Mri results symptoms and conditions

I am a 38 year old male suffering from a combination of occipital neuralgia and migraines. For 20 years, until a year ago, i would endure pain that was only manageable with narcotic pain relievers (imagine all the gamut of such kind). I would have neck and head aches typically 3-4 times a week, accompanied by vomiting, dizziness which would put me to bed for the entire day. Work and family suffered in magnitude comparable to my own suffering. So then I finally saw my GP for that. The pain meds went up the roof, imitrex, maxalt was added to the equation with only marginal side effect. I saw a neurologist. He had me do an MRI and put me on Topamax starting from 25 mg, which I upped to 200 mg within 6 weeks. Past the initial side effects, the headaches subsided, the frequency reduced and i was able to enjoy weeks at a time with no episodes. Stayed at 200 mg for 5 months. In the meantime, the MRI came back positive for some brain inflammation. False positive they said, does not fit the clinical picture. Second MRI, same positive, this time proceeded with LP, which was negative. Third, MRI still positive; making the neurologist uncomfortable. While dealing with MRI results, the topomax had yielded positive results as far as pain management was concerned. But little by little I noticed that I was becoming more irritable, more impatient and more forgetful. Someone would have to remind me of something several times before it would even register in my mind. I empathize will all the posts that mention feeling like having Alzheimer's. I didn't care in the meantime. As long as I didn't have to deal with the pain it was ok with me. But the situation became worst and worst. I couldn't concentrate on anything, the mere task of remembering to do something was insurmountable. I would wake in the middle of the night and find myself staring at the bathroom mirror for no reason. I would have terrible panic attacks which i control with valium. But yet i continued on with topamax convincing myself and being convinced by other people around me that i just had a "personality disorder". Finally, work begun to suffer. I was loosing track of meetings, deadlines and when this happens someone knocks on your door (boss) telling you that something just doesn't click, something just doesn't feel like a personality quirk. Other people playing doctor would slap on my face that i just had ADD, that I should take something for that and get on with my life. But something was wrong. Pain or dizziness or lack of concentration etc are all electrochemical processes in your brain. It turns out that topamax was helping my headaches but it was not slowly deteriorating other cognitive abilities. Finally, the neurologist decided I should wean of the topamax, stepping down from 200 - 150 and then we go to 100 and so on. I dread the re-occurrence of the headaches. I am waiting for them to happen again at some point as I drop the dosage. But in the end of the day, I'd rather be in pain and in control of my life rather pain free and absent minded.

This is a follow-up to my posting on October 10th regarding my 57 year old husband who began taking Lisinopril in March of 2007. He was NEVER on any other medication prior to taking this drug. He suffered Depression, loss of memory, lack of concentration, can't focus and struggled with small task. We have recently had an MRI done and his brain has shrunk. Deadfred1 replied to my posting and he is a 36 year old male who has been on Lisinopril for 5 years. He has the same side effects as my husband. He had a recent MRI and his brain has shrunk!!! We visited a Neurologist with his MRI results for a second opinion and he is ordering more tests because "it appears to be indictive of Alzeheimers" with the area of the brain that has shrunk. How can this be??? This was a healthy, 57 year old NEVER on a drug in his life and within months of taking this, he is in Depression and having memory issues. Isn't anyone connecting any symptoms here??? Any Doctors out there with an "open mind"? This medication is was developed from the venom of a poisonous Brazilian snake!!! Hello...it's more like a slow death with Arsenic!!! My mother-in-law has been on this drug for years and years and years. She now sits with dementia in an Alzeheimers unit. Is anybody out there listening? Alzeheimers is becoming an epidemic in this country. Have we ever thought the medications we are taking is creating this devastating disease? Millions of people take Ace Inhibitors, millions of people have Alzeheimers. They are getting younger and younger according to the Neurologist. Why, because younger and younger people are being put on Blood pressure medications from poisonous snakes. Are there any open minded Dr.s out there that can "step outside the box"...don't just "think outside the box"...."step out for goodness sake" and start paying closer attention to the symptoms people are having. I am convinced there is a definite connection to my husbands side effects and this drug. Get off people. Get off.

Hi! I am a 36 year old female and have been on this HORRIBLE HORRIBLE drug (prednisone) for 2 1/2 years now..... Hopkins doctors still arent sure exactly what i have. My immune system is attacking my liver so to speak. My body is basically looking at my liver like it doesnt belong and is attacking it with large multiple lesions that is eating it away... the good thing is that it hasnt interupted the functioning of it yet but is leaving horrible scar tissue. I have been in and out of the hospital 13 times, have had just about every test imangable, 12 liver biopsies and they STILL have NO clue! They are leaning towards Church Straus desease and Wegners but the weird thing is i have half symptoms of both. The first year they had me on 80 mgs of prednisone a day which had seemed to put me in remission for about 4 months and then they came back even worse so i was put back on the prednisone, 80 mgs a day AGAIN along with 100 cc's of Methotrexate, another not so nice drug... i had EVERY SINGLE BAD SIDE EFFECT OF BOTH DRUGS!! This second time around was ALOT WORSE for some reason!!! My body DID NOT LIKE IT!! Nausea, hair loss, moon face, gained 40 pounds (and i was in great shape, worked out, i am 5'4 and was 110 pds!), EVERYTHING was swollen, legs, ankles, arms, neck, face, had the camel hump, fingers and especially my belly!!! UGH!!! Have bone, muscle, and SEVERE joint pain! Kaliedescope vision, dry eyes and then had mucus discharge (kindof like pinkeye), headaches, intestinal problems.... VERY CONSTIPATED and then the opposite!!! I literally felt as if i had turned into a man in my behind!!! Sorry to be so gross but thats how bad it was!!! Jaw problems, teeth and gums as well, skin sensitivity and have little bumps all over my skin (kindof like tiny little moles), itchy, broke out with acne and pretty much NEVER had more than 1 pimple a month, had facial hair (VERY DISGUSTING!!!! HAD IT WAXED EVERY WEEK!!!!) and then on top of all of that the swelling of my liver not to mention the PAIN! I was recently in the hospital again with 12 new lesions, pneumonia, and 104 fever. My doctors said the Methotrexate was the cause and i was having a bad reaction to it so they now have me on 100mgs per day of Azathiroprine. I am now finally down to a maintenance dose of 5 mgs of prednisone cause my body was starting to reject that as well. I thank god that i am now down to that dose!!!! It as only been 2 wks and the withdrawl symptoms are horrible worse then they were but i know what is to come =) loosing all this fluid and all of the HORRIBLE side effects i listed above. I will have to be on the maintenance dose of 5mgs the rest of my life and can live with that cause when my body gets back to somewhat normal i wont even notice that im on this CRAP!! I will be on the high dose of Azathiroprine for a few years and then on a maintenance dose of that as well for the rest of my life to keep whatever this is that i have under control.... the scary thing is is that they arent even sure that all of these meds will even work...... im a guinea pig..... The only thing that i am on out of all 25 pills/meds that i take everyday that works is my pain meds. Oh and i also forgot to mention that i had to be put on some "HEAD CASE" medication (thats what i call it =) ) for depression. Its a low dose but it does seem to help... I am terrified of what the future holds but continue to be strong and have an amazing support team... my fiance and family =) I dont even want to think about how i would be without them. I go back on the 25th of this month for my MRI so please who ever reads this keep me in your prayers as for all of you are in mine. I feel for each and everyone of you that has to endure this horrible drug everyday and i hope that everything works out you. =)

Sue =)