Big time symptoms and conditions

This is not a new side effect, but the same day I started taking Levaquin for sinusitis, I suspected something was wrong. Within hours, ears were roaring. First night, NO sleep, and that's WITH Ambien CR. Day 2.....depression! Immediate. This is in spite of having a severe depression under control for over a year. Sudden. I really started suspecting Levaquin then, but thought it was a coincidence. Took it this morning. Deep, dark depression. After reading these posts, I knew my suspicions were correct. The depression is getting better after 10-12 hours after the dose. This is really scary stuff. Really scary. Oh, yes, and I had the stomach pains, also. Told my husband it was just hurting like a bruise, not like indigestion or gas. I will report it to my doctor so they will no it's a "no-no" for me....in spite of all the websites that said how safe it was. Glad I found this website. Thank God.

Don't ever take this drug. I was hesitant when I saw the list of side effects. But my UTI was so bad and I didn't want to go back to the doctor for him to prescribe something else. Why he did not give me the same antibiotic that I had last winter with my previous UTI I have no idea. I had a 5 day dose. It went fine. Everything went downhill the evening of my last morning dose which was 10/24/09. Today is 10/26. The chills and aches immediately kicked in big time. I went right to bed with 2 Tylenol. It broke several hours later. Then the sweats began the next morning. Then the chills again last night. They are still here this morning. Because i am so cold I am sleeping in layers of flannel which is accentuating the horrid rash on my chest, neck, and back. The heat seems to be bringing it out. The doctor's office said I could take an OTC allergy pill but that will make me sleepy and I want to keep alert during this crisis. So I am going back to the doctor this afternoon for him to take a look at me. I may give him a piece of my mind for prescribing this crap to people. On my long list of side effects from my pharmacy is the phone number to report side effects to the FDA. It is 1-800-FDA-1088. We suffering patients need to unite against this demon drug so it is eventually pulled off the market. I was given Sulfameth/Trimetrhoprim 800/160 tabs for 5 days, twice daily, for an UTI. My pill bottle also says MFG AMNEAL - Generic for Septra DS tablets. No refills. Who want want to? Good luck to all the suffers of this doomed drug. I had to lose a day from work today and probably will do so tomorrow. And I have to somehow get myself back to the doctor today to hopefully get some relief. And living alone makes it even scarier. Something has to be done about this drug.

I was on Alesse for 3 years with no troubles except the occasional acne breakout. I got switched to Aviane a year ago and I hate it. I just went back to Alesse for several reasons.

1: My blood pressure rose from 110/70 to 160/80 in the year I was on Aviane. I'm only 24 and although I am overweight, my blood pressure has always been on the low side of normal. In the week I went off Aviane, my blood pressure dropped to 145/70. It's still high but it had gone down in just a week. My doctor's handling of this prompted me to switch doctors, too- instead of recommending I lose a bit of weight, he just prescribed a blood pressure medication which can't be taken with birth control pills.

2: Mood swings. Big time. I used to work in fast-food and having 20-30 customers lined up wouldn't bother me on the Alesse, but on Aviane I was really short with my coworkers and if we got a busy rush, I'd get cranky in about 3 orders. Not to mention, I'm a veterinary nurse and sometimes you just can't save an animal no matter how hard you try. Normally I have a very thick skin and I could leave work issues at work. I noticed, and so did my boss, that I would be very depressed and near the point of tears if we had to give bad news, whereas before I would be professional but sympathetic, as opposed to nearly breaking down in front of clients now.

3: Decreased sex drive. I'm glad I'm not the only person with this problem but it caused a LOT of trouble between myself and my ex. I used to have a high libido and now...I might be aroused once or twice per month.

4: Migraines. I'd usually get them once or twice a year, depending on how stressful work was, but now I get them if I spend more than 2-3 hours at any activity. It sucks to get a migraine when you're fishing!

5: Sleeplessness/insomnia & restlessness. I put those two together because when I DO get to sleep, I toss and turn and I'm fidgety all day. I might get to sleep at 3 AM and I have to be up by 6 AM. On my days off, I might get to sleep by 5 AM and not get out of bed until 11 or 12. I've got no energy at all and it takes me a long time to be really aware of what's going on around me.

