Endurance symptoms and conditions

I was put on Lisinopril 10mg. tabs for borderline elevated blood pressure that became high blood pressure (151/82). I have taken them for a week and have experienced the following problems: sleeplessness, can't focus or remember things, nauseated, slight headache every day, jittery and edgy, depressed, no energy, I go through the day in a fog. The sleeplessness is the worst. I have trouble not only going to sleep, but staying asleep. My eyes fly open and I may as well get up because I am wide awake, but feel exhausted. I am stopping the Lisinopril today! I have read enough here to know I am going to consult with my physician on Monday! I'll try a low salt diet before I EVER take this medicine again!

I have been on this medication for 3 months now. I am a 28 year old male, 6'2", weigh 211lbs, and in overall good health. My blood pressure average is 144/72 without the medication, but on the medication it seems to stay around 136/66. It took about one week for the blood pressure medicine to start working and when it did I felt very tired (which is normal). Now, in my third month I have started to notice new symptoms like severe headache in the right front lobe, severe tiredness, cold fingers and toes (in warm conditions), severe lower back pain, mood swings, blurred vision in the right eye (same location as headache), and a occasional twitch in my right thumb (probably not related to the medicine). When I first started this medication I did read all of these post and figured that everyone was crazy and/or nuts, but know I am thinking that I would rather stop the medication
and start seeking out for a better medication.. I know medicine has side effects but damn!!! Anyone else have cold fingers and toes while they have been on the medication..thanks

Over 6 years ago, the following Petition was submitted to the FDA, I would encourage every patient being treated with statins to read it and bring it to the immediate attention of their physician:

CITIZEN PETITION TO CHANGE THE LABELING FOR
ALL STATIN DRUGS (MEVACOR, LESCOL, PRAVACHOL, ZOCOR, LIPITOR, AND ADVICOR) RECOMMENDING USE OF
100-200mg PER DAY OF SUPPLEMENTAL CO-ENZYME Q10 TO REDUCE THE RISK OF STATIN-INDUCED MYOPATHIES (INCLUDING
CARDIOMYOPATHY AND CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE). http://www.fda.gov/OHRMS/DOCKETS/dailys/02/May02/052902/02p-0244-cp00001-01-vol1.pdf
May 24, 2002
Petitioner:
Dr. Julian M. Whitaker, M.D.

This Petition is based in part on the clinical findings of Dr Peter H. Langsjoen, MD, which he also reported to the FDA:

Statins kill people - lots of people - and they wound many, many more. All patients taking statins become depleted in Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), eventually - those patients who start with a relatively low CoQ10 levels (the elderly and patients with heart failure) begin to manifest signs/symptoms of CoQ10 deficiency relatively rapidly - in 6 to 12 months. Younger, healthier people who's only "illness" is the non-illness "hypercholesterolemia" can tolerate statins for several years before getting into trouble with fatigue, muscle weakness and soreness (usually with normal muscle enzyme CPK tests) and most ominously - heart failure. In my practice of 17 years in Tyler, Texas, I have seen a frightening increase in heart failure secondary to statin usage, "statin cardiomyopathy". Over the past five years, statins have become more potent, are being prescribed in higher doses, and are being used with reckless abandon in the elderly and in patients with "normal" cholesterol levels. We are in the midst of a CHF epidemic in the US with a dramatic increase over the past decade. Are we causing this epidemic through our zealous use of statins? In large part I think the answer is yes. We are now in a position to witness the unfolding of the greatest medical tragedy of all time - never before in history has the medical establishment knowingly (Merck & Co., Inc. has two 1990 patents combining CoQ10 with statins to prevent CoQ10 depletion and attendant side effects) created a life threatening nutrient deficiency in millions of otherwise healthy people, only to then sit back with arrogance and horrific irresponsibility and watch to see what happens - as I see two to three new statin cardiomyopathies per week in my practice, I cannot help but view my once great profession with a mixture of sorrow and contempt.

Folks, Lipitor is the most widely prescribed drug. People are blaming their various problems on lipitor. They should see the appropriate specialist to address their specific symptoms vs self-diagnosing and blaming it on lipitor.

I started taking Yasmin 2 months ago and have not felt right since the day I started taking it. I just haven't been myself lately and couldn't figure out why. After reading about the side effects others have experienced, now I know what the problem is. I've been extremely tired and have started feeling depressed. I've gained weight and in general feel extremely bloated. I'm a runner and even though I have been running, I can't seem to lose the weight or bloated feeling. I've also had random bouts of nausea, and absolutely no sex drive. I am going off of it ASAP.

