Driving a car symptoms and conditions

I have been on Diovan for 11 years. Most of those years, I believe the dosage was 80 mg. About 2 years ago my doctor increased my dosage to 160 and again up to 320. I am also on medication for Diabetes and High Cholesterol. I believe my doctor was over medicating me because I started to experience many different side effects. As a result, I never ended up taking the full dosage of Diovan until October 2008. He also had me on two other medications for High Blood Pressure. Within two days, I felt like I was so fatigued I couldn't move. And my blood pressure wasn't all that low either. My wife and I looked at the side effects accompanying the medications and we concluded I should stop taking one of the medications. A few months later, my doctor added another med to the list. I didn't mind this one and the dosage was low.

In any case, between the 320 mg of Diovan and 80 mg of Atenol I was feeling constantly tired. Getting up in the morning, I felt like someone had given me a heavy tranquilizer. Now I have complained about that feeling for a few years now but never thought it was medicine related until the effects worsened. Then, once I was up, I used to feel good all day long but now I was feeling drugged all day long. Driving the car, I felt tired and questioned if I should even be driving a car. But I had to drive to work. At work, I had trouble concentrating, I was so tired.

My memory was gone. It was like I had a full blown case of Autheimers which came on in a period of about 3 months. I couldn't think straight or remember anything.

Finally, the effects got really scary. My wife and I both have a tendency to snore at times. Since we are getting older, we are developing allergies which makes us snore at night. For my wife, her problems are when she wakes up in the middle of the night and I am snoring so bad she can not fall back to sleep. For me, her snoring is a problem when I first go to bed. In the past, I would try shaking the bed hoping she would stir just enough to move and stop snoring. I really didn't want to wake her up fully to get her to stop. This routine of shaking the bed would go on for about 20 minutes or so. Well, on this one particular night, after about 2 minutes, I got this urge or desire to put both of my hands on her back push with Superman strength so she would fly out of the bed and on to the floor. This bothered me because I do not normally think this way or get this violent.

The next day, I was in a meeting at work. I am not sure what happened but I could tell my mind was going some where scary. I was convinced that I was becoming psychotic! That night, I layed in bed deciding that I was going to stop the medications since I believed they were causing these psychotic thoughts. But I also made up my mind, if the thoughts continued, I was going to have myself committed rather than wait until I hurt someone. Stopping the medication meant gradually cutting back on the dosage that I was taking. I cut the Atenol in half and only took half and it worked. The next day I felt better. But gradually the fatigue would come back, just not the psychotic thoughts. To make a long story short, I kept reducing my meds until I was only taking about 80 mg of the Diovan.

There has been concern that I am heading for Kidney failure so I was sent to a Urologist. He is concerned over my high blood pressure and decided to put me on Diovan HCT 320/45 mg. I figured he didn't grasp my concern about that being too much medication. Oh, the HCT I was on then taken off and now put on because I have been experiencing significant swelling of the ankles, feet and legs.

My doctor visit was June 2, 2009 and today is July17, 2009. I have been experiencing many moments of extreme dizziness. My wife and I were in a store when I bent over to pick something up and near fell. I stood up and a few minutes later, I was conscious of myself staggering from dizziness. Last weekend, we went to a store and I didn't feel right as we head inside. We got in and the store got very bright, colors seemed to lighten and it felt like I was passing out. It was like I was standing on a cliff waiting to fall off. The brightness did not go away but I also never passed out. Also, I had been having lots of headaches since going back to this heavy amount of Diovan. Currently, the last couple of days, I am having trouble focusing. It is as if my eyes are good but my head is somehow effecting my eyesight. Yesterday, I kept having these moments where it was like I was being hit in the head. I kept seeing stars. Oh, did I mention I am only 52 years old? Too young in my opinion to be chalking this up to old age.

My next appointment is August 24th. I am hoping I can make it to that appointment. I think this is too much medication and I am afraid if I don't get it cut back soon, it will kill me.

I am not against Diovan but I do think there is a point where one can be prescribed too high a dosage. And I am at that point. Oh and my blood pressure in my opinion isn't that great for all of this medication. I am concerned that something is causing the high blood pressure and rather than OD'ing me on medications, the doctors should be helping me determine why my blood pressure is so high. Also, I am now on this kick to see whether I can lower my blood pressure through certain foods and diet. Where is doctor Oz when you need him?

