Brain function symptoms and conditions

I have been reading all of your Simvastatin experiences with high interest and would like to share my adventures with all of you as well. My story began seven years ago when I was relatively healthy and enjoying life. My doctor prescribed Lipitor for my elevated cholesterol and two months later I found myself in the emergency room after having a severe bout with vertigo for the first time in my life. I have since spent the last seven years fighting this debilitating illness which continues to haunt me after having seen every top neurologist in my area and having taken every neurological test available. It would be as difficult to convince me that I was not somehow "poisoned" by Lipitor as it was for me to convince my doctor.

I was eventually prescribed Simvastatin 40MG and seemed to stabilize for a few years even though my dizziness problems persisted. Suddenly I began experiencing bouts of upset stomach and severe lower abdominal pain. I allowed my doctor to order basically every nasty test known to man in an effort to discover the cause of this new problem, but all have come up negative so far. Eventually I began to experience total exhaustion in the middle of my work day, not to mention the back, neck, and muscle pain that has been described so vividly in this forum. Basically, I have become a 53 year old man who feels much older, has absolutely no energy, and rarely has a day when I can honestly say I feel alive and well.

I am not a doctor and I can't honestly prove that Simvastatin is the cause of all of my problems. However, I do have common sense and after reading all of your thoughtful comments on the subject I would be foolish to at least not suspect that the drug may possibly be making me less healthy and not more healthy. Thank you all for opening my mind to this possibility and I certainly plan on discussing this with my doctor very soon, who may no longer by my doctor should he continue to insist that I take this nasty drug.

My husband has been on Simvastatin for a few years, six months ago his dose was increased to 40mg, since then he has become someone I don't recognize, we have been married over twenty years and he used to be a very placid and wonderful man. He is now both verbally and physically abusive, he threatens me with divorce on a regular basis. He lies about me to others telling them he does all the housework (never) there is never any food in the house ( Totally untrue) He disappears for hours on end, and sleeps much of the time. He can be quite plausible with other people but turns into a monster when he returns home. Doctor told me I don't think it can be the statin, don't believe everything you read on the internet! She said to be sure for him to come off it for a few weeks - he refused! His aggression is escalating and I now dread him coming home. he has odd moments of being nice but within hours he is back to being nasty. He had been impotent for 7 years but now during his "nice moments" becomes amorous! I am at my wits end, has anyone else experienced this!

Yes I too have been noticing recent disabilities regarding brain function. Ive only been on lamictal for 5 mths and there has been remarkable improvement for its intentional purpose but I feel like such a dumbass.
I am a 4.0 student who is obsessed with A's and have been on the deans list for 3 yrs. However, recently I cant spell, take notes without immediately forgetting what my professor said, loose my point, or like just now, I completely forgot what I was trying to say. I have trouble speaking and finding the right words and its extremely difficult to think through anything because I loose what it is I was previously thinking! GGGRrrr.... Does that make any sense?

I am however seriously relieved to find I am not the only one having these issues and that its not mental regression or lack of intelligence.

Also, since being on Lamictal I have never experienced any skin problems, but 3 days ago I started tanning (which I know is already horrible for you) and today I have red blotches between my chest and on my back. These are places I normally burn a little bit when I start tanning again, but now there are welps and they burn and itch like crazy. Does anyone know if UV exposure causes this in Lamictal patients? Could it also possibly be a reaction to the tanning lotion?

Thanks
Itchy in Houston

My doctor had me on a 10-day course of amoxicillin for a sinus infection. By the last day, I had contracted pneumonia and the sinus infection had rebounded until it was worse than ever. So, like many others who have posted here, my doctor prescribed Avelox. Fortunately I read the entire printout from the pharmacy, including all warnings of potential side-effects, both minor and serious. I grew concerned on day three when I had numbness and tingling all down my right arm, and following the warnings, called my doctor. Fortunately, my doc is a smart guy: he told me to stop the course of Avelox immediately, and if the nerve symptoms returned, I should go to the ER.

Some of the symptoms others here have mentioned -- many far, far more serious than mine -- seem neurological, as if the drug is also messing with brain function rather than just causing an allergic reaction (especially the seriously altered mental states).

A symptom that has occurred occasionally during the past weeks since I stopped the Avelox is an odd tremor in my eyes when I'm tired. My eyeballs shake quickly and sharply from side to side for about 10 seconds at a time. I had a similar reaction many years ago, when my doctor at the time prescribed a high dose of Paxil (anti-anxiety). The difference was that then the eye tremors stopped two days after I stopped the drug; the symptoms now started long after the Avelox was out of my system.

I linked to this webpage specifically because I was wondering how common adverse reactions to Avelox are. God knows we need some new antibiotics to fight the increasingly more resistant strains of bacteria. But if our bad experiences are as common as I fear, even though some people experience wonderful results, this is one drug that should be prescribed with extreme care. Not only that, but both the physician and the pharmacist should be especially diligent in explaining the more dangerous adverse effects so that patients (who don't always have a half hour to read through hundreds of single-spaced lines of instructions on drug sheets) are well-informed enough to participate in our own care. If that just means telling our doctors that the risks outweigh the benefits, please prescribe something else, so be it.

