Milk thistle symptoms and conditions

I was prescribed Bactrim for a sinus infection. Cleared infection well but on day 2 started to feel very nauseated and VERY COLD although no fever. Strange dreams and sleeplessness. Day 3 loss of appetite and more nausea chills, (no vomiting) Day 5 wound up in Emergency room with fever, dizziness, , panic, paranoia, disorientation, pain in right side. ER took blood and my liver enzymes were elevated. They too said it was a virus...NO Way is this a virus...I have had a very bad reaction to the Bactrim. They said if it was a reaction, it would clear in a few days. I am taking milk thistle extract for liver...I had blood taken two weeks ago and liver enzymes were much lower....they had doubled on bactrim. BEWARE OF THIS Drug...(I took it when I was younger with no troubles too. Dont drink on it either (I did and this maybe why I had such a bad reaction. ) Gave me zofran for nausea. I am drinking LOTS of water to flush.

About 4 months ago I took 7 days worth of Levaquin after my sinus surgery. It was a preventative measure, I never had an infection. A few days into the prescription I started having tendon pain in my knees & ankles. I couldn't sleep, I was having nightmares, I was emotional, anxious and drained. My doctor told me to stop taking the Levaquin immediately. 4 months later and I am still suffering from entire body tendonapathy, neuropathic pain, joint pain, skin sensitivity, severe migraines, temperature sensitivity, twitching (muscles convulsing), basically my entire body hurts. Some days are a little better than others but not by much.

I have been to rhuemetologists, neurologists, pm & r doctors, physical therapists, acupunture, orthopedic surgeons, & allergists (in Chico Ca, & @ UC Davis in Sacramento Ca). NONE OF THE DOCTORS KNEW WHAT TO DO. My general physician actually told me to "go home and wait it out" because there was "no hope of finding help" (I'm not kidding). I've had tons of blood tests with fairly normal results. Thankfully I have a wonderful neurologist who has taken some interest in my situation. All of the other doctors told me that my case was very rare & that they had heard of such side effects but had never seen any patients with them! After some research on the internet I seriously doubt that my condition is as "rare" as they claim.

I am only 28 years old, I can't walk, I can't work, and my life has been turned upside down. I was very healthy before, I don't have a family history of health problems, nothing like that...it was the Levaquin.

Here is what I am currently taking: Lyrica for neuropathic pain, twitching, not being able to sleep etc., and oral morphine for the severe pain, Milk Thistle to promote glutathione (important because it helps your liver detox), Magnesium Malate (also helps detox), a multivitamin, vitamin c, and fish oil pills. I also attend acupuncture 2x per week (honestly feel some relief from it). Also, I heard that glutathione infusions are helpful but I haven't tried them yet. At this point I will try anything.

IF YOU HAVE HEARD OF ANYTHING OR ANYONE WHO CAN HELP WITH THESE DEVASTATING SIDE EFFECTS PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

~J.

I was diagnosed with pneumonia on July 6 and prescribed Levaquin 500 mg for 10 days. I took my last pill tonight and could not understand the pain in my right hip, red eyes which I suspect comes from the insomnia I have been experiencing since July 10. I am still having difficulty sleeping and tonight I feel extremely tire with discomfort in the back and shoulders. I wish I had read these comments earlier, I would have discontinue using this drug. I have not experience any depression, but lack of appetite, stomach pain and upset stomach. I have had intermittent diarrhea. How long will it take for this drug to get out of my system.

I just want to thank you all so much for posting your experiences to help others. I have a spider bite, and my arm is terribly swollen, but now I'm not going to risk this frightening medication, which I was prescribed. I'd rather risk the allergic response to the bug! Thank you all again for alerting the public. I pray that each and every one of you will feel better very soon. One thing that comes to mind is possibly talking to staff at a place like Whole Foods. Don't quote me on this, but I believe products like Milk Thistle are good for cleaning out poisons from medications.

after taking levaquin for 5 days my eyes were yellow and have not whitened back since. it has been 1 month now. i am extremely tired. my bun has been greatly elevated along with liver enzymes. does anyone know how long it takes to get back to normal

