Blood testing symptoms and conditions

Has anyone else had a problem with low blood pressure? I've had Mirena for a year now and my blood pressure keeps fluctuating. It goes anywhere from a normal-average BP to the lowest at 76/44. I feel dizzy, fatigued and I can't seem to focus on anything. I'm not sure that it has anything to do with the Mirena, but if it isn't I would like to eliminate it from the possible causes. So far I've had an EKG, chest x-ray, and blood testing and nothing has come up.

My son has been on Singulair for about a year and a half...it really seemed to help his allergies...at least at first. This winter has been very dry and I have been having to give him other over the counter allergy medication as the Singulair isn't helping much. He also started losing weight..just not hungry. At first that was ok as he needed to lose a little but then he was getting too thin. He wasn't eating much at school but refused to take a lunch from home. I took him to the doctor just recently to see if he was physical ok since I didn't know what was causing the weight loss. The blood testing showed everything was normal and I just told him he had to start eating better...he has somewhat...but also he finally told me he has been feeling very depressed...seriously depressed and having suicidal thoughts too due to some kids picking on him at school.

I knew there were problems as he complained alot but I had no idea it was this serious. I have taken him out of that school. Right now I don't know if the Singulair could be adding to this depression or if its all just due to the bullies. While he complained a lot he never acted as if it was bothering him that badly or I would have gone to the school about it. Anyway I stopped the Singulair and am going to see if his mood improves or not. After reading some of the scary posts on here regarding the side effects I am wondering if this is a good idea stopping it or not. I am waiting for a call back from his doctor on it. Since its once a day..its kind of hard to wean them off of it...but I could cut it in half ..do that for a few days, then cut it smaller and so forth. His is chewable so I could do that with no problems. He is 13.

Add me to the club!

I dropped my son off at college upstate NY and decided to stay over at a motel due to traffic and bad weather. I was laying down on top of the bedspread when I noticed a lump on my right hip. Then I found two more smaller ones on my left hip. I immed. thought the motel had fleas or bedbugs or something. I was looking around for bugs/fleas but everything was very clean. I then went down to use the elliptical in the motel gym, came back, took a shower, watched TV and then fell asleep. I woke up about an hour later with severe pressure in the center of my chest and itching "down there". I scratched and then noticed these hives all over between my thighs. I still had the three on my hips too. I again searched for bugs and found nothing. I had already switched beds and was sleeping without the bedspread on. The next morning I felt a numbness in the left side of my mouth/chin. I called my wife, who is a nurse. She told me to get some Benadryl. I checked with the local pharmacy and they recommended Benadryl too. I took three doses total that day (6) pills and drove home.

That night, instead of being better, I was worse. I now had the thighs, hips and also the upper back by my armpits and around my waist, where the waistband of my pans/underwear sits. I went to the E.R. and told them I might be having an allergic reation and they saw me immed. I also had difficulty swallowing and right side of my chin/mouth was now slightly swollen and numb. I spent the night in the E.R. and was given IV Benadryl, 2 Zantac, as Zantac can stop the inflammation in a different way, and an epi pen shot. I left the E.R. about 630 in the morning feeling 50% better and with a Rx for oral steroids.

The steroids seem to be working very well. I am lucky to have a good primary doctor who returned my call immed. and told me to take the steroids and the Benadryl, discontinue the Lisinopril immed. and come to see him. The fools at my endocrinologists office dismissed my complaint and told me that it was probably from the Chinese food I had for dinner that night. The endocrinologist, Dr. Jeffrey Shiff of Massapequa, NY, didn't even return my call, someone from his office did. This woman told me that she reviewed my medications and didn't think any of these things caused my hives/allergic reaction. I told her that the internet was full of blogs and boards about Lisinopril and hives. She told me that since I had been on Lisinopril for two years, it was unlikely that this was a reaction to that drug. She said they see people all the time with this reation to Chinese food.

There is nothing on the internet describing this reaction to Chinese food. Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, from too much MSG, results in rapid heartbeat and a pounding headache, not hives and a sore esophagus.

The nurse in the E.R, told me they see 2-3 people per week with allergic reactions to ACE inhibitiors. Not just Lisinopril, but all ACE inhibitors.

In all fairness, it could have been the Chinese food, I had some sushi and some peanut butter chicken for dinner, but I have eaten these things before and never had a problem. I did have that feeling of fullness/blocked esophagus before I ate dinner and I chalked that up to eating a heavy lunch and then sitting in the car for a few hours.

In retrospect, I suspect that was from the Lisinopril, as I have had that feeling before after eating hamburgers and the like and then sitting, but only since being on Lisiopril. I have also had that full feeling after dinner, even when walking after dinner.

