Dermatologist symptoms and conditions

I am 32 years old, and still have acne. I have been taking it for almost 14 years now. I know that Lamictal causes skin rashes. I asked my neurologist if Lamictal causes acne. He said no. I will never be able to get rid of acne, as long as I keep taking it. I have been seizure-free for over 2.5 years now. Dad won't let me get off of it, and be on primidone only. It's more important to keep driving seizure-free, than to have clear skin.

Have been taking Lisinopril for approximately 6 months. Was previously taking Benicar, but insurance company strongly recommended the generic form.

Have experienced depression, eye problems, extreme leg pain, mood swings, sinus problems tightness in my chest, and severe rash and sores over my entire body.

Went to a dermatologist for the rash and sores. She took a biopsy and the report stated I was allergic to something. Had to use 4 anti-itch medications and 4 pills to be taken internally. Rash never did completely clear.

After having a nuclear stress test, my primary care physician referred me to a cardiologist. My left circumflex artery was 90% blocked, so a stent was inserted.

So I should be feeling alot better with all this being done. NO!! Have had more problems since the stent.

Am going today to the dermatologist again for the rash and sores and am taking the Lisinopril so when the biopsy is done, the lab can check to see if this is the culprit.

Also, am going to my PCP today for the leg and back pain. Am going to let him know I will not be taking Lisinopril anymore. An alternative blood pressure medicine will have to be prescribed.

Thanks for all the information. I will update my situation as soon as I know what is going on.

I had moderate/severe psoriasis for 6 years and was on Enbrel for three months. It cleared my psoriasis completely and I didn't have a singe side effect!! Now I have new insurance and a new dermatologist and she won't prescribe me psoriasis because she says its too dangerous. My prescription creams don't work. Its been a year since I've been off of Enbrel and my psoriasis has came back with evengence. Argh!! GimmeSomeEnbrel!!

Well.... i have had acne throughout all of my teenage years and i thought that yaz would be the best way to control it even my dermatologist was saying how it should clear it up after 3 months.... i took it for 2 months and i wanted to kill myself... i gained seriously 10 pounds... i was hungry all the time i couldn't stop eating and i hate being hungry... i was depressed for no reason at all ... i was getting in fights with my friends? like that isn't me at all... even my friends were like do you think it could be the pill? it got me so depressed because i had gained 10 pounds in a month and a half .. when usually at school i lose weight from just walking around campus.. i normally have a very fast metabolism and for some reason now i can't lose the weight that i gained even though ive been off the pill for almost 2 months... !!!!! i really am hoping that this pill didn't mess me up .. because that would be sooo annoying! yaz was the death of me and i also noticed how my eye sight changed drastically .. i hated it! i hated that pill! it didn't clear up my skin at all!

(33yr) Was given Omnicef for an ear infection. After 3rd dose broke out with huge patches of red whelps. Stop taking, but then my joints started to ache and I had large knots on the bottom of my feet and hands. Diarrhea and vomiting, severe stomache cramps and low blood pressure... followed by antiphylatic shock. While I was in the ER the discovered I was also having a heart attack.

It has been 3 weeks and every time I come off the steroids, the rash and other symtoms return.

Has anyone else had similar problems.

I have been on prednisone on and off most of my life. I have sysyemic lupus and many other medical diagnosis--but I had a svere rash all over that didn't respond to PO steroids--even high doses--100 mg a day. I saw my dermatologist and she said the Kenalog wud clear it right up--not once did she mention ANY side effects. Now, I know me--and how I respond to medications. While on prednisone--I have to take sleeping pills, and anti-anxiety agents or I become truly psychotic. But I am telling you what--I have NEVER had such a psychotic--nervous reaction to anything. I was like a different person and taking 10 mg of valium, ambien and resperdal did NOTHING to combat theanxiety and psychosis caused by the kenalog---not sure if its metabolized differently than the PO steroids but I truly could not sit still for days after getting the injection. But I am telling ya--IT WORKED!!! In about 72 hours this horrific psoriasis looking rash was drying up and disappearing. I had no problem with it leaving a mark in my buttocks either--I just checked to make sure--but--this is a miracle medication--but the side effects are HORIYFYING!!!!!! iN FACT, i HAVE THE RASH BACK--MY pcp THINKS ITS FROM LUPUS AND ONCE AGAIN THE PO STEROIDA SRE DOING NOTHING--SO i AM GOING BACK TO THE DERMATOLOGIST TO GET ANOTHER SHOT--BUT WILL DEFIANTLY GET A PRESCRIPTION FOR xanax, valium AND ANYTHING TO MAKE ME SLEEP AND NOT GET THE PSYCHOSIS.Oh---it does causeyou to gain weight---I gained close to 25 pounds in 10 days and have yet to lose it. and I have been on steroids most of my life and not gained that much--EVER!!!!! And LASIX does nothing for the fluid retention and swelling. MY heart felt as tho it was gonna beat out of my chest--and my heart rate and blood pressure went sky high--and I am on caridzem 120, and toprol for HBP. If you can tolerate the side effects--than this medication will treat whatever ails ya!!!

