Narcotic pain killers symptoms and conditions

i have been on 137 mcg of synthroid after a total thyroidectomy 1.5 yr/ago. i have since gained 40 lbs...am fatigued and irritable...have severe pain in both of my feet...and my hair is falling out by the hand full. i am 43 yrs old and had hopes of conceiving a child with my husband...but have had no luck for the last 6 months. i am interested in meeting with a holistic doctor that is willing to listen to my symptoms. my physician now is only interested in my blood leves. will someone recommend someone in san antonio, Texas?

I am a male of 67 years old. I took Lipitor for a year, and after a few months of taking it, I felt muscle pains in my arms and shoulders, as well as my back. I felt weak and could hardly put my socks on by myself. I told my family doctor that I thought the problem was caused by LIpitor. He said it couldn't be possible, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong, so he sent me to a rheumatologist, who gave me an initial diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica. I went back for a checkup, and although the sed rate was normal, the C-reactive protein was elevated. He felt his diagnosis was an accurate one. He prescribed prednisone for me. I had some doubts about it, since I am diabetic, and was concerned about the elevated blood sugar it might cause. Well, it did elevate my blood sugar, and I weaned myself off it within three months. My blood sugar went back to normal, and while the prednisone helped the symptoms of muscle pain and aches, after I stopped it, the pain returned with a vengeance.

About a year passed after discontinuing the prednisone, and I felt worse and worse. Any time I engaged in physical activity, such as yard work, I was almost incapacitated for two or three days. I felt weaker and weaker, and by now, my activity is about ten per cent of what it was three or four years ago. I am unable to do anything physical without paying a heavy price.

I would tell the doctor that I felt the problem was caused by the Lipitor. He would dismiss my comments, saying that the pain should have gone away after discontinuing Lipitor. He sent me back to the rheumatologist with results of recent blood tests. Both the sed rate and C-reactive protein were normal. The rheumatologist touched my back and other areas, which caused me to jump. He said it might be fibromyalgia. I told him again that I thought it was caused by the Lipitor. He said the same thing my GP had said: if it had been the Lipitor, the pain would have gone away when I stopped taking it. I know the Lipitor caused the pain, because I tried red yeast rice for a couple months. The pain increased to almost unbearable, so I discontinued the red yeast rice. If I were not susceptible to the pain from the Lipitor, would the red yeast rice have increased the pain?

So here I am with a fuzzy diagnosis from the rheumatologist, and no clue from my family doctor (that he will verbalize, at any rate). My life has gone steadily downhill. I used to be a strong, active person, but now I can do very little, and my strength is a shadow of what it formerly was. What can I do?

I'm sorry so many of you have bad experiences with Adderall. My side effects went away in about two weeks.

The amphetamines in Adderall have been used for 70 years, so if they were that dangerous, they would not be around today and one of the top 10 most prescribed pediatric drugs in America.

To Spoiled Rotten,
Apparently you can't read all that well or don't know how to do research, maybe you should have been on Adderall as a kid. RITALIN, CONCERTA, FOCALIN, DAYTRANA are all Methylphenidate, which IS NOT AN AMPHETAMINE.

Be a Big BOY/GIRL and do your own research about these drugs. Real research, not a side-effects website where people who know nothing about the drugs themselves hear something from someone, who knows someone's sisters friend who ABUSED their medication.

ALL DRUGS can be bad. You can die of an aspirin overdose. It's how they are used. Adderall and Ritalin are "very safe" when used properly" (Driven To Distraction).

I'm sure 99 percent of you don't even know what ADDICTION really is. This is a huge health problem in America. Yes, the addictions, but MORE so the ignorance and stereotypes of people with them.

African American 47,
You DON'T just get addicted to a drug. You can BE DEPENDENT on a drug, and not an addict. Cancer patients take very large amounts of NARCOTIC pain killers and THEY ARE DEPENDENT on them. For pain relief and physical dependence. They DON'T crave the drugs though.

So with SPOILED rotten's philosophy, the 20,000,000 people on Adderall or Ritalin (NOT AN AMPHETAMINE, similar, but not the same thing) who's quality of life has been improved 100 fold just like mine. I would have benefited GREATLY from medication but did not get diagnosed until 3 months ago at the age of 24.

Medication IS NOT for everyone, as "it doesn't work very well for about 80% of people who take it." (Driven To Distraction, Dr Edward Hallowell).

IF anyone has questions about ADD read "Driven To Distraction". The Author(s) both have ADD themselves and are psychiatrists.

Too many people with ADD refuse medication because they think "oh no, I will get addicted", which is 99 percent of the time not the case for ADD. They miss out on at least an option that could help them immensely.

I am so irritated with the ignorance and lack of knowledge from people who bad mouth things they know really nothing about. It didn't work for me so I am going to demonize the drugs and spread lies that they turn kids into zombies and cause them to shoot up schools..........C'mon, you're how old? I'm probably 1/2 your age and I have twice the common sense.
I'm not saying your a bad parent Spoiled, but your NAME IS Spoiled....you seem to be on a high and mighty chair, and you seemingly have a very self centered mind. Doesn't work for you then it must be the work of the devil.

Learn how to do research, form educated opinions, maybe read a book. Use your rights as a patient to see a different doctor if you don't agree with one. Do something productive.

I have been taking Ultracet for over a year now..as needed for back pain from a car accident and significant re-injury of my back. I have sciatica in my laft leg with significant pain and some numbness if I sit too long in one position as well as moderate to severe back pain if I walk or stand up too long.

I will say from the start I have a very high tolerance for drugs. Doses of narcotic pain killers (darvocet, vicodin etc) thta knock most people out will just make me feel slightly "high".

I take Ultracet as needed for pain and Flexeril for muscle spasms in my back. I do not ever go over 3 pills in one day.

I have not noticed any of the reactions people mention here. I can go several days without taking Ultracet with no problems. Perhaps it is that I do days without taking it that has saved me from becoming addicted to it.

I have heard of side effects such as upset stomach, nausea and my doctor warned me to let her know if I felt anxiety or other emotional incidents (mood swings, depression, feeling "high" etc). I have had none of those effects that I can specifically attribute to the ultracet.

After asking my physician about whether ultracet is a narcotic in the same category as darvocet, percocent etc. ( I asked because of the similarity in name). She said it was not classified as a narcotic as it is a synthetic substance and supposedly does not have the addictive ingredient found in the natural opiates. Supposedly is the key word here. She also told me that people who are susceptible to addictions (i.e. family history of alcohol or drug abuse etc) may become addicted to it. She said that the threshold for addiction seems to be when taking more than 3 pills a day.

The ultracet works well for controling the pain in my legs and back. I am fortunate to be able to take a dose of ultracet and rest for 20 minutes until it kicks in most times. I have had no problems with driving or dizzines since I started taking it.

I have only been on Wellbutrin XR, 300 mg once a day, for about a week.
However, I'm also on narcotic pain killers, so I'm not sure which medication, if either, are causing my symptoms.
I, too, have difficulty in sleeping, and usually have to take a Clonapin.
Also, I have aching arms and legs, very heavy, like they're turning to lead.
I have slight swelling in my hands, along with some tingling, and a touch of chest pain here and there.
If anyone has had any of these while on this drug, please let me know.
:=)
p.s. not really helping the depression, either.