Drug rep symptoms and conditions

Was prescribed avelox for bronchitis. Took it for the full ten days. began having diarrhea. It has been 5 weeks since i stopped taking the medication and have continued to have diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain. The diarrhea is a loose stool. Have had stool tests done and do not have a secondary infection from this.

I just recently posted about my experience with mirena and had then read some more posts, and I had a thought. With SO MANY of us experiencing these symptoms-can't we do something about it?? Couldn't we send copies of these thousands of posts to Bayer or whomever is the top of mirena, I think it's Bayer. Or someone who can help us! Obviously we're are not all crazy! There is obviously something going on here. I mean I want to make sure other women are aware that this product may not be the greatest thing in the world. Anyone else who has a thought on this msg or reply please.
Thanks for listening!
And blessing to all.

I had the Mirena placed Dec.22 2008. Yes it was extremely painful to have it placed. I do not have children but one miscarriage. I did do a lot of research before my husband & I decided this may be right for us. With much disappointment I had it removed last Wed. Jan 14th. I have dealt with depression & bipolar for years and I want to emphasize to anyone dealing with this as well to seriously reconsider. I was quite stable for awhile and as soon as the Mirena was placed I fell apart. I had 3 manic episodes in 3 weeks, no will to live and unbelievably sad. There was no way I could work or function even at home. I see my counselor weekly & my psychologist every other week. We were on top of it and as soon as I had the Mirena removed I started to bounce right back. I was so shocked how awful this made me feel.My gynecologist is going to speak to the drug rep not only to get my money back for the damn thing but to push to have this warning posted. Please take this seriously because if it were not for my support network I don't know if I would be alive to warn some of you of my experience.

My son is 3 and has been on Singulair since around springtime (I think... I've lost count). Anyway, during this summer we noticed his behavior had just gone straight to hell. At first I was attributing it to the wonderful world of the three year old, but it was just getting ridiculous. He was having countless meltdowns, screaming bloody murder (I mean SCREAMING to the point of going hoarse), hitting, punching, slamming, banging, crying hysterically for ridiculous reasons, yelling out during the night, and showing OCD behaviors. I was fearing that he might have ADHD/OCD until my husband stumbled upon this website. I remember hearing stories about teenagers having horrible side effects from singulair, but didn't think it was affecting my son at 3. As I read the entries on this website I felt like they were talking about my son.

I am taking him off of it to see what happens, but now I'm nervous that his asthma will flare. He's had quite a few asthma episodes since the fall allergy season has started. I suppose he'll need to go for awhile to get everything out of his system to see if the behavior changes, and then I hope to find a new preventative. We have Pulmicort and Xopenex and an inhaler ready!

*UPDATE* Well, it hasn't quite been two weeks since I've taken James off of Singulair and - I am not kidding you - his behavior improved the FIRST day. I want anyone who reads this to know that I am not an "alarmist", I DON'T freak out over everything I read, I do a lot of research (kind of obsessive myself :), so please understand that I am not one to usually write things like this...I mean, I pushed my allergist to give it to him in the first place! There are plenty of kids out there that are fine on Singulair, but some are not. I didn't make the connection to the Singulair since the average three year old is irrational and unpredictable anyway, but I KNEW something wasn't right. It wasn't just tantrums and whatever, his overall personality had done a 180. In the last two weeks my son has returned. He still, of course, has three year old moments, but he is back to the caring, loving, curious, excited, social, happy kid I had last year. One of the worst things we were seeing two weeks ago was bedtime behavior. BAD OCD behaviors - everything in his room had to be PERFECT. The curtains couldn't have a peek of light shining through, there could be nothing on the floor, everything had to be in order. He would obsess about things (creatures) coming into his room, when we would say goodnight and close the door he would scream and cry like someone was stabbing him and was petrified. The FIRST night that we stopped the Singulair he laid his head on his pillow, said goodnight and went to sleep. Please keep an eye out for personality changes in your kids.
*November update* it's been almost two months since we took James off Singulair and we haven't seen ONE BIT of the horrible behavior that we had w/ the Singulair! Normal "three-year-old moments", but no return of the "devil child", no OCD, nighttime freak-outs, violence, or any of it.

