December 4th
2008
10:53 AM
I have been on prednisone continuously now for 15 years. I was put on it in March of 1995 for a lung condition called chronic eosinophilic pneumonia. I was 122 pounds when I first started prednisone. Now 15 years later I am 197 pounds. I am 35 years old with osteoporosis. I have dealt with depression, terrible headaches, stomach ulcers, hormonal imbalance, hair loss, swollen feet and ankles, I now wear glasses when I didn't before, I have thin skin now that looks older than my 35 years, I deal with night sweats, and in the summer out in the heat my very round moon face turns red as a beet. But, no one can get me off the prednisone. I have seen many specialists, and within 1-2 days of starting to wean past 10mg I get so sick I have to be hospitalized, I literally can't breathe or live without it. I hate this stuff and what its done to me, but I have no choice but to take it or I will die. Doctors have tried alternate medications, nothing but prednisone works. If there is ANYONE who has had to be on it as long as I have or have had success in getting off it after being on it for so long, I would love to hear from you.
-- By belladonna15533 | Reply | (4) replies | Private Message me
September 27th
2008
12:05 AM
I am a healthy female with little to no history of adverse reactions to medications. I was prescribed a 10 day dose of Levequin (500 mg) for a minor but stubborn skin abscess. After the third day, I woke up with significant joint soreness in my fingers. Progressively the soreness spread daily to my wrists, elbows, ankles, knees, hips, etc. I did not suspect the antibiotic at first, but I know my body, and I know something was WRONG.
After my 8th dose I decided to look online...it is at least good to know that what I'm experiencing is definitely from Levequin. Thank you all for sharing your stories.
I especially found MERCEDESLANE posting on April 15th interesting. I guess this person works in the health care system. Considering this uncompassionate individual, who apparently wants everythone to know he has a Mercedes, can't spell (whine), and does not have basic grammar skills. Wow...my faith in the our health care system is stronger than ever. But what do I know, I'm just an "IDIOT" with shingles that needs to have a couple of glasses of whine while I pop my remaining Levequin.
-- By agnieska | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
August 13th
2008
1:16 PM
I stumbled onto this site while trying to find a reason for these headaches I get sometimes for no" apparent" reason. Imagine my surprise to find your testimonies about your lives on warfarin sodium.At 38, I had surgery to repair a congenital defect of the aortic valve and had to have a hema-shield graph to repair an aneurysm of the aorta. That was in Oct.2002. Warfarin has been a part of my life since then. I was also put on anti-depressants because my family Dr. thought I was depressed since I repeatedly complained of not feeling well.(I took myself off the anti-depressants a couple of years ago.) Extreme fatigue , serious memory issues, thinning hair,dizzy spells and numerous other ailments continue to plague me.Add to that a large weight gain ...and, well, you get the picture. If anyone knows of an alternative to taking this "poison", PLEASE, PLEASE let me know. I just WANT MY LIFE BACK!!! I actually cried after reading this blog. As I explained to my husband, I suppose it was from the sheer relief of knowing I was not going insane!!!
-- By ndg | Reply | (6) replies | Private Message me
May 14th
2008
9:35 AM
I am so glad I found this site as it has confirmed many of the suspicions I've had about advair for quite some time. I've had the hoarseness, dizziness, memory loss, major weight gain, and major cramps and leg pains. I was even diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis because of the non-stop joint pains etc... The doctors too insisted that non of my troubles were due to the advair and I find this completely maddening that they lead patitents to believe that something is safe when it is not! About 9 months ago, totally fed up with the state my health has fallen to, I began alternative medicine-- acupuncture and am starting homeopathy soon-- and the results have been very promising. I am not using rescue inhaler at all and am weaning myself off the advair. I am starting to feel best I have since I was diagnosed with adult on-set asthma. I would encourage anyone to explore these safe alternatives and would also like to know if anyone has found any "safe" replacement for advair which does help control asthma symptoms w/out the HORRIBLE side effects?
