Mystery symptoms and conditions

Started taking the Zocor generic Simvistatin just 2 days ago. My legs hurt so bad that I can not sleep. My right knee is swollen to the point I have very limited range of motion and can barely walk up stairs. It is after midnight and I can't sleep. Also having some angina and my little toe on my right foot is somewhat numb. I will be contacting my physician about this tomorrow. My cholesterol was 105 and this doesn't seem to be worth it to me!

I was put on Yasmin in 2006 due to irregular periods. I thought during the time I was on it I felt fine, I thought. I am the type of person who doesn't like going to the doctor bc all they want is my money. At first everything was fine. Then one day I started getting really hot and was so weak I could barely hold my head up. My vision was blacked out but I could still hear everything. I figured I was just dehydrated so I drank a few glasses of water and everything returned to normal within 15 minutes. I went on with life as normal and just swept the episode under the rug. The same thing happened a few more times in the near future but I didn't have loss of vision again. Still went on with life. I used to be a server, therefore I was on my feet all the time and I was a workaholic. I started getting severe cramps on my lower left calf but again ignored the symptom bc I just thought it was a bad muscle cramp from always being my feet. Then one day at work a girl ran into me just right and knocked my hip out of place. I walked around like that for about 5 days or so but I was taking TONS of Ibuprofen to ease the severe pain which helped me forget the leg cramps.. Eventually I went to the chiropractor to get an adjustment and everything was great again. No pain. As the next month passes the cramp in my leg started gradually moving up the back of my calf, around to just above my knee and then up to my groin. Again I just ignored this mystery "cramp." I ignored it until September 19th when I was working and my episodes stared again while I was working. I started feeling weak again and just really dehydrated. I went to get a drink and passed out in the kitchen during lunch rush. I got some water and then went back to work. I made one last round at my tables and then collapsed in the back bc I had one of the worst pains in my groin I had ever experienced. This time I couldn't ignore it and had my bf take me to an immediate care hospital. The doctor took my blood and ran tests and everything came back normal. Then they asked if I could give a urine sample and I did. They said it would take about 45 minutes for the results to come back. So I took a walk outside and felt like I was waddling. My left leg started getting really tight and swollen. I walked back in and went to the bathroom again. My left leg was purple!!!! I told the dr about it and she looked at my leg for a second, and ordered me to lay down and not move an inch and walked out the door. She immediately ordered a CT scan. We got the results back and we discovered I have blood clots from my ankle up to the top of my knee. That's the only part of my leg that was scanned. I was transferred to intensive care and was there for 4 days. I was immediately taken off Yasmin and put on extremely high doses of coumadin and other blood thinners to absorb the clots back into my bloodstream. Other CT scans were performed and the clots actually go from ankle up to my lower abdomen. After I was released from the hospital, I was on bed rest for 3 months. Bc I cannot be on my feet I had to quit my job. Keep in mind I was only 19 years old, now only 22. I now have to be on coumadin for the rest of my life, I have to get my blood levels tested monthly, and I also had to have a filter put in my inferior vena cava (the main vessel in your body that goes to your heart.) To prevent clots from moving to my heart, lungs, and or brain. Since then I have to have a job that I Cannot sit down for too long but can't have a job that I am on my feet either, pretty limited, huh? And of course I must have insurance to pay for the nonstop medical bills. I have been pretty depressed about the whole thing so make sure if you take Yasmin you get off immediately!!! Now instead of birth control pills I have a 10 year IUD. Now after reading some of the other posts I am wondering if my depression, anxiety, anger and mood swings have something to do with the IUD....