I am only 42 years old and have been on zocor for the past 30 months. I've had mild tingling in my feet and achy joints along with slightly elevated liver enzymes and fatigue since then. Ever since my doctor increased the zocor to 80 mg per day ( because although my cholesterol level is normal, my triglycerides are still very high) , I feel like I am 100 years old! All my joints ache so bad and my feet and hands alternately tingle or feel very cold! I am also having trouble focusing when I look from something close up to something far away! I am also clumsier and more forgetful. Could these symptoms be caused by coenzyme-Q deficiency?

I was on 40 mg of simvastatin for 4 months with seemingly no side effects when my doctor said my cholesterol wasn't coming down quickly enough to suit him, so he added lovaza - had me taking both at the same time. Within 2 months I was noticing sore muscles but didn't relate it to the meds. After about another 2 months I was so bad I could hardly walk - extreme muscle and joint pain over my entire body, severe weakness, shortness of breath. Then I found out that both of those drugs can cause these side effects. I wish I had tied it together sooner. I have been completely off of them both for about 3 months and still have some pain in my feet, shoulders and elbows, along with severe pain in my hands, and I am still weak and short of breath. I don't know how long this is going to hang on, but I certainly hope it isn't permanent. I can't stand to think that I might have to live with this pain for the rest of my life. My hands are so close to useless, and I am so weak, that it's about all I can do to take care of my job and make a living. I haven't been able to work around the house for months. I want to work on my cars (my hobby). I have 2 antique cars that I enjoy working on and driving, but I don't think I'm going to be able to do very much with them this summer. My hands just won't let me. And the beauty of it all? My cholesterol numbers did not come down any great amount. Since I stopped taking the meds I have brought the numbers down by changing my diet - eggbeaters instead of whole eggs, less beef (venison is very low in cholesterol) more chicken & fish, oatmeal, plus I'm taking vitamin C, D3, garlic and cinammon for cholesterol and B complex for muscles, msm and glucosamine for joints. I also bought a hot tub, which helps with the pain and stiffness. This has definitely not been a fun thing. I just hope it goes away some time soon.

28 year old 6 ft 4 in 200 pound male. cholesterol approaching 300 on 80mgs a day of simvastatin. Legs and arms immediately sore after a round of horseshoes. How ridiculous. trouble concentrating, can't sleep, have sour stomach. have the trots daily. Great way to live. This sucks!

Update from previous post.One month since I came off lisinorpil. 40 mg per day. I halved my dosage every three days until I stopped. Coming off the drug was worse than quitting smoking. I stopped smoking 3 years ago, not one puff since.
Lets review results.
Heart palpitations - gone
abdominal pain - gone
Stamina - returned
Brain function - returned
running nose - gone
allergy symptoms - gone
erectile dysfunction - gone
starting to lose the weight, 4 years ago 185, max 224 on nov 2008, now 215
normal bowel movements - returned
I actually feel like I remember. I see a chiropractor once a month and went yesterday. She asked me what I was doing differently from my last appointment. Looked like I had lost weight, coloring better, spark in step and face. whole body was less tense. Listen to your body, it will tell you when somethings not right. The only thing I have changed is stopped taking lisinopril. I still take 25mg of hctz. BP is stable. today 130/79.
My ex MD is still puzzled by the results.

This was posted by a doctor who is treating a group of girls who have been very ill since their vaccinations. I thought it would be helpful to those of you struggling with side-effects. I will pray for all of you.

1. Reduce exposure to food allergens, especially foods containing gluten. Gluten is known to cause damage to the nervous system (brain and nerves). Email me (******) and I will send you a list of foods that contain gluten. I do not bother to try to figure out food allergies (there are NO good allergy tests). Just restrict the diet to meat (chicken, turkey, lamb and fish), vegetables (no tomatoes, eggplant or potatoes), and homemade chicken broth.

2. Manage blood sugar levels by eating protein every 2 hours. This helps maintain proper levels of glucose in the blood. In women, this helps to reduce high testosterone levels and feeds the cells so they can function properly. Also, proper glucose levels are necessary for correct brain function. The brain only weighs 2-3 pounds but uses 1/3 of the body’s glucose. Without a healthy functioning brain there is nothing to orchestrate healing in the body.

3. Manage any anemic condition. There are many types of anemia. Iron anemia is only one type. NEVER take iron unless you know you have iron anemia. Low iron levels on a blood test do not mean you are iron anemic. Iron toxicity is very damaging; taking iron can cause tremendous inflammation as well as oxidative stress on the body. It is a must if you need it but detrimental if you don’t.

4. Reduce homocysteine levels to below 5. At levels above 5 there is the possibility of barrier breakdown. There is a gray area between 5 and 7. Levels absolutely have to be below 7 but I do not like to gamble so I choose to get them below 5.

5. Take care of ALL gut infections and these can be analyzed with stool tests. There are many different types of stool testing out there. The ones your traditional M.D. will order are not sufficient (we have had many patients show false negatives with these). The test I use in my office is by Metametrix Laboratory. It is DNA type testing and is the most sensitive test around.

