Fyi symptoms and conditions

FYI: "Supernanny" Jo Frost and asthma advocacy organization AANMA have partnered in an asthma education campaign sponsored by Merck called Time 2 Talk Asthma. The website links to Singulair's website, which offers a coupon.

Just in FYI, there is a number to call if you have had the more serious side effects of this drug. It's 1-800-641-1187. Hopefully enough people will sue and get this drug off the market!

I'm a 26 year old female that has had the lovely experience of taking Lupron twice in my life. I was diagnosed with endometriosis at the age of 19 after having a lap. I had been suffering from excruciating back pain for months. The lap only helped for 3 months and then the pain returned. My doctor recommended Lupron for 4 months and so I jumped at the chance to feel better. I actually did ok with the shots. I experienced the hot flashes, fatigue and crazy mood swings but I was willing to try anything to feel better. After the 4 months, my life returned to normal and I had 5 good years of pain free life with normal periods. My body on the other hand did not react well to birth control so I couldn't use it. For the last 2 yrs, my husband and I having been trying to conceive with no luck. 1 yr ago my periods took a wild turn. I began bleeding so heavily that I was bleeding thru my tampons every 5 min and began passing clots the size of a half dollar. These episodes would last for bout 3 hrs. This continued for 3 months and so my doctor recommended Lupron again. I was cautious about taking it again, but I was desperate. This time around I suffered from weight loss, nausea, severe bilat hip pain (due to low bone density), and receding gums along with all the usual Lupron side effects. My dentist said my gums and teeth looked like I was 60 or 70. FYI, I have never even had a cavity!!! I'm now 3 months post Lupron. I still haven't started my period again but my symptoms have subsided. Its just a waiting game now. I hope to get pregnant soon but I will probably go on fertility drugs very soon. All I can say about this drug is that it worked for me the first time and I hope it did the second time. It definitely was not easy and I don't recommend anyone going into it lightly. Good luck to anyone who is thinking about it and I feel blessed to have gotten out of it with a lot less problems than other men and women

I'm in my 5th month of taking Yasmin, and in my 4th month I developed rashes on my face and all over my body. They look like inflamed skin with heads of pus, and very itchy. I first thought it was some severe skin reaction unrelated to the pill because I've taken bc before (ortho-tricyclen) for many years and that never happened. But after reading this forum, I think the cause is Yasmin. I've never had any skin issues like this before, and what's worse is that my immune system has been weakened and I got a bad flu-like illness with high fever in my 4th month of taking this pill. In fact, I'm experiencing my second rash reaction right now, and I'm in my 5th month. This time I'm heaving as well. I think I will stop this drug tonight. I'm so glad you are sharing your experiences on this forum because reading this helped me figure out why I've been so sick. From what I'm hearing, this drug is awful! Nobody should risk taking it because it is even worse than high dose pills, in my experience.

I have been taking this since March and I have lost half my hair, it is so depressing. I only realized this evening that the Wellbutrin is maybe causing it. I am so upset. I can see my scalp, and it is so bad, I canceled my vacation home to see my parents who haven't seen me for 2 years - what on earth will they think? My question is:

Did your hair grow back after stopping the drug? If so, how long did it take?

I am taking 300 mg XL.

I have also noticed that my eyebrows have thinned.

I too have eosinophilia pneumonia and have been on Prednisone for over two years. Doctor told me he had not seen a case of EP since the 1980s but as of last week he has now had five cases of the disease with no explanation as to why. After determining my condition was not parasitic he started me out on 60mg and then I tried to wean myself by dropping 5 mg every two weeks but to no avail. This continued for at least 18 to 24 months until I decided I would try to drop by 2-1/2 mg every four weeks and am now down to, as of today, 5 mg. Walked four miles this afternoon and did experience some wheezing but didn't feel like my lungs were going to explode so I consider this success. Have this wired moon face that makes me look like someone I don't even know but have been pretty lucky to maintain a constant weight with a starvation diet. Am hoping I am able to continue at the 5mg and lose some of these terrible side effects but don't know how long it may take. Last time I was at the doctor's office and in a desperate state, he prescribed (he continues to research all options and some alternative methods to provide relief) Stromectol tablets which is used to treat parasites but is the active ingredient in the treatment of heartworms in animals. Once I determined the side effects did not outweight the potential benefits I took the one dose treatment and maybe, just maybe, it is helping. Only time will tell. Can anyone tell me if the length of time on the treatment is a determining factor for how long the moon face and other symptoms will last.

