Cluster type symptoms and conditions

SEVERE THROAT SWELLING
I'm so glad I found this site. A couple months ago, the back of my throat swelled up for no reason. It happened 2 or 3 more times but I didn't think much about it.

I haven't had a cold in over 30 years and I rarely get the flu so I reached for my home remedies. I gargled with some apple cider vinegar and alternated with warm salted water about once every couple of hours. In between, I sucked on some Hall's Harvest Cherry lozenges with echinacea, C and zinc until the swelling went away.

2 days ago, the swelling came on suddenly and became so bad as the night progressed that it practically shut down my airway. I could not speak so I couldn't telephone anyone for help. I could barely breath when sitting upright and not at all when lying down. It felt as though the top of my throat was collapsing onto the bottom. I did not have a fever but I felt chilled. I tried gargling but I couldn't expel all of the water from my swollen throat. Finally around 5 AM, I found some old alka-seltzer plus for flu and took it for the pain in my throat because I couldn't swallow Tylenol. It took 2 hours before the pain eased enough for me to swallow the really tiny thyroid pill I take daily (took a lot of water too because the pill got stuck.)

After reading the posts on this site, I realized that the two mysterious blisters on my wrists had to be from this Rx. I've never had any skin problems so it seemed really odd. Today, I've been dizzy and lethargic. I've also had severe bouts of itching and the odd cluster type headaches that came and went mysteriously.In addition to all of these symptoms, my fingers were swelling too. I would never have connected the dots on my own. Sheesh!

My doctor has been out of the office since my symptoms started and won't return until tomorrow. In the meantime, my Mom insisted that I stop taking the drug immediately. Most of the swelling in my throat has subsided but my throat is extremely sore. I'll be on the phone to my doc at 9 AM. I live alone and could have died.

ADVERSE REACTIONS RUN IN FAMILIES
My Mom had a severe reaction to lisinopril last summer that sent her to the hospital. In the middle of the night, her entire face swelled to twice its normal dimensions. She had the cartoon face (just like Will Smith had in the movie, Hitch). She required several days of steroids and benadryl to clear the lisinopril from her system. The next day her doctor told us that the adverse reactions to lisinopril tends to run in families. She said you could take this Rx for years with no problems and suddenly have a severe reaction like this. Afterwards, I learned that my uncle had also gone to emergency because of swelling from lisinopril.

This drug is risky. If you had symptoms, BE SURE TO TELL FAMILY MEMBERS who may also be taking lisinopril! This is no joke. In fact, it dangerous!

I've been taking lisinopril for about 4 weeks now. I found that if I take it at night before going to bed, I don't have as much of the debilitating dizziness and nausea that I did when I took it in the morning. The cough seems to be gone also though the constant mucus-like feeling in my throat is still there. I have also noticed lately that I have been having strange cluster type headaches after taking the med. Has anyone else experienced this? I am not going to take it tonight to see if I have the headaches tomorrow.

I am almost 41, and have had migraine headaches most of my life which I could manage with 800mg of Naproxen Sodium, or a Norgesic Forte, and when Imitrex came out, I could just administer that. Six months ago, my headaches got so frequent that I had to start taking my Relpax (similar to Imitrex) and/or Fioricet more than 2X per week. According to my neurologist, this is a no no, as both of those meds can couse rebound headaches. He started me on Topamax, 50mg per day. It did nothing. He bumped it to a 100, nothing. Now I'm a 200 mgs, I am still have a migraine in left temple as I write this. I have the tingling, the daytime sleepiness, but my mind is fine, and my appetite is just swell (regretfully). What the hell am I going to do now? Ask him to bump me up to 400 mg? Now I have these headaches every "F"ing day, and I can't take anything. I just have to suffer.

Topamax is NOT working!!!!!