I have had the Mirena for 1 1/2 yrs now. Within the past six months I have started to develop acne, all the while my period was starting to fade less and less every month. Now, the acne is severe and the periods are completely gone. I'm just wondering if this is all related. I have scheduled a appointment with a skin clinic, and also called my gyno. I am waiting on a reply from the nurse at the gynos office to see if I need to go on to the skin clinic, or if I just need to get this removed. I have never had more then a pimple or two on my face at one time. Now, I have them completely covering my hair line, almost like a rash.

Good grief. No wonder I'm so sick. This is only my third day on this med, and I'm nauseated and having hypoglycemic attacks. My dermatologist told me to take it on an empty stomach twice a day, which is hard for me because I'm hypoglycemic and get really ill when I don't eat.

And now this medication on top of it.

I swear she told me not to eat. I even have literature that she gave me that says "take on empty stomach, either one hour before eating or two hours after eating."

I started taking Doxy 100 mg July 2007 for the first time. At first I didn't link my side effects to the pills but after a break from taking it and started up again I finally out two and two together. First, it upset my stomach BIG time immediately after starting on it. I felt bloated and everything I ate upset my stomach--as the result of this I lost about eight pounds from just not eating anymore. I even went to see a GI doctor about my stomach problems! Who recommended I eat more fiber and get more exercise (I told her about all the meds I was on)! I also got sudden and very severe headaches, but the worst side effect of all is the extreme mood swings I had. I think I was going crazy and this almost ended my marriage...all of a sudden I developed low self esteem, constantly thinking I was worthless, fighting with my husband over the stupidest things and even contemplating suicide during the worst spells. I couldn't figure out why the sudden change- at first I thought it was the tough Chicago winter, since I am originally from a much warmer climate, because by this time I had been on doxy for about five months.
I was prescribed the medication to help clear up moderate acne on my back and my dermatologist gave me the prescription for a year, but never said come see me in a month, two months, etc to see how you;re doing. I am so glad that I stopped taking it in February 2008 --- my moods suddenly got better, I was myself again, I started eating again, my GI problems disappeared...and then...in April I started taking it again because with summer coming up again I wanted my acne to clear up- BIG MISTAKE! Within days of starting again my stomach started being upset all the time regardless of what I ate. After the first month I was feeling depressed again, hating myself and not knowing why--this is when i finally figured it out...and decided to stop...I'd rather have pimples on my back than feel the way this medication make me feel, which is pretty much miserable!

My daughter 8 has been on Advair 3 years for asthma. Prior to, she was always a happy little girl, fit and healthy.

Some of the new things I noticed as the months progressed were severe mood swings, weight gain, and unexplained reoccurring rash on her feet,legs and thighs. They appeared like Mosquito bites and turned into blisters, not the pediatrician or even an Dermatologist could diagnose it, yet it would appear almost monthly. She has complained of "bubbles" in her eyesight, she developed this squinting, we had her eyes checked several times by eye doctors but told there was nothing wrong.
She has also experienced blackouts, after extensive tests a Neurologist concluded that she had Aura (sp?) migraines and referred to her squinting as a tick.
I feel like I have lost 3 years of my child's life that I cannot get back. She finally has been weaned off it. It has been only a few days with no Advair. I hope for no lasting adverse affects.
My 5 year old daughter has just been diagnosed with asthma and I noticed he is no longer prescribing Advair for children, I would refuse it, if he did.
Veronica, CT

