Dramatic change symptoms and conditions

I'm a 35 yr old stay-at-home mom of two who was diagnosed with mixed connective tissue disorder over three yrs ago. But since I was 18, I've had scleroderma & rheumatoid arthritis when I was 23. I never took any drugs for either one up until May 2008. Although the worst things I've gone thru over the yrs were weight loss, stiffness and limited flexibility. The most dramatic change was my facial features. I've had old friends from high school ask me if I had plastic surgery! Other than that, I was able to get pregnant twice and have two beautiful boys. When my rheumatologist diagnosed me with MCTD in 2006, two yrs after my first child, it was very upsetting to know that lupus and sjogren's syndrome was added to the mix, literally. She wanted me to take prednisone and plaquenil. I said no way. I told her I wanted to try for another child and didn't want any drugs to ruin my chances. She assured me that I could take both even while I breastfeed! So I left and ended up with my second boy in 2007. But admittedly, both pregnancies took a toll on my body, the first one with MCTD and then the second one, I had gestional diabetes. A few months after birth, I felt the arthritic flares and the fatigue and sluggishness coming on strong. Without doing any research about either drug, I did consider taking it after I stopped nursing my second child and thought okay, two children are it for me and now it's time to take care of me. I was given prednisone at 5mg daily May 2008 for that entire month. I was very scared but I did it. I just didn't do it consistently. I would skip a day or two..or three...or four days at times before I would take it again. The rheumatologist didn't give me any warnings about side effects, skipping the dosage or tapering off. After I ran out, I decided I couldn't go back on anymore. It did ease the stiffness in my joints and gave me more energy but the mood swings, faster heartbeat and more than normal anxiety did not help. In the next two months, I experienced serious cases of heartburn and acid reflux and a series of episodes when I would gag on a bite of food and had to jump a few times to get it down. I felt a rush of such fear every time it happened that I knew it was the absolute worse feeling I ever experienced in my life. Then the worst happened last August when I fell asleep one one night after having a chocolate chip cookie. I woke up and couldn't swallow. I started drinking water but it was coming back up and out of my mouth. I panicked and screamed for my husband to do the Heimlich on me but it wasn't working. We called 911 and I started downing another glass of water. By the time they got there, I felt the cookie go down. It was something I never wanted to go through ever again. I saw a holistic chiropractor who specialized in kinesiology and other little rituals. He discovered a problem with my adrenal glands and digestive system. Soon after, I saw a gastroenterologist, had an endoscopy and Barium swallow and the diagnosis was esophagitis. It significanty showed how thin it was getting and why I had trouble swallowing. As of last November I was scheduled to have a three hour endoscopy to have a tube go down my esophagus to widen it enough to be able to swallow again. I was too scared and so it didn't happen to this day. You see I like to go the natural route but it is an expensive one at that. It really is my gut instinct that tells me that drugs like prednisone are killing more people than helping people live. But I look back to the fact that I still didn't know anything about it, not like I do now, thanks to the internet and websites like this. Then here's an absolute doozy for you! I was fine for a few months, up until a few months ago in February. My knees were in pain and stiff as a board, my arms were not happy as well. I couldn't take it anymore so I actually went back to my very first rheumatologist in March, who I saw when I was 25 yrs old. He did x-rays and then pushed for the prednisone. I broke down and decided to take it again. This time at 10mg a day. Now I know this is nothing and so was the 5mg from last yr but being only 102 lbs at the time, my body was telling me that it couldn't handle it anymore. I took it consistently this time and for almost two months. The last two weeks though I started to skip again. I also decided that the RA was too old school for me so I went to see yet another RA at the end of April, the one who diagnosed me w/MCTD three yrs ago. I figured the first one never changed so maybe she got better this time around. She took me by surprise when I told her I was taking pred and that she wants me to stop!! She specifically said, "it's an immunosuppressant, that wouldn't work for you."! What a joke!! So she just said to finish it off and start on plaquenil, another drug I dreaded to take. Again, no explanations about side effects or tapering off, I had like three pills left and just stopped. As for the plaq, talk about short-lived. I took maybe three or four and that was it too! I was angry by all the RAs and how they operate. Just take this and don't worry about nothing else. I'll see you in a few months. Then you go home and forget about it. It is highly unlikely with what came next for lil ol me. The first week of May, a pain started in my right ankle. It was more like an annoying sore pain so I tolerated it. By the end of May, I was hobbling on a cane and watched my foot go from normal every morning to an inverted position, w/ the sole facing my left foot. It was swollen, painful and I couldn't put any weight on it. After thinking I was going through an arthritic flare, I said to myself that this was no ordinary flare I've had in the past. I thought of prednisone and how it started after I stopped taking it. The plaq was not in the picture since it takes months for it to take effect. THAT'S WHEN I FINALLY SAT MY ASS DOWN AND STARTED SURFING. After a good three sleepless nights of reading pages and pages of info about withdrawal symptoms, tapering off and stories much like the ones I've read here, I flipped out and went on a mental rampage. I put two and two together about the link between my esophagus and stopping the pred last yr. I have no doubt that the pred f'd it up! Now after seeing one orthopedist (who didn't deal w/the foot/ankle but didn't know), having an MRI which showed torn tendons and ligaments and then being sent to a podiatrist surgeon (BIGGEST MISTAKE TURNED INTO A BLESSING), who decided to take the conservative approach by having my foot casted in a straight position. It was a procedure that I had to be knocked out for since I couldn't bear the pain of anyone moving my foot. That was June going into July. Removal day was the 23rd and lo and behold, hello inverted foot again. Not only did the cast feel loose but I felt my foot turning in it! The blessing was that I didn't have surgery and I didn't have it w/ this damn doctor! He then felt I needed to see a neurologist to rule out whether I may have lesions elsewhere in my body that could be the cause of my foot inversion. I said sure I will see one but I'm not coming back to you! I went to see the doctor I was supposed to see in the first place, an ortho surgeon who specializes in the foot & ankle. But boy he threw me for a loop! Not only did he roll his eyes at the idea that prednisone was involved in this injury, but that MRI don't tell the truth and so I don't have anything torn!! Based on my autoimmune history, he wants me to see a rheumatologist to rule out arthritis as the culprit. He also thinks seeing a neurologist will be a waste of time. He also mentioned the possibility having RSD/CRPS. Google it, it's not GOOD! I honestly hope that's not the case since I'm not in any pain other than the stiffness and non weight bearing pain I'm already used to. This ortho is supposed to be one of the best in the nation and I don't know if I can trust him either! All I know is the prednisone should be BANNED. BLACK BOX THIS BITCH!!! If I had the power and money to go after the makers of this drug, I would run them down for every dollar. I have my 22 month old who was just diagnosed w/PDD recently and I get angry w/the memory of that RA trying to get me to take the pred and plaq before I got pregnant again! My almost five yr old is wondering why I have to walk around in crutches every day and that I can't go outside to play with them anymore. It's been almost three months of this ordeal and it's starting to really depress me, my husband is trying his best to take care of me and the boys as well as my mother and mother-in-law. I have a great support system but I still long for leisurely walks by myself and taking the boys out on my own. I can only go outside in a wheelchair after my husband carries me down three flights of stairs in a no elevator apt. bldg. Life has changed drastically! I'm trying to stay sane everyday for my boys' sake and for my husband's. I do want to mention one last and most IMPORTANT THING. A website: ****** I started taking it two months ago and it has helped me tremendously so far, regardless of my situation. I developed an enlarged thyroid nodule back in February which needed a sono guided biopsy to see if it was cancerous and it turned out to be benign with normal thyroid function as of last month. As for my foot, I don't know what I may have if it's not arthritis related but I hope that LDN is working on it as of right now. For all autoimmune disorders and some cancers, anyone here should take a look at the website and read more about it. Thank you for letting me share my story :-).