I have been prescribed Levaquin multiple times for bronchial infections. The most recent being approx. a month ago. I have NEVER suffered a side effect from this medication. The types of side effects everyone is reporting here sound very bizarre. I know a number of people including my husband, friends, grown children, etc that have taken this medication multiple times as I personally have with no side effects whatsoever.

My son is 5 years old and has been on Sigulair since he was probably 2 years old. I never really thought anything of his behavior until recently. I took him to the doctor because he would not stop sniffing and said his nose felt stuffed up. The Dr. said his nose was completely clear. I asked her about the Singulair and she said I was the 2nd one this week whose child had recently developed a tic and that the other child was also on Singulair. She said she would call the Drug Rep. and let me know. By the time I got home she had called and I called her back. She said that tics occurred in a very small percentage of children taking singulair and to go ahead a stop taking it. I have also experienced severe behavioral problems ( tantrums unlike anything I have ever seen, telling myself and and my husband that he hates us, he tells us that he is stupid and that he doesn't love himself, he says he will cut his Dad's head off and that he wants us to go to jail.) There is more but just talking about for the first time, I am so upset that I never put 2&2 together. He has also had the leg pains and stomach pains. Everything I have read, fits my 5 year old to a"T". I am in awe over all of this. Today is his first day not taking it and I am looking forward to seeing some changes in him. Does anybody know if there are any long-term affects? Thank you to everyone who is open enough to talk about things and get information out there for people like me . I will never give my child Singulair again. Thank you so much

No, I am not a drug rep,I am simply just being honest.Not everyone has a terrible experience from this drug. I am sorry that so many of you have had so many bad reactions,just like any medication it may not be for everyone,but it does work for some.

I am currently taking levaquin for a sinus and double inner ear infection, i have also taken this antibiotic before,i am 35 years old. I think this drug works wonderfully and tell the doctor this drug works the best for me.i have noticed a harder time falling asleep if i take it too late in the evening and some mild stomach cramping if i do not eat at least 2 hours prior to taking it.i also take it with a full glass of water.some of the side affects listed in this blog that people are describing are normal if you read your insert that comes with the medication.And if you follow the directions and eat and drink with a full glass of water the side effects are not as severe.Unless you are allergic to the drug,i do not find it bothersome knowing i will not be taking it forever and it is just temporary that i will be having a hard time falling asleep.i do eventually fall asleep.My suggestion while taking this medication if you are in reasonably good health,is to read the directions about eating and drinking plenty of water and don't panic,that just makes things worse.

I am a 39 year old white male that had aortic valve replacement surgery five years ago. About three months after the surgery (which went off without a hitch) I had a tremendous spike in my BP that went on for a few days (200/100 - enough so I could see my heartbeat in my eyes!). My Dr started me on Toprol XL 75 and while it brought my BP down some, it didn't bring it down a lot. He moved me to 200 mg a day and now my BP is around 105/55 with a resting pulse around 50.

While I experienced many of the side effects listed here (feeling groggy, confused, etc) they only lasted a few months. I must admit that I did pack on about 20 lbs over six months. However, unlike so many who choose to blame drugs (or lack thereof) for their problems, I took it upon myself to start exercising and guess what?!? The weight comes off! I now weigh less than when I graduated high school, I am in better shape than any time in my life and I believe that exercise helps me sleep better at night. All of this even though I still take 200mg a day. Given that some of you say that you're practically dead at taking 25, I should be 6 feet under or weigh 400 lbs.

I guess what I want to say is that perhaps instead of jumping on the bandwagon here that Toprol causes all of your problems, perhaps you want to take your own health into your hands and begin to eat a little better and exercise (and don't give me "but my ankles are swollen!" excuse - there is something called water aerobics). I don't deny that it can cause some side effects, but it can work wonders with your BP. You just have to DO SOMETHING to help keep the weight off (which then help with the sleep problems, mental clarity, etc).

