Garlic symptoms and conditions

Are there any meds that are safe? I was taking 10mg norvasc. I started taking 20/25 mg lisinopril. I was doing ok on the norvasc but the added lisinopril has almost killed me. They had cut my norvasc down to 5 mg then to 2.5 mg when I started the lisinopril. 4 days ago I stopped the lisinopril and added back 2.5 mg norvasc. Back to 5 mg. The side effects seem to be letting up. Now im wondering is all of my meds are killing me. I can't live without them. My BP sores. Im so scared of what I should do. Im afraid of all my meds.

I have been off the drug 4 days now. My BP is running around 175/85. This is to high. My doctor is supposed to call me tomorrow and let me know what to do. I refuse to take the lisinopril ever again.

I have been taking 20mg Lisinopril for six days for 140/100 BP reduction. Muscle cramps, muscle pain, dizziness, ringing in the ears (which I already had, but this medication has made it MUCH worse),some heart palpitations...generally scary and, on balance, I am going to find some other solution. Frankly, this is like taking a slow acting poison.

i am 46.. ,outdoors man, heavy equipment operator, I started diovan January 2009. it lowered my bp to low. so they said cut it in half ,.i did . still to much .so cut it in half again .? now down to lowest dose they have 40 mg ,once a day at night ....this stuff makes me tired ,sore ,sleepy, shaky ,.gives me headaches ,,blurred vision lack of concentration, ears ring ,pulse in ears,, and head woshing noises ,. lowered my testosterone levels and blood flow rate in lower reigens .doctor has done a lot of tests ,said all looks well. put me on migraine pills, testosterone shots, mediteranian diet ,vitamins ,and ,pain pills,....******OH YA BUDDY PROBLEM ___-------_SOLVED?;;;;pay up front on your way out. see you in three weeks OR LESS.

So. I have read a lot here about side effects. What have you guys switched to (i.e. what BPM are you taking now)?

Who has switched to something else and been pleased with the results?

Need specifics please on an alternative.

I was taking 20 MG of Lisinopril for approximately 1 month, getting a bp reading of about 155/95, so my doctor increased the dosage to 40 MG. About 2 weeks after that, my BP is up a lot, to about 190-200/95-110. Anyone have a similar reaction?

I just started taking this drug three days ago, and I am already having such bad side effects that I don't want to take it anymore. I am only 29, but have a family history of high BP, and went to the doctor last week to find out my bp was 175/90. Since starting the drug, I've been getting dizziness, but last night took the cake. I woke up around 4:30 with horrible nausea. I ran to the bathroom where I fainted while sitting on the toilet lid, wanting nothing more than to vomit. I remember waking up and looking in the mirror, and my face was as white as a sheet, as were my lips. I looked dead, and it scared the hell out of me. As I came to, I suddenly had diarrhea hit me, and once that was over, I felt better. My husband thinks my body is trying to get rid of the drug. In addition to all this, I am having palpitations and feel that my heart is beating too fast. I know that part of this is nerves, because I'm scared of taking this medication, but the fainting and nausea ARE because of the drug. I called my doctor today, and she wants me to come in to get my BP taken again. I am so scared that she won't lower the dose or (better yet) switch me to something else, because my bp always goes up at the doctor's office when I get nervous, every time. Oh, and I also started metformin last week because the doctor tested my blood sugar and it came back 250. Could it be the combination? I don't know. I just know I have only been on this stuff for a few days and already hate it and feel that it's bad for my body! It's very scary.

My 76 year old Mother on hbp meds for 30 years, on Diovan and metoprolol and two other hbp meds, Well after years of complain of severe pain, coughing, NIGHTMARES!! fainting,hair loss, she also has lost her walking gait, walks funny, Well a few months ago, I started cooking and shopping for her, Lean protein, LOTS of raw fruits and veggies, and lots of water,Last month the Dr cut the metoprolol and a lot of the pain stopped, So did the nightmares!! shes feeling so much better, Well her bp was so good today at the doctors He said she could cut back on the DIovan, Maybe in time she can get off of this one also, She also has been taking 1-2 tbl a day of apple cider vinegar,garlic,fish oil, and eating mostly vegan, Shes lost 20 lbs, ALL of this has taken place in a few months, I feel bad I didn't do this for her 30 years ago, She takes her bp daily and it seems if she eats white flour sugar salt anything but healthy food, it goes up. GOOD LUCK ! and don't wait 30 years,