I think the only reason I've lost weight on this pill is because I've stepped up my workout routine to get some energy. Otherwise, I'm sure I'd have gained weight. I'm relieved to find that I'm not the only woman having troubles with Aviane.

Well, Neurontin does take away some nerve pain, not big nerve pain like the leg nerve pain upon walking and sleeping. It does have side effects. I got dizzy, constantly sleepy, a sore throat, nausea, stomach aches and headaches. I took the pill apart to reduce the dosage. 100 mg. was too much for me, driving wasn't a good idea since I had a head injury and drugs can affect you more strongly (comprised). I stuck with it for three weeks, but now my stomach as doubled up. I can't stand stomach pains along with nerve pain. I did like the effect it had when sleeping, but I can't stand big time stomach pain when awake. Forget it. I will just deal with the pain.

I have been on the NuvaRing for my 3rd month now. I seriously just went into the bathroom and took it out! I have been having some intense anxiety, and I swear my hair has been thinning out, and feeling depressed. Not to mention I've been gaining weight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I looked at the NuvaRing website and seriously I have experienced almost every single symptom. I have not felt like my normal happy go lucky self the past 3 months and was wondering if it was just me. Now I know it's just the nuvaring. I also experienced extreme extreme headaches. My head feels like it will explode, for hours on end. The only way to get rid of those headaches is to sleep. Also I have never been so chubby in my life, I've always had a nice stomach and now it's getting flabby.... like seriously.... this is not even worth it. I'm so glad that I read this website and that everyone is experiencing the same problems with this as I am. I think I'm going to just stick to condoms bcuz that's going to be so much healthier for me! Too bad if my hubby doesn't like it.... I just can't take all these crazy changes... or else I'm going to go crazy! I've also been kind of crazy like totally filled with anxiety or feelings or resentment. Sex kills with the nuvaring! It hurts so bad. I'm not sure why, but it burns like heck. I've also felt fluid retention, big time! And my legs are super achey. Does anyone else have achey legs? And oh my gosh, my boobs hurt so much from the hormones NR injects into me. I feel like their getting like too big. Also over the past three months I haven't had any appetite, which would make you think that you would loose weight... right? WRONG! I have actually been gaining weight! So dumb! Take my advice and don't go on the NuvaRing, it's a waste of your time... and your life. Your life will change when you go on it, and you won't recognize it at first... but believe me, it will. I've also experienced the brown discharge for the first month, and changes in my menstrual cycle. & on my honeymoon I got a yeast infection bcuz the NuvaRing!!!!!!!!! That was pretty much the worst!

i have been off Januvia for about 2.5 months. the joint problems I used to have seemed to have been gone. I am more alert now that I am not taking the drug. I am still having stomach problems big time. I hope they go away but don't seem to be wanting to go away. My stomach problems are so bad that my blood pressure shoots up very high 2 hours after eating and I feel my food is stuck right below the rib cage. I still get headaches. So beware that if you are stopping this medicine it seems that the side effects linger after a while. I took the drug for about 6 months

i have all these symptoms and doctors look at me like im crazy and blong in a nut ward my relationship between me my boyfriend and our kids is suffering big time! i have an app to get this evil damn thing taken out on 7-29-09 thank god!!

I had the MIRENA removed yesterday. I had it for 1 month and the first sign of change to my body was odor, I stink, bad, I did not have this problem before. So when I had my 1 month appointment for the follow up I decided to take it out. This was not so easy, the Doctor was really mean to me, told me the odor has NOTHING to do with the Mirena. Now that I'm reading all these posts I realize everything that went wrong with me had to do with this Mirena, trouble sleeping, acne, mood swings, weight gain...ack! I don't need birth control because I have my tubes tied, but I needed to control my super heavy periods, but let me tell you, I would rather have long periods over all these other side effects, oh, and my cramps got so much worse. What really bothers me is how the doctors want to push this product on you like it's the best thing ever, they are lying, big time!! I'm sure they get some kind of commission from Bayer. I'm really mad, and feel like I really can't trust my doctor.

I was prescribed Compazine for nausea and it works like a dream! Nausea GONE. It sounds like the other posts here are citing an allergic reaction to the drug rather than a side effect.

The only side effect I had was drowsiness and I mean big time. About six hours after taking a dose I would have to take a nap because I couldn't keep my eyes open.