Hang in there and hopefully we can help each other through.

What a range of emotions since the news broke,found this sight so helpful, so happy i wasnt alone,Had hope ellation anger and today i am sick to my stomach what have i done to my son,why didnt i see

Here is some perspective for you all. I take Singulair and do well on it and in ACTUAL studies it has one of the safest safety records. Understand that post marketing reporting does not mean there is a correlation between the event and the product. Throughout the life of a drug the companies must disclose any report of side effects reported to them REGARDLESS of causality. A popular antihistamine that is OVER THE COUNTER also has suicidal thinking/behavior listed in its post marketing section. However, just because patients who had reported having these thoughts while taking the product doesn't mean it was a result of the product! Maybe they had a depressive personality and were also on multiple other medicines to treat that. You must look at the "Adverse Reactions, Warnings and Precautions" sections of package inserts to see the side effects that were actually seen in studies. You can die from ulcers derived from over use of aspirin or ibuprofen. Decongestants can throw off your blood pressure and these events are documented in actual studies! Listen to your bodies when taking any med. If you feel differently report it to your doctor.

These are all drugs people, there are potential side effects. There are also side effects to those "natural" over the counter remedies that are not nearly as regulated by the FDA or studies by the drug companies.

To anyone out there who has experienced side effects to singulair timed to when you started it, talk to your doctor, stop taking it and see if it goes away. Same advice for any product prescription or over the counter medicine. Side effects can be a combination of many factors (what other meds are you taking?) But understand for many people this product is the safest and most effective treatment for them. The FDA and Merck are reviewing all information to see if there is any correlation to the reporting. But singulair been around for about 10 years and prescibed to billions of people and is known to be one of the safer medicines out there overall.

In between the legitimate posts on this site I get the sense there is a lot of ambulance chasing going on. People looking to cash in on this big drug companies. We want drugs, we want them cheap and with no side effects which is not a reality. Keep stepping up the regulation and make the companies hire more lawers to protect themselves and jump through even more hoops and see what happens to the price and access to new meds. Even better, see how regulation has impacted the development of new medicines around the world (here's a tip, it will dramatically decrease). Drug companies certainly aren't perfect but which industry is?

Please, when taking any medicine over the counter, prescription or herbal supplement listen to your bodies to see if the potential benefits of the product outway the risks or side effects. Report any changes to your doctor.

I took my ring out this morning. I have dealt with anxiety and some depression to varying degrees in my past, but lately it has been much worse for no apparent reason. I started having panic attacks and heart palpitations last fall, they told me I was fine physically, and there was no other explanation. I have irregular periods, so I was hesitant to stop using the ring, but I've made my decision. Before I spend hundreds of dollars going to specialists to try to help me, I'm going to see if taking the ring out improves anything, and based on all of the other posts here I suspect that it will.

Just another FYI, I started the ring in the first place because my doctor told me it was a lower does than the Pill. The Pill gave me GALLSTONES 4 tears ago at 19 years old and I had to have my gallbladder removed! Then, when I was on vacation in Mexico, I had to go to the emergency room b/c I had symptoms of a blood clot in my leg. UGH! I was hoping the Ring would be different, but my elevated level of anxiety and depression and mood swings leads me to believe that it's not different at all.

Overall, birth control is just not worth it. It is not worth sacrificing my sanity. Condoms here I come! lol.

I have been on LoEstrin24 for over a year and a half. For the first year, I had no side effects. After starting a very competitive graduate program this fall, I began having panic attacks, anxiety, hot flashes and am sweating constantly during the first week of a new pill pack. I believe that the stress have exacerbated the potential side effects of the pills and only now am I seeing the downside of this method. I was previously on Depo Provera for 7 years and then tried the patch for 1 year (HATED it). I've found that controlling my stress levels has helped but not completely ameliorated the side effects. Also, as an FYI for those who are worried about the brownish discharge - I still have it after 18 months on this pill.