6. You must fix the barriers. This can be done in different ways and is too complicated to explain here.

7. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day (Example: 120 pound person would need to drink 60 ounces or about 2 liters of water per day. Water does not include juice, soda, milk, etc.

The above list is not comprehensive, but it’s a good foundation. There is nothing more heartbreaking than to watch a child’s health decline due to a vaccination that a doctor recommends. If your child is suffering, my prayers are with you. Do not underestimate the power of prayer when it comes to healing. Healing cannot take place without the will of God.

May God bless you and your family with His power of healing.

I am a 50 year old woman and have been taking Lipitor for about the last 6 months. I have developed a severe case of eczema on my scalp as well as hair loss. Also I have been having pain in my hips. I never would have attributed my symptoms to Lipitor, but now I am thinking that maybe Lipitor is the cause of them. Also I read in some of the comments that it may be connected to memory loss. I have noticed I have a hard time remembering things too but never thought it could be related to taking Lipitor.

I have been taking Lamictal since October of 2007. I experienced some of the symptoms (muscle pain in the head and neck) before I started the medication. I have experienced panic attacks since July of 2005. I have had mild heart palpations since I was in my mid 20's (I'm 36 now). I have had what I would consider a below normal energy level since my mid 20's also. Ok so like everyone else I am thinking I'm a hypochondriac! However, I was diagnosed August 28th 2007 with having Lyme’s Disease and also Hyper-Thyroid (same time, same lab-work). Two weeks later I was diagnosed with Bi-Polar Disorder (this is one thing I knew I was battling but didn't know how to handle it). My physiatrist started me on Lamictal and I did the standard ramp up to 200mg. I also was started on a 90 day treatment of Dyoxicycline for the Lyme’s and Methimazole for the Hyper-Thyroid. I was very very weak and was only able to stay awake for short periods of time (4 to 5 hours max). Just an fyi, I am not overweight, lazy or unmotivated. I have the physical appearance of perfect health. This, I think works against me as the Dr's seem to think I'm just whining. Mater of fact; my Primary Care Physician never tested me for Lyme’s. I went to an Urgent Care Center which tested me for Lyme’s disease and I came back positive (they also tested my Thyroid levels and found the problem with my THS levels) I told my Dr the results and he insisted I have same test done again. Guess what, new tests, same results.
My symptoms today are very similar to what I have seen posted many times. Muscle pain (entire body, some areas worse than others), heart arrhythmia, racing heartbeat, intense palpitations, nausea, foggy “un-plugged” mind, fatigue, weak muscles, muscle cramping (especially after repetitive motion, such as strumming a guitar), panic attacks (much more severe) and the latest addition to the group, Insomnia. Muscles pain in my head, fore-head, jaw, temple, neck (front and back), shoulders, is terrible to say the least. The pressure in my fore-head (right under my brow) makes me feel like I need to close my eyes or rest (resting does not relieve anything). The front of my neck is so tight at times it feels like my jaw is being pried down. I could go on and on.
On my quest to find out what else is going on with my body I have had 2 Echocardiogram’s on my heart and abdomen, 2Nuclear Stress Tests, blood work out the wa-zoo, MRI of my brain, 2 CT’s of my Head and Neck, Chest X-rays, Endoscopy, Colonoscopy, and all revealing nothing.
Most doctor’s I have encountered seem to want to treat the symptoms, not the problem/disease. I believe I know why; we (the ones who are there for solutions) tell them what the symptoms are (how we feel). We of course are thinking “this will help with a diagnosis of the problem/disease”, when in fact (I feel); the doctor’s thought process stops there. They don't know what’s wrong with you but they do know what your symptoms are so....bingo, let's treat the symptoms. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying. I’m not saying, “Most doctor’s don’t know what they are doing” or “don’t take your meds”. I am saying you and I are one of the 20 to 30 patients most doctor’s see daily (100+ weekly). They may be caring and good people but they are just as human and fallible as you and I. My advice is this; (and I am taking my own advice) don’t always “pop” into your body what the doctor suggests/prescribes, without doing your own research. Heck most of us won’t buy a car or more importantly, send our kids off to a college with out doing your own research (we just don’t trust those shinny brochures). Your body and your health are worth you doing your own research. Just keep in mind, Pharmaceutical Reps are always at your Dr.’s office (sit in the waiting room for 10 minutes and I’m sure you will see one). Reps are paid to do one thing; encourage (push) the Dr.’s to promote use of the Pharmaceutical Companies drugs.
My wife and I have been doing our own research on Lamictal (after a year of taking this stuff) and the side effects associated with this drug. We have searched through many (many,many) web sites for information and we have talked with pharmacists and Dr’s for opinions. Although I’m am not thoroughly convinced that Lamictal is the cause of all of my symptoms, my wife and I have decided to lower my Lamictal slowly from 200mg to 100mg. I am now taking 150mg daily (three days now) and plan on staying at this level for a total of two weeks before lowering to 100mg. I do fear dropping the dosage to quickly (potential side effects) or lapsing into a mania. To help avoid a manic episode my wife and my immediate family are all “up-to-date” with my course of action. They are on “Red Alert” and have promised to keep a close eye on my behavior patterns and moods. (I don't want to put them through another hyper-mania episode, its much too devastating). I do want so badly to feel healthy and alive again and at this point I am rather frustrated with the Dr.'s ability to help me achieve this goal. Remember it is called “Practicing” Medicine. So now I’m going to practice a little, very carefully and cautiously.
As a foot note; I have recently (past two weeks) been re-tested for Lyme's with a negative response. I am keeping in mind Lyme's test are very inaccurate (still hoping this one is accurate). My thyroid is under control and normal, so.... let's see if dropping below 150mg of Lamictal will eliminate some of these other symptoms. I will keep you posted.
Erik