My son was put onto 4mg Singulair when he was three years old. He is now six years old. For the past three years he has been a very quiet child, to the point that people commented on how shy and withdrawn he was. He never wanted to go anywhere or do anything. His favorite activity was lying on the couch watching tv. He was always thirsty, frequently went to the toilet,often complained of a sore stomach & had several bowel movements every day, did not sleep well at night, was often grumpy, could not concentrate for very long, was frequently ill with cold-like symptoms and did not really like you to touch/hug him. At the beginning of the year he was diagnosed by an occupational therapist as having low muscle tone. In March of this year, his pediatrician increased his singulair to 5mg. He began having terrible pains in his legs, to the point that he would cry and be unable to walk to the toilet at night. I took him to my GP who did every blood test under the sun and x rays of his pelvis and legs. He could find nothing wrong. The only thing that had changed was the increase in Singulair. I had a look on the internet and found this website. I immediately decreased his dose to 1/2 a tablet for a week and then 1/4 tablet for a week before taking him completely off it. Within a few days our whole family and his teacher and therapist noticed a huge change in his personality! He talks all the time now, he laughs a lot, he loves playing outside and has lots of energy. He teacher says he is much more receptive at school. His occupational therapist says his muscle tone has improved. He has not had one single leg pain since coming off the medication. He is sleeping well at night, his stomach is never sore and he has not been sick at all. Not even one little sniffle!! Best of all he is a normal, affectionate little boy. I feel very angry with the manufacturers of Singulair and with his pediatrician, it feels as though my son has lost three years of being a child. He felt terrible all the time and I had no idea! I have told everyone I know who has a child on singulair to look at the side effects.

