Pain in my head symptoms and conditions

I have been taking Lamictal since October of 2007. I experienced some of the symptoms (muscle pain in the head and neck) before I started the medication. I have experienced panic attacks since July of 2005. I have had mild heart palpations since I was in my mid 20's (I'm 36 now). I have had what I would consider a below normal energy level since my mid 20's also. Ok so like everyone else I am thinking I'm a hypochondriac! However, I was diagnosed August 28th 2007 with having Lyme’s Disease and also Hyper-Thyroid (same time, same lab-work). Two weeks later I was diagnosed with Bi-Polar Disorder (this is one thing I knew I was battling but didn't know how to handle it). My physiatrist started me on Lamictal and I did the standard ramp up to 200mg. I also was started on a 90 day treatment of Dyoxicycline for the Lyme’s and Methimazole for the Hyper-Thyroid. I was very very weak and was only able to stay awake for short periods of time (4 to 5 hours max). Just an fyi, I am not overweight, lazy or unmotivated. I have the physical appearance of perfect health. This, I think works against me as the Dr's seem to think I'm just whining. Mater of fact; my Primary Care Physician never tested me for Lyme’s. I went to an Urgent Care Center which tested me for Lyme’s disease and I came back positive (they also tested my Thyroid levels and found the problem with my THS levels) I told my Dr the results and he insisted I have same test done again. Guess what, new tests, same results.
My symptoms today are very similar to what I have seen posted many times. Muscle pain (entire body, some areas worse than others), heart arrhythmia, racing heartbeat, intense palpitations, nausea, foggy “un-plugged” mind, fatigue, weak muscles, muscle cramping (especially after repetitive motion, such as strumming a guitar), panic attacks (much more severe) and the latest addition to the group, Insomnia. Muscles pain in my head, fore-head, jaw, temple, neck (front and back), shoulders, is terrible to say the least. The pressure in my fore-head (right under my brow) makes me feel like I need to close my eyes or rest (resting does not relieve anything). The front of my neck is so tight at times it feels like my jaw is being pried down. I could go on and on.
On my quest to find out what else is going on with my body I have had 2 Echocardiogram’s on my heart and abdomen, 2Nuclear Stress Tests, blood work out the wa-zoo, MRI of my brain, 2 CT’s of my Head and Neck, Chest X-rays, Endoscopy, Colonoscopy, and all revealing nothing.
Most doctor’s I have encountered seem to want to treat the symptoms, not the problem/disease. I believe I know why; we (the ones who are there for solutions) tell them what the symptoms are (how we feel). We of course are thinking “this will help with a diagnosis of the problem/disease”, when in fact (I feel); the doctor’s thought process stops there. They don't know what’s wrong with you but they do know what your symptoms are so....bingo, let's treat the symptoms. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying. I’m not saying, “Most doctor’s don’t know what they are doing” or “don’t take your meds”. I am saying you and I are one of the 20 to 30 patients most doctor’s see daily (100+ weekly). They may be caring and good people but they are just as human and fallible as you and I. My advice is this; (and I am taking my own advice) don’t always “pop” into your body what the doctor suggests/prescribes, without doing your own research. Heck most of us won’t buy a car or more importantly, send our kids off to a college with out doing your own research (we just don’t trust those shinny brochures). Your body and your health are worth you doing your own research. Just keep in mind, Pharmaceutical Reps are always at your Dr.’s office (sit in the waiting room for 10 minutes and I’m sure you will see one). Reps are paid to do one thing; encourage (push) the Dr.’s to promote use of the Pharmaceutical Companies drugs.
My wife and I have been doing our own research on Lamictal (after a year of taking this stuff) and the side effects associated with this drug. We have searched through many (many,many) web sites for information and we have talked with pharmacists and Dr’s for opinions. Although I’m am not thoroughly convinced that Lamictal is the cause of all of my symptoms, my wife and I have decided to lower my Lamictal slowly from 200mg to 100mg. I am now taking 150mg daily (three days now) and plan on staying at this level for a total of two weeks before lowering to 100mg. I do fear dropping the dosage to quickly (potential side effects) or lapsing into a mania. To help avoid a manic episode my wife and my immediate family are all “up-to-date” with my course of action. They are on “Red Alert” and have promised to keep a close eye on my behavior patterns and moods. (I don't want to put them through another hyper-mania episode, its much too devastating). I do want so badly to feel healthy and alive again and at this point I am rather frustrated with the Dr.'s ability to help me achieve this goal. Remember it is called “Practicing” Medicine. So now I’m going to practice a little, very carefully and cautiously.
As a foot note; I have recently (past two weeks) been re-tested for Lyme's with a negative response. I am keeping in mind Lyme's test are very inaccurate (still hoping this one is accurate). My thyroid is under control and normal, so.... let's see if dropping below 150mg of Lamictal will eliminate some of these other symptoms. I will keep you posted.
Erik

after posting once before I remembered more side effects on zocor, I had a stiff neck which kept me from looking up into the cabinets, don't like driving anymore because It hurt to much to back up because my neck wont turn far enough to see behind me , also have lost and gas, blured vision, stomach pain. loose bowels, strange shooting pain in my head, lost of memory, shortness of breath. I had charged it all to age. I am 61

