Brain damage symptoms and conditions

I am on 75mg in the morning and 50mg in the evening (125mg/day total), for my seizure disorder. If I could get off of it I would because I know how bad psychiatric drugs are. I used to be on various antidepressants for about 4 or so years, until I learned that "mood disorders" are all a crock, and drug companies are making a killing off of all the psychiatric drugs. Did you know that it has never been proven that depression or bipolar or whatever is caused by chemical imbalances?? It has been proven, however, that psychiatric drugs mess up the brain. Do some research on this. Go to the sight ****** I am so thankful I am off antidepressants but my life will never be as good as it was before I ever put the first one in my mouth. I would encourage everybody who has been diagnosed with "bipolar" to slowly and gradually withdraw from your medication and don't give up until 6 months have past. It takes a very long time for the drugs to get out of your system and you will feel like you are going through hell as you withdraw but in the end it is all worth it. Back to the Lamictal, I have now been on it for about 4 years. It does not control my myoclonic jerks completely (I have Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy) but controls my grand mal seizures as long as I take care of myself. I have pretty much no side effects, except for possibly poor memory/forgetfullness/can't find the word I'm looking for/etc, and possibly some slight "ocd" tendencies. It is hard to distinguish from the leftover effects of being on antidepressants (which caused me a lot of anxiety, panic attacks, depression, etc), because I do have some mild anxiety left over from them, but has drastically improved. The man problem I am suffering now from the Lamictal is feeling the effects of it wearing off in the evenings. In the last few months I have been feeling that feeling on and off throughout the whole day!! And my myoclonic jerks are increasing. I really don't want to go up on my dosage due to the brain damage psychiatric drugs cause and all the bad side effects I could experience, but neither do I want to change medications because I am at a very stressful time in my life where I am already going through a lot of changes. No idea what to do. Just wish that God would heal me of my seizure disorder!!! (it is a kind I am told I will never grow out of) Even if I had to go through the withdrawal from the Lamictal it would be worth it! If only...

My daughter is now 20 years old. she received her 1st gardasil shot in 3/08 and the second in 8/08. She didn't get the last one and will not be getting it. From the day she got the first shot we should have known something. She nearly fainted immediately after both shots and complained of weakness and flu like symptoms. Started feeling poorly in the days and weeks to come. It was the end of her senior year the doctor tested her for mono. and it was negative but she had an extremely heavy schedule at high school. He chalked it up to the stress of that. Between the two shots she started having numbness and pains in her hands,elbows and arms. She continued to feel poorly and terribly irritable in the upcoming months. We saw a orthopedic doctor for her pains in her arms. He referred us to a neurologist. She was beginning her first year of pharmacy school and we put off the neurologist because she didn't have much time until spring break. During her 1st year of school after her 2nd shot. Her personality changed completely. Became insecure, moody, very anxious , constantly complaining of flu symptoms, bladder infections and had a hard time urinating. When my daughter returned home from her first year away at college I knew immediately that she had changed. She had been a very bright, intelligent, independent daughter and came home the daughter from hell. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. She was miserable, disliked pretty much everything. I had been talking with the doctor and friends over the course of the year and they all said that she was in a very stressful field (pharmacy) and college life takes some time to adjust. Then just a few weeks home from college she was complaining of dizziness, light headedness, headaches and saying she was having an episode. I thought maybe low blood sugars.....until I witnessed one. She was having Myoclonic seizures. She could feel them coming on but couldn't move or react. By the time I witness one of them she hadn't slept in 3 days. She was diagnosed within a week seeing a neurologist and having 50 to 60 a day. It took 4-5 weeks to get them under control in and out of the hospital . She has been on many seizure medicines it seemed like if it worked to stop the seizures she had crazy side effects. She was diagnosed with Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. No one in our family has ever had seizures. I asked about the shot right away everyone said no and it was dropped. Since last July 08 we have been trying to help our daughter get her life back and it has been the worst year of our lives. She was unable to return to pharmacy school. The first fall 08 she was completely disabled. It looked as if she had had a stroke. They were saying it was the meds or maybe she had a breakdown of some kind. I am learning that it was side effects of this horrible shot. This is why I am posting this lengthy message because I wanted to let other people know that you and your daughter are not crazy!! We just started 2 weeks ago investigating the possibility of the gardisil shot being the reason for this madness. We have learned many things and are very sure that it was the shot that change our daughter.. I was contacted by a friend of a friend about a similar girl having the same pains in her arms and the focal seizures. I am learning more and more everyday about similar situations.. If this information can help one person it was well worth the time to jot it down. I will be praying for all of your families out there dealing with side effects from this vaccination.. I will let you know what we hear when we visit the neurologist at the end of the month. Any comments or information that may help us help our daughter can be sent to ******