I have asthmatic bronchitis. In June 2006 I came down with an infection in my lungs, which also set off my asthma. Between the two I was hospitalized and put on 240 mg of intravenous Prednisone and the antibiotic Levaquin. I was cured of the infection and was able breathe normally again but it took a great toll on my body It took me 3 months to taper off of the Prednisone and almost a whole year to feel myself. I was a strong, physically active person before this happened to me and I have not gotten my energy level and endurance back to what I was before I was sick. When I was released from the hospital I went from 160 mg of intravenous Prednisone to 80 mg of pill Prednisone. That step down was too severe and I went through intense joint and muscle pain in my body that it woke me from a sound sleep in the middle of the night. I luckily had an old Vicodin that I took which only made the pain bearable. I should have upped the Prednisone to make it go away but I wanted off. This pain lasted one week with each day getting less. The side effects I experienced from then on were so plentiful that I almost can't remember them all. The physical problems were, thin skin that bruised or ripped and bled profusely with the slightest bump, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, muscle cramps in my legs and hands, sleeplessness, dry mouth and frequent urination. My stomach bloated and got stretch marks. I didn't have any before that. The muscles in my thighs and upper arms atrophied so bad that I could not walk up stairs w/o using my arms to help. My arms were also very weak and I got hemorrhoids; another muscle that was affected. I had a bad case of the drops. I couldn't hold on to anything and broke many glasses. I got moon face that took a couple of weeks to go away after I was off the Prednisone. Because I was on such high doses, my hair died and stopped growing. About 40% of it fell out in one month. It took 6 months to grow back and it all grew back curly. On January 30, 2008 my bronchial tubes closed again due to a sinus infection. Again I was hospitalized with 240 mg of intravenous Prednisone and Levaquin. This time I responded much better, because I jumped on the infection/asthma instead of waiting. I stepped down from 240 to 180 to 90 to 60 and decrease 5 mg a day until I was off. This time I did no lose my hair land did not get hemorrhoids. The other physical effects were pretty much the same but much less severe. However, this time the emotional effects of Prednisone were much worse than last time. I was not a nice person. I was short tempered and argumentative and even had to stop myself from resorting to violence a couple of times. That is definitely not who I am. Prednisone stops your adrenal glands from working and adrenaline is you chemical way of coping with stress. I have been off of the Prednisone for one week and still find it hard to cope with the slightest controversy. My brain is still in a fog and I get confused easily. I cannot handle too many questions at once and forget things. My face is still round. Both times, I have found it the hardest dealing with the Prednisone at the very end and even after I finished taking it. I think it builds up and even though the chemical is suppose to be out of your body in 24 hours, it's effects stay a lot longer. I thought I knew what to expect but the second time was different again. It is a horrible drug but my trade off was breathing. Sometimes I think, that if I have to go through this a few more times, the side effects will kill me before the asthma. I wish all you Prednisone users loads of luck and stay positive.

