August 24th
2009
8:55 PM
I was prescribed 25 mg Metoprolol-XL for irregular rapid HR episodes and slightly increased BP (after all the tests to rule out heart disease). It did the job, but I began to suffer with insomnia (a common side effect). So for the last month and a half, I've been only taking half the dose (I made sure that it was the type of tablet that was ok to break...it is, but they do caution you not to chew or crush it). No more insomnia, and the irregular HR has not returned, BP remains normal.
I figured out that the cause of the palpitations etc. was delayed anxiety attacks from a recurring family situation (the delay made it hard to link the cause and effect until I started journaling). Knowing that was the beginning of being able to better cope with the situation, so I thought I would be weaning myself off the medicine. However, I also am a migraine-sufferer and realized that I have not had to take an Imitrex since starting the metoprolol (3 months!). I used to get 4-5 migraines a month...now I may get none, one, or two and none so bad that one Ibuporfen can't handle it. Not so sure I want to stop taking it now.
New problem: Since cutting the dose, I find that any exposure to warm environment or to mild exercise, where I would normally only sweat mildly, if at all, now my scalp sweats profoundly, so much so that sweat runs rivers down my back, my chest, into my eyes and ears. The rest of me only sweats like I normally ever did. Is this because I decreased my dose...will it last forever? I did read that one should not go off this stuff cold turkey and that one of the things that would happen if you did could be excessive sweating. All I did was go from 25mg to 12.5 mg! What if I go off it completely...what am I in for??
July 23th
2008
2:20 PM
I have been on Loestrin24 since March 2008 and have been hospitalized once, in the emergency room once and suffering since. About two weeks after I started taking Loestrin24 in March 2008, I had what they thought was a TIA or, a "mini-stroke" and was put in the hospital. I was seeing a rainbow-like aura, had a splitting headache (for only about 30 minutes), became extremely confused, my blood pressure jumped up to 168/93 (stage 2 hypertension) and I couldn't speak for a few hours. Of course, they hospitalized me, ran all kinds of tests and found there to be no medical reason for a mini-stroke and the neurologist cleared me so, I was sent home with no mention of the fact that it could be the Loestrin24 that was causing it and, yes, my husband did tell them I was taking it. Two months later, I was back in the emergency room with the same symptoms. However, this time I recognized the symptoms as the same ones I'd had before and we immediately headed to the hospital. I was not hospitalized this time and the ER doctor said it was a migraine (there's a migraine that causes stroke-like symptoms) and that it's possible it could be the Loestrin24. Well, I'm taking the birth control pill because I have incredibly painful periods and was trying to be able to live a normal life. Without the birth control pill, I literally have to plan my life around my periods. So, not wanting to believe it was the Loestrin24, I continued to take it because, I hadn't had a period since I started taking it. That, alone, was worth it for me. But, last night while watching TV with my husband, the worst symptom hit me. It was like someone took a sledge hammer and slammed me in the forehead with it! I was wracked with such pain in my head that my hands flew to my forehead and I was screaming/crying. My head hurt so badly that I was would not have been surprised if I was actually bleeding from my eyes and ears. This morning, I'm still having the ringing in my ears and I could sleep for hours. I have contacted both my ob/gyn and my family physician and both of them said to stop taking it immediately.
Also, like I've read in several postings here, my sex drive is completely gone. And, when I do give in to my husband and have sex, my heart feels like I'm going to have a heart attack. The sudden splitting headache has actually come on during sex, too!
I certainly do not want to go back to the debilitating pain of my periods but, I can't live like this, either!
-- By cscbrownign | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
December 19th
2007
10:58 PM
Wow! I'm so glad that I'm not thinking these things up in my head. I have been on Wellbutrin for about 2 1/2 months now and I have noticed hair loss but I thought it was just because of stress. However, reading this makes me very nervous about taking my 300 mg. a day. I also feel that I forget things a lot too; where I put my keys, my bag etc. I have also had ringing in my ears and sensitivity with both my eyes and ears. Has anyone else had all of these side effects? And if so, what did you and your doctor do?
-- By t910 | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
February 2th
2005
11:10 AM
I am male, caucasian, sixty years old, average height, a little overweight.
I can't expressly pin my symptoms down to Lipitor, since, following 2 mild heart attacks, I am now on several drugs, namely aspirin, clopidogrel, lipitor, tildiem, cozaar and cardura.
However, the Lipitor was upped to 40mg daily after my second heart attack as routine dosage, and only since then have I noticed these symptoms - aches in wrists, knees and hips, apparent muscle weakness and tone, very dry and depleted skin in thickness and tone, dry and brittle hair, plus a tendency towards infections in nose, throat, eyes and ears and a very pronounced although erratic tinnitus. Before all this I would have called myself robust. Now I feel rather weak and sickly, although perhaps some of this can be attributed to my cardiovascular condition.
My history also includes Hogkins Disease, diagnosed 24 years ago and not recurring following treatment with radiotherapy and surgey alone.
Next week I am due to see my heart specialist and I will ask him how much of my symptoms could have been caused by Lipitor, and whether or not I can at least cut down the dose.
-- By tonyoso | Reply | Private Message me
April 15th
2004
8:17 PM
After taking 200 mg a day for 5 months I developed hives on my stomach and love handles. The itching is driving me nuts. Anyone else have this and could it be kidney damage at this low dose?
-- By ed413 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
Toprol-XL (1) Wellbutrin (1) Neurontin (1) Loestrin 24 Fe (1) Bactrim (1) Lipitor (1)
November 4th
2009
10:10 PM
I am so relieved to have discovered this site. I suffer from reoccurring UTIs. Two years ago I was prescribed Bactrim and within two hours felt all of the symptoms of a very serious virus, or so I thought.
Recently, I switched medical providers and was again prescribed Bactrim for my UTI. Within 4 hours I began to experience chills; the chills soon turned into a fever (fluctuating 100+) and night sweats. The symptoms continued throughout the night and into the next day when I started to get tingling skin, body aches, a severe headache with pressure behind my eyes and ears (which got worse when I bent over or stood up), vomiting, restlessness and insomnia.
I started to make a correlation between my first Bactrim incident and second. I called my Dr. to describe my symptoms and she said I most likely was suffering from both the UTI and flu. But, she recommended I stop the Bactrim dosage and call her in a few days to let her know how I was feeling. After missing the second dose of Bactrim I am starting to feel human again.
There is no doubt in my mind that this was the Bactrim. The symptoms came and went too quickly to be a virus. I still have a slight headache, especially when I stand up too quickly, but it's improving.
Thank you all for posting. No more bactrim for me!
-- By km1980 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me