Although I suffer from Bi-polar, BPD and PTSD my doctor prescribed me Duromine to lose the weight I had gained from using seroquel. My prescribed dose is 600mg. The duromine sent me absolutely nuts and being a recovering addict and alcoholic i used more than the dose prescribed. Then I found I could not sleep and am now (after stopping taking the duromine) trying to cut the seroquel down as I got up to taking 1500mg a night. I'm now on 900mg and strange things happen in the night. I live alone with two dogs....my babies... and although i cant recall it things happen. the dishes are done or the weirdest one my dogs wear fleeces and coats in winter. I woke to find India (one of my dogs) with her coat and fleece off and folded neatly on the shelf. I don't recall doing this. Just a warning for thoes suffering from dry mouth and constant thirst, i ended up drinking so much water that i was flushing the sodium out of my body. your sodium levels should be between 136-145. my levels were 117. Had they dropped to 113 I would have had irreversible brain damage. I was in hospital twice because of this. I now take ten salt pills throughout the day to make sure my sodium levels are ok...........VERY SCARY

this is probably the worst thing Avelox caused, besides death, which would have happened without help..

7th day on Avelox for sinusitus - massive pain back of my head, sweating so much my clothes were soaked, threw up 2 times, legs were uncoordinated when trying to walk

Called 911 - paramedics took blood pressure - guess what.. 210/180.. something was definitely wrong. Rushed to hospital - passed out in ER - woke up with wife and family present - CT scan found my brain bleeding and brain surgery was performed to remove the clot..

But wait, it gets better... 2 days in the ICU my brain swelled from the surgery and the fluid stopped circulating.. I was semi conscious in the ICU for probably 4-5 hours and nothing was done. My wife came in early in the morning and thought I was sleeping, but could not wake me.. The nurse said that a doctor was called and will be there later. I'm DYING right before their eyes in the ICU!!! My wife demanded I get a CT scan immediately. If she didn't I would have stopped breathing. Later CT showed my ventricles enlarged with fluid backed up so much that my brain and brainstem was ridiculously squeezed so much, my head was all ventricles and barely any brain showing in the CT. I attribute my current brain damage to this episode.

A shunt was placed in my head for about 3 days.. basically a needle is inserted into my brain and left there to drain the excess fluid.. After my condition stabilized, the shunt was removed.

Spent 1 week in the hospital, then transferred to another hospital to stay in for inpatient PT and treatment. I didn't know left from right, had double vision, was throwing up constantly, was hot, then very cold, my legs hurt, had hallucinations (was believing certain things were happening, that really weren't) was incontinent, had a new catheter inserted every single day, was taught to walk again, had to use a wheelchair.

I had always been healthy, was vegetarian and did not smoke cigarettes.. I exercised regularly, did not use drugs (i.e. - cocaine or methamphetamine which can cause high blood pressure leading to a stroke)

Didn't know what happened to me, but realized I had to be there.. After 1 month, decided to go home (the hospital was becoming too stressful, somebody was always screaming and yelling at night and the daily catheters were uncomfortable), to be back in the lifestyle I knew.. my wife, my granddaughter, my house, my dog, cats, and other pets were sorely missed.

Once home I found that I couldn't do what I used to anymore - could not mow the lawn, drive, speak well, walk properly, had double vision, a tingling on my face, a metallic taste in my mouth so bad that good food tasted bad.

My wife set me up for physical therapy three times a week daily outpatient at the hospital I was at. Vomited regularly from the daily dizziness.

This was most disturbing, I developed a pain in my left hand and left shoulder, to the point where I could not raise my arm above my head and had to sleep with my arm straight down for at least a year. After playing guitar for 30 years, I found myself unable to play my guitar anymore. My left hand had lost all its dexterity and was not usable. I did not realize what happened to me until my wife explained the entire thing to me.

In the next few weeks I spent each day trying to put "2 and 2 together" and figure out why this happened to me. When doing research on strokes, I realized that certain things happened to me that were not consistent with having a stroke. In my brain damaged condition, I remembered taking the antibiotic Avelox, based on a physicians prescription. I researched the adverse effects and to my amazement, the listed side effects were consistent with what happened to me.

