Living proof symptoms and conditions

We put our 3 year old son on Singulair 2 weeks ago for allergies. It seemed to be helping him. He is a very mild mannered kid that has never been an aggressive child and never bites or hits. In the last 4 days his mood has changed, and he has bitten 2 kids at school, hit one kid, bit and hit his grandpa, has been waking up with nightmares and has been very clingy to me (his mom). After reading the side effects of Singulair last night we contacted the pharmacist and told him what has happened and he told us to take him off the Singulair immediately and contact our Pediatrician. I am waiting for a phone call back now. I am saddened that a medication for Allergies can cause such a personality change.

My husband took Levaquin for ten days along with Prednisone for a chest infection. On the tenth and last day of the Levaquin, he began having burning in his knees. It then progressed to cramps in his feet, calves, thighs, knees and now his forearms. He has been referred to a neurologist. I plan to go with this information in my hands when I take him tomorrow. He had called the prescribing doctor's nurse and asked if the problems could be caused by the Levaquin since I had read nerve damage as a side effect. He never got a call back about it. He has also had nightmares so bad he kicked my in the middle of the night while having one. He has been in so much pain, he can hardly walk. He has incredible fatigue with other things already. He takes tramadol as a muscle relaxer, but then he can't drive to pulmonary rehab he is supposed to go to three times a week.

I do not even have words to describe how I feel after reading the study on the ALA website. What is going on? Please, where do we go from here to inform and REFORM? Did anyone read the numerous accounts on this website alone? If so, did it read like a daytime soap opera, or just some people out there with nothing better to do than make up stories about their children?

Since posting months ago about my 4 year old I have done everything I can think of to get changes started, all to no avail. I know my daughter is living proof of Singulair mind altering side effects - she is now completely without the horrible night terrors, she smiles, hugs and is overall a perfectly "normal" 4 year old.

Help......we need to bring the troops together to form one unit to bring about change. Anyone is welcome to contact me to join up to provide any help or information.

My beautiful 11 year old daughter was on Adderall XR 20 mg per day for 4 years. After about 2 years she started to develop some minor facial tics. After 3 years the facial tics were worse along with severe head shaking and she also started to develop trichotillomania (obsessive compulsive hair pulling). The hair pulling continued until she was almost bald. Her grades began to drop and she withdrew herself from her friends and family. Finally, we took her off the medication in October 2007 at age 12 and she immediately stopped the tics and hair pulling. We have found 3 other families whose daughters have developed these same symptoms after being on this medication for at least 2 years. We have filed a report with the FDA as our own doctor had no idea that this medication was causing the hair pulling. Now 5 months later her hair is growing and the tics are approximately 97% gone. We have taken her to a homeopathic doctor and she is doing absolutely great now. Marks have gone up and she is smiling and socializing. I am so happy we have our daughter back. The side effects of this drug was definitely not work it.

The Dr. gave me Effexor xr 75mg for my depression and 0.5 mg every 6 hrs of Xanax. Since then he lowered my Effexor xr to 35mg. During that period I gained 20 lbs and now I have excessive sweating constantly at least 5 times a day just as if I was coming out a flu like symptom.

My depression is still there buy not as bad but I started to get worried about what was causing the excessive sweating until I saw this site. I will set and appointment with the doctor tomorrow and see what the next plan of attack will be.

I know I was really bad with panic attacks and depression but know I could like to not take any more medications at all. With the help of God and I will recover from my depression and panic attacks. I had depression, panic attacks rasing heart beats, could not focus, memory loss, constant crying, fear. I when to the ER twice tacking I had a heart attack. All heart exams normal.

Now I have to deal with getting off the pills and live a normal life. How can I do this?

I am a 34 year old and have been taking Yaz for almost a year.

I had some minor side effects until this past month when everything came apart at the seams. I do not know if yaz is the culprit - but the number of women with the EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS as me listed here SCARES THE HELL OUT OF ME.

My "minor" sude effects were the following:

* No period for 5 months
* No sex drive (was not the case before taking Yaz)
* Panic attacks / anxiety (no history fo this. My doc has now put me on Zoloft.)
* Bloating / weight gain
* Brown blotches (like age spots) on one side of my face

This is NOTHING compared to the last month of my life. Basically my life has sucked for the last month. Roughly a month ago my symptoms started with a red rash on the left side of my face and pain in my left ear that led to a migraine that has not gone away at all. (The pain level goes between a 5 and 10, but never lower than a 5.) The rash went away in 2 days, but my ear still hurts today (a month later).

