Osteoarthritis symptoms and conditions

I have had rheumatoid arthritis for 20 years,controlled reasonably well with a combo of methotrexate, naproxen and enbrel. I do a 10 day course of prednisone several times a year for bad flares. I absolutely hate taking prednisone because it turns me into a crabby, edgy, insomniac who can't stop eating. It makes me bloat and that REALLY makes me nuts because I've done so well at weight watcher's, I don't need that nasty, upset stomach over full bloat feeling. And the "roid head" headache thing ? I'm on the phone all day at work so that's bad, too. The insomnia is the worst, really, because I just lie there awake. When I stop taking it I return to normal within 2 days. I only do it when I am absolutely desperate - I already lost some tendons in my left hand to arthritis related damage so I tend to use the prednisone when the fluid builds up in the right hand or if I'm really too sore. I'm also aware that long term prednisone usage is a one way ticket to osteoporosis / osteoarthritis, so I really have to feel like I cannot deal before I take it. It's a hate/hate relationship.

short and unsweet, was put on it for osteoarthritis by a bone doctor ,took it for 1 week and had to get off it because the side effects were horrible. panic attacks, severe mood swings, dizziness, disorientation and more. The worst was yet to come 2 days after I told my doctor I couldn"t take it anymore. I was getting ready for work and thought I was having a heart attack. I drove myself to my doctor (praying the whole way, cuz God is in charge). He took my blood pressure which was 200/187. I was rushed to the hospital where I was admitted and put in the cardiac unit overnight for observation. Thank God I was released the next day with no APPARENT side effects. I have not been right since. I still have panic attacks, severe mood swings and fluctuating blood pressure. Do yourself a favor and when anyone mentions Prednisone RUN! Oh, I forgot to mention my doctor said had I waited another 20 minutes I could have been a goner. My osteoarthitis is worse(now I have to see another specialist) and I have medical bills out the wazoo. Prednisone is a very very dangerous drug nd the doctors are still prescribing it. What is wrong with this picture.

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??

I was put into the hospital in March '06 after using a carpet protectant that I purchased at the pet store. The chemicals in the product burned my lungs and I spent about 3 weeks in the hospital and was given prednisone for 10 -12 days. I remained in the hospital after my lung function increased because of the sever pain in my knees. My husband was going nuts trying to tell the doctors that he read on the internet that prednisone causes problems with knees and joints but they didn't believe him and kept running tests. They eventually switched the steroid to solumedrol and the pain decreased. I was sent home with less pain which eventually went away....but not for long. 7 months later, I began to have knee pain, which continued to get worse each day. The 1st Ortho told me that I tore a ligament and that the dead bone on the MRI will grow back. I didn't like that answer and eventually went back to an orthopedic surgeon I saw a few years prior for an injury I had while doing gymnastics. He took one look at my MRI and diagnosed me with AVN in my right knee. I got my 1st total knee replacement in August '07, a manipulation in October '07. While recovering, I noticed that my left knee was hurting and thought it was from using it so much and compensating for the right one......but I was wrong. I got an MRI on my left knee and once again, I have AVN. I got my 2nd knee replacement in January '08, a manipulation in February '08 and a 2nd manipulation in March '08. I'm now 29 years old, with asthma (from the carpet spray) 2 fake knees and have had the worst 3 years ever while going through all of this. I now have pain in my 1st replaced knee......under my knee and toward the inside. I go back to my surgeon tomorrow and am dreading another surgery.

If anyone has any questions, I'll try to help you as much as I can.

J.

I was given Avelox July 2007 .. within a week started getting severe leg pain in both legs .. making walking too difficult and painful... This pain has stayed with me 24/7 since I took the avelox over a year ago.. I have been to over 12 Doctors this past year trying to get help...and spent a small fortune with many tests done..now diagnosed with fibromyagia, osteoarthritis, cardioapathy, torn knee meniscus, adrenal fatigue, and i.b.s. which all developed after given Avelox... Not one will acknowledge that I may be suffering from a severe reaction to Avelox ... though they have no answers and have not been able to help me.. I have tried acupuncture, massage therapy, physical therapy, and steroid injections.. nothing has helped.. I am now seeing a Holistic Dr. and being treated for many hormone vitamin, and mineral deficiencies .. .I It has been a nightmare year with this 24/7 pain.. homebound.. because too painful to walk..and I also have constant gastric discomfort and insomnia. I feel my body has suffered from a very toxic reaction to the Avelox and just want to warn others out there too.... Please think twice before taking any antibiotics from the quinolone family...There are less toxic antibiotics that can be given.. not worth taking the risk of suffering serious reactions from these very poisonous antibiotics..