I began a quest to file a lawsuit - was unable to find a lawyer willing to tackle such a huge case.. although one lawyer did file before the 2 year time limit expired.. I had MRI's performed on my hand and shoulder which revealed scarring and previous ligament tearing.

During the time of having more outpatient and in home therapy, I regularly visited a psychologist and my physician confirmed that the Avelox most likely caused the brain bleed, tendon tears, and other mysterious symptoms when I presented him with my research. I was unable to work and my only income was from monthly Social Security Disability benefits that didn't begin until 6 months after the incident.. leaving me with no income and unpaid bills for 6 months. The mortgage payments fell behind and soon foreclosure notices arrived. We decided that an alternative would be to sell the house.. it could not be sold after 1 years attempt, so my wife and I moved to an affordable apartment. I put household items in a storage facility. I either sold to pay bills or threw away much of my personal things,since I was devastated by what happened to me, I didn't think I was going to survive long after reading statistics on strokes.

While in the apartment, I needed an income and was forced to take what was in the scpoe of my limited ability. I accepted an early morning paper route and then made deliveries for a courier company using my own vehicle.. That was a 12 hour work day. Being completely upset over what happened, losing everything including my house.. I decided to attempt to escape the overwhelming things that happened and were still happening. I found a house for rent that was less than the apartments rent, except it was in North Carolina. At the time that seemed perfect, a 3 bedroom house located in a far away place where I could forget everything that happened and make a fresh start. Only problem is my wife not want to go, but I was adamant upon doing it. She helped me move everything, including all storage items.. I had moved to North Carolina, but soon found being alone and unable to find suitable employment unbearable. I was being contacted for back rent owed, but could not do everything alone - I became more depressed to the point of feeling suicidal, so I called my aunt in NY and she said just leave everything and get myself to her house. I did, leaving everything behind, and stayed with her for a month until my cousin invited me to stay with him.. which I did. I stayed with him for 3 months, all the while searching for employment.

With help from my family I moved back to my familiar area in NJ in the summer of 2008. I had lost everything..unable to be physical with my wife and being seperated for 18 months, she has requested a divorce. Currently I live by myself and am still slowly recovering, yet my left arm and hand are uncoordinated, my talking is difficult, slurred and gravely (diagnosed with dysarthria), my balance is bad and am dizzy every single day for the past 4 years.. Although brain damaged, I am attempting to rejoin the computer support business again.

My entire past, everything I knew and did, everyone I knew, who I was, etc.. is all a strange hazy memory. If I don't take a sleep aid, I wake up around 4am with racing thoughts, unable to sleep.. My depression and anxiety are so bad, it is difficult to function and interact with others. My psychiatrist has diagnosed me with post-traumatic stress disorder and prescribed Zoloft and Xanax.

Upon proper research, I have to blame the prescription and subsequent use of Avelox for causing the brain bleed which led to my life being completely and utterly destroyed. My intentions are to file suit against the manufacturer Bayer and/or the hospital for allowing me to die in the ICU

I have been on Topamax for four years. 25 mg in the am and 25 mg in the pm. I have experienced the weight loss and the migraines have completely gone away along with my wittiness and ability to remember why I am in the bathroom with my pants around my ankles. I have passed up my exit on the highway on my way home several times.... not really sure why or where I think I was going........ I have found myself on a freeway and had to search the signs to figure out which direction I was traveling and then realized I was going to moms.........don't even remember getting in the car but have stuff with me that I was bringing her. I have woken up in the middle of the night in a panic and always have the word right on the tip of my tongue. I feel like I have alzheimers. I am 34. I started out having severe ocular migraines when I was 17 (I don't have head pain) and ended them at 30 after spending weeks in bed, days in ERs and hours heaving into the toilet........ hours, straight, not even able to take a complete breath. I wouldn't even have the strength to hold my head up anymore and I would just lay on my side an heave in my bed, until I would pass out. The MRI showed brain damage and necrosis (dead brain tissue) of my brain from my migraines. I was originally diagnosed with strokes. Imitrex would raise my blood pressure so high the MD's and RNs would hold me out of fear I was going to stroke out. My life just stopped..... I couldn't even move.... ever, I couldn't look out a window, listen to a radio, watch T.V, have a conversation, smell food, perfume......... anything without getting sick. Topamax stopped it all. And yes, I got stupid with the meds....... I lost my train of thought, but I can go outside. I lost some weight, but I can eat, I have lost some, hair but I can work...............I feel like I have more of a life now than I did before. Anytime you introduce a drug to your body you are going to have effects........there are trade offs. If you had what I had, you will be willing to have the trade off. I had gotten to the point that I would have been better off dead, because I wasn't living. My migraines started off manageable and progressively got worse over time. I have to admit, I have tried to come off of the medication... who wants to be tethered to meds all of there life? But when the migraines came back, I quickly went back on the meds.....Drink plenty of water, stay off other stimulants, don't smoke!!!! titrate your doses and then don't miss them.