MAY 29th, i had a heart cath done. while on the table i had 5-7 sec MI.
was put in MICU, rest of that day and night. moved to heart ward, was put on 24 hour telemetry for 2 days. was started on LIPITOR. had never taken it prior to then.
as of April 8th, i had made a radical diet change, from a lacto/ovo vegetarian, to a "south beach"/modified Atkins NO CARB DIET.
in the period from apr 8th to may 29th, i had dropped 16 pound. i have a bad back, and with the added pounds i packed on, made walking a choir.
with the weight loss, i was walking a lot better. THEN May 29th, LIPITOR was added ............and within 2 weeks, i was having leg weakness, when standing i would feel like my legs couldn't hold me up, walking was now harder then when i had the extra 16 pounds.
sooooo....as of June 14th, I STOPPED TAKING IT!!!!! within days i felt more energetic, and could work a few hours a day. had an appointment with cardiologist June 19th, told him of problems, and that i had stopped taking lipitor. he agreed with me, said to stay on the diet, exercise more, and give it another 6 weeks and then we will check progress.
he did not prescribe any replacement for the LIPITOR. but i have been herbal and homeopathic savvy for a long time so i will continue the OMEGA-3 fish oil, 4 capsules a day, and 4 GARLIC a day.
i mihgt have to add some MILK THISTLE for the liver, if the LIPITOR did any damage.
my diet change if anyone is interested is, chicken, turkey, fish for meats, no hamburgers, or steaks or pork ribs. i STILL do a ton of
VEGGIES, mostly COMPLEX CARBS, lettuce, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, cukes, zukes, summer squash, and have found a wonderful substitute for PASTA, and its SPAGHETTI SQUASH. split it, microwave 10 min, let stand for 5 min, then take a fork and strip out the meat of the squash, cover with PASTA SAUCE as you would make for PASTA. awesome.

I took Zocor for 9 months after I had a heart attack. After about 8 months I began having sever muscle spasm in my legs. I had a couple of episodes where when walking I couldn't pick up my feet and thought I was having a stroke and had to sit down and rest before walking on. I had to do this several times to get where I was going. I told my cardiologist and he had me stop the Zocor. The spasms stopped but I never regained the strength in my legs. Today I have had to put ramps in at home cannot climb steps. The ramp is difficult because of the incline but it is better than crawling up my steps to get in the house. I can only walk about 50 steps before my legs give out on me. I cannot walk on uneven ground without holding on to something or someone. I have now had 2 back surgeries because I have been told over and over it is my back with no relief for the legs. This last surgery my left foot drags and my big toe hangs down and I cannot pull it up. Now I fall a lot because of that and have to wear an AFO to keep my foot and toe up so it doesn't drag and trip me. The back doctor thinks it another pinched nerve and wants to open back up again. I am so tired of them trying to convenience me it is my back when I know it was the Zocor and the damage apparently is irreversible but no one wants to agree with me. I am sick of it and just wish they would say yes it was the Zocor and get you a scooter and live the best you can. I know I am headed for that road I use a walker and cane when I don't have someone with me to hold on to. Because I am so unstable on my legs.

Except for having high cholesterol (310), I'm a 29 yr old healthy active female, very petite and weigh 98lbs. My mother has had a quadruple bypass and 4 stents at the age of 54, high cholesterol is just hereditary in my family. My doctor put me on 40 mg of zocor. The first week taking zocor I started feeling strange, a little soar here and there and very tired at times, also I have become very forgetful. It's been almost 2 months now and I have severe pain in my legs. First it was the right leg and now both legs, the pain starts at my lower back all the way down to my cav. I have a burning painful feeling sometimes numbing feeling, its driving me crazy!!!! I can't stand for too long cause I feel tons of pressure on my lower back pushing down my legs, It feels like my sciatic nerve. I went to my doctor and he said he is 95% sure that this is from the zocor medication, he told me to stop it right away. This is my first day without it, I know I need to do something to prevent what happen to my mother, I'm on a strict healthy diet, staying away from all fatty cholesterol filled foods, but there has to be a better way then taking statin drugs! If anyone has some ideas of what kind of alternative meds I can take, please help.