Last Tuesday, my son was prescribed Singulair by our pediatrician. He was also prescribed Pulmicort by nebulizer at the same time. Within a couple of days, I was noticing a dramatic change in his personality. He's only 21 months old and normally a very happy, lovable, easygoing little boy. He did a complete 360. By Friday, I had to take a day off from work, as I was too scared to send him to daycare. He took his last Singulair chewable tablet on Friday night. Saturday was his worst day by far. I was in shock by his behavior. He was extremely aggressive, punching and slapping anyone who came near him, he was throwing things, throwing himself into walls, etc, just completely out of control. I contemplated even taking him to the hospital, but then started doing some research online. I had my mother contact a pharmacist whom we trust, who advised for us to stop the Singulair, as if he was having any side effect, it would more than likely be from that. On Sunday, I started to see some changes in him. Yesterday he was getting back to normal. Today, he's that much better. We actually went back to the pediatrician this morning and I'm actually thinking of filing a formal complaint against the dr. as he basically swore up and down that his side effects weren't from the Singulair. Well as a parent, does anyone really think I'd want to put my child thru this?? It may be different if he had behavioral issues prior to this, but this came completely from left field. I am beyond upset right now, pissed off that this drug can be on the market. How many children have to be affected??? This is very scary to me. My son was only on Singulair 4 days, and I feel guilty and angry that he had to go through even that short period of time on the drug. And then to have a pediatrician basically discount me and say that it has nothing to do with singulair is a complete slap in the face! I won't stop speaking out against this drug and hopefully it will inform other parents of these harmful consequences!!!!

I have been on Singulair longer than I can recall... at least 10 years, maybe longer. My 7 year old son has been on it since he was probably 12 months old. Neither one of us have had any problem reported here. No depression, no sleeplessness (until I weaned him from naps, he slept up to 13 hours a day), no leg cramps, nothing. We are two of the happiest, most well adjusted people you could know. And, best of all, we haven't had any asthma attacks. Bottom line, different drugs react differently in different people. Don't let the post here stop you from trying a medication that for some could mean the difference between life and death depending on how asthmatic they are. As with any drug recommended by your doctor, try it. If you experience adverse reactions, stop it ASAP. It's that simple.

My son is 5 years old and has been on several different Medications for ADHD he is talking Vyvanse 50 mg for the last 9 mouths. I;m fixing to take him off of all of it because the side effects are worse then the ADHD.. He is cranky, no appetite, sad, and very bad facial tics.. He pops his jaws all the time and clears his throat every 5 seconds this is just crazy and I cant take it anymore... My poor baby... I just cant do this to him anymore. I'm going all natural.. and changing his diet..

I have been on Topamax for about two years for migraines, and was very pleased that after the first month or two, most of the noticeable side effects (dizziness, flat-tasting soda, etc.) disappeared, and the Topamax has been very effective in cutting my migraines in half. However, I've recently begun to question whether other health problems I've been experiencing are actually Topamax side effects and I just didn't realize it.

The first is intermittent stomach troubles that have been ongoing for the last year. Starting last January, I started experiencing diarrhea, stomach pain, and other persistent gastrointestinal problems, and through online research, I decided that it was probably either a spastic colon or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I lost 15-20 lbs. in the spring and summer, but the problems would always recede before I took them to my doctor, then resurface just long enough to irritate me before disappearing again. It never occurred to me until recently that these could be Topamax side effects.