Having the Mirena IUD put in was the worst thing I have ever done to my body! I am 33yrs old, have 3 kids - 9, 2 1/2, 1 1/2. They told me to come in when I started my period because it would be easier to insert, so that's what I did in early November 2007. (Since then, I have had non-stop bleeding or spotting every day.) I didn't have as much pain as some people have described, but it was more uncomfortable than I expected. The next day I developed a bad, bumpy, itchy rash on both of my legs from my ankles to just above the knee. I thought it was just a fluke, and it starting going away after two days. It was gone within a week. I started having very bad mood swings - angry, short-tempered, irritated, irrational, paranoid, and I wanted to cry over everything. (I normally don't cry over anything - I am not an emotional person.) I got a few deep, itchy pimples on my face, which normally I don't get either, but I figured I just needed to get used to the hormone. Then, my upper back and chest started itching really badly the second week, and I got pimples all over those areas - I have only ever had them at about age 13-14 and not as bad as I do now! I became fatigued, and I have gained 5 pounds. Don't get me wrong - I have been eating everything in sight, but I feel terribly hungry half an hour after I am done eating. So that part is my fault, but I'm not used to be being hungry all the time for no reason. I have religiously gone to the gym 4-5 times a week for an hour and a half a day for the past year and a half. For the past two months I have gone twice a week, and struggle to make it an hour. My endurance is terrible. My muscles - particularly my legs - burn like I've had long strenuous workouts, which I just mentioned is not the case. My sex drive - NONEXISTENT. Luckily for my husband, I know it's a side effect and haven't told him - he would probably take it personally - so I just go along with sex when he wants it. I finally had to get over the fact that I had non-stop spotting, but sex is not enjoyable when you feel self-conscious, and no foreplay because of the spotting if you know what I mean. (Sorry if that's too much information but I'm sure some of you can relate.) My husband was also not thrilled about the strings - I wouldn't be either if I was him. I had a non-stop migraine for 9 days straight - I maybe get two of them a year before Mirena, and they last about 3-4 hours. I normally have 20/15 vision - better than most people - and I found I was struggling to see things I normally could. I have been occasionally nauseous, but that has been minimal. My breasts have been sore. I am sure I am forgetting other effects, but as you can see the picture here is pretty grim. I went back to the doctor three weeks after insertion, and he told me that he couldn't tell me what to do, but that it is not rational to expect to feel perfect after 3 weeks, and that most people adjust just fine after about three months. He further explained that he has personally put in several hundred, and only one person has ever wanted it removed. He said my "side effects" probably had other causes and this was coincidental, and that the few that could come from the Mirena would settle down. Well, for the next month it got worse. Yesterday, after working a 12 hour graveyard shift, I forced myself to stay awake three more hours until the doctor's office opened. I went in with no appointment, and told them I would sit there all day if I had to, until it was removed. They managed to fit me in with the nurse practitioner, and she also asked if I was sure I didn't want to give it one more month to settle down. After reading everyone's stories on this site, I was pretty sure that was pointless. So she removed it as I asked, and at least treated me with respect and didn't try to tell me it was in my head ( like the doctor did.) She said it could take up to 20 days to get the hormone out of my system. (Which is funny, because when you get it inserted they tell you the hormone acts only locally within the uterine area and doesn't get into your "system" - LIES!!!) Well, I went home, went to sleep for 4 1/2 hours before I had to be back to work for another 12 hr shift. But guess what - even after getting little sleep, I felt much better than I had in two months. My headache was gone. While sitting at work, I noticed I could see things at a distance again. I had a pretty stressful night, and not once did I feel emotional. Just a little tired from lack of sleep - but it was worth it!!! I am almost 24 hours from when I had it removed, and see a light at the end of the tunnel. I hate to sound pessimistic, because I wanted really badly for this to work out. If anyone tells you what you are feeling is in your head - or has another cause when you know the symptoms started at the same time you got the Mirena - DON'T BE BULLIED. They will try to make you feel like you are the only one complaining, but you're not. There are many of us. Trust me on this one - you will feel better if you get it removed. If you are reading this and haven't gotten it yet - keep this info in the back of your mind. If you want to try it and it works out for you, great! But if it doesn't, don't stick it out any longer than you have to. I also extend my sympathy to those of you that had it in longer than I did and are taking longer to recover, especially those who have experienced traumatic pregnancies and miscarriages since. I hope you take some comfort in knowing your stories have helped me make a great decision - having it removed. I also had a friend read all of your postings because she was considering this as well - she has since changed her mind.

My son is 16 years old, a wrestler, and was in excellent health. He developed sinus issues and had surgery on September 17, 2007 (he had a headache on the left side of his head which the ENT said was due to sinus issues). After sinus surgery, the doctor prescribed Levaquin for 10 days. After 4 days, I called his doctor and told him he was getting worse and not better. The doctor said not to worry. After that he had sleepless nights, felt like the room was moving away from him, became dizzy and light headed. Then the joint pain came. First in his thumbs, then wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles. He developed severe headaches in the back of his head. The headaches were moderate to severe and with him 24 hours a day. He became extremely weak and his dizziness continued. He was tested for many diseases through numerous blood tests, had a spinal tap, MRI, MRA, CT of the spine, CT of the sinuses, x-rays of the knees, and an EEG. All came back normal, except his sinuses were still swollen which is normal after sinus surgery. He has seen numerous medical doctors (primary, pediatrician, two neurologists, allergist, two Ear Nose Throat) and is now seeing a pediatrician in UCLA and has appointments to see more UCLA doctors.

