Doctor friends symptoms and conditions

I was prescribed Levaquin 500 mg daily for a persistent sinus infection
thirteen days ago. I am rarely worried about taking a drug my doctor prescribed but after reading the precautions and side effects I was concerned. I decided to wait until I checked with some doctor friends of mine who said not to worry because if even one person in a million has a problem they must post it. Now I'm so sorry I listened to them. My hands
are so swollen and feel prickly and painful. They have been like this for the last three hours, which is the reason I went online for information about this drug. Now I realize why my legs have been so painful and why it's so hard to use my legs to squt down and then stand. For days now I have
had trouble with my legs hurting as I go up and down the stairs in my house (lots of stairs!). I am very fit, 110 lb., take yoga and have a extremely active lifestyle so I knew something was odd but kept
thinking it would go away. I try not to be a whiner! I also had (have) sweating and itching (even behind my knees), back pain and neck pain. Last night I only slept 3 hours and felt anxiety so I just got up and started working. I finally had the time and tons of snow here to go sking but I just felt too weak to go! No wonder I felt (feel) depressed!!!!
UNLESS YOU ARE GOING TO DIE WITHOUT THIS DRUG DON'T
TAKE IT! I can't believe this is used as a out patient medicine, I would
think it would be used as a last resort before death in a hospital!
Jamesville, NY S.

My doctor prescribed 25 mg Topamax every evening for headache prevention. I had headache and nausea for several days before starting the Topamax, then after starting the Topamax, the headache pain got worse and I also had pain in my back and ears. I did not get the tingling in extremities but noticed some decreased sense of feeling in my face for a few hours after taking the medicine. The pain got progressively worse then I became depressed and suicidal. I was convinced my life was so bad that I wanted to die. I take 100 mg Zoloft daily for depression and still feel a little depressed and was hoping Topamax would help with this, too. I took Topamax to help with headaches and depression and it made both much worse to the point where I was seriously suicidal. I stopped the Topamax after only 5 days and the pains and nausea have gradually decreased to the point where today I have been virtually pain free most of the day for the first time in 2 weeks. I read on the internet that there is an increased risk of suicide while taking anticonvulsants, but it's rare. I am convinced I am one of the very unlucky people who becomes suicidal on this medication. I have 2 beautiful children, a great job, excellent health other than headaches and depression, and plenty to live for. I still can't believe that less than a week ago I just wanted to die and didn't care about seeing my children and family ever again or ever getting back to my job that I love. It's so hard to believe a drug can cause that kind of thinking. I'm pretty sure my doctor doesn't think the Topamax caused me to be suicidal and has no intentions of reporting my case to anyone. I suspect it's not as rare as they say to become suicidal on this med, it's just not reported enough. I wouldn't be typing this if I were still taking Topamax because I would be lying in bed suffering in pain, sleeping, thinking about how good it would be if I would just die. I went for a CT scan of my brain soon after getting off this med and I remember thinking that I hoped I had a tumor or anurism so I could die. I found out today I don't have a life threatening illness and I am happy about that now and can't believe I was thinking such bad things only a few days ago. I hope doctors take more care in prescribing this medication to people who have a history of major depression because I'm afraid people are going to feel like I felt and kill themselves on this med. I think this drug is great for some people and should be available, but people need to be warned that they may become suicidal and given instructions on what to do if that happens. I had no idea if I should go to the ER or call someone or what, so I just got people to watch my kids and called in sick to work and stayed in bed for a few days. I don't miss work often and am very committed to my job and my children are first in my life, so not being able to care for my kids or go to work made me feel so much more depressed. My doctor referred me to a neurologist and I hope to find some way to get relief from the head, neck, and back pain and the nausea. A few days ago I thought I would kill myself if my doctor couldn't find what was wrong with me and I felt terrible for no reason. Now I have hope. It's just not right that a drug can take away the ability to have hope.

Hi All,

I was diagnosed with dermatologists when I was 14 years old and put on very high dosage of prednisone to get my disease under control (40 mg a day at the beginning). My muscle enzymes were out of control (CPK was almost 8,500 when it should be s no control so I would suggest contacting doctors in Europe or Asia directly or through your doctor here in the states. Anyways, I wanted everyone to know that some people do get better and I wish you all the best of luck!

Hi Ladies- I promised I would post to let you know how I am doing WITHOUT Aviene. I posted the Sept. 10 comment entitled Thanks ladies because I felt your posts have helped me.

I stopped taking the Aviene on a Thursday and all side effects stopped and no new ones occurred. All is well, I enjoy life without being a freak show.

