Lack of knowledge symptoms and conditions

During my 6 months on Warfarin (Coumidin) I experienced tremendous lethargy and short term memory loss. No issues with other commonly reported symptoms of hair loss, heavy legs,…
I am a 49 year old male. In January 2008 I was diagnosed with DVT's in my right lung. Interestingly I experienced 100% of the pain on my left side though the DVT’s were on the right. The onset of symptoms was a pain in my chest like I pulled a muscle lifting something. The pain progressed from "notable" to progressively uncomfortable, where I was restless in bed to the point of not sleeping. On the 3rd day after fitful sleeping and progressively more painful breathing, I made a doctor's appointment for that afternoon. By the time I got to the Dr. I was sure I had made the right decision (I am male and avoid these things).
My primary care did an EKG to rule out a heart attack which the symptoms were identical to; sharp pain in chest toward left shoulder and arm, trouble breathing. I was sent for an X-ray and was very uncomfortable laying still on the Xray bed as the pain as I inhaled had gotten sharper. I went home and resumed office work but soon was in extreme pain with each breath. So much pain that I could not lay or sit, but collapsed to my knees where I stayed for 20 minutes until I could move again. I called the doctor's office and was advised to go directly to the ER. Duh. The ER again ran an EKG and ruled out cardiac issues.
Three ER Attendings pondered my condition for an hour or so and then began asking as series of questions and at the 3rd question – had I flown any long flights recently? Yes, several transatlantic – at which I saw their glances and was whisked off to a CAT scan which confirmed DVT’s. I was put on morphine and some IV’s and admitted for 5 days. I started Lovenox shots and by the 4th day was feeling better.
Blood tests did not revel any genetic disposition (factor V) for clots and no family history so it was recorded as “Coach Class Syndrome”. I was put on Warfarin for (5mg/day) for 6 months. I was able to keep relatively good INR’s. I came off Warfarin (12 August 2008). I will have to take Lovenox shots before long flights. I am happy to come off the Warfarin as I experienced tremendous lethargy and short term memory loss. No issues and I have been off coumadim for 6 months now. Glad to have that behind me… hopefully.

I am totally upset by reading the posts here. my son is just now 8 months old. he was put on singulair when he was just 6 months old. at first it seemed to be working...for maybe 2 weeks...then everything went crazy. he was started out on it when his pediatrician stated that he had asthma and apparently was on a very high dosage of it. they started him on 10 mg of the oral granules. before taking it he was a very happy baby, even with him being so young i never had any problems with him crying excessively or being massively irritated. since he started on the medication he has had massive irritability spells, constant fussing and crying and cant seem to fall asleep at night let alone stay asleep very long. i had taken him to the emergency room on christmas eve because a new problem showed up. he now was having a massive hard time breathing, he had a persistant cough, congestion in his chest and was almost always gasping for air. the staff at the hospital were in disbelief when they were informed that his pediatrician had put him on singulair at such a young age and at such a high dosage. i am now in the process of obtaining a lawyer and filing a lawsuit against the pediatrician for medical malpractice. this drug is very dangerous for anyone especially children. i would suggest anyone else having these problems with their child and this drug do the same. it can apparently cause long term lung damage, pulmonary disorders and even death. my son has been off of the medication since christmas eve and has already done a massive turn around. he sleeps well and through the night again, his breathing has improved and his cough is almost gone. they did say in the E.R that he has congestion in his chest due to the singulair but it should clear up over time with the help of zyrtec. please help make a stand and protect our children from the dangers our own pediatricians present to them.

