Bone marrow symptoms and conditions

I had a kidney transplant feb08. I was put on prednisone as a rejection med. So far, i have gained 50 lbs, my hair has fallen out, had mood swings when first put on it. Haven't noticed them lately, have little bumps under my skin, not acne, have started noticing slight breathing problems, when trying to walk to lose the weight. Yesterday I was diagnosed with cataract. Eye doctor said that it is another side effect of the med. I am under the impression that, I am on this for rest of my life. Whats next?

I have felt poorly since October 2006. Sugar levels ranging from the 450-550 range. My G.P. who is a fantastic dr. put me on Januvia in January of 2007. Range of sugar levels did not change much Sent me for blood work found many abnormalities and in March 2007 I was diagnosed with a bone marrow plasma cell cancer call multiple myeloma (not a side effect of Januvia I'm sure). I am I'm the hospital now for a second time because of severe abdominal cramping. Looks like lower bowel problems. Have not been on Januvia for five days now. ***************My right shoulder feels better, I can raise my arm above my head, no night sweats, no bloody nose, my eczema is clearing up, no pain in joints or rest of my body (thought pain was associated with cancer which is considered inactive since April 2008, I have slept through the night, no pain meds for the last three days, no nightmares, no stomach pain, no coughing, chest not feeling congested, I can get out of bed w/out having to stand for a few minutes by the bed-side because of dizziness, not feeling like a truck ran over me in the middle of the night in the last three days, and most of all I have more energy. To many side effects !!! All of these side effects I thought were a possible result of my cancer although my oncologist did not think so and we still believed that there was some other underlying problem(s). THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM(S) IS JANUVIA !!! Thanks for reading. God Bless You All. Great Health to All.

Hi everyone
My little boy who is nearly two was put on Singulair as a preventative.
I did check on forums when we started using Singulair and I was concerned that there has been descriptions of negative affects. Always trying to be objective I rationalised that the people in this forum are a small part of the greater Singulair population and as a result there was a low risk of negative affects on my little boy.
I have to say I think I was wrong. As soon as he was using Singulair, he had restless nights of sleep. Every night he would cry off and on until 2am and I guess he was so tired he slept. During the day he was very short tempered and became upset very easily. We put this down to tiredness. After 10 days of the lack of sleep for parents and little one, we told our doctor.
He advised to take him off Singulair for 5 days and make observations and then put him back on. Last night, his first night off Singulair was bliss. Not a sound. He had a great sleep. As I type he is now having another great sleep.
Let us see what happens after 3 more days and after putting him back on Singulair.
It would seem that if we are correct and that Singulair is a cause of an issue for my child, am I a quasi beta testing laboratory for a drug?
We are from Australia.
Thank you for reading.

I don't know if my 1 1 /2 year old son's being diagnosed with low igG and low IgA have anything to do with singular. He just got off it 2 weeks ago, had been on it a year. He was tested for allergies everything was negative, but tested very high positive to gliadin IgG (95.5), and positive to gliadin IgA (14.8). Is this related???? HELP!!!!!! The GI Dr want to do an endoscopy on Friday May 2. Any help, I don't want my son under anesthesia unnecessarily..................

I am repeating one of my post regarding the Swedish study of the side effects of Singulair. When I read that parents have complained to their doctors about side effects and been dismissed, and told to continue the medication, I truly questions whether these doctors are giving their patients the right to INFORMED CONSENT.

I have been told by doctors before something like this "That is my professional opinion - I stand by it ." And I have said right back-- I understand that is your opinion. But if you don't have the time to tell me what I need to know then I am not giving you my informed consent. I get an entirely different attitude after that point. Because, that is how doctors get sued. Parents/patients didn't understand.

1. Have parents been told the complete reasons why it would be absolutely necessary, just necessary, or desirable to take Singulair and why?
2. Have parents been told what the alternative treatments are and the possible side effects of those treatments?
3. Have parents been given an option of another treatment when they complaint about the side effects of Singulair?
4. Do parents know that headache is a side effect that occurs in 18% of patients? These headache have indicated some serious events in European hospital reports. They are not just sinus headaches.
5. Do parents know that Singulair can cause serious events that require hospitalization as referenced in European hospital reports? These reports have described the event and provided laboratory test results that prove that Singulair was the cause.
6. Singulair in NOT an anti-histamine. Can your doctor fully explain to you how Singulair interacts with the receptors on the mast cell (cell part of the immune system)? Can your doctor fully explain how the mast cell will be changed by this? The mast cell has a number of receptors that interact with each other to tell the mast cell how to function normally; when it's time to die; when it's time to be replaced; and when to tell the bone marrow to send a replacement mast cell. Singular CHANGES the immune system---- good or bad???