Levaquin is a wonderful drug and one of a very few that help men with prostatitis. If you have ever suffered with a prostatitis infection you know what i mean. No problems here with Leviquin.

Its hard to say for sure what people will experience with any of these drugs, but its nice to hear from you all.

I am looking at whether geodon or lamictal is causing me these horride nightmares.

It seems both drugs can.

I started taking catapres, which is a blodd pressure med that has an off-label use to control nightmares which helped quite a bit...

but beware...missing a dose or two of caterpress will give you a rather bad day, as it suppresses adrenaline...which causes nightmares.....so imagine what happens when this suppression suddenly stops???? BAD.

i am tapering off geodon, i had no issue with it, but being seroquel is the only FDA approved anti-psychotic med to treat depression/aniexty....i will find out soon if the geodon was causing the nightmares or the lamictal. i will post later.

just know- for me..tappering off geodon is not going pleasant for me.

my doctor said the drug rep even mentioned it had a high side effect profile...

I had the Mirena inserted a little over a year ago. Over the last year, I've grown increasingly not myself...wanted to crawl into bed and do nothing. My relationships with everyone changed-husband, parents, children, neighbors, work. I became a hermit. My skin looked unhealthy, it actually hurt to the touch, my body ached like an 80 year old woman. I felt hot all the time. I felt 4 months pregnant. Could hardly climb the stairs often. I weigh currently 155 and am 5'6". At my 6 week checkup postpartum, I had lost all but 8 lbs of baby weight. Couple of months later, had mirena inserted, and voila gained 15 lbs over the next couple of months. It was a cumulative effect...over the next several months, my face was swollen, my hair, skin, chest was extremely gross oily. I couldn't think straight, my and get through the day. I couldn't remember simple things. What got me out of bed was knowing that my children had gone outside and I didn't want them to run into the street. I knew something wasn't right, but it didn't occur to me that it would be the mirena. I went to my general doctor complaining of EXTREME fatigue. I thought maybe it was my thyroid. The doctor ran 3 blood tests...TSH, mono, blood count. All came back normal. Doctor wanted to put me on anti-depressants and recommended therapy. Not that I'm opposed to the recommendation, but it just didn't sound like the solution. I went to another doctor for a second opinion. Also wanted to put me on antidepressants. I didn't want to mask whatever was going on. I wanted to get to the bottom of this. There was a reason for my feeling this way. I just was not myself but truly didn't think antidepressants were the answer. Meanwhile, I scheduled my annual gyn appointment. The IUD hurt at times, I was constantly aware of it anyhow with sharp jabbing pains, and my husband could feel it during intercourse. So I went in thinking I was pretty sure I'd ask for it to be removed. Still not attributing all these dramatic changes to the mirena. When I saw the dramatic weight gain after the IUD insertion, it sealed the deal in my mind. I wanted it out right then and there. Much to my surprise, joy and relief, I instantly felt better in my abdomen. That night, I put my jeans on and they were actually looser. My body was in constant swelling/PMS mode - due to the artificial progesterone. Within a couple of days I had lost 5 lbs and my jeans continued to get looser. It's been only 6 days now, but each day I feel more and more like myself. My weight is dropping, I have more energy. I want to garden again, a hobby I no longer enjoyed whilst having the IUD, I want to take walks again and exercise, which I had no energy to actually do. It feels better to "be in my skin" - weird to say, I know. Before the IUD was removed, my skin felt uncomfortable. My neighbors noticed the weight loss and the already noticeable change in my complexion. I'm able to engage with my children and meet their needs, whereas before I was barely getting by. It's going to take more time I know, to get rid of this awful acne, remaining weight, greasy skin, etc. but I am 100% certain all these changes to my body and mood were because of Mirena. Today, I have a headache settling in. I think it's because my body has been artificial progesterone heavy, suppressing the estrogen, natural balance. It's got to learn to kick in with my own normal hormone function. I'm expecting some ups and downs, but am thrilled that it's out and I'm on the road to recovery. One thing I question is why doctors so highly recommend the Mirena? I asked for the copper IUD and they steered my toward the Mirena, even when I was nursing. Why don't doctors warn patients of the likelihood of depression and the whole host of other problems that I had and so many other women report? I'm very glad I didn't start taking antidepressants because they come with their own side effects, and I would have had a harder time getting to the root of the problem. Only when I had the IUD removed did I google mirena side effects and realize that thousands upon thousands of women have been through the same thing.