I am a new poster & am excited to be a part of this discussion !! I feel to close to this discussion because I have been experiencing the same issues.
I too have been having major chest pain issues for almost 2 months now. I started Yasmin (much to my dismay!) about 6 months ago. I haven't taken any b.c. since I was about 19, I am now 30, I started because my periods were absolutely unbearable anymore, intense cramping, heavy flow & in incapable of work/activity for the first 2 days. My doctor always pushed b.c. on me for the pain relief. Finally I agreed. I started in February, 2008.
Almost 2 months ago (7 months into Yasmin) I was getting a bit of chest pain along the ribs/inside of the side of the breast, mainly the right & sometimes on the left. I wasn't too worried as I am a healthy eating, yoga/work-out doing, average weight, no health issues what-so-ever except for my intense period kinda gal. About a month went by with increasing chest pain & I went to the hospital (up north at my moms when I was visiting, only an hour wait to get in as apposed to the 6 here back home!). My fear was heart problems. They did blood work & (I am not sure what this is called!) they hooked me up with tons of little stickies & monitored my heart. - I mentioned to the doctor I was taking b.c. & he said it wasn't an issue, they usually pose blood clot risk....not my issue here.
They said everything was normal & because of the sensitivity of the chest pain (it is sore to the touch!) he said it was costochondiritis, the inflammation of the chest wall. So I thought that was it, I would just take the Advil the suggested 3 times a day for inflammation & it would go away. I did this for 2 weeks & nothing changed.
I was getting some shooting pains in my chest & went back to my doctor, explained my visit up north & what they concluded it was. She said that the costochondiritis has made me sensitive to acidic foods, prescribed me with previcid for a week. That didn't make any difference at all.
Here I am another month later & my chest pain feels worse, my chest still feels tender to the touch, I am short of breath going up the stairs, heart racing/palpitations, gas (burping & passing gas), some upper back ache, I am feeling helpless & beat down !!
By now I'm sure there is a bit of anxiety mixed in there, I have been so sad, scared & worried!
I went back to my doctor & she sent me for an upper G.I. to rule out acid reflux & it came back normal. I also did some blood work again (which have since came back normal) & am waiting for the results. She said she doesn't think it's costochondiritis now. I am scheduled for an abdominal ultrasound & with a cardiologist (I go tomorrow) for an EKG for my heart.
Last night my hubby & I were talking, my co-worker was really upset to hear I've still been taking the pill, she thinks it's poison. I told my guy that & we got out the information booklet from my Yasmin & there were ALL of my symptoms, there was a list of 12 & I had 8 of them !!! No vision or numbness problems but all of the chest pain/breathing issues.
I took my last pill 2 days ago (it was my last before my period) & I have no plans to start again. I am going to follow through with the scheduled appt.'s just in case but my hubby & I have our money on the pill being the cause for all of this.
1 thing that gets me is when I went to my doctors with this issue in the beginning, not once did she bring up the pill or say to stop the pill. In the booklet under all of the symptoms I've been having it says to immediately stop taking the pill. ;(
After taking my last pill I felt a bit better (it's only been a week/my menstruating week), the sharp pain on the inside/side of my breast/chest has not been as sensitive to the touch. I still have had palpitations (minor, not lasting long - to lasting up to 4 hours until I just go sleep to try to get rid of it) & sparse shooting/dull/aching pain in my chest/armpit.
YASMIN SHOULD BE BANNED !!

HI I AM 37 YEARS OLD AND 1 WEEK AGO I WENT TO THE DR FOR HEADACHES EVERY DAY, AND MY DR TOLD ME IT HAD TO BE DUE TO STRESS, BECAUSE MY BLOOD TEST AND PAP SMERE CAME BACK NORMAL AND I WAS PERFECTLY HEALTHY. SHE PRESCRIBED CELEXA AND SAID THIS SHOULD HELP. ALL OF A SUDDEN I HAVE NO SEX DRIVE, HEADACHES, NAUSEA, DIZZY, LOSS OF APPETITE, SHORT OF BREATH, MOUTH IS DRY, VERY EMOTIONAL, MY WHOLE BODY ACHES. IM GOING TO THE DR. AND HAVING HER TAKE ME OFF I WOULD RATHER JUST HAVE THE HEADACHES. DOES ANY ONE ELS HAVE THESE SYMPTOMS?????

HOW TO REPORT YOUR SIDE EFFECTS (UK ONLY)

Since having awful problems with my Mirena, I have been staggered that the wealth of reports from women on the internet and yet the corresponding lack of knowledge by doctors. This is because the information provided to doctors is wholly inadequate and does not inform doctors that severe and debilitating side effects can occur in the long term. In order to do something about this, we all have to report our side effects to the MHRA (the body responsible for drug licenses and labeling in the UK). You can do this on-line at www.yellowcard.gov.uk or you can phone them on freephone 0808 100 3352.

Nothing will be done unless we ALL report what we have suffered.

My daughter is a chronic asthmatic and has been on Prednisone for over one year. Since then she has experienced headaches, nausea, sleeplessness, depression, extreme anxiety, mood swings, blurred vision, aching... just about all of the side effects listed. Of particular concern to me are the mood swings, which at this time we are considering having her evaluated. I didn't realize that this drug could do soo much in terms of her behavior. Please help me to understand what is going on with her. She is 12 years old.

Mydaughter is 8 and in second grade. She has been diagnosed with adhd. We have been taking adderall xr for about a month and a half. While the school day goes well for her, the afternoons and ugly for us. She is very agitated, cries for nothing and irratic for about 1-2 hours. We also have a hard time getting her to sleep. Her doctor prescribed Lunesta 1 mg, but it takes a long time for her to go to sleep. We start around 9:00 or10:00 and it takes a good 1 1/2 hours to get her to go to sleep. She does not sleep thru the night either and has never been a good sleeper. ALong with this add she also has hydrocephalus. While this works great for her attention problem in school, it is very exhausting for me in knowing how to handle her moods, outbursts and the sleep issues. Any advice on either? Thank you

"Maybe you people need to realise that just because you have a symptom, and it happened after you took a drug, the two aren't necessarily related. Take my word for it, I'm an M.D."

my response is as follows:

Thank you doctor for your enlightening post. The fact that you are a M.D. proves the total lack of knowledge you have regarding the damage this class of antibiotic can and will do. I invite you to review the more than 4000 medical journal entries that are located at www.fqresearch.org and perhaps you will reconsider your condensating remarks. The fact of the matter Doctor is that fluoroquinolones are one of the most TOXIC antibiotic on the market today with more than 50% removed from use due to toxicity issues. Perhaps you will take the time to educate yourself before making further statements that have no basis in fact. I believe that the victims of such adverse drug reactions are far more educated than the "MD"s that prescribe these drugs like halloween candy. CNS, PNS, tendon rupture, peripheal nueropathy,liver damage,kidney damage, corneal damage, insomnia, halluciations, and about four pages single spaced of other such events that are known and published adverse drug reactions to this class of drugs of which levaquin is the latest such poison to hit the market are readily available for your review. This certainly is nothing new. Starting with bailey et al in 1982 and most recently cohen et al 2001 you will find thousands of medical journal entries and case reports documenting the damage these drugs can and will do for the past twenty years. If you wish to participate in this discussion I strongly suggest you educate yourself first. Physicians routinely fail to RECOGNIZE, TREAT AND REPORT THE ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS ASOCIATED WITH FLUOROQUINOLONES. You are but another ignorant and arrogant physician who is a clear and present danger to those you treat. And yet you wonder why you face such outrageous increases in your medical liabity insurance. The failure to recognize an adverse event is gross medical malpractice doctor. You are to have intimate knowledge of the drugs you prescribe. Please take you condensating attitude elsewhere. You have no place on this forum. Your are not an asset but a liability. Please include your name next time you post so that we can then avoid seeking further care for one such as you for such ignorance and arrogance is indeed a deadly combination. These drugs have killed people doctor. These drugs have crippled people doctor. THese drugs have destroyed peoples lives doctor. For you to state that one who may be experiencing and adverse event is to be ridiculed, by a MD no less is outrageous. Perhaps you have forgotten that FIRST you are to do no harm. To dismiss someones concerns in such a callous manner, when you have zero knowledge of the adverse events associated with these drugs is pathetic. The title of MD does not bestow upon you the right to make a gludious maxiumus out of yourself in this manner. Believe me I know, a physician such as you has crippled me (as well as legions of others) for life and as such I find no humor or anything of value in your remarks.

david t fuller
director
fluoroquinolone toxicity research foundation
davidtfull@aol.com
www.fqresearch.org

"Posted on: Sun, 9 Feb 2003 14:09:14 -0500, By: Guest
I took levaquin just last night and today i have a headache. I also
lost my job this morning, must be the Levaquin. As a matter of fact
maybe this whole Iraq thing is all levaquin's fault.
Maybe you people need to realise that just because you have a
symptom, and it happened after you took a drug, the two aren't
necessarily related. Take my word for it, I'm an M.D."

my response is as follows:

Thank you doctor for your enlightening post. The fact that you are a M.D. proves the total lack of knowledge you have regarding the damage this class of antibiotic can and will do. I invite you to review the more than 4000 medical journal entries that are located at the fqresearch homepage and perhaps you will reconsider your condensating remarks. The fact of the matter Doctor is that fluoroquinolones are one of the most TOXIC antibiotic on the market today with more than 50% removed from use due to toxicity issues. Perhaps you will take the time to educate yourself before making further statements that have no basis in fact. I believe that the victims of such adverse drug reactions are far more educated than the "MD"s that prescribe these drugs like halloween candy. CNS, PNS, tendon rupture, peripheal nueropathy,liver damage,kidney damage, corneal damage, insomnia, halluciations, and about four pages single spaced of other such events that are known and published adverse drug reactions to this class of drugs of which levaquin is the latest such poison to hit the market are readily available for your review. This certainly is nothing new. Starting with bailey et al in 1982 and most recently cohen et al 2001 you will find thousands of medical journal entries and case reports documenting the damage these drugs can and will do for the past twenty years. If you wish to participate in this discussion I strongly suggest you educate yourself first. Physicians routinely fail to RECOGNIZE, TREAT AND REPORT THE ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS ASOCIATED WITH FLUOROQUINOLONES. You are but another ignorant and arrogant physician who is a clear and present danger to those you treat. And yet you wonder why you face such outrageous increases in your medical liabity insurance. The failure to recognize an adverse event is gross medical malpractice doctor. You are to have intimate knowledge of the drugs you prescribe. Please take you condensating attitude elsewhere. You have no place on this forum. Your are not an asset but a liability. Please include your name next time you post so that we can then avoid seeking further care for one such as you for such ignorance and arrogance is indeed a deadly combination. These drugs have killed people doctor. These drugs have crippled people doctor. THese drugs have destroyed peoples lives doctor. For you to state that one who may be experiencing and adverse event is to be ridiculed, by a MD no less is outrageous. Perhaps you have forgotten that FIRST you are to do no harm. To dismiss someones concerns in such a callous manner, when you have zero knowledge of the adverse events associated with these drugs is pathetic. The title of MD does not bestow upon you the right to make a gludious maxiumus out of yourself in this manner. Believe me I know, a physician such as you has crippled me (as well as legions of others) for life and as such I find no humor or anything of value in your remarks.

david t fuller
director
fluoroquinolone toxicity research foundation
davidtfull@aol.com
www.fqresearch.org