So here is the report from Sweden to take to your doctors. Would your doctor give consent for his/her children after reading this? Maybe he/she would BUT at the very least that doctor would be looking for side effects that could mean trouble.

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Update: I have spent hours searching scientific data bases for articles on Singulair. So far this is the most direct reference to adverse drug reactions and Singular.

For anyone who wanted to print the article from the Swedish researchers that stated that their study suggested that montelukast (singulair) should be investigated for adverse psychiatric drug reactions, I was able to find a link with open access to the public. So far, this is the only article that I have found. I am still searching through databases. This link should work if you cut and past. I am sure that all doctors would appreciate the opportunity to read it for themselves to see what they think.

PRINT REPORT.

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6904/8/1

Individual case safety reports in children in commonly used drug groups – signal detection Gertrud Brunlöf , Carina Tukukino and Susanna M Wallerstedt Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Regional Pharmacovigilance Centre, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE-413 45 Göteborg, Sweden author email corresponding author email BMC Clinical Pharmacology 2008, 8:1doi:10.1186/1472-6904-8-1 Conclusion In conclusion, the present study indicates that ADRs are reported for commonly used drugs in children. The number of ICSRs varies in different groups of drugs. A possible signal for montelukast and psychiatric adverse drug reactions was found, which should be further explored.

Please don't forget to PRINT the Tables which open on a separate page. Table 2 lists the specific side effects that they found which include anxiety, aggression, night mares, pain, and several others.

I know that many here would like the FDA to take a very serious took at the problem. I personally don't see how a review of their data is going to make any difference at all. But, if there are experts who can propose a model of the pathways of cell signalling that include the possibility that these symptoms can occur (and under what circumstance), then maybe the problem will look like something much more than statistics.

This is not my field. But I tried to follow the possible pathways to see if I could identify a possible area of concern. Then I looked for someone who had written in the area and read their abstract. A place to start may be to get an opinion from those who know something about "normal homeostasis of the mast cell." Singular blocks the cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 which is a site on the outer membrane of the mast cell (other cells also). The mast cell which is produced in the bone marrow is released in a immature state and matures after it arrives at it's destination. The mast cell does not become active unless it's receptor sites come in contact with the activating agent. So, what happens when a receptor site on the mast cell is suppressed by Singular, a receptor antagonist.

You see, I don't have a clue what the signals are that tell the bone marrow to make mast cells (or what the signals are that tell them where to go after they are made in the bone marrow). Does Singular interfere with something that tells the bone marrow what to do? If Singular does interfere with that process, then what is happening and what period of time does it take to happen? Could we wonder whether Singular is interfering with the NUMBER of mast cells that are produced over time? And, of course, maybe there is some OTHER kind of explanation for why the adverse drug reactions are happening. But, at this level, I got lost and can't go any further.

Maybe this group would be interested in the Singulair problems or could suggest somebody else?

http://www.edata-center.com/journals/2ff21abf44b19838,0a1257122f661a7e,0d8ee7116ef23452.html

I apologize if this lead doesn't produce any results but at least it could be a place to start.

I'm a 38 year old female who was prescribed Advair after a severe bout of bronchitis one year ago. While at first I thought that it was helping my lungs my family members noticed that I was getting more headaches, mood swings and I went from a soprano singer to sounding like Harry Belafonte. I have stopped and now I have cramping pains in my chest and upper back. I call it my traveling pain as it is not always in the same spot. I would much rather have tried a homeopathic remedy than subject myself to Advair every again. I have learned through a nutritionist and chiropractor how to manage the pain in my lungs that this crap has left behind. Please research this carefully before you start sucking in that dust!!

Its been six months since my last treatment of Fludara and I have constant bone ache the doctor prescribe vicidon. Its either take the vicidon or feel the constant nagging of the bone pain. I also developed haemolytic anemia and a suppressed bone marrow

I have been to see my Primary Care Physician for a pain in my leg. It's like a foot-falling asleep pain. While trying to figure out where this pain is coming from, I have had MRIs and bone scans that said that I have bone infarcts (blood not getting to certain parts of my bone) throughout my whole body, I am only 27 years old. My hemotologist has found no problems with my blood and my rheumatologist says that the only thing she could think of that would cause this are high doses of Prednisone. She told me I have a very rare bone disease, but wouldn't give me a straight diagnosis. That's all of the info I have. I have only taken Prednisone about 5 or 6 times in my life for no more than a week at a time, but my rheumatologist said that's the only explanation. I am now going to an oncologist for a bone marrow sample, but I am being told that Prednisone is the only explanation of why this is happening to me.

