Intelligence symptoms and conditions

I to was put on Lipitor 20mg. took it about 1 month and had such pain in my leg muscles I couldn't hardly walk . I went to my doctor he said go off it and I should start Zocor in . A month the pain was worse I couldn't even walk around the mall . I couldn't sleep at night the pain was terrible. Once again I told the doctor he said stop it and we will wait 6 weeks and start Crestor. In six weeks the pain should be gone. It didn't go away I could hardly walk at my job teaching at a Pre School. The pain unreal.I have type 2 diabetes under control for years. Still is.I was told I had arthritis. But now they tell me I have spinal stenosis. I'm on paxil for the depression they said I had and. I feel as bad now as I did 4 years ago when I was on statins. I can hardly walk, my life is pain in my muscles that never leaves and now my back. I was active and watched my weight and walked 3 miles a day. Since taking these meds. I can no longer work, go shopping or go anyplace I have to walk . I have gained a lot of weight . I have something wrong with my knee .I have tried to explain this to 3 doctors and no one listens to me. My health turned for the worse when I started taking Lipitor in 2005. I don't think I'll ever get my life back I am only 58 years old and can't work to support myself.I can't even hold my 1 month old grandson and walk or lift him from his bed. Reading all your messages . I know my health going down like this is from the statin drugs I took . When I sit , I can't walk when I stand Then .I gotta sit in 5 to 10 minutes.And the pain in my knee has progressed. No doctor wants to hear my story and believe me. Thank God I found this web site and read this for my self now I know I'm not crazy. How can I get myself better ? Will I live the rest of my life in pain, and not able to function.Every time I see a doctor they give me another pill to take. I want to just throw them all away .There must to be an answer to this.

I am sooo down because of this stupid seroquel,
Reading all of these, I'm starting to connect a lot of
what all you guys are going through, and I'm also
the same. The most frustrating one, is the weight
gain, I was 115 when I left a rehab center for psyches,
and in 4-5 months I've gained 20 lbs just eating
normal food, and I don't over eat, It's soo frustrating,
I would eat 500 ca. a day for some month, and
I would gain weight because of that! I have at least
a fast metabolism so when I exercise it does decrease
my weight really fast, (take vitamin B if you're suffering
from weight loss, it quickens your metabolism) but
besides that, I've lost coordination skills, tripping all
over the place, dropping items. Panic Attacks, trouble
breathing (agina) Dry Eyes, Thirst, Nausea, Depression,
Fatigue, and mostly what I've lost the most, mental
intelligence, I can't think anymore like I used, to.
Its frustrating to not be able to think as fast, I think
real slow now..

I was prescribed Levaquin 750mg for a cough and cold. Day 6, the day after my last pill, my shoulders started to hurt. I took Motrin which did not help at all. 17 days after taking the drug I was still having shoulder pain and the doctor prescribed a pain killer for Tendinitis.
Last week I read about the black box warning from the FDA and then realized that the Levaquin was the source of my Tendinitis. I am now on my third pain killer, Ibuprofen 800mg. After six days I still have the shoulder pain and will have to be making a fourth visit to the doctors.

Ive been taking Biaxin for 11 days now - about to finish up my 12 day course of the stuff. The doctor gave it to me to treat a staph infection on my leg. Staph infection appears to be going away.
I haven't noticed the metallic or gross taste at all, which is weird, because of so many accounts of it here. I have noticed an increased appetite and really intense gas - sleepiness, lack of motivation, dreaminess, blahness. My dreams have been vivid too, but not nightmares. I just noticed swollen gums today. Its strange that I didn't experience the anxiety that is frequently reported - as I used to have panic attacks and constant anxiety back in the day. I guess a mild restlessness is pervasive.
The main thing is the increased appetite and the gas... But this could be possible tapeworms or parasites as I just got back from Guatemala. Maybe I got off easy with this drug? After reading this, not sure if I want to take the last 2 pills in my possession. hmmm..