He has been out of school now for a couple of months. Luckily, the school has him on home instruction and sends teachers to the house and he is maintaining his honors classes. To give you all hope, he does appear to be getting better, but it is a very slow recovery. Up until two weeks ago, some days were okay and some days were pretty bad. It comes and goes like that. At first I never suspected Levaquin, but stumbled across the side effects when I was trying to research what was wrong with him. The only thing I found that had helped some people was taking high doses of magnesium (the kind ending in "ate" is better absorbed). I was and still am nervous about giving my child a lot of any type of vitamin, but no one was able to make him better, so I gave him 250 mg three times a day for three days. It could be just a coincidence, but about 3 days after I stopped giving him the magnesium, all of the joint pain was gone except for his knees, which still hurt if he bent down.

After a couple more weeks, he still had severe headaches, knee pain, some dizziness and some weakness, so I thought I would give it another go and gave him magnesium three times a day for 4 more days. After the 4 days of magnesium, he started on a new medication called Lyrica. His knee pain is almost gone and his headaches are minor with only an occasional flair up. I can see in his eyes and how he reacts that his is feeling better than he has in a long time. He has always been a happy kid, but I can tell he has his special spark back.

For the last two weeks, I just give him one 250 mg of magnesium a day, multi-vitamins, and Lyrica. By the way, one of the blood tests I requested was for magnesium, and it showed his level was normal. So, I have no idea if it is time that is making him better, the magnesium, or the fact that he is taking Lyrica. He will still continue to go to the doctors, none who believe Levaquin could be a cause, until he is completely back to normal. I believe that Levaquin was likely a culprit in his overall health issues, especially since no one can figure out how my healthy, energetic son suddenly became so ill he could no longer go to school. For the past two weeks now, he has had good days mixed in with okay days (no bad days though!!!) He has had only 2 weeks so far of better health and we hope it continues to get even better. Good luck to all of you and my prayers are with you. I hope somehow this will help someone.

I am a nurse of 20 years and was placed on Toprol XL for super ventricular tachycardia (SVT) over a year ago. I was place on 25 mg dose after a stress test, ekg, echocaridogram and 24 hour halter monitor. I was not feeling any better and I was having periods of weakness, profuse sweating and being clammy. The cardiologist had me wear a 30 day event monitor and it showed frequent PVCs and runs of SVT. So he increased the dose to 50 mg. I continued to have the weakness, tachycardia, PVCs, extreme weakness, poor concentration and extreme periods of sweating with becoming clammy and some chest pain. Oh and I started having severe left leg pain that I had not had since my back surgery, so I went back to my pain specialist for treatment. I became so depressed, thoughts of life not worth living, poor endurance, not able to sleep in bed due to severe leg pain and increasing bouts of tachycardia, irregular heart rate, weakness, and sweating this is while at rest or working the symptoms remained. I forgot to mention that my blood sugar was increasing during this time to the point of in danger of being a diabetic.

I decided to stop the Toprol XL after reading some of the side effects that are less common. I was able to sleep in bed for the first time in 6 months, no leg pain. I called my cardiologist and he told me my symptoms were not consistent with Toprol XL side effects or reaction and to double the dose of Toprol XL. I refused and changed cardiologist, one who listened to me.

The result is I stayed off Toprol XL, after 5 weeks it is getting out of my system. No more sweating spells, cold clammy spells, extreme weakness, I feel part of life again and ready to go back into the world not hide from it, my blood sugar is getting back to normal. I am getting my strength and endurance back but have to rest some still, oh and I am losing the 25 pounds that I gained while on Toprol.

I still have irregular heart rate and that is okay but I am on a new medication that really seems to work. Oh, and the spinal implant that I was to have has been cancelled because the leg pain is almost gone and I sleep in a bed not a chair.

I’ve been taking Lisinopril for a few weeks and have some side effects, including night sweats, tired, achy and tenderness in the middle back (kidney area). I am an exercise nut including 150 miles a week of bike riding and I have noticed a decrease in my endurance and strength. Most notably this weekend I attempted the Seattle to Portland bike ride (204 miles) and was forced to quit after a 104 miles due to heat exhaustion like symptoms. I had been drinking and eating regularly during the ride as I had done many times in training, but as the temperature continued to rise above 80 deg at 11:00 am I was only getting worse. I realize this is an extreme case but I believe that Lisinopril had some effect on my ability to control my body temperature under long endurance efforts and higher ambient temperatures, is this possible?