I do not like taking pills so I figures the Mirena would be the way to go. During my first cycle with Mirena I bleed so bad I thought I was losing to much blood. I called my doctor and of course he said it was normal. The next month was the same then I started have the spotting for a 2 weeks at a time. Went back to the doctor once again he says it normal. During sex when done there would be signs of bleeding but no blood afterwards. My boyfriend was concerned so we both went to the doctor and low and behold he tells me there was trapped blood and that I should douche after each cycle. The second problem is I have been battling depression big time, low stomach pains, headaches and not to mention hair lose right in the top of my head. My doctor also told me to use Rogain and placed me on vitamin D pills.After reading these post I am scheduling to have my Mirena removed. I will take my chances with the pill. I lose focus and can't remember recent events. I thought I was losing my mind but it's just the Mirena. Oh yes before I forget huge blood clots during my cycle I thought my stuff was going to fall out.

I was started on prednisone for Dressler's Syndrome.. a heart inflammation. I have been taking 20mg daily, now 10.. I am having severe muscles cramps and rippling in my legs.. achy all over ,sweating, peeing all the time.. I am miserable. Why do doctor's dole out this stuff with out a thought???

I was taking Topamax for about 4 years for chronic/daily migraines. It helped tremendously after I had taken almost everything else with no success. Then I had an episode where I ended up with 5 kidney stones. They passed but my neurologist wanted me off the Topamax in case that was the cause of them. I went off and my headaches came back with a vengeance. I had them daily until I begged my primary care doctor to put me back on Topamax. I honestly would rather have stones than daily headaches. I am a mother to four and have a husband and a job. I can't live with daily migraines. After being back on it for about two weeks the headaches have disappeared. I take 200 mg twice a day. I do have memory loss and loss of words big time. It is VERY frustrating. I feel stupid. But I can live with that. I have tingling cheeks , lips and hands. I'm sensitive to sun and have to wear my sunglasses a lot more now. I now talk in my sleep- a little nervous about that :) I lost weight last time around but haven't yet this time. I am very happy, not sure if that is the RX or just me reacting to not having headaches. I guess you have to weight the side effects with the benefits. The choice is ultimately up to you. Good luck everyone!

I started taking prednisone when I was only 12 years old and I was on it for about a year and a half. At the age of 10, I was diagnosed with glaucoma, uveitis and cataracts and for about 10 years now I have had all these illnesses. My experience with prednisone had been HORRIBLE. Within two months alone, I gained 50 pounds, my skin started to get really really thin, I started to develop stretch marks ALL over my body with the only exception of my face and hands. I started to get the chipmuk cheeks to the point that my family was afraid that I was going to literally explode. My liver was damaged. My kidney was damaged. The vertebrates in my spine where being chipped away. There was a point in that year and a half where the doctors told me that there was a 70% chance of me going blind. The bottom line was that PREDNISONE WAS BRINGING NOTHING FOR ME EXCEPT RUIN. On top of that, I was constantly depressed. Kids at school would point at laugh hysterically at me. And if people weren't laughing, they were struck by fear and were trying to figure out what exactly I was. I remember this one instance in my school cafeteria where one girl stood up on the lunch table, pointed at me and screamed SHE'S AN ALIEN!!

I was and still am scarred physically and emotionally. My arms and stomach are really saggy because the skin is soo thin. As I said my entire body is scarred with stretch marks. I can't show the slightest bit of my body to anyone because I am so ashamed, embarrassed and afraid of peoples judgments. I am afraid that no one will ever want to be in a relationship with me.

All I can tell you is that though I stopped using it about six and a half years ago, this dreaded drug has truly ruined my life from the very start of my childhood.

I started using nuvaring 3 weeks ago. I have had no negative changes in my life... actually some positive one but I am an emotional wreck. I have contemplated suicide everyday for the last 2 weeks. My mom, sister, and friends have spent the night at my house bc I have been in such bad shape. I have had periodic bout of depression but nothing like this esp. Without any cause. I am removing the ring after I finish this post.

One thing I find interesting, I used the ring about 5 or 6 years ago without any problems. I was 26 or 27 at the time. I am 32 now. Really makes me wonder what age has 2 do with emotional side effects as it seems many other younger posters here don't complain of nearly the side effects those of us with a few years under our belt do. :)

I also had weight gain, big time increase in appetite, dryness\burning burn sex and foreplay. Also some headache and fatigue... but those maybe coincidence.