I have been on Loestrin24 since March 2008 and have been hospitalized once, in the emergency room once and suffering since. About two weeks after I started taking Loestrin24 in March 2008, I had what they thought was a TIA or, a "mini-stroke" and was put in the hospital. I was seeing a rainbow-like aura, had a splitting headache (for only about 30 minutes), became extremely confused, my blood pressure jumped up to 168/93 (stage 2 hypertension) and I couldn't speak for a few hours. Of course, they hospitalized me, ran all kinds of tests and found there to be no medical reason for a mini-stroke and the neurologist cleared me so, I was sent home with no mention of the fact that it could be the Loestrin24 that was causing it and, yes, my husband did tell them I was taking it. Two months later, I was back in the emergency room with the same symptoms. However, this time I recognized the symptoms as the same ones I'd had before and we immediately headed to the hospital. I was not hospitalized this time and the ER doctor said it was a migraine (there's a migraine that causes stroke-like symptoms) and that it's possible it could be the Loestrin24. Well, I'm taking the birth control pill because I have incredibly painful periods and was trying to be able to live a normal life. Without the birth control pill, I literally have to plan my life around my periods. So, not wanting to believe it was the Loestrin24, I continued to take it because, I hadn't had a period since I started taking it. That, alone, was worth it for me. But, last night while watching TV with my husband, the worst symptom hit me. It was like someone took a sledge hammer and slammed me in the forehead with it! I was wracked with such pain in my head that my hands flew to my forehead and I was screaming/crying. My head hurt so badly that I was would not have been surprised if I was actually bleeding from my eyes and ears. This morning, I'm still having the ringing in my ears and I could sleep for hours. I have contacted both my ob/gyn and my family physician and both of them said to stop taking it immediately.

Also, like I've read in several postings here, my sex drive is completely gone. And, when I do give in to my husband and have sex, my heart feels like I'm going to have a heart attack. The sudden splitting headache has actually come on during sex, too!

I certainly do not want to go back to the debilitating pain of my periods but, I can't live like this, either!

I am 41 years old; I've been on several different birth control pills since I was 19 (never had any problems with any of them). I took a break for 2 years recently while trying to get pregnant. After two miscarriages, I decided to go back on the pill until the genetic tests come back.
I am into my 3rd pack of YAZ pills & all I can say is they are by far the WORST birth control pills I have ever taken. After reading all of the side effects that are posted, I am discontinuing immediately. It also eases some of my worries that I am not the only one suffering. These are the side effects that I have experienced since starting YAZ:

1. Daily migraine headaches.
2. Throbbing pain in my head if I turn too quickly.
3. Sensitivity to light.
4. Frequent cramps in my feet.
5. Clouded vision & sharp pain in my eye sockets.
6. Sinus pain.
7. Constipation.
8. Ringing in my ear.
9. Insomnia.
10.EXTREME mood swings.
11.Depression.
12.ZERO sex drive.
13.Fatigue, along with constant neck & back pain.
14.Painful cyst-like acne on my face.

With all of the birth control pills out there, there is no reason to have to take YAZ. It is the only pill on the market that contains drospirenone, which leads me to believe that drospirenone is causing the side effects I am experiencing.

I started taking an Avelox prescription (10 day) last Saturday, October 23, 2007. I was diagnosed with a sinus infection and had finished a Zithromax prescription for a tonsillitis 48 hours prior to that. I guess the previous infection had spred to my sinuses. On the third day, I started getting dizzy spells and was getting 2 second jolts of pain in my head once in a while like a sudden headache that would just dissapear. My ears would block and unblock cause of the sinus pressure so I thought it was normal for me to feel light headed or get suddden headaches from sinus pressure. On the fifth day, I had a very bad dry cough, and my chest felt like it was crushed. There again, I thought since I had the tonsillitis before, I was caughing alot so I might have a set back cause of the sinus infection and the weakened immune system. What started to worry me was this afternoon, my tongue started to feel raw like as if I burned it with a hot coffee, and when I looked in the mirror, had red spots. I decided to look up some info on the internet and discovered this site. I will go to the doctors and see what I have to so since I still have 3 days left to go. Thanks to the others for the info.