The other possible side effect that I assumed was an unrelated problem is interruptions to my sleep pattern. I have been experiencing some occasional bouts of sleep paralysis, and which researching this, read that in normal sleep patterns, one is supposed to enter REM sleep (when dreaming occurs) after about 90 minutes. I frequently enter into dream sleep in as short as a 20-30 minute nap, which does not seem to be normal. Again, researching this, the only two explanations that came up were narcolepsy, which I obviously do not have, and that my normal sleep patterns are being interrupted "by medication." So I'm back to wondering if it's the Topamax. Has anyone experienced similar sleep symptoms?

my 6yr old daughter was put on singulair at the age of 4 she had a reaction to nuts and had the allergy testing she was put on singulair and claritin and nasacort .(so she has been on the medication now for 14 months) about 3and 1/2 weeks ago she quit eating we had her to the dr several times they said it was all in her head that she could eat if she wanted to.she was then put in the hospital for 4 days they did the scope down the stomach found nothing i took her off all her meds because i didn't want her taking them with no food in her. she came home from the hospital and i put her back on the meds as the doctor requested and within 2 days she was crying non stop hitting me and telling me that she wanted to kill herself and everyone around her.she was putting her fists in everyines face and was very angry.she would cry and tell us that she didn't know why she was so angry.we took her back off of the meds because we were treating her for the stomach acid from not eating and within 4 days she was like a new kid.she is now eating ..happy ..and doing good in school..this is the 3rd time this yr on this med that she has quit eating we were told that it was all in her head .after reading everyones comments on here i called her doctor today and he said it could be the medication but they would have to put her back on it to check and i refused.no more singulair or clairitin for my children

I can't even type fast enough to describe how astonished (and relieved) I was to run across NUMEROUS web sites with women describing the same symptoms as have been perplexing me the past few weeks. I had the marina iud inserted a little over a month ago and the past couple of weeks I"ve noticed such a dramatic change in myself, but couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. Depression, lethargy, extreme irritability, mood swings, cramping, back pain, swelling in my abdomen, abnormal and irregular bleeding, headaches, nausea, dizziness, lack of motivation, reduced interest in sex...these just top the list. I thought maybe I was pregnant again, but knowing that it wasn't possible when you haven't had sex because I've either been bleeding, in pain from cramping, irritable, or just couldn't get "excited". These are all things that I've never experienced before and I cannot place blame to post partum depression because I had 6 weeks post partum that I felt "normal"....energized, happy, motivated, patient...all the things that are "normal" to me. I wish I had done further research about iud placement before I decided to go with this form of birth control, but the pamphlet made it sound so dreamy and my doctor swore by the thing. Before this thing does any permanent damage to my body, or my relationships; I'm having it removed. Pregnancy is a better option for me at this point (at least without the iud I wouldn't be so frustrated with my children!) I couldn't imagine dealing with these symptoms for years. I've read of women even being driven to attempted suicide and being on the verge of divorce. NOT ME....I knew from the beginning I had a bad feeling about getting the iud....and I wish I had listened to my intuition!

My eight year old son, who has asthma and has been taking Singulair since he was three, has been off Singulair for four days and is becoming a completely different little boy! He has always been a "difficult child" with intense emotional reactions to things, anxiety, oppositional behavior, a short fuse and bad temper. He has also displayed obsessive/compulsive behavior. His father and I never thought that his behaviors and symptoms were caused by Singulair. His pediatrician never suggested it. With a family history of anxiety, we just assumed it was the way he was. At four, his preschool requested he be tested for ADHD. The testing revealed a short attention span but not a diagnosis of ADHD. As he got older his symptoms grew more intense. Last year we considered taking him to a psychiatrist but decided to "wait it out" one more year to see if maturity would bring an end to some of the behaviors. It didn't and in fact they grew worse. He became aggressive, explosive and depressed.

