Healing process symptoms and conditions

I've been on Yasmin for years now, but recently switched to the generic Ocella. I'm trying to figure out if Yasmin or Ocella is causing my depression. I'm 25 and just recently my depression has been horrible. I've been on Lexapro for years to help with Anxiety/Depression, but never had problems like this before. My psychiatrist just switched me to Prozac. I've been on it 4 weeks and it's not doing anything. The reason I think my depression might be linked to the Yasmin is because the 2 weeks before I get my period I'm insanely depressed, borderline suicidal. Then, the day I get my period, I'm ok. Anyone else have this weird problem?

I have been off of Levaquin for three weeks . I am experiencing joint and muscle pain from my thighs to my ankles. Wake up in the middle of the night in agony. Soaking in a hot tub gives minor relief. Has anyone found something to ease the pain and help the healing process I need help!!!

I took Levaquin for a sinus infection March 26th... 5 doses of 750 mg. I felt slightly better initially but that lasted only a day. I think it was prescribed wrongly, I had a virus and was getting over it... not a bacterial infection. The problems started about a week after the 5 day course ended. I ended up in the ER feeling like I was going to die, some strangeness in my breathing and feeling as if I was having a stroke... like I was going to pass out. They found nothing wrong except an elevated blood pressure and did a d-dimer to see if it could be an embolism (at my insistence, I had no idea this could be from levaquin and thought I was having a stroke. After the ER visit, I just felt like I had the flu, but I didn't... weak, extremely tired with some muscle aches ... two weeks out I had a lot of pain in both legs, like charlie horses that didn't go away... that lasted several days to a week... the weird depersonalization and the anxiety has been intense throughout. Constipation (never ever had it before this drug) started about a month out from taking it. I still feel pain in my legs from time to time and a feeling like there is a tight band across the top of my left foot... like when you tie your shoe too tight and need to loosen the shoe strings, but I am not wearing shoes.

I have been taking this Leviquin for 4 days. I have had severe cramps in my calves and feet in the middle of the night. So bad that I get up and try to step em' off but to no avail. My muscles hurt so bad in my legs arms and I have been very sick to my stomach. Do these things go away? I am not taking one more of those pills. I would rather have sinus and bronchitis problems than deal with these horrific side effects!! Any feed back?

I have had pain in my knees and legs after taking levaquin for pneumonia for 10 days. I am weak. It is hard to get up and down and very painful with steps of any kind. I am very depressed from the pain and inability to find anything that will help. I have been to an orthopedic doctor and had X-RAYS. Just given anti-inflammatory. No tendon or obvious reasons for pain. What do you do now? Who do you go to for help? In
the mean time, my breathing at night has gotten worse again.

I was hospitalized with a severe kidney infection, later to be told it was e-coli. After several days of intravenous antibiotics along with prednisone in my IV to help manage terrific arthritis pain, I came home from the hospital with a prescription of levaquin, prednisone and something for my stomach that I could have gotten over the counter. I have progressively gotten sicker on my stomach, had severe attacks 3 to 5 times a day, headaches, extreme fatigue and weakness. Worst of all were the crazy thoughts when I woke up partly due to nightmares and partly to just not feeling myself and having a feeling of loss of control of all my emotions. I told my husband I believe I was going into a depression. After stumbling onto this site, I threw the 5 remaining levaquin in the trash and thank God that I found all the information I have today on this POISON. I agree with many that the side effects far outweigh any good this antibiotic has done for me. I continue to be very sick and weak. I just hope when I wake tomorrow this mess is out of my system for good.

I am a 57 year old male, who is in very good shape and active playing sports. I had a bad cold and had just finished a 3 day "burst" of prednisone per my asthma specialist. I am supposed to keep it on hand and take it if my usual meds and "rescue" inhaler are not working, and I feel that I am going into an infection (asthmatic bronchitis). The steroid treatment did not work, so I saw a doctor who prescribed Levaquin (with a coupon for $15 off) - for 10 days. The pharmacist remarked that they had seen a LOT of these coupons and that the drug reps must be doing their jobs. I read the warnings which noted that "in rare instances, ...". after I got home. Since I was leaving town immediately and did not have time to change meds, I took the Levaquin. I have suffered leg cramps for over three weeks now and don't know when or if they will disappear. The cramps appear in my hamstrings, groin, thighs, and calf muscles. They are debilitating. Sometimes I can barely walk. I am no longer able to play racquetball. I try to stretch out and warm up thoroughly before physical activity, but the cramps still appear in one muscle group or more - then I stop immediately.

