Mistake of my life symptoms and conditions

hi, i've read through this several times, and it is now 3am and i find myself reading them again.

i was on both effexor and wellbutrin (generic versions of both) for quite some time, but didn't have full-on hair loss like I have now 'til about earlier this year when I was on wellbutrin only and was taking 150 mg twice a day. I got off of it because I have always had thin hair so I started to freak out when I noticed hair loss.

Unfortunately I became so depressed that I simply HAD to get back on it; and made the biggest mistake of my life by going up to the full 400mg dosage of the generic wellbutrin.

It killed me. I have very very very little hair especially on ONE side of my head, the left, and can no longer wear my bangs forward like I used to.

I went to the dermatologist (who I think was pretty bad, actually, because I went in for my HAIR and he didn't even do a strength test by pulling on it or anything!) and he said I had male pattern-ish baldness which is even more disconcerting because I can't hide the hair loss, I have a huge bald spot near the front of my head -- and I'm only a 21-year old female, people! This is beyond depressing, really. I'm beyond angry at my psychiatrist for always always downplaying the hair loss risk. I loathe him for it, in fact. But anyway.

I am going to start on biotin, and probably some prenatal vitamins, and maybe even tail Rx (******).

Thank you for posting your experiences, it has been a huge comfort to me (I wasn't lying when I said I read this thread many many times before and am reading it again now, at 3am!)

These posts about contacting a bad viral infection while the immune system is suppressed by Singulair are particularly worrisome. This was from 2007 so it has nothing to do with the FDA investigation. Epstein Barr causes some really bad illnesses including lymphoma.

The scary part is that children are the most susceptible to viruses. They need to develop immunity at a young age that will build up over time to levels that will protect them for the rest of their lives. Why are we giving children a drug that will suppress the leukotrienes? Why do we think that it is okay to take away one of the bodies defense mechanisms? Wouldn't it be logical that a drug that suppresses the immune system is a last resort option not handed out like lollipops?

www.iddb.org/drugs/singulair/ - 243k
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Anonymous Immune System Dysfunction September 13th, 2007

Do users of Singulair and Advair understand how these products work? In order to understand how they work, you must first know what happens in the body during an allergic attack.

Allergic response is a function of the body's immune system. When an allergen enters the body through the nose or the lungs (e.g., a bit of pollen or cat dander), it is recognized by the body as a foreign substance, and the immune system then produces histamines to fight the intruder. Singulair and Advair work by disabling the body's immune system, so that there is no allergic response.

I too thought these drugs were wonderful. I was on both Singulair and Advair to combat asthma from my new husband's cat. I took high strengths of these drugs for approximately three years.

During the time I was on these drugs, some disease entity, most likely a virus (e.g., Epstein-Barr, Herpes Simplex I, HTLV I). I have been sick with a fever for the last four and a half years. My immune system seems to have been permanently impaired, and every organ in my body is now compromised. I have a fever, night sweats, liver and spleen enlargement, digestive problems, skin infections, hypertension, rapid-onset insulin-dependent diabetes and other endocrino;ogical problems, blood cell abnormalities, and neurological problems (e.g., tremors, myoclonic seizures, muscle cramps and weakness, vertigo, incoordination).

I am about to undergo a spinal tap and other tests, looking for the causative entity. Whatever it is entered my nervous system when I had an epidural anesthetic while on these immune system depressants. I have not been the same since. I have been too sick to work. This has ruined my life.

As we have all learned from recent reports of heart damage from Vioxx, the FDA no longer has the money to fully test new drugs entering the market. The "clinical trials" are a drug's entry into the population. If it kills or sickens too many people, they withdraw it. However, the drug companies define "too many people" as a number that could potentially ruin profits through lawsuits.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Don't rely on the government to protect you. Before putting any drug into your body, do the research into how it works. Read comments from other users. I wish I had done that.