-- By smbryant | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
April 14th
2008
2:59 AM
I was put on Prednisonsone for Uveitis, inflammation of the eye. He started me on 20mg at 9 pills a day, then each week it was lowered to 6 pills then now i'm on 3 pills and then next week it will be 1 1/2 pill and i'll be off. I got the puffy face, my feet swelled, everytime i hate my stomach bloated and hurt, my face and neck turns red, i stayed hungry although i fought the temptation of eating for not wanting to gain a lot of weight, which I don't think I've gained any. But now I wake up in the middle of the night and severe knee pain, it feels like my knees they are in some kind of device that is crushing my bones they hurt so bad. i caught a bad cough and it's been around now for about 2 weeks and won't go away, i told the nurse about it and she says, i probably just got what everyone else has gotten, just a bad cough, well what's if it's some kind of infection? I look like a chipmunk, my face is so puffy. When i get off these prednisone in another week I WON'T BE going back on them, no matter what the case. I'm in more pain being on them and have more side effects while on them than the problem i was having with uveitis. I think some co workers thank I'm over reacting, but they're not here they don't see all the pain and frustration i'm going through while on this drug. The leg pain just started this weekend and i Know i can't deal with waking up everynight like this in severe pain. Everyone just makes me feel like i'm over reactin and it's nice to know that somebody out there is going through the same thing. Any comments will be great.
-- By tonyas | Reply | (13) replies | Private Message me
February 27th
2008
9:03 AM
I took Aciphex for 3 days and stopped. Two days later I awoke with a very scary irregular heartbeat that lasted for 2 hours and accompanied by frequent urination for the two hours. I was petrified. I thought I was dying! Now I am scared to take any more Aciphex. I only have GERD or Dyspepsia infrequently. I will try to find a natural remedy. I also had a headache every time I took the Aciphex. I did not have any bowel changes that I noticed but I was only on it for 3 days. I had none of the other symptoms mentioned.
-- By twocoolmule | Reply | Private Message me
January 4th
2008
12:36 AM
I am absolutely amazed at all the side effects that may be a result of Lipitor.I have been on Lipitor for approx.4 weeks. Accdg to my blood work, my cholesterol was extremely high...possible genetic factor.(father had hight cholesterol).My diet is fairly low in fat, exercised regularly, etc. I have had muscle, joint, breast, and all over body pain, nausea, headaches,decreased energy. I actually think I am having heart attack or stroke pain....I have become very anxious due to these symptoms. Having lipid profile done tomorrow, see the doctor next week. I am going to go off the Lipitor and see about an alternative from a health food store.(I am also a registered nurse)
-- By williaml | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
November 1th
2007
7:47 AM
Only been using Flomax for 2 days and notice right away the stream flow is a little better on urination. The only side effect I have had is absolutlely no semen on ejaculating which scares the hell out of me. I am getting off this Flomax right away and am going to try some natural remedy like saw palmetto and other associated herbs. This looks like a dangerous product from what little experience I have had with it.
-- By ski12345 | Reply | Private Message me
September 22th
2007
12:35 AM
I feel so blessed to have found this site tonight!!! I took Lisinopril for a year...June 05' to July 06'. I started experiencing allergic reactions....swollen lip, eye, hives (more like welts) all over. Did not connect to the lisinopril right away though I had just renewed my Rx and the pharmacy was using a different manufacturer for my medication. I then started experiencing indigestion and constipation (never ever had problems with)....actually had to go to the ER one night.....ended up calling 911 the following morning because I was going to pass out....woke up fine, after 10 minutes broke out in a sweat....my BP was apparently dropping....never passed out in my life, but knew it was coming so I opened the front door and called 911. The operator kept me on the phone talking while waiting for help....I started throwing up as they walked in the door, and felt immediately better. They had me sit, took my pressure....I was feeling much better.....I still didn't tie it to the Rx, but after several more allergic reactions and tired of taking Benadril, I asked to have my BP Rx changed. I continued to have allergic reaction on 4 different types of BP Rx over a 6 week period. I decided to stop taking all BP medication Sept.06'. Two weeks ago I decided to try the Lisinopril again as I have not been able to control my BP for the past year. I thought maybe I had experienced a food allergy last year....until I found your website tonight. What caused me to look for info tonight was a hot flash experience today....all day. I am 48 and Perimenopausal, but I have not experienced a hot flash as of yet....after reading all the blogs, I don't think I was experiencing a hot flash! I also have not been sleeping well the past two weeks....and I never have trouble sleeping. I also have been lacking energy and have had tingling in my hands and aching muscles....I'm not taking another pill!!! I'm going search for a natural remedy and start working out!