I have taken Estrostep Fe for as long as I can remember. I have always experienced pretty much all of the symptoms I have read here since I began taking it. This was the first and only birth control I have ever tried.

From what I'm reading though, it's hard to tell if what I have been experiencing is normal problems women have when their hormone levels change (anytime you change a birth control or start taking one for the first time this WILL HAPPEN guaranteed-it's a product of being a woman) or if the problems are caused by the pill.

I have however noticed through the years that certain things make the symptoms worse. Mostly dietary changes, things you eat during hormonal changes, among other environmental things actually contribute to the problems.

I'm wondering how many people that have posted here about their problems started on the pill for the first time using Estrostep Fe and also how many were just reaching the age where that wonderful gift of getting a period arrives?

A lot of teenage girls don't realize that BOTH the pill AND your period (even without the pill) cause big changes in hormone levels...and starting both at the same time, well.....if that's the case, then a lot of these posts make sense and seem to be completely normal.

FYI-to anyone frequently switching birth controls and not waiting at least 3 months in between to let your hormone levels stabilize..you can expect hair loss and/or facial hair, migraines, weight gain, and a host of other problems.

My point is, you can read things in these forums and think WOW I HAVE THOSE SYMPTOMS TOO!! DOWN WITH ESTROSTEP! without stopping to think about these things as well:

1. Women always have and always will be known for their mood changes, and bouts of depression. You also have to remember that during menstruation your body goes through a little phase that closely mimics that of being pregnant according to many doctors..PMS is a common thing. not just caused by birth control.

2. It is normal to have sore/tender breasts around the time of your period, before during and even after it. Look it up on any medical website!

3. read the side effects of the stuff BEFORE you decide to switch. they are put there for a reason.

4. the pill warns against taking it if you have or could have certain medical conditions. don't just blame it on the pill, go tell the doc EVERYTHING no matter how embarrassed you feel about it (trust me, they hear and see worse all day long)....don't be surprised if you find out you have some underlying condition you didn't know about. also, if you are overweight..taking most birth control pills is NOT a good idea for many reasons..the risk of blood clots (that can lead to stroke/heart attack goes WAY up)-also if you smoke..but did you know that if you are overweight your chances of getting pregnant on the pill DOUBLE (if your BMI is over 27%)..

My point is, keep an open mind, and for those of you just becoming a woman-learn more about how your body works because you'll need to be able to differentiate throughout life between the normal aches and pains and the ones that require a Dr. or hospital visit.

good luck!

IA huge thanks to you guys for putting this info out there, because I'm sure the Singulair website wouldn't go into detail about this, and tell about side effects it has: FYI -->

This was what I found on the Singulair website, no more, no less (see post below this one please)

'm really sad to hear that these things happened to you guys and your children.

My 8yr old (55 lbs) son got a cough that ended up lasting about 4 weeks, so i finally took him to his pediatrician. He gave him a breathing treatment and hinted at him having asthma- but he wasn't sure. We have no family history of asthma and in my mind i thought it was pretty far fetched, but we continued the breathing treatment for about 2 weeks and my son cleared right up.

We came back in the Friday after Thanksgiving for a check up and his doctor said that my son sounded much better. The doctor said that looking over my son's medical history (not much of anything) he said he could have asthma-but he wanted to put him on Singulair for the next 3 months until the winter is over.

He said it would be a preventative measure to keep my son's symptoms from "flaring" up. The doctors said " This is not a steroid, and there are NO side effects. Its a once daily chew able for children." I thought-hmmm that's a first, a drug with no side effects. Then I was thinking" "What symptoms was the doctor referring to?" He had a really bad cough he got while visiting his dad's family (bug going around). But I held my tongue and just nodded. He wrote out the prescription, and I left. I heisted as I pulled out in front of the pharmacy and then kept driving.

I felt uneasy about the whole thing. Giving him a daily medication for a condition (asthma) I doubted my son had. Glad I did my homework, I decided to not fill the prescription. I don't feel the least bit guilty for not giving him the meds.

