Gastro problems symptoms and conditions

I started Topamax over a year ago and titrated up slowly, 25 mg a week until I got to 125 mg a day, split dosing. I was started for migraine prophylaxis. Once it kicked in, it did an amazing job of keeping my headaches away. But, here is something really important: if you are going to have surgery, there are contraindications with Topamax and anesthesia. No one either knew this or told me this and I only found out weeks after I went through a really lousy experience. What I believe happened is that the combination threw my body's pH balance off. I felt like my insides were burning and it was only at that point that I started to experience the severe diarrhea and weight loss, fatigue, and general malaise. It lasted for weeks. All I could figure at the time was that it was just taking me a really long time to recover from my surgery (ovarian cyst removal and unilateral oophorectomy), but that didn't make sense. I felt like I had a horrible flu for weeks. I kept seeing my doctor saying something was wrong with the way I was healing (ie, i had an infection or something). Anyway, this eventually stabilized as I back off the Topamax. I was so weak that I didn't even realize the memory issues or word finding problems, but when I started to feel better physically, I did notice those. That REALLY bugged me. I like to be sharp. So, I tapered off. About 1.5 months later, my headaches started coming back. I decided to try Topamax again feeling that now I understood it much better and could watch it more closely. Maybe this time I could ride out the side effects. Well, this time several months passed at the same dose. My headaches were still there and I had no side effects. We upped the dosage. Still having headaches, but no diarrhea, no weight loss (in fact, weight gain of 15 pounds over the last 9 months since last Topamax round), no real problem with word finding, etc. Up to about 200 mg daily by this time. It has been about 6 months and I have started tapering down and about to give up, down to 150 mg daily right now. NOW, here is something interesting: I just have another surgery, but no anesthesia. It was oral surgery. I did, however, have to take a round of antibiotics. It seems that this round of antibiotics has kicked the cycle into gear because I started having gastric problems, perhaps because of the antibiotics (although in the past, I have not had problems with antibiotics before, ALTHOUGH I did have to take them last year with my in-hospital surgery), I don't know, but I have finished the round of antibiotics and I am still having diarrhea. My appetite is suppressed, and I have lost 5 pounds in this last week. Many people say you cannot lose weight if you stop Topamax and restart it later. That is an interesting. I wonder why that is. Topamax is such a strange drug. Why did it not work for me the second time I took it, or at least for 9 months? Is it just now kicking in with its side effects as the result of upsetting my gastric system? Will it start working now for my headaches, too? I think I will continue to taper off or maybe see if I can prevent headaches on a very low dose. Oh, another interesting thing: I found the first time I took Topamax, it made me feel energized. I found that this time, it made me feel the opposite. I sleep a lot more and feel more sleepy during the day.

I'm definitely going to go off Yasmin as soon as I'm done this pack. I am constantly in pain from my breasts to cramping all month long. My boyfriend can't even touch me sometimes because I'm so tender. Not to mention my lack of sex drive as well. Now to top it off, I have to go see a gastroenterologist for inflammation of my duodenum and a hernia. I never would have associated gastro problems with the pill. But after reading that a lot of you have experienced the same thing, I'm off for good. Just need to get my boyfriend to go under the knife..

Not Good!!! I had nausea, depression, leg cramps all the way down to my calfs, gastro problems and bleeding for the first three weeks! Bleeding everyday and tired with bouts of depression. I felt like I was ready to start my
period everyday!! My concern was the leg cramps because I was worried about a blood clot forming as one of the side effects of the Birth Control Pill.
My right leg feels like pins and needles and somewhat numb. They scheduled me for a Ultra Sound and found no blood clot. I just finished my pack and im not sure if I want to continue. My Doctor says it takes 3 months to fully get into your system...she wants me to continue? I have used Camella & NuvaRing and those too gave me problems! This pill seems to be the worst of the three!!! I am 42 and never had a problem with BC in my twenties and thirties? Hmmm? I may have to go off totally! It's not a good pill for me and I feel that a lot of you have the same feelings...

L. Clearwater, FL

I just googled "Prilosec & weakness with sweating" and came up with this site. I have been on OTC Prilosec for at least 2 yrs. taking it off & on...mostly on (everyday). I have been getting more ill over the last 2 months than I have ever been! I am diagnosed with Firbomyalgia & CFS, so I keep blaming my worsening symptoms on those two diseases. My doctor has done so many tests & can't find any answers. I am so glad I found this site. My symptoms of severe weakness, & profuse sweating, with many heart palps, may be coming from the Prilosec. I am going off of it starting today to see if I get any relief. I will have to find something else for my acid reflux...no more medicine!! If anyone knows of a natural product or food to lessen the acid, I would love to hear!

I have also had a headache with Pexeva, on and off for weeks, and even as a withdrawal symptom. I went back on after two days for various reasons. I mainly went off the med because it was making me have to go to the bathroom (soft stools, sometimes worse) and lots of gas and stomach cramps, etc. I decided to go back on though because I loved how calm and relaxed I was. I also had an awful headache like when I had first gone on the med. I believe it was withdrawal symptoms (even though I had just started Zolof). I thought if I went back on Pexeva, my gastrointestinal symptoms might disappear after a few weeks and I need to give it more time to see. I have been back on for 7 days now and have yet to achieve the calm and relaxed mood I was in, but maybe I need another week. The gastro problems are on and off, some days better than others. Headache has varied, but today the worst. The one problem I am having and perhaps is getting worse is itchy skin, especially my nose (on outside, top and around it). So, maybe I am allergic to Pexeva, which would explain also the gastro probs. All and all, I have probably been on this med for a couple of months or so, mostly on.