Wow! Mirena hasn't been good to 90% of the people who posted. I am 21 yrs old. I have a 10 months old, and I had Mirena placed in November 2007. It wasn't a painful procedure. I did cramp and had spotting in the beginning. Long periods seem to come in spells for me though. At first I went 3 months without a period. By the third month, I was either bleeding too much, or wanted sex really bad. The bleeding stopped, so I was ok. Then it started again and was consistent for about a month. Whenever it stops I have sex, and within two says spotting starts. I also experience unpredictable bleeding. I think it's going to end, but it gets heavier. Buying tampons all the time is getting expensive. Not knowing what absorbency to buy is very frustrating. I can't go to the doctor much because MEDICAID will only pay to have it removed. I talked to a nurse and she said the spotting may be caused by a low grade infection. I can't wait till my benefits kick in at work, so I can see my doctor! The nurse did suggest taking a round of antibiotics. Since doing so, the bleeding stopped. I honestly think it's the hormones. I'm taking antibiotics my dermatologist prescribed to balance my hormones. I'm thinking about having it removed. I know I'm not good at taking pills, that shot made me gain 30 lbs when I tried it, and I won't go near the patch. Maybe an older mom who has experienced Mirena can give me a little advice. I'll be waiting for your response.

Thanks in advance :)

I had the Mirena fitted in April 2005 because of bad pms and heavy periods. I thought it was great at first not to have the periods, and the pms noticeably subsided for a good 18 months. By that stage I'd put about 4 kgs on, which was starting to niggle me. I worked really hard to keep my weight stable. During the next months up till removal 2 weeks ago I experienced aching joints, particularly back and knees, loss of libido, tiredness, the return of the pms symptoms, and acne as bad as I'd had it as a teenager. When I went to see a dermatologist, it was he who pointed out that this was a major side effect of the Mirena, so when I searched on this on the internet, I was amazed how many women had got the same problems as me. I had started thinking that now I'm 42 I must be over the hill or something.
I had it removed 2 weeks ago, and although my weight hasn't changed, I feel lighter on my feet. My back ache has gone, and I feel much more energetic.
I know other women who have the Mirena and have not been affected in the slightest by these negative symptoms. I guess it's just the way your body reacts. Fortunately I didn't need to ask twice to get it removed, since I understand some gyne's seem to reject the connection between the symptoms and the Mirena. Problem is, it's difficult to find a birth control that suits me. I'm definitely leaving the hormones alone in future.

Been a rough last few days for me. It's been 2 months since removal and I felt I was getting better but again once a day I've been feeling 'uneasy' almost to the point of anxiousness but it passes. Have continued to have daily headaches- that hasn't stopped since a week or two before I got it taken out. and the vertigo seems to have returned, just not as bad. Still trying to understand the link between sinusitis and mirena but it's still here. Been very emotional and easily angered. My first cycle did start May 1st so maybe it's about that time. Thoughts?

So frustrated with this whole experience. Just need some reassurance/encouragement. No one in my daily life understands.

My dermatologist recommended and gave me a sample of Neutrogena Healthy Defense SPF 45 after I had a treatment for a pre cancerous spot on my nose. I first purchased the SPF 30 as the SPF 45 was not available. I used the SPF 45 sample and the SPF 30 for two weeks with no problems. I then found the Neutrogena Healthy Denfense SPF 45 with helioplex and purchased it. Within two days of use I broke out in a horrible itchy, burning, red rash with watery looking bumps and dry skin all over my face and neck where the helioplex had been applied. I do not have sensitive skin and have never experienced this reaction to any other product. I reported this reaction to my dermatologist who recommended I discontinue use of the SPF 45 (duh!). I am on day three of the rash and it has not diminished although some of the bumps have scabbed over. I saw no warning on the packaging of side effects. I agree that the helioplex needs to be researched for these side effects and the consumer needs to informed.

