Drinking alcohol symptoms and conditions

Hey Guys,
I'm new to all this but just wanted to share my story with everyone so I feel like i'm not so alone! I'm 23 and was diagnosed with SLE 3 years ago.
It started in my joints and then moved to my kidney's real fast. I now have stage 4 nephritis, finished 6months of cyclophosphamide in Feb and have been on no less than 40-20mg of pred for about 2years. Just when things were starting to look better it has stared in my blood so they are trying to up my dose again. It has thinned my bones so I am on special meds for that now too.
I know taking the pred is something I need to do to live but it comes at a really high price. I don't even look like the same person I used too because of the moon face. I know it's shallow but at 23 it is almost as bad as having to live with this disease. I now have really low self esteem and get anxious all the time, which is affecting my job. As much as I want to come off I also worry that I would have to stop work again as the pred is what keeps me going. All I want to do is get off it though! Anyone know any alternatives? Also, just wondering if you guys are still drinking alcohol while taking pred?
Thanks for listening guys!

Has anyone had any problems with drinking alcohol? I get extremely sick the next day, no matter how much I drank. It began after insertion of Mirena.

I'm 21 years old and I had a PE December 2008 (a week after my birthday) and spent the Christmas holiday in the hospital. They don't know what caused it. I started out doing lovenox shots (which was horrible) and then switched to Warfarin. I have not been able to stabilize my INR and I've had to go to get it checked at least every other week for 5 months. It's so draining. At first I did everything by the book as far as eating right, not drinking alcohol, not shaving my legs but honestly I'm getting fed up. I'm tired of having to restrict my diet so much and be tired and depressed ALL the time. I started shaving with a razor again a few months ago bc the electric one does nothing. I also go out to the bars with my friends a lot more but it's so hard to be a new 21 year old in a college town. I want to be like all my friends and go out and have fun without having to think about the consequences.
Supposedly, I'm finding out on June 17 whether or not I'll be on warfarin for life. Sometimes I think that if that is what the doctor says, I will tell him no! I just don't think I can do this forever. It doesn't get easier and none of my friends understand. They don't know how bad I wanna cry every time they say "At least you are alive." Give me a break...

I was absolutely miserable on lupron. It all started with a softball sized cyst on my L. ovary that burst and landed me in the hospital from the pain. I didn't even know it was there! The Dr. went in to take it out with the scope, and told me that I had stage 3 endometriosis. I never had any pain, so I find it hard to believe that I even had endo. At any rate, he told me in order for it not to come back, I would have to go on Lupron. He told me I may have some hot flashes and vaginal dryness..I read the brochure on it and I thought the side effects would be worth saving my reproductive tract.
I gained 30 lbs during my 4 months on lupron. The hot flashes were terrible, I would have 2 or 3 in an hour, drip sweat, and then freeze. The vaginal dryness was so bad it itched internally, I had to use massive amounts of lube to have sex--which was nearly impossible because my boyfriend couldnt stand to sleep with me constantly moving around, dripping sweat, throwing blankets on and off. I began to have anxiety attacks and terrible mood swings.

I wouldn't recommend this medication to anyone, ever. I was on the monthly dose,refused to stay on the medication after 4 months (June), and just finally got my period a few days ago. I still get occasional hot flashes, especially during or after drinking alcohol. I am doing about an 1 1/2 hours of cardio a day, besides using my bike for transportation, eat clean 90% of the time, and weight train a few days a week. The scale is not budging and I've been at that for about 6 weeks. It is frustrating to say the least. Does anyone know how long it takes your body to get back to normal??

I have been on Levoxyl for years. Have experienced all the side affects this medication has and then some more! My hair loss and thinning, depression, bone aches, headaches, fatigue, and much more...finally I asked the doctor is there was anything else out there in the market which had less side effects....there is a natural product which has been in the market for many years called Armour Thyroid (*******). All I know is that if I continued to take Levoxyl, I will most likely end up in bed for life...I am only 43 yrs old and would like to have at least "normal" energy for my age. There is NO reason I should feel a lot older and I know for a fact it is the medication. I have only been taking Armour Thyroid for just a few days but will report my well being in about the next 30 days. Since I was on 100mg of Levoxyl a day, am taking two grains of 30 mg a day for a total of 60 mg of Armour a day. In about 25 days I go for blood work to check levels, so far I experience a bit of nausea right after I take the "new" medication but it does not last all day. Hopefully, this new med will give me my LIFE back! Thanks for reading.