Update: I took Levaquin 2 months ago, stopping after 7 daily doses of 500mg for an upper and lower RI. I did not have the extreme reaction to it that others here suffered. I had general fatigue, brain fog, loss of appetite, dizziness and tight joints. I had always exercised regularly prior to Levaquin. I also had a sudden onset of bloating and inability to digest food. Doc said Levaquin wouldn't cause those symptoms. It's hard to tell if it was the Levaquin, but...

Now 2 months after my last Levaquin dose, my joints seem OK, I can exercise, although I don't push it too hard since that can aggravate any joint damage done by L, the brain fog is better, and the digestion is still a problem sometimes.

Levaquin symptoms can appear months after the last dose, so I am being vigilant.

God bless everyone here who has had horrible experiences with Levaquin and I hope that your bodies will heal as the months go by. I will be posting updates in the future.

I took 20 mg. of Lipitor for about 6 months only, severe pain in my right forearm and right bicep, Muscle weakness in both arms, Neck pain developed and pains in my feet. I quit the Lipitor when I read that the muscle damage could become permanent. the pain in my feet continues and I quit taking Lipitor about one year ago. As I walk, the pain eases up and goes away. It is when I am in a resting position and then start to walk. The first few steps really hurt. I also have calf pain. Will this ever end? Is there a way to speed up the healing process? I guess I don't have a lot to complain about but I hate most meds because of these side effects. Thanks for any feedback, Juleeegirl

I am extremely allergic to petroleum. I found out when I applied Petroleum Jelly all over my face for four day in order to endure the harsh cold winter weather in the North East. I developed an extreme rash immediately after applying the product the third day. My face hyperpigmented to a dirty complexion. I am now two months after the initial reaction. The rash is now finally no longer itchy and irritated and my skin has started to heal. I am advised that the healing process will take a few months and that the hypepigmentation will eventually slowly, very slowly resolve.

I’m a 52 year old female diagnosed with bi-lateral pulmonary embolisms three months ago. I’ve been on Warfarin for those three months. The reason I’m searching this blog is because I experience chills at about 4:00 am every morning. It’s interesting to hear of others having the same issue. However, I have not experienced other side effects mentioned: weight gain, fatigue, hair loss, headaches, depression... One thing that I’ve not read about here is the actual physical effects from the embolisms. I do experience shortness of breath and fatigue but I attribute it to the healing process that is occurring in my lungs. I have a wonderful doctor that told me that the road to recovery will not be easy and there will be some set-backs along the way. She listened to my concerns about shortness of breath and prescribed a couple of inhalers that I use to make my breathing more productive. She told me me to exercise “gently” to help my blood circulate to aid the healing that needs to take place. I admit that it’s hard to exercise when I’m not feeling my best but the benefits are worth it. I’m now feeling better than I’ve felt in three months. I also reduced my calorie intake knowing that with my limited activity my metabolism would slow down and weight gain would be a risk. So I ask the people writing in with side effects to look at their situation honestly and see what changes they could make to help their bodies heal. Those with PE and DVT, are you exercising? Are you overweight and need to alter your eating habits? Do you still smoke? We need to take responsibility for our health. I am a healthy, active, non-smoker. My PE’s are probably the result of starting Hormone Replacement Therapy four months prior to my PE’s. I have no other risk factors. Once I’m off Warfarin my doctor will run blood tests to see if I have other clotting factors, meanwhile I’m doing all that I can to help my body heal. I wish everyone here well and hope that your health improves.

I've been on 10 mg of Lipitor for approx 2yrs. A few months back I began experiencing severe constant right hip pain. A could walk through it, but had many sleepless nights due to the unrelenting deep pain. I had difficulty lifting my right leg without support from my arms. I'm 54 and otherwise in pretty good health. I stopped taking the Lipitor about 2 weeks ago and while I still have some pain it has decreased about 75%. I can sleep at night and am even pain free some of the time. If anyone has had a similar experience would appreciate knowing and if the pain eventually subsides and any suggestions to support the healing process.

