Misinformation symptoms and conditions

My daughter is a 4 year old child started on Singulair after she was unable to tolerate Zyrtec. For the first few days her allergies seemed better and we were encouraged by her improved allergy symptoms (allergies to poplar trees, grass, and lambs weed manifest as headaches, itching (usually of the extremities), and stomach aches). However, after 2 days her behavior became increasingly erratic. She was emotional, tantrum prone, irritable, anxious, and had difficulty sleeping although she appeared and said she was exhausted/tired. After several weeks on Singulair, we stopped the medication to determine if it was causing the behavioral and sleep problems. The symptoms stopped after discontinuing Singulair and she went back to her usual happy, well behaved self. After being off of it for several weeks we decided to try it again due to her allergies flaring up and wanting to be sure it was the Singulair causing the behavioral problems (because for all of its negatives, the greatest positive about Singulair is that it definitely helps her allergy symptoms). Unfortunately, the irritability, anxiousness, tiredness, tantrums and insomnia returned. We tried giving it to her at different times during the day but the symptoms were still present (although she slept a little better when we gave it to her in the morning). We also tried cutting the dose in half and giving it to her around noon. Decreasing the dose did help with the symptoms to some degree, but they were still bad enough to outweigh the benefits of taking the drug. As a nurse, I love Singulair for the relief it provides allergy sufferers...unfortunately for my daughter, the side effects outweigh the benefits. Given the rates of ADD, ADHD, and other behavioral problems diagnosed in children nowadays, I thought it pertinent to report these symptoms present in my daughter that are solely caused taking this medication.

Hello... I started taking Levothyroxine last July for slight hypothyroidism. I felt great for the first 6-7 months, but then in January the problems started for me. I was getting severe anxiety which the doctor said was stress and he also thought I was depressed. I knew I wasn't, but he put me on Ativan and Prozac. The week I took prozac was the worst week of my life. I thought the effects I had were from the prozac, but now I know now it was my thyroid spiking, which the doctor never checked my levels during this period. My heart rate doubled, I had insomnia, was gagging, sick, felt like my body was on speed and wanted to die. I was prescribed a beta blocker for my anxiety previously which I had never taken, but decided to take when my heart was racing, which helped me feel a bit better for the week, but I knew something was wrong. I had this happen again recently for about a week (and I was on nothing but levothyroxine). I know what anxiety is and I have never had anxiety or depression my whole life until these episodes that happen when taking this medication. By the time I went to the doctor to get labs done, I had been feeling a bit better and he said my levels were fine. I am now wondering if it's side effects from the meds or if it is spikes in my levels making me hyperthyroid instead. All I know is that I cannot live like this!! I have a 3 yr old and I need to be happy and healthy like I used to be before this medication... no more heart racing, racing thoughts, anxiety, and insomnia. Please help!!

I had Mirena put in July 6, 2007. It was 2 months after the birth of my son. I felt wonderful before it was put in. I was excited about being a mom to child number two and surprised at my energy level. Three weeks after getting mirena on July 28, 2007 I went to church feeling normal when suddenly I started having severe cold chills. I had to leave the service. It was hot that day and I went outside and sat in the hot sun. I couldn't get warm enough, I laid flat on the hot sidewalk to absorb the heat. Next I put on a sweatshirt, then a jacket, next I sat in a hot car until I got sick from the heat. I got nauseous and a horrible headache from the heat. When church let out we drove home. I slept for two days straight. When I finally got out of bed I was dizzy. I stayed dizzy until yesterday--two days after I had my IUD removed, One year after having it put in. I also had many other symptoms including the following: extreme fatigue, slurred speech, loss of coordination, numbness-tingling-burning sensations-in my limbs, blurry vision, brain fog, inability to comprehend simple questions such as "what is your name?", excruciating muscle pain and stiffness, joint pain, depression, short temperedness, acne, bloating, decreased sex drive, sinus congestion, shortness of breath, psoriasis, and probably more. I didn't think the IUD was responsible because I was told it was virtually side effect free and that the hormone in it was "localized" and didn't circulate through the body. Because of that misinformation I can say that this has been the hardest year of my life. I started out bonding wonderful with my newborn son, however it is hard to bond with a newborn when you are so dizzy you feel like you will drop him. Let alone the fact that I couldn't see straight, had no coordination, and was extremely tired among my many other problems. I'm not saying we didn't bond, we did, it was just so challenging. The only way I could was to lay still with him. I am usually a fun and energetic person and my baby didn't get to see much of that during the first year of his life:(. I wish I had been informed about the possible side effects or at least been treated like it could be a possible cause. Instead, I was told there was absolutely no way my Mirena could be causing my side effects. Well, now I know otherwise because every symptom I listed above has either gone away completely since I had the Mirena taken out or at least subsided dramatically. It has only been out for three days. Another thing that causes me concern is that for the first couple months of my sons life he was a very happy baby and very content. A couple of weeks after I got the IUD he became a very fussy baby. At first I thought it was colic because it was around the age that babies get colic. The fussiness lasted until I stopped breastfeeding him. I have a feeling he was having some side effects also. I wish I would have researched the Mirena more. I actually wish I had prayed about it because I have a feeling I was supposed to. I just want to say that if you or someone you know is having any health issues and they have the Mirena, please have it taken out before you do anything else. It may save you a lot of grief. I have been to the doctor so much. I have had my thyroid tested, blood tests, seen a neurologist, diabetes test, been back and forth to my doctor and a chiropractor for the muscle and joint issues I had. All I needed to do was lose the Mirena. I was told I most likely had Lupus, fibromyalgia, or MS. I am so angry at this point. Why can't they just say that it is a possibility that Mirena could cause all the side effects people are having. My children would have had so many more good memories if I had been told that. Good luck ladies! I hope Bayer finds itself in a class action lawsuit and all the doctors learn something from it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Started a 5 day 750mg Leva-pak on Sunday after amoxicillin didn't touch my bacterial throat infection of unknown origin. My husband mentioned these boards full of complaints, but I was so miserable that I said I would be fine--never had a problem with a drug before.

