Hate to think symptoms and conditions

I have just been reading the list of, what I am considering to be "possible", side effects from Dilantin . Doesn't everyone, whether on Dilantin or no drugs at all experience headaches, nausea, stomach pains or depression from time to time?
After being on this medication for over 30 years there are some things which I've experienced. Just about everyone complains of hyperplasia but it has been my experience that if I maintain a clean healthy mouth, there is no hyperplasia. If, for one day, I do not brush my teeth, hyperplasia sets in immediately & it then takes a week or so to get it under control. So, brush, brush & brush your teeth.
As far as memory loss or difficulty learning, I suppose it happens to everyone at one time or another. However I have graduared from high school with honours & became a registered nurse (top 5 in my class of 56) all while I was on Dilantin.
The only true adverse side effect from taking Dilantin for over 30 years which I experience is that whenever I am tired, my speech can easily slur. I am very aware of this & it's become habit to pay close attention to my pronounciation & correct it so I may articulate normally. Not a big deal & a very small price to pay.
I'm not one for pity trips or blaming my seizures or medications for my downfalls in life. I am so grateful to have my seizures under control & hate to think where I would be today if not for Dilatin. Remember, if you look for it , you will likely find it. So try not to look for all these adverse side effects (crutches)& see the benifits. We have enough to handle keeping this under control & educating the sometimes ignorant world.
I took control of the epilepsy that attacked my system. I would never allow it to control me. Good luck to all of you. Sincerely :)

I started advair a year ago for COPD and the side effects have become intolerable, but I'm between a rock and a hard spot, because it has made it possible for me to get off of the rescue inhaler which I was previously using every two hours. My hair periodically falls out by the handful, my legs swell every night and a deep bruise to my right leg has created a four week odyssy of the ankle swelling to twice the size of the other by dinnertime and the bruise is only just starting to appear - I suspect the steroids have slowed healing. I also have most of the same side effects as listed by others here - belly-bloating, diarrhea, severe stomach cramping, charlie horses, quicker temper, hoarseness, sore throat, heart palpatations, and chest pressure, trouble swallowing, bruising, blurred vision, most disconcerting is the way this stuff is affecting my short term memory. I just started back to school and I can't absorb anything into my memory and my ability to conceptualize (one of my best skills, previously) is now frightenly limited. For the first time in my life, I know what it is like to be the one in class scratching my head with a dumb expression on my face. I realized that it was the Advair, because I tried studying in the early morning (after the last dose of Advair had worn off) and Voila - my memory and conceptualizing abilities had partially, but dramatically, returned. But I need the Advair to GET TO class and by the time I reach the test (after my morning dose of Advair), I can't recall anything in a timely enough manner (test taking had always been my strength). I hate to think what this drug is doing to the minds of children in this country. I now know for the first time in my life, what a horrible feeling it is to not "get it" after trying with all your might. I flunked a math test last week after studying days and nights for it - first test I've ever flunked in my life and I used to get Bs in college while not opening a book until the night before a test. Does anyone know of anything else that is anywhere nearly as effective without all the side effects? I suspect it is the fluoride in Advair that makes it so dangerous - a good percentage of the dangerous drugs taken off the market or still on the market, but with blackbox warnings contain Fluoride - it is highly reactive and unpredictable. Flonase (nasal spray made with steroids and fluoride) makes my father and sister nearly psychotic!

I've been on Diovan for about 9 months and I have all of the side effects everyone else here has mentioned! Weight gain, bloating, fatigue, mood swings, extreme muscle aches- especially in my lower back and legs, hunger, and more! These Drs. are sooo stupid!!!! They tell us to lose weight and then give all of us medications that cause weight gain. I am also diabetic and my Dr. also has me take Humalog insulin- which also causes weight gain! I would enjoy hearing from everyone who has had side effects from Diovan, and I would like to hear about alternative remedies for hypertension. Good luck and Best Wishes to all of you....Kim Q.