I have come to the conclusion that our pediatricians, allergists and various other doctors, have been brainwashed by the drug reps,possibly even bribed. My friend took her son off of Singulair almost a month ago when I told her about all of this. He already suffers from a learning disability, but she feels that his ability has improved along with his disposition and complaints of various aches and pains. She took him for his usual appointment at his allergist and told him what she had done and why and he literally YELLED at her, calling her a fool and demanded that she put him back on it. She stood her ground and refused and now is under the impression that her son will be dismissed as a patient from that practice. That won't be a problem. From what I read and what I hear, a lot of doctors are dismissing the whole deal. They can't be bothered with finding out for themselves, what the truth really is. No, they might miss out on the "perks" from the drug reps, like free samples of the deadly drug, or free pens, or a chance at a vacation in the Bahamas, and the list goes on. The drug reps are a hazard. They lack education on the drugs that they are "dealing", and if they HAVE been educated and are still promoting it,
they are no better than the crack dealers in the alley.

(I posted this before but after receiving some e-mail, I have revised a few sentences to hopefully make it more understable. )

I would like to share this information with everyone. First, I would like to caution all that it does not prove anything regarding the negative side effect of Singulair but it does suggest that there might (only might) be a physiological cause for any side effect that could be attributed to brain function. A Chinese team has been studying the receptor (Cysteinyl leukotrienes receptor 1) that is targeted by Singulair and is responsible for the method of action that makes Singulair successful. Here is one of their studies.

1: Neurosci Lett. 2004 Jun 17;363(3):247-51. Links Expression of cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 in human traumatic brain injury and brain tumors.Zhang WP, Hu H, Zhang L, Ding W, Yao HT, Chen KD, Sheng WW, Chen Z, Wei EQ. Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 353, Yan An Road, Hangzhou 310031, PR China. Cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) are potent proinflammatory mediators. CysLT receptor 1 (CysLT(1)) is one of the two CysLT receptors that has been cloned. Although the expression of CysLT(1) in the brain has been demonstrated by Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses, the location of CysLT(1) in the brain remains unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the distribution of CysLT(1) by immunohistochemical analysis in human brains with traumatic injury or tumors. CysLT(1) was expressed intensely in the microvascular endothelial cells in both normal and abnormal conditions. At 8 days after traumatic injury, microvascular regeneration was found and all of the endothelial cells highly expressed CysLT(1). In gray and white matters of the normal regions of the brain, CysLT(1) was expressed weekly or not at all. However, the CysLT(1) expression increased in the neuron- and glial-appearing cells in gray and white matters after traumatic brain injury. CysLT(1) was also detected in astrocytoma, ganglioglioma and metastatic adenocarcinoma, and the expression in the neuron- and glial-appearing cells around brain tumors increased robustly. PMID: 15182953

Here is the relevant part of the study. "Although the expression of CysLT(1) in the brain has been demonstrated by Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses, the location of CysLT(1) in the brain remains unknown." That sentence says that these scientists believe that CysLT1 exists in the brain but they did not know what the location in the brain was. Then they did this study which showed that the receptor existed in the tissues of the brain that are listed above and are too complicated to discuss here.

It is logical to assume that if a receptor exists in any part of the body that it has a function in other words it does something or tells some other part of the body to do something. They have not proved (that takes many studies) what part of the brain or what the receptor does in the brain or what the effect on the body is if the receptor does not do it's job. We do know that Singular (montelukast, Cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 antagonist) blocks this particular receptor so if the receptor exists in the brain that it COULD BE POSSIBLE that Singular prevents this receptor in the brain from doing it's job whatever that is. I know that it is difficult to argue with doctors. This drug has been around a long time. It would be difficult to understand why we are just learning about problems after so long a period of time. I can see from all of these responses that these problems are very real. Of course, we have no idea if Singulair is related or not. But if you need something supportive to show that it is not impossible for them to be related even though there is no proof that they are related, you could print this out and discuss it with your doctor.