Sunday brought swollen, painful knuckles. Monday had palpitations and painful sensitivity to light. Tuesday night I was wired and couldn't sleep at all, my heart was racing, and I had asthmatic wheezing and serious shortness of breath and borrowed my husband's inhaler. The pharmacy said insomnia wasn't a side-effect (which was misinformation) and I'd be fine as long as I didn't have a rash (more misinformation). I was finally feeling on the mend as the fever had broken Tue night and I attributed the symptoms to the infection. Then I took my next dose of levaquin.

Within 10 minutes of taking it, I was considering a trip to the ER. My head was splitting, I was extremely sensitive to the slightest motion, sound, or light, my heart was racing again, and I felt violently ill to my stomach all within 30 minutes. My throat swelled to the point I could hardly breathe or swallow my spit. My temp that had been normal since the early morning hours also shot up to 101. It was so drastic and sudden that there is no possibility the symptoms came from anything but the medicine. Short of contracting anthrax, I won't ever take this again.

AND my throat is worse! They put me on augmenting now. Wish I'd gone on it in the first place.

I just got a very condescending private message from a doctor on this site who said that while my articles from Europe are very helpful that I don't know what I am talking about and that I could mislead the public. Then I see how many parents and patients got a condescending attitude from their own doctors.

Well the public has been mislead but it is not my fault. I don't see any experts in this field stepping up to the plate to acknowledge that these side effects exist, have been reported by authorities in other countries, and that these experts are interested in learning why they are happening. This is an extremely widely prescribed medication that involves the lives of millions.

Merck's research director was quoted as saying that they know of no mechanisms by which these side effects could be related to psychiatric adverse drug reactions. That was a flat out LIE. So what if I quoted you a research article from China that was very complicated and yes, could possibly be misinterpreted by somebody? I just needed to give you an example. The only expert so far that had the guts to give you a truthful statement was Dr. J. Douglas Bremner. Thankfully, he corrected a misunderstanding about saying that it was "unclear."

I hope that we will all hang in there and something will be said by somebody, anybody on this site that will make the FDA listen and investigate Singulair (montelukast) all the way back to the very original studies done in test tubes not on people. And, then take a new look at it from the standpoint of what we now know about human genetics. I guess I will keep repeating myself about one size does not fit all.

I would also PRAY that all clinical studies on Singulair (montelukast) would be suspended until the FDA decides why these side effects occur. And that they would issue a statement to doctors to make conservative decisions regarding treatment with Singulair until the results of the investigation have been reported.

I hope that nobody thinks that I am trying to mislead anyone. The answers are either unknown or being hidden by Merck. How would I know the answers? I don't work for Merck. How many other people are out there trying to translate articles in foreign languages to see what's going on? American doctors are calling Merck and being assured that there is nothing to these claims.

I wonder how many experts there are that just don't want to be another Jeffrey Wigand or don't know what is wrong?

I know that I am ranting but somebody should do it.

I think I maybe just figured out the answer to these symptoms you guys are describing, with mood changes and nightmares?

From Merck Frosst website:
The team finally chose quinolein as the basis for their compound, because it has affinities with the LTD4 (leukotriene) region.

Quinolein - elsewhere it has been listed as a seratonin inhibitor...

Also, is Quinolein related to Quinine (a malarial treatment that causes nightmares and psychotic symptoms?)

What do you all think?