Head cold symptoms and conditions

I took Ambien for 2 years. I had all of the common side effects: hallucinations, memory problems, loopiness, nightmares, etc. However, I eventually started smelling smoke all of the time. Since Ambien was the only drug I was on, I stopped taking it. After a couple of weeks, the smoke smell faded. Life went on as usual, and I became pregnant and gave birth to a beautiful boy. That night I couldn't fall asleep even though I was exhausted. I tossed and turned all night, and the nurse started showing concern for me. She asked if I wanted to try a sleeping pill, and contacted my doctor. They ended up giving me an Ambien that night, and that night, the smoke smell returned for a few days. Fast forward several months after giving up Ambien completely. I developed a nasty head cold that gave my sinuses a pounding. That was when the smell returned. I began to piece things together, and went to the doctor. I asked him if he thought the Ambien damaged my sense of smell and if sinus conditions like congestion, allergies, and sickness exacerbated the problem. He did first check me for a brain tumor, but agreed with my assessment. He has seen thing like this happen to people, although not specifically with Ambien since it was a newer drug. He thinks a combination of the drug and sinus problems permanently damaged my olfactory nerves. He told me to try Flonase, and within a week of smelling smoke, it goes away. seven years later, the smoke smell still comes and goes, but actually cues me to what is going on in my sinuses at the time. I know when my sinuses are congested or irritated, and I take Flonase for relief within a few days to a week. Not saying everyone will have this problem, but it is something to be aware of...

Thank you to all of the ladies that have written to this site. I've never sent in feedback, but it has been so helpful to read these stories and try to diagnose my issue. I am in the second month of the NR and will remove it tonight. We have 2 children (2.5 and 18 months) and are unsure about more so we have been hesitant to get my husband fixed. I found the site while unable to sleep because of a migraine during the first month. I have never had migraines before, but figured it was from a head cold Then the almost intolerable itching began...that has been awful, but I thought it may just be the "adjustment period". Because of 2 small children and a stressful career, I didn't notice the loss of sex drive right away. But recently, I noticed that NOTHING turns me on. I have always been able to orgasm almost every time we have sex (or even on my own), but now I cannot even stimulate myself or get turned on from sexy shows or ANYTHING. I am only having sex for him and it burns like crazy in my vagina right after we have sex. It was bad enough with babies in the house, but now I seem to have no sex drive AT ALL. So, the whole point was to get away from condoms but since I don't want or enjoy sex...guess that logic goes out the window. To sum up...migraines, crazy crotch itch, and no sex drive. I'm sure this works for some women, but if it is not working for you, take it out. I'll write again after I am clear of it to update.

I am so glad I found this page! I am 16 and have been taking Yaz for a month and a half.. the first month I felt great. I was loosing weight and getting shorter, lighter periods. About a week or two ago I started feeling pressure throughout all of my head and I just didn't feel like myself, so I suspected a head cold or an ear infection. At the same time I was also experiencing SEVERE panic attacks to the point where I thought I was having a heart attack and might be dying. These would sometimes last until 4:00AM and cause me to loose a whole night's sleep. Finally I had my mom make me an appointment with my primary physician. I had an EKG done, which came back normal, and my doctor put me on the handihaler. The panic attacks, anxiety, and paranoia had all continued. Almost a week has gone by since and I had another severe panic attack just last night... needless to say, after finding this website my mom has already called my OB/GYN and scheduled an appointment to change my BC pill. I took my last Yaz pill day before last and don't plan on ever taking anymore. I never thought that something as simple as a birth control pill could do this to a person.

I have been taking Ambien on and off now for about 1 year and at first I started having bad headaches, dizziness, loss of thoughts, dry mouth, etc, but mostly my headaches became very bad until my blood pressure went up and I was put on B/P medication, so I stop taking the Ambien and I really feel like I am just lost and very irritable, and I feel like I am in a dream and I can not stand a lot of noise or any little sound just bothers me, my eyes stay red and burning and what I feel like is a really bad head cold or allergies.

On my 5th day with Lisinopril. So far no side effects to speak of. It has not lowered my BP much yet. On 5 th day I took a head cold that came on strong with full blown symptoms in about 4 hours. I don't ever remember taking a cold so fast. Will keep you posted if and when side effects come on. I am bracing for them.