My vertigo began roughly 5 days after the onset of my rash and ear pain and has been non-stop since. I've taken phenergan, valium, etc. - but they are not working. I get spinning/dizzy every time my head moves (up, down, left, right) and with up and down eye movement. It seems like my migraine pain intensifies when my vertigo hits me. If I lie completely still - I have no vertigo - but my migraine is still there. To make matters worse, I have become very disoriented, like I am in a fog all of the time. I am only 34 years old and feel like I am losing my mind. I cannot remember simple words at times and have a tough time completing sentences.

All of these symptoms coincide exactly to the day I began a new packet of the birth control pill called YAZ (Yasmin). I had taken this brand of pill for a year, and though it has worked (not pregnant) I have had some minor side effects up until the last month. The biggest side effect is that I have not had any period at all for the last 5 months. I have also had anxiety (no past history) and have no sex drive (not my normal self.) I stopped taking the pill about a week ago - after reading literally thousands of people with the same side effects I am experiencing on a website called medications.com (My neurologist also told me to stop taking it.)

I am NOT having ringing in my ears or loss of hearing. I mention this because I know other ailments have these as symptoms.

I have already been seen by my dentist, physical therapist, ENT, 2 neurologists and a gyn. So far - they are not helping. I have even been hospitalized for 5 days and all they really did was try and dope me up to sleep and had me take a very potent anti-migraine drug called DHE that must be administered over a 36 hour period via IV. Guess what? It did not work.

The most scary thing is that even though I get severe vertigo any time I move my head (even to the point of waking me up while I sleep) - NOT A SINGLE DOCTOR EVEN MENTIONED I MIGHT HAVE BPPV ( BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO) and they did not test for it at all. They were all interested in treating my month-long migraine with anti-migraine drugs. They all swore up and down that my vertigo was related to my migraine. They also said my fogginess was because I was "tired and sick" and many migraine sufferers are that way.

After my husband and I searched the internet and found dozens of websites, we are pretty much convinced that I have BPPV. We are going to get in front of a vestibular specialist ASAP.

So you know, I have been through a CT scan, two different MRIs, basic blood work on my white cell counts, thyroid levels, potassium, etc.

They have ruled out a sinus infection, brain tumor, pituitary tumor, stroke, blood clots, etc. They have simply treated me with anti-migraine medication - and it has been worthless. I have taken Topomax, Frova and DHE (the drug mentioned above) and my migraine is still there. These drugs have not helped one bit. My neurologist swore that the DHE would do the trick. Guess what? He was wrong.

I discharged myself from the hospital yesterday and am now at home.

I just want my normal life back. I cannot drive, work, take care of my family, etc.

My two biggest questions are:

DOES ANYONE KNOW IF BPPV CAN CAUSE MY MIGRAINE? The reason I ask is that the doctors all think that the migraine is causing my vertigo. All along they have been treating my migraine (with zero success) and have been giving me valium and antivert to simply mask my vertigo (no success there either.) No one has tried to really diagnose and treat my vertigo. Is it possible if I get my vertigo fixed my migraines will disappear?

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL PILLLS CAUSING BPPV? I saw woman after woman on medications.com have the same symptoms of vertigo, migraines and brain fog while taking the birth control pill Yasmin. I also know that my avalanche of symptoms eerily coincided with my first pill from a new pack. If they are related, I am most interested in what to do to get my hormones back on track in an effort to stop my vertigo.

This is all driving me crazy. A month ago I was absolutely normal. Now I am 100% disabled. I just want my life back.

Please help!

45 year old male active all my life in soccer and hockey. Realized that my recoup time after events, while on Lipitor was taking longer. I attibuted the joint pain and musle soreness to dehydration, past injuries and getting older. Went to PCP last week for blood work. Enzymes were very high, good cholesteral, not enough, bad cholesterol, to much. Luck of the genetic draw! I Mentioned some nagging aches and pains while getting the work done. Got a call from the doctor telling me to stop taking the Lipitor. So I did. Two weeks ago I played some hockey, very low keyed. The next day I felt like I was hit by a truck. Have not taken the Lipitor since the call. Played hockey at a quick pace yesterday and today I feel great. Yes I'm sore, but I do not feel like I was hit by a truck like I did while taking Lipitor. I know my body. I've been athletic all my life. The recoup time was increasing. I did not a first consider Lipitor. Lipitor does have side effects that we are just learning about. I'm living proof. I'll be eating more "Oatmeal." Helps to alleviate the gas caused by Lipitor! And the body aches............