Just read posts. Will think how to make experience better.

I have taken my three doses within two days, as prescribed so far.
(100mg twice a day).
I may just take one dose today to give my system a reprieve and then think I will stock up on things to help, and go again and try to do the week prescribed.
I AM NOT A DR. so don't take what I Say, as Your authority...but remember that doctors are "practicing" experts at their work" and drug companies like money. Some prescriptions save lives, and others, well...one needs to research and work with or change the method or part of the method. I go herbal whenever possible and hardly take any medications.

My adverse symptoms during this prescription are: Feeling a bit depressed anxious, and withdrawn, almost toward paranoid, Almost. But still ok,"riding the rim" so to speak.
1. "I have heard"... alpha lipoic acid crosses blood brain barrier so that ought to help with brain talking to itself re:
low heavy mood.
Also amino acids, thanks for that too!
2. WATER.
3. Exercise.
4. I think nettle tea as general tonic:
(must boil first for 25 minutes for fresh nettles)
5. I'll get some dandelion root if I don't have milk thistle on hand, or maybe even if I do!
6. I know Omega 3's help with mood
and more so I hope that won't interfere
(does it have minerals???),
I will likely take it anyway between pills.
7. Stay out of sun for now.
8. Vitamin D3.
9. Eat good size meal first.
10. Some Vit. C seems good and also B Vit for stress.
11. Rescue Remedy is a Bach flower remedy for stress. Take as directed, but AGAIN, go slowly if you are listening here, as EVERYONE is different.I take no responsibility for how these things
may effect YOU...but i hope it helps.
One needs to think and trust...
"How do I really feel?" and do the research and look for YOUR options. What works for one doesn't always work for another. I am going to think: what is an immune booster and what is a mood stabilizer, with foods and vitamins, and see if I can keep the prescription going for the week. Coffee~caffeine causes me anxiety. But Turkey has tryptophan in it, that calms.
This is how I NEED,
to THINK...very carefully.
Will call Dr. NOW and let him know what's up for me, and meanwhile, I will try to manage it from info I can muster.
Will see...I don't know outcomes yet, but I do feel, depressed right now.
Stay alert, be gentle and pampering where possible, with my day, calming music, meditate on PEACE...call a friend for temporary support, and do my best.
Here I go....water, big meal, pay attn. to what I need.
CHANGE prescription if too hard!
But...try this way first.
Some people generally absorb meds well and some don't.

I was given omeprazole (20mg twice a day) for suspected stomach ulcers - though I was not experiencing current symptoms. Initially my stomach felt calmer but I felt very tired. Over the next few days I got more tired, weak and depressed. I completely lost my appetite and food tasted all wrong, also my sense of smell went off (e.g I accused my son of cooking fish but it was bacon). The only food I fancied during taking the drug was pineapple. I did not like the sunlight and curled up in a darkened room for 3 days. Had very strange vivd dreams. Finally checked the side effects on the leaflet supplied and decided to stop taking it. The tiredness and depression stopped straight away and my appetite returned, but also that evening very bad indigestion and burning which I had not had before taking it. Maybe this is because the stomach is over reacting to acid suppression. I am going to try natural remedies and cut out tea coffee and smoking if possible. Still fancying pineapple! Strange that though it's acidic itself, it seems to soothe the burning. Also fancying yogurt, greens, licorice, bananas and honey (not all together!) which I notice from other sites may be beneficial. Taking milk thistle to clear the drug out of my liver. Any feedback from people who have tried alternatives to this horrible drug?

DO NOT TAKE DOXYCYCLINE IF YOU HAVE ANY HISTORY OF DEPRESSION!!!

I do and doxy has sent me over the edge for about a month AFTER i stopped taking it.

I was given doxy by my doctor for a sinus infection for a week and stopped taking it just under a month ago. This past month has been absolute hell for me.

The day I stopped taking it I went from feeling fine into a 5 hour crying fit with suicidal thoughts in less than 30 minutes. During the fit I became convinced that this was how my life always is, that I was depressed, that I had always been depressed and that I needed anti depressant as I spend all my time crying. That was on 2nd Feb.