I just started Singulair 10 days ago and 3 days after I started I developed what I thought was a massive head cold. Pains at the base of my neck, followed by a stuffy head, sore throat, and a nasty cough. This dry, never-ending cough keeps me up at night. It takes over an hour to go to bed even after taking Nyquil and last night I even tried Rx cough syrup w/codeine, still over an hour to get to sleep. I cough to the point of gagging and sweating. This has been happening since last Monday and it's so embarrassing at work. I know people are afraid they are going to catch my "cold" If it were a cold, I would think I would be getting better by now, not worse. This morning I felt so bad that I decided to search the internet and found this post. I beginning to think it's the Singulair. I'm going to the doctor and then depending on what he says, I may try quitting the Singulair. I am miserable. I was reading the other posts and was amazed at the symptoms I've had but had not connected to Singulair yet. I had a vivid, scary dream last night and I don't usually dream much, but this was very real. I also had noticed lately that I keep thinking I see someone coming or passing by out of the corner of my eye, and I read someone's post that referred to shadows in your peripheral and I was shocked! This is exactly what I've been seeing. I would have never blamed it on the drug. I will see how things go once I quit taking it. This is unbelievable!

I took Yaz for 7 days. In that amount of time, I began experience the most horrific symptoms I have experienced in my life. They included: chest pains, nausea, vomiting, arm pain, and the feeling of imminent death (these caused me to go to the emergency room since they are classic heart attack symptoms for a woman); leg and arm weakness; lethargy; migrane; panic attacks; severe insomnia, diarrhea, and vision problems that caused my contact lens perscription to change and night time vision had profound halos when driving, etc. I was literally unable to stomach any normal food portions I was so nauseous. I normally run 3 miles and could not even make it to the gym for weeks. I was afraid to stay home alone with my 4 year-old and 17 month-old for fear something would happen to me while they were in my care. At the ER they found low potassium levels (which makes no sense given Yaz has a potassium sparring diuretic component). In another blood test, I had elevated iron, which I have never had previously.

I am 35 and have been on bcp's periodically for 12-15 years. I have never had any of these symptoms prior to this experience. I have never had anxiety, depression, or any other underlying health condition. I immediately stopped taking the pills once I made the connection. So far, my recovery has been slow, but at least it is improving. I resent that my ob/gyn and internist both said that the pill would be out of my system in 24 hours. The effects are clearly long lasting (I am approximately 7 weeks off of Yaz).

Finally, my eye doctor, of all people, said that he has seen and heard of people having problems similar to mine and that it was understandable that I would have anxiety when I felt like I was dying from a heart attack. No one perscribing this medication bothered to tell me of the diuretic component or any component that was going to affect depression. I am attorney and have always thrived under pressure, not turned into a panic attack ridden mess like this medication caused.

As for the previous post who stated these are common symptoms described by women, at 35, I know the difference between my normal body function and the hell that began when I started taking Yaz. Unless you have experienced this, then you clearly would not understand. I appreciate that Yaz and Yasmin have worked well for some, but that clearly has not been my personal experience. So, I write this not to discourage someone who has had a positive experience, but to provide support for anyone else who has suffered like I have.

I only take .5mg twice a day for anxiety. Started taking to help with palpitations and lightheadedness (chronic). Seems to help alot. Just as I started it a head cold settled in, so can't discern if the fatigue is from the cold, the klonopin, or both. Even with the fatigue I feel so much more functional. So very interesting. Bill

I have been taking adderall for over a year, but for about 10 months ago, I started taking wellbutrin also and since have had chronic problems with my ears, It's actually getting worse. Not so much ear infections, but the pressure is actually pushing inward. So i feel light headed just funky all day. Kind of like a head cold without the cold. I can't figure out which one is causing (i think wellbutrin) since that's when it began. But it could be the combination. Just wanted to know if anyone else is experiencing this. I am 35 female.
thanks pam

I wish I had bothered to find this site before taking this medication. My doctor prescribed Sulfameth, 1 pill 2x a day for 7 days for a skin infection and wheezing in my chest following a bad head cold. I quit taking this medication after 3.5 days for many of the reasons already described by others herein.