I am a female and was diagnosed with Hashimoto's three years ago (looking at old childhood photos I've probably had this all my life) and have taken Levoxyl and Synthroid in escalating doses over time. Initially 25mcg for about a year and that was the endo plan until bloodwork indicated a need for more. I quit taking it after a year as it seemed I was gaining weight. After a few months went to a different endo and he started the treatment again with 25 (I weighed 160 at the time) and now has worked it to 100mcg (I now weigh 178!!!). I thought that with the higher dose I would have more of a weight loss effect (definitely not weight gain) and thought I'd have more energy, better brain function and happier outlook. I am experiencing the complete opposite. The last time I visited the endo and he looked at my weight gain he just said to "stop it". I work out almost every day for 45 minutes to 2 hours, have a job that at times requires arduous work, I eat a very healthy diet full of fiber, low in fat, low in carbs. I'm always hungry and feel like eating to make up for a lack of energy. I come home from work exhausted. This isn't living. I've had it with the Synthroid and any form of T-4 alone. I'm going to see a natural healthcare professional to try Armour because none of the medical doctors I've seen will prescribe it or synthetic T-3.

I would like to let people who are new to the Lamictal "experience" that it was VERY uncomfortable for me during the first few months also. In fact even at the very low introductory doses, I did not think that I could ever function in society.

The extreme confusion, the memory problems, the spaceyness, the feeling of detachment from everything that surrounded me... at the time I felt that I would never be able to function as a worker, a friend, or as a social being.

As time went on though, things did clear up for me. It took a few months, but I'm guessing that my brain function/chemistry finally somehow regulated itself, and my side effects did clear up. I am at a dosage of 600mg per day now, and yes, I do sometimes feel detached, but I certainly can function. My memory has also improved. It sometimes takes me a second or two to find the "right word" during my conversations, but a simple, light hearted mention of the problem resolves the issue for the person that I am speaking to.

If you are just getting on Lamictal, try to be patient. I have found that in time, it has helped me much more than the side effects hurt me. It did take a few months to get used to, and I did have to explain to others at work that I may be acting strangely for a couple weeks because of it... but the overall effect is quite nice now.

Lamictal now helps control my seizure problems almost completely, and has the added benefit of making me feel much more confident, and balanced.

I've been on Lipitor for 1 year and have all the side affects that you all are describing.
I've also developed an inflamed liver.
Any one else?
if I get more response, I'm seriously considering a lawsuit against the pharmacy company.

Tom

Here's a way out theory about my unique and to me mystifying medical situation....

I recently read where Singulair, an asthma medicine, is suspected of causing suicides, obviously an effect on the brain function. The FDA notes that over the past year, Merck has updated Singulair's prescribing information and patient information to include the following post marketing adverse events: TREMOR (March 2007), (April 2007), suicidally (October 2007), and anxiousness (February 2008). (the tremor highlight is mine since this is a major symptom of Parkinson's )

Well, I took Singulair from 1998 to 2004 and I wonder if maybe, just maybe Singulair could be a contributing factor to my strange Parkinson's but not Parkinson's problems that is
gait,
balance,
freezing of gait problems

Any thoughts or ideas on how I might follow up on my hypothesis?

Why the brain function is impaired due to Singulair????? Maybe.

Here is the last chapter in a theoretical reason why Singulair affects brain function thus causing anxiety, depression, agitation, aggression, ADD/ADHD, and in extreme situations maybe seizures. I presented the study of the Chinese researchers that show a direct link between the cysLT1 receptor and the astrocyte in the brain. We don't really know how the cysLT1 receptor interacts with receptors that control astrocytes under all circumstances. We just know that there is an important link.

So last night, I had a dream about astrocytes. I don't really have anything to do but sit on an island, look at the Caribbean and fish so mental stimulation is actually welcome.

The last part of the "chain reaction" is probably the astrocytes role in glyconeogenesis. In other words, when the brain does not get proper nutrition, it sends signals to the liver to do something about the problem. The liver in turn releases glycogen which is turned into glucose to be released into the blood stream. A very unhappy brain becomes a very relieved brain. Obviously, we can't be eating all day long to keep our blood sugar up so the liver has to store energy and release it at the correct time.

Here is a diagram of that. Astrocytes are the only cell that produce the proper chemicals for this process to happen.

http://www.nature.com/jcbfm/journal/v27/n2/fig_tab/9600343f5.html
FIGURE
Quote: All credit to the authors, of course.

