Insomniac symptoms and conditions

I have had rheumatoid arthritis for 20 years,controlled reasonably well with a combo of methotrexate, naproxen and enbrel. I do a 10 day course of prednisone several times a year for bad flares. I absolutely hate taking prednisone because it turns me into a crabby, edgy, insomniac who can't stop eating. It makes me bloat and that REALLY makes me nuts because I've done so well at weight watcher's, I don't need that nasty, upset stomach over full bloat feeling. And the "roid head" headache thing ? I'm on the phone all day at work so that's bad, too. The insomnia is the worst, really, because I just lie there awake. When I stop taking it I return to normal within 2 days. I only do it when I am absolutely desperate - I already lost some tendons in my left hand to arthritis related damage so I tend to use the prednisone when the fluid builds up in the right hand or if I'm really too sore. I'm also aware that long term prednisone usage is a one way ticket to osteoporosis / osteoarthritis, so I really have to feel like I cannot deal before I take it. It's a hate/hate relationship.

I was about 1 month in to my 3 month cycle of taking doxycycline for blepharitis issues when I started having symptoms. It started on a friday night with extreme indigestion. There was a lot of pain in my chest and also into my arm. I was belching and very uncomfortable. Next day I woke up and only had the pain in my arm, belching and pain in my left abdomen under my rib cage.

I thought it was just really bad indigestion from something I ate so I continued with the medicine. Within a few days time I deteriorated more and more. The pain in my abdomen had spread from just being on the left to being left, center and right. I also got random pains all over my body it seemed. This seemed to come and go throughout the day. My vision would blur, I had extreme anxiety and also depression, my arm remained weak and then my legs got weak as well. The fatigue was overwhelming. I'm usually an insomniac who struggles to fall asleep by 1:30. I began to struggle to stay awake until 11. The lymph node in my neck also enlarged, and I began to experience a loss of appetite. I have currently lost 5 pounds in one week. I also always feel dehydrated and in a fog. I went to an urgent care clinic and the doctor really just thought I was crazy from what I could tell.

I stopped taking doxycycline about 5 days ago and the fatigue is slowly letting go(very slowly). The blurred vision has cleared up a bit but still comes and goes. My mood is still very down and I can't help to still feel anxious and can't stop wondering if I have some deadly disease process going on. The heartburn and abdomen pains are also subsiding slowly(I feel a little better each day).

I'm glad I found this website. It's helped me not freak out as much about my symptoms(although I still have my moments). Since I started feeling bad I've convinced myself that I have heart attack symptoms, pulmonary embolism symptoms, symptoms of AIDS and symptoms of lymphoma. It's still hard to not feel like doomsday is upon me but reading that many of you have had similar feelings and side effects makes me feel a little better.

I just hope this clears up soon because I think as long as I feel pain, tired or anything off I will be anxious about it. I have fear of ending up on Mystery Diagnosis lol.

I am been taking Lunesta for many months now. Yes, the taste is horrible but it does get better with time . I am a severe insomniac and would never let just that side effect keep me from my sleep. I love it and it works wonder for me.

so, I was prescribed Avelox a week ago to clear up an infection caused by a ruptured ovarian cyst. I went on-line tonight because each night since I've started the medicine, I sleep less. I have turned into a total insomniac. I remembered the name AVELOX when my doctor prescribed it but I couldn't remember if I had any issues with it when I took it last, or when I even took it last. After reading your posts...it came back to me. About a year and half ago, I was prescribed Avelox for a kidney infection. Within a couple of days after taking the medicine, my right arm became completely inmobile and it was painful to even try to move it. I also had terrible abdominal pain. I went to the ER, only to have them ask me if my "home life was OK" or was I "depressed". They checked for the kidney infection but found no trace of one. I left the ER with no diagnosis...except they thought I was crazy. Gradually, after a week on Avelox, my arm pain went away but the abdominal and lower back pain became so bad that my doctor admitted me into the hospital. He feared the kidney infection (which the ER couldn't find) had gotten very bad. I was there for 3 days and they couldn't find anything wrong with me.They again couldn't even find any trace of a kidney infection. I was not eating, not sleeping, feeling constantly sick to my stomach and dizzy...and the abdominal and lower back pain was incredible. The doctors again were talking to me like I was a crazy person. They couldn't find one thing wrong besides a little dehydration.
I stopped the Avelox while in the hospital after no kidney infection was found. After a few days off the medicine I gradually felt better. Two days after leaving the hospital my doctor called and said that one of the tests they did said I could have possibly been exposed to Mono, so they chalked the who experience to being a possible case of Mono. That never made sense to me...but after reading your experiences, I'm sure it was the medicine. Now after remembering that I had taken this medicine before, I also remember sitting in the hospital drinking coffee! The prescription on the bottle I got last week reads "avoid caffeine". I know I drank coffee when I was on it before and I don't recall any warning about caffeine with Avelox last time. That said, I tried drinking a little coffee the 2nd day I was on it this time (I need my coffee, even though it said no caffeine). I was sooo jumpy, hands shaking, heart racing and lightheaded - like you feel if you drink many cups of coffee with no food - but I had only had a couple of sips. I haven't had any coffee for the rest of the days I had been on the medicine and I haven't felt that way again. I have also been drinking tons of water because the Avelox is making me so damn thirsty. My hands, lips and even my eyes are dry. The issue I am having with Avelox this round is flushes. One minute I'm fine, the next I'm flushed and my face is hot like I was running a marathon, but I was sitting still. Maybe with no caffeine and tons of water, you might feel better while you are waiting for this Avelox poison to get out of your system. Hope that helps. I'm going back to not sleeping...(It's 1:30 am ~aaarrrggghhh)

