High quality symptoms and conditions

i have read all of your posts here and i have to ask.. is Loestrin the best birth control pill out there at the moment? Can you ladies mention other low-hormone, high success rate, high quality pills out there?
my girlfriend has been on it now for five weeks and she feels very depressed, moody, cries for no reason, has no desire to do anything, hates everything around her, feels fat, ugly and of course she has no sex drive whatsoever. our lives are upside down at the moment. she was told she had to take these pills for 3 months. i don't know what to do. for one i'm going to make an appointment with a gynecologist and ask about Loestrin and what other choices there are but first i'd rather have first hand experiences with other products from some of you. thank you.

I have been on prednisone for 11+ years due to having had a heart transplant. The prednisone keeps my heart from rejecting.
I have not taken it for 2 days and I am in the process of passive suicide.
I am driving out west into the desserts to sit and die. I can no longer
be around people for I am afraid I may kill someone or at least significantly hurt them. I have been homicidal and suicidal for 11 years due to this med. I would enjoy killing everyone and everything. I hate myself and I want to die.
Prednisone made me become "Evil"; Hell incarnated. I don't want to live
in a mental institution and my doctor will only give me Seroquel thinking this will help me. I tell him it doesn't help me but he thinks it does. Stupid fucking doctor. My transplant docotrs won't even listen to me when I talk about "mental" issues. Everything pisses me off. It is raining outside and this makes me so mad and stressed.
I have been in this psychotically angry and agitated state of mind for 11 years. I have punched myself many times in the head and banged my
head against walls trying to get homicidal and suicidal thoughts out of my mind to no avail.
I would like to try ECT (electro-convulsive-therapy) but I won't even
mention this to my doctor because he will literally laugh at me and make me so god dam mad that I would enjoy killing him right then and there. I'm sick and tired of living in hell everyday.
Do not take prednisone no matter what, unless your life depends on it. And then what type of life will you have? Maybe a life full of hate, rage, anger, homicidal and suicidal thougts even when you dream.
Fuck life!
Arthur X 1968-2009

Sorry, my post yesterday about using brewer's yeast to try to grow your hair back was not clear: you mix a rounded tablespoon of Solgar brewer's yeast powder (Solgar = high quality, no additives; it must be powder, not capsules) in about 6oz of ordinary water and DRINK it, last thing at night before bed, after using the bathroom for the last time. Do it every night for 90 days (you should need 3x 16oz cans of yeast), no skipping. Pause for 30 days and repeat if necessary. Good luck!

I am 62 years old and I was taking Lipitor 10 mg for the last 5 years in New York. When I moved to California the new doctor switched to Lipitor 20mg and I started to have strange side effects. After a pause of two days, I restarted and the symptoms were worse: my muscle in the upper arms, and my calves were hurting and week, my back ached, my head was empty nad I felt dizzy all the time.
I stopped two days ago and today I had blood in my urine. What's happening? should I go on any medication at all to lower my cholesterol? My new test was: 179 Cholesterol
HDL 71
LDL 95
I am too scared to start any other drugs like Crstor or Niaspan as I was recommended.
Please advise,

I have stopped taking Lipitor after 3 yrs. I was told I had a mini-stroke because of my slurred speech 6 mo. ago. Since then I have had a battery of tests and my neurologist told me "I don't think you had a stroke." I saw the words "Motor Neuron Disease" (I looked it on the web because I never heard of it before) on the script for my EMG. I blame it all on Lipitor and the wasting of the nerves and the muscles. I sound as if I am drunk. No one can understand me . I am taking speech therapy but it doesn't seem to help.

After many months on Zocor, I began to experience sore knees, stiff legs and sore lower back. All at once, in about a one week period, I could no longer walk. My leg muscles were completely gone. I have been for xrays, MRI and more. I am convinced it is the zocor and have quit taking it, however after almost a month without, I still cannot walk without support. My upper body is fine..Right leg better than left leg, left leg almost useless. No more statins for this 71 year old and used to be VERY active male. I hope I can get it all back.