I just came from my Dr. and he prescribed Singular for my allergies. He really convinced me to take it. So it's day 2 and I haven't taken it yet. I told my Dr. that the commercial on T.V. said a list of side effects that out weighed the symptoms of my allergies. This website has totally convinced me that I just threw away $135.00, cause I refuse to take a medication that has so many awful side effects. thanks for everyones input on this medication. and I hope for the best of luck with the people that are having such a difficult time with their medical problems.

I had the Mirena inserted July 2007. I thought the Mirena was the best invention ever! I have migraines so I could no longer continue taking the pill. My doctor and I discussed my options and we both thought the Mirena would be a good solution. I didn't want to have anymore kids but I was mentally ready to have my tubes tied. With the Mirena I would have lighter periods and no migraines and it lasted for 5 years. No remembering taking a pill every night. Sounded like a win-win situation to me. During the latter half of 2007 to early 2008, I gained 22 lbs. It appeared overnight (or that's how I felt). I blamed it on it being the holidays and eating too much. I increased my workouts, hired a personal trainer (not cheap) and dieted my butt off. I didn't lose a pound. Early this year my co-worker told me about this sight. She had the Mirena also. When I started reading the side affections that women were experiencing, everything started clicking into place. The weight gain. The hair loss. My hair grows like a weed. And I've been trying to grow my hair out for at least 8 months. It hasn't grown an inch even though I get my ends trimmed. The hair at the back of my head has broken off. It's shorter than the rest of my hair. I have ZERO sex drive. I'm moody (more than usual). I've made an appointment to have it removed Wednesday. I can't wait! I still don't know what I'm going to do about birth control.

hi Everyone, I have been on the mirena for four years and have very important information. Since my second child five years ago I had the mirena inserted. Since the insertion I have also started prozac for such bad anxiety. I never correlated the two until I have been recently doing my research. My biggest complaint with the mirena however has been my ACNE. I feel like crying when I think how this robbed me of the last five years. I spent most of my time in the bathroom trying to remove these huge cysts from my face. Thousand of dollars later on products and peels I am left with scars. Nothing helped and everyday there was a huge new cyst. It was awful, It effected my relationship with people, I was embarrassed and could not figure out why at 40 I was having such acne when I didn't suffer have this before. I am so mad for not researching this earlier. My other symptoms were headaches, extra fat around my midsection and feeling of nausea on some nights. needless to say after doing my research I wanted it removed. I called my docter and she only could see me in 3 weeks so I called planned parenthood. They removed it the next day. The doctor said the same side effects happened to her and that the company was looking for a new formula for the mirena but it was not out yet.

Good News. 10 days later my face is clear for the first time in 5 years!!!!. My headaches are gone, nausea gone, and I have lost 5 pounds around my middle.

Please girls take this out, I guarantee you are not imaging these symptoms the doctor confirmed them for me. No birth control is worth this. I feel like I have my life back. Good Luck. If you need any other info please post back and I will fill you in on more details, right now I have to get the kids to school.

There was no any medicine excist in this world to heal and releaf the headache that I've been having and suffering for 5 years, "a baaaad headache" I mean the worst headache a mankind can get, even worse that migraine.then my doctor perscribe the epidrin, I tried it several time and again nothing happen like other medicine that I tried before. Antill one night I woke up middle of the night with having a bad headache I was crying like a baby and hitting my head to the wall and begging God to finish this suffer then I saw the bottle of the epidrin on the cabinet and decided to take two of them ones instead of one however it never worked before, then after 5 minutes accidentally decided to make a cup of dark coffee like starbucks coffee and drink in order to send some caffeine into my blood vessels assuming that maybe it stops the headache because I was crazy at the time and just wanted to do something to stop the pain then guess what, I went to the bed and after 15 minutes my whole body start to get relax it was like someone was massaging me professionally big time and then the headache stopped right there. I discover that night the epidrin effects a lot better and nicer taking with a cup of starbucks dark coffee, it work amazing, it is fantastic euphoria feeling when it fights with your headache or any pain when you take to capsule with a cup of dark coffee try folks you will see.
V.
Dallas, TX