Hi Everyone,
First of all I would like to thank everyone for their posts because wihtout them, I would not be where I am today. I had been on Yasmin for 4 years and it has taken that long for me to notice that it has been destroying my life piece by piece. I had become severely depressed and had thoughts of suicide. I had numerous side effects including zero libido, dizziness, muscle weakness, panic attacks, anxiety, rapid heart rate, thirstiness, dry throat, eye twitches, massive hair loss, dry coughing in the middle of the night, crying for no reason, inability to cope with any kind of stress, scalp sensitivity, migraine headaches, and hopelessness. I was impossible to live with and nearly lost everything including my family. I'm happy to say that I've been off Yasmin for a month and a half and my outlook on life has dramatically improved. Most of my symptoms have subsided. I do occasionally have episodes of anxiety but they are less frequent. Stopping Yasmin has saved my life and my marriage. THIS A DANGEROUS PILL AND THE FDA NEEDS TO PULL IT OFF THE MARKET. I work in a hospital and cared for a 22 year old female who was taking Yasmin. She had massive pulmonary emboli with a pulmonary infarct and nearly died. There are so many other birth control pills and methods to choose from. There is hope after Yasmin and it only gets better. I'm living proof. I was able to get pregnant immediately after stopping Yasmin. Please don't wait until your life is ripped to shreds because of this pill. Just get off it after you complete your current pill pack. The road ahead will be challenging but it will be worth it. Make sure to drink plenty of water and take your vitamins. I highly recommend yoga during detox off Yasmin. I've seen a therapist and she told me that she "didn't buy" my Yasmin story. That's ok. I know the truth. Don't worry. This storm will pass. I wish you all the very best.

Update: I posted a message on 2/15, detailing my experience with Lisinopril 5 mg. I'm happy to report that the marathon coughing is finally over :) Yes, it felt like the coughing would never end! It gradually subsided in a span of two weeks. I would still occasionally cough as I noticed that there still seems to be an abundance of phlegm. But at least the constant coughing is gone. And, no more stress-incontinence as long I don't start the hacking cough. I feel so much better. I'm not as dizzy or light-headed. I'm still on Benicar 20mg (an ARB II ? not an ACE) and HCT 25mg. So far, no intolerable side-effects. My bp is controlled and will soon go for a follow-up visit. Just hoping I won't have to take this poison again.

One thing I noticed, on the following day I stopped Lisinopril, I had difficulty swallowing like even a teaspoons worth of food. It lasted for about a week and I was bloated. I was sure that I was having a bad reaction. But overall, things are generally better. I can say that life is good again :) The doc said that for some, it does take some time for the body to rid itself of the Lisinopril.

I disagree with the guy who implied that perhaps these are perceived symptoms. I think not! I am living proof that indeed, Lisinopril is the culprit. Like I said, I was never on any prescription drugs for the long haul other than your garden variety antibiotics. When I developed pregnancy-induced hypertension during my third pregnancy, I was put on Methyldopa for a few months. Any drugs I take, I always notice adverse side-effects. I'm in-tuned with my body when it comes to that, as are most people here who had complaints. So to suggest that these are "general and can be caused by and associated with many things" -- is an ignorant comment. It's not mass hysteria. Most people who posted here have already suffered the side-effects before they read what others wrote. They know from experience and observation that their condition was not normal after taking this drug and not because they first compared symptoms with other people.

You wrote: "Perhaps I would feel different if there had been a strong and relatively immediate reaction to the drug, but much of what I read suggests to me that people have other issues and problems, not a side-effect."