My daughter lost consciousness and went into respiratory distress...all because her doctor and her pharmacist did not stress the importance of NOT taking this drug while drinking alcohol. I looked throughout many drug books (I'm a nursing student) and there is VERY LITTLE regarding warning against taking this medication with alcohol. Get with it guys! This drug can be very dangerous! If my daughter's friends had not called 911, she very well would NOT be here today!

my husband has been on plavix for about 6 months. He had a heart attack and had a couple stents. He also was a drug addict hut he quit for 4 months he was doing good. unfortunately he started using again (methamphetamines) he also started drinking alcohol not a good combination. I was always telling him that he is trying to kill himself. Well he was feeling great according to him and he felt great, well just yesterday hi went to the restroom and he said that his urine had blood clot and blood. He said the doctor told him he had to quit using meth he said he swore he would. I'm not sure if he is telling me everything or if there is more to this. Has anyone wad blood clots in there urine? I understand these circumstances are different my husband being a drug addict but i need some help is it more than what he is telling me.

I've beentaking Ambien for several years and haven't had any terrible adverse effects. I've had some amnesia after drinking alcohol and taking Ambien, but my memory usually returns by the next day. I've also had muscle twitches and weakness & went to a neurologist for testing, but they found nothing wrong. I figured it was probably the Ambien. I stopped it for 2 weeks, once, but still had some of the symptoms. I've thought about trying to stop again, but I need to weigh the pros and cons. I actually sleep now, and generally have a lot more energy than in the past. I'm on a regular sleep schedule and can get 6-8 hours of sleep per night. I think I'll just deal with the side effects.

My son and I have both taken Welbutrin. I didn't really notice a lot of side effects. I know that it did not effect my sex drive which other meds did. I lost weight, lost interest in drinking alcohol, lost interest in smoking. Had more energy,
My son has had some different things happen to him. He gets real sharpe headache pains in the left top of his head. They come and go away within about 30 seconds. Has anyone ever had that problem? He tried getting off of the meds and experenced all these body pains. It drove him nuts so he went back on welbutrin. The body pains have gone away, but the head pains came back. The doctor said the head pains would go away if he took his meds regular.

A few weeks ago I reported many of the side effects so many of you have reported on. After several blood tests with my endocronologist, results came back normal. I have now been off Singulair for about five weeks and have noted only one improvement thus far: less headaches (especially after drinking alcohol--that being defined as one or two beers/glasses of wine. I think this has to do with less constriction of blood vessels in the brain).

I'm returning to my cardiologist next week. I'm thinking I may have what is called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome which can be described as a periodic low blood pressure disease that causes dizziness, faintness, ect. Many other symptoms of this disease have been mentioned on this site (including Shy-Drager Syndrome which is most scary). Doctors don't really know what brings on Pots but one suspicion is viral/bacterial or drug induced...jury is completely out on this, however).

Most notable is a sudden change in bp after stooping and standing up--bp drops, palpitations begin, extreme fatigue generally follows.

A table tilt test should help with the diagnosis.

Question: Are any of you familiar with Pots and/or have any of you experienced similar symptoms?

Thanks.

Fortuna

Hi, since I started Yasmin in March I have been getting stomach aches and recently they have become more frequent. They usually start when I am eating or drinking alcohol, after a few bits I begin feeling nauseous and my stomach hurts. Sometimes it gets to the point where it just knocks me out, I don't move because I might throw up and my stomache won't let me...it's not fun. So I was just wondering if this could be from yasmin? I am especially concerned because my 21st birthday is coming up and I would like to enjoy it.
I would love some feedback! Thank you!

2 weeks on Topamax and really ill with the fact beer tasted like liking metal. So I drank a few liquor drinks for the fourth of July- I only drink probably once every three to four weeks when we get together with friends. Got violently sick after four drinks- throwing up. Never done that before- so I guess soda, alcohol and food are out of my life- Wonder if I can tell my husband NO SEX is a side-effect because it will cause violent bouts of vomitting. Smile- what a trade off- migraines daily or side effects?????? Damned if you do- damned if you don't- but on a brighter note- these are things I can live with unlike cancer, parkinson disease etc. Just wondering if anyone else having marked side effect from drinking alcohol while taking the topamax?