Energy metabolism in astrocytes: high rate of oxidative metabolism and spatiotemporal dependence on glycolysis/glycogenolysis
Leif Hertz, Liang Peng and Gerald A Dienel

BACK TO ARTICLEFigure 5.
Next figure | Previous figure | Figure and tables index

Glucose utilization pathways that provide or consume ATP. (A) Schematic of key aspects of the glycolytic pathway of glucose utilization for energy metabolism and major branch points that can divert carbon for other uses, including NADPH generation, storage of glucosyl units in glycogen, neuromodulator, and amino acid and nucleotide biosynthesis. The most important reactions for generation of energy are glycolysis (pyruvate/lactate formation from glucose), shown in light brown and occurring in all cell types, and glycogenolysis (pyruvate/lactate formation from glycogen), shown in light green, which occurs only in astrocytes, due to the astrocyte-specific expression of the enzyme glycogen phosphorylase, which releases a glucosyl unit from glycogen as G1P. The energetically most important biosynthetic reactions are synthesis of glycogen from glucose (glycogenesis) shown in brown and green and from pyruvate/lactate (gluconeogenesis) shown in pink, brown, and green. Gluconeogenesis is also astrocyte-specific, because only astrocytes express fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase, which generates F6P from fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate (F1, 6P) and PC, which generates oxaloacetate (OAA) from pyruvate. The latter reaction is followed by formation of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) by decarboxylation of OAA; this sequence is necessary to form PEP from pyruvate, an energetically unfavorable reaction. Biosynthesis of serine/glycine (shown in olive) is also an astrocyte-specific process due to preferential expression of 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (Yamasaki et al., 2001). Both neurons and astrocytes form alanine and ribose-5-phosphate (R5P), the latter in the pentose shunt pathway (upper left corner), linked to NADPH production needed for operation of glutathione peroxidase and oxidation of monoamine transmitters. The MAS, indicated by red, transfers malate formed in the cytosol from oxaloacetate during conversion of NADH to NAD+ into mitochondria. PDH-mediated formation of acetyl CoA, which is also shown in red, initiates oxidative degradation of pyruvate in the mitochondria. Red and blue text for ATP indicates energy production and utilization, respectively. (B) Major reactions and net ATP yields or net ATP consumption of major pathways derived from the glycolytic pathway are indicated in color-coded boxes that correspond to the color-coded pathways in panel A. For simplicity, the scheme indicates the energy yields (ATP) and NAD(P)H production or utilization based on metabolism of 1 glucose to form one ribulose-5-P, two lactate/pyruvate, or 2 serine; a similar representation illustrates the energy and cofactors required for gluconeogenic conversion of two moles of lactate into one free (G6P) or glycogen-bound glucosyl unit. Glc, glucose; P, phosphate; G6P, glucose-6-P; 6PG, 6-P-gluconate; R5P, ribulose-5-P; GSH, reduced form of glutathione; GSSG, oxidized form of glutathione; F6P, fructose-6-P; F1, 6-P, fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate; GAP, glyceraldehyde-3-P; DHAP, dihydroxyacetone-P; 3PG, 3-P-glycerate; 2PG, 2-P-glycerate; PEP, phosphoenolpyruvate; Pyr, pyruvate; Lac, lactate; Ala, alanine; OAA, oxaloacetate; 3P-HyPyr, 3-P-hydoxypyruvate; Glu, glutamate; KG, -ketoglutarate; 3P-L-Ser, 3P-L-serine; L-ser, L-serine; D-ser, D-serine; Gly, glycine; C1, one carbon fragment used for methyl donor reactions.

This is quite interesting because should the connection between the cysLT1 receptor and astrocyte be established and explained, it shows that there is a very direct link between the immune system and metabolism. That should be intuitive because when we get seriously sick, then we are laying in bed and the body should try to conserve energy so that we don't just waste away.

So what happens if we cause changes in the cysLT1 receptor to cause the astrocytes to believe that we are sick, the normal connection between the brain and glyconeogenesis then doesn't exist. We would have to be causing some kind of periods of extreme stress on the brain because we are out moving around and doing not home sick in bed.

Maybe we should award the Chinese researchers the nobel prize? Maybe they established the connection between the immune system and metabolism? Is there also a link between the immune system of some individuals and depression? Some how, this makes perfect sense. So we have to find out and help as many people as we can.

I think that it is time to call the lawyer-biochemists to find out if this can be proven to be true and if Merck knew or not.

Singulair does interact with the astrocyte in the brain.

The role of the cysLT1 receptor (Singulair blocks this receptor) and the astrocyte in the brain has been studied. For anyone from Merck to say that there are no mechanisms by which Singulair can affect the
brain is ludicrous. If the Chinese researchers are correct, then Singulair very clearly affects the brain. Certainly, we don't know exactly how or when the effect would be good or bad. Under what circumstances would it be beneficial and under what circumstances would it be harmful.

For quite a while, researchers have been hypothesizing about the role of the astrocyte in brain function. If we go to look for theories, we will find them. Here is the theory of Dr. Dale Antanitus. I am no here to promote anyone's theory in particular but just to point out that they exist.

http://www.antanitus.com/hypothesis

We can see that the Chinese researchers have gone forward to look at potential links between the cysLT1 receptor (Singulair receptor) and inflammatory response in the brain. The 2008 study showed a link between the astrocyte and the cysLT1 receptor (Singulair receptor)

1: Glia. 2008 Jan 1;56(1):27-37. Links
Activation of CysLT receptors induces astrocyte proliferation and death after oxygen-glucose deprivation.