Kathy
September 2th
2007
12:27 PM
I am a 34-year old women who started 50 mg of Toprol-XL 4 days ago for a rash of panic attacks I experienced earlier this week, after having high blood pressure and occasional panic attacks in the last 3 months. Since then, I've had migranes for the past 2 days, bad allergies, stomach pain, loose bowel movements, slight difficulty breathing, frequent urination, and tiredness/lethargy during the day with trouble sleeping at night. I was already feeling strange my 2nd day on it and called my internal medicine doctor, who, of course, told me to stick with it. At this point, I'm ready for safer, natural alternatives. I'm will call the doctor tomorrow to tell him that my mind is made up and ask for instructions on how to wean off of it safely.
-- By afrishkey | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
August 11th
2007
4:14 PM
The first of the nightmare was the cramps, aches and pains in my legs. eventually it spread to almost all over my body. I felt like could not wlk across the drive way without struggling. I am 51 years old and, without exageration, I felt like I was 81. It came on so slowly that I did not relate it to the Lipitor at first. A client of mine was the one to happen to mention one of his family member's experience to Lipitor and that's what clued me in. I stopped it that day. I have listed symtpoms below that I am suffering from. At least we can commisurate and e-mail with others who understand and know we are not making this up.
1.) extreme muscle/joint aches and pains
2.) extreme fatigue (falling asleep almost anywhere) loss of energy
3.) weight gain and bloating, especially in stomach area without any increase in food intake.
4.) urinary incontinance
5.) sweling in left leg and ankle
6.) swelling and pain feet
7.) depression
8.) memory loss
9.) loss of mental accuity
10.) increased oiliness of skin and hair
11.) loss of equilibrium
12.) diarrhea
13.) eyesight deteriorated rapidly
14.) irritability
15.) itching ended pretty soon after I stopped taking the Lipitor.
Most of these symptom come and go but someof them seem like they are here to stay. Is there a class action law suit that might prevent this happening to more innocent, unsuspecting people? Is there a list of things people can do to help the symtpoms? Another friend in need - Rebecca
-- By rstuartg | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
July 6th
2007
11:44 AM
I wanted to give an update. I'm the 31 year old cancer survivor who posted yesterday about my concerns with Toprol XL and some side-effects I was feeling. After a trip to the doctor, everything was made clear to me.
After having some bloodwork done and a chest x-ray, we determined that I, in fact, have congenital heart failure. This is when the heart is unable to pump blood fast enough to the body's organs. The result is weight gain due to fluid retention, shortness of breath, and especially trouble breathing when lying down. So, I imagine, the body's natural remedy to this is to speed up the rate in which the heart pumps, to compensate and get the needed blood to the body. That would explain my elevated heart rate.
Toprol XL did exactly what it was supposed to do: lower my heart rate. But, in my case (and, as it seems to me, might also be the case for many of the people posting here), that was not the right solution for me. Slowing the heart rate caused the natural side-effects of congenital heart failure to emerge. So, what I thought were side-effects of Toprol XL were in fact simply the my body's "normal" state, being someone with this heart condition.
As of today, I have stopped taking the Toprol XL and have been placed on a few new medications in its place. I have been correctly diagnosed now, and I look forward to feeling better soon.