originally posted to Queenie30
(also should mention that in addition to the Geodon, I take Lamictal and Wellbutrin)
I have been on Geodon for just under a week and have already lost 5 lbs! I was on Seroquel, which I loved and depended on for over a year, but could no longer stand by and watch the needle on the scale get higher and higher... 50 lbs total. Talk about depression. The Seroquel was previously the only thing that worked to halt my mania and put me to bed. Since the switch from (50 mg) Seroquel to (20 mg) Geodon I feel all around better than I have in years! I felt an improvement in mood almost immediately. I am clear headed, awake, smiling and laughing, have energy, and my previously (insatiable!) appetite is clearly suppressed. I have a natural nervous/anxious/self-conscious disposition which I attribute to my personality- in addition to the BP, all of my life which limited my eating, but in a healthy way- I was not underweight/overweight. (The Seroquel turned me into a lazy, careless cookie monster to say the least.) I have gone from sleeping 12 hrs a night (and still feeling exhausted) to sleeping 6 hrs a night and waking up feeling well rested, refreshed, and actually wanting to wake up! (That says a lot, I haven't felt like I wanted to wake up since I was a kid and I'm almost 30...) The not-so-fun part- I am extremely nauseous with diarrhea. I have called out of work the last 2 days because of the constant trips to the bathroom and vomiting. I really hope this part ends soon because I want to be able to tolerate this drug and not have to go back to the seroquel. I was in such a fog w/ the Seroquel that I did not see the true zombie effect it has had on me for over a year. I completely stopped doing the things that I loved and enjoyed- including using my creativity and intelligence. I feel 'alive' again on Geodon. I have felt myself when triggered, mind racing into mania which does have me on guard. I stayed awake in bed the first 2 nights til' at least 3am unable to stop the thought train/obsessing about something stupid my husband did 6 years ago :-) This is the part however, I want to learn to control on my own without meds which I why I am aggressively seeking therapy. Though, when my mind is racing/obsessing the geodon does seem to give me that strong sense of reality/insight that what I am doing is not normal or healthy, whereas before, I'd just be extremely angry and blame my husband or whoever 'wronged me' for my obsessing/anger/rage. Now I have a clear sense that I am (or should be) in control of myself/thoughts and feelings. I need to work on that missing link between obsessing about something I can not control or change, and reality- what is healthy for me. A med can not do this for you.
Hope this makes sense! Good Luck :-)

I forgot to mention this site:
http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=20825&name=GEODON

You can read patient reviews on this or any drug and submit your own. I must admit, the page on Geodon is quite scary, but since my experiences have been mostly all good, I am staying extremely hopeful :-)

Geodon - Weight Loss, Mania Anyone?
________________________________________
I've been on Geodon for 5 wx & have lost 15 #'s. I usually weigh 130, now 115. looking anorexic, but my depression is a lot better now, I'm happy, first time in ovr a yr. nothing else could break the barrier except the Geodon, but it makes me manic, on top of already being manic…can't sleep. as I was about to crash & burn (thu), before I went running to the ER, i found my stash of 4 mg Risperdal that I just weened myself off of 3 mos ago, due to the long term side effects I was having (td, slurring, twitching, sexual dysfunction...). it took the edge off, til I can talk to the pdoc on tue.

like many of you, i’ve tried everything. i’m at my wit’s end. This bizarre combo seems to work for me. It puts a muzzle on the mania, allowing me a more hypomanic state where I can function & still feel really happy. although I’m going to try 40 vs 60 mg geodon. & try going down to 2 mg risperdal or try another a/p. adding the risperdal allowed me to sleep, along w/the lorazepam. but, I prefer not to be on risperdal

So, as of now…i'm on 60 mg geodon, 675 mg lithium, 4 mg risperdal & 1 mg lorazepam X 2/day.

has anyone else had this experience? Especially w/the mania & weight loss?