Huang XJ, Zhang WP, Li CT, Shi WZ, Fang SH, Lu YB, Chen Z, Wei EQ.
Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China.

We recently found that 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) is activated to produce cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs), and CysLTs may cause neuronal injury and astrocytosis through activation of CysLT(1) and CysLT(2) receptors in the brain after focal cerebral ischemia. However, the property of astrocyte responses to in vitro ischemic injury is not clear; whether 5-LOX, CysLTs, and their receptors are also involved in the responses of ischemic astrocytes remains unknown. In the present study, we performed oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) followed by recovery to induce ischemic-like injury in the cultured rat astrocytes. We found that 1-h OGD did not injure astrocytes (sub-lethal OGD) but induced astrocyte proliferation 48 and 72 h after recovery; whereas 4-h OGD moderately injured the cells (moderate OGD) and led to death 24-72 h after recovery. Inhibition of phospholipase A(2) and 5-LOX attenuated both the proliferation and death. Sub-lethal and moderate OGD enhanced the production of CysLTs that was inhibited by 5-LOX inhibitors. Sub-lethal OGD increased the expressions of CysLT(1) receptor mRNA and protein, while moderate OGD induced the expression of CysLT(2) receptor mRNA. Exogenously applied leukotriene D(4) (LTD(4)) induced astrocyte proliferation at 1-10 nM and astrocyte death at 100-1,000 nM. The CysLT(1) receptor antagonist montelukast attenuated astrocyte proliferation, the CysLT(2) receptor antagonist BAY cysLT2 reversed astrocyte death, and the dual CysLT receptor antagonist BAY u9773 exhibited both effects. In addition, LTD(4) (100 nM) increased the expression of CysLT(2) receptor mRNA. Thus, in vitro ischemia activates astrocyte 5-LOX to produce CysLTs, and CysLTs result in CysLT(1) receptor-mediated proliferation and CysLT(2) receptor-mediated death. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

PMID: 17910051

The astrocyte has been studied to see how it functions in the brain. The astrocyte:

1. may perform a role in the physical structuring of the brain
2. may perform a role in providing neurons with nutrients
3. may perform a minor role in the maintenance of the blood brain barrier
4. may perform a role in neurotransmitters
5. may perform a role in the regulation of ion concentration in the extracellular spaces
6. may perform a role in neuronal regulation of blood flood
7. may perform a role in the protection and repair of neurons

TO LIE TO PEOPLE REGARDING THEIR HEALTH IS CRIMINAL AND SHOULD BE PROSECUTED. PEOPLE OUT THERE ARE GETTING SICKER IF THEY ARE EXPERIENCING SIDE EFFECTS BECAUSE MERCK IS LYING. SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT EXPERIENCE SIDE EFFECTS BUT WHY NOT TELL THE TRUTH AND SAY THAT THERE COULD BE SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE PSYCHIATRIC SIDE EFFECTS BECAUSE THERE IS A PATHWAY FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

I am 34 years old. I went to the OB today after having Mirena inserted in August. I had a baby last March and was nursing her at the time. I had asked my OB a few months ago if fatigue was a side effect, as I have been just exhausted for months. She said no. I am exercising, eating exceptionally well, and losing very little weight. I have been extremely emotional--on the verge of tears all the time. My marriage is terrible right now.

I mentioned at today's appt that I had some irritation/itching/rawness feeling in my vaginal area. She did a culture of my discharge and said there was no bacteria/infection, but she saw some "premature" cells, (I don't know recall exactly what she said, is a blur, but she gave me estradiol vaginal insert tablets and told me to use them for 3 months. She said that maybe starting me on Mirena while I was nursing got my estrogen too low and that I "shouldn't have to be on this {estradiol} forever." Am I now experiencing premature menopause? No wonder I've suddenly sprouted gray hairs over the last 6 months!

My opinion:

After many hours of searching scientific databases, I have so far been unable to find any research that has been done on how Singulair (montelukast) affects the brain and brain function. So far, I have also found no funding opportunities for any researchers to study montelukast and the brain. That does not mean that they don't exist, I just haven't located any as of today. I have been to many sites putting montelukast in the search area.

I personally believe that this is a consumer BEWARE situation. I personally would not take this drug after seeing for myself how little we can find out about how it interacts with brain chemicals. The FDA needs to require drug companies to study how medications affect the entire body not just one area. Human beings aren't just a nose and a pair of lungs. And we can't keep going around to different doctors to try to find a fix for a medication that is screwing up other parts of our bodies.

After learning that some researchers in other countries have found leukoteine receptors in the brain of human beings, I find it possible to believe that everyone who takes this medication that suppresses the function of those receptors are in some way being affected by Singulair whether they know it or not. I would want to know that Singulair was studied carefully to show how it affects the brain and what the long term consequences are for those who take it. Until that is done, I believe that consumers should heed the warnings regarding adverse psychiatric drug reactions and consider all of the potential options for safe and effective treatment of their conditions. If Singulair is the best option, then consumers should be told what the risk are and how to handle them.