MY 76 year old mother, on hbp meds for 30 years,METOPROLOL, for quite a few years now ,And she complains of severe pain in her shins, NIGHTMARES, for years now to her Dr. Lately she has been having fainting spells, and at times has short term memmory loss, The Dr did cut her metoprolol in half. dreams aren't as bad, She is going to have a D&C due to uterine polyop, all of this has sent me to the internet researching all the meds she is on, I feel bad I haven't done this research sooner, I just thought the doctors know???? Please we need to do our homework, research and take responsibility, for our health and those we Love.. I have been cooking and shopping for her past month, Lots of RAW fruits and vegetables,garlic and other healthy, herbs and oils, she has lost 10 lbs, bp has dropped 135/70 was 155/90 she is now down to 210 lbs, 5 ft, Im hoping the Dr. will take her off the metoprolol soon

Except for having high cholesterol (310), I'm a 29 yr old healthy active female, very petite and weigh 98lbs. My mother has had a quadruple bypass and 4 stents at the age of 54, high cholesterol is just hereditary in my family. My doctor put me on 40 mg of zocor. The first week taking zocor I started feeling strange, a little soar here and there and very tired at times, also I have become very forgetful. It's been almost 2 months now and I have severe pain in my legs. First it was the right leg and now both legs, the pain starts at my lower back all the way down to my cav. I have a burning painful feeling sometimes numbing feeling, its driving me crazy!!!! I can't stand for too long cause I feel tons of pressure on my lower back pushing down my legs, It feels like my sciatic nerve. I went to my doctor and he said he is 95% sure that this is from the zocor medication, he told me to stop it right away. This is my first day without it, I know I need to do something to prevent what happen to my mother, I'm on a strict healthy diet, staying away from all fatty cholesterol filled foods, but there has to be a better way then taking statin drugs! If anyone has some ideas of what kind of alternative meds I can take, please help.

I have had vividly disturbing dreams since taking this- they began 3 days after beginning. Another side effect is serious lack of energy, to the point where I can barely keep up with what I normally did everyday- garden, hike, tend to home and family. Usually by 3 pm I can barely get off of the couch, which sucks because I am a busy woman. Have compensated by trying to get as much done in the morning as I can, and to fix smaller, easier meals. But little by little I've seen the quality of my life go downhill fast- the future on this drug does not look good to me.
Yes my blood pressure lowered somewhat, the irregular heartbeats not so much, but at what cost? Forget this, I don't need it.
Therefore, I am weaning myself off of Metoprolol after only 2 months of use, choosing instead to go with a natural regimine of VitC, buckwheat combined with gingko for blood pressure, garlic and dong qai for blood thinning. Also to mention, I've lowered my caffeine consumption considerably- from 4 or more espressos a day to 1 cup of brewed coffee- and within a week of doing so my blood pressure levels and pulse have returned to almost normal. (This was after both had been very elevated)
So it looks to me like I never really needed the medication to begin with. However I read on the literature included with the 'script that it is not meet to suddenly stop taking it- to do so could actually cause a heart attack! So I am gradually weaning off of it. (and lipitor)
I think many doctors are too quick to prescribe a pill without having a person look at their lifestyle and food choices. The caffeine withdrawals were nothing in comparison with how bad these drugs make me feel. And the dreams are almost enough to drive one nuts.
It's easier to be healthy than we are led to believe by an industry that makes a profit off of sickness, real or perceived, no matter how preventable.

Less than 2 months after taking Lipitor I have been experiencing intense weakness of the legs, especially the hip area. A normally avid walker, last week really woke me up when I was unable to walk over 40 feet without having to stop from sheer leg exhaustion. I'd have to actually lean on my partner until I could manage to shuffle again- a shuffling gait is what I had to resort to just to make it back to the car.
This is bullshit because even though I've had some angina symptoms, right up until I went to the hospital I was able to hike; was still relatively strong.
So today I have spent hours researching side effects and have seen on this site alone many mentions of intense leg weakness and pain with Lipitor.
This, along with simultaneously educating myself on the truth about high cholesterol has convinced me to gradually cease taking this medication.

Instead I will replace with sufficient quantities of VitC, buckwheat combined with gingko, and of course I can never stop with the garlic because it is delicious.

I have been on Diovan for 2 and 1/2 years. I have noticed SO MANY of the symptoms that everyone is describing!! There is one that nobody has mentioned and that is vaginal pain. I have been to gynecologists, urologists, general practitioners and a heart specialist for all of the symptoms. Nobody has been able to figure out the vaginal pain. I am 56 years old and know that atrophy vaginitis may have something to do with it, but why is it that when I don't take my diovan, I don't have the pain down there as much. It is the worst of all the symptoms, so in time, we will see if the others subside. Like some of you, it seemed like one day I got up and felt like I was 80 instead of 56! Why don't the doctors take a very good look at your meds when you are having problems that they cannot figure out!? It does take my blood pressure down but I am going to start taking garlic and fish oil to see if they will help.