Tanya, Montreal, Canada

I have been on Yaz for a year, and the mood swings and crying spells started immediately for me. But I didn't attribute them to the pill because at the time I was going through some issues. However, about 9 months in I started to have migraines more and more frequently. Now I have them everyday and I have been put on Topamax and Imitrex for them. (Neither of which works really well, seeing as how I am home from work right now with a migraine that I have had for the past week that got really bad last night). I recently read up on how Yaz works and was horrified. I realized that the migraines, fatigue, weight gain, IBS symptoms, nausea, nonexistent libido, emotional rollercoaster, all of it is from that tiny little pill. I can feel that my body is dehydrated, and I'm drinking water almost 24/7 but it doesn't seem to be getting any better. To top it all off, when I went to see my doctor in May about the migraines, he did blood work and the only thing that was abnormal was that I have high cholesterol. It's 235 and I am only 21 years old. I thought that was strange, but since I am originally from the south and grew up on fried chicken and then moved to Maryland where I now enjoy crab I figured it stood to reason. Guess what Yaz also causes, ladies! High cholesterol. But it's the new age oral contraceptive that doesn't cause any of the common side effects. You know what? Legally, that's not a lie. These side effects don't seem to be common of any other oral contraceptive. I'm so angry! I can't even resolve to not think about it because the constant pain in my head serves as a reminder. You ladies on this website are the reason that I started my research on Yaz and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am coming off of this pill.

Hi everyone,
I have not posted in awhile because I have been going through a really tough time. I have gotten worse. I been off about 7 weeks now. I am sorry and also embarrassed to say that I had to start an A/D called Lexapro. I was always into everything natural and never would do this before but the Yaz has just totally messed my brain up. I became so suiscidal and depressed where I could not even leave my house. I have 2 children who I could not even take care of. I tried everything natural for a couple of weeks with no success. It was basically death or try this medication. I had no choice. I have only been on it for a week a very low dose and still feel horrible. The sleep jerking is the only thing that got a little better. But now I read all your post and feel helpless that I could not do this on my own like all of you. I also was healthy and happy before this pill. Never had thoughts of anxiety or killing myself. I wake up in pure panick since taking the Yaz. Now the muscle weakness makes sence. I have been suffering with muscle aches and shakiness since the pill too. i just thought it was me. Nothing about me is the same anymore. I lost alot of weight but now my fingers are puffy and feet are puffy since going off the pill. Yasmin and yaz are such dangerous pills. I really feel it scrambled my brain. My doctor does believe the pill caused a chemical in balance in my brain with the serotonin and 2 other hormones, I can't remember the name. They control our stress levels, sleep levels and pain feelings. He really believe the pill altered these chemicals. My body forgot how to sleep. I feel like my brain is so scrambled. My thyroid became alittle hyperactive too from the pill. The body aches are sometimes so unbearable, my legs and feet are the worst. It makes you feel like there is something else wrong with you. I have pain in my head always, my vision is not the same. I just get so sad because I feel i will never get better and now I had to take this stupid A/D. I am so scared but what choice did I have? I really feel that we need to do something. Something needs to be done about this medicine. I am so angry that we are all suffering like this. IT's like they put somekind of chemical warfare in it or something. I am in touch with other woman from other websites that were on this pill and they are so sick too. We all want answers of what really happend to us after this pill. Sometimes its hard for me to get out of bed. Did other people feel like this? I feel like I have the flu. I have all these brain fogs all the time. The sleeping is the worst, it;s like my body really forgot how to sleep. I still get the muscle twithcing alot at night. Does anyone get muscle twitching? Please let me know.

severe light headedness with pain in my head and one ear, also extreme chills on and off during the day.

I have been on and off prednisone for a couple of years for asthma and COPD. Recently I have noticed a nerve pain in my head that goes up from my teeth, through the eye and up through my sinus. Has anyone who has been on prednisone
for any length of time noticed a similar problem. It is quite
painful although it is not constant, it can keep me from
sleeping.