Hi, I have been taking lisinopril 2.5 mg for a little over a year now. I am 20 years old and had high blood pressure for my age so my doctor prescribed me to a low dose (2.5 mg) of lisnopril. I didn't think much of it at first because I figured my doctor had prescribed it and knew what was best for me, so I have been taking it over a year now.
The past couple days, I've started to think more about things and am wondering if the lisinopril has anything to do with it. I have definitely noticed that my hairline is receding faster and my hair, especially in the front of my head, is thinning. I have also gained weight over the past year and cannot seem to get any weight off. I never had these problems of losing hair or gaining weight before I started lisinopril.
My question is could the lisinopril, even with the low dose of 2.5 mg that I'm taking, actually cause these types of things to happen?
If anyone reading this could please reply to me and let me know, I would appreciate it so much because I am really worrying about this. Thanks.

Well, let's see, I am 37, I just had my third child a year ago. When I had my first child at 19, I entered the world of Rhumatoid Arthritis, I did not take anything for it, it just seemed to go away by itself. After the second child it flared up but not long enough or hard enough to remember. After the third child at 36, wow did it get bad, so bad i couldn't get her out of her crib. That was the day I started 10mg of pred a day,,it made all the symptoms of the RA almost disappear...almost...which was a miracle,,,but it made all the side effects of the med start,,,,weight gain BIG TIME, bad moods, maybe 2 hours of sleep @ night,,,hair loss which scares me the most, blurred vision, buffalo hump looks like I'm looking for something on the floor all the time,,a wonderful neck that looks like i swallowed a couple bananas whole,,hmmmm,,,,let's seeeeee,,what else, easy bruising thankfully I like the color purple, oh, and me and mr. potty have become well friends. At first, the doc thought it was hypothyroidism because I also had 2 periods a month, but a blood test told threw that theory out. I just want to say,,,,I like that my RA is better because of it,,,but I am as of yesterday taking myself off of good ol prednisone, and sticking to a high dose of IB or Tylenol. It's just not worth it.