If any one is following what research is being done, here is the description of the new study in children.

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00540839?intr=%22Montelukast%22&rank=19

Update about my post about the Chinese researchers who reported leukoteine receptors in the brain. There were a few people who misunderstood what I was trying to say to you. I was trying to say that yes it is possible or at least not impossible that Singulair does interfere with brain function in some people because at least one group of researchers found leukoteine receptors in the brain.

I located an article where a professor at Emory was quoted as saying that psychiatric side effects could be possible if leukoteine receptors exist in the brain. That is what I was trying to say without getting myself in trouble for giving misinformation. There is quite a bit more that I would like to say but I cannot find proof as of yet but I am working on it.

Merck’s Singulair likely to see prescription drop-off only in high-risk populations
By Beth Herskovits and Gayatri Iyer in New York

Published: March 28 2008 19:52 | Last updated: March 28 2008 19:52

This article is provided to FT.com readers by Pharmawire—a news service focused on providing insight into the most price sensitive issues in the global pharmaceutical market. www.pharmawire.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Merck’s asthma and allergy drug Singulair may see a decline in prescriptions due to recent concerns about suicidality, but the drop will not be precipitous, physicians told Pharmawire.

The warning will likely cause the biggest prescription fall-off among patients with a personal or family history of depression, or patients with mild disease, they add. The drug is taken daily to prevent asthma attacks and allergies, or as needed for exercise-induced asthma.

”Both my kids are on Singulair - and I’m not going to take them off it,” said Dr Lawrence Ciesemier, an allergist and immunologist who practices Kirksville, Missouri. ”It was a surprise to me that this data came out.”

Dr Gregg Santilli, an allergist and immunologist in private practice at AirCare in Plano, Texas, noted that he has prescribed Singulair - a drug he helped launch - for 10 years without seeing any suicides. ”Apparently this is an extremely rare event,” he said. ”This drug has certainly not been linked in a causative way to this.”

”The real question is whether the is greater than what’s seen in the general population,” said Dr Jay Portnoy, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. ”It’s still an extremely safe and effective medication.”

The FDA announced yesterday that it is ”considering” regulatory action after post-marketing reports seemed to link the asthma and allergy blockbuster to suicidal thoughts and action. Officials said in a statement that they are undertaking a nine-month review of Singulair and three other leukotriene modifying medications: AstraZeneca’s Accolate and Dey’s Zyflo and Zyflo CR.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HERE IS THE PART ABOUT THE LEUKOTRIENE RECEPTORS IN THE BRAIN

Dr Douglas Bremner, director of Emory’s Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, noted that drugs can cause psychiatric effects when the targeted receptor also exists in the brain. But he added that it’s unclear whether the brain has leukotriene receptors.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He noted that despite the updated label, the side effects ”sort of flew below the radar.” However, he painted a grimmer picture of the effect on the market, saying this would affect Singular sales badly. People are likely to stop taking it, he added.

Over the past year, Merck has updated its safety label to include reports of tremors, depression, suicidality, and anxiousness, the FDA said.

But Dr George Philip, senior director in clinical research for Merck, noted that none of the reports of suicidality came out of clinical studies. He added that post-marketing reports can be ”sketchy” and ”not well-defined” - making it more difficult to determine whether the drug caused the change in behavior.

Asked about whether certain high-risk patients should avoid Singulair, he said, ”It may be part of the dialogue moving forward. These are still unanswered questions.”

He added that other allergy drugs have also been linked to suicide, including Pfizer’s Zyrtec.

Santilli noted that he would consider each patient’s individual risk factors - and the severity of their asthma - before making any treatment changes. GlaxoSmithKline’s Advair has a black box warning linking it to an increased risk of asthma-related death, he said, and Zyflo patients must be monitored for liver toxicity.

”Every drug has risks and benefits,” he said. ”Singulair seemed to be a very clean, very safe drug.”

Ciesemier agreed. ”I prescribe Singulair daily,” he said, but conceded that ”maybe this wouldn’t be the first choice” for patients with a history of suicidality.

Patients who are taking the drug for allergies, a less serious condition, might be more likely to switch to an antihistamine, Santilli noted.

Singulair earned USD 4.3bn last year, growing 19%, and is the bestselling respiratory product on the US market, according to the company. Merck has a market cap of USD 96.57bn.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information or to inquire about a trial please email sales@pharmawire.com or call Americas: +1 212-500-1384 or Europe: + 44 (0)20 7059 6251

(I posted this before but after receiving some e-mail, I have revised a few sentences to hopefully make it more understable. )

I would like to share this information with everyone. First, I would like to caution all that it does not prove anything regarding the negative side effect of Singulair but it does suggest that there might (only might) be a physiological cause for any side effect that could be attributed to brain function. A Chinese team has been studying the receptor (Cysteinyl leukotrienes receptor 1) that is targeted by Singulair and is responsible for the method of action that makes Singulair successful. Here is one of their studies.