The next day I was shaky and felt very up and downy but went back to feeling normal pretty quickly and after I did some internet research on Doxycycline (the only change in my diet/lifestyle) assumed it was that. I read some pretty bad stuff on the internet about other people’s experiences which were very similar to the one I had had and I thought that must be it.

So I decided to drink lots of water and have been taking Milk Thistle to cleanse my liver.

Then this Saturday past I had exactly the same thing. I had another one of these 5 hour crying fits and more suicidal thoughts and I became convinced I was bipolar. This time was much worse in a lot of ways.

I felt it again felt like a panic attack and to me the change in my physiology was really noticeable. The noticeable dip in my mood – very sudden from feeling fine to feeling a little bit irritable and then withdrawn with some anxiety – and wanting to be reassured but also being a little aggressive in communication almost like trying to find a fight, then a change in breathing and heart rate and then plunge into dark thoughts and sobbing.

When I went to see the doctor on Monday my mood was still swinging up and down and I just felt crazy so I mentioend to him the doxy and he dismissed this without even asking a question about when or how much I'd taken.

I ask to be referred to a psychiatrist as I do get that I may have underlying issues and these mood swings were so bad and so strong and so by the time Wednesday came with my in and out moods I had convinced myself it was probably to do with my childhood and the difficult heart stuff and repressing how I really feel

Whilst I do have my fair share of childhood stuff and issues of the heart I think I’ve become so self aware and so careful with myself and I think I talk to my inner child so much and check that I am okay with things and I deal with things really well. so this has all come as a bit of nasty shock as I thought I was okay with everything. In fact I know I’m okay with everything as I write this.

But during these mood swings I am definitely not okay. I do not feel like myself. I become convinced that I have been lying to myself about being okay, that I have never been okay that I am mentally ill and that is why I am having mood swings and I start really analyzing everything and linking everything back to the past and trying to make links with things that are happening today and things that happened in the past. I haven’t had any change in my heart situation that this could be a reaction to, its remained the same for a number of months and I don’t have a problem with it but when I have this mood swing I blame that situation and my childhood together. I start wanting to blame people. I start thinking I have two personalities and I just start trying to find reasons and I have no idea what I feel, who I am or what I want, if I’m telling the truth of if I’ve ever told the truth. I start doubting everything and everyone. My head hurts, I get in a state of confusion and I become a little mean to people. I start trying to blame events and situations, anything I can find. It’s an absolute nightmare. Then I get confused about what I have and haven’t said and agitated that I need to say more to make myself understood. I might be stable for hours or even a day but it happens very suddenly and it’s a really physical sensation, first the dip in mood, the irritability, the breathing will change, I will feel anxious and can really feel my heart beating, like when you are really scared about something – that fight or flight feelings. I then get a really strong sense of insecurity and nervousness and will become really awkward at communication and almost aggressive and rude in my communications and then rueful.

The crazy thing is my mood is just absolutely all over the place in a way it has never ever been before, even in my days of deepest darkest moments when everything in life sucked and people were horrid to me. I don’t understand why I would, after all my years of learning how to deal with this and cope with this be even worse when my situation is so much better. It just doesn’t feel like its actually real. I don’t feel like anything I’ve said when I’ve been in these moods is actually a true reflection of how I feel when I am out of the swing.

Then I come back to feeling more like a version of myself but not quite and then I swing again very quickly and go from very hyper and laughing to almost the polar opposite in a very short space of time.

This is the first time in a week that I’ve felt like I am completely normal again. Right now I feel very calm and grounded and rational like I have been feeling for a very long time and I feel very clear in my head that I am completely fine and this is a reaction to some chemicals in my body affecting my mood rather than a psychological issue.

I am fully prepared for another full scale attack of mood swings and totally losing the plot again though.

I am lucky in that I have a good friend who called a doctor friend of his in the US and the first thing the doctor friend said when asked about Doxycline was 'don't tell me, you know someone who's had anxiety attacks and suicidal reactions'. According to this doctor this is VERY common and very well documented. There should be no lasting effects or permanent damage and now the doxy is out of my system I should not be experiencing these moods swings.