The first day I noticed my heart was "racey" and I had a headache. My symptoms have been getting progressively worse. I feel compelled to eat every few hours (possibly a reaction to feeling lethargic) but food just doesn't taste right. I seemed to crave sweet and salty snacks, which has caused me to retain water. To add to my frustration, I noticed that I seemed to be feeling worse and getting sicker instead of better. My head has been very stuffy and I thought I might be coming down with strep or the flu after feeling like I had an ulcer in the back of my throat. My mouth has been very dry and I am finding it uncomfortable to swallow. My tongue and the top of my mouth is very sensitive and feels raw. Also, my chest wheezing has gotten no better. I have felt very tired and i have no energy to do my normal walks in the morning let alone a full work out. In fact, walking across the room is quite taxing right now. I can't sleep but am exhausted. I was absolutely out of it today, and considered going to the urgent care facility to see what is going on. That's when I discovered that many people have reported similar experiences. Thankfully, I never got a rash or the high fever. This seems like a terrible medication and I will not be completing my course.

I had been feeling like I was getting a slight head cold for several days and then on a Thursday I decided to go to an Immediate Care Facility because I felt like it was turning into Bronchitis. I am a fast healer and respond to antibiotics well as a general rule. Well, this time was an exception, I was given a prescription for Levaquin 750 mg to take one a day for 7 days. I was given a coupon for $25 off on the RX and it still cost me $130 for 7 pills. Within one hour after taking the first pill my wife and I knew I was in trouble. She rushed me to the emergency room. My oxygen level was 82, my heart rate was 140, my temperature was higher than it had been before taking the drug. Thanks to my wifes quick thinking and insistance I did not die that night. A nurse friend said she is 100% sure that if I had not been prescribed Prednisone along with the Levaquin that my reaction would have been much worse. Probably the Prednisone buffered the reaction.
I spent 3 days in the hospital. My recovery from Bronchitis was slowed down by this reaction. Then I got an eye infection and am still seeing an eye dr. for that. I have missed 2 1/2 weeks of work. Levaquin is on my list of drugs to never take again. Bob

I had a raging head cold, something that resembled a brocheal infection and a low-grade fever.

I'm on day 4 right now and really don't feel much better. My head has hurt the whole time and my fever has not gone away. This is probably just a flu, which Zpak does not fix, but I got the script because it was quicker and easier than telling me to chill out for the next 10 days.

I wish I could blame my woes on Zpak. I can't. I think it's the nature of the virus that is using my bloodstream to swim laps in right now. Hopefully time will be my ally. If not, this is living hell.

I have been taking Singulair since January 2003. It really helped my exercise induced asthma. In the summer of 2004, I had a tooth pulled and a bridge put in. My teeth and jaws started hurting and the dentist couldn't figure out any reason why they were. In the summer of 2005, while still on the Singulair, my left arm and neck started hurting leading me to believe I may be having heart problems. I had my heart checked out, and everything looked good. Last summer, still taking Singulair, I began having trouble swallowing pills. I finally stopped taking the Singulair the first of October 2006, and my teeth and jaws quit hurting; my left arm and neck quit hurting; and I don't have any trouble swallowing pills. I did get a nasty head cold a couple of months after stopping the Singulair and another one a couple of months later. I am wondering if those head colds may be associated with the Singulair as it has been many years since I have had a head cold.

Per a couple of folks questions: I recently saw an RN practicing with a Doctor because of loads of side effects that I attributed to Yasmin. most pressing was chest pains I developed in May that came and went, initially on the left side under my breast, and then in June. across my chest. This continues to come and go but seems to be elevated just before my menstrual cycle. To what I figured, they confirmed I had re-developed a heart murmur and advised that it is very common....I had an EKG done and this appeared to be normal but I have since read about Hyperkalemia (excessive potassium in the blood and its symptoms which seem identical to what I experienced while on Yasmin) and the person who wrote that she had pulmonary thrombosis-really concerns me. Can anyone else say that they have experienced lowered heart rate, skipping of beats/irregularity of rhythm on Yasmin?