I am normally a very physically fit specimen, working outside every day. One 500 mg. tab of this poisencompletely debilitated me. Within six hours of taking levaquin I experienced excruciation soreness in my arms and shoulders. My throat swelled up and I could barely breath. I was perscribed steroids to stop the swelling - I took only ONE 500 mg time release tab 7 days ago and today I am still experiencing incredible pain.I am so sore I can't sleep. If anyone wants to start a call action suit I am in - I have NEVER sued anyone - but I am furious.Any advise out there as to how I can flush this poisen out of my system?
Chris

My 6 year old son has had all of these more or less. He has been on Singulair for about 5 months. We took him off last Friday when he started having seizures. It is only now that we are connecting the things he has complained about. He is still going through testing but everytime a test is done it is negative. He is in perfect health. The dr.s are stumped. What happens is, he smells a wierd smell. Then he sees lights. After this he has a bad headache and becomes weak so he lays down. Shortly thereafter he stiffens and starts shaking his arms and legs while clinching his hands. He also grunts and makes a buzzing sound and appears as though he only breathes out. the dr.s say it is not seizures but movement disorder and if it is Singulair it should be out of his system within 3 days... He is still having the seizure type fits and its been a week since we took him off singulair. He is still losing his temper and having horrible dreams as well. Cat scan was normal, EEG was normal, blood work is ok, they want to do an MRI but does this sound familiar to anyone?

I am so glad that I found this site. I've been using the ring now for 3 months continually. I just don't want to have a period anymore and my doc seemed to think this was a better option that an IUD. Well ever since I've started my depression is worse!!! (I have post partum). I just went to see my doc about adjusting my meds. I've also had severe vaginal irritation and a raging yeast infection. And let me tell you about sex. there's been none of that going on and my husband is starting to get pissy. This is just not worth the frustration. The only problem is that I just had my script refilled for anouther 3 months. I just hate to think of losing the $45 I just paid. But mental health and a happy husband is definetly worth it.

I have been on 100 mg of topamax twice a day now for over three years. Most of the early side effects have worn off like soda tasting bad and the memory loss. I never had any hair loss. Also the weight loss has stopped and I did gain it back which really stinks. Anyway, the reason I was looking, was that in the last several weeks, I have been suffering horrible body aches and joint pain. My hands and knees hurt very badly. I am 39 years old and hate to think that arthritis has set in so quickly. And I know that I can't have the flu with no other symptoms and so often. Does anyone else have these symptoms? Also I wonder why these could have started after so many years of taking it.I have tried to wean myself off in the past and the migrains came back full force.

hi kate,
just reading your post and i am shocked your doctor would consider puting you on yasmin. Because any bcp will thicken your blood surely it cannot be safe for you given you suffer from mitral valve prolapse.
please reconsider your choices. and certainly do not take yasmin or yaz.
i dont think either of them are good.
So many women here have suffered from anxiety and other problems from those pills. Is there another choice for you to help with the cysts.
Maybe if you log onto flowerbabies new site one of the women on there might know or have experience with this.
The link is posted below.

If i could just stop one more woman from starting on ths pill l i would be happy.
I hate to think of any body else suffering the way i did.
Research your choices first kate.
Good luck.
muph70

I was put on 500 for 3 months for prostatis-i took it for 2 months everyday and my shoulders hurt so bad i could hardly stand it-after being off it a couple weeks shoulders still bad-someone told me you cant take aspirin with it-I DID- hate to think what would have happened if i took it for 3 months-will my shoulders ever get well?And isnt 3 months way too long to take this even for prostatis,which im not sure i had

hello

I'm 18 and Yasmin WAS my first BCP ever. It's not anymore...I took the first 3 weeks of the yellow active pills and started my mom and boyfriend started to notice a change in me. I all of sudden have panic/anxiety attacks about a volcanoe, fatigue, upset stomach, numbness in my arms, sick, vomiting, I don't want to be alone, I get nervous when it get's dark. I rock back and forth, I just stare at one spot, I all of a sudden don't want to take care of my baby. I would give her to my mom a lot. I thought I was going crazy until my mom found this page for me a few days ago. Since then I stopped taking Yasmin. My symptoms are starting to lessen. Saturday will be a week since I have taken a yellow pill. My Panic attacks have lessened but are not yet gone. My other symptoms are still here and probably will be for about 2 weeks (I've read that on other womens stories). I can't stand the panic attacks..I do not like volcanoes they do scare me, when I saw this show a few weeks ago about a volcanoe under Yellowstone National Park I started to get nervous about it, until eventually I had panic attacks about it...I don't get why though....then I find this page and it all makes sense. See I knew the volcanoe was there, but I never freaked out like this until I got the Yasmin in my body and system, since then all hell broke loose!!

If anyone knows a way and wants to get the word out about Yasmin let me know, I will gladly help. It's not a fun pill and I hate to think that there are women who are being prescibed it. I'm afraid my GYN is going to say that it's not the pill when it is. Your stories help support me and get me through this. I know it will all soon be over...that's all I can say to all of those who are going through it as well...it will all be over soon.

