!! Never again! I'm going to try a pill-free lifestyle for while I think and use other forms of contraception... it's just not worth it.

Hello,

I read about how YAZ birth control pill affects the body and psych and I am now scared. This is my 2nd day of YAZ (I've never been on birth control pills ever and I am 27 years old), it's all new to me but after reading all these negative posts about Yaz I don't know what to do. Before the birth control pills, I was depressed, annoying, serious weight problems - 210 lbs :~~((, low energy, low libido, always tired, terrible migraines every 2nd day, ridiculously increased appetite and excessive hunger, hair where it shouldn't be, menstrual blood clots, excessive cramping etc
I have all these problems for 3 years now and now that the family doc. put me on YAZ birth control pill I am even more scared - mainly of more weight gain, it would be a tragedy for me, I am fat enough already and what's worse I can't lose the weight, exercise doesn't help, diet doesn't help, NOTHING. Will YAZ birth control pill worsen my already tragic condition? I just don't know what to do and what to believe ... I appreciate any advice or help you can give me ... Thank You to all!

I have been on topamax for almost a year now. I had been having a nearly constant migraine cycle for three months which had to be broken with migranol nasal spray. I then started on escalating dosages of topamax. By 100mg I realized that life was wonderful but that I couldn't retain much information which was a problem as I had just gone back to school for an advanced degree. Upon consultation with my doctor, we reduced my dosage to 50mg and things improved dramatically.

I have experienced some fingertip and toe tingling which have been completely tolerable. I take the medication right before bed so that I don't have problems with fatigue during the day. I do get out of breath easily when I exert myself and carbonated beverages taste horrible. But my migraines are under control.

I have a Ph.D. in molecular biology and a few years of neuroscience research under my belt. I would like to say that it is EXTREMELY important for people to understand that no medication is going to work identically for any two people. What works for one person, may not work for everyone. I know people who swear by imitrex but this medication does absolutely nothing for me. You have to be your own advocate when it comes to medications and treatments. Your genetics will also determine how well, if at all, you respond to any medication. For some topamax is a life saver, for others it will be the bane of their existence. This will always be the case for any medication. Be tolerant of others' experiences and understanding of each others' pain and progress will be made.

I have fibromyalgia. I was given Levaquin after 3 other rounds of other antibiotics didn't work. The Levaquin was prescribed by a ENT Dr. He never mentioned the side effects to me or the several drug interactions. With my fibromyalgia I take several medications including NSAIDs and narcotics, antidepressant, asthma meds and blood pressure medication. He was aware of my meds. He also prescribed prednisone at the same time. Since I've been looking up this drug I see it interacts with almost everything I'm taking???? How could he still give it to me? Any way I took it for 10days 500mgs/day plus the prednisone for 7 days. I started having weird side effects right away but I blamed it on the steriods. So I took my 10 days and I still had the sinus infection and he prescribed another 10 days. I took them all even though I felt like I was dying because I thought I was having a terrible Fibro Flare. I went to my regular Dr. and told him of the pain and side effects I was having and he said it was my fibro and prescribed me morphine to go alone with my vicodin and tramadol I was already taking. I was still having severe pain even with the pain meds. Today I put 2 and 2 together and started searching the web. I looked up all my meds and looked at their side effects and was horrified when I found out what it was from. It is totally scary that once you get the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia that Dr. don't search for any other cause for your pain and just blame every symptom on Fibro and refuse to do any tests. They just give me a bandaid and sent me home with more drugs with more side effects and more drugs to help those side effects, etc.,etc. I quit taking the Levaquin 3 days ago and my side effects I still have are the following:
SEVERE SWELLING OF MY WHOLE BODY - MY STOMACH LOOKS 9 MONTHS PREGNANT, I HAVE PITTED EDEMA IN MY LEGS, MY FACE AND EYES ARE SWOLLEN, TO THE POINT I HAVEN'T BEEN TO WORK OR IN PUBLIC BECAUSE I AM SO HUGE

SEVERE PAIN IN ALL JOINTS OF MY BODY(ESP KNEES,ANKLES)

SEVERE PAIN, WEAKNESS AND STIFFNESS IN ALL MUSCLES IN MY BODY(ESP LEGS AND ARMS)

SEVERE PAIN IN ALL TENDONS AND LIGAMENTS

SEVERE FATIGUE, WITH INSOMNIA (IT'S 3:15AM RIGHT NOW)

PAINFUL SKIN SENSATIONS - BURNING, SORENESS, TINGLING (EVEN HURTS WHEN THE WIND BLOWS BY IT)

SHORTNESS OF BREATH FROM MINOR EXERTION AND WHEN LYING DOWN, CHEST TIGHTNESS

CLUMSINESS, TRIPPING

MUSCLE SPASMS AND JERKING

FEELING WARM, SWEATING (ESP. AT NIGHT)

LOWER ABDOMINAL PAIN AND IRREGULAR MENSTRAUL BLEEDING

HARD TIME WALKING, DRIVING OR GETTING UP FROM A SITTING POSITION

IN THE BEGINNING HEADACHES EVERYDAY FOR ABOUT A WEEK

DRY MOUTH, THIRSTY ALL THE TIME

BLURRED VISION, SEEING THINGS MOVE IN THE CORNER OF MY EYES

#1 question is this going to ever go away and is there any way to treat it? I don't think I can handle another debilitating disease. I have 2 kids ages 6 and 9. They need a mother. I'm thinking of going to the Dr. in the a.m. but not sure where to go so they won't just dismiss me again. E.R.? I feel like I have kidney failure, colitis, ruptured ligaments and damaged joints. It's my son's Birhtday tomorrow I hate to ruin his party but am afraid to wait. I here it could be deadly??? Please help!

I got bitten by a tick about a month ago. A week later I was having severe muscle pain and pin prick sensations all over.
Last Friday ( about three weeks after the bite) I got a rash on my breast. It cleared up with Triple ointment in three days but made me worry about Lyme disease. I went to the emergency room Sunday. The doctor assured me he didn't think I had Lyme but I did have systoms. He gave me doxycycline for Lyme.(even though there was no tests to confirm that I had it). Today is Wednesday and an hour after I took the pill this morning I got very dizzy, almost passed out and began vomiting. Tonight the nausea is gone but I still feel weird i.e. lightheaded/dizzy. I spent the morning in the same emergency room to be told it couldn't be a reaction to the doxycycline. They gave me an antihistamine and pills for vertigo. Yeah RIGHT!!! They didn't even try to find out what was making me dizzy. Sorry, no meds for me to be used as a "bandaid".