I took prednisone for 6 days ( the pack). Six the first day and five the next till day six I had one pill left. I have never experienced hair loss like this. I have a patch of hair that fell out in a circle the size of a 50 cent piece. I didn't notice it really falling out but noticed a bald spot and I freak out. I came on line to get info about this medication. This drug was ordered for me because I have severe pain in my back due to osteoarthritis, sciatica and back surgery. I was told taking this would help with the inflammation and might relieve some of the pain symptoms. Well, I think the pain would be better then the side effects that I suffer. I had loss of appetite and acne on my face. I feel dizzy and bloated. I pee all the time and seems like i visit the bathroom much more often for other reasons too. I have felt like a crazy lady and have less patience than normal. I hope that this does not last for ever. This is a small amount of the medication. I am sorry for those of you that have experienced a long period of time on this medication. I pray for you that they will find another alternative with less effects to your bodys.

I have been given two shots of Euflexxa for ankle osteoarthritis. Although not FDA approved for this use, I told my Dr. I was willing to try anything to avoid an ankle fusion. The first one went fine, with the second one I have experienced the following:
burning, tingling sensation all through the leg, heat/hot sensation, cramping, tenderness, and a general ache.

I took Levaquin 500mg for ten days for a UTI, by the 5th day my right shoulder and bicep was hurting and hard to lift. On the 8th day my left arm was doing the same. I went to the doctor and was told it was Osteoarthritis and take Advil. Two days later I called the doctor told her this was not some little minor pain, she ordered an MRI. It showed torn and severed tendons in my biceps and rotator cuff. I had surgery on my right arm to repair all of this plus the tendons in my thumb on 2/26/08. I am scheduled to have the left arm repaired at the end of May. All this has been caused by the Levaquin, I have Multiple Sclerosis and my daily life was tough and this drug has made things twice as bad.
dfwtexan

I received the Kenalog shot in January. I started feeling tired and muscle aches, which I thought was just a virus. Then a dent appeared on my arm 2 weeks ago, and my muscles surrounding the maroon color dent began to tighten. I now have tendinitis in my shoulder and arm and I have lost all strength. My doctor said it could be from the shot, but stopped seeing me. i am going for an MRI on Monday because of the damage and pain that is non stop, and they are trying to figure out what is wrong. I have had several blood test because they swore I must have Lupus, or Rheumatory arthritis which came back negative.
I am very frustrated. I am a server by trait, I am a mother of 5, and it seems like my life is changed. I can't work, no one can give me answers, and I would like to know if these symptoms will go away or if I am stuck with this arm atrophy forever.

I am 60 years old female & have been taking Lipitor for about 4 years. I recently went off the drug for 3 months, & in that time much of the muscle pain I was experiencing began to lesson. I have pain in both arms from the below up to my shoulder. Hip pain & leg cramps. I have trouble sleeping & absolutely no sex drive. Of course, my Cholesterol went sky high, over 300. I have only been back on 80 mgs for a month and a half, & all of the aches and pains are back ten fold. I feel a hundred years old.I have to make a big decision...die of high Cholesterol, or live a life of constant pain and sleep deprivation. This is really bad. I f I had to run or crawl to save my life, I'd never make it.

After a stay in the hospital for my asthma 18 months ago, my doctor prescribed Singulair. I had already been taking Zyrtec for a long time. It finally dawned on me a few days ago, that it's primarily at night that I have difficulty breathing. Come to find out, this sensation starts not long after taking my Singulair. And even though I have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, I've noticed that the pain and aching have become so much worse - now that I think about it, since I've started taking Singulair. And the hair loss that I was attributing to getting older - the same thing, since around the time I started taking Singulair. I'm going to try not taking it for awhile and just hope my asthma doesn't get worse, because I've not had to use my puffer or be in the hospital since I started taking the Singulair. Wish some scientists would get working on this.