Has anyone experienced heart palpitations from taking Zocor? I've been on it for 6 months and about a month ago started having palpitations that are becoming more frequent, like daily at this point. Went off Zocor yesterday just in case that is the problem. Has anyone else had this symptom?

having bad night sweats and racing heart

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.

Same here. Pretty much like a zombie. Numbness and tingling in hands and feet. Spaced out. Stoned like in high school.

I was on prednisone while getting over pneumonia to help with my breathing. I was only on it for 7 days and the doctor didn't have me go off of it gradually. I missed the last dose on the 7th day and by bedtime, my muscles were sore enough it almost hurt to lay down. I took the last pill that night before I went to bed and had no muscle soreness in the morning. After that, the muscle soreness came back, along with dizziness. My pulse was also higher than normal. Two days later at night, I was still having muscle soreness and dizziness, although not nearly as but, but I was having a lot of trouble breathing and my pulse would refuse to go below 100 no matter what I did and the problems continued thought the night. The next morning I went to the clinic that prescribed me the predisone because the information they gave me said to see a doctor if these problems persisted. I told them I thought I might be having a predisone withdrawal because my mother, a nurse, said it was the most likely problem from experience. They completely ignored that saying it had been several days since I've stopped the steroid and kept asking me about my asthma (inhalers weren't working and it was definitely not an asthma attack -- I've had plenty of those, to all different degrees) and ended up giving me medicine for anxiety, which helped the closing of my throat, but none of my other symptoms. Three days later, my resting pulse is down to 80, but my breathing is so much worse than it would be with just my normal asthma and taking my inhalers as much as is allowed. I had no noticeable symptoms when I was on the prednisone except being less able to sleep. If it keeps up, I intend to go to a different doctor to see what is really happening, but I don't think it's 'normal' to have the withdrawal symptoms for this long after only having it for 7 days. I know I took it when I was younger (I'm 22), but I don't remember ever having issues going off of it before.

About eight years ago I felt heaviness in my chest along with some pain/discomfort when doing hard physical labor and occasionally in the hot-tub. Following my doctor’s advice and an angiogram, a stint was placed and medication administered – Lipitor and plavix I also went through a 6-month program for cardiac recovery including dietary changes and a proper exercise program. About six month following that I gradually just stopped taking my Lipitor and plavix and returned to my old eating routine and other life-style. I don’t smoke (never did) and don’t drink or otherwise indulge in any recreational drugs. I’ve never been hypertensive with blood pressures typically at 115/68. I maintain a trim and healthy appearing body just naturally or genetically. I eat lots of red meat, not a lot of vegetables, drink gallons of orange juice, and eat much more junk-food than I should. About six years after that (near heart attack) event I was given a “stress test” by my physician… I was then 61 and tested at the level of a 38 year old! Two years after that I had a significant heart attack out in the middle of nowhere! It took almost 6 hours to get me to an emergency room in Spokane, Washington (that’s a story of its own). That was on a Thursday – I was back to work full-time the following Monday (four days later). This time around with more drugs than I could swallow in one gulp! Lipitor, Plavix, Coumadin, aspirin, and carvedilol. The combination or amount was more than I could tolerate and I was weaned off all but the Lipitor and aspirin within a year. My heart has returned to nearly full-function and I have no physician imposed restrictions. All that said, I’ve been gradually developing muscle soreness (pain, actually) in my fore-arms and legs. I’ve been growing more lethargic and tired with each passing month. I’m now 65 and feel that the Lipitor is inhibiting my health… I want to get off it and be “normal” again. Or is it just being sixty five? Can I just quit taking the drug? Leaving only aspirin for blood thinning and the hope of a better diet for cholesterol control.

eat avocados to help with cramps. No one tells u that prednisone depletes potassium. Better avocados than banana because prednisone also raises your blood sugar.

