Losing control symptoms and conditions

I recently had a severe Drug Reation to Avelox in April 2009. Within 5 minutes after taking it, I started with heart palpitations, very similar to an anxiety attack. My thinking started to get out control, my breathing became shortened and rapid, much like a panic attack. I started to itch, couldn't think and felt like I was losing control of everything. Within 10 minutes I knew it was getting worse. I had my husband call 911 and the operator told me to take benadryl while I was waiting for the squad, and I did. The squad was there in a reasonable amount of time. However, at this point I was so short of breath, I could barely walk & talk. I just collapsed as soon as I reached my porch steps. It nearly took me 1/2 hr before I could walk to the squad, only taking a few steps at a time and waiting about 5 minutes or more, before walking again. I hardly remember walking out to the squad and the ride to hospital. I remember being totally limp, and was
carried down my porch steps. I barely remember getting into the squad. I had to answer questions in short phrases, pausing several times to get enough breath to do so. I was told by the time I got to the hospital I was purple. After about an hour things started to calm down. I came very close to "buying the farm" that night and never want to experience anything like it again. I spent the next 7 days in the hospital, on oxygen and several medications to help me breath and clear the tracheal bronchitis.

I started on Mircette about a year and a half ago. Since then, I have experienced extreme anxiety, migraines, depression (crying for no reason), numbness and tingling in my arms, hands, head, face, and neck. Before this, I was a very easy going gal. Now I get nervous around crowds, in restaurants, movie theaters, and have had to change my lifestyle so much, that I don't even go out with friends as much and feel like I am losing control of my life and body. I just saw my doctor today (she is my new dr. and did not prescribe Mircette to me). She said since I have Migraines, I shouldn't even be taking Mircette, which has a very high dose of progesterone. She said 1 in 20 women cannot take high amounts of progesterone and that she never would have given me this pill. She advised me to go off the pill for 3 months to see how I feel. Hopefully, I will feel like myself again :)

I was on Lipitor for less than a week 2 years ago and the muscle pains were so bad that moving my head was painful. I called the doctor's office and was instructed to stop taking the medication; which I did and felt 'back to normal' within a few days. I haven't had my cholesterol checked since that time, or if I did before surgery, no one mentioned anything negative about it. However 6 weeks ago I had a heart attack. Apparently my cholesterol was twice what it should it have been, and my potassium was incredibly low. So I'm now on Lipitor (standard procedure after having a heart attack and high cholesterol seen as the cause of it) to ensure that another blockage does not occur.

The only problem is I'm now bloated even though I've changed my diet drastically (no more junk food or soft drinks, no 'white' flour products, no dairy products with more than 5% M.F and lots of veggies and fruits). I've lost 3 or 4 pounds but my pants are too tight around my waist, and now I have a my upper abdomen bulges over the waistline. Besides that, I get muscle 'kinks' in very places and after sitting for more than 10 minutes I limp when I take the first few steps.

People have told me to 'keep taking Lipitor and Plavix' but exercise more. The only problem with that is that I have a brain aneurysm and the neurosurgeons don't think it can be operated on 'without it being a very high risk procedure'. The first one ruptured 10 years ago and since then I've managed to control my blood pressure. However the meds I took for that was what lead to my potassium being so low that my electrolytes were imbalanced. That combination of low potassium and high cholesterol is what lead to the heart attack.

I'm 54 and feel as though I'm losing control of 'how' I feel. Between Lipitor, Plavix and diuretics and medication for hypertension I'm not sure if it's one drug in particular that's making me 'ache, limp and look like a blimp' or if it's because of the interaction of all of them. How do I decide 'what' to stop? What's more important to look after first - my heart or my brain?

I was put on Zoloft 4 months ago to help me deal with the stress and trauma I went through caring for my dieing mother while I was pregnant with my 5th child.

However it has just about killed my marriage. I think it's great, I feel better able to cope with things, I don't feel that overwhelming feeling of losing control and wanting to run away from my children and husband. I thought it killed my sex drive too but since i've been on zoloft I have started having sleep sex which is not good. If it was my husband I was having it with it would probably be ok, but it is with myself and it is causing major problems. I have no recollection of any of the instances, and it has increased when I upped my dose from 50mg to 100mg. I had told my husband for ages that I had no desire for sex whatsoever but lay next to him every night having sex with myself. Now I am extremely embarrassed and ashamed and feel alienated as I have no one I feel comfortable in sharing this with. I can only hope that my husband loves me enough to stick with me and support me through this while I come off the drug. If I had of known before hand I would never have gone on it.