My 12 year old son has been on 60 mg of Prednisone for two weeks now. His side effects have not been bad at all up to this point. He's gained about 6 pounds. His brain is unusually active right after taking the drug, and this effects lasts a few hours. He's always been a wildly creative kid but prednisone seems to intensify is creativity and the productivity of his brain. He has Tourette Syndrome and his tics waned overnight after beginning the meds so that is a big bonus if prednisone is responsible for that. He has always been an insomniac since he was a baby but prednisone makes him sleepy, so sleepy he takes naps during the day and goes to bed early, sleeping soundly all night, so soundly he had an accident and wet his bed last night. His head sweats when he sleeps. He has infrequent periods of mild irritability. His appetite has increased but not unnaturally so. Seems like he finally has a sustained healthy appetite. He goes to 45 mg for two weeks tomorrow so I'm interested to see what new side effects this brings on. No stomach problems despite taking this along with very high doses of antibiotic. Maybe the prevacid he takes with Lactobacillus is helping with that and the fact that he takes his meds with small meals or lots of fluid.

60 year old female--depression, anxiety, weakness, ear aches, body aches, heart palpitations, tired all day long, insomniac at night. Been on Singulair for 6 years. It has greatly helped my asthma, but at a real cost to my health. After reading all the comments I will definitely take myself off of it tonight and speak with my doctor this week.

LaWheeze

I love you, I love you, I love you ALL!! I have been having the worst time since I started NuvaRing it's almost two months now but since I've used it I've been a nervous WRECK. I don't know if I would describe it as depression because I don't know what that's like but I have just been out of my head. I can't focus much, I've been fatigued, unmotivated and an insomniac since I started this pill. I've also had physical issues, NO sex drive (which I don't mind since I'm single), some cramping, a terrible amount of what I suppose it a 'normal' discharge, and recently nausea (which I've taken to blame on the ring as well). Thank God I found this page!! I'm NOT crazy!! I loved NuvaRing for the convenience because I regularly forget the pill and I have PCOS but I'm going to get some new BC and get off of this QUICK!!

I am an insomniac and this medicine has caused it to get worse. I have not slept since I started taking it and I am so tired but just can't sleep. I have had nausea, constipation, back pain, burning eyes and pain in my knees. I can't sit with my legs bent without have awful pain in my knees and when I lay with them straight they fall asleep. Has anyone had this problem? My heart races more then usual.

I have just taken my last dose and ever since I started it I haven't slept. I am so tired but just can't sleep. It's bad enough that I'm an insomniac anyway and this has just made it worse. I also have pain in my knees. If i sit with them bent they hurt and if i lay with them straight my legs start getting numb. Has anyone had this experience? My back aches all the time now. I have also had the constipation that goes along with it.