Have been on simvastatin on and off for 15 months now. First of all 10mg came off for a while - cholesterol level up to 7.6 again so was put on 40mg. Very nauseous and came off the 40mg. Went back on to 10mg in Nov. and since then no nausea at all. At present I am getting terrible pain when laying down in my right leg from my hip into my buttock right down to my foot. It is similar to cramp in leg but it lasts sometimes for a couple of hours. Cramp usually disappears in a few minutes but it is the same sort of sensation. Also needle-like pains in my hand and foot. Above symptoms only since going onto Simvastatin. Would be interested in any others have these symptoms too. Trouble is damned if you take them and damned if you dont. Current research does show however that there is no benefit to women over 60 taking these wretched pills - everybody reading this should try and get or borrow the book by Dr Malcolm Kendrick entitled The Great Cholesterol Con (Dundee UK GP) written in 2008 who also is of this opinion. I am not advising not to take Simvastatin but please do research and read this book and reach your own decisions.

Hi . I am a 69yr old male. My doctor has recently increased my Lipitor from 20 to 40mg. My cholesterol reading was 3.6 which he considered to high after a quad bypass. I am suffering painful cramps down the front of both lower legs as well as cramps down the back of my lower right leg. I plan to revert to 20mg to see if the cramps stop. I am not sure if I should stop completely.

March 3, 2009
I returned to the doctor today to get a different antibiotic because Avelox made me worse off than the sinus infection I had. I stopped taking it about two weeks ago and still have side effects from the drug. My doctor had given it to me about two other times. The last time I recall was in November. I didn't finish taking my prescription then either.
I thought maybe I was having flu symptoms also, but it was the drug making me more ill. RASH, HIVES, RED HANDS, SWOLLEN TONGUE THRUSH, BUMPS ON MY TONGUE, TINGLING IN MY BACK, VOMITING,HEADACHES, PAIN IN MY STOMACH NOT LONG AFTER TAKING A DOSAGE. FREEZING HANDS, THROAT FEELS LIKE IT'S CLOSING UP AND DIFFICULTY SWALLOWING, COULDN'T GET OUT OF BED, MUSCLE FATIGUE, ACHES WEAKNESS, JOINTS HURT, TINGLING IN HANDS, ANXIETY,CRYING SPELLS, NIGHTMARES, SKIN SENSITIVITY, INSOMNIA, THEN EXTREME FATIGUE, DIZZINESS AND LIGHT HEADED UPON STANDING AND/OR GETTING UP FROM A SITTING OR SQUATING POSITION. EVERYTHING HURTS ALL THE TIME IN EVERY MUSCLE...... I BASICALLY FEEL LIKE I AM DYING.
My fiance thought I was totally losing my mind. I was moody, aggressive, irritable, depressed etc... I felt like like a different person.. My fiance of course got sick also and his doctor prescribed it to him. His side effects included muscle aches and pains and extreme fatigue and mood swings. I looked up some side effects when I was started taking it a few weeks ago, but didn't pursue the research until the side effects got worse. I took it for 7 days this time. My fiance took it for three days. I called him at work after seeing this website and told him to stop taking the medication immediately. I am still sick with a sinus infection, and a whole slew of other crap going on. I called the doctors office and went in right away to get a different medication. To no avail, when I went to my doctors office there was a rep from Avelox there. I said don't give that Avelox to anyone sarcastically. I then saw his tag on his shirt and his bag full of Avelox samples. He asked what type of symptoms I had and I told him.. He said he would report it to the company.... What do you think they will do about it? MOST LIKELY NOTHING. I am an educated person with the capability and time to research anything I need to and I will do my best to dig up the most dirt I possibly can about this horrible medication. They need to stop pushing these meds on doctors to give us and make us more ill than we were to begin with. I JUST HOPE MY AILMENTS AREN'T PERMANENT. People try to make light of the situation because they don't want to be sued. I think the FDA needs to be revamped and the Government should stop letting these pharmaceutical companies poison us. I AM NOT EXAGGERATING EITHER! DO NOT TAKE IT.
I have been going to my doctor for about fifteen years and she never gave me any medication that had made me this ill. I get samples a lot because I have no insurance. Sometimes she gives me scripts. Today I got Zithromax which always worked well for me in the past. Very little side effects. I realize that everyone reacts differently to certain meds, but come on now! It isn't just a coincidence that all of us commenting and complaining here are imagining these horrible side effects! Today I got Zithromax which always worked well for me in the past. (Very little side effects).Then why did I ever have to take Avelox if there are other antibiotics that will make me better not worse. They push these meds on doctors to give to us that's why! I always trusted and admired my doctor. She always treats me well and does right by me. What is going on with these medical companies?! SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS!