-- By countblockula | Reply | Private Message me
July 27th
2006
6:53 AM
I was on Lipitor last year for about three months . After reporting to my physician that I was experiencing left facial numbness, left neck pain, numerous joint pain,locking of my
middle fingers, severe muscle pain in both calf areas, The lipitor, was discontinued and I was started on Vytorin. Needless to say My condition got worse. I could barely lift my arms, I had extreme pain in my left hip and it was painful and difficult to walk. I stopped taking the Vytorin. I had a MRI of
My cerviaal neck, with no gross finding, My lab tests were essentially normal except cholesterol level. My condition has improved except the lingering muscle pain in both upper arms and left hip pain. I will never take statin medication again. I also, stopped my Diovan two days ago, I am
feeling so much better. Plan to go natural remedy from now on.
February 3th
2006
11:56 AM
Silke-
Thank you so much for your reply. It's encouraging. I wish there was a way to know what may be available here in the states thats a natural remedy for anxiety. I looked up the 'baldrian' on the internet and every site was in German. I may call a health food store here and see if there is anything equivalent.
I ended up taking the Xanax and I must admit for the first time in weeks; if only for a few hours that it may last I feel like ME again. I am very laid back and care-free. I guess after getting to this feeling of normalcy from a pill I guess I can see how people can become addicted to them. I plan to NOT get that way and I am going to soak up every bit of the relaxed demeanor I am experiencing right now.
My e-mail address is ******
Incidently, how long did you take Yasmin prior to getting off of it? I was on it for only 3 months.
Thank you again for your reply.
Denise
August 22th
2005
6:24 PM
i posted here (#12536) on august 10th reporting that my son had really bad emotional side effects from singulair and i just wanted to follow up. we've taken him off singulair and after about a week of not taking the medication he's doing much much better. he's no longer depressive and whiny and his separation anxiety has decreased tremendously. also, no more tantrums. since taking him off singulair we have been giving him a natural remedy for allergies and asthma (quercetin with bromelain) and although his throat clearing symptoms are back he hasn't had an asthma attack or a severe allergy attack, even around a cat, since we stopped singulair. without the quercetin he would have had, at minimum, a severe allergy attack, so we do feel that the natural remedy is at least taking the edge off his allergies until we can find another method of treatment.
please, everyone, keep reporting your symptoms here and keep telling your doctors. i printed this entire thread and gave it to my son's doctor. if they read it and just one other child is helped i'll be thrilled.
-- By lmholmes | Reply | Private Message me
Lipitor (3) Toprol-XL (2) PredniSONE (2) Yasmin (1) Warfarin Sodium (1) Flomax (1) Levaquin (1) Lisinopril (1) Aciphex (1) Diovan (1) Singulair (1) Topamax (1) Advair HFA (1)
November 3th
2009
3:39 PM
I finally stopped taking Topamax because of the side effects. But the worst was getting kidney stones from it. I only drink water and drink a lot, but I still got stones. The first time I was in so much pain that I could barely stand it. The second time, I had the pain and with it a kidney stone that was too big to pass. I could barely urinate. Had to have emergency lithotripsy to remove it. The doctor did a CT scan recently and it showed I still have many stones in both kidneys. I can't take another one of these attacks because they are so painful. My neurologist gave me a natural remedy for migraines called Petadolex. This stuff works! It has made my headaches much less severe when I have them which is not very often and my daily low level headaches are gone. This stuff is made in Germany and can be found in most health food stores and pharmacies. It also cost a lot less than Topamax.
When the generic Topamax (topiramate) came out, my insurance company wouldn't cover the real Topamax and it was costing me $400 a month if I wanted it over the generic. The generic was the worst drug I have ever taken. It is NOT the same as Topamax. I got so ill off of it that I had to get back on Topamax. I am finally off of Topamax completely after decreasing the dosage over many weeks. I was on 200 mg a day. I had all the side effects too like tingling hands, cognitive impairment and depression along with some others. This drug is poison and I am so angry the manufacturer didn't state all the possible side effects when they knew damn well it had them. There is a class action lawsuit against this manufacturer for not disclosing some of the horrible side effects.
-- By mikeg | Reply | Private Message me