I am a 49 year old male and took a 14 day course of Cipro for a UTI. By day four the souls of my feet were very sore, especially first thing in the morning but no other side effects. Mentioned sore feet to Dr after 7 days of Cipro but he did not believe it was from Cipro and had me complete the course. After 14 day course of Cipro feet were now so painful that I could barely walk on them especially after resting or getting out of bed. Also burning sensation on skin of feet and hands and some minor tremor. Saw a specialist and he immediately confirmed Cipro as the culprit and advised never to take that drug family again. Have since done the whole web search thing and discovered the whole saga of these drugs. Other symptoms have also appeared, some pain in middle of back, sharp pain in middle of back of both knees, hot and cold flushes, pain in left bicep, fingers that are very susceptible to joint injury and feelings of weakness and anxiety. Has been over three weeks now since I stopped Cipro and condition shows no improvement, may even be slightly worse. About to try a shotgun approach with treatment as there appears little documented evidence of anything conclusive on line. Starting course of anti-inflams (Voltaren) and these have already reduced the pain in my feet. Also magnesium and calcium supplements (theory goes that it may mop up any remaining Cipro and there is plenty of reports from sufferers saying that symptoms continue to appear for some months after stopping Cipro), Vitamin B6 (can apparently help with some types of nerve pain and tingling) and Fish Oil (omega 3's can help reduce inflammation). Not very scientific I know and can't be sure that all these are compatible with each other but am a bit desperate at this stage. Bracing myself for a three to six month recovery (just based on experience of many others). At this stage I am just hoping that damage is not irreversible as this appears to be a real risk. As everyone here will agree it is amazing how this situation is being allowed to continue. I could have stopped my Cipro on day two or three if I had been made fully aware of the risks and what to look out for. I am no expert by any means on this but from what I can gather Cipro and its relatives do nerve damage by the very way they work. It appears that anyone taking these drugs will inflict some nerve damage but for many it will not manifest to a degree that is a problem or at least a noticeable problem. So in some ways we are all sufferers, just to varying degrees. Another point mentioned often is that the symptoms may not appear for some months after the Cipro is stopped and therefore is not always associated with the drug. Also some say there is an accumulative affect with using the drug a second or third time. Symptoms may appear only after multiple use or symptoms may get much worse and more likely irreversible with multiple use. It's all scary reading. At this stage I am just hoping I can make a full recovery. Do damaged nerves repair themselves, does the Cipro eventually leech out of our systems .... I don't know. I will post in this forum again in a few months or sooner if I make a recovery.

Well I posted a couple weeks ago and thought I would update. I intially thought I had no symptoms but lately it seems that in the morning getting out of bed that my muscles are extremly tight in my legs from my calf to my ancles. They seem to stretch out ok after a few minutes but i wondered if the damage has already maybe be not reversable. I just happen to have been seeing a physical therapyst for surgery I recently went thru for another problem altogether. I mentioned this drug to him and he had not heard of it. I told him of the tendon problems people have experienced. I asked him if he knew of any drug that can cause this effect and he stated cortizone can. He says its acks in destroying tissue, cells that act in supporting the tendon and allows them to stretch. . So knowing that a drug can actually cause the same symptoms some of you have experienced I am a believer now. I can see how this drug can possible reak havoc on any part of your body. So since i seem to have been feeling possible symptoms I was wondering if any- one has felt muscle aches and leg stiffness issues and how long after stopping the levaquin were the symptoms felt and what did they progress into if anything and did they subside and or go away all together. To me it seems that if this is about damage then its possible that just simple stretching can cause the tendon to snap. I can also see why some people may have recurring injurys. This would be a sign that one does not heal or the healing process is greatly lenghtened. I do plan on eating better and using some supplements to help.

I have been experiencing all of the same side affects as everyone else here... Pains in legs inability to walk the usual levaquin poison effects. However, when my Western Doctor said there was nothing they could do and I just had to wait it out I decided to take matters into my own hands and see an alternative medicine Doctor. I prescribed the homeopathic single remedies Sulphur and Phosphorus to clear out the levaquin from my body. After a week of that treatment along with various chinese herbs I was given Ginseng & Astragalus Combination a powder tea. (Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang) and another homeopathic remedy Arsenicum album. It has been 3 days since I have seen the Doctor and I went from a wheel chair to a walker! so there is rapid progress. No miracles here just the human healing process at work. I am not telling anyone this will work for them I'm just saying safe effective alternatives are out there. Consult a Homeopathic Doctor and see if they can help! after all no one else is doing anything for the sufferers of Levaquin!

I had been taking Lipitor for several years and had many of the common problems listed as possible side effects, however, since bloodwork showed no liver problems my doctors kept me on the drug. In Novemeber 2005, I had a 'charlie-horse' so bad that it tore a muscle in my right leg.