I started taking Lisinopril for my bp about 2 1/2 months ago and even though it did lower my bp, I started having strange side-effects. It started out with drowsiness throughout the day, no matter how much sleep I got. And, waking up feeling drowsy even after 8-10 hours of sleep. Then, I started getting strange aches and pains throughout my body, like I was getting over a stomach flu. My asthma also flared up and I started having to use my inhaler for the first time in almost 15 years (usually I just need it after exercise.) The side-effects continued to get worse over the next months with increased fatigue, drowsiness, coughing, anxiety, muscle aches, poor concentration, feeling like my nerves were "shot," headache, weakness, tightness in my lungs, numbness in my hands and feet, and just plain feeling bad.
I made an appointment to see my doctor because I thought there was something seriously wrong with me. It crossed my mind that I might be feeling this way because of the Lisinopril. I stumbled across this website and after reading everyone's testimonials, I decided to stop the Lisinopril. I haven't taken it in 3 1/2 days, and I am already feeling much better. I would rather try a more holistic approach to lowering my bp then taking Lisinopril.
I hope this helps someone else out there who might be going through the same thing.

I'm on a temporary prescription for extreme hives...30 mg 3 days, 20mg 3 days and then 10mg 3 days. So far on 3rd day. I have tremendous energy and endurance. Feel great.

Wow. I am glad I'm not going crazy because I thought I was!

I stopped taking yasmin for 2 weeks just to detox my body of any meds at all...and i felt great! lots of energy, endurance, great mood...and then...i tried going back on this sunday.

this week i've had 2 panic attacks, heart papiltations, dry mouth, constant urination, lack of focus, no energy, emotional instability. my hair came out in clumps on tuesday!

i threw these in the trash last night. stay away!

I too have been experiencing alot of the side effects listed in the many testimonials here. I didn't relate what was happening, but just noticed that there was an inconcistency in the way I felt while taking Advair. Since the pollen season has started, I began taking l/2 doses of Advair a day... I exercise intensely about 4/5 times a week, and noticed that instead of having more "lung" endurance I felt like I almost had the onset of a chest cold or bronchitis. I would get very out of breath the harder I exercised....with muscle fatigue, hipe pain, long recovery time, raspy throat w/phlegm. The wierd thing too was that I had hunger pains in the morning that would continue even after I had eaten... almost like a burning feeling. I just stopped taking Advair, and use my inhaler when needed. I still feel very fatigued, which is very frustrating to someone who exercises as much as I do. It's been about two days, and I am waiting to feel better, hopefully.

I am a 41 year-old man in excellent health. I have suffered from seasonal allergies and bronchitis since I was a child - mainly during April and May. Although annoying, these allergies have had little impact on my day-to-day life. In March, during my yearly physical, I mentioned to my doctor that I wasn't looking forward to spring allergy season. Because of my age, he advised me to stop using Sudafed for my stuffy nose and sinus pain. He said Singulair was approved for seasonal allergies and would also stop my wheezing. I took Singulair and saw an immediate improvement in my allergies - no stuffy nose, watery eyes and no wheezing. In fact, after about five days on Singulair, I felt fantastic. I really could not believe how much energy I had - and my endurance while running was unbelievable. After 10 days on Singulair, I also began to notice I was becoming increasingly aggressive. I would describe the exact feeling as one of extreme agitation. This manifested itself in my yelling at my family and workers at a local home improvement store. It was obvious to everyone, including myself, that something was wrong. At work, home and in our basketball league I am known for having alot of patience. After contacting my doctor I was told a side effect of Singulair can be aggressive behavior. I stopped taking the drug and decided to endure the allergy season as best I could. My wife, who teaches pharmacology at a local university said she had heard these symptoms went away with continued use. I tried Singulair again, although I experienced the same feeling of agitation, it did go away after about one month's use. Today I can report I feel the best I have in 20 years. I credit Singulair with eleminating my need for all other allergy and asthma medications. I tell people I feel so good that I can leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Omeprazole was successful in relieving excess stomach acid but unfortunately some severe unwanted side effects were developing after the first two weeks of administration.

The most prominent side effect was constriction and tenderness in the chest cavity which was affecting breathing ability at the height of these episodes. A second side effect was the gradually increasing levels of numbness and tingling sensations on the left side of my body in the arm and leg. A third effect was progressively increasing weakness developing in my legs which at times caused tremors and shakyness which affected my endurance during activity levels.