I've been searching for answers on LONG TERM side effects of Lupron hoping that it could give me answers as to what's going on in my body now!
23 yrs ago my fertility dr. gave me Lupron to inject MYSELF EVERY DAY (experimental back then). I had SEVERE endo since the age of 16 and was fighting that as well as trying to get pregnant thru invetro. I was 26. At 29 I had an emergency hysto. Now at 48plus I have chronic tendonitis where the tendons will shred off of the joints. I have been diagnosed with C spine and T spine disease, osteoarthritis and a mystery that I'm going to have to go to the Mayo to figure out (hopefully). I have tumors that are growing in my lower back...growing around nerves, tendons and bone, They aren't sure why they are there, why they are growing, or even what they are. Surgery removed 2 of them...but pathology shows foreign matter other than tissue/bone. All they DO know is that it is not cancer. One year ago I started losing weight (25 pds) for no reason. I'm now holding my own at 112 and hoping to figure all of this out. I can't help but wonder if Lupron or any other experimental drugs I was on has something to do with this. Is there anyone out there that used this drug so long ago??

have to agree with Mrsbarrett's post right below mine...I have been a lurker on this board for the past couple of months and thank God for it or who knows how crazy i'd be right now!! Here is a list of my side effects and pertinent information:
DOI: October 2008
Side effects were gradual and most evident around the Christmas Holidays:
Dizziness
Weird eye/vision disturbance where i'd lose focus for a moment and then be okay.
Constant spotting of "old blood" nothing much but did require pantiliners 24/7
Anxiety
Hypertension (more than ever, like when I was pregnant, 150-170s/100)
Panic Attacks
Face Dryness
ZERO SEX DRIVE
No "natural" lubrication, but who cares when you have no drive, are spotting all the time, and it hurts to have sex
Vaginal Odor
Mood Swings
Depression
FATIGUE to the point of wanting to stay in bed despite having to care for my 7.5 year old.
Chest pains (kept thinking maybe I had heart trouble, had cardiac workup that came up PERFECT and bloodwork was perfect, Thyroid test was perfect)
Nausea (morning sickness type, would get slightly better in evening but not so much)
IBS symptoms (diarrhea)

DOR: January 23, 2009
2 days later heavy bleeding for a couple of days.....had somewhat of a "crash" the first week where I was still not better. By the 2nd week post removal I was still nauseated in the morning but improved in the late afternoon and got energy boost in late afternoon.By the 3rd week I was totally back to normal!!!!! (well what's normal for crazy me! hahahahha)

My husband came with me to the doc, and she had no problem with removal. I went back for a follow up this past Friday and she saw how normal I am and that I have lost several pounds as well. She realizes I am extremely sensitive to hormone changes but says i'm the only one that she has seen like that. (how many have problems that don't think it is the Mirena...that's what I want to know???)

Anyway, that's my story and i'm sticking to it!!! If anyone would like to chat or share please let me know. I will also add that I have a Masters in Physician Assistant Studies (just not practicing since becoming a SAHM) and so I looked up tons of information to figure out what was wrong with me, I really am thankful to have found this site....medical mumbo jumbo is NOTHING when you have your body telling you something and all you fine ladies......Thanks again!
~G

Hey, I have had my Mirena in for almost four years now, and initially loved it because I did not have a period every month and it wasn't much when I did have it, I had no cramps, and I was feeling fine. However, after my little girl was born I started breaking out with every yes every medication I take down to a tynenol. If I take tynenol for a few days or any other medication for a few days I end up breaking out in a bad rash. I have never been allergic to anything before I had this put in. At first it never dawned on me that it could be the Mirena, but after so long I have began to think it is. I have been to my doctor, two allergist, and many trips to the emergency room for breaking out in a rash. I have read many of the other symptoms that I have had like nervousness, depression, short temper,but none on breaking out with medication. Has anyone had any of these symptoms that I have been having, if so please let me know, so I can schedule to have it out if this is the true problem.