Wrong! Even the doctor concedes that many people do have these bad reaction to this drug. Not everyone is wired the same way, so naturally, some won't notice immediate side effects unless they're extremely allergic.

lisa !!

yes i still felt the way ur feeling after 3 months. october was my 3rd month off yasmin and also the month of my birthday.. wasnt too much fun i can tell you.... but i got through it thanks to this website.
to be honest i only started feeling 90% better after christmas....so really january has been my best month id say... and thats six months after i stopped yasmin....
but dont get me wrong its not perfect... i still had heart palpitations last week and i got a little bit shakey and anxious at one stage... but it was nuthing like it was the first few months....
you asked if i was working... i had two weeks off in august which i really needed cos at that stage i was bad but apart from that i had to work.... it was tough but i just kept at it and told myself i would be ok....
remember that it wont stay in ur body forever and im living proof of that....
you'll get there soon and i have a feeling that in a couple of months you'll be telling me how right i was... : )
if you have any more questions im always here to help you ok

luv chrissy xoxox

I have been on Topamax for a few months now. I can't remember exactly how long because, to be quite honest, I have the memory of a gnat since starting this medication. My neurologist prescribed this medication for me after I was finally put on medication for grand mals seizures. I had been having them sporadically since 1999. I also suffer from migraines and he said it would help with that, my weight and my depression. It sounded like a wonder drug until my dosage kept increasing up to the 300 mgs. he needed me to reach.

I became a lethargic, depressed and very detached, angry lump to describe myself best. I have had a difficult time doing housework and everyday activities like playing with my children. My depression was first improving but it took a turn for the worse and I have found myself feeling suicidal at times. I have suffered breast pain so severe I had to have a breast ultrasound done. Nobody ever told me that breast pain could be a side effect in women. My menstrual cycle has also been unpredictable as well since starting this medicine. I called my neurologist's office in inquire about this and they were unaware about this side effect.

My mental clarity is totally gone. My memory is so bad I have missed doctor's appointments for myself and my children. I have to write things down everywhere and have my kids remind me of things instead of the other way around. I find myself trying to form a sentence at times and it comes out like gibberish.

I stay on the medicine because my five kids were witnesses to my last seizure and it scared my oldest three so much they remember it as if it were yesterday. I made them a promise it would never happen again. The last medicine I tried left me with bruises all over my body and unable to get out of bed. If left with having to choose between the two medicines I have to pick Topamax. I can't be a guinea pig anymore. My kids need me to keep my promise and I have vowed to do so. If you could see what I deal with every night when I put my daughter to bed you would understand. She says she is afraid to leave me to go to asleep because she is afraid I will have another seizure. Being on this medicine is the reassurance I offer her to prove that everything will be okay.

I spent years on SSRI's trying to fight anxiety and depression and I suffered horrible side effects so I am at the point that I am willing to settle. Currently my dosage has been cut down to 250 mg. and my rage is pretty much gone. I am still depressed and somewhat lethargic. The good news is that I did lose 30 lbs. since starting Topamax. Unfortunately, Topamax doesn't do much for me in the way of migraine relief. Since my seizures are sporadic I honestly don't know if it is even controlling those either. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

My heart goes out to all of you taking this medication. I know how you feel right now. If you are lucky enough to get off of it and are able to find something else less stressful on your body then that is great. If you are in my situation and you feel as if this is as good as it gets, well, at least you know you are not alone. I know now that there are alot of us out there. I am not sure how much consolation that really is but it is something I suppose.

after 9 weeks of being off of pred., I no longer have the stomach problems that haunted me for 4 years. The stomach problems actually stopped about a week of coming off of the pred. At least I can go somewhere in the mornings now without being so sick and afraid to make plans. I was told I would never come off of pred. Miracles do happen!
Just an update. Sadness is getting better. Not as dark and morbid as I was. As they say "time heals all" Don't give up. I'm living proof that time will take care of it. I honestly thought I would never feel better. Got a ways to go. I'll hang in there. : )

I have been reading your site with interest and am rather astonished at the level of hostility to this drug. I have no affiliation what so ever with the company that makes Lipitor. I wouldn't ordinary write anything to such a site but thought just in the interest of equality I would state that I have no side effect what so ever from taking Lipitor other than having by cholesterol lowered to normal levels. I have been taking the 10mg tablets for over 3 years. Most of the people of this forum are on 20 or 40 mg and some have been increased after only a very short time on the drug - get a new doctor before you quickly ditch the drug. I strongly believe that into the future, people like me will be living proof of what early preventive intervention will mean to the quality of our lives 20 years from now.

Michael 43
Sydney Australia