Once a year symptoms and conditions

just had mine out today...mirena that is...and i had all if not more side effects and complaint you ladies have, so i am hoping for the best! i am tirred of this rollercoster of emotions, mood wings, weight loss, hair loss, sexual loss, depression, pelvic pains, constant nuasuea, headaches, the non stop bleeding for 5 months then nothing, joint and leg pain, and all the tests they did to tell me i was fine and nothing wrong....

I have been on Singulair for 5 weeks. I moved from Orlando to Charlotte and got a sinus infection and noticed I had used my albuterol inhaler about once a day since being in Charlotte. So I went to the DR here and she said oh the allergy season has just started so we need to get you on Sigulair. I told her we had just moved and I was in the process of unpacking boxes, stress ect and really didn't think my asthma was that bad, it has always been very mild and contolled with predisone for a few days maybe once a year. She said Singulair would be great and I should start it right away, lets see how it will help. When I filled the prescription I noticed 12 refills, I was suspicious but decided to try it for a few days/weeks while we continued to get settled in. After about 3 days I did notice a slight improvem,ent in my allergies was it the medicine or maybe just getting the boxes out of the house. A few more days went by I was having a terrible time getting to sleep, staying alseep and when I did I was having horrible dreams. The kind that when I did wake up I was unsure what was real and what was a dream. My appetite was strange I just wanted alot of salty things and ate erratic. My moods have gottten increasingly worse and I have started kicking things that are in my way, I have NO patience for anything and really can't stand to be near me and it is hard to get away from me. I also have worked very hard to lose weight and had done well, in the past 5 weeks I have gained 7 pounds, this is not acceptable. My memory has gotten so bad that I will walk into one room and have to stand there for a minute to remember why I was heading that way. I ache and have muscle pain that is not explainable and if I do anything like take a walk or even clean the bathroom I feel like I have run a marathon. So I am not taking it anymore, I am hoping that nothing horrible will happen I think I will feel better, these side effects are wacky and can't be good for my body as a whole. I am 46 years old never been hospitalized for asthma. I am going to find a better way to handle any allergies or asthma that may come up. I am in winderment as to why this drug is touted a "miricle" drug and says by taking it one will have a normal life. I also wonder how many doctors actually take it themselves, I wish they would respond to this site and to our concerns.
Best to all and Thanks for sharing, it has helped me get off of this drug and know that I am not losing it.

Has anyone ever had tons of weight gain while taking Singulair? I have been on this drug for about four years now and my weight has increased to more than 50 pounds of weight gain! I have a lot of aches and pains, leg cramps at night, insomnia, but the asthma has improved. I still get my once a year very bad attack with bronchitis, etc, but the improvement was great.

I have had everything else checked out for my weird continued weight gain and everything is normal. So I am checking out this drug and one other I am on for thyroid. (No, it's not my thyroid, my thyroid tests are normal now). It doesn't matter what I do I gain weight. Just wondering if this drug is causing it. My doc told me it was the cause of my insomnia and suggested moving it to the A.M..

I am tired of this weight gain, and it is starting more physical problems, like my bad knees. I ahve always been active and my eating habits haven't changed. Dieting is not working either. Any suggestions? Anyone else gaining unexplained weight?

Thanks!

Side effect, NONE. i have had this shot for excema for the past 20 years. My dermatologist died last winter, and I cannot find someone to give me this shot. I have had NO adverse reactions to this shot and no doctor will give it to me. I have excema all over my body and the new doctor gave me a cream that i have to apply to the 'effected area' 4 times a day. I just dont see how i could strip down 4 times a day to apply it to my whole body when all I need is this shot ONCE a year.

I am sorry for those who had a side effect.

Firstly I am Male, aged 48. Suffer from really bad Hay Fever for years now and the same Doctor has administered Kenalog to me for about 6 years, once a year but twice this year. I am suffering dreadful pains in my ankles and lower back and a different doctor today has suggested it is the onset of Arthritis. After quizzing me more I mentioned having taken Kenalog for several years ( I thought it had no relationship whatsoever my current ailment) she has lectured me NOT to use it again. She suggests that it could be a contributing factor to my "Arthritis"( hope I'm spelling that right) Anyway, now I know! But, trouble is, what to do next summer..I really will suffer without it.

Please post this on your site for Yasmin side effects.
Thank you for your site. I've been informed my reading it.

