Change my life symptoms and conditions

I was prescribed the advair inhaler about 2 years ago. I was diagnosed with acute bronchitis and the physician suggested it to me. I didn't know how it would change my life forever. I started using it immediately. Soon after I experienced severe chest pain, shortness of breathe, flu-like symptons, pain in my legs and hands. I encountered slurred speech and memory loss. I found it difficult to fall asleep as well as trying to stand up. I vomitted a lot and I was constantly clinching my chess. I thought I was losing my mind. I stop taking the medicine and went straight to the doctor. I receive to known reason for this strange side-effects. I just continue to heal from this devastating event. I thought my life would never be the same. I found strength in God and my family. I had to just let the effect wear-off. I had also had chest x-rays and ekg screenings but nothing conclusive. I was just another unfortunate person lingering at the hands of modern medicine. I still don't know why it's still on the market. I may have helped some with asthma but many of us are still recovering from the side-effects alone. I am still struggling today. I still have severe chest pain and pain in my fingertips. Normal breathing is still a challenge for me. I don't think I will ever be totally free of this nightmare but at least I didn't lose my life in the whole ordeal. And that alone is good enough for me.

I was prescribed 5 days of 500 mg of Levaquin for a possible UTI. I had some vision disturbances - seeing spots and shapes that weren't really there on the 2nd day. On day 3 I had a night of complete sleeplessness. On day 4, I noticed a slight soreness in both calves. I thought it was just from gardening. On day 5 (after I had taken the final dose) the calve stiffness/pain got much worse - it was like the muscles had become extremely tight and was centered around the tendons. I realized it was from the Levaquin when the insert and way down at the bottom it said to call your doctor if you had leg or tendon pain. Since then, I have looked at several sites and it's very scary. I can only hope that the leg pain goes away in a few days - I can hardly walk and it hurts with every step. I have always been a very active person. If this is permanent, it will change my life completely, as I walk everywhere and right now can barely get down the street or up and down stairs. My doctor said that only prolonged use would cause tendon tears, but that is not what I am reading. It damages cartilage, muscles, tendons. That's one of the reasons they don't prescribe it for under 18-year olds.

It should not be prescribed for anyone. There are thousands of entries on the web about the sometimes permanent and very serious side effects of this toxic antibiotic. I feel very sorry for all of us.

Marianne
7/3/07

Update on Weight-loss....

I left a post a few days ago about my struggle w/losing weight. I was so frustrated about this and since nobody wrote anything on this matter, I went to see my Doctor. She said that after Prednisone some people develop Diabetes and a sign of this disease is retention of liquids in a cellular level. She prescribed me water pills and in fact I lost 2 lbs in 2 days, my belly and arms are noticeably deflating and I'm glad to now it was water retention...however, it remains to be seen if I have diabetes 'til next week when the results come back. Gosh, it seems that the struggle never ends! I was worried about weight and now I have to worry about something even worse, that may change my life for the rest of my days!! The irony is that I was one of the healthiest living things on this planet and look what this crap of medicine has done, is doing and will probably will do to me in the future!

God bless everyone,
Gypsi