Oh my goodness.....my daughter, age 17, had her first injection in June 2008, started losing her hair w/in a month. We thought it was form straightening, some high lightening etc. She had blood work done which showed she was anemic...strange, as 2yrs prior her blood work was stellar, and she had not changed her diet, or physical activity. She increased her iron and protein intake (along w/ supplements).....three months later, and after her second injection, iron was still anemic....worse actually, and her hair loss significant.I found this website last night....and I am floored......I called MERCK today and spoke to a representative wh o was not aware of the hair loss issue, but said that in their case studies, Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia was a side effect.....which leads to hair loss itself.....so I am researching now what to do next.....anyone else have this issue??????

i took cipro for a UTI over 10 years ago and have had floaters, neuropathy, tingling, and numbness in my hands and feet ever since then. it was not until THIS YEAR that i stumbled upon information on the internet about CIPRO and its side effects. but immediately following my use of the drug i went to a doctor who insisted i had carpal tunnel and i asked then why is it in my feet? then a neurologist who found nothing and patted me on my little college girl head, told me it was "just stress," and prescribed me narcotics to calm me down. i threw the prescription in the garbage on the way out of his office... then was tested for diabetes and briefly thought i might have MS. eventually, after many docs finding nothing and my family thinking i was a total hypochondriac, i just decided to ignore the symptoms. pain in my joints, floaters in my eyes, numbness and tingling in my hands and feet. after years i figured if i wasn't dying from whatever it was and it wasn't getting any worse, then i would just live with it. one day when it was particularly uncomfortable i did an internet search and came up with CIPRO info. there was a class action law suit at one time because right around the time i took CIPRO, it was a new drug and had not been sufficiently clinically tested. there's no recourse for me now, but i feel better having solved the mystery.

i am appalled to see so many people still suffering in 2008 and this drug still being prescribed. i'm sorry you're all going through this. i tell everyone i know not to ever take this drug. i feel lucky to be still functioning. i am very healthy, just have the annoyance of these symptoms that never go away.

OK.. I haven't seen my problem here so here goes. I had the Mirena inserted 3 months ago because of uncontrollable bleeding. My periods were so heavy I soaked the bed at night. The doctor suggested this or freezing the cervix and because the oblation was actual surgery in the hospital I chose Mirena.I am beginning to wonder if this was a mistake. The first month was great. I barely had a period (even though what I did had lasted a week) I was thrilled. I could handle that. Well, less than 3 weeks later I got it again. It would be light for 3 0r 4 days and then the floods started. Right threw my pad, pants everything.This would happen twice and it was gone. 2 1/2 weeks later I had it again. Same thing a few very light days and BAM!!! 3 weeks later it happened again which was July 3rd. I was at work and soaked threw my pants on the seat of the company car. I was so embarrassed. The weekend I was fine. Monday the 7th I went for my 3 month check (vaginal ultrasound) and told the doctor what was happening and he told me it takes 6 months to completely work and the "floods" were ok. Well I went back to work today and was fine all day. I lift heavy mail trays at work and this afternoon it happened again.Yes, on the seat of the company car. BLUCH! I am beginning to wonder if it has something to do with heavy lifting? I searched "Mirena" and "Mirena heavy lifting" and couldn't find anyone with this problem. I don't get headaches, cramps, acne or anything that I used to get since the insertion but I almost feel like I am worse now than before. I am going to talk to my Family doctor this week and see what she thinks? Any suggestions will help...Anyone go through what I have?? Thanks for listening...I am bummed this doesn't seem to be working.....

My doctor took me off metopolol (genericToprol), and my last dosage was a week ago. I suffered weight gain, tiredness, and muscle fatigue during my 18 months on the drug.

I have 2 questions - how long will the drug remain in my system, and has anyone who experienced weight gain while on Toprol or the generic, lost any weight after stopping it?

Thanks, Tony

I've been using yaz for about 3 weeks; I am 27 years old and am a newly wed. I have seen a dramatic decrease in my sex drive, which, of course is a major issue for my husband and me. Since I have been on it, I have had no desire, not climax, nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-(

See, I'd really started to like it... it is the only hormonal birth control that I have tried that has not made me have frequent head and stomach aches- I've tried abstinence, the diaphragm, ortho, ortho lo, the ring, IUD, abortion, rhythm, withdrawal, the pill. No Avail.

...Oh, well, on to find another method- one that does give those of us who have issues with hormonal birth control headache and body aches, one that is simple, and does not kill embryos (thank you, Jesus)!

I Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
We serve a mighty God. Mighty enough to create the entire universe, and come down, as a man and live on His earth, still having all power in His hand, die, and rise again, leaving His spirit to dwell until He returns again.
What a mighty God we serve.

Sorry, I can't just walk away.

When you find patents or patent applications for certain purposes, then you know that your ideas are well founded. There are several patents for using an anti-malaria drug for asthma. I would bet that somebody had that idea all the way back to the 1960's. So it is very possibly no coincidence at all that a chloroquinoline or other quinoline ring would be part of montelukast's chemical structure.

Here is one of the patents.

******

It is well known that quinoline rings can be toxic to some people even very rapidly. As in this very extreme example.
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PEDIATRICS Vol. 27 No. 1 January 1961, pp. 95-102 This Article

FATAL ACUTE CHLOROQUINE POISONING IN CHILDREN
Howard M. Cann M.D.1 and Henry L. Verhulst M.S.1

1 National Clearinghouse for Poison Control Centers, Accident Prevention Program, Public Health Service, U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
Four cases of acute chloroquine poisoning in children are presented. In three instances death occurred within 2 hours of ingestion of larger than therapeutic amounts of the drug. The rapid occurrence of death in acute chloroquine poisoning is probably explained by complete and rapid absorption of the drug from the gastrointestinal tract resulting in high blood concentrations which depress vasomotor function and respiration. Cardiac arrest follows and may be caused by the direct myocardial action of chloroquine, to anoxia, or to both. The similarity of the manifestations of acute chloroquine poisoning and those of acute quinine and quinidine poisoning suggests that acute toxicity may be attributed to the quinoline ring portion of these drugs.

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I don't think that we are seeing extreme examples. But we may be seeing less extreme immediate reactions or reactions where the toxicity builds up over time.

Quinoline rings are know to cause neurotoxicity. There are theories about how that happens. One of the theories is about blocking connexins which are gap junction proteins in the brains.

I don't know how montelukast could be breaking up so that it causes toxicity. Or if the problem is the how rapidly the liver enzymes can metabolize it. But there is plenty, plenty, plenty of clinical evidence that there is a quinoline ring culprit somewhere in the picture. Or some by-product of that causing problems.

Somehow it was decided that montelukast did not have the safety issues that the other drugs in the same category have. See this.

"The starting point in the development of montelukast appears to be a quinoline-containing structure, likely identified as a weak random screening lead (Figure 3). The Merck group hypothesized that this molecule was mimicking the olefin backbone of cysLTs, and that the addition of mimics for the acid and peptide regions of LTD4, might improve its potency. As a first step, the dithioacetal linkage first seen in some SmithKline compounds was incorporated; this led to a compound with greatly increased in vitro potency but poor oral bioavailability. When one of the carboxylic acids was replaced by an amide, forming MK-571, the new antagonist had even greater potency and good efficacy following oral administration. The enantiomers were resolved to yield MK-679 (verlukast), a compound with better clinical effects than MK-571, but whose clinical development was stopped for safety reasons. Further structure-activity relationship studies led to the development of montelukast (16), an antagonist that appears free of the safety concerns plaguing earlier members of this series."

If we can find out why the earlier versions were not safe and how they thought fixed it, then maybe we can find out what is going on with the quinoline ring in some people.

I would be very surprised if the FDA will address our concerns. Why does it always seem like they wait for enough people to die like in Vioxx? Wasn't Vioxx responsible for thousands of deaths?

I am a 34 yr old mom of 2 and have had my Mirena for 4 and 1/2 years. I actaully have been having a great experience, but again, have the same weight gain issues with almost no loss, no matter what. MY BIG QUESTION: has anyone else experienced mysterious vaginal discharge and symptoms? Starting about a year ago, I began having mystery discharge and have been to 7 different doctors who have tested for everything under the sun, and FOUND NOTHING. they can see it, keep giving me yeast treatments. etc, but in 2 or 3 months, it is right back. There is a pungent fish odor, especially after sex with my hubby, which Dr's have been saying is normal... MAYBE NORMAL FOR THEM, not me!! I actually thought it was due to a lack of hormones now that my IUD is ending is life.. However, I did have a couple of crazy panic attacks, which I have never had, the dryness for sex and friction is intense, and my hair has been thinning, which I thought was just me... Can anyone let me know if you've had the vaginal symptoms... I know no one wants to talk about it, but I have to ask!!