Can the other people who have advised about the ear blockages say more? I saw a hearing doctor who told me that ortho contraceptives are odo-toxic (which means toxic to the inner ear) and they have known this in their field for a long time but the prescribing doctor and the RN I saw knew nothing about this. I have been off of Yasmin 2 months now (SEE PREVIOUS ENTRIES I MADE UNDER YASMIN RESEARCHER AND JPISANO) but my ears still feel like they have alot of pressure in them and I've just come through almost 3 months of being sick which I never am! I got a cold at the exact time I got off of the Yasmin. Then, started another head cold just this last week?

I am in a bit of a quandry right now because I am in transition career-wise and only carrying major medical so I have been very cautious about seeing Doctors right now but am quite concerned about all the things that happened while taking Yasmin that I am now still suffering from two months later.

I already filed on Federal Drug Administration's website which I highhly recommend. If they have enough well documented troubles, they can take action.

can the person who had PULMONARY THROMBOSIS please write and advise what your symptoms were and how you discovered that you had this and how it was treated?

Thank you.

I have started to seriously reconsider taking this medication. I am a flight attendant and was happy to hear about a so calle none addictive sleeping tablet. Tonight I am trying to kick the 'habit' and I am wide awake and feel very wired and strung out. I wake up with headaches and dehydration which lasts throughout the day. I feel like I am coming down with a bad head cold all the time and very irritable. My stomache is also starting to give me trouble, in knots all the time and achy. I think I will just have to make do with valerian and a good book.

My doctor had me take Guaifen when I had a head cold. I had fluid behind my ears that wouldn't drain and it caused me to be dizzy. Guaifen helped dry that up a little. I took it for a little over a week like he said. He also told me to make sure I don't take the last dose of the day after 6:00 in the evening because it WILL keep you awake!! I did notice little bumps on my fingers that itched, but I didn't realize they were probably from Guaifen until I came to this site. Hope this helps!

I took doxcycline for aprox. 12 days due to a definite tick bite. I had a very nasty bullseye on my upper leg. Even though the blood test showed negative - the bullseye rash was evident, & doxycycline was prescribed as the better, stonger medicine for treating Lymes disease. the symptoms that I was having were spuratic in the beginning. (3rd - 4th) day, - slight hot & cold feeling as I slept @ night resembling a slight fever, which was uncomfortably noticeable.
Some nausea also. On the 10th - 12th days I had an irritating thin skinned feeling in my hands - washing my hands with cool water would give an icy glow to my hands as well as a cool breze or wind an my hands; super sensitive discomfort. Also while sleeping with my hands under the blankets - I would feel the sensation as if my hands were glowing hot. My lips felt a sight burning also. In addition to those symptoms, I felt as though I was developing sort of a head cold with headache & my eyes hurt. Fatigue was evident. The doctor said to stop the medicine; & that 10 days of doxycycline was enough time to combat the Lymes.

I visited the doctor after not being able to kick a chest cold and was prescribed a Z-pack. 10 days later I had to return when I was more sick than before, I now had pneumonia and was given Levaquin. The exact day I was given the first dose in the morning by the doctor I experienced confusion, faintness and exhaustion that afternoon--in fact I was worried I wouldn't be capable of driving myself home from work that afternoon. I initially attributed this to the illness and severe head cold, however as two weeks wore on I was continually losing my place in conversations, my body hurt worse all over than being sick, I had several severe headaches, and typically had about 1 hours worth of stand-up time energy per day, the rest of the day I would have to spend lying or sitting. This is very odd for me since I am an avid runner and have maintained good fitness for many years, I'm 33. Additionally I was in the middle of two important projects related to work which had to be sidelined because of depression. I tell people I have been more "sick" with the flu for far shorter periods of time but I have never been this sick for this long. After reading the many responses on here I believe I too was a victim of the effects of Levaquin. What frustrates me is I spoke to my doctor again on day 4 into the medication and told him that I felt WORSE, all they said was continue taking the medacation, never once telling me it was all common for this medication. Now like several other posting I am experiencing pretty painful digestion problems, I have taken myself off of it for about 36 hours now, and need to start eating yogurt--I will NEVER take that drug again.