I received yet another email from someone who has had a recent MRI due to memory difficulties and the MRI indicated brain shrinkage. This drug is breaking the blood brain barrier, causes depression, and is shrinking the brain. I know of 3 people who began Lisinopril and over a period of less than 2 years, have had MRI and their brains indicate shrinkage. We are wondering why Alzheimers is becoming an epidemic. More people are being prescribed Blood Pressure medicines at earlier ages, particularly Ace Inhibitors because they are cheap and these drugs are pentrating the blood brain barrier and causing a drug induced brain damage that mimicks Alzheimer symptoms. It begins to appear as depression, so, they treat the depression with anti-depressants. They improve for a period of time and then the symptoms of memory loss, difficulty retaining, concentration issues, mental sluggishness begin to present again. The Doctors are in denial, not us who are posting these symptoms. The obvious is oblivious. You cannot take a healthy individual who never took anything more than an aspirin and within 17 month of taking this medication have depression, memory issues and brain shrinkage. I hope if there are any Doctors that read this site, they pay attention to their patients and watch those people on Ace Inhibitors who then follow a pattern of memory problems and depression. It's much more than depression. I bet if all those people who experience memory difficulties got and MRI, there brains would show shrinkage.

I am a 25 year old graduate student that began taking Topamax for migraines after I was involved in a bad car accident. I started taking Topamax in April of 2008 and by July I could barely formulate sentences, couldn't remember simple things like where I parked by car (in front of my apartment) and my family member's names, simple math was impossible, I was always tired but could never go to sleep, had numbness in hands and feet, and was very moody with suicidal ideations. I was then referred to a neuropsychologist to assess any possible brain damage from the accident since I was now having cognitive problems. They tested me for brain damage where I was diagnosed with Severe Brain Damage, I was reading on a 8th grade level, did math on a 4th grade level, needed to begin speech therapy immediately and my doctor felt I needed direct supervision at all times. I was initially told by my neurologist that the medicine would help with the migraines but would "make my thinking slow". That was a huge understatement. I was a 4.0 graduate student in the middle of my program and I suddenly couldn't perform basic daily activities. I have been doing much better since coming off the medication. I have the migraines less frequently but they are still pretty bad. I have regained most of memory, reading, and math skills back the rest is attributed to the car accident. I wouldn't recommend this medication to anyone and I think it should be taken off the market because it almost destroyed my life and had me and my family worried to death about a condition which symptoms were clearly being exacerbated by Topamax.

This drug has another effect not mentioned here so far: It can cause a heat stroke and brain damage if taken by a patient who is exposed to Summer heat and sun, etc. Don't lie on the beach and drink any alcohol or you might simply pass out FOREVER!!!! SERIOUSLY!!!!!

I had my second Lupron shot this last mid October that lasts, supposedly, 3 months. So I will be 5 months in this mid December and I have to say I was one of the people who was fine with Lupron...up until now. I had and have all of the typical side effects of hot flashes, headaches, memory loss, mental fog, etc. Then I had my first ever migraine a week ago that knocked me on my butt for 2 days. My memory loss and depression are by far, by far, the worst side effect I have experienced. At this point I am concerned my memory problems and mind fog will not go back to normal, which has already adversely affected by daily life. I was one of the people who spoke positive of this injection even after reading all the horror stories but now I am beginning to wonder if they were right on some levels. When reading all the different experiences I would get confused and wouldn't know what to believe. I am not saying I would change things, the jury is still out as to whether the benefits will outweigh the difficulties, but my personal experience and symptoms have been getting worse just in the last few weeks, so that would be between month 4 and 5 on it. I could lead a pretty normal life up until recently and I'm a pretty tough person, I clean houses for a living and work hard with a packed schedule so I am not just stating little symptoms I experience but ones that actually have affected my daily life. Just being honest so you know what to possibly expect, depending on your body's reaction. That is a point to keep in mind, everyone's body reacts differently but if the majority of people are saying the SAME side effects, makes you wonder if there is a consistent pattern.