Just started today with 40 mg dose of Sortis (Swiss-branded Lipitor).
60-90 minutes later, I am very dizzy, sweating, funny taste in mouth.

I am done... no more. My cholesterol is normal, but recommended as complementary treatment with Glucophage, as I am very slightly diabetic.

I am still spaced out as I write this note. Called the MD to tell him that I the one dose is all that will enter my body.

So I got my IUD in April 2008 It was great at first just a little cramping for a few days and that was all. However it all went down the toilet in July. My periods even though light last for 3 weeks! I live with a constant period. I can't even enjoy my life or my job. I'm nauseated 24/7 It started off on the occasion now I'm just sick all the time. I go to the doctors and all they keep wanting to do is pump me with anti-nausea medicine. I feel like I'm almost crazy. This past weekend was really bad. I can't get off my couch without feeling like Im going to die. I can't go shopping I can't do anything. Not to mention all the anxiety attacks brought on by extreme nausea by doing everyday things like driving a car, shopping, anything. I never had an anxiety attack and I'm a soldier! I just can't take it anymore It's got to go. I would never recommend this I've had the Depo shot and it was NEVER this bad. Pain and cramping, extreme nausea, bloating, Is not worth it. I hope getting this removed will solve these problems I've been having

This testimony should help strengthen our case for warnings for Singulair.

Neurologist Sought Warning for Pfizer Drug
By JEREMY SINGER-VINE
June 20, 2008; Page B10

A British neurologist who analyzed effects of the drug Neurontin told a court hearing Thursday that he advised its maker -- now a unit of Pfizer Inc. -- to include a warning on the drug's label for potential side effects of depression and aggression, but his advice wasn't followed.

The University of London neurologist, Michael R. Trimble, was testifying at a hearing to decide whether civil cases brought against Pfizer alleging suicides linked to Neurontin can proceed. The hearing was jointly held by judges for U.S. District Court in Boston and a New York state court who are hearing similar cases. In various lawsuits consolidated in the federal court, plaintiffs allege more than 100 suicides were connected to Neurontin usage.

Dr. Trimble described what he said was a "plausible biological pathway" that could lead from the compound gabapentin -- the chemical name for Neurontin -- to suicidal behavior, hostility, and aggression. Dr. Trimble said that in 1995 and 1996, he was hired to write two confidential reports for Parke-Davis -- now a unit of Pfizer -- because the company "was concerned about psychosis in relation to their drug." Dr. Trimble said he was unable to find a link to psychosis, but noted effects of depression and aggression.

Lawyers for Pfizer argued at the hearing that the evidence linking the drug to suicidal side effects wasn't scientifically sound. Under cross-examination, they challenged his description of a pathway as a patchwork of studies that didn't prove a biological connection. Neurontin and generic forms of gabapentin are approved for treating epileptic convulsions, but have also been prescribed widely "off label" for other conditions.

In five of nine patient cases he analyzed in 1996, Dr. Trimble said he saw depression and aggression in patients who had no previous symptoms of the side effects, so he said he recommended to the company that the drug "should carry some kind of warning" for susceptible patients.

Thursday's proceedings were the initial phase of a hearing requested by Pfizer to challenge the opinions of the plaintiffs' experts. Under cross-examination and a subsequent examination by the plaintiffs' attorney, Dr. Trimble said the biological pathway between Pfizer's Neurontin and suicidal events were plausible and supported by a series of peer-reviewed neurology research.

I have been taking this for about two weeks and have just ramped up to 50 mg. I had a closed head injury last November and have been suffering from balance, headache and memory issues since. Doctor put me on Topamax for headaches and I have had the eye checks after experiencing eye pain but I was fine. Have had slight tingling in my feet and my right eye has been red off and on since starting. My right eye has also been constantly hard to focus.

I have read over and over that the side effects usually go away after about 8 weeks, so I'll see how it does till then. I'm still waiting to see if it helps my headaches, it hasn't yet.

It seems to have made my balance issues worse, and I am constantly dizzy now, although in Topamax's defense, I have been having more dizziness since my injury.

The spinny thingies that used to be there when I close my eyes are gone now, at least they have been since I started at 50 mg.

I'd say the most disconcerting issue I'm having is a feeling of being doped up and becoming more afraid of doing things, like driving a car.