I've taken Yasmin for 3 months. Initially had mild nausea taking the pills but solved that by cutting pills in half, and taking half in the morning and the other half with dinner.

However, I haven't been able to solve my SEVERE THIGH and LEG MUSCLE CRAMPS that initially occured daily and particularly nightly. Just like a 'charley horse'. Now I have these only once every 3 days, but it is very annoying and painful to be jumping around on my leg or trying to stretch my thigh, or hamstring, or shin muscle out.

I've read that Yasmin is unique in having a diuretic component to it. Has anyone else experienced these severe skeletal muscle cramps (not uterine or period type cramps)?
If so, have you found any supplements that help, such as Potassium, Calcium, or Magnesium. Please write me at ****** if you have info.

My history is I'm a 50 y/o female with slight anemia from heavy periods placed on Yasmin to control this. I'm a vegetarian who has never had problems in the past taking several different kinds of OCPs including Loestrin. I take no other prescriptions medications or supplements. I have never had skeletal cramps other than maybe once a year prior to taking Yasmin.
Thank you

i have had few shot of kenalog. its work for hayfever where all else failed. The doctor who used to administer it have retired. I would be rateful if any one can inform me as to where i can have kenalog adminitered once a year.
Thanks

Hello. I am in the US, but I though I would add to this list in hopes of helping somebody else avoid what i hope isn't to be my fate.

I am a 30 year old male who has chronic sinusitis and have had either no insurance or low-quality health insurance from my younger years till September 2004. I have gotten into the habit NOT consulting a doctor when I was slightly ill and have no fever because It was all out of pocket and I could not afford it. (before you comment, have you ever been sued for medical bills?) I have been lucky to only get sick once a year or less with a sinus infection that usually turns into an ear problem. I was given samples of Tequin several years ago and had a horrific reaction to sunlight which was witnessed by several medical professionals after less than two hours in direct sunlight and more than two weeks after I had discontinued use of the antibiotic and developed a good tan. This experience caused me to avoid medical treatment for the infections (very mild in nature) for the past 4 years.

I was persuaded to see a GP by my fiance because we both had very bad upper respiratory infections (similar to the one that I had when I took Tequin before). She is a hypochondriac; I'm the exact opposite in every way. I made an appointment with her physician, explained my medical history including the Tequin, and received 5 x 750mg Levaquin and was told to take one a day. I took it immediately after leaving his office at 2:30 PM. I was not warned that there were any signs to look for, such as muscle aches and pains, and I had none at the time.

The first day after, (Wednesday, March 22 2006), I awoke around an hour early around 6:00 AM. While I wasn't alarmed, I did have some muscle and joint pain getting out of bed. I attributed this to the fact that I only had 5-6 hours of sleep. I noticed some unusual but mild stiffness and aching while getting up from my desk and that my hands were seemingly more sensitive to cold air; they became numb as I typed (I am a software engineer for the #1 ranked LIS in the U.S.) and have a fairly in-depth medical background as I had initially sighted a career in pharmacy and then nursing and worked in the field as a C.N.A. and Q.M.A. for several years. I am fluent in medical-speak for the most part. I attributed the symptoms to my illness and the decongestant that I had been taking (and have always taken since the age of 14) Benadryl Severe Sinus Headache. I took my dose of antibiotic without question at 2:30 and went home sore and stiff.

On the second day (Thursday, March 23rd 2006), I awoke at 5:30 which alarmed me as I had only slept between 4.5 and 5 hours. I was very stiff and the balls of my feet, backs of my hands and feet, great-toes, and thumbs were extremely sensitive to pressure which caused very bad pain. I have a herniated disc with sciatic nerve-induced leg and hip pain, several broken bones, severe sinus pain, and know what having a ruptured appendix feel like; so please don't call me a sissy. I had a lot of difficulty due to weakness and pain while getting out of bed. I have used one sick day in the two years that I have worked for this employer and was considering using a sick day to recoup but went into work anyway... which was a stroke of luck because I looked at the side effects. I found it difficult to lift myself onto my toes and the backs of my legs at the ankle and knee felt inflamed. I went to work and had increasing difficulty typing (shooting pain and numbness like sudden carpal-tunnel to my elbows) also, standing up and walking to use the restroom or get a beverage was a chore as others saw me staggering down the hall and asked if my foot was asleep. I took two 325mg aspirin for the pain which seemed to help a little and took my next dose of Levaquin at 2:30. The symptoms worsened and I became shaky and confused as if I were in shock at 5:00 or just before. I called my brother who is a Pharm D. and asked him for advice. He first said that I must have another infection because of the pain and then hours later called back asking me if I had tremors and told me to stop the Levaquin and call the Dr. the next day if I didn't feel better. I searched Yahoo! for "Levaquin and Joint Pain" and found hundreds of websites like this one. I can relate to nearly everyone here, this drug is trouble and I wish that I had never gone to the doctor and just stuck it out because I was already feeling better at the time and went at the insistence of somebody else.