HOWEVER - he thins that because I have a history of depression due to my childhood issues the doxy has basically destabilised me and driven me to the edge again.

I did some really lengthy research because I really feel like this is a brain chemistry issue rather than a psychology issue and knowing I've dealt with everything and I just don't get why these issues would re-arise. I'm going to go get some therapy no matter what but I just wanted to know the brain chemistry.

Obviously if my GP doesnt even recognise that doxy can have this affect there is going to be no interest in helping me figure this out so I will figure it out myself.

From what I can understand Doxy decreases some amino acids in the brain which is important as simply put, amino acids get converted into neurotransmitters which play a critical role in your brain. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals which help your brain cells 'talk' to each other. Low levels of certain neurotransmitters have been associated with depression and anxiety.

I feel like I am 'back' from the Doxy but to be honest, I have no idea what it has done to my brain and I doubt there has been that much research into it...if so why on earth would they prescribe a drug that does this to people?
Particularly people who have a history of depression.

I am going to try taking amino acids to see if that helps - it can't hurt.

If anyone else is going through the same thing please get in touch and let me know!
This site totally helped me!! Thank you everyone who has posted on it. It really makes a huge difference to know that there are other people out there going through the same thing. I have felt like I am absolutely crazy! Thank you so much :-)

15 years ago, at the age of 35, I had a major heart attack. After testing, the doctors decided I needed a quadruple bi-pass operation, followed by Lipitor, among other things. I was taking 20mg (the doctor ordered 40mg), but due to financial reasons I took only half. Everything was just great for 15 years. During a routine annual physical this year, my doctor noticed that my liver enzymes were off the chart high. He immediately had me discontinue the Liptor, but stay on all of my other medications. One month later, my liver enzymes were normal, and so was everything else; however, my cholesterol had climbed to 204, and I eat no meat, eggs, or other dairy products. They say my liver damage is permanent. Having had 4 lumbar surgeries and 1 cervical surgery to fuse disks in my spine, I have always attributed my back and other muscle pains to that. Now that I have been of the Lipitor for 3 months, I have not noticed in decrease in pain in these areas.

After having the third shot I noticed my hair began falling out (July 2007). It is now over a year later and after having numerous blood tests, visiting a dermatologist and doing tons of research, I have concluded that gardasil must be causing this. My hair continues to fall out, I have bald areas around the crown of my head and my mood is very depressed by this. I also experienced soreness in my legs and joints but these are not constant. My periods also are out of whack. They can be between 28-50 days apart. I would not recommend anyone getting this vaccine. I wish my OBGYN had not sold me on it. I was 31 when I got it but she said age didn't matter, she said one day insurance companies would cover this vaccine for all women no matter what age they are. I paid $190.00 a shot and now I have a thin head of hair that may one day soon be bald if it doesn’t stop falling out. I think they should take this vaccine off the market. If anyone else has had severe hair loss, has it stopped falling out after a certain point?

This is an update from my first posting earlier this year. I still have localized pain in my neck and shoulder area sometimes extending down my arms to my fingertips. I am 58 years old and stopped taking Lipitor 5 months ago. I am always in discomfort but the very severe pain comes in waves at least 3-4 times a month and lasts for about 1-2 days. I have noticed an improvement since stopping Lipitor but my cholesterol count is on its way up so I am trying to control that. Not an easy task but at least I am not totally debilitated as I was in January and February. I am totally off all meds and vitamins as of this writing. I am trying to cleanse myself and start over with diet and exercise. Hang tough ... this is definitely the battle of your life!!! KooKoo

I've been on Lipitor for 1 year and have all the side affects that you all are describing.
I've also developed an inflamed liver.
Any one else?
if I get more response, I'm seriously considering a lawsuit against the pharmacy company.

Tom

I am very scared right now and concerned, but recently I have been sick for the last 3 weeks or 4 weeks. I went to the doctor about 2 weeks ago and he prescribed some Amoxicillin for my sickness. He said he couldn't identify what I had so he gave me a broad based anti biotic. For about a week I took it and didn't get any better. The medicine caused me to get dizzy spells after sleep and before sleep. So this week I went back to the doctor and he said the medicine wasn't helping me and my white blood cell count had gone up. So I had to get some blood taken . Then the nurse couldn't find my vain easily. She managed to get a little blood though and took it for lab samples. The doctor came back and said I needed to take some Avelox and gave it to me. So for about two days I took it and I felt ok, but later the second day I started having a panic attack for no reason. I told my dad I needed to lay down.