I have been taking 100mg Doxy twice a day for a week now. I'm really glad I found this site because I have been exhausted and I couldn't figure out why. I now know it must be the Doxy. I am taking it for an acne infection. I had been on birth control pills plus spironolactone for over two years- the combination of those two things had totally cleared my skin- so I foolishly decided to go off the birth control and spironolactone thinking my skin would be fine... well two months later my face started breaking out and by the third month I had severe cystic acne on my previously flawless skin! SO the dermatologist put me back on birth control pills and spironolactone, but since that would take at least a month to start working, he also prescribed the Doxy to clear up the infection faster. (I'm providing all of these details in case anyone else is taking Doxy for acne) so I started the Doxy and I think it was by the 4th day or so that I started feeling really tired. I've taken a nap every day for the past few days, AND slept all night. I was going to the gym daily but I could only do half my time on the treadmill last time I went and I haven't gone in two days. I'm also depressed- two days ago I cried three times that one day, yesterday I cried once. I'm just feeling sorry for myself etc- depression for no reason whatsoever. I had been feeling really good about myself all last month- going to the gym, feeling happy & high form the exercise endorphins, finally losing weight, etc, so I know there is NO reason for this tiredness and depression now other than the doxy. Just thought I'd share this because reading all of these posts has really helped me to see that it is just the drug. I will try very hard to force myself to go the gym, even if I can only do half as much. Also, my skin is SLOWLY getting better, but still have another week to go I think. The dermatologist said to take doxy for a month, but I will plan to stop as soon as my skin is clear- hopefully just one more week or two at the most. When my skin is clear I'll take it for one or two more days just to make sure the infection gets totally knocked out, but then that's it, so hopefully I can take it at least one week less than prescribed.

About feeling sick and the sore throat/ "stuck in throat" feeling- I cant stress enough to take it with lots of water and food, standing up, and don't lie down! First of all about feeling sick- I thought I was going to throw up for HOURS one time when I didn't take it with food- horrible feeling!! But this is even worse- about 15 years ago I took doxy and had to go to the hospital because I couldn't breathe, couldn't swallow, and had a splitting migraine headache etc... it had gotten stuck in my esophagus and took days for the symptoms to subside. It took the doctors forever to figure out it was the doxy. You would think I'd never take it again after that, but I know the throat symptom happened from taking it with very little water right before I lay down to go to bed, because I remembered doing that- and I woke up the next day with all of those problems. I still get a little bit of a feeling that I can't swallow as well as I normally can, but it's not that bad- sort of like when you are trying not to cry and feeling "choked up" or with "a lump in your throat"- that kind of a feeling. I think others have described this too, and it's unfortunately normal, to an extent. If it is truly annoying it might be as bad as it got for me 15 years ago, and you should see a doctor because when it was truly stuck in my throat it got worse before it got better.

Hope this helps others.

I am also experience hair thinning while on Wellbutrin. I have had blood tests and there is no other detectable cause. The dermatologist said that she was only able to diagnose as possibly hereditary. However, I began noticing it shortly after starting 300mg of Well XL and then noticed increased thinning when I went up to 450mg. I don't take any other medications at all.

I searched the Wellbutrin prescribing information (a pdf on the official Wellbutrin website) and this is all I can find:

Other Events Observed During the Clinical Development and Postmarketing Experience of Buproprion

Adverse events for which frequencies are not provided occurred in clincial trials or postmarketing experience with bupropion. Only those adverse events not previously listed for sustained-release bupropion are included. The extent to which these events may be associated with Wellbutrin XL is unknown.

Skin: Rare was maculopauplar rash. Also observed were alopecia, angioedeme, exfoliative dermatitis and hirsutism.

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

Alopecia is hair loss. All that means is it was reported and they didn't do a study that would have produced data with which they could measure the likelihood that it is a Wellbutrin side effect. In other words, people said they were experiencing it but they can't confirm it.

I just dropped down to 300 mg and I'm contacting my shrink about tapering off completely - I feel like dealing with scalp showing through and feeling horribly self-conscious and unattractive because of it is not going to help my depression and self-esteem issues any.

I'm a woman by the way - the number of reports of hair thinning in women seems significant to me. I have no family history of thin hair on the female side that I know of.