Prescribed Prednisol & Predsol June 2007 for acute ulcerative colitis. Three months, oral and rectal, got it under control.September 07 got large fluid appearances both knees which took two weeks to subside completely.
Soon after & whilst playing golf got stabbing pain left Achilles. Repaired by op. Thereafter commenced getting aches in muscles and joints and generally across entire body structure. Extreme pain in rt hip, imaged and shown as necrosis of femur joint. April 08 rt hip joint replaced. Continual muscular pain overnight which abates with movement during day causes sleep deprivation and consequential lethargy.
Most interested in proven supplements and/or prescription antidote!

Male, 43 yrs old, diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis 18 years ago. Have taken Prednisone in 1996, 2001 and 2008 to control the symptoms from UC. Each time started with around 40mg per day, tapering down to 2.5mg per day, usually over a 6 to 12 week time period. Bottom line, it can be a life-saving drug for whatever it is prescribed for, but it has some SERIOUS side effects. For me, severe anxiety, nausea, headaches, and weight loss. You can be prescribed an anti-anxiety medicine like Xanax (as I am), but Xanax also has its own nasty side effects. (Namely addiction if you aren't careful.) You definitely don't want to go off Prednisone without "tapering down" on the dosage as your body will NOT be able to handle it. Currently, having just stopped my most recent dosage of it a week ago, I am still suffering from anxiety and sleeplessness (stopped taking Xanax too.) Lord willing, my body will be back to "normal" within the next few weeks, which is generally how long it takes for me,

I was on a Prednisone taper for 7 days (bronchitis). I have been off for 16 days now. I am still suffering from BAD headaches, head pressure and dizziness (also racing heart) - off and on??? Does anyone know how long it takes to get this stuff out of your system? My first day after finishing it my headache and dizziness got so severe that I threw up 7 times over the next 24 hours?

Is it something that I am eating or drinking that is 'reactiviting' the side effects of the Prednisone? I hate this.

Thank you.

Vanessa

I took Lipitor for about 2 years- 5 mg.
Leg cramps-soreness throughout my muscles- very sore buttocks-
my legs are shaky- if I use them too much; (as in walking 3 miles)
I am (was ) an avid body builder that could squat with 100 lbs- and now ( I am a health conscious -non drinking- NO other medication 104 lb slim female) have quivering legs if I stand for too long. I even had a muscle biopsy- and it cam back negative- I have not had a statin for 6 months- but I still have cramps- and abnormal liver values- and I have NO other conditions-I have been scanned from head to toe - open MRI- closed MRI -but the muscle stiffness- soreness- especially legs- continues-
does anyone know how long it lasts? I have also been tested for liver cancer- thank God-negative.
I really feel that Lipitor did this- has anyone else gone from fit as a fiddle to a quivering -achy person- I have gone through 5 doctors- internal - gastrointestinal - neurologist- hematologist and all is negative- just high liver values and muscle pain. Thank you so much.Maxine

Are you aware about short and long term side effects of this Devil's drug??? Of course, everybody reacts differently while take or withdraw. But there are high number of people who react terribly bad!!! Doctors do not want to recognize and discuss this. They just keep silent... Do you know exactly how Prednisone works??? Nobody knows this for sure, even doctors!!! From my personal experience, and despite gradual withdrawal, I developed extremely high blood pressure, weakness, panic attacks, depression! Practically it ruined my normal life! Doctors have no clue how to deal with its devastating side effects. Steroids are not selective. When you take a steroid, the drug infiltrates the nucleus of every single one OF YOUR CELLS AND STARTS MONKEYING AROUND WITH GENES IT FINDS THERE!!! It probably plays with hundreds of genes. And just a small number of these genes control the pain and inflammation associated with inflammatory diseases, so steroids turn many of these genes off which is good thing. However, because steroids are not selective, they also regulate the genes that control kidney, liver, BRAIN, and HEART function - which is not good thing!!! It is likely that steroid treatment plays with other genes, too, including those we do not know about a lot right now...So, Prednisone pervades the entire body, which increases the likelihood of short-term side effects and long-term DAMAGE. My advice is: THINK TWICE BEFORE TAKING PREDNISONE!!!