I stopped taking the drug, but the damage was done! Since that time my condition has continued to go down hill and no doctor has been able to help.

i was prescribed meprozine when i had my wisdom teeth removed. i only took two during the healing process because it didnt hurt hardly any. i saved the rest. i have taken a couple when i couldnt sleep for a long period of time and i got on here to see if it might help anything else.... sinuses, colds.... anything? i find some of the stories on here kind of scary. im sorry that those reactions happened to yall. hopefully next time the doctors will listen to you and prescribe what is helpful instead of harmful.
*tip- i wouldnt go back to a doctor that clearly ignored or wasnt paying attention to what i was saying about my medical history (seizures). thats YOUR life they are dealing with. find a doctoe whom you trust! :)

I am getting ready to wean myself off of 150mg after being on effexor for about 2 years now for post-partum depression and anxiety disorder. To me, this drug has truely changed my life, and yes, I have had most of the side effects, but not bad enough to stop taking it. What I have noticed in everyone's terrible review of the drug is the side effects when you stop or forget a dose- what you must remember is that this is messing with chemicals in your brain. It is not something that is a miracle pill with no side effects. And it should DEFINETLY NOT be stopped cold turkey!! I feel so bad for you who think that is the right thing to do. This is a powerful drug for a reason- you MUST wean off of it. Your brain is going to have to get used to making these chemicals by itself- no easy task. Please heed my advice and stop blaming the drug company for your side effects- they are a natural healing process, no matter how tough they are. God Bless.

To voicesi or anyone that has been off of yasmin longer than 5 months:
Have any of you decided to get on anxiety medicine and if so what did you get on? I am really starting to get impatient on this healing process. I really wanted to try to get this stuff out of my system naturally but I am getting really sick of being sick. But I am also nervous to take medicine after seeing what this birth control has done to me. After 5 months am I still supposed to be this emotional and have anxiety? Just having a really lousy day and need some advice from some of you...Thanks to all who respond =)

It shocks me to read all of the issues with this drug. I have only been taking it for two days and it is the best thing I have ever taken (so far). My acne, which I have had since I was 12 and now I am 30, is gone; I have completely shed all of my depression and I feel like a whole different person. My husband loves it! The only side effects that I have noticed that are negative, again I have only been taking it for two days, is sleeplessness and occational headaches. I am able to concentrate, and stay awake in class/at work. I was perscribed this med because I have an allergy to something and broke out into hives. I will only be on the med for five days, but I like the fact that I feel alive.

I had all kinds of pains like others discribeded. I also had short term memory loss weakness,tired and felt like I was too old to do anything at 42. I was taking 10 mg. of lipitor for 5 or more years. I tore my bicept tenden ( think from muscle degeneration from the staten) and had sergery to repair it. The lipitor slows down the healing process from sergery or any other injury. I also had a double hernia(more torn muscle) opereration three years ago and had complications that did not go away till a month after I stopped taking lipitor. I no longer have pains and I can go up and down stairs with no problem now. I gained over fifty pounds while on the lipitor and have lost thirty of that in the two months since I stopped the lipitor. I no longer fall asleep at seven thirty every night and I can get jobs done around the house I could not get myself to do when on the lipitor. Lipitor is a good way to keep people sick and kill them slowly. There is hope if you stop the drug. The cloudy felling in your head will go away also. You get a great sense of awareness when you stop the drug. good luck...your Dr. will tell you that none of it's from the drug. My doctor told me I was just getting old and getting arthritis. Well it went away and i'm getting younger since not taking it.

My Name is Bill, I have been on 20 Mgs Lisinopril for one year or more. I'm 56 years old. I have "no" alergies and I do not smoke. But I do sometime smoke a cigar for fun. I don't have coughing problem or hair loss, My sexual performance is the same as it was when I was 21 years old. But not as erect. I do have a problem with sore Joints that takes months to heal. I sometimes feel my legs buckling. I got off the drug for a week and my knees healed. Could this drug slow the healing process ?? Oh, by the way, my erection power returned and I had a wet dream. (not trying to be perverted Just informative) My BP without Lisinopril, 190/30. With, 180/21.
I'm not a heavy drinker and I take "no" other drugs. Only a multimin per day. I eat only healthy foods and My memory is exceptional. I'm back on Lisinopril until I find a substitute. Because of this drug I'm unable to perform my favorite hobby, Bowling. Let me know if someone is experiencing the same symtoms.