After that, my dad made me some food and I laid down and watched TV and the feeling soon left. I was really feeling sick so I got a cold rag and put it on my forehead. I was looking forward to my mom coming home from Wednesday night church. I fell asleep for about 30 minutes. Then my mom came home and woke me up and we talked for a bit and then I went back to sleep.

Well, today I got curious about my medicine and looked it up and found out some terrible news. The medicine I am taking has actually landed people in the hospital. I found a site where people who had taken it posted what the side affects were. They all had reports about having anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and muscle aches.It was then I realized that my medicine is what caused the panic attack the day before. I called my dad instantly and told him about the bad side affects. He didn't really seem to care that much. He listened to me though, which is a step up from my mom. Then I called my mom and explained to her. She just ignored me and didn't care. I was crying and I felt so terrible and frustrated. I was just trying to explain to her that my medicine caused very bad side affects and even thoughts of suicide. She didn't really seem concerned though, she said she'd call my doctor and talk to him about it.

Right now my parents and I are just really stressed about this whole thing. I refuse to take my medicine because of it's dangerous side affects... but if I don't have any medication at all I won't get better. I'm just in a really bad situation and I am just so depressed I feel as if I could burst!! Everyday I feel like utter crap and my vision is screwed up and I don't have an appetite so I have to make myself eat. Also, my white blood cell count keeps getting higher and if something isn't done soon what I have could be very dangerous.

I keep praying to God... but it doesn't feel like he hears me. I am in great emotional pain, my parents are never home and I'm lonely the majority of the day to , and being sick doesn't help. I am starting to experience a bit of the thoughts of suicide.I keep convincing myself I need to live and I'll get better and I don't need to die. It's hard though I am fighting with all my might to keep it away.

I have been reading about the side effects of lipitor for several days now and am scared silly! I have been taking it for nearly 5 years now. My doc warned me about the muscle weakness/pain when I began taking it, but I didn't have any problems and it definitely provided good results for my cholesterol level. During the past several months though, I've begun to have severe symptoms. Actually, looking back, I realize I've had some of these symptoms for awhile but they were so easily attributable to other causes that I didn't pay close enough attention. I am weak to the point of not being able to walk a city block without being tired; my breathing is so labored sometimes just moving around my apartment is a problem. My knees and lower legs are painful, especially after walking. I get frequent, painful spasms in my lower arms and wrists. My speech has become slurred (I sound drunk) and my voice very hoarse - both so much so that people have trouble understanding me. I have trouble concentrating, am forgetful and am often dizzy and light-headed. I take medication for GERD, hypothyroidism, depression and asthma. But in case you think these symptoms could be from one of those (as I did!), I can assure you that I have had multiple tests which determined my thyroid levels are good, my BP is excellent, I have no signs of cardiac disease or diabetes, no sign of any type of stroke, no signs of any type of cancer or blood disease, no sign of pulmonary problems (other than asthma). I stopped taking Lipitor four days ago after consulting my doc. But I got to tell you, I am scared to death that I've been on this drug so long these symptoms won't go away. Any advice or suggestions would be most welcome.