I have been on 50 mg topiramate for a while now. It is part of a 5 drug mix used to address bipolar, anxiety and adult residual add. I take the topamax in one dose at night. When I first started it, I DID try to titrate up to at least 200 mg, but never made it past 75 mg. I took it in the morning, and, after about a week and a half on 75 mg, somnolence kicked in big-time and I was a zombie.
My Dr. and I kicked it back to 50, and moved it from a daytime drug to a night-time drug, and I have not really have problems since. It certainly still seems to have some mood stabilizing benefits for me, even at the relatively low dose I am taking. It also has helped with the awful headaches that I used to get far more frequently than I do now. I do not think that I ever received a weight benefit from it, but it seems that most people generally do not at this dose. Late last year, I had to switch to a different physician. Sadly, the new practicioner is no replacement for the former.
I have gained weight over the past few years for a variety of reasons. A somewhat sedentary lifestyle, social and emotional eating, too frequent consumption of caloric alcohol, (once a week or so,) as well as weight-gain contributory atypical anti-psychotic or mood stabilizing drugs have all helped put me in an unpleasant location on the BMI chart.
I have been enrolled in a hospital-associated, medically-monitered weight-loss program for several months and have een successfully losing weight. My new psychiatrist felt that an increase in topamax dose might be beneficial. I am going to attempt moving up to 100 mg, provided that I feel the change is warranted, and that the side effects do not kick in as before. The aforementioned practitioner has a tendency to be pixelated with respect to the approach towards a patient. This person does not seem to put much effort into reading, absorbing, integrating and using patient file information very well. For instance, this physician would miss the importance of the fact that topamax can cause an acidosis condition, and that the hospital diet typically intentionally puts patients on a diet that causes ketosis. These two conditions together would be unpleasant, to say the least. The doctor never even asked what type of diet I was on....
This is not the first time such an oversight has been made on the doctor's part, and it is my own educational background and awareness that has kept me from being the victim of the doctor's inattention and carelessness, not to mention probable nasty outcomes had I followed the instruction without question.
I am fortunate to be educated about this stuff, and so I do not have to rely on the practitioner's judgment alone. I am shopping for a new one, actually.
As it is, I am not on the hospital's most common diet, the ketosis-inducing one, and so I am not worried much about the potential acidosis due to topamax.
( I am not on the ketosis diet because I am aware of the problem such a diet can cause for bipolar disorder management, independent of any drug interactions. I read about this, consulted with the dieticians and weight-loss center physician, and chose a non-ketosis diet. I have been losing weight at a regular pace. the speed of loss is slower than with a ketosis diet, but safer for me. All it demands is better behavior on my part, but that is life.)
But I want to communicate a few things here.
First, I see that many people suffer not only from adverse effects, but also from arguably adverse treatment by physicians who either are not aware of a drug's information, are marginally aware of it, are not aware of their patient, or some combination of the above, or perhaps they just don't care.
There is also a clear tendency for many docs to balk when the patient's experience doesn't fit the prescriber's leaflet, resulting in dismissal of the patient's concerns and experiences, and may lead to arguably unnecessary tests and diagnostics rather than discontinuation of an offending drug.
Be aware that such treatment is indicative of a problem with your doctor, and the relationship between the two of you. Don't allow yourself to be tossed off that way, especially with no resolution to your problem; get a second opinion. Second, topamax is a specialty drug, and should be prescribed by, and treatment should be monitored by, a specialist. namely, this specialist should be a psychiatrist or neurologist, depending on what you ar taking the topamax for. Even if topamax had been prescribed for you for migraines or weight loss, the doctors most likely to be most educated about its main and adverse effects are psychiatrists and neurologists. There are a very few internal medicine or family practice docs who might be "with it" enough to be following the literature on this type of medication. A sub-point to this is a suggestion that education and information can only help you, and you should seek it out. Don't just read about a diagnosis, or about adverse effects, though. You'll run the risk of getting "medical students' disease", finding that your symptoms seem to match the disease descriptions for all manner of ailments. A general education is actually more useful. Text books can be a great help. Where you find something in a text is a bit advanced for you, try a more elementary text. Texts are available at libraries, so you don't have to buy them all. But reading up on psychology, understanding a little about metabolism, having some familiarity with medical terms, such things can save you from the results of a doctor's distraction, disinterest or disdain. It can also be immensely comforting just to understand how one's body works, and how drugs work within it, when one must face a disease such as Bipolar, Depression, Anxiety, Diabetes, etc. College intro level classes are thorough enough to demonstrate how a 25 mg pill can cause such disruption or such relief in a person's life. Eating certain things, and at certain times, sleeping well or poorly, ambient temperature, hygiene, reading habits, ALL of these things can have a profound effect on a person's day-to-day life. All of those factors, and more, can effect the physiology of an individual. It is good to know a little about how the system works, the better to maintain it. Some pop-sci books are pretty good, too. "You: The Owner's Manual" for instance. But some may read such books and find themselves wanting more information, and this is where any number of college texts about anatomy and psysiology, neuro-physiology, psychology and physiology, metabolism, diet and nutrition, genetics, etc. will come in handy. For those with insatiable curiosity and a deep desire to understand and manage a given disease or condition, there are usually medical texts available specifically covering THAT condition. For instance, those with Bipolar might wish to read at least parts of the text Manic Depressive Illness:Biolar Disorders and Recurrent Depression by F. Goodwin and K. Jamison. This text covers most of the meds those with bipolar would be interested in, it surveys the research done to date, what is known about combo therapies, adverse effects, including hair loss and weight gain, it covers patient experiences, as well as physician descriptions. One of the co-authors, for those who do not recognize the name, is not only a top researcher of affective disorders, but also suffers from manic-depression. The text is almost a good a friend as a patient could have, especially if your own physician is lacking in knowledge about your condition.