Had Cortisone shot for left shoulder osteoarthritis. Few hours later pain in left arm began. Next day was worse with excruciating pain in arm when arm muscles used even slightly. 48 hours later, pain subsided; but other side effets still present- hot flashes, increased appetitite, sore throat. One week later still having hot flashes, nausea, and now severe muscle spasms in left leg, muscle weakness and palpitations. Sore throat seems worse also- but no sign of cold symptoms.

Zyprexa has ruined my life!!!!! I went in hospital in 2001 with what I would call mild delusions now compared to after being given zyprexa. As soon as this med was started I began to have extreme pressure on my back constricting my breathing, could barely get dressed look after myself walk from one end of a hall to another, began vomiting day in and day out and diagnosed with severe acid reflux, waking up night after night gasping for breath and finally diagnosed with sleep apnea - this is before I gained the 85lbs from this and other atypical drugs. Experienced sleep paralysis where I would wake and feel like I couldn't move my body, vivid nightmares, and symptoms of td with constant twitching of my body during sleep. These side effects continued for 5 long years. I still suffer from acid reflux, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis in my knees. This is a very dangerous drug. I wasn't on the drug very long but other's were tried with no avail to the side effects until I was switched to zoloft and risperdal. Now I am having high blood sugar results with at home testing. I am searching for people in Canada who have experienced any of these side effects as I am added to the Class Action Lawsuit that has been initiated here and hoping there are others who can add their names to the suit who have experienced similar side effects. If you or a loved one has experienced any of the above and are from Canada please contact me at ******

I took this drug for 9 days of a 10 day prescription. I suffered from insomnia, but didn't connect that to the meds. On day 9 I awoke with slight pain in one knee. As the day wore on, that pain got acute and spread to the other knee, elbows, shoulders and hands. I thought perhaps it was a severe attack of osteoarthritis, but that didn't seem right. Three days later in a newspaper column called "The People's Pharmacy" I read about Levaquin causing severe tendon problem. A light went off in my head and I heard a "Boing!" It is now day 5 of my symptoms, some of which have abated. I still have to wear a knee brace on one leg, can't bend either knee very far, and am in acute discomfort. I took some naproxin to alleviate the inflammation and it seemed to work, but I won't take NSAIDS for a long period of time. I'm furious. Neither the doctor nor the instructions for the medication warned me of this side effect. Now I'm left to hope this goes away with time and I can walk comfortably again without this giant brace on my left knee. I remind myself of Igor in "Young Frankenstein!" Sleeping is uncomfortable as well - I awoke in severe pain last night because I had rolled onto my side and my right knee was resting on my sore left knee. Not good. I'm furious.

I have severe numbness and tingling in fingers to the point of problems sleeping due to the discomfort. Also have pain and popping in both thumbs only. I heard from a friend that her brother had same symptoms with Pravachol, which is what I take. She said his doctor diagnosed osteoarthritis and thought it might be connected to Pravachol use. Anyone else know any connection or have similar symptom?

I started taking Mobic 7.5 mg about a year ago like everyone else I'm having some of the same side effects. Skin rash on arms, knee pain that wasn't there, tired and groggy, insomia, and forgetful at times. I have had severe back pain for over two years. Diagnosis, osteoarthritis, osteporosis, degenrative disk disease. They can't even tell me for sure what is causing my pain. Insurance companies like to keep us sick and in pain. Want to do water exercises but there are not many facilities out there.

I would just like to say I have been taking Ultracet for about 5 years with yearly blood tests. All my life I have suffered with RLS and now I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalga which is very painful and no one understands this pain unless they have experienced it. Ultracet has allowed me to function so much better and for all those years with RLS when I could not sleep at night and was so tired during the day ,Ultracet has changed all that .I have no side effects except for maybe dry mouth which comes with most medications. I take 4 or 5 Ultracets a day and have little or no pain. It has changed my life so much for the better.

I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DRUG INTERACTIONS WITH METHYLPRED. I AM TAKING HYDROCODONE/APAP 5/500M FOR PAIN AND MELOXICAM 15MG FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS. I ALSO TAKE PROTONIX WITH THE MELOXICAM TO PROTECT THE STOMACH LINING. SHOULD I STOP THESE DRUGS WHILE I AM ON THIS DOSE PAK? SINCE I WILL BE STARTING THE DRUG FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE MORNING, I DON'T YET HAVE A SIDE EFFECT TO REPORT. THANK YOU.