1: Neurosci Lett. 2004 Jun 17;363(3):247-51. Links Expression of cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 in human traumatic brain injury and brain tumors.Zhang WP, Hu H, Zhang L, Ding W, Yao HT, Chen KD, Sheng WW, Chen Z, Wei EQ. Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 353, Yan An Road, Hangzhou 310031, PR China. Cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) are potent proinflammatory mediators. CysLT receptor 1 (CysLT(1)) is one of the two CysLT receptors that has been cloned. Although the expression of CysLT(1) in the brain has been demonstrated by Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses, the location of CysLT(1) in the brain remains unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the distribution of CysLT(1) by immunohistochemical analysis in human brains with traumatic injury or tumors. CysLT(1) was expressed intensely in the microvascular endothelial cells in both normal and abnormal conditions. At 8 days after traumatic injury, microvascular regeneration was found and all of the endothelial cells highly expressed CysLT(1). In gray and white matters of the normal regions of the brain, CysLT(1) was expressed weekly or not at all. However, the CysLT(1) expression increased in the neuron- and glial-appearing cells in gray and white matters after traumatic brain injury. CysLT(1) was also detected in astrocytoma, ganglioglioma and metastatic adenocarcinoma, and the expression in the neuron- and glial-appearing cells around brain tumors increased robustly. PMID: 15182953

Here is the relevant part of the study. "Although the expression of CysLT(1) in the brain has been demonstrated by Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses, the location of CysLT(1) in the brain remains unknown." That sentence says that these scientists believe that CysLT1 exists in the brain but they did not know what the location in the brain was. Then they did this study which showed that the receptor existed in the tissues of the brain that are listed above and are too complicated to discuss here.

It is logical to assume that if a receptor exists in any part of the body that it has a function in other words it does something or tells some other part of the body to do something. They have not proved (that takes many studies) what part of the brain or what the receptor does in the brain or what the effect on the body is if the receptor does not do it's job. We do know that Singular (montelukast, Cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 antagonist) blocks this particular receptor so if the receptor exists in the brain that it COULD BE POSSIBLE that Singular prevents this receptor in the brain from doing it's job whatever that is. I know that it is difficult to argue with doctors. This drug has been around a long time. It would be difficult to understand why we are just learning about problems after so long a period of time. I can see from all of these responses that these problems are very real. Of course, we have no idea if Singulair is related or not. But if you need something supportive to show that it is not impossible for them to be related even though there is no proof that they are related, you could print this out and discuss it with your doctor.

This isn't proof of anything but at least it might be a clue. It just shows that it is not impossible that Singular affects brain function in some way.

I would like to share this information with everyone. First, I would like to caution all that it does not prove anything regarding the negative side effect of Singulair but it does suggest that there might (only might) be a physiological cause for any side effect that could be attributed to brain function.

A Chinese team has been studying the receptor (Cysteinyl leukotrienes receptor 1) that is targeted by Singulair and is responsible for the method of action that makes Singulair successful. Here is one of their studies.

1: Neurosci Lett. 2004 Jun 17;363(3):247-51. Links
Expression of cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 in human traumatic brain injury and brain tumors.Zhang WP, Hu H, Zhang L, Ding W, Yao HT, Chen KD, Sheng WW, Chen Z, Wei EQ.
Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 353, Yan An Road, Hangzhou 310031, PR China.

Cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) are potent proinflammatory mediators. CysLT receptor 1 (CysLT(1)) is one of the two CysLT receptors that has been cloned. Although the expression of CysLT(1) in the brain has been demonstrated by Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses, the location of CysLT(1) in the brain remains unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the distribution of CysLT(1) by immunohistochemical analysis in human brains with traumatic injury or tumors. CysLT(1) was expressed intensely in the microvascular endothelial cells in both normal and abnormal conditions. At 8 days after traumatic injury, microvascular regeneration was found and all of the endothelial cells highly expressed CysLT(1). In gray and white matters of the normal regions of the brain, CysLT(1) was expressed weekly or not at all. However, the CysLT(1) expression increased in the neuron- and glial-appearing cells in gray and white matters after traumatic brain injury. CysLT(1) was also detected in astrocytoma, ganglioglioma and metastatic adenocarcinoma, and the expression in the neuron- and glial-appearing cells around brain tumors increased robustly.

PMID: 15182953

Here is the relevant part of the study.

"Although the expression of CysLT(1) in the brain has been demonstrated by Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses, the location of CysLT(1) in the brain remains unknown."

That sentence says that these scientists believe that CysLT1 exists in the brain but they don't know what the location in the brain is.

It is logical to assume that if a receptor exists in any part of the body that it has a function in other words it does something or tells some other part of the body to do something. So we don't know what part of the brain or what the receptor does in the brain or what the effect on the body is if the receptor does not do it's job.

We do know that Singular (montelukast, Cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 antagonist) blocks this particular receptor so if the receptor exists in the brain that it COULD BE POSSIBLE that Singular prevents this receptor in the brain from doing it's job whatever that is.

I know that it is difficult to argue with doctors. This drug has been around a long time. It would be difficult to understand why we are just learning about problems after so long a period of time. I can see from all of these responses that these problems are very real. Of course, we have no idea if Singulair is related or not. But if you need something supportive to show that it is not impossible for them to be related even though there is no proof that they are related, you could print this out and discuss it with your doctor.

This isn't proof of anything but at least it might be a clue.

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.

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.