It is scary to read everyone's posts on this drug. I also had two shots of Kenalog within the past 3 months for a problem in my cervical spine. I had mild side effects from the first shot, but since the second one, the side effects have gotten more severe. I've gained 15 lbs (and I've been on a strict diet so there's no reason to have gained that weight). Also, after the second shot I had absolutely excruciating joint pain in my knees and ankles, my face is puffy, I have a hump on my back in between my shoulders, my resting heart rate is up at about 108, and I have random stretch marks on my thighs. I believe that all of these side effects are from the Kenalog because I've always been very healthy and in excellent shape and have never had health problems until now. My dr. did all kinds of blood tests and an EKG and everything came back normal, which also tells me the problems are from the drug. This shot was the biggest mistake of my life! My dr. is still insisting that my problems aren't from the shot and he wanted to do a third injection. I said ABSOLUTELY NO! I went and got a second opinion, and my new dr. said that all of these side effects are from the massive amounts of Kenalog that was pumped into my spine and I'm on a new treatment plan. I am against these types of injections. It has caused me more harm then good.

hi everyone I am 22 years old and have had mirena for about 3 weeks. They told me that I was the perfect canidate for hte mirena. I should have known something was up when they gave me the mirena for FREE and charged me up front for the insertion. The insertion was painful and I almost backed out. I should have listened to my inner voice. I also wish i was told about the really serious side effect from the mirena. I m so scared now I want to have it removed but of course it cost money. I have been feeling side effects but i didn't think any thing of it. The mood changes, depression, pain in my back and down my legs. I have had such bad headaches i don't know what to do. I have gained 10 lbs since having the mirena. Why do they lie to us and tell us it is going to be ok and that it is a great desicion to get mirena? How is it that they can get away with the lies and all the pain that the women have to go through to get it in and out. I hope that everything is ok inside. I can not feel my strings and I am scared to death right now. Some thing has to be done. It is not right for these companies to put our lives at risk just to make some money. I feel like i have been played and like i just made the biggest mistake of my life. Somebody needs to do something. I need to get this thing out of me.

I got Mirena put in December 20, 2007. Getting it put in was the most painful experience of my life and I handle pain really well. I'm 21, no kids. I spotted all day and had the worst cramping and searing pain all day. I took pain relievers constantly all day and it did NOTHING!! I suffered through the night and had to go to the emergency room to have it removed. Apparently the doctor told me my body was rejecting it and it was forcing its way out. Well getting it out was a relief. That is until the next day I still had the swollen stomach and severe cramps still. I also started bleeding heavier than I ever had in my life. It's been three days since I got it removed and I'm still bloated, swollen, in pain, and miserable. This was the biggest mistake of my life!! I wish I had found this site before I got it because the pamphlet I got on it didn't even touch the severity of the symptoms. I would NOT recommend this to anyone. It will be the biggest mistake of you life!!!

Before I was on Geodon I was on Zyprexa. That was the worse mistake of my life. Before I started with these anti psychotic I was 5'9 male who weighed 140 pounds after a few months I gained 50 pounds. Geodon stopped that though and I'm thankful.

The problem I have the most trouble with is never feeling awake unless its at night and I hate that.Now just a couple days ago I have been feeling that my jaw is locking. Other than that I do appreciate Geodon for what it does. I haven't been depressed for over 4 months now.

my doctor just prescribed me reglan 10mg. i told him i was afraid to take it because of the side effects i have been reading. he said it was one of the safest medicines out there and that it has been around for years. any advice, still afraid to take it.

i feel good one week back on synthysoid. iwent off of it for 4 months, biggest mistake of my life. my periods had completely stopped, gained wheight, had no reflexes, heart had slowed down and i wasnt having any balmovements. my doctor put me back on synthyroid starting on 97mg for 2 weeks then for a month i will be on 112mg then i will be back on my original dose of 137mg. only been back on it for a week . have not had a period yet, but i started using the bath room again. a good tip that has helped me is a change of how you eat and drinking lots of water, and also taking a daily vitamin. i believe a poor appetite and not drinking water and not taking a daily vitamin has a whole lot to do whith why we are diognosed with this disease.try to keep as healthy as possible.the syntoms you guys talk about might just be your dosage is either to high or to low. or you are just not taking it right.