Calorie intake symptoms and conditions

I’m a 52 year old female diagnosed with bi-lateral pulmonary embolisms three months ago. I’ve been on Warfarin for those three months. The reason I’m searching this blog is because I experience chills at about 4:00 am every morning. It’s interesting to hear of others having the same issue. However, I have not experienced other side effects mentioned: weight gain, fatigue, hair loss, headaches, depression... One thing that I’ve not read about here is the actual physical effects from the embolisms. I do experience shortness of breath and fatigue but I attribute it to the healing process that is occurring in my lungs. I have a wonderful doctor that told me that the road to recovery will not be easy and there will be some set-backs along the way. She listened to my concerns about shortness of breath and prescribed a couple of inhalers that I use to make my breathing more productive. She told me me to exercise “gently” to help my blood circulate to aid the healing that needs to take place. I admit that it’s hard to exercise when I’m not feeling my best but the benefits are worth it. I’m now feeling better than I’ve felt in three months. I also reduced my calorie intake knowing that with my limited activity my metabolism would slow down and weight gain would be a risk. So I ask the people writing in with side effects to look at their situation honestly and see what changes they could make to help their bodies heal. Those with PE and DVT, are you exercising? Are you overweight and need to alter your eating habits? Do you still smoke? We need to take responsibility for our health. I am a healthy, active, non-smoker. My PE’s are probably the result of starting Hormone Replacement Therapy four months prior to my PE’s. I have no other risk factors. Once I’m off Warfarin my doctor will run blood tests to see if I have other clotting factors, meanwhile I’m doing all that I can to help my body heal. I wish everyone here well and hope that your health improves.

I am a 52 year old female. I've been using Zyrtec for four months, at first PRN, then for the last eight weeks daily. I also take Norvasc and Atenolol for BP. I was already experiencing slight swelling in my ankles presumably from the Norvasc, and I have been gaining weight steadily since starting the Atenolol in December. I have had overwhelming fatigue during exercise to the point that I can hardly finish a one hour Jazzercise class (which I have attended on a regular basis for over 20 years.) All symptoms I've blamed on the BP meds, especially the Atenolol.

I began complaining to my doc about the symptoms and had a complete blood work up to rule out other diseases that cause these symptoms. He suggested Weight Watchers and increased exercise to battle the weight gain, and reduced the Atenolol to half dose to over come the these issues. I didn't think to tell him about the Zyrtec I had started taking OTC.

I began careful monitoring of calorie intake and increased my Jazzercise classes in an attempt to lose weight with no success. In fact, the weight continued to increase.

This week, the swelling in my ankles increased to the point where you can not recognize them and the swelling has now included my feet. They are so puffy the toes are connected and you can make a deep impression with your finger in the skin. I decided to stop the Zyrtec and found the swelling to stop immediately. Even the slight ankle swelling has abated.

I started searching the web for contraindications between Zyrtec and the BP meds. None of the drug sites offer any negative side effects The Zyrtec site gives no info at all. After reading the many experiences here and on another site, I think the Zyrtec is to blame for all of my symptoms. I have not asked the doc about his opinion, but will inform him at my next appointment.

I am 52 yr old female perimenopausal and I have some good things to say about my last experience with prednisone. This past allergy season I was put on 3 courses of the 5 day dose pak to decrease swelling of my bronchials. Now in past years when I have gone on prednisone I have not cared for how it has caused me sleep loss, irritability, and hunger. But something must be going on with me hormonally that caused this years experience which resulted in a sense of calm like I rarely have experienced, no loss of sleep, but the reverse - I slept better. Also reduction in hunger and an ability to and desire to control my calorie intake (I am nearly 100 lbs overweight). If it didn't have such long term side effects I wish I could stay on it for ever. What I found very interesting is last month when I was visiting my 61 year old sister who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and is currently on a 6 month treatment of prednisone is that she shared similar reaction to being on the drug as I did. I wish I could find the connection of what it was doing either to our immune system or pharmocalogically to our nervous systems that gave us such pleasant experience from using this drug this time.

Hi all! I've stopped taking Yasmin (thanks to this site!) a full week ago. I feel 100% better. My husband refers to me as his "new wife"....the one without all the anxiety, tears and crabbiness! I've lost 4 lbs (although I've also been watching calorie intake both before and after stopping Yasmin) and so far the only negative side effect has been a few pimples. I cannot tell you how much better I feel...its incredible and I'd never had thought it was Yasmin causing all of the trouble unless I found this site. My doctor doesn't believe me and said I shoudl not stop taking Yasmin unless I wanted to get pregnant. Well, we've bought condoms and I'm pretty sure we'll be ok :-). I've also switched ob/gyns because my old one wouldn't even listen to me and consider that my problems might be from Yasmin. All she wanted to do was give me more medication rather than try to find the problem. Good luck to all of you! Hang in there...it does get better!

Been taking prednisone for 2 years of and on. Ive had Crohn's for most of my life. Recently I was hospitalized for a week and given 60mg of prednisone by IV. I am still taking oral lprednison 40mg but I am suffering with it side effects such as the shakes, sweating, ensomia, rapid heart beat and drug enduced diabetes. I am on a liquid low residue diet and also have to maintaind a 1800 calorie intake to control my blood sugar level not to mention I have lost 20 ponds.

Hi... I was glad to find this site..I have been on and off prednisone for 3 mos....mostly ON..but now I have been off it for a week....I had a terrible hive reaction to 'something' in June and the only thing to suppress it has been prednisone...needless to say, I didn't sleep either...I averaged about 4 hours/night til they put me on Dixopen (sp?)...definitely helped with the sleeping as well as the hives..I tried the Diurex for the bloating and weight gain too...it helped very little...be careful around the grapefruit daily (I did that 2 different times in the past and it caused a bladder infection...) I am going to try the Cranberry juice though!...I am now off the Prednisone for a week and really watching my calorie intake...so maybe the Cranberry juice will speed things up and get me back to my 'normal' weight...do you put the vinegar 'in' anything...yuk by itself...I sure hope to get my puffy cheeks down as well...any updates?

Great to hear that I'm not the only one! I'm 27 and have gained significant weight since starting Toprol XL a year ago. I've asked my dr. to switch and she tells me that the medication is proven not to cause weight gain. I've decreased my calorie intake, upped my workouts, and am still gaining weight. Any thoughts/ideas are greatly appreciated!