This is my first week on Loestrin 24 FE as well as my first experience with BC. I really hope my side effects go away, as I do not think I will be able to continue taking it if they don't. I have turned into a complete insomniac - can't sleep and I am tired the entire day. I have random headaches and a complete loss of appetite. I continuously feel as though I'm about to get my period - bloated, achy, moody - even though I just had it. I feel like I'm gaining weight even though I'm eating 1/4 of what I used to. I really don't know what to do. I was taking it at night, but figured I should try taking it earlier because my sleep cycle is completely off. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I am 29 and i have been taking Toprol XL for 3 yrs. now and i was amazed when i seen what everybody had to say about this med. I had been on other meds for Anxiety, Panic Disorder. I was on Paxil CR and also Klonopin. I had gain 70 pds in 5 yrs and thought this is from the Paxil so i decided to come off of that and the Klonopin. Well, I'm still taking the Toprol XL and i am still haveing problems and it's just like alot of the same things i have read from other people on here. I am concerned about this med. And i hope everyone can find something that works great. If any one has any good luck with a different med please post it. I'm looking for a different way to deal with the rapid heart rate without all the nasty side effects of Toprol.

I am a 45 year old woman. I have been on advair (it is called serevent in Australia) for about 2 1/2 years. I have noticed the following symptoms:
insomnia, headaches, weight gain, severe mood swings, chesty cough, sore chest, aches and pains all over and many more. Every time I would try to go off of it my asthma would seem to get worse so out of fear I would resume using it. I have now been off of it for 3 days and already I can feel the chesty cough starting to dry up. The irony is that I never had severe asthma, I was given advair because I got a very nasty flu and my asthma got worse. In hindsight I think it would have proably cleared up on its own. I would urge anyone to be very careful with this drug it is very, very dangerous!!!!

Thank you for this site.
Last august (9/05) I had a Kenalog shot in my left knee. Since that time I have had to get up and pee in the middle of the night ( this is a probelm for me because i am an insomniac). I never had a problem of night urination before the Kenalog shot. All the doctors i have talked to do not believe me. I don't know much about medications but I am very in tuned to my body. There is no doubt in my mind when I started having this problem. There maybe additional dilemmas associated with this (bladder and prostate).
Is there any help and or advice out there? I would greatly appreciate it.
Sincerely
R4xz

Been on this medication about 3 months, but take it only at bedtime. I have Periodic Limb Movement and take Mirapex to stop the jerking at night, but have breakthrough movements. This medication was given to help me sleep thru those movements because taking more Mirapex was not a good option. Recent sleep study showed marked improvement. Also take low dose of Neurontin for neck pain. I read that some have tortured nights. That was me before the medication. Before diagnosed with the Periodic Limb Movement, if I took certain cold medicines or caffeine at night, my brain felt like a war zone, I was fitful and agitated, writhing mercilessly in the bed, stuck somewhere between awake and asleep. When taking Sinemet this happened if I wasn't real careful. Now I sleep pretty good for about 5 hours - almost a miracle. If you are a restless sleeper (not a wide awake insomniac) check for underlying sleep disorder before giving up on a pain med that is working for your pain.

I was taking Zantac alongside an asthma medication... Advair. I started feeling constantly fatigued, couldn't sleep, and in general very very off. If you'll check the Advair reactions part of this site, you'll see alot of people report similar side effects to it.

My stomach started acting up again so i decided to take the Zantac 150 again. First 2 days i was constantly fatigued; dizzy, trembling, nauseous. 3rd day I could not sleep for the life of me. I'm writing this in an insomniac haze, but all things considered I'm not going back on the Zantac again. It's possible taking it again brought up the reactions I'd had to the Advair... but now I wonder which drug it was that I reacted to.

Wow - thank you all for your comments - you've certainly opened my eyes - I've been on Advair 250 for 5 months and I've been working out like crazy and my belly is as fat as ever. I too am an insomniac, and have been taking Ambien now and can't sleep without it. My skin is unimaginably dry and I can't concentrate at work - this all makes sense now - I'm going to talk to my doctor on MOnday. I was hospitalized for severe asthma months ago ... but there has got to be another way. Thank you allllll for your sharing your experiences -

Started on Geodon 40 mg in the evening three days ago. (This is prescribed for bipolar and I also take Prozac.) It knocks me out cold about 1-1/2 hours after taking it and I have a hell of a time waking up in the morning, so knocked out-feeling, brain dead, drowsy. My husband the insomniac says I have started to make VERY strange noises in my sleep (I'm not talking in my sleep anymore, just making strange noises), but when I ask him to describe the noises, he just laughs and won't tell me. I shudder to think. After finally waking up, I feel hyper, am pacing, agitated and I am sweating like crazy. Also, my stomach feels vaguely queasy. The doctor plans to increase this to 80 mg. (Oh for joy.) It's too soon to tell, I know, but I'm so sick of taking endless drugs and combinations that don't work. I feel weird with them, I feel weird without them. What a life.