One thing I will tell you that has helped me is B vitamins regularly in your system and staying as active as possible. Write things down to remind you for the memory issues, don't over-commit to things because of the mental affects-it hits you hard when you can't follow through, and try to watch your sugar intake, which messes with your emotions. Hope this is helpful.
I would love to know from someone who has the same symptoms (which looks like almost everyone who is on it) and who is now off of Lupron for at least a few months, if the symptoms of memory loss and mind fog go away. Is my memory permanently damaged?

The medical professional is particularly unhelpful in this matter. Talking with medical personnel about fluoroquinolone poisoning is a go-nowhere exercise. In an era when Monsanto genetically-modifies our seed stock you might think medical caregivers would advise us in advance that their prescription antibiotics mess around with their patients' DNA. (IT's that deregulation thing, yes?)

I experienced painful calves and a strange dream, possibly a nightmare, immediately, e.g., on the very same night, after having injested one Levaquin dosage for a prostate condition and maybe a year after separately having taken cipro for a week to combat traveler's diarrhea. The post-Levaquin early evening dream was strange insofar as I rarely drempt, and I never recall having been roused to wakefulness by a dream shortly after having gone to bed. Early on I did NOT associate Levaquin with the really terrible symptoms that I experienced within 60 days of having injested Levaquin.

My wheels fell off when I entered a period of insomnia. I thought my sleeplessness was stress-related because my health history includes a major depressive episode 11 years ago. I presented myself for help to a psychiatrist who prescribed a small dose of an atypical antipsychotic as a sleeping aid. My drug-induced sleep felt like a coma that lasted each night for a couple of hours. There were heart palpitations, agitation, panic attacks, racing heart, racing thoughts, insomnia, depression, paranoia, poor cognition, body shuddering, muscle twitching, night sweats, and pain in both Achilles heals. The symptoms filled a note book page. I felt like Jean D'Arc who was being burned chemically at the stake from the inside out. I would rise in the morning and then minutes later fall back into bed. I could stare off into space and completely lose track of time. I could not even find the right words in mid-sentence. I could not fill-in the registration papers when I presented myself for a second opinion at Mayo Clinic. I became a full babbling idiot. My wife said that I had retreated or devolved into some kind of primate or ape who communicated solely his emotional states by means of eye contact only.

I asked my doctors if the sum of levaquin and cipro had pushed me over my peak quinolone tolerance level. Or was it the medicine that the psychiatrist had prescribed to make me sleep? . I was no stranger to depression and I knew my symptoms were not merely emotional or psychological in nature. Why did I always feel as if I had been poisoned? The psychiatrist decided my paranoia warranted higher med levels. I declined the advice and stopped taking the meds altogether. My anxiety today is lower, my sleep is improved but fitfull. My neck aches. My head feels as if it were in a vise. It's not a headache and it's not painful, but there is a tingling, crawling, scorching sensation at my forehead and behind my eyes as if someone had beat me with a pillow and then filled my head with novocaine.

I'm not sure there's a moral to the story. It might sound a tad over-the-top, but I think we're faced by a pharmaceutical plague. There's really no excuse for the absence of informed consent. There is nowhere above ground, e.g., nowhere on main street, and no-one with whom you can speak in order to take the full measure of fluoroquinolone poisoning. If you are at this URL merely to find out about the FDA's recent black box warning re: Levaquin's link to ruptured tendons, you are in for peep into hell. Read the other thousands of postings on this site, and decide for yourself who bears the ring of truth.

I have been on Wellbutrin XL for 2 years with no ill side effects and it has worked well. 2 1/2 months ago my script changed to the 'generic' BudeprionXL. Since this change, I have been experiencing severe muscle and joint pain, my hands go numb, my skin crawls to the point that I have scratched myself to the point of bleeding. Sleeplessness has just recently started to occur and my teeth have also become very sensitive. General irritability has also set in. I have not yet started to get the headaches most get with the Budeprion and it a good thing as I'm already taking 1600 mg a day of Advil to try and arrest the muscle and joint pain. After reading these other ill effects of this drug I'm now very scared and will be calling my doctor to get her to represcribe Wellbutrin -only- 'no generic'. It is clear to me the FDA did not do the proper research or makes me think TEVA has a friend in the FDA's office.