Third, several posts express a desire to report adverse effects, as well as doubt that a given personal physician would do so. If you have suffered from adverse effects, and want to report it, you do not require your doc, family practice, psychiatrist, or whatever type, to do so. There is a government website available for the reporting of adverse effects, and it is available to consumers, too. The report data goes to the FDA, which sorely needs such reports, as the drug companies are less than honest with THEIR submissions of information, and the dissemination of research data leaves much to be desired when it comes to the publication of information that is less than glowing about any given drug. I believe that you can find the reporting website on the FDA's site, or some link there. I wish I could recall it here for you.
Fourth, topamax, like most complex drugs for complex diseases and conditions, will affect each person very differently. Some will have little or no problems with adverse effects, while others will find the drug to be anywhere from uncomfortable, intolerable to damn near, or actually fatal. fatalities have occurred with topamax, as they have occurred with almost all, if not all, drugs. There is always a risk for adverse effect, sudden sensitivities, allergic reactions and other wonders and horrors of medicine. This is the nature of it. You have a bad reaction to anything that your body comes in contact with at any time for reasons we do not undrstand and can not even yet identify. Your typical cough syrup could, without warning, suddenly produce in you a rash that could kill you. But the conditions and diseases that drugs treat can be just as awful, and leave us with no option but to take the drugs to survive. Most experiences are not so extreme. For those that are, the greatest sympathy. But just because one had a bad experience with a drug doesn't mean the drug is wholly bad, evil, toxic, or should be banned, or that the drug company should have a class action lawsuit lobbed at it. Drug companies are NOT, in general, being fully honest with their disclosures. But banning a drug because some people react badly doesn't address this, nor does it do any good for the segment of the population that benefits from the same drug with little trouble. I have had very bad experiences with some drugs, but do not feel that these medications should be banned. i know other people who depend on them, and I would not deny them just because I lots hair, gained weight, experienced akasthesia, etc. The individual reaction to a drug requires, sadly, at this time in history with our very limited unerstanding of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, individual trials. And those trials will often have their share of troubles, too. That is how we find out what works for us and what does not, and that is where we re right now. Maybe in two or three decades, with better understanding of genetics, genomics, epigenetics and related fields, we will be able to customize our cocktails with less trial and much less error. I would love a day when a blood test will tell us who will benefit the most from which drug while having the least adverse effects. I hate going through trials. right now, what I am taking is working without giving me problems. For that reason alone I may decide to NOT try and increase the topamax as my current psychiatrist would like. After all, she wants to increase it so that it might help me lose more weight. I am already losing weight without the increase, and the increase might bring adverse effects, or the additional topamax could simply destabilize my currently very stable mood. The last would then require me to go through another dreaded drug trial to find a new cocktail, a mess I have not had to endure for nearly two years now. I do not think that, for me, the additional POSSIBLE weight loss benefit is really worth the possible adverse effects. The doctor is rather casually experimenting with my life, probably curious to gather more data about topamax's efficacy as a weight-loss drug. I am not so sure that I want to rock my boat. I get the benefits from topamax that i am interested in, mood-stability and headache prevention, from the 50 mg that I already take. I'd rather not exp-erience what most of the posts here have described for adverse reactions, and I most especially do not want a rather casual, needless sort of medication modification to set off a chain of events that results in mood destabilization. That said, I am glad to have topamax available for me to take, as I am fairly sure that it contributes to my cocktail, turning down the amplitude of my highs and lows at a mere 50 mg per night. I would be sore to lose it, and do not want it banned. But I do not think I would want to take more than I am taking now. The somnolence I experienced in the past at 75 mg was not comfortable, and was the type that prevents any meaningful work from being done, anything from reading to laundry to following a conversation. I would not like "pins and needles." I hate it enough when I hit my elbow or when my foot falls asleep! And I really hated akasthesia that I experienced when I tried ability, a drug that made me right sick, but that I know absolutely saves others from oblivion, like my grandmother. I hate the adverse effects, or the experience of them, but I do not hate the drugs. and while I may dislike the drug companies, it is not just because drug have adverse effects, it is for the more perverse behavior of the companies themselves. One still has to try and be, if not positive, rational about one;s experiences. It is healthier to see experiences with drugs as learning experiences. Not everything in life is fun, but try to make everything have some value in experience.
I wish you all better days, and calmer, too. May you all find good and caring doctors, and develop excellent therapeutic relationships with them. May you know your diseases and conditions, own them, control them and thus conquer them.