Hello,

I'm 18 and Yasmin was my first birth control ever. I took the first 3 weeks of the yellow active pills, and started having all these symptoms that I have never had before: panic/ anxiety attacks about a volcanoe erupting, fatigue, sick, upset stomach, vomiting, numbness in my arms, I don't like to be alone, I panic when it starts to get dark, I have a month and a half old baby that I sometimes just don't want to take care of so I give her to my mom. I have never been this way before. My mom and boyfriend noticed a change in me so my mom got online and found this web page for me. I'm so glad she did because I thought I was going crazy for a while. I was on my 3 white pill when I quit taking it. Saturday will be a week since I have put anymore actual hormones in my body. I am scared to death of any other bcp and I really don't want to talk to my doctor about it because I know he will just say that it's not the pill...but it is!!! After reading other womens stories I feel much better. I'm not the only one. I've started to feel a little better lately, just today my panic/anxiety attacks have not been so severe. For a while I wanted to cry when I got them, I just wanted to die. I would stand and be rocking back and forth, I would just stare at one spot. Please keep posting your stories. It's what really gives me support and gets me through this.
If anyone knows a way to get this pill off the market let me know...I will help. I really hate to think that other women may have this happen to them. I believe it's the drsp hormone that does this to me...it's awful!!

Update: I went to the ER last night and was pretty surprised when I received the results from my labs and the doctor's interpretation (diagnosis). My X-rays were completely normal and free of alignment problems or visible fractures which was expected. But, my blood work told the entire story... General inflammation indicator was slightly elevated and my uric acid concentration was through the roof. This indicates that I have developed Gouty Arthritis over a period of three-four days and have inflammation in my joints, the latter of which is improving or not severe enough to scare anybody.

I am just wondering if anybody else with sore, numb, and weak feet, ankles, wrists, and hands after/during the course of Levaquin has had a similar diagnosis? I have never experienced anything like this before, but hate to think that I may have aggravated it by drinking in order to alleviate some of the pain over the weekend.

There is no family or personal history of Gout for me. I must note that potassium deficiency and dehydration are side effects/warning conditions of Levaquin and am wondering if I was just dehydrated to begin with and my muscles were in pretty bad shape from coughing and aching for 5-6 days, then the antibiotic worsened it to this point. Either way, I will never take one of these drugs again and plan on considering this as an allergic reaction in the future.

FYI: The ER Dr. recommended Ibuprofen for the pain because the aspirin that i was taking could have been aggravating the condition. I also awoke just before four again this morning after having only slept 4.5 hours and experienced very vivid dreams and was unable to return to sleep. I'm beginning to believe that this is never going to end.

Penny.... Hang in there because I do not think it has to do with Fibromyalgia. Keep reading....

This is a follow up to what I posted on 2/9/06. I went to see my internist today. He is not the doctor that prescribed the Levaquin. The doctor that prescribed the Levaquin suggested that I see my internist because he didn't know why I was having the joint pain. The internist asked me a bunch of questions and then asked if I was prescribed any mediactions lately. That's when I told him Levaquin. He said that is what is causing the joint pain. He told me that it is a reaction that can come on after stopping the drug. He said that it can affect any or all of the joints. In my case it's my shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers. He told me that a lot of peolpe suffer the most in their knees and ankles. He said that not only does it cause joint pain, but it also causes tendon pain. He said that a reaction can happen with any dosage. It has been 16 days since I took that Levaquin. The pain is getting better. The internist told me that maybe another week or two before my joint pain is completely gone. He told me never to take Levaquin again and he told me to never take Cipro. He was very supportive and I didn't even have to bring up the subject of Levaquin side effects to him. The minute the word Levaquin left my mouth he knew. If I experienced this pain after taking just one dose I hate to think what would have happened to me if I took the entire prescription.

To all who are going "crazy" trying to figure out if the Levaquin is causing the joint pain........ It most likely is. This is a very dangerous drug and my heart goes out to everyone that is suffering from the horrible side effects.