Returned yesterday from 3 days in the hospital. Rapid heartbeat and pain in the chest sent me to the ER. The heart enzyme tests showed that I'd had a mild heart attack but an echocardiogram showed my arteries were fine and there was no damage to the heart. They call me "the mystery lady". No mystery to me! It's been 2 weeks since stopping Levaquin after 5 pills of 500 mg. I've been suffering with constant headaches, severe neck, shoulder, arms and elbow pain and am convinced that the heart problems are all part of the results of taking Levaquin. I'm drinking Aloe Vera Juice, and taking calcium, magnesium, garlic, Omega 3 fish oil, and lots of water. No one seems to know what works!

January 26, 2009
I stopped taking 20mg of Lipitor for the following reasons: arm and muscle pain, wrist pain, neck and shoulder pain, knee pain, foot pain, arm weakness when raising my arms, mental fuzziness. I
Withdrawal symptoms : headache, eye ache, increased neck pain.
My goal is to see if the dosage symptoms decrease within two weeks and maybe I will try 10mg of Lipitor and see if that amount produces the same symptoms. My doctor directed me to a Rheumatologist as recent blood work showed inflammation in the arthritis panel. I am waiting to see if being off Lipitor for two weeks might reduce my arthritis symptoms .
I had a stint put in March 2008 and I am on Plavix (75mg), Lisinopril (10mg) and Lipitor (20mg).

I take the Lisonopril and HCTZ and within a few days, I started experiencing dizziness (bad case of Vertigo), fatigue. My doctor took me off. It has been a week now, and I am still suffering from the side effects. Crappy I tell ya! I won't take that stuff anymore. God will just have to take me, because I am done. A co-worker told me her doctor prescribed it, but her grandmother said take Ordorless Garlic tablets. That was a year ago. No more High BP. I am trying that. Won't hurt.

I am a 62 yr. old female and in good health. In January 2007, my doctor ordered a cholesterol test and the results indicated a number of 237..."bad" cholesterol was not horrible, "good" cholesterol was very good. The doctor put me on 20mg of Lipitor without any hesitation... After a week or so, I started having horrible leg and muscle pain, so when I went back in 3 months (cholesterol 181), I told him I couldn't take this med, so he put me on Zocor. Really bad joint pain with this one, so I went back again in 3 months(cholesterol about the same) and told him again that this one had similar side effects and diarrhea. He then put me on Crestor...took this med, but was so lethargic and in a fog, my family told me to get off of that one. Went BACK to the Dr. in 3 mos., told him I couldn't take this one...he put me on prescription strength fish oil (6 per day) saying that this one should not have side effects. Other than some gastric/intestinal rumblings and some diarrhea, it was ok, but when I had my cholesterol checked it had gone up HIGHER than when I started this whole ordeal, so he put me on Welchol...saying that this one was not absorbed in the blood...blah,blah, blah... Still had the gastic/intestinal issues, SO when I went back 3 mos. later in March 2008 (cholesterol 200)and having already stopped this one myself, I told him I was NOT going to take any more meds for this "issue," and I would manage it with diet and exercise. I told him that this was supposed to be the best time in my life, and I was tired of feeling so poorly. He blatantly told me that if I did stop taking the cholesterol "you'll probably have 10 good years and 10 "crappy" years, and he was visibly angry about MY personal health decision. I had at one point during that the 1 year + mentioned to him about the information that I had been reading online...he pooh-poohed the whole "internet" thing, indicating that he had better information (I"M THE DOCTOR" syndrome!). Needless to say, I don't trust him, BIG PHARMA, or anyone else who says that these statin drugs are NOT harmful...My husband has since stopped taking Lipitor, due to our children and me noticing lapses in his memory. These drug companies and doctors are totally ignoring the side effects and health issues of the unsuspecting public. Hopefully, the truth will emerge, but how long it takes...who knows??????? I am glad I'm not on them anymore...I feel GOOD, and I know that whatever aches and pains I have ARE from aging and not drugs!!