On the stuff for 7 weeks. Started at 60 mg for 4 wks now at 30mg for a few days then tapering to 5 in a few weeks. Moon face, insomnia, lots of food, seem to be in some kind of "zone" most of the time. It is a good and ba d durg but it is keeping me out of the hospital. Quit smoking in April (after 30 yrs). Started with chills and fever (up to 104) then pericarditis, the pyoderma ganrenosum. After tons of tests (blood, bone scan, bone marrow,cat scans, mri's,cultures, etc.) doctors can not come up with diagnosis. Scared to get off the drug but will.

I've been taking Synthroid (Levothyroxine) for about 17 YEARS. I was diagnosed with Grave's Disease, and opted for the radioactive iodine. After two years of trying to control the disease with PTU (which has serious bone marrow depletion side effects) I decided to go for the one thing I knew would work. Of course, the treatment with the radioactive iodine is very tough to estimate, and I went from hyperactive to hypoactive. As a result, I'll take 200mcg (0.2mg) for life.

I think it's important to understand that Synthroid is not a drug. It is a hormone. When you take Synthroid, you're engaging in hormone replacement therapy (HRT). You really won't experience side effects from the hormone, but you will experience problems if the amount of hormone is not within a "normal" range. Too much or too little will be a problem for anyone. What's critical here is to take the hormone at the same time every day (without food -- calcium will block its absorption), and monitor your hormone level frequently to establish a solid baseline.

The hormone will take days, or even weeks to reach its peak, and the duration is variable. BECAUSE IT'S A HORMONE, TAKING MORE OR LESS THAN IS NECESSARY WILL PRODUCE UNDESIRABLE RESULTS. Any "side effects" are really the result of improper dosing.

Having said all of that, I've never had a problem with Synthroid -- once my optimal level was determined. I worked closely with my MD and together decided that I was best at the upper side of "normal." I've made only one change in the 17 years, and that was to increase the dose.

Here's something to consider: If it weren't for this hormone, and the science behind HRT, I probably would have died years ago.

I was prescribed Levaquin 750 q day for what appeared to be a breast abscess and swollen nodes in my left axilla. By day 3 I didn't feel a whole lot better, the infection didn't seem to be improving greatly, day 4-6 spanned a weekend, by day 7 I was so miserable I checked into the ER. There they did blood work that showed that my bone marrow was completely suppressed, which meant that my body was unable to fight the infection at all. The result was a two week stay in hospital, IV antibiotics x 4 weeks, incision and drainage of stated area x 2, and a lengthy recuperation. I am an RN, have never been sick a day in my life before this episode. I am still unable to return to work because of my low white blood cell count, and will very likely have to change jobs because I doubt whether I will be able to return to 12-hour shifts on an ortho-vascular floor. I am still quite weak, tire easily, need to rest frequently, do not have anywhere the ability to work a full day that I had before this episode. The affected areas are finally healing, but it is now 6 weeks post appearance of the infection. My WBC is still about half of what is should be to be low-normal. I am being followed by a oncologist-hematologist to correct the damage that was done to my bone marrow by this dangerous medication.

My name is Evie Brien-Wells. I was prescribed Levoquin 750 q day for a breast abscess and swollen nodes in my left axilla. I took the medication, but didn't feel much better, in fact the infection seemed to be getting worse. Days 4-6 spanned a weekend, by day 7 I was so miserable I went to the ER, where they found by doing bloodwork that my bone marrow had been so completely suppressed, that my body was unable to help fight the infection. The result was a two week stay in hospital with IV antibiotics, need for incision and drainage of the areas in question x 2, and a lengthy recovery. It is now 5 weeks past my first hospital day, and my white blood cell count is still less than half of what it should be. I can't work with an immune system still that compromised. I am an RN, age 54, never been sick a day in my life before this episode. I still feel weak, altho' that is getting better every day. I still find I need to nap during the day, and that alone is very unusual for me, as I worked 12-hour shifts before this little episode. I am going to have to find a job that is less demanding, as I doubt that I will be able to do 12-hour shifts any time soon.

my dad, who took orinase for a long time due to diabetes, believes it may have been the root cause for the destruction of his red blood cell production ability in the bone marrow, a blood disease which has now lead to leukemia