I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in July. I had my colonoscopy/endoscopy the day before 4th of July. Got sick with what I thought was the flu on June 26th. That's when I first landed in the hospital (dehydrated & sick). After the diagnosis I was first put on Entocort and Pentasa (Pentasa is supposed to be a remission drug - keep you from having flare-ups). Entocort didn't work so they switched me to Prednisone. I've been on Prednisone for about 6 months now. Going from 20 mg to 40 mg and then I'm finally weaned down to 5 mg. I get to go completely off of it Jan. 13th. Scared of what other side effects might occur from coming off the drug. While on it I've had emotional problems, acne(never had a problem with it before), moon face, gained 30 pounds, joint pain (I was in therapy for as long as insurance covered. - I recommend water therapy, it helps for some people as it did me), trouble sleeping (haven't slept a full night since I got sick), certain days I'm really really thirsty, I've had sort of what I'd call restless leg (I had this before I was on this medicine but it has gotten significantly worse - mostly at night or when lying down), and dry skin.I have to say though that the WORST side effect is the FOG. It's horrible. I enjoy learning and using my brain and when I'm on this I can't think, I mix up words, and it feels like my brain is covered in cobwebs.I had to drop a calc 2 class and that got me off the track I'd set with my academics. My inflammation rate is down where it's supposed to be as of the last blood test a couple weeks ago. So I guess the Prednisone and Remicade are doing what they are supposed to - but I still don't feel as if the pain (not associated with Prednisone - caused by the disease) has gone completely away even if the inflammation has gone down. And Prednisone's effects are just horrible. Some nights I feel depressed and just want to cry and cry. The past months have been trying because of several hospital stays, switching to many different doctors (gastrointernologists, nephrologist, urologist (kidney stones), primary doctor - and they think maybe I should see a rheumatologist), and Pentasa (it began shutting my kidneys down). I just hope that when I come off the Prednisone the side effects will fade (hopefully quickly but lets be realistic - ill just be happy if they go away sometime in the next few months) and I won't flare up again. Anyone know the best way to get rid of the weight? I'm already drinking lots of water and I go walking and do exercises everyday.

QUESTION: When tapering Prednisone does anyone have a place(s) on their stomach that are sunken in and feels dry compared to the skin around it?

Anyways, I hope that everyone overcomes their difficulties, whatever they might be or concern. It's hard to have a life when you are constantly fighting your own body to stay healthy.There are plenty of situations in life that are already hard enough to deal with without medical issues of your own. Best of luck to all!

I was just wondering...I've been weened off Prednisone the last month or so and today is my last pill. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
However, I've noticed that my joints hurt and my feet oh the pain. Is this normal. I feel like my muscles are weak. walking up a flight of stairs is painful. Anyone know how long this will last or if this is something I will have to live with.

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

How long does the fatigue and weakness last after switching off Lisinopril. My dad was on it less then a month and he started suffereing from extreme fatigue and lightheadedness. He's been off it now for a week or two and still seems to be suffering from these side effects. They've switched him to a different low blood pressure med now.

One more thing...

I was on Mircette for 5 years with no obvious complications. The one time I switched to the generic brand, I absolutely spazzed out! But once back on brand-name Mircette, I was acne and cramp free and had a high quality of life for years after. If someone is looking for an oral contraceptive that's stable, I'd try it. Also, I really liked the fact that Mircette doesn't go cold-turkey on week 4. It tapers you off even on that last week so that your periods are lighter and less intense. I have a Rx for Mircette I'm going to have filled if I can't put up with the Yasmin after next month.