My 8yo son has been on Singulair for his asthma for about 2 weeks and he has complained of a 'sick tummy' regularly, ending up in tears because he can't do things. We have had a long run of this, perhaps due to the 8 lots of penicillin for tonsillitis, and some tummy bugs going around the schools I work in. The doctor has been suggesting irritable bowel syndrome so we didn't think of the Singulair side effects until it has got so bad that he is not going to school.He has been unusually clingy and almost paranoid about small things that don't usually worry him over the past couple of weeks. We were trying these tablets as he has been on steroid based preventer since he was 3 and we wanted to get him off the cortisone stuff. After reading here he is off the Singulair today and we will report the side effects to the paediatrician.

Hi, I take Effexor, and have experienced many of the negative effects described here, however, my personal depression was such before I began that for me it was life-saving. During those periods when I've taken breaks from Effexor, withdrawal wasn't pleasant, nor was it quite as bad as some have experienced (I didn't get the brain-freezes or violent impulses). However, I did find an excellent post in another forum about tapering off, so I am cutting and pasting it here. (fyi, if you take 150s rather than 75s -- I take 150s -- you can use a similar schedule to open the capsules and shake a bit out rather than completely eliminating a dose):

In Response To: Re: New to Effexor (Sharon)

I'have been taking Effexor since one year and a half ( I take 225 mg per day). Before taking it, I was so worrying and panic that I could'nt do anything. It took me about 6 months before seeing a change in my mind. Now, I am very happy and I don't worry about everything anymore. It is a very good medication for me, though it decreases libido. I am reducing Effexor since two months this way : first week : after 7 days, I escape one pill (75 mg); then after 6 days, I escape one other pill and then after 5 days, one other, and so on. I wait about 2 weeks before beginning again for another 75 mg. It is the best way to get off of the med because if I try to stop suddenly, its horrible. Its the only disadvantage of this drug. I hope these comments will help you.

FYI: It takes about 3 cycles of birth control for your body to get used to it and settle into a regular pattern.

I am 2 weeks and 3 days into taking this pill for the first month and I don't know if I should stay on it. I just started to get brownish blood/spotting and cramps in my back. I am afraid I might be pregnant although my boyfriend always pulls out on time. There is a chance that some precum got inside me, but I haven't been too worried since I don't think it's very likely to get pregnant from precum while on the pill. Should I be worried or are these symptoms normal? I also have had more frequent mood swings and anxiety, but I suffer from both anyway. From all the bad things I have heard, I am eager to switch back to Ortho-Tri Cyclen. Is there a big difference between the pills and the amount of protection they offer from getting pregnant? If any information can be given, I would really appreciate it.

Actually, i have been on the pill for a week and a half and it is perfect!!! I am 17 years old, almost 18 and i think it is amazing, i take it at the same time everyday i mean EXACTLY the same time, 9pm everyday, not 9 :03 0r 8:58, 9 pm my doctor said that taking it at night helps if there are any side effects. Which there are not!!! In fact, my boobs are bigger, i have lost 5 pounds , i was not over weight at all , and am not under weight now. just fyi, anyway all of the postings are like crazy, all these people complaning o im moody my boobs hurt, SUCK IT UP!!!, everyone responds to medicine deiferently and posting what happened to u is fine, but dont complain, anyway, i just wanted to post this for anyone who is getting freaked out by all of the other information. As long as ur not old, fat, a smoker, or a cranky lil Bit*h ur gonna be fine.

just an fyi for all you moms out there. my 6 year old son was on zyrtec for 2 weeks and went from a super happy child to an emotional train wreck. we were given a prescription for singulair today, but wanted to check side effects before filling it. we definitely won't be filling it. i just wanted to warn everyone who goes off singulair not to get on zyrtec!!

Those of you that has experienced weight gain....do you think its because the Zoloft as increased your appetite? I can handel being tired and going to the bathroom all day... but I would be in worse shape if I gained weight....what else is more depressing!! My husband started Zoloft a few weeks ago for anxiet, and his main complaint is exhaustion. My OBGYN gave it to me for severe PMS.