On the Third day (Friday, March 24th 2006), I called in to work and contacted the physician's office, as I woke up at 4:30 and couldn't return to sleep and my symptoms had made it impossible to hold onto the steering wheel of the car or even motivate myself past the pain of getting up and taking a shower. I only got up once before noon to soak in a hot bath (which helped slightly with more aspirin). The physician's office called back in two hours saying that they had a prescription for another antibiotic, this time the penicillin-derivative (Augmentin), ordered for me and wanted a pharmacy to call. I assumed that there were no permanent problems that were to result from the side-affects because they didn't mention anything to alarm me and continued to rest. I noticed that I had severe difficulty even holding open a book with my thumb while laying on my back and that my arm became numb and then pain-stricken when holding the book over my face to read within just a few minutes. I do not know how many times I had switched hands before noticing this. I then contacted my brother again to ask about the "Seek immediate medical attention" portion of the warning for liver problems and joint pain, etc from the internet site "drugs.com" for Levaquin. He said that it should pass when the drug began to leave my body and that things would begin to become normal again by Saturday (now Friday afternoon). I proceeded to spend the rest of the day laying around and noticed that when pouring my coffee that I had to hold the decanter with both hands because my wrists and fingers were weak.

The weekend of March 25-26th 2006 were far worse than anything I have ever experienced up until the afternoon of Sunday, the 26th when I began taking an increased dose of aspirin at my brother's advice (four every four hours this time). I also drank an entire bottle of Riesling out of desparation, which may have helped dull the pain a little. :-)

I am currently experiencing a numb and weak feeling in my hands and feet, mostly in my thumbs, great toes, and Achilles tendon (mostly in my right heel). I cannot lift myself with my right foot and have extreme difficulty rotating my hands and grabbing things. Today is Monday, March 27, 2006 and I have no improvement to report other than the pain is less intense but still present. I have contacted my physician with no response and am going to the ER tonight. I doubt that they will do anything other than waste 5 hours of my time and bill my insurance company liberally. I hope that I have inflammation and not ruptured tendons but am prepared for the worse. Thank you all for your words of warning. I wish that I had done my research before trusting the physician with another drug in this category.

I am in total shock. I cannot believe I found this site.
My son is 18 years old, and has cold induced asthma. He has been on singulair for many many years. Since taking the drug, his outbreaks have been only once a year, and just this year he has not had any flare ups! I was a huge believer in singulair, until now....something has happened to my son...I watched a video of him last night when he was about 10...he was happy and patient and loving. He was always a straight A or A-B student. Within the past 4 years, he is so mean that I am at my wit's end. He can hardly stand his dad, and despises his younger brother. I'm not too high in his book on some days either. Of course, you would think it is just teenage hormones, but I've never seen anyone that is so hateful of everyone as a teen. He is a star baseball player, and doesn't like his coach, and doesn't like most people! I have sat her and just cried my eyes out reading about everyone else....I don't know if I can stop him cold turkey, but I'm going to call the Dr. and then not tell anyone and wean him off his singulair, and see what happens. To think my boy will be going to college in the fall and he has had to suffer all these years! Why in the world has someone not told us about this? (I guess I shouldn't have watched Erin Brockovich last night! I'm ready for a fight! LOL). My brother is a nurse and laughed me to scorn when I asked him if singulair might have some side effects that would make my son so irritable. I am SO excited, and pray that this is the cause of his anger.