Like my G.P. says, it could be from anything, but it is very likely from the Lisinopril.

I will follow up with an allergist after this episode is over to see if I have developed an allergy to nuts or seafood or something, but when I think back to that "full" feeling in the esophagus, I think it is the Lisinopril.

In taking Yaz and having it clot up my blood so badly, that I had stroke symptoms, I had some blood testing done. The doctor ordered a "Thrombophilia" test. The results came back with me being positive for MTHFR. A genetic blood clotting disorder. The type I have is very treatable with Folic Acid, Vitamin B and Baby Aspirin. But no birth control pills for me. Estrogen causes major clotting. And I could end up with a stroke or die. Considering many people have this disorder and don't even know it, I am surprised how birth control pills are handed out like candy, without these things being taken in to consideration.

Please let me know if a class-action lawsuit is ever filed against this Pharm Co because I will file a suit to get this dangerous drug off the market. Yasmin/Yaz almost took my life in January 08. My OB/GYN put me on Yaz in Oct 07 for bad periods and cysts on my overies. Within a month my entire personality changed and I started losing my hair. I experienced a complete loss of sex drive, became depressed and was either constanting crying or raging at someone. However, my adult acne did clear up. On 1/27/08 I experienced extreme pain in my calf that moved up to my thigh within 48 hrs. I went to the ER and was told that no only did I a condition called DVT (Deep Vein Thrombisis-blood clot) in my leg but that the clot had broken off and moved into both of my lungs and I had bi-lateral pulmonary embolism. I can't even describe how incredibly painful this was. I was admitted into the hospital for 1 week and was put on powerful blood thinners, which I will be on for about a year. It's now been nearly 6 months since I was diagnosed and the DVT and it is still in my uppper thigh. But am grateful to be alive. If you would like to contact me I would be glad to answer any questions regarding this situation and my email addy is ****** PLEASE DO NOT TAKE YAZ OR YASMIN OR LET ANYONE IN YOUR FAMILY TAKE THIS MED, IT COULD KILL YOU.

I have been taking Digitek since May 2005. In October 2007 I began to feel lethargic, arms felt they weighed 5 pounds each. Then in February 2008 I began to see PLAID (red, green and yellow)! Opthalmalogic tests showed problem was probably in medication and not caused by a eye problem. Had brain and neck scans, x-rays, blood testing and all turned out fine. I am still seeing PLAID and am still off all my medications since February. I have a pacemaker and should be taking some heart medication but am not being given any replacement medication. The Digitek (250mcg) I was taking was listed as one of the recalled pills. You have to go through the FDA's Freedom of Information Act to get more info.

I am a woman in my early 50's I was given nuva ring to control my migraines a menopausel symptom. In July of last year I was taken to the ER room with serveral pulmonary embolisms and lay near death for 36 hours as I was given the dangerous clot buster drug.The vena cava filter was inserted in my vein and it was not removed because this condition exsisted past the safe removel time. It was a hard recovery and I was just lucky that I did not die. After several tests from cardiologists and hemotologists, pulmonary doctors and many more physicians. It was determined without a doubt that the Nuva Ring caused this condition. Unfortunately, as a result . I must stay on blood thinner the rest of my life and I have a foriegn object in a very important area of my body that will also be there forever. This means blood testing on a regular basis for life and blood thinner for life, The hospital and doctor bills for this incident have been astronomical and there are many more to come. Please use extreme caution in using this method. It is indeed dangerous. Our home is 5 minites from a hospital that happens to have a quick response time to these conditions. We were just a few days from leaving on a road trip. I often wonder what would have happened if I was away from home and out on the road somewhere when these clots hit my lung. But by the grace of God I would surely have died.AM

I want to reiterate that I am simply stating my personal experience with Yasmin how I felt on it what concrete factors I discovered with my hormonal balance with both salivary and blood tests, which both stated I had low testosterone. There is indeed a lot of controversy over salivary testing for hormones, one website will tell you it is the most accurate reading, while another will tell you it is unreliable. The same can be said for blood testing. As for bioidentical hormone replacement the same goes for this issue. Some will praise it others state it will do nothing for you. I think all of the women on this website are well aware of how adversely a drug can react in your body and are cautious of anything they will continue to put into their bodies, myself included. I am simply trying to give some insight into the root of the problems we are experiencing having experienced them myself, so that they may find knowledgable medical professionals who can help them make informed decisions regarding their health. Note that I do not encourage anyone to take anything without the direct supervision of a skilled physician, as is the same route I am following with my doctor.
Thanks, BitterRN