I started taking Levaquin in December for a respiratory infection (500mg for 10 days). The only side effects I noticed while taking it was a terrible headache, insomnia and anxiety. I experienced that after the first dose. The next day I called my Dr. to tell him and he said he would prescribe Ativan and I should continue with my prescription. I wish I had listened to my common sense, but I listened to the doctor. I finished the prescription and felt somewhat better from the infection but after 10 days of being off the Levaquin, I started to get a burning pain in my left arm. At first I thought it was a blood clot or something. Two days later, the pain had spread to both arms. The pain was so intense I thought I was going to pass out. I had severe joint and muscle pain. I suspected it was the Levaquin when I found this and other websites where people have been describing their experiences. I made copies of a lot of information to take to the doctor. When I went the doctor I described my pain and tried to show him the information, but he didn't believe me. He said it was not caused by the Levaquin. Since then, the pain has spread to my knees. I have decided to find a new doctor since I refuse to waste my time on a doctor who doesn't even believe me. I called the FDA to file a med watch and they said they were going to send me paperwork..guess what..that was last week and I still haven't gotten paperwork. I believe that everyone is trying to keep this undercover! I am going to go to their website and download my own forms and file.
Two weeks ago I started taking a regimen of vitamins: Daily 3000 mg vitamin C, one B Complex, Milk Thistle, 1000 mg Calcium, 500 mg Magnesium, Potassium, and a Probiotic supplement. I don't know if these have helped me, but I do want to say that I feel better than I felt two weeks ago. I still have a lot of pain, but it's not as severe as it was. I'm hoping that it goes away soon. I am spreading the word among family and friends to NEVER take anything in the quinolinone family of antibiotics. I really don't believe that these side effects are as rare as they say. I just believe many people don't report because most don't connect the dots that their symptoms were caused by the antibiotic. My symptoms didn't start until almost two weeks after I completed the antibiotics. I was just lucky enough to have figured it out. The other symptoms I am having are muscle twitching, trouble focusing, insomnia, and cold hands/feet. I also just once had a ringing in my left ear that made me feel like I lost some of my hearing after it finished. I hope that's not the case. I will continue to pray for all of you.

Have been on 50mg Zoloft for ~3months. At first, I felt euphoric and happy, no appetite, calmness exuded throughout my soul, but about 6 weeks ago I began to feel anxiety again. I started to obsessively bite/peel all my nails off, which I've never done. My hunger for food, especially sweets is endless and I have gained 6 pounds so far. Also, I feel completely lost and can't function with my daily activities without feeling a constant loss-of-focus feeling. I have memory loss and feel insecure. I don't want to go on a higher dose for fear I may feel worse in the long run, so I have decided on my own that I will very slowly wean myself off this drug (12mg at a time until I am done to zero mg). Maybe I will feel better than I did before I took Zoloft, but I don't yet know what the outcome will be. If anyone has felt better after taking Zoloft and weaned off of it, could you e-mail me some input?

I barely got off the pill Microgestin, because of the weight gain and water retention, to have Mirena inserted the beginning of July. It has been nrealy 3 months, and I am still experiencing back pain, water retention, and my chin breaks out with acne every once in a while. I also have been experiencing moderate cramping and a constant slight feeling of being bloated. I was told when this was put in that weight gain was not one of the side effects, weight gain being the main reason for getting off the pill. I have not lost the weight, and it could be a combo of the pill slowly dissipating, or the Mirena does cause weight gain. Anyone else have the weight gain or slight increase in tendency towards water retention??

I was a relatively healthy woman up until the day I took Levaquin for chest congestion. On the second day, I developed insomnia, hot flashes. panic attacks, feelings of impending doom, depression, muscle twitching, dehydration, blurred vision etc...I ended up in the ER for near-syncope/dehydration. I thought I was going crazy and the doctors couldn't explain the symptoms because all the tests came back negative for any diagnoses. The doctor prescribed ativan which has helped a lot. I drink plenty of fluids especially green tea (antioxidants) and lemon juice (purifier). No caffeine. I also take liverite and milk thistle to help restore liver function. Exercise nightly if you can. After 1 week, I can now sleep through the night but I still suffer from anxiety.

Unfortunately, until someone dies from this drug, it will not be taken off the market. The FDA doesn't have your best interest at heart and does not care how medication side effects affect you because they are funded by the pharmaceutical companies. I have learned a grave lesson....read all inserts before ingesting anything.