I posted several months ago on this string and wanted to update. I had bloodwork done for the 1st time since I quit the 20mg of Lipitor in August. LDL went from 123 to 210. Total Chol went from 191 to 285. HOWEVER all shooting pains I had been experiencing in legs, feet, and chst are GONE! Went back to my Dr. today, told her that same result and my serious objection to taking any kind of statin and she prescribed CRESTOR while telling me it was more potent than Lipitor! WTF!!!

I refuse this course, am drinking 30 - 40 ozs. of water each day now like I should have been, doubled my CoQ10 to 200mg/day, finally getting back into the gym to lose weight and get the HDL up from the level of 36 it is now. also started to drink the new yogurt type "shot" of Promise for cholesterol that provides 2 grams of plant sterols per day.

I will not take statins ever. I WILL find a natural way to keep my Chol under control. I've also been convinced that you don't have to be at or under the 200mlg of total chol to be healthy. Look at your C Reactive Protein and Homosiytes (sp?) If they are in range you should be good.

I know Lipitor was the cause of my rupturing each of my Achiller tendons a year apart while playing tennis in my late 40's Muscle pain soon followed.

My derm prescribed Doxycycline to me yesterday but after reading all the comments i am afraid to take it. I'm 23 years old and my acne is looking worse and worse as i get older and need to do something about it but do i put myself through this? Can anyone help me make up my mind?

I have been on Lisinopril for 3 days now, for slightly elevated BP. Doctor told me to take 20mgs, I split it in fourths, and have been only taking a fourth, and have had tingling in my hands and feet, chest pain, tiredness, severe anger and depression, I had the same reaction when I took Atenolol, (beta blocker), 12.5 mg a day for three months, Also I am going completely bald!! I know that was from the Atenolol, so this med, is just as bad, I'm not taking it anymore, I like my hair,health, happiness and sanity to much to compromise it another second, I also have suffered from depression for many years and have asthma, so I should have never been giving either one of these drugs! I will take Garlic, Omega supplements and see where it takes me, God Bless and lets try nature instead! P.S. I am a 41 yr old female. hope this helps.

I was on Lipitor for less than a week 2 years ago and the muscle pains were so bad that moving my head was painful. I called the doctor's office and was instructed to stop taking the medication; which I did and felt 'back to normal' within a few days. I haven't had my cholesterol checked since that time, or if I did before surgery, no one mentioned anything negative about it. However 6 weeks ago I had a heart attack. Apparently my cholesterol was twice what it should it have been, and my potassium was incredibly low. So I'm now on Lipitor (standard procedure after having a heart attack and high cholesterol seen as the cause of it) to ensure that another blockage does not occur.

The only problem is I'm now bloated even though I've changed my diet drastically (no more junk food or soft drinks, no 'white' flour products, no dairy products with more than 5% M.F and lots of veggies and fruits). I've lost 3 or 4 pounds but my pants are too tight around my waist, and now I have a my upper abdomen bulges over the waistline. Besides that, I get muscle 'kinks' in very places and after sitting for more than 10 minutes I limp when I take the first few steps.

People have told me to 'keep taking Lipitor and Plavix' but exercise more. The only problem with that is that I have a brain aneurysm and the neurosurgeons don't think it can be operated on 'without it being a very high risk procedure'. The first one ruptured 10 years ago and since then I've managed to control my blood pressure. However the meds I took for that was what lead to my potassium being so low that my electrolytes were imbalanced. That combination of low potassium and high cholesterol is what lead to the heart attack.

I'm 54 and feel as though I'm losing control of 'how' I feel. Between Lipitor, Plavix and diuretics and medication for hypertension I'm not sure if it's one drug in particular that's making me 'ache, limp and look like a blimp' or if it's because of the interaction of all of them. How do I decide 'what' to stop? What's more important to look after first - my heart or my brain?

I am a 51 year old male. November 2007 jaw pain sent me to the hospital where they found a 99% block in my right coronary artery, yep 4 stent's. Three month late the same this time 2 stent's and two weeks later 2 more. I now have 8 stent's. My DR. put me on several meds including Zocor. The zocor made me very tired and headaches. He change it to Lipitor 10mg. I have been on it for 7 months and a few day's ago I have notice pain in both knee's and hip. I once again find it hard to concentrate, feel sluggish and have headache's. I NEVER have headache's. Stopped taken the Lipitor, hope the pain goes away. It a shame that the medical field is so quick to put us ALL on drug's, how about herb's instead. I'm going to look into a natural way to lower my cholesterol.