I have been taking 1g Niaspan for about 2 years for cholesterol. Here are the things that I have found that increase or decrease side effects:
1. Taking an 81mg asprin 30 min before reduces flush. 350mg doesn't do any better than 81mg.
2. Energetic excercise (30 min on stationary bike or treadmill, cardio, weight training) especially after taking niaspan, reduces side effects.
3. Drinking alcohol as much as 12 hours before taking niaspan greatly increases side effects.
4. Eating fatty foods before taking niaspan increases side effects.
5. Drink a large amount of water (16 - 32 ounces) with niaspan dose.

The alcohol and fatty food items may be realated to and affect liver function, which can be affected by niaspan. Alcohol is also a major contributor to triglycerides. If you are trying to lower your cholesterol, leave the beer and booze alone.

T.R.

Wow - I just found this site and am relieved to know that I haven't been imagining all these symptoms. I started on Crestor because my doctor had samples, then when those ran out I started on generic Zocor. The day after starting the Crestor I felt like I'd been hit by a truck by attributed it to overdoing it at the gym. I have horrible pains in my hip joints and my knees and have recently been experiencing unexplained fatigue and sharp stomach pains. Does anyone know if drinking alcohol will increase these side effects? I've been on the Zocor now for a few weeks, and the Crestor I started mid-December.

Started taking Lipitor in Sept. 05, six months later I am dizzy &/or disoriented, severe thigh & leg pain, numbness in my hands & legs, shoulder pain... nausea at times... drinking alcohol makes it much worse... thought I was having a heart attack one day... was taken to the emergency room... blood tests all night... then a stress test the next day... on my release papers the cardiologist who was assigned to me wrote on them in big capital letters "DO NOT TAKE ANY MORE LIPITOR"! I am off it two weeks now & am only slightly improved.... I still get all the symptoms... the doc said it could take months to clear up! & my regular doc tried to defend herself on prescribing it to me until she saw the hospital lab reports... I told her I will never take a statin again... I am pursuing natural healthy things now... we'll see how the labs are in two months.... it's been a very scary experience & still is... BTW... I am a 49 year old male.

I am not one to post my opinion on the web, but it is imperative that others taking ambien are aware of its potential risks. Ambien is extremely addictive. If taken properly (go straight to bed and don't take more than prescribed) it can work for a short period of time (just like the commercials say, 7 - 10 days). However, it appears that many dr's are prescribing it for years at a time. I have had a script for this drug for over 10 years. Ambien put me into a state of euphoria -- I'd take it and life suddenly appeared altered, for the better. I felt more confident and motivated while intoxicated on this drug. Although it makes you "high," it also wipes out your short-term memory, while you're on it and otherwise. You will not remember what you did after taking it -- whether it's raiding the refrigerator, drinking alcohol, having sex, manically cleaning/organizing your house, or calling friends. I could go on about the dizziness, lack of STM during the day (the hangover effect), or how difficult it can be to stop taking it. Ambien is now one of the drugs of choice by adolescents -- it's powerful high is appealing, but the "blacking out" is no different than a date rape drug. I have actually known adolescents that have been raped while using their drug of choice, ambien. If you have an addictive personality, ambien can be fatal and can effect your relationships -- especially with those that you interact with while on the drug (spouses, roommates, etc.). Your tolerance for ambien will also increase. Over the years, I went from taking 5 mg to 20 mg (always prescribed by my dr) -- in short, it stops working. Recently I switched to 25 mg of seroquel. It works like a charm. I was apprehensive to take it, as it's an antipsychotic drug (I just have dysthymia), but at such a lose dose, it puts my worries aside and I am able to fall asleep w/o getting high. I am certain that ambien is the next "oxycotin" due to it's addictive components, as well as the fact that it's so readily accessible. For all of you that rely on this drug to help you sleep to function, please find a new drug that won't enable you to make poor choices (most of which you won't remember). Perhaps you think you aren't addicted, but I insist that you will be. Because of abusing ambien, I have come close to divorce and have definitley lost or shall we say, "effected" many of my close relationships. I implore anyone that's investigating, taking or abusing ambien to explore alternative sleep aids. If you think you have control over this drug, you're wrong. It'll control you before you know it.

headaches, drowsiness..diarrhea after drinking alcohol and dizziness ..all the while feeling unable to concentrate..foggy sort of