PLZ HELP! QUEENIE

I am so upset just reading these posts! I started on a regimen of 500 mg of Levaquin on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 along with an Advair inhaler for treatment of a bronchial infection. On Thursday I started feeling twinges in my knees when I went up and down steps. By Sunday, I could barely bend my knees so I called the Pharmacist. She suggested it was the Advair so I discontinued using it but still called my MD in the morning. She prescribed massive doses of ibuprofen (800 mg) which in a 32 hour period did NOTHING to relieve the pain. If anything it has gotten worse. I spoke to a friend the same evening who said her husband had severe muscle/joint pain in his hands when he took Levaquin this summer. This morning I called my MD twice in tears (she didn't respond until 3:30 PM.) She still doesn't seem to think it's the Levaquin but told me to take Benadryl (after I told her that this is what my friend's husband's MD told him to do!) I am going in to see her on Thursday morning and I will go armed with these comments from all of you brave people who are suffering from the effects of this awful drug!

O an by the way woman who thinks im insensitive, how da ya feel now?.... ya thats what i thought,,,you rellly shouldnt talk when u dont know. i learned that when i was 4, i guess ur just a lil slow

Who am I? Where am I? Ok its not that bad...but seriously, I have been on this drug for four weeks. My best description is feeling like im in slow motion. I used to be quick witted, with fair intelligence, seems like I am senile. I am taking this drug for chronic back pain issues. I have had pain for over a year, almost everyday. I was at a point of desperation, Im not sure now if its all worth it. I experience blurred vision a lot, I still get random pains/aches in certain places, I have noticed a strong ammonia smell with urination, last night I had serious heart palpitations. My pain level is decreased, and that feels great, I just dont think I want to feel like this. I cant even remember if I took my dosage this morning!

2 days after taking 500 mg of Levaquin all my fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue symptoms flared up to include insomnia, pains in muscles, arms, legs loss of steadiness in walking almost find myself tripping over things including my own two feet and a loss of words for one who never ever could be known as one who cannothold conversations. Now I cant remember what Iam discussing nor can my brain continue a full conversation regarldess of the level of intelligence of the conversation.

Something is really wrong with this FDA approved drug as it is difficult at best to function as a productive individual

Have been on many psych drugs in the past, and was for a week or so on Remeron which gave me significant side effects and so I had to call/visit the doctor and right away got off the Remeron. I do NOT recommend this for anyone. It is too risky.

Remeron gave me significant trouble with my Memory/Concentration. I had a very difficult time working. I could only do the easy things and could barely even drive. I had to tell myself to stop at the stop signs. I need my brain to work, and it affected my ability to remember things, it affected my ability to understand what I was reading. It affected my ability to read written notes. It gave me significant trouble in speaking and walking, it gave me a retarded or lower in intelligence affect. My speech has NOT been the same and this was FIVE years ago that I took it, and only for a week or so! I speak slow and then later my speech changes. Doctors do NOT know how to fix it, and I went to like four doctors and the hospital to fix my voice changes. I am now UNABLE to work. I have worked for about three years. I can't get disability either at least not yet. Remeron caused me to go to the psych hospital as I had difficulty at home with family coping, and dr could not figure out what to do. Do NOT take it!! Do not let it ruin your memory and do not let it ruin your concentration abilities.

SURPRISE! It appears that when one speaks to her doctor in an authoritative, nonhysterical tone, and with knowledge and intelligence about the subject, that doctor actually listens. I insisted my endocrinologist take me off Lipitor because of extreme side effects developing after a couple of years on it (unbearable muscle pains, edema in ankles and hands, unexplained rashes, tinnitus, vision problems) and he did exactly that without so much as a howdy-do or a doubt that I might be exaggerating my symptoms. Said we would check my cholesterol again during next visit and look for another solution, if it rose again over 200. I am now a happy camper and will report to those of you suffering similar symptoms about the results of this rather peremptory cessation of this scary drug. If I keel over, at least I won't die in pain, huh? And if I don't, you guys can consult similarly with your doctors.