Gypsi,
I have seen Doctor after Doctor no one knows what is causing the dibilitation of my body I am only 35 this has been happening on and off since 19. I have no idea what is wrong. They check my liver , bones and kidneys once a year I have MRI every three months. I have at times not been able to see and then go to 20/20. I think the depression is going to be what kills me to be honest I have and can live with the pain and handicapped problems but being sad and fighting to not be is har. I am however developing a new problem and think it is the prednisone I have sharp stabbing pain in my neck where ones thyroid glands would be. And I am the fattest I have ever been I am not able to excersize much because I have just bought a exersize ball I am going to try it.
I guess I will stop whining ... thanks for listening
Angela

I have been on Yasmin for 2 1/2 years - and I always thought it was a blessing. I had very heavy, irregular periods before Yasmin, and now they are light and regular. The only thing that showed up on a test during the first year was a slightly higher triglyceride level, but it was still healthy.

However, last December I had what I thought was a heart attack. I went to the ER with palpitations, and they told me that I had high blood pressure, pulse, and low blood oxygen. After sitting in ER for about 30 minutes everything went back to normal, they said I had acid reflux and prescribed medication for that. The problems never really went away, and I have been to see my doctor at least once a month with different symptoms all the time. Before this I only went to the Dr once a year for my pap - I never got sick! Ever! She told me it was stress and anxiety, and didn't even look into anything else even though I insisted it had to be more than that. Every time I go to see her my blood pressure is always normal, as is everything else.

Sometimes when I am sitting at my desk at work or lying in bed reading I will start to panic for no reason at all and feel like I can't breathe, when if fact I have no problems breathing at all. I also get colds and allergies when I never had these problems before.

I'm not overweight, and I do cardio exercise everyday with no side effects so the Dr's rule out any heart problems. I never thought to blame Yasmin for my problems, and maybe I should make a switch to something else.

Has anyone switched to another BCP with better results?

I had been getting once a year Kenalog shots almost every year for allergies in the Spring for about 20 years. I believe that as a result of the shots(which did wonders for my allergies) that I required the replacement of my right hip in my early 40's. I was told that the hip was utterly destroyed and there was no other reasonable cause. An ENT doctor recently conceded that Kenalog was a distinct possible cause. i wondered if ther has been any litigation in this area.

I am a 33YO female diagnosed with asthma since 2 years old. I have been through the ringer with every medication known to man to treat asthma. I have tried , ventolin, intal,singular,becatide, blah blah blah!!!. I was a 2 puffs a day , never leave home without it albuteral user. I couldnt dance, run or have "fun" with my husband without an attack. ADVAIR CHANGED MY LIFE. I AM A NEW PERSON. I am living life without my crutch of my albuteral. I NEVER gets attacks except maybe once a year. I am a firefighter and work like I never thought my lungs would let me. I feel like my lungs are soooo much stronger now. HOWEVER, if I do not take my advair I will notice within 12 hours a slight tightness in my chest. I take 250/50 once each night. my doctor prescribed it twice morning and night, but I eventually weened myself down to once a night. I have put weight on, but who cares, I can breath. Hope you all can feel the relief I can from this lifechanging medication. thank you

A little indentation on my buttocks is well worth the relief of this insatiable urge to dig my eyes out of their sockets. I've been taking Kenelog at 80mg once a year for 35 years. There is an indentation, which is more like a small cute dimple. My eyes don't itch, my nose doesn't run and I can actually be outside every day with no side effects. This is a priceless medication for which there is no known substitute.

i have received kenalog injections now for about 8 years, (once a year), and have had no side effects. i was eerie about having it done on my hip the first time so i asked for it to be done on my left arm. the doctor did. it was sore for about 2 days, but after that it was fine. i changed doctors about 5 years ago and when i went to her she told me it had to be done on my hip, i told her i wanted it on my arm, after some arguing, she gave in. i haven't had any problems whatsoever. i love it because it has helped me breath better, especially wake up in the morning without having to reach for a tissue and blowing my nose so much and so hard that it would hurt for days.

I had severe allergies from hayfever for years, I tried everything from antihistermenes, herbal remedies, ocular steriods and every hayfever product on the market - to no real noticeable effect. Then my doctor advised a single shot of kenelog once a year (this was all she would allow for any patient) - IT WORKED. It was as if there was no such thing as hayfever. The only side-effect was a small dimple on my bum, so if you weigh up a small dimple on bum vs months of misery and lack of concentration etc... that is inothing. A friend of mine is a cellular geneticist at the oxford cellular research hospital and advise that steriods are harmful to your cells, but the frequency and volume I intake should not cause a problem as long as I don't keep taking it year after year (and always depends on your cellular make-up). If you have bad hayfever like myself, you need to retrain your cells to recognise that pollen is in fact a friend not foe. Inducing yoursef full of the local honey, and many herbal products taken CONSISTENTLY for over a year are said to to provide this retraining programme your body needs. I've just started this programme, but I will take another shot of kenelog to get me through this year.