In a DAY AND A HALF WITHOUT AVIANE MY HEALTH RESTORED.

I mentioned the 20 pound weight gain within a few weeks, by the following Tuesday I lost 9 pounds and today is the 26th and I lost 15 pounds. No anxiety, no irritation, no face issues (in a week it cleared up), no mood or energy issues, no excessive thirst, burning of eyes, chills, fever, rashes, itchy -nothing. I was allergic to it and my body wasn't breaking down the coloring agents etc whatever the hell is in there b/c it's not like you get a box or product descriptions. This isn't personal comments, I spoke with pharmacists, doctors, doctor friends, nurses etc. I work at a hospital I have great resources to share with you.

Whatever your side effects are, let's do this. Let's listen to our bodies, listen to experiences and draw your own conclusions.

I know my body, I know myself, and I know my life changes, mood changes, physical changes were due to this pill.

Please consider when being worried about what will happen if you quickly go off it that the consequences of staying on it are more severe. For me, and for many of us, the side effects didn't stop but kept adding and if you are reading this and are just curious or feel something is off with you do not take it any further. I am sharing that I am not a sensitive person and do not experience side effects... and I completely broke down physically and mentally from the amount of side effects and had to self defend.

Many of your comments helped and let's face it if you read that some ladies lost their hair... come on... obviously something is wrong with this pill.

Take care ladies, my sincere hope is that my post will help you, as you have helped me.

So you know, I went back on Alesse and all is well. My drug company didn't cover Alesse but ALESSE HAS A PATIENT CARD FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE INSURANCE AND FOR THOSE WHO DO BUT THE COMPANY DOESN'T COVER ALESSE RATHER THE GENERIC AVIANE. Your patient Alesse card you get will cover the difference that your insurance company may not. I paid $ 2.89 for my monthly prescription which is less than if the insurance company covered it. Check with your pharmacy location site if they participate in the program and it is not hard to find one that does.

You may not like Alesse, I can only share my experience with Aviane that did make my life a living hell. Happy to be OFF it!

Please take care and self defend your situation and reach out to those around you.

Thank you so much for sharing all your stories! I had been on Ortho-tri for 13 years. (With headaches, low sex drive, crazy moods). Went of 3 years ago to have children. Within a month or so ALL symptoms were gone. Sex was wonderful again and i was not crazy.
So 3 weeks ago i get on Yasmin. Since i've had the joint pain mentioned (figured it was something else i guess), NO sex drive at all, blurred vision (had this before due to anemia), i'm so tired and sad it seems. I couldn't figure it out. Yesterday i started thinking it might be the pill. So i'm stopping the pill today and going back to condoms until my husband gets his vacetomey. I'd rather feel good and use a condom i guess.
I wonder if the low sex drive is due to the fact that the pill keeps us from ovulating?? I know i get really in the mood for about a week around the time i normally ovulate. Any thoughts on that?

Hang in there ladies! I guess having control over our bodies is not always easy..... :)
CB

STOP TAKING THIS PILL NOW AND PRINT OUT THIS WEBSITE AND SHOW TO YOUR OBGYN!!!!!! That is what I plan on doing on Fri. I am 27 yrs. old and have been on Yasmin for 2 yrs. Until I found this website, I thought that there was something seriously wrong with me and there is- This UNSAFE BIRTH CONTROL PILL. Over the past year I have experienced terrible panic attacks, anxiety, not to mention what I thought was colitis...daily stomach cramps,gas and diahrea, terrible nausea in the days directly following my last pill in my pack, heart palipitations, 5 UTI's in the past year, and about 7 yeasties, you name it. I began to suspect it was the yasmin recently when I realized that I have never experienced any of these problems before in my life, I was always healthy and happyand I was not taking any other medications. This is the only drug that I have been pumping into my body daily. It may as well have been poison at this point. I feel as if a lot of my life in the past year has been taken form me and it really pisses me off that they get away with marketing and selling this pill. It is important to give this evidence to your doctor when you go to see them. Do not let them tell you that it "may not be the right pill for you" It is not the right pill for anyone!!!! My very good friend began taking yasmin 5 months ago and in the last 4 mos. has had terrible migranes to the point where she has gone to see a neurologist. These pharm. companies just want to make money...they send reps out to doctor's offices and sing its praises and so doctors are none the wiser until we start to show them evidence that this pill is dangerous...doctors have other doctor friends that they will share this information with and so on and so on. If the FDA will not take it off the market, the doctors will at least stop perscribing it. Don't let others suffer as we have...