I recently began taking Singulair for another medical condition and had noticed that it made me a little moody. Last week, on the verge of making an appointment for my son with a psychiatrist, I started to wonder if maybe he was reacting in a similar, yet more intense way to the Singulair. I reviewed the patient information on line (I had read the patient info for Singulair when my son started taking it, but had not done so in years. I learned a tough lesson: check the information that accompanies prescriptions each and every time I get a refill.) When I read what the "less common side effects" were I was convinced that my son was reacting to his medicine. Then I found this website. We stopped his Singulair immediately and within two days began seeing a dramatic change in our son. He was less high strung, defiant, and explosive. Yesterday we had a cookout with some friends and he played with other kids all day without fighting for the first time in his life! He even cooperated when we asked him to help us get ready for company.

I strongly believe that this medicine should not be given to children and teens. I am so upset that when I asked my son's pediatricians about his behavior TWICE last year, they never mentioned that Singulair could be the problem. I called today to tell them he wasn't taking it anymore and the nurse said that she would note that he is "allergic" to it in his chart!

We are exploring alternate and natural ways to treat our son's asthma. I will NEVER give him Singulair again!

FYI: the labeling for his albuterol inhaler states that "safety and efficacy have not been established in patients under 12 years old". His pediatrician has been prescribing albuterol inhalers since he was three!

Does anyone have information about herbal inhalers and naturopathic treatment of asthma? If so I would like to hear.

Have been experiencing the same serious behavioral issues (screaming, launching every toy he has out of his room, knocking over his night stand, hitting, kicking and just being hateful) with my 4 year old who has been on Singulair for 2 years as I'm noticing many of you have here. My wife and I have a wonderful relationship and happy home and tons of love and support from other family that's close buy so the kid has a very nice environment. We have taken him off the medication as of yesterday. I have consulted his doctor but I'm anxious to hear what methods of treatment for the asthma all of have chosen in replacement of Singulair or did you just maintain with an inhaled maintenance program with something like Pulmicort? Also, how long was after taking your child off of Singulair did take to for the outburst to subside and the behavior to become more mellow and normal (what is normal for a 4 year old?). Any info would be greatly appreciated.

My 10 year old son has asthma. His inhaler is not working so the Dr. put him on Singular yesterday. I had him take one right when we got it. I then dropped him off at a friends house. Around 2pm I picked him up. He fell right asleep when we got home. He woke up crying. He proceded to cry & be totally unreasonable for 5 hours (until bedtime). He told us he didn't want to play football & he didn't like it (this from a kid who lives for football). He then proceded to call his coach & quit football. We tried to console him but there was no consoling him. This was all after being on it for less than 12 hours. I think the only reason we noticed this dramatic change in demeanor was because his is normally a very good kid & he instantly became uncontrollable. I then called his friends mom & according to his friends older sister he was 'out of it' for most of the time he was there & kept asking the same questions over & over. Needless to say he will not be taking another Singular pill! I have notified my son's Dr. of this & hopefully they will report it to the company.

My doctor prescribed me with a genetic of wellbutrin called Budeprion. Almost immediately, I noticed a dramatic change with my personality and body. I was very emotional and had extreme mood swings. At first i thought it was just a few bad days, but after a week of crying all the time, and getting upset at almost anything, something was not right. When my boyfriend would ask me what was wrong i couldn't give him an answer, because i had no idea myself. I also had headaches all the time, which is very surprising since i was never one to get them. When i ever moved quickly, my head would be in immense pain and nearly every time i would be on the brink of passing out. Every once and a while the same reaction would occur in bright places due to my ( which of course they weren't before) sensitive eyes. Along with this my stomach pain went through the roof. More so, right after i would eat. I felt weak all the time and it was hard for me to do anything active. Which really upset me since im a runner.

With me this all happened within two weeks, ever since i started taking Budeprion.

My 5 years old son has been on Singulair for 9 months. His allergy symptoms have completely gone away. He’s no longer has his night time cough, bloody nose, and frequent croup due to allergies.
My life has been a living HELL from the moment I started this medicine. Before he was on this medicine he was always a pleasant, smart, well-behaved child. Right after he started singulair he began having temper tantrums, becoming increasingly argumentative, not listening. He gets mood swings like you would not believe cry and/or yell at us over the silliest things, kicking, screaming, nightmares, and became very physically aggressive. We were unable to take him places because we never knew how he would behave in public .He was extremely unhappy little 5 year old boy. He also complained of upset stomach and fatigue. Even his school complained about his behavior and they said that he might have PDD. After consulting with doctors we got the assurance that he does not have PDD, but we end up changing his school anyway.
Being a first time mom I never thought it was the medication, I thought it was just a normal behavior. I thought as a parent I must be doing something wrong! I couldn't believe that other parents have gone through the same nightmare.
Two weeks ago the doctor handed me a report about singulair and its suicidal side effect and ask me to stop using this medicine for a while. Since then I started to notice a dramatic change in our son's behavior. He woke up singing, laughing. He wants to help with chores. He is doing great with his school lessons, and very patient with everyone. He is now a more stable and friendly 5 years old.
Wow, I have a completely different child, and thank God I took him off singulair.
As parents, please let’s do something to stop poisoning our children.