I am a 61 yr. old female former smoker diagnosed with COPD/emphysema. I was put on ADVAIR 500, along with using a nebulizer with albuterol and bromide to "inhale" several times a day.I also was on oxygen. I quit smoking and worked at getting my health back and to the surprise of the doctors went back to playing tennis several times a week.After reading about the side effects of the high dose Advair I had my Dr. reduce the amount to 250. It has been almost a year now that I have been on Advair. I have noticed some of the side effects mentioned here. The leg cramps, and leg spasms have been horrid. I also have had blurry vision. And lately I seem to not be able to sleep even if I am tired.I am going to see if my Dr. will let me drop to the 100 Advair level. Lately I have been intentionally skipping Advair doses to see if I notice any difference in my breathing. I almost forgot- since going on the meds listed above I have had kidney stones, an emergency appendix surgery and now high bilirubin count. I cannot find any info on those problems if result of medication ADVAIR. Even though I smoked for a number of yrs. I was very active and not over weight. The Dr. thinks thats why I am back to playing tennis. Has anyone else had a gastro problems ??Thanks A.

I am sitting here is shock as I read the posts here. I have been taking Toprol XL for about 5 years now. It was 50MG and went up to 100MG when I had some heart arrythmias. Except for some dizziness at first no other side effects were noticed. For some reason my cardiologist switched me to me metprolol. I am currently scheduled for colonoscopy, a look into my stomach as well as blood test and stool test and on a strict diet.. why?, because I have been having serious gastro problems for 2 months now. (Diarrea, gas, stomach pain, blood )I told m first gastro guy about my meds and he said Metoprolol would not cause it. Yet I have just read here and on a side affect site, that gastro problems happen to 5 out of 100 people!!! This problem started very soon after I switched meds. Yesterday I skipped m meds accident. I went 48 hours without meds. NO problems! I took m meds last night and this morning my stomach is in turmoil. Tomorrow I cut my meds in half. Then call my cardio guy and change back to Toprol. There is an obvious difference in the drugs.

Wow....i never thought in all my life that i might be able to pinpoint all of my medical problems. I started Yasmin August 2005, come October of 2005 i started to get sick, like flu symptoms and headaches. My doctor just thought it was the flu. Come New years day 2006, i could barely even move. I had severe joint pain, headache, dizziness, pale, tired. This led me to months and months of doctors visits and numerous diagnosises. I've been to the ER twice with severe pain around my breast bone, left leg pain, headaches, and fatigue. I developed iron deficiency anemia, and right now i supposedly have viral arthritis. Ugh....the list can go on and on. Doctors thought that i has lyme disease, lupus, arthritis, depression, gastro problems, i could go on and on. Finally last friday my primary doctor decided to take me off Yasmin, due to my high blood pressure. Low and behold, i think that Yasmin has done all of this to me, and am sooooooo glad that there are other people that have gone through the same thing, and i am not really that CRAZY!! Is there somewhere that i can write to tell my story and warn others?

I took this drug for UTI almost 10 years ago. A few days after I started taking it, I became extremely nauseaus, losing 10kg (about 22 Lb) in 1 week. I couldn't eat, lost all my energy. Even to this day, 9 1/2 years later, I still suffer side effects from this drug. I cannot absorb vitamin B12, which has also caused pernicious anaemia, and also have anaemia, irritable bowel syndrome, constant nausea, fatigue and am highly susceptible to stomach bugs and food poisonings.
Before taking it, I was fine, perfectly healthy and never had any gastro problems.
But since taking trimeth, I have never been the same.

Thank you all for all your posts. They help me feel like I am not alone in all this junk. I have been on Prednisone since mid July when I was diagnosed with Dermatomyositis. Even with all the side effects, primarily the weight gain and bloating, I feel better than I did in June. I could hardly walk. My sleeping is actually better now than it was with the pain of DM, and I have always been hypoglycemic so the elevation in blood sugar has helped me.

With that said, I have always been an extremely healthy and active person so the weight gain is killing me. I also prefer to be holistic. My biggest fear has always been long term medication, but here I am. My pred. level was just increased 2 weeks ago to 60mg / day. Within one week my face has become very round, and I look 4 months pregnant. I am very hopeful that someone will find that miracle diet/exercise regime to help balance this side effect. I work out at least 6 days per week. I eat healthy, but have recently gone back to a yeast & sugar free diet. All this with no success. I just started taking Methotrexate 2 weeks ago so I hope maybe it will give me the success Liz has seen in that area.

Other side effects: I am very happy to have my energy level back, but my strength isn't back so I get very frustrated and irritable. I have issues with blurred vision. And I have trouble concentrating. My thoughts often wonder while I am in conversation.

I hold you all in my prayers and hope that you will find ease as you go through this challenge. If we can all stay positive we'll get through it.

Best Wishes,
Elizabeth

I have been suffering from "asthma" for 5 years as an adult....
I finally tried advair for the second time and after about a month I would lose feeling in my arms.. like they were numb and achy... I hate feeling like this.
I think it also has casued some gastro problems

i have been on Zoloft five years. at first it seemed to provide relief from depression. I began to experience gastro problems. No one even suggested that it was the zoloft. I have gained 39 lbs, and no energy. I took myself of this drug by decreasing the dosage over two weeks. not long enough. Now I have electrical jollts going through my head, very foggy brain, anxiety, etc. will the wieight gain go away? am i losing my mind? please comment.