Dizziness, vertigo, swelling or fullness in inner ear,
difficulty walking and standing, increased stiffness
from osteoarthritis, blurred vision, peripheral neuropathy,

Since going on Effexor 3 years ago, I have had similar side effects, as well as withdrawal symptoms when trying to go off the drug. My symptoms while on it are: night sweats, being hot all the time (sweaty hands and feet), rashes all over, excema on my scalp and neck, "lightning flash" type feelings in my brain/head, extreme depression, an inability to feel intimacy (although no sex drive problems), extreme weight gain (despite frequent exercise and good diet). During my pre-menstrual period, I am pretty much psychotic, to the point of wanting to hurt myself and others. With the weight gain and depression, I really AM better off not taking the drug. But I find it impossible to take two weeks off work to simply stop taking a drug. It is not possible to stop taking effexor and work or function in ANY CAPACITY. I really feel for the moms out there who have had to do it. One other thing I have been experiencing is severe joint pain. I would like to know if others have experienced this.

On 6-21-05 I had my first shot of Kenalog (2 cc) in each knee along with 7cc of Maraine. I was diagnosed with moderate to severe osteoarthritis in the medial joint spaces of both knees (bone on bone) and the doctors told me I was getting bow-legged from it. All of this happened in about 6 months time. I'm diabetic and the shots skyrocketed my blood sugar, which they told me to watch my blood sugars closely. The 1st day my blood sugar went as high as 467, which really freaked me out. The blood sugar was more tolerable on the 2nd day and leveled out decently. But the overall benefit has been marvelous to my knees and general quality of life. The pain in my knees before the shots was getting atrocious for regular daily functioning and I could barely function (difficult to stand, difficult to rise from sitting position, and difficult to walk). I have absolutely no pain in my knees like I did before and I'm so thankful that the shots were available. My walking is so much better since the shots. I had a hysterectomy a few years ago so the Kenalog could not wreck havoc with menstrual problems as many have indicated. I hope the effects last, but yes, I would consider taking the shots again to increase walking function. I read (all 67 pages from the "guests" who logged in).

I am in so much pain....i have to have a knee replacement but i am not yet 50 so the doctor would like to wait...right now my knee is bone on bone...i have severe osteoarthritis in my feet and both my knees...i have tried ArthroTec, Vioxx, Celebrex, Mobic and now Bextra...nothing has taken the pain off....i am tired of dealing with pain....so i will try this Ultracet...i will post any side affects if there are any...

began advair 100/50 twice a day for asthma approx 1 year ago. dose
increased to 250/50 after 6 months. has REALLY helped my asthma but after stumbling upon this website i am left wondering about it's side effects. i have experienced:
unexplained calf and feet cramps
pimply rash over stomach and back
moodiness/irritability
feels like i have a ball of mucous in the back of my throat
high blood pressure (for the first time in my life)
high blood sugar (diabetes does not run in my family and i'm 5'8" and only weigh 115 lbs.)
dark circles under my eyes
SEVERE dryness on the sides of my mouth
easy bruising
increased heartburn
stomach pain
hip pain, making walking difficult at times
overall increased joint/bone pain (prior diagnosis of osteoarthritis with
recent diagnosis of fibromyalgia)
frequent sore throat
blurred vision
inability to stay focused at times
i am unsure if my advair use has caused any or all of the above symtoms but after reading the similar side effects experienced by other
advair users, i am SERIOUSLY considering stopping my advair. i will be
back in touch once i reach my final decision and let you know if any of these conditions improve

I took 50 mg of Zoloft every day for years but I began to experience bladder weakness and discontinued it for this reason. I "crashed" into a pretty bad depression after about 4 months off of Zoloft. I began taking it again but added Wellbutrin on advice from my doctor. At first, I was very energetic and felt better than I have in years. But after a month or so, I began to have pain in my hip, elbow and knee joints. I used to have this pain somewhat but it is worse and continual, now. I was taking 350 mg of Wellbutrin SL, one pill in the morning and another at noon. Now I am sleepy, especially in the afrernoon and forgetful. I am taking the dose down to 150 a day, to see if that helps. I also noticed more acne than usual. But my bladder is not as weak as it was on Zoloft alone and I now sleep through the night although I don't always wake feeling rested.