I received my first shot of Gardasil in January 2007. It could have started sooner, but about a month later my hairdresser noticed a bald spot in the back of my head. I rushed back to my ObGyn and asked her if the Gardasil could be the cause as nothing else had recently changed. She said that she had not heard of this, but she referred me to a dermatologist. I asked him if my hair loss had anything to do with the Gardasil. He replied that I had Alopecia areata and one thing had nothing to do with the other. He advised that I continue with the Gardasil and that he would start treating me for the alopecia. I wish that I would not have listened. I don't know what would have happened if I had stopped then, but I didn't I proceeded with the treatment to the end now over half of my head is bald!!!
I don't know what to do. I keep going back to the dermatologist for treatments for the alopecia, but it just keeps getting worse.
If anyone has had a similar experience and would like to share or has found some other treatments that work, please post a reply.

Melissa

I am also a victim of having the Kenalog injection administered over 8 months ago to alleviate poison ivy itching symptoms. Prior to having the injection, I was not informed of any side effects. Not only did the injection not alleviate the symptoms, but has resulted in a discolored and uncomfortable indentation in my left buttock area and psychological anguish because of disfigurement of my body. It is 8 months later and the indent appears to continue to deepen and lengthen. The dermatologist who administered the injection stated that there was nothing I could do to reverse such effects. I reported my case to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) Med Watch. I urge others to report their adverse event to the FDA--just click on this link and complete the form: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/. The FDA is responsible for assuring safety of medications. Therefore, it is imperative that the FDA recognize the adverse effects to provide any credibility to a class action suit. Please consider forwarding your case to the FDA to force them into action and begin addressing these atrocities. Such documented cases and recognition by the FDA will provide leverage for attorneys in pursuit of a class action suit.

I received my first Gardasil shot on May 5, 2008 and about two days later I began to notice I was losing a lot of hair. I didn't fret because I had just gotten done taking finals and had been stressed to the max. I figured it was just my body responding to the stress. I have a lot of hair so it didn't phase me one bit. A week progressed and I would lose gobs of hair when I took out my hair band, brushed my hair, washed my hair, dried my hair. Now May 17, 2008, nearly 2 weeks later, my hair is half of what it used to be. I am freaking out. When I say I have lost alot of hair, I mean I can ball up the amount that comes out after a typical shower and it is about the size of a golf ball. I have not introduced anything new in my diet, nothing has changed, and I am not stressed. I am convinced this is due to Gardasil. Has anyone else experienced hair loss? If so, for how long? I am really scared.

Have any of you developed Leukemia after taking Yasmin? Or do you know some one who has developed it and they just happened to be taking it at the time? Any feedback would be appreciated.

I'm 16 years old, I started taking Yasmin on November 3rd, 2007 as prescribed by my dermatologist.
I noticed that even after my period was over(my period came on November 3rd) I started spotting afterwards, for the WHOLE month. It eventually subsided when I started a new pack. I guess they did make me feel moody and to go along with it I had to deal with a bunch of stress. Prior to starting Yasmin, I was also using diet pills which really worked, and after starting Yasmin I noticed that I just retained my weight or gained probably 5 pounds of water weight?
And I guess I'm being taken off of it when I'm finished with my current pack.
Reading all these responses made me feel better about it all, I guess I wasn't the only one on the same page with the symptoms. :D