This isn't proof of anything but at least it might be a clue. It just shows that it is not impossible that Singular affects brain function in some way.

If people would stop referring to this poison as just another antibiotic, we would be much further ahead. This is not just another z-pak or even a penecillian or sulfa based antibiotic. It is poison. The side effects are MUCH greater than people want to admit (especially those making a buck on it). That is why there are lawsuits and sooo many complaints. Look people, let's stop with the "you can have side effects from Tylenol" crap and get to the heart of the matter. I believe this drug serves a purpose.... for those that are not responding to anything else, for those that need to take tremendous risks to save their life, for those that might die otherwise. I DO NOT believe it should be a "Drug of choice" or a larger market share for some drug rep. My bicep meant much more to me than that. Yes I'm angry. Not just for the lack of information I was provided but for the denial that I was fed while it was going on. Perhaps I could be just as cold as some of these remarks if I said.... "go ahead, if you feel that way take it I hope you suffer too." Is that what you want? We need to stop this before others keep getting hurt. Please.

Hi all...I am not currently on Yasmin, but I was on it over a year. Never experienced a SINGLE side effect. In fact, I'm pretty sure that my mood, acne, etc actually IMPROVED with my use of Yasmin. I plan on going back on Yasmin.

For all of the people here who are within the first three months of use of Yasmin or any birth control, my doctor told me that there is a three month adjustment period. Try to hang in there; maybe it will get better.

I'm not a drug rep or anything of the sort...just a satisfied customer. I was once on the patch, but while I used the patch I experienced very serious mood swings. I stuck with it for over two months, and I simply couldn't wait out the three month adjustment period.

If Yasmin isn't for you, try to switch. The patch didn't work for me, but Yasmin did. If Yasmin doesn't work for you, it is not a reason to swear off all birth control pills. The difference between every pill is that there are different dosages. Each pill has a different dosage, so another pill might work a lot better.

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!

Unfortunately, I researched Kenalog post-injection. Had I known about the side affects, I never would have received the injection. I am a 31 year old female who had one Kenalog-novacaine injection into my left and right side trapezius to try and reduce muscle tension. I hadn't made the connection to my constant menstral bleeding for the last month and a half until reading this site. I had my normal period which started two days after being injected and then had 3 days off before I started bleeding again. I've only stopped for a total of 5 days in the last 50. I've also had extreme migraines. I've had migraines for the last 10 years just prior to and post my periods but only needed 2 of my migraine pills a month. Now, in the last 45 days, I have used 12 pills (sometimes needing 2 or 3 in a day to actually get rid of the pain which
I have never needed to do before). I am shocked at the side effects of this drug as my pain specialist did not ever warn me about them(even when I asked). I just hope that this fixes itself eventually and doesn't keep me from being able to have children soon as
I had intended. You'll have to excuse me, I have to go and call my best friend who is a drug rep for the maker of Kenalog.

Unfortunately, I researched Kenalog post-injection. Had I known about the side affects,
I never would have received the injection. I am a 31 year old female who had one Kenalog-novacaine injection into my left and right side trapezius to try and reduce muscle tension. I hadn't made the connection to my constant menstral bleeding for the last month and a half until reading this site. I had my normal period which started two days after being injected and then had 3 days off before I started bleeding again. I've only stopped for a total of 5 days in the last 50. I am shocked at the side effects of this drug as my pain specialist did not ever warn me about the possible side effects (even when I asked about them). I just hope that this fixes itself eventually and doesn't keep me from being able to have children. You'll have to excuse me, I have to go and call my best friend who is a drug rep for the maker of Kenalog.

TO Guest #41844
Who do you work for a drug rep.?