For years, I suffered from terrible allergies. Constant sinus drainage, watery eyes, itchy eyes, headaches, (I should have been able to lose wt. because of the amount of fluid running out of my body!!!) I dreaded Spring because I was miserable for months!! My doctor recommended I try Kenalog. After about 24 hrs., I could breath, my nose stopped running, my eyes didn't itch and water. I've had absolutely no problems, at all, with the shot. I get 1 shot a year and manage the fall with antihistamines... No side effects, no dents, nothing. It's the only thing I've found that works. After my original doctor retired, I went with a younger, "smarter" doctor who refused to administer the shot, inspite of my history of success with the medication. They wanted me to take inhaled steroids, instead. I've finally found a family practice that will give me the once a year injection. It works, I don't abuse it, it's given in small amounts and I love the fact I feel great after the allergies clear up!

I've read some of the other postings here, and thought I might beable to help with some of those symptoms described. Lithium is probably the most widely used drug for bipolar disorder, mostly because of it's effectiveness in many cases. You must drink as much water as you can and avoid dehydration. Lithium can be hard on your liver, but the more you know about this drug the better, ask your pharmacist for in-depth info, that's what they are there for. People on Lithium should have their thyroid checked at least once a year for hypothyroidism. This condition will cause the hair loss, adult acne, fatigue, and weight gain. Again, something the docs don't tell you. Lithium will make it more challenging to keep excess weight off, but this is one side effect that is so common in so many drugs, one should not be so surprised. Eat more fruits and veggies and try to keep active, or learn to love your new body. Lithium was the first mood stabiliser I was put on, and it works great as long as you take your doses EXACTLY as prescribed and get your blood work done at least every 3 months. And as for the new 30 pounds I have, well that's life! I'd rather be happy and stable then skinny any day of the week! Good Luck to all of you.

I was prescribed Levaquin for bronchitis, which I get about once a year. It cleared up my yellow phlegm within a day, and I felt great--for a day. Then I started feeling utterly exhausted and generally sore, but strangely full of energy. My stomach wasn't very happy (nothing major, but irritating). I feel lightheaded all the time as if I haven't had anything to eat in days and get dizzy if I stand up or move too quickly. I normally have tinnitus in my left ear (I only hear it if it's very quiet), but now I have occasional bouts of tinnitus in both ears--pretty loud, randomly, with different tones and duration.

I was also prescribed Histussin, a cough syrup with hydrocodone in it. Normally, codeine knocks me out. I didn't feel remotely tired after taking the Histussin, which is odd since I've had it before (in conjunction with Augmentin--which I have had very nominal side effects with).

I feel *worse* after taking the Levaquin than before. I am having my doctor stop this med.

I have taken anywhere from 60 to 80 mg of kenalogs for severe allergies for about the last 15 years. I get one shot a year in the fall and have had no side affects. I have talked to several doctors and all but one said that I should be able to tolerate it because it is only once a year. I would recommend it for severe seasonal allergies.

Began Levaquin for prostatitis, a result of unknown infection in the past, that has reoccured roughly once a year for about 7.5 yrs. Results are excellent, and healed a tooth that had seemed destined to be removed, and this after just 5 days. However, I have had difficult dreams, pain and burning in bladder area, and lower back, prespiration and hot/cold feelings. I am a 63 yr old male, and in the past was given a regimen of Cipro, which produced no effects other than cure,
but I took it for a month to produce the cure. I am to take three more doses, and will do them, but hesitate to say I would do it in the future, and will look for yet another regimen if needed. By the way, my health is excellent,(inc. prostate) other than this damn curse..and also, the Levaquin was free samples.....

Good luck to you all.

I am a 47 year old male who had a heart attack in march of 1993. I have had angioplasty three times with stent implants during the last two procedure's. My primary care physician thought it would be to my benefit to take Zocor. I have been taking 20mg a day for the past 4 years. During the past few months I have been having pain in my right elbow and lack of strength in my arm. I also have been having a steady dull pain in my right leg which runs from my thigh down through my knee and calf. I have had liver function tests done once a year because of an earlier bout with hepatitis and alcohol abuse, but the tests show that my liver is working fine. Does this sound like it could be a side effect of the Zocr?