I've only been on topamax for about a month and a half and already I'm feeling some interesting side effects. In the first week of taking the medication I had such pressure behind my left eye I thought it was going to pop. It eventually went away and has not come back (thank the Lord). I also experienced some pretty nasty numbness, tingling, and uncomfortable pins and needles in my fingertips and toes/sole of my foot. The tingling in my hands usually lasted a few hours and the tingling in my feet only lasted for a couple of minutes. This tingling is never predictable.

Eventually the tingles went away and I was tingle free for a while. But in the past few days they came back. It actually coincided with my PMS. The tingles came back and with intensity about three days before my period started. I was wondering if it was common to have a side effect return or increase in intensity around your menstrual cycle? My hormones are pretty nutty and the reason I'm on topamax is to stop severe migraine auras and slight seizures that are tied to my menstrual cycle.

The feet tingles are the worst. It feels like I'm being jabbed with needles and I hate when it happens while I'm sleeping because it wakes me up and I can't fall back asleep again until they go away... they are that irritating. The hands I can deal with because I'm used to my left arm going numb when I was having the auras.

My sleep patterns have been disturbed because of topamax... I'm not too peeved about that. I still manage to get enough sleep. However there are times when I'm out with friends or having conversations and I'll know the word I want to say and I'll just bust out the wrong one. Like for example saying symphony instead of sympathy. My friends have gotten used to it and know what I'm trying to say. It cracks them up when my word salad produces sexual innuendos on accident when I really mean something else. BUT it's really messing up job interviews at the moment. I'm a bright and articulate person who is getting her BA in Anthroplogy and Archaeology, minor in History and am trying to get research assistant jobs at museums and universities. It's really hard to get a job when you are sitting there sounding like an uneducated moron high on crack.

I haven't had problems with memory, thank the Lord. Even though I've got the word salad going on (and it's strange... the word jumbles are only when I'm speaking... I'm super coherent when typing) I'm not forgetful. I was able to make it through finals week perfect, while juggling a full work load. I hope I don't start losing my memory.

I haven't lost any weight (AW SHUCKS!!!!!). I was looking forward to that one. How soon should I expect to lose weight by, if I do in fact lose weight? I'm a difficult duck when it comes to weight loss. I've been at a stable weight since I was 13. I'm an athlete so my body is my temple sort of thing. But in the past two years I've put on a little bit of unwanted weight in certain areas when I stopped hitting the weight machines :( My question is, if I haven't lost it yet... will I lose any?

I'm also classified as type II bipolar, obsessive compulsive, and anxiety disordered. I've noticed my mood has stabilized. I'm not as all over the place as I used to be. My highs could get pretty high and when they would get up there my obsessive compulsive would almost go on a little joy ride. And when I was low, I was super low and my anxiety would take the depression out for a spin. But now I feel a calmness and a zen that I never felt previously. It's not an apathy I can certainly tell you that. I feel like I am in control of my life. I thank topamax for that.

Reading all of these posts I just worry that the honeymoon period of my medication maybe over. I worry about other side effects cropping up. I think that I can deal with my tingling extremities and that I can manage my word salads. I don't want the pressure in my eye to come back. I also don't want to start exhibiting the other side effects. What is the possibility that I will start exhibiting more side effects or are you generally stuck with what initially presents in the first month or so? My doctor also does NOT intend on increase my dosage. He thinks 50mg once a day will do me just fine. Oh and one last question, anyone else experiencing the side effect increase coinciding with PMS?

Sorry for the super long post! All replies are welcome!

Have been on this medication 4 only 2 days due 2 a torn hamstring & i am suffering from severe nausea, vomiting, sweating, dry mouth, dizziness, the list goes on..... The pain has subsided some what, but the side effects suck big time!!!!!

I had been treated with Depakote, Lamictal, Lithium, Fluoxetine and more (I do not even remember all of them...).
I have been depressed most of my adult life I guess.
My depression caused me to destroy many relationships, loose friends, making me unable to build a carrier and ruining my marriage too. Wasting years of my life feeling always an unworthy mistake. I have had many suicidal thoughts too.
Then this past August I started to loose A LOT of weight, suddenly and for no apparent reason... I would also be so terribly tired and unreasonably nervous (but you know...being a dark depressed looser... that was usual and "normal"), feeling week and exhausted. Being summer and having always had low blood pressure I did not pay too much attention to all that until I did by chance some blood tests...
I AM HAVING BIG TIME THYROID PROBLEMS!
...I am not crazy! My depression had an actual physiological problem and I have been always treated with medicines that would actually make the thyroid gland worse!
I hated Depakote, it made me sick even while I was sleeping, waking up dizzy and nauseous! And I hated all the rest!! These medicines poisoned my liver, my memory and intelligence!
Check this out... to any of you that my have a thyroid problem instead:
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That's my experience and I hope it might help you. If it doesn't... good luck. I do understand the pain of being ALWAYS "under the weather"....
(PS. You'd might like to look at this too if you do not already know M. T.... IT DOES HELP! ****** )