Like other readers, I'm so glad I stumbled onto this site!!! I have been on Yasmin for 3 weeks and have started having severe chest pains, as well as tingling in my arms & muscle aches. I have been contemplating going to the doctor because I thought I could be having symptoms of heart disease. I have now put a call into the doctor to find out what to do next.....of course, not taking it from this day forward is where I'm going to start!!! I just turned 33 and I would hate to think that a bc pill in conjunction with my family history could cause my son to lose his mommy!! It's been so scary for me. I didn't want to overreact...but I also don't want to wait until they have to "crack me open" to do a major heart surgery all because of a pill!!!!!!! I think having another kid would be less painful!!!

I've been on Yasmin for about six weeks, as an alternative to my long-time favorite, Ortho-Novum 7/7/7, which started giving me vaginal dryness at 41. The sexual problem cleared up instantly with Yasmin, such a big relief, so I felt I could live with the 2 1/2 weeks of breast tenderness I had the first month.

Now, in my second month, I am troubled with crippling insomnia. I have always been a poor sleeper, but this is really different, only 2-4 hours of sleep night after night for two weeks. I have tried various sleep patterns (with my history I'm pretty adept at manipulating my sleep), but nothing works. I really can't go on like this. No wonder sleep deprivation is often used as a torture device.

Other symptoms include unusual fearfulness (not quite physical anxiety attacks), irritability, weepiness, and foggy brain, amounting to loss of function so bad that I really worry about driving my kids around. My refrain has become, "Another lost day!" I thought all of those were triggered purely by the sleep problems, and I've been working up to asking my primary physician for sleeping pills, a first for me in all my years of being sleep-challenged. But after reading most of the posts on this site, I believe Yasmin may be causing those emotional problems directly.

Meanwhile, just 3 pounds of weight gain has caused me to go up a full pants size (it's ALL on my belly, basically overnight), and I hate to think where that is heading. I do have somewhat increased appetite some days, but I've increased my exercise sufficiently, which is a struggle in this state of sleeplessness. Yes, I know that growing belly fat is part of being over 40, but I'm very aware of and careful about my diet and exercise and this undeserved weight/belly surge does coincide with starting Yasmin.

Two questions:

Has anyone gained weight BOTH on and when going off Yasmin? I've read both situations, but from the same person?

Has anyone had insomnia early on with Yasmin that went away after a couple more months of continued Yasmin use? Can those of you who have also had this kind of serious insomnia, and who have discontinued Yasmin, report on how long the insomnia specifically took to subside?

I've just made an appointment with my gyn for a couple of days from now. I just want a different pill or no pill--I don't intend to let him talk me into continuing on Yasmin over my increasingly serious concerns. However, if others on this site have had experiences like mine that then got better, that would be more persuasive.

I have also developed a trigger finger on my right hand and since so many others have mentioned this problem I would like to know if anyone who stopped the Zocor sometime ago has experienced improvement as I was sent to a hand specialist who suggested a cortisone shot or surgery. I am not ready for either at this point.
Thanks for any info on this. I hate to think that this condition won't go away after the Zocor is out of my system.
****** Please write trigger finger for subject

My 6 month old son started taking Omnicef 6 days ago for a bad ear infection. On the 5th day he started having reddish colored stool. I called the doctors office and they said if he has any more (which it sounds like he will), then they are going to test his stool for blood. He isn't sleeping well either. He becomes so tired but won't allow himself to go to sleep. He just lays there sobbing. He also started having a fever last night and this morning. He only has a few more days on this medicine. I just hope it helped the ear infection. I would hate to think he was on this medicine with all these awful side effects, and still has an ear infection on top of it all. I do agree, the reddish colored stool should defiantely be listed as a possibel side effect.

I find all of these reports interesting. I have a varied background of medical problems and am on medications for thyroid, hormones, and have been taking methotrexate for a couple of years and now remicade infusions for psoriatic arthritis. I've also been on Zocor for a couple of years now. The psoriatic arthritis symptoms (and I also have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia) are quite similar to the "side effects" being attributed to Zocor. This last couple of weeks it has escalated to the point that I can barely walk or grasp anything in my hands. I'm relatively okay when I first get up in the mornings, but after an hour, my feet, ankles and legs ache like they're severely bruised and my shoulders and upper arms and hands are similarly sore. My rheumatologist is having me get some lab studies this week because he thinks the culprit is the Zocor. I'd hate to think I've been dealing with all this discomfort the last couple of years thinking is was due to the psoriatic arthritis when, in fact, it's a side effect of the Zocor. But life would be much more pleasant if I can go off the Zocor and not experience this kind of pain. At least all your comments give me positive thoughts that perhaps this discomfort will be in my past soon. Thank you all.