My son, Wilson, is a bright, easy-going, athletic 12 year old who has a history of asthma and allergies. After several asthmatic episodes from age one year to about four, he was prescribed Singulair. The asthma triggers seemed to be change of season or congestion from a cold, but not from exercise or physical exertion. As I recall, his asthmatic episodes seemed to decrease after he was on 5-10 mg of Singulair, and even more so with each passing year. Over the years, of my three sons, Wilson was the one to catch any virus that came around and missed more school time than both of his brothers combined. Often, he was the only one to get sick from a virus, which never passed to anyone else in the family.
About five years ago, Wilson started complaining of stomach aches. He was tested and was prescribed Prevacid on and off since then with varying success. In the last couple of years, headaches would come and go. He was re-tested for allergies and blood work with no conclusive results. About 2-3 years ago he would complain that he “felt funny…like he needed to do something.” Further conversations revealed that he was expressing anxiety. He’s a good student, has lots of friends at school, and is popular among his sports team mates. Occasionally, a teacher here and there over the last couple of years would note that he did not participate enough in class, or did not appear to be attentive. We thought perhaps he is shy. Still his good behavior, agreeable personality and diligence otherwise earned him good grades overall. He loves school and was very unhappy having to stay home when he was sick.
This past winter, he seemed to catch a virus about once every month and a half which caused him to miss 2-3 days of school. Headaches and stomach aches were common with each illness (sometimes nausea), and sometimes these same symptoms when he was not ill. He would only complain when they were prolonged or significant. Trips to the doctor did not result in anything conclusive. Again, Wilson was only too happy once he returned to school.
He claims that sometimes in school he feels like he’s in a fog and has difficulty concentrating. He gets plenty of sleep and sometimes sleeps up to ten hours during the weekend. We attributed it to adolescence and a busy schedule. He claims that this year is the easiest for him at school, and his social life with his friends is very active. His friends’ parents like him and find him to be an agreeable child. Other adults mistake his sometime mumbling answers and lack of eye contact rude. We concluded that he is just shy. He is the most hyper of his brothers, and has difficulty sitting still and constantly exclaims that he’s bored. We chalked it up to being an active boy. His grades are good in school and we never get complaints about bad behavior.
The last illness started a week ago, and he’s still out of school. The doctor said he had no significant allergy symptoms, other bacterial infections, and his blood work all returned with normal results for white blood counts, liver and kidney functioning and anemia. He can’t return to school because of his constant headaches (which cause pain in different parts of his head), nausea, constant stomach aches, no matter what he eats, and feelings of anxiety, mostly in the evening hours. He’s also complaining of dizziness, leg cramps and other muscle soreness. The notable difference in this illness is the anxiety. My husband and I take turns staying home with him, but if we left him alone for a half an hour at a time while the other was in route picking up a sibling, he became very anxious. In the past, he seemed to enjoy some alone time at home so he could play his computer games. He also becomes easily dizzy with shooting pains in his muscles. The doctor said that viruses can manifest themselves in later stages in the form of sore muscles. However, he was concerned about Wilson’s feelings of anxiety. The anxiety had not been as prevalent in prior illnesses. I finally signed onto the internet reading all the stories about other parent’s observations of their children on Singulair. My husband cautioned me about “internet diagnosing” with symptoms and stories that can be easily taken out of context in hope of self-diagnosis. I’ve always thought that Wilson’s doctors have had good judgment. Both my primary physician and allergist don’t think that Singulair has caused these symptoms, but agreed to take him off as long as we monitored any effect on his asthma.
I don’t know what to think. I want the cause of these problems to be the Singulair, because it’s an easy answer. Today will be the first day he’s off the medication. He probably won’t go to school again tomorrow. We’ll wait and see what happens…

Hi all. I'm posting again after being off Advair for about a week. I've noticed a dramatic change in my emotional health. The anxiety that I've been suffering from for the last three months while on Advair has now entirely vanished. I feel like my old self again, and friends and family have also noted the difference. I won't ever take this medication again-- I'd rather deal with my asthma in a preventive way.