I was given solu-medrol for an allergic reaction to something unknown. I was given benadryl just prior because of my itching hives.
Immediately after the RN injected the solu-medrol into my IV I started choking, I couldn't catch my breath, I felt as if I had a rush of adrenaline but at the same time it felt like my heart was fluttering. My blood pressure and my heart rate jumped up considerably. I was unable to speak and had a hard time swallowing. My vision was effected and I had light sensitivity, everything suddenly seemed very bright. My thought process was very distracted, I would try to speak and within a second forget what I wanted to say. I had to concentrate extremely hard just to get out a single word.
I also had slight numbness or loss of sensation in my hands.
I don't want to know what would have happened if I hadn't been given the benadryl first! I felt as if someone was inducing brain damage onto me and instantly turning me into a vegetable.

I am my husbands caregiver. He is on many medications the last 26 years due to chemical poisoning thanks to our government not protecting their civilian painters at the Army Depot where he worked.
He has permanent brain damage, CRS damage, memory loss and short term memory, CHF and Bollis Emphysema. Now he also has Type II diabetes a severe case as he was not diagnosed for 7+ years of testing.
To make this short. He has been on many drugs for pain, diabetes, blood pressure, the brain damage, ( he is a recovering, not drinking alcoholic)
Recently the doctor took him off the Codeine # 3 that he had been taking for almost 15 years, 8 per day. and gave him time release Morphine Sulfate.15 MG. They also gave him Gabapentin for the neuropathy which is severe in his feet and starting to go up his legs. He is over weight, above the waist, and has not had a problem with High Blood Pressure, for many years since taking 60 mg daily of Inderal. His Blood Sugars have been between 98-140 without medication. When he was first diagnosed he was put on glyberide and it worked so good he was off it in 6 months and totally diet controlled since then but about every 3 years he would go on it for about 6 months and then he was ok again.
He has not needed it for the last 7 years. Since starting the gabapentin he went from 300 to 600 to 900 and slowly increased the dose to 1600 mg. The 300's are caps, the 600's are tablets.
All the sudden he has pounding headaches, I took his BP which we had not been watching and it was 198/115 with a 98 pulse. The only change was the gabapentin and Morphine. The morphine does not seem to be causing any side effects, once he was used to getting sleepy.. but once the gabapentin was added, all he does is sleep. The blood sugars also went up with the blood pressure. His were 358 higher than they have ever been except when he was first diagnosed. I was able to get the glyberide and that is bring down the sugar levels only taking 1/4 tab 2 x a day, and the blood pressure is also coming down, it was 139/85 with a pluse of 76 which is still too fast. I talked to some pharmancy friends and they said " Its the gabapentin " so I told the doc I wanted to stop it and he said to start leveling off, one 300 mg cap every 4 days. We were down to 2 a day till Friday and saw the doctor. Due to his taking Cymbalta they did not want to give him any of the other anti depressants so they want him to back on the gabapentin up to 1200 a day instead of the 1600 a day.
Taking into consideration his medical issues and meds, I don't believe this is a safe or sound decision, but I know how much pain he was in before the gabapentin.
I wish they would be more forthright about the side effects of this medication. They said it only causes blood sugar issues in 1 % and they did not even address the high blood pressure etc.
His pupils are also different, he has the kidney pain, but his biggest problem is sleepy.. hopefully it's not his kidneys or his heart. They did blood tests on Friday and I am asking for a EKG.. in the mean time we are monitoring both blood pressure and blood sugar 6 or more times a day. Thank you so much for sharing. It really helps to know we are not alone.

Now a new side effect, I have posted other side effects that were enough to get off the remicade. I went in and had another surgery because the side effects of this drug was killing me.{see other effects I posted under Jbill} So now the Doctors are looking into Brain damage. I am going to have a MRI done to see if this is a reality, I feel as though I have lost my wits. this is not something that I came up with, it is starting to show up in others and is talked about among the doctors that treat us. I used remicade for approx 4 years and feel like it is a dangerous drug. It can work pretty good but would not take it on a regular basis. I will not take it again.

Is there a potential explanation for the adverse psychiatric side effects of montelukast?

In my opinion, there are at least some very good clues based upon the work of the Chinese researchers.