Like most of you state in your posts.........I cannot begin to describe how relieved I am to have found this site. I honestly thought I was losing my mind. I had Mirena placed in December '06. It was uncomfortable during the actual procedure, but not too bad. Then within a day or two I was in severe pain and bleeding like crazy with severe lower back pain. I was told to take ibuprofen and allow my body to "adjust". I went for my follow-up ultrasound and the placement looked fine although I was still bleeding like crazy and very uncomfortable. After several more calls they brought be back in for another ultrasound, told me that my uterus must have gotten bacteria in it during placement and that I had an infection. They sent me home on antibiotics and pain medicine. I bled pretty regularly for 6 months straight accompanied by lower back pain, fatigue, and headaches. Finally the bleeding let up only to be followed by a multitude of other nasty side effects. Depression, anxiety, fogginess, forgetfulness (severe), waking up with headaches every morning, nausea (to the point that I can't tell you how many pregnancy tests I've taken), weight change (redistribution, thicker waist, tummy, and hips even though actual number only changed by about 5 pounds), feeling swollen and bloated when I wake up in the morning, NO libido whatsoever and feel like crying during sex because it's nearly impossible to reach orgasm (this has never been a problem previously), hair loss (becoming more noticeable over time), dandruff, boil-like acne on my face and back, dry eyes and blurred/double vision, chronic yeast infections and dryness in that area too. The list goes on and on. I went to three different doctors and had tons of bloodwork done, all came back normal (thyroid, hormones etc....) I was told over and over that it couldn't be the Mirena. HA! How can this many women be delusional? I called last week and got an appointment for May 20 to get it removed. After reading this forum my husband called the doctor himself and I don't know what he said, or how he managed to do it.........but I'm going in tomorrow morning at 10:20 am to get it removed and you better believe I'm going in armed with this website and others I've found. Physicians need to be more aware of this! Even if it's not common, it's miserable for the 1 in 1,000 woman who gets the worst of the side effects. It's literally ruining my life and my marriage. It's impossible to be a good wife and mother when you feel terrible everyday.

-Amanda

My Mirena was placed on Oct 8th 2008. I had a very painful insertion. Since its placement I have had frequent yeast infections-one almost every other month. Prior to it's placement I had not had a yeast infection in years! I also bleed for the entire first month.( just enough to be annoying). Then every 2 weeks. Then another full month. Now every 2 weeks. In month six my breasts became extremely tender, swollen and itchy for the week before I began bleeding then just past the 6 month mark I have developed what seems to be an eczema rash on both of my legs ( this can be a side effect). I have never had eczema before and some days my legs itch so badly they burn. I had called the Mirena company to report the bleeding and was told that this was not unusual for the first 6 months. I have not yet spoken to them about the rash but plan to this week. On my last call they asked we what I thought of it as birth control and I told them "who would want to have sex while bleeding like this". I plan on seeing a dermatologist and if this is eczema this will be the last thing I can deal with. I strongly feel that the company owes us some money in refund for a product that can't be tolerated for even a year when it was sold as a 5 year birth control for over $500.00 !

I am a nurse and right now I cannot say I recommend the Mirena. I will probably soon have it removed.

Here's a question- What are we supposed to say to our doctors to take this seriously and stop treating it like it's in our heads. Should they check our hormone levels? Have any doctors or nurses ever posted here?

I was on Minocycline (a cousin to Doxycycline Hyclate) for years. I’m not sure how long exactly as I didn’t write down the date that I started, but I believe I have been on it around 3-4+ years. Well I went to a dermatologist and he instantly looked at the outer area of my arms (just above the elbow) and recognized I am suffering from skin discoloration, and prescribed Doxycycline, and told me to stop taking Minocycline right away. I also have this blue-gray skin discoloration on my back near my shoulder blades. I took my Minocycline for the next two weeks till the Doxycycline came in then stopped the minocycline, and started Doxycycline on Sunday. I take a 100mg pill twice daily with a meal, and thus far have had no issues. Keep in mind that I have been on Minocycline for the past 4 years or so and maybe I’ve been suffering similar side effects on that drug, thus I would be unable to see the difference with Minocycline’s cousin Doxycycline. I am pretty sure the first year or two that I was on Minocycline I was depressed (other things in life may have contributed to this depression, but now that I see all of these people saying they have had mood swings, I must state that I have had many more mood swings in recent years then I ever remember before being on these meds). I have also been extremely sleepy the past few years. I used to NEVER be able to fall asleep in public, but (I believe about the same time I started Minocycline) I gained the ability to sleep anywhere. Now I mean, anywhere. I can sleep even after I get anywhere between 6 and 14 hours of sleep. I have had approx 7-9 hours of sleep on average for the past 6 months, yet am always tired. I can’t remember the last time I haven’t been sleepy, and have had many doctor visits to attempt to discover the reason for this, but hadn’t read the side effects of Minocycline. I’ve still been pretty sleepy since Sunday, but I’ll hope that this Doxycycline isn’t as bad. Anyone else have a similar issue, where you used to be awake, but now you are always sleepy (wake up in the mornings a bit dizzy and confused), and have a hard time concentrating on one thing at a time?