Our 4 year-old son was prescribed Singular 4mg tabs approximately 1 year ago and I started to notice a dramatic change in our son's behavior almost immediately. He progressively became more aggressive, suffered from very strange/intense dreams, cried easily, temper tantrums and became very physically aggressive. He also seemed to suffer from dramatic mood swings. He even tried to choke me several times. THIS IS NOT OUR SON!!! We sought out Professional Therapy thinking that it was emotional ties to his father being in Iraq. It was only after I (Pharmacy Technician), decided to investigate the drugs he was taking for allergies a bit further. I felt this "maternal instinct" if you will to discuss termination of the Singular with his doctor. I approach it from a decrease in meds for him at the time. He was taking Zyrtec, Singular and Nasonex. I tapered his dose for a period of two weeks. (This was my decision, please follow DR or Pharmacist recommendations for stopping this drug). We noticed a marked improvement in mood swings, sleeping patterns, attitude, house rule compliance. We agree that his therapy was responsible for some of these changes but it was only after we dc'd the Singular that we noticed a change in his overall being. He is now a more stable and friendly 4yr. old.
Trust your instincts as a parent. All drugs carry side effects and you must be well informed as a patient and a parent. Consider the side effects against the usage for the drug. This is our experience with the drug Singular and our Pediatric patient. We will not put our son back on this medication.

I just started taking Trileptal, and i am only taking 300mg a day right now. I can tell some difference in my mood swings and craziness, but I think I will probably have to go up in dosage to see a dramatic change.

II started taking Lipitor in August of 07. My cholesterol was 180 with my good always being low in the 30's. My first blood test revealed a dramatic change in my readings with my total being 144 and my good rising to 41. At the end of December I started developing a slight ringing in my ears which progressed into a stiff aching neck, burning eyes and equilibrium issues. As someone else describe having whip lash. I was told by my doctor that these are not side effects due to Lipitor. I have also developed a buzzy feeling in the nerve in my right calf with slight weakness sensation in my thigh. The symptoms are constant and exhausting to deal with. It has been six weeks since the onset of these symptoms. I was given an antibiotic for an inner ear infection but no change in symptoms. I have seen a neurologist which gave me exercises to do for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, wasn’t that. I am waiting to see an ENT in two weeks to see what he comes up with and then back to a different neurologist after that. I keep asking myself is it the Lipitor? I am going to stop taking it to see if these symptoms disappear.

I got the Mirena inserted in March of 2007. My midwife had warned me of bleeding in the first month but it lasted far longer than that. I also began to notice an increase in facial hair, acne on face, chest and back and a dramatic change in my weight. I have gained 20 lbs since May of 2007. I have been following a strict 1200 calorie diet and haven't been able to lose anything. My midwife has assured me that there is no correlation between the Mirena & the other symptoms so I decided to keep it in but during a routine Pap Smear the brush got tangled in the wire and pulled the IUD out. I'm starting to think someone must have been trying to tell me something. So here I am 2 days later w/o the IUD and I've been having heavy bleeding with lots of clots. I really don't care about the bleeding, I just want to lose the weight!!!

Snowflake, and others who want to know what happens after you stop, yes, I am MUCH better. (My original post was done on Oct. 31st.) My therapist has even noticed the dramatic change in me. Good to know the majority of my depression and severe anxiety was due to the NuvaRing. If I have an issue, it is nowhere near as bad as it was before. I have gotten my sex drive back, though haven't lost the weight yet. ;) Gonna have to work on that. I feel like my old self again and my relationship with my finance is getting better. Though a couple weeks ago, I had my first period off of it and after gotten a yeast infection. I have never had one before, and I am 25. I stopped it a little over a month ago, but it could take about 2 to 3 months for the hormones to fully be out of your system. So my advice to you would be next period, try something else. I am waiting a while until this is all out, then going to consider another option. Again, all birth controls affect people differently, so I am in no way bashing the NuvaRing. Wish it worked for me because it was convenient in other ways. Hope that I was able to help, and hope you feel better soon.