Persistent pain in upper stomach. No matter what I eat or drink, it won't go away. I've researched the net and it seems my digestive flora is disrupted. Here's what I've found:

"If you do need to take antibiotics, make sure to support your liver and keep it as strong as possible. Every drug we take has to be broken down; it's the liver that does that for you. Eat dark-green leafy vegetables like kale and collard greens, as well as broccoli, beets and artichokes to keep the bile flowing. To regenerate your liver cells, take milk thistle supplements.
To keep your gut healthy while you're on antibiotics, get good bacteria into your system by eating goat's milk yogurt, drinking kefir (or kumiss, or koumis) or taking probiotic supplements.
About yeast overgrowth, ... castor oil, green tea extract and yogurt could be of help. Once more, before taking any action please consult a physician.
Milk, milk products, alcoholic beverages, tea, and coffee cause indigestion in some people because they stimulate the stomach's production of acid.

hi guest 40706.
the bleed you experienced when you stopped taking yasmin was just a withdrawl bleed from stopping taking the pill,it was not a period as you do not ovulate when you are taking the pill,your next proper period may be delayed as your natural hormones need to build back up and take over,hopefully this will not be a long wait! in the mean time make sure you use some form of protection to be safe and if you have any doubts about a possible pregnancy do a test to make sure you are not pregnant. take a good vitamin and mineral supplement and consider some milk thistle to cleanse your liver of the build up of synthetic hormones.
i wish you all the best,hope you fell better soon.
sarah

hi guest 40578, sorry to hear about all the problems you have had with yasmin,all the side effects you mentioned are quite common, it is really important that you take good care of yourself whilst "detoxing" this cr@p out of your body,take a good multivit with magnesium and b6 & b12 you may also consider some milk thistle to cleanse your liver of all the excess bad hormones that are floating around your bloodstream. if you can scroll through these pages and the side effect pages you will find a link to the yasmin survivors site,i am afraid i cannot post the link anymore as the people who run this board have asked me not to because it obviously diverts traffic from this site,the yasmin survivors site is for women who have taken yasmin or yaz and are dealing with the side effects both whilst on and off yasmin,there is loads of information about supplements to try and also it is just a place to chat to ther women who know what you are going through.
best wishes to you.

sarah

hi guest 31105.
sorry to hear that your daughter is really struggling with the post yasmin effects. i have been off yasmin for nearly 6 months now. i still have a flare up of anxiety around my ovulation/period. i do sometimes have anxiety while on my period. i think what is happening to your daughter is more than likely a hormonal imbalance.the hormones in bcp's are much stronger than our natural hormones so the effects of imbalance are much more drastic then they would be in normal pms or even premenapause. high levels of anxiety are caused by either high levels of estrogen and low progesterone or it could be that both estrogen and progesterone are both low but the estrogen is not being opposed. depression has been linked to higher levels of progesterone so my theory is that some of the stronger synthetic hormones are still stored inside the cells that would be filled with our own natural weaker hormones so each month when our bodies go through their natural cycle the cells are releasing the stored synthetic hormones causing a surge and overwhelming our bodies and causing a chemical form of pmdd.it is all very complicated,i have read and read anything i could get my hands on that might be able to help control my symptoms but i have decided that for me the best route is to eat healthy organic foods,take vitamin supplements,drink plenty of water,think positively and excercise.i also have to keep reminding myself that my body will heal itself given time. ther are little things you can do along the way that may help lessen the symptoms but i have not found anything that has cured them completely. cut out tea and coffee and drink herbal teas geared at cleansing the liver etc (milk thistle) avoid alchohol and high sugar foods.keep blood sugar levels steady by eating little and often. i am really sorry that your daughter has had to suffer this way,it really does have a huge impact on the whole family. i am a mother with 2 girls.my eldest is just 7 and she witnessed me go from being a happy loving mother to someone who could not leave the house and was always scared and angry,i knew i had to get better before i destroyed us all,my 1st step was stopping taking yasmin. i never tried the anti depressant route as i was afraid i would not be able to function properly and also i was done putting chemical into my body. i also considered that maybe i was bipolar but having read up on it none of it sounded like me before yasmin, i do not have manic phases,i am "normal" like the old me for a few weeks then the anxiety creeps in and knocks me back (although not as badly as on the yasmin and i now know it will pass) i think that's why we consider the bipolar as a posibility because we go from happy to sad in the space of a few days. i am sure that given a bit more time your daughter will start to improve,good luck with the antidepressants,i hear they can be useful and maybe with their support and yours your daughter will be able to recover fully and put this nightmare behind her.