UPDATE:It is now a week since my 6 yr old son stopped taking singulair. My happy boy is back! He has now had a second day in a row with positive reports from school. These are the first 2 positive days of the entire school year!!! Its no mystery anymore! I am 100% positive it was the Singulair he was on. It may work for some people with no side effects and thats great for them. But for those parents out there that had the slightest doubt I am telling you from experience to go with your gut! Speak to your Dr for alternatives and get back your happy children!

I was on 200 mg/day of topamax for migraines. It did lessen the frequency and severity of the migraines. I lost 20 lbs and looked great. I felt horrible. I was suicidal and paranoid, cried frequently and thought that I was going to die. I was very tired, probably due to the topamax and the fact I was only eating about 500 cal per day on a good day, I was only rarely hungry and then would feel full after a few bites. I loved being thin, but was too tired to enjoy my life. I'm a nurse and couldn't remember anything, so I wrote everything down. My husband said that talking to me was like playing charades, because I couldn't remember the words for what I wanted to say. People would talk to me and my comprehension was very poor - it was like they were talking in another language that I didn't understand very well. I had always been sharp and quick witted, but on Topamax I was lost in a brain fog. I went off the drug under an MD's care. It took a while to feel like my old self, but life is now normal.

I was considering going back on it to lose the weight I put back on, but after reading all the other posts, I realize it's just not worth it. No, not everyone experiences all the awful side effects, but the side effects are not rare and some of them are horrifying. One of my friends who went on it couldn't even remember her children's names and she was on just 25 mg. I think this drug can make you feel like you are dying - just like a cancer patient at end stage. You don't want to eat, there is little enjoyment in life, your brain is foggy like you've been going through chemo and you feel incredibly sad as if you're going to die.

My advice would be to use the drug only if absolutely necessary. Try acupuncture, other migraine meds or seizure medications before this one. If you are taking it and notice that you are having extreme side effects, ask your doctor to be taken off it. If you can take it and the only side effects you get are a little pins and needles and an aversion to soda, go for it! But please note if you have strong emotional changes and try to eat healthy while on topamax.

My daughter was put on this drug in an attempt to control a mystery condition (aka the doctors have NO idea what on earth is going on). She was on a half dose for the first week and started having trouble getting to sleep. It slowly got worse during that week. When the dose doubled in the second week all hell broke loose. By the end of the third week she hadn't slept for 4 days/nights AT ALL. I got no response from the doctor when I called (took him a week to ph me back) so I decided to take her off it. It took 4 weeks until she returned to normal. It was a terrifying experience. The doctor's comment was "Well it's not a KNOWN side effect" Guess what? I fired him.

This is all very interesting, but it's all anecdotal! Can you PROVE that Singulair is responsible for all this stuff?

What other meds are you all taking? In what doses? Under what conditions? Do you have a family history of ? Are you under stress? Or are at least SOME of you just hypochondriacs who, reading this stuff, say to yourself, "Say, I get headaches -- sure, it's gotta be the Singulair!" C'mon, now -- hair loss?!

I've been taking Singulair for over 10 months, and if I'd been as damaged as you all, I think I'd know it.

Without rigourous medical studies to show what is REALLY going on, you lot are just gossipping.

This site is obviously trolling for a class-action suit.