I began taking the drug three days ago due to severe sinusitis. 750mg. for 5 days. I stopped today due to severe weakness, nausea, pain in lower back, diarrhea, blurred vision. sleeplessness and lack of appetite. A coworker told me the same day I started taking it that her son had a severe allergic reaction to the same drug within half an hour of taking the first pill. Since then 3 other co-workers have told me they have experienced very similar reactions to the drug and my mother as well.
After picking up the drug at the pharmacy I asked the pharmacist if there had been any complaints about the drug since I had never taken it, heard of it and the doctor said it was very strong. The pharmacist indicated that no problems had been reported. As many antibiotics as there are on the market I would certainly ask for something else........
BTW I reported it to my pharmacist and my doctor today.

Hi guest 37943,

Wanted to let you know I have been off Yasmin in the past for a few months at a time. My doctor provides them for me from the drug rep, if the office is out then some of us patients don't get it unless purchased. My only negativeness about getting off Yasmin is the water weight gain, I feel so bloated. Otherwise, mentally and physically for that time being I am fine. I've had blood work done yearly and so far so good. I've never stopped midpack. I was off of them for 6 months one time due to anxiety attacks and was put on zoloft and stopped yasmin, I went back to yasmin and eventually stopped zoloft. My only complaint was the bloating, I missed the diuretic. Everyone is different.

I took Yasmin for only 10 days. In that time I

felt nauseous almost every day (each time i ate)

had constant terrible anxiety from day 2 on it. I could feel it in my chest the whole time

had constant breakdowns. I cried up to 30 times a day for no reason.

basically i wanted to die.

I have been on many different pills and never experienced any emotional side effects. I have no history of depression or anxiety.

I think this pill is dangerous and people need to know about it. When I went into a family planning clinic to tell them my predicament and ask them the best way to go off birth control after taking it for so many years, they said that Yasmin is not first line of birth control because of the side effects, but drug reps are hitting the advertising hard and doctors are not really educated about it.

The (non-biased, drug rep free) family planning clinic changed my pill mid cycle 2 get me off Yasmin. I cried once the day they changed it (over the whole situation i have been dealing with) and have felt totally calm since then. No nausea, no breakdowns, no anxiety.

I have posted warnings on other forums. Please spread the word about your experiences because I really feel the side effects are bad enough that they could end in a suicide for someone.

It is time that people recognize that drug companies are not honest and can really downplay the side effects.

-Rayann

Im a 39 year old male in good health, diagonosed 2 days ago with Epydidimitus of my right testicle, possibly bacterial. My GP prescribed a 4 day dosage of Levaquin after giving me 3 sample 500mg tablets, told me to keep out of the sun and to call him if there were any reactions like a rash/sunburn. When I enquired as to whether I could continue my daily 2 mile bike rides, he suggested I not and I concluded it was due to the Epydidimitus. There was no insert in the sample packs, I filled the prescripton and would pick it up later that day.
However, at work I proceeded to do an Google search on Levaquin at Ortho-McNeil and was alarmed at what I read. I found this site and concluded that I didn't want to take fluroquionones for my illness and now understood why bike riding wasn't a good idea (possibility of Tendon Ruptures!!!).
I called my GP's office, spoke with the nurse and requested an alternate antibiotic. I was told the GP would be get back to me. The next morning his nurse called and instructed me to either take the Levaquin or see the in-plan urologist. An co-worker told me he'd requested not to receive Levaquin for a UTI, as it gave him leg cramps after he'd stopped taking it. I called a drug-rep friend of mine, inquired about Levaquin, was told it was being given out "like candy", most widely prescribed AB, safe, he's taken it, etc. But he'd also seen side effects and was surprised my GP wouldn't prescribe an alternative. He put me in touch with a PA at my urologists office, who called me back within an hour. The PA agreed that it was reasonable to prescribe something less powerful, as fluoroquinones are usually 2nd or 3rd line drugs. He agreed to see me the same day. I then called my GP's office to request that he get on the phone for 5 minutes at his convenience to discuss an alternative drug, but only received a call back from the head nurse who would relay the message!?? The PA did an exam, explained that quionones are often prescribed at his office after a patient hasn't responed to other antibiotics prescribed by a GP. His prognosis was the same as my GP, however he also suggested I get an ultrasound in addition, just to be sure.
End result, I was prescribed Doxycycline 100mg/2xDay for 14 days and will follow up in 3 weeks.