First off, I am an RN. I was working the night shift and about midnight was struck with a migraine that any light or sound and I thought my head would explode. I personally never had a "migraine" just headaches that 2 Tylenol took care of. Within 15 minutes of this migraine attack I was running for the bathroom and vomited non stop till I felt my stomach was inside out. I left work early. When I got home I took 1 Percocet prescribed for muscle spasm pain following an auto accident. It did not touch the pain. I could not sleep and felt restless. It took a lot of encouragement, but finally let my family take me to the local ER (not my hospital). Upon arrival they inserted an IV which immediately infiltrated and my hand blew up like a balloon. I knew I was off to a bad start and trouble ahead. Another IV line was inserted on my wrist by my thumb. I was told I was dehydrated and needed fluids; meanwhile no bloods were drawn to even know whether I was dehydrated or not, or to even check for some toxin or something; maybe the meatballs in tomato sauce I had for dinner were tainted with salmonella?..Next in comes the nurse and gives me Reglan into the IV for what? She says it will help my nausea.....I did not have any and told her so....she can't to inject it and within 5 minutes I am jumping off the gurney and freaking out with my whole body in some sort of muscle spasm. I am agitated and yelling for someone to help me. My skin on my entire body felt like it was being burned by branding irons. The nurse comes in and gives me IV Valium 10mg twice......I am now more agitated and ready to rip out the IV which is burning my wrist and I am losing control. Meanwhile my migraine/headache is more intense and I felt like my head would explode. Another doctor came in and then ordered 2 750mg Robaxin's and 2 Percocets by mouth. 1/2 hr of jumping around like a jumping bean I finally was able to calm down. I was then D/Cd from the ER without any diagnosis and told to take 2 Robaxin 750 mg 4 times a day with 2 Percocets 4 times a day...As a nurse who just went thru 1 year of Robaxin and Skelaxin treatment following the car accident I was no way going back on those drugs that caused me to be depressed and useless.I saw my own MD the next day and my neurologist and they told me to take what I was prior to this experience. Well, the whole body spasms sneek up on me esp at night and now I am taking Robaxin only when it happens.Needless to say, ER's and all doctors really have no idea what is wrong with anyone unless they have a bleeding open wound that needs sutures. Sad to say this being a health care professional. I have been to 15 doctors in 1 year who have yet to treat me with a cure. Now the migraine thing....was a waste of time in an ER. I have phlebitis on my wrist and can't use my thumb and its been 3 days since the IV was there.

I am 25 years old, two years ago I was placed on singular, and advair . I began to suffer from anxiety, fear that everything was going wrong and at one point I was in the shower crying and could not stop crying . My parents had to drive up to see me because I could not stop thinking that everything would go wrong and I could not concentrate in my studies. I was having a difficult time. No one knew what was going on. I was so scared. I began to see what was different in my life the only thing was the new medications. I stopped taking both medications. The thoughts and memories of what I went through still hunt me to this day. The feeling of losing control, the thought that these feelings could come back scares me . I can't say I feel relief because I will still have these memories.

I am a 43 year old female who, until I found this site, thought I was dying of bone cancer - I am not even kidding. I just finished the last of my 10 day prescription for Avelox (for bronchitis and sinusitis). And I feel like I have been beaten about the head and body. Honestly, every part of my body aches and I can barely walk. I have absolutely no energy; throbbing and shooting pains up and down my arms and legs. Not to mention sharp pains in my chest area periodically. I have very clouded and unclear thinking abilities; and my neck and head hurt so bad not even an 800 mg ibuprofen helps. Oh and let's not forget the chills which are right down to the bone - I cannot get warm and I have yucky night sweats to boot. I would most certainly be interested in a class action lawsuit. I really hate that I took 10 days worth and wonder when I will start feeling better. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE AVELOX - it is not worth the painful side effects! The prescription flyer I received with the medication did not mention any of the side effects I encountered.

Hi again. I posted January, 25th, 2008, and am posting again to update anyone concerned.

MY EXPERIENCE SUMMARISED:
MY DAUGHTER TOOK 3 DAYS TO WITHDRAW FROM SINGULAIR AND AFTER THAT IS BACK TO NORMAL.

I took my 6 yo daughter off Singulair, and she experienced severe withdrawal symptoms for 3 days. Her anger and mood swings were worse than ever, although they did occur less often than when on the medication.

I was concerned that there may be long term effects, but on day 4 she awoke singing (something she hasn't done for ages). She came through to our room and her whole energy was different...we had our little angel back!

