Ell symptoms and conditions

I HAVE BEEN ON METHADONE FOR ABOUT 4YEARS NOW AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH WEIGHT MY ENTIRE LIFE.NOW I MIGHT EAT A SMALL MEAL A DAY DUE TO MY ILLNESS AND I EXCERCISE AS MUCH AS I CAN AND NOTHING WORKS. I HAVE A CHRONIC ILLNESS (with several operations) AND HAVE ASKED MY DOCTOR IF METHADONE IS THE PROBLEM TO MY WEIGHT GAIN. OF COURSE HE SAID NO POSSIBLE WAY.I HAVE ASKED TO CHANGE MY MEDICATION TO SOMETHING EQUAL TO WHAT I AM TAKING AND WAS TOLD THAT I WAS ON SUCH A HIGH DOSE AGE (160MG) IT WOULD TAKE A VERY HIGH DOSE OF ANOTHER MEDICINE TO BE ADEQUATE.I JUST WANT TO FEEL O.K AND TRY TO LIVE MY LIFE AS ELL AS I CAN WITH DEALING WITH A CHRONIC ILLNESS AND NOT BEING OVERWEIGHT JUST FOR BREATHING.HELP!!!!!

I have read some of the board and would like to know if anyone else has had prolonged side effects after being off Prednisone for almost a year. I think Prednisone caused all my current health problems. Was on the higher dose 5 day plan for a severe inner ear infection. I stopped taking it after the third day cold turkey, which I know was wrong because of blurred vision and stomach distention so bad I thought I was going to burst (almost the same as when I was pregnant). The first 4-6 weeks of stopping it were pure _ ell. So many withdrawal symptoms. I went to my doctor and he said I couldn't possibly be having all those symptoms from the Prednisone since I was only on it three days (but it is the regimen where you take the higher doses/multiple pills in the beginning and then it lowers the dose each day). Every few days it seemed I was having something new happen - heartburn, sweating, headaches. Then my thyroid function began acting up (hypothyroidism) and glands seem to swell with my monthly cycle. I started having a daily dry throat. All my symptoms seem to be on my right side: blurred vision, dry throat, swollen lymph glands, ear pain, groin swelling. It is one month shy of a year when I originally took the Prednisone and nothing has decreased, only new symptoms appear. My doctor keeps treating each symptom individually and won't look at the whole picture. I tried acupuncture and it didn't help. Any suggestions/comments?

I took this medication seven years ago. After a couple of days I broke out into hives. When the initial Hives went away I kept itching. Then, the itching began to spread all over my body. I have been turned away by many doctors who wished me luck and said they were sorry but they couldn't help me. Since then, I have become a science project for doctors. I have taken a number of medicines to calm me down and an assortment of creams and lotions. One spray that takes the itchy hives away for awhile is CLOBEX. It's very expensive. It costs me $250 a month (out of pocket). The only medicine that relieves the condition for about a week is prednisolone (another drug that's not so great for you). I now take that once a month for one week’s relief. Each night, I have to scold myself in the shower to relieve the itching for a few hours so I can go to sleep. I'm currently at a new Dermatology Clinic. Guess what they prescribed for me? CEPHALEXIN, the drug that caused the poor quality of my life I now have. Doesn't anyone listen to the patient? The only best medical friend I have is my Primary Care Physician who has greatly supported me all these years. I pray that someone may read this and I have an answer me.
If you have not yet taken CEPHALEXIN, think about it long and hard. It's not for everyone and MAY not be for ANYONE. If you've read this far in my note, I consider you a new friend.

Someone please help!!
Still Itching in New Jersey.