A 2006 report indicated that they had localized (meaning found it was there) the CystLT1 receptor (same as the receptor that montelukast
Singulair blocks) in the neurons of the brain tissue of rats. In order to do that, they injected rat brain's with NMDA to cause a chemically induced state of excitotoxicity. Excitotoxicity is a common factor in Central Nervous System disease. They concluded that both 5-LOX and CystLT1 were upregulated by the excitotoxicity that they artificially created
with the NMDA. Therefore, there would be a potential link between neuron activity and CystLT1. Nerve cells are damaged by excitotoxicity. These researchers used NMDA to cause nerve damage which caused the CystLT1 to show up. NMDA was often used in human behavior studies to cause brain damage. They would then try to observe whether behavior was compromised to conclude what areas of the brain determined what behavioral response.

So I was thinking about the Chinese researchers as I was reading other posts. One post interested me particularly regarding the mother who described behavior that seemed like hypoglycemics when their snack doesn't arrive on time. So a light bulb went on. Glutamate, another excitotoxin, can build up in the brain to a level that is damaging if humans become excessively hypoglycemic. If glutamate concentration around the synaptic cleft reaches too high a level then neurons die. Clinically, it really does seem that many people experience things that sound like the effects of hypoglycemia. It could be only a coincidence. But then again, maybe not.

The Chinese researchers found the CystLT1 receptor in the rat brain neuron after brain damage. They found the CystLT1 receptor in the normal human brain in the microvascular endothelial cells and in neuron and glial-appearing cells in brain trauma or tumors.

What role does the CystLT1 play in brain function? If it exists in brain tissue, we can assume that it does have a function. If it plays a role in preventing or repairing neuron damage due to excitotoxins, then there would be a very direct link between Singulair and adverse psychiatric side effects.

http://www.chinaphar.com/1671-4083/27/1526.htm

The bottom line is that Merck owes people who take Singulair further research regarding it's effect on the brain.

My six year old daughter was given this medication for idiopathic generalized epilepsy. As soon as she started on this drug we noticed a complete personality change. She was a completely different person. She seemed to be possessed while on this medication. My daughter is a sweet little girl, and is very good for the most part, but when she started this medication it turned her into a monster. She was on this medication for about 2 months, and was taken off it when we got a second opinion. She has not been on any medications while we explore additional opinions for her condition (which is very unusual - she does not have seizures like most people do). I would not recommend this medication to anyone.

My sister was prescribed Avelox on Tuesday, March 11, 2008. Within 15-20 minutes she began having breathing difficulties. Because she has asthma her initial thought was that she was having an asthma attack. She tried asthma treatment and it didn't help. She soon was unable to breath. Her husband called 911, they responded quickly but had to intubate her in the ambulance. They know that she was without oxygen to her brain for at least 3-5 minutes. This caused seizures that lasted 20 hours before I.C.U. could get them under control. Unfortunately it caused brain damage leaving her with no higher brain function (vegetative state). As she has worked in the medical field for over 14 years she did not wish to be kept alive by artificial means. On Tuesday, March 18, 2008 her ventilation tube and feeding tube were removed. It is now Thursday, March 20, 2008 and she is in a wonderful Hospice House awaiting her death.
She had taken the same class of antibiotic in the past with no reaction. Really not sure what caused this one. She was going through chemo for breast cancer, but had just finished and was scheduled to start her radiation treatment. Her chemo doctor told us that since her reaction, they have had another patient who went into anaphylactic shock after taking Avelox.
My sister is only 43 years old. This medication should be taken off the market.

Within 5 days of beginning course of Geodon, 40mg daily, doc doubled my dosage to 80mg, began to have problems. Intensely manic, easily frightened, insomnia, terrifying dreams. I decided to get out of hospital ASAP and decide if to quit taking Geodon.
On day six already my face was twitching, was irritable and manic, pacing, increasingly manic throughout day, decided to skip evening dose, keep total dosage same as before, 40mg. Began tripping around midnight and it was all downhill from there. Sleepless all night, by morning I had convulsions, increased heart rate, fear and anxiety, psychosis, uncontrollable crying. Had another seizure 12 hours later. Slept a little with help of Valium. Next day developed Parkinson's like symptoms, had my father not been there to help me, Lord knows what would have happened to me. Still awake in day 3 of withdrawal. Hoping the worst is over.