She gave me a cuddle and she sounded a little wheezy (for the first time in ages also). I never thought I'd be glad to hear her wheezy! I gave her an antihistamine (polaramine...this is the only one that doesn't affect her mood) and this cleared her "asthma" which is actually a symptom of allergy for her.

She instantly stopped shouting, screaming and growling. Her concentration is back to normal. She is happy and says she knows who she is again. Her star chart incentive system is working again. She has more energy, no complaints of tummy pain, no complaints of numbness and she is responsive and reasonable as she always was.

I am SO angry with the manufacturers of this drug, and I believe anger is often the driving force behind positive action.

IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN PURSUING A CLASS ACTION AGAINST THE MANUFACTURERS OF SINGULAIR, PLEASE EMAIL ME PRIVATELY.

I'm surprised to be doing this because I'm very against litigation generally. However, on this occasion, I not only feel strongly that it's necessary, I feel morally compelled to take action.

These people MUST be stopped. This medication must be either black-listed OR have it's potential side effects BOLDLY DISPLAYED on the packaging (just like cigarettes) because this medication can be a threat to people's lives (as we know if we read the testimonials on this site).

No more children should die, or suffer a severe and possibly permanent identity crisis in the name of MONEY. Not one more family should drown in misery at the hands of this medication without knowing why.

Imagine all the people who have put their poor children on psychiatric medication to counteract the side-effects of this drug unknowingly! If there are so many of us telling the same story on this site, imagine how many more are living the nightmare without a clue.

IF THERE ARE ENOUGH OF US INTERESTED IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE, I WILL TAKE THE ACTION NECESSARY TO RESEARCH A CLASS ACTION.

I had always been a teetotaller purely because I didn't enjoy alcohol and hated losing control. At the grand old age of 44 I was prescribed Seroxat and suddenly started craving alcohol.

Took mostly for seizures, but have been informally diagnosed with Bipolar II.

Had tremors at night, almost immediately, marked anxiety, weight loss, strange heat flashes, severe headaches (already have a migraine problem), complete w olfactory hallucinations (could have been breakthrough simple seizures, or headache auras).

Felt detached from myself and others. But the most disturbing symptom of all was auditory hallucinations. I have no history of psychosis and this only happened after starting Lamictal. Basically I could hear a constant chirping sound, subtle, but loud enough at night to keep me from sleeping unless my radio was playing to distract me from the sound. Could it have been a new form of seizure? Maybe, but regardless, the sounds started at the time I started this drug. Plus, according to a psychiatrist, I had no signs of psychosis, just the unexplained phantom sounds. One last possibility: Maybe an inner ear problem. Still would like to look into that.

People are right when they say this is still an experimental drug. If I had known what I was getting myself into, I never would have tried this drug to begin with. If any of you have had auditory hallucinations on this drug, without a history of any sort of hallucination or psychosis, PLEASE respond here and let me know about your experience. Thanks!

eryka-

I know what you are talking about with the thoughts. Here is waht I am experiencing maybe it is the same:

I like get scared that I am going to lose control of myself and do something awful like hurt someone I love. I get scared of being around objects that are violent...like knives and scissors. Is this the same with you?

If it is I have no clue if it is from the pill or just anxiety in general. I look at it as their might be something in your life you feel you cant control or something. Yourself is the one thing you can control and it is frightening to think that you could just lose control. This also explains the feelings of going crazy. (I've written a paper on this and have done a lot of research because of my own experiences haha). Anyways, most the time it really does stem from a control issue. You're scared of losing control of your actions or your mental state. And yes, many times these thoughts lead to panic attacks. Just think to yourself that you are in control and nothing is happening to you. You control your actions. And if you were really "going crazy", chances are you wouldnt even be sane enough to come to that conclusion haha.

hope this helps!

I started taking toprol after my doctor reccommend it for my fast pulse rate and high blood pressure. Originally went to the doctor for problems caused by a nervous system exhaustion. and realised that my pressure was very high 155/98 anyways to make a long story short after taking the lowest dose 25mg for 2 days I started to feel like i was losing control of my mental state of mind, my mood changed to very dull state. like i was just a zombie inside a body - this medication has a bad effect on the brain , it did get my pressure down fast. but the effects on my mood and mental stability wasnt worth it stopped after 3 days. i am wondering how many people who have been taking this medication for years who are now suffering from depression and cant make the connection.

My daughter has been on topomax for about a month. She went from 25mg to 50mg and was doing fine. When she upped it to 75mg everything went crazy. We have started coming down on it two days ago by dropping one of the 25mg pills at night. She has been staring into space, unable to concentrate, doesn't understand that she is acting wierd. Also, she started losing control of her bladder. She doesn't realize when she really has to go.