I have just come across this site, while looking to find out why I have been experiencing heart palpitations for the past two months - out of the blue!!! and usually "exercise" induced. I had some tests and have been told they are Premature Atrial Contractions "PACs". I started taking Yasmin in April, after having tried others over the past year (tri-cyclen lo and alesse) which did not work for me as the progestin was not strong enough. I am in my 40s and never took the pill before. Yasmin was great, it significantly reduced my "physical" pms (severe inflamation, severe bloating, severe sore breasts) which I experience for 2-3 weeks a month. However, sometime in mid to late June, I started getting palpitations/tremors out of the blue. The first episode freaked me out and lasted for about two weeks. At first I thought it was allergy medication mixed with my thyroid med, which can happen - but I cut out the allergy meds and still got them. They seem to come about 6hrs to a day after I fexercise/figure skate and they last from 2 to 5 five days. It's very irritating and nerve wracking, and I feel very agitated. I am also out of breath more than usual when walking up stairs, a little light headed and have some tightness in the chest. My legs also are weak, which makes no sense given my exercise regimen. I then lowered my thyroid replacement from .125 synthroid to .100 - too much thyroid med can cause some palpitations. Anyone who has mistakenly taken a second thyroid pill having forgotten that they already took one will understand. Even with the lower dose I am still getting the palpilations. I am totally at a loss as to why all of a sudden this is happening to me (perhaps perimenopause??). I have had the odd flutter here and there in my live, but nothing like this. It just doesn't make any sense ag ll. Can one's health just change like this overnight?. I am otherwise healthy, slim, have "lower" blood pressure (apprx 100-90/70-60)I skate 3 to 5 times a week, I have a full time job and yes I do push myself, but this is getting ridiculous. The only thing I can attribute it to is the Yasmin, ... but my symptoms only started after a few months not instantly, whereas it would seem that most of the the women here noticed the side effects faster. I hate to stop the Yasmin because I will have to return to pms "hell", but I suppose I will give it a try to see if the palpitations subside. At this point, I have been offered a low dose "beta blocker" and have refused. I am stunned to think that all of a sudden I have heart issues, especially since my Dr has always kidded me my that I will never have heart problems with my blood pressure. I will stop the Yasmin tonight and post another message in a few weeks one it is out my system. Here's hoping it is the Yasmin.
KarenSkaterGirl

hello, was on lisinopril for about the first 3 weeks of 2007 and had bad stomach problems and could not uriniate, felt like my bladder was full. i thought i had prostrate problems, went back to doc, said it was probably a urinary infection. gave me cipro and said it would clear up in a couple of days, got worse. found this site on jan 20 and quit taking lisinopril that day. after 3-4 days i could uriniate again. doc then gave me atenolol and took it for about 10 days, have had a wierd kind of sore throat and sore around adams apple, feels like something hung in my throat and my appitite is nothing like it used to be, not hungry, and not sleeping worth a darn. anybody know how long these side effects last. driving me and my wife crazy. also hoarseness in throat and voice. i sure am glad to find this site. tommy p.s, am sure symptoms were before taking atenolol.

Super light sleeping but real concern is weakness in legs, feeling of imbalance. Also, hair thinning rapidly the past year. I have been on Lipitor about 5 years. 20 mg. a day.

Experienced rash through mid section for 4 months. It's somewhat better now.

I've been taking 3200-4000mg a day for almost 8 months now. I haven't had a single side effect that was very noticable or bothersome. Maybe just an afternoon headache but i'm used to that. Not even sure that's causing it as I take several meds. The neurontin is supposed to help my mystery back pain that shows no problems. The neurontin kind of numbs it. But like most meds it takes maybe a full month for it to have full benefits

My first steriod shot for severe psoriosis in the scalp was 24 years ago. It produced a side effect that I call a 30-day "acid" trip. I had delusions, I saw bugs that weren't there, I heard voices, had paranoia, etc. Turned out I was/am bi-polar (manic depressive). We had no idea of this condition prior to the shots, but it cleared up a depressive mystery I'd had problems with. I've been on lithium and doing very well ever since.
Ironically, I've since had 3 more steriod shots (Kenalog included) for various problems and because I'm on a safe and controlled dose of lithium, I have had no reactions to the shots.
I'm just sharing info in case others experience severe depression or mood swings after a shot.