On October 5th 2007 I experienced auditory hallucinations but their different than the others. I hear my thoughts directly outside of my head and they repeat the thought continuously until another thought happens. Sometimes their are thoughts that I have previously thought of and they won't go away. It starts from the moment I wake up in the morning until I go to sleep in the evening. Sometimes they sing like a choir and sometimes they talk my thoughts. Children's, women, men, and one old man. Sometimes it's a mechanical voice. I started taking Lamicatal in August. I started with 25 mg. for two weeks. Then I increased it to 50mg for two weeks. Then I increased it to 75 mg for two weeks. Then I increased it to 100mg for two weeks. Then I increased it to 125mg and I took this for one week and that's when these auditory hallucinations got worse. Now I only take 50mg and the auditory hallucinations will not go away yet. Before I started taking Lamictal I was on Cymbalta 20mg. I needed to stop taking this medication as that it caused abdominal pains, severe headaches, nausea, I started hearing other peoples thoughts and conversations. I was only Cymbalta for one year. I never was able to hear peoples thoughts before taking Cymbalta and I never heard hallucinations before taking Lamictal. Years ago I was taking Paxil 20mg and this medication increased the abstract visual dreaming and the zoning out. The reason I started taking Lamicatal was that in the evening while I was sleeping I would sometimes get startled in the middle of the night with abstract visual dreaming and it hurt my head. Also I was zoning out occasionally during the day. Kind of like daydreaming but no visual dreams. Lamicatal did stop this but this side effect is driving me insane.

I've been on Wellbutrin for 8 years. After reading this forum I seriously question wether if I am the forgetful person that I've become. It's been so long since I've been clear-headed, but I know that as a child I had an extrodinary memory. Because this has viably been a side-effect that has existed for 8 years, I learned to believe that it was who I was. 2 years previous to starting Wellburtin failed in an sucicide attempt and thought that it could be from that. But because of overwhelming anxiety and hives,my doctor has upped my dose from 150mg to 300mg daily. Now I'm noticing that I can't remember chuncks of time. Trying to replaying an event in my mind and realize that I don't what happened after...and which roads I drove on to get home. It's a daily occurence. I will set everything out to take to school, but forget to grab the stuff. Laundry takes me days, because I constantly forget to change loads. I get distracted easily and don't know what I was doing or simply forget that I was doing something. 3 times while writing this I forgot what my next sentence was going to be. I always feel like I'm in a brain fog anymore. My greatest fear is that Wellburtin is the only one in it's class. I tried Paxil, Prozac, Effexor and had horrible side effect. So is it Wellbutrin or nothing? Does anyone know or have suggestions of other meds? When someone hurts me, I usually can't remember it long enough to mad ever again. I also have severe migranies, but not sure if thy're are related.

My son is six years old and been on Singulair for 2 weeks, on the 3rd day he started complaining of stomach pain. That night he had a horrible nightmare and everyday since it has been something else it seems to get worse everyday. Sleepwalking uncontrollable rage that we have never seen before. He gets out of breath very easy and his comprehention is very bad since he has takin this drug. He is on day two of no Singulair and is still having trouble sleeping but the other effects are slowly ending thank god any parents thinking of this treatment for their child needs to do more research my doctor did not think it was the meds that it is just a normal child stage he is going through. (bull-h--t).

death and brain damage

I started taking lisinopril and developed a worsening cough. After I had been on it for 31/2 months, I had an apparent t.i.a.(transient ischemic attack), MRI showed no brain damage, but some indications that I might be prone to migraines which I don't have? Any other t.i.a. or migraine symptoms?

I have used ambien appropriately 10 mg and abused (up to 90 mg) for 5 years staight. Most all side effects said here are true and worsen over the years and with dose increase. It does give you a "high" but totally destroys your brain and mind. It worsens depression for sure and has produced some psychosis with me. I have gone in and out of treatment for this drug and have made horrid decisions while taking it that have ruined my life. I beleive it is worse and more insidious than alcohol or any other drug. I believe i have permanent brain damage from it don't recognize myself or others anymore, chronic derealization, etc. Please stop taking or dont start. Once you get hooked you are hooked.
ps. anyone know some good places to detox off ambien in orange county, ca area. It is still pretty unheard of in treatment centers

I was on prednisone for over a year for neurosarcoidosis. My doctor and I felt there was no choice in the matter. It was either take the prednisone or suffer brain damage. The side effects were devastating. Although I hated the moon face, weight gain (50 lbs. in 3 months) and buffalo hump - I could have lived with them. What I'm still having trouble with is leg and joint pain and vision problems. I've been off prednisone for a month now. The weight is starting to go down but the pain in my back and my leg is still there. Still, I feel so much better than I did two months ago.