Hello everyone, I have been going nuts trying to find people who have had side effects from the Nuvaring. I used to be on the patch before that, but I am sure many of you have heard about the deaths that occured to some people on it, so I decided to switch to the ring. It sounded amazing, leave it in for 3 weeks and that is it. The patch also used to come off here and there, so this sounded perfect. Then the side effects started. The only thing I ever had from the patch was a like a 10 pound weight gain, fuller breasts, and a regular period. I didn't know there are many women who feel extreme anxiety from certain birth control. Just within the last few months, I figured out the timing, and about a month or so, maybe less, after I switched to the ring, I started having serious anxiety, nervousness to where at times I thought I was going to have a panic attack, feeling like I was going mad, every so often would have a breakdown, gained more weight and in places I never had before, occassional night sweats, occassional chest pains, though could also be related to anxiety, depression, crying many times a week, and some other effects. I just started counseling because my anxiety has hurt my relationship. I always had a healthy worry when it came to my fiance. Part of it is caused by my past, but nothing I couldn't let go. Now I have for about a yr and a half constantly think he is going to cheat on me, always think he is lying, checking his phone as I see someone else posted on here as well, etc. I also worry about my friends too, like when they don't return my calls soon, I worry they are mad at me. I started therapy because all of my friends and family thought I should because they all see the man I have, and I have lost sight in the beauty this relationship had. So I took the ring out almost 2 weeks ago so I could get my period, and staying off from now on. I know it takes a few months to get out of your system, so hoping the anxiety goes away. I have also lost my sex drive due to all this. I know I wrote a lot, but hoping to help out others with my post. I am glad you all posted, and thank you for making me realize I am not alone. Just remember, some other birth control can have the same effects, but not all. I may consider the pill after I let my body get over this. Good luck to you all, and for the ones who love it and have no bad side effects, i am happy for you. It is great because it is so easy, but unfortunately, can't use it.

I have been on Synthroid for about a year. I had high blood pressure and the doctor did a number of tests and found a thyroid deficiency. I started with 75 mcg and was moved up to 100 mcg.

I have gained weight in the last year - at least 15-20 lbs. It is all in the stomach. I look like I'm pregnant. It is very hard to get rid of! I am exercising my tail off, and giving up snacks, sweets, etc, and it's not going away.

I also never had problems sleeping but I do now. I'm glad I found this discussion group, because I see many others have had weight gain problems.

Severe hair loss/thinning. I've been on a low dose of prednisone for 11 years. My dose varies from 5/10 depending on the flare up. Before prednisoe, I had A LOT hair on my head.... thick, curly,healthy, shiny hair. I have about half the hair left on my head that I had before. It's now dry, brittle, lifeless, and damages very easy. It's hard to get any length on hair, because as it grows, it's breaks off...it's quite thin and has been ruined by prednisone.

My daughter is 5 years old and has been on singulair for 1 week. i have already noticed a dramatic change in her behavior. she has become irritable, mean, nasty, and emotional. she has had me in tears on a daily basis. she has turned into a monster. we will be calling the doctor in the morning!

God Bless u Guest 14258
I'm so very sorry u r going thru this. I was on pred. for 4 yrs. and was taken off of pred. on June 10th of this year and it was cold turkey. I was not advised of the emotional trauma I would suffer nor did they tell me of the physical withdrawal. Many times I could have easily packed a suitcase and run away, didn't matter that I had been marrred for 23 yrs. I never did that. although u go thru many feelings of despair. Find a doctor, anyone that will help u deal with the withdrawal of pred. and get your husband to listen to u or both of u go and talk to someone. This is not your fault and it is the pred. How long had he been on pred.? How many milligrams did he take a day? Print out some articles , anything and let him read them. I've never heard of such a dramatic change, but with pred., anything is pssible. I got to the point I didn't care about anything, couldn't get interested in anything. Now, things r so much better and I'm getting back to my old self. Did your husband gain alot of weight? I sure did. It's coming off now. Please don't wait too long to get him some help, anyway u can. Take care of yourself in the mean time. God Bless