Best of luck to everyone here....

Mine reaction was to Avelox, which is a fluoroquinolones flor-o-KWIN-o-lones) just like Levaquin. Within less than 5 minutes, I began to feel pressure in my chest. Shortly after that, I began to feel as if I were shaking severly on the inside. (From the outside I appeared to be normal.) I finally had my husband call 911. The paramedics were VERY reassuring that I was going to be ok; however, I didn't feel like it. I had a very difficult time comprehending what they were saying to me - had to keep asking to repeat themselves. All vital signs were totally normal. I went to ER later. I was scared to . Anyway, severe nausea had developed, so they treated that; however, same story - vital signs are all fine. When I got up the next am, began having pressure in chest again. Stayed in bed most of day. Around 24 hrs after taking this medicine, I finally felt normal again. FYI - CIPRO is also in the same family of . Had taken a couple of months prior for Bladder Infection and began itching from that. I will NEVER take another fluoroquinolone medication again. You must be very careful when your doctors prescribe these NEWER medicines. I am sticking to the older from here on out!

My doctor put me on Topamax for migraines, but I can not handle the effects. I just started the 75 mg dose just as I was moving into a new college apartment with new roommates, and I felt like I was going crazy! I couldn't eat anything without feeling completely ill, I was spacing out, and I couldn't remember words.. for three whole days I couldn't remember the word 'tapestry.' I finally had to look it up in the dictionary.. not a good sign for a college student. The worst, though, was the overwhelming sense of panic that was getting worse by the day. I was no longer myself! The last straw was a panic attack, complete with hypernentilating. I have never felt so scared in my life. I actually had to go the ER to get something to calm myself down.

So, I decided to stop taking it. My parents talked to my pharmacist, and she told them that Topamax IS the type of drug you can stop "cold turkey." But after a week, I feel almost as bad as I did when I was on the drug! I still can't eat anything. Also, I wake up hours before my alarm goes off, completely sick at my stomach. I feel panicky and nervous. I have several bouts of diarrhea and this morning I almost didn't make it. I share a bathroom with three (normal!) girls, and it is getting to be embarrasing and annoying. Please, can anyone tell me.. when do the side effects go away?? I want to be a normal 19 year old again!

As a side note, my Mirena was inserted 03/13/07. Just and FYI.

I've been on Seroquel for a month now. My dosage was progressively increased from 100mg to 400mg for severe chronic insomnia, a symptom of manic depression.

Within one month, I've gained 20 pounds and I look as if I'm six or seven months pregnant.

I am weaning myself off of it, because my doctor doesn't seem to care much about the weight gain, despite the fact that I eat less than 1000 calories a day.

A symptom of bipolar disorder is also depression, and the more I look at myself in the mirror, the more depressed I get.

I'd rather go without sleep than gain weight at the rate I've been gaining it. It's just not safe, and I can feel it taking its toll on me physically and psychologically.

It's just not worth it in my opinion. I'm giving Melatonin a try. Hopefully, that will work for me. It was suggested by one of my nurses.

It's not easy to go from a 4/5 to nearly a size 9 in a month. It really makes you feel terrible, especially when you exercise an hour and a half everyday and are on a low calorie diet.

Until I'm given something that can counteract the weight gain, I refuse to stay on Seroquel.

I admit I'm having some bouts of insomnia, but they're not nearly as bad as they were before I started the Seroquel. Perhaps that will change once the Seroquel is all out of my system.

I also notice I'm itching everywhere, from head to toe. I suppose that's a symptom of weaning yourself off of the drug.

I am on my first week of taking Femcon FE. I started the pill on the first day of my period; although I have always had terrible cramps for my period I think this month my period was the absolute worse ever. I was nauseous and in a lot of pain for the entire second day of my period. Also this week I have broken out very bad which was never a very bad issue for me. This week I have also been feeling moodier then normal PMSing. I plan to give this pill a few more weeks then call my doctor and ask about changing. Please let me know if others are having similar symptoms, and if I may be having these side effects because of Femcon Fe, or if its because I am new to the birth control pill all together. Thanks.

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.