DON'T GIVE IN WITHOUT A FIGHT! If these drugs are unsafe, and there is even a 1% chance of major complications (Levaquin 46% of all patients reported adverse effects of some sort), why take them unless absolutely necessary! This is a family of drugs, that while being very powerful, was originally approved as a 2nd or 3rd line of defence, when other AB's didn't work. GP's may be prescribing them as wide-spectrum cure-alls without knowing the frequency of adverse side-effects. They already work 10+ hour days, why would they hop online to investigate negative effects reported to non-profit watchdog sites? We're not doctors, so what do we know...right? WRONG! Do your homework, ask questions, be considerate but firm. You have the right to ask for alternative treatments so long as you are informed. God Bless, best wishes.

I stopped taking Desogen two months ago after being on it for about 3 years (just wanted to take a break from pills). When I first started taking it, my skin stopped breaking out (face and body acne), which was nice, but my lips were dry and irritated for the first few months. My breasts increased in size slightly---they seemed to be more full (they returned to normal size one month after I stopped taking it). I gained about 10-15 pounds in the first few months, which made me feel bulky everywhere (even arms). This weight did not come off when I stopped taking it, but it seems that the weight has shifted to my mid section. Not pleasant. I was extremely irritable while taking this pill, and found it hard to contain anger once I started feeling upset (very short temper). I wasn't so much depressed, it was more that I didn't enjoy things as much as I used to. I also started getting horrible HORRIBLE premenstral abdominal pain/cramping over the last year while taking the Desogen. My sex drive decreased greatly during the first 3-4 months while taking it, but it did return (never as strong as before though). Other observations that I've made since being OFF this pill: change in overall body odor (body odor was almost non-existant while on the pill), vaginal dryness immediately after periods, skin started breaking out everywhere about 1.5 months after stopping, irregular periods (start time and length), I feel much more happy/relaxed, incredibly severe yeast infection 2 months after stopped (none during 3 years taking it), pregnancy-like symptoms during pre-menstral time (first two periods after stopped taking). I guess I am shocked at how much pills can affect the body. I am afraid to start taking it again --even if my skin was beautiful. My doctor gave me a perscription for a lower estrogen pill, but I haven't started it yet--- I just feel so unsure about this whole birth control method now. I hope this helps someone make a decision if nothing else!

I've taken Levaquin before with no ill effects. This time around for a sinus infection...I'm 5 days into tx and last night I couldn't sleep at all. Severe insomnia, worse than with Sudafed. Was restless and agitated. I didn't like that very much but I successfully zeroed out the effect with a sleeping pill. Still, I'm considering D/C'ing the med since I never had this effect before. I don't know...it's a very effective antibiotic.

I agree with a lot of people posting to this group who realize that all medications, even innocuous aspirin, have severe and sometimes even deadly side effects. In the medical world, we all have to practice the "buyer beware" creed: Research everything that goes into your mouth. Figure out what literature and the public is saying, learn how to interpret side effect percentages and put it in perspective by looking at side effects for OTC meds, too. There is hardly a single med out there, Rx or OTC, that hasn't caused *someone* to have a severe side effect, but we need to evaluate which side effects are acceptable risks and which not. Weigh the benefit with the risk.

Minor illness + large % irreversible side effect = don't take it.

Deadly illness + large % irreversible side effect = what do you have to lose?

Anything in between is a judgement call between you and your brain....

I agree...Drs. should tell us more about these things...but since we all know by now that the medical establishment is being driven more and more by HMO attitudes and Drs. are driven to prescribe drugs based on the basket of brownies and free samples that the cute drug rep brought in this week, let's just agree that it is now OUR responsibility to figure this stuff out for ourselves.

I's a sad state, but the medical establishment is not going to change. We all need to realize that we are the last stop on the road between sickness and health.