I received my 3rd injection yesterday for lower back pain.. The fist 2 injections were fine nothing really to complain about, however yesterday I was relaxed it was my 3rd time. I felt a very strange sensation going up and then down to my leg on the left side. When I got up off the table slowly I was very unstable and dizzey. I could not walk without feeling I was going to fall. I walked slowly with the aide of a nurse then I got a horrifc pain in my head over my left eye. I was nauseas. They gave me 2 tynenol which was a joke for a pain like this then 2 advills then oxygen for the pain my husband tells me it took about 45 mins to start felling a little better I was very weak. Today I feel better just left with a normal headace. I dont think I would have gone again if this
was my first time. Can someone answer me and tell me if this was something that could happen to anyone. The Dr. and nurse poo pooed it saying if it was a headace due to the kenalog it would go away when I layed down> I could not lay down the pain was so bad. Thank you all for reading this

Cloe

hiya silke

thankyou for your comforting advice.
i still feel panicky today but not as bad as last night.
my periods have nearly finished so i guess i should be feeling better soon. " i hope so".

i seem to feel more panicky in the evenings and also i have really bad upper back pain which goes towards the back of my neck and head, also shooting pain in my head. i really hate it. it scares me so much which provokes the panicky feeling i have.

right now i am feeling so heavy in the upper part of my body. i just hope i make it through the night without having a panick attack. my ears and nose go all cold and i can feel myself going out of control. sso so horrible.

i wiil try to be strong and take a day as it comes.
i just hope the day comes when i wake up and i feel normal again.

i feel so weak like my body is drained and tired and i just want to sleep. i used to go to the gym but i feel to weak to do that now.

the other day i went shopping and as i got into the shopping centre i was walking towards the shop i needed to go to when i suddenly felt my head feel really funny, i thought to myself should i run back to the car so i could quickly get home or should i or would i be able to make it to the shop without collapsing.
i took deep breaths and eventually made it to the shop and back home. this really scared me though.

i will try not to let what happened above take me over though as i am a very outgoing person but it is really scary especially when your on your own.

thanks again silke and i hope that one day i too will be helping and comforting people on this forum just like you have done so for me.

BIG HUGS BACK TO TOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANKYOU
SOPHIExxxx

I was on Effexor but the weight gain and the bloating was terrible.
My doctor put me welbutrinxl. I lost the weight but I always seem
to have a pain in my head. It is always in the same place deep in
my head over my lleft eye. It comes and goes all day long. One
minute it will be there and the next it will gone. It scares me
because I always brain tumor. Has anyone else had this experience
I am afraid to tell my doctor. I do not want tests done.

hi all

i have now been yasmin free for 14 days after taking it for 13 months.

when i first stopped i had my period for 4 days.
i also had bad migraines and shooting pain in my head when i stopped taking it.

i have been ok feeling pretty fine of it but the past 2 days i have been feeling a bit panicky and anxious especially in the evenings. HAS ANYBODY ELSE EXPERIENCED THIS AND IF SO IS THERE AN EXPLANATION.

since coming of this pill everyday i wake up thinking hope everythings going to be ok today its so scary.

to evey women out there coming off yasmin and feeling the same way as me. please dont give up and remember to take one day at a time and also remember it gets easier because everyday is a anotherday to getting this crap out of our system.

another thing that has helped me is drinking loads of water.
also whenever i feel panicky i try to keep busy which occupies my mind, which makes me not concentrate on that horrible feeling. I KNOW ITS SO FRIGHTENING BUT HANG IN THERE THINGS WILL GET BETTER!!!!!!!!!11

DONT LET THE DR PUT YOU ON ANTIDEPRESSANTS YOU KNOW WHATS CAUSING THE PROBLEM, YOU DONT NEED MORE DRUGS WHICH CAN MAKE THINGS WORSE

TAKE CARE AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL

SOPHIE XXXXXXXXX

I have been taking the med for about one week and things have gotten worse each day. I searched on the internet and found this website yesterday. I was experiencing extreme pain in my head, neck, and back. I was developing a red rash on my legs as well. It hurt to open my mouth or breathe and my throat felt like strep throat. I decided to go to the ER due to bizarre symptoms. It was a little similar to a really bad sinus infection. The Dr. checked everything and said I was completely healthy and had no infections in my body. He said he could not explain the fever and was concerned that it may be an exotic illness or a reaction to the medication. I quit taking the med and I am feelings much better. Why do people prescribe this terrible med, when there are so many other options for antibiotics?

I'm depressed, tired all the time, no enrgy but I can't sleep. whenI do fall asleep I have weird dreams. Restless leg sybdrome is 10 times worse than it was and my muscle cramps are back. Had to get up and walk four times last night pain was so bad in my leg. Headaches and sharp pain in my head, dry cough, eyes feel dry and I'm very thirsty. Had to get up twice the other night I was so thirsty but I can't drink because I'm so bloated. My belly feels like its twice its size.
I've only been on this a couple of weeks and I noticd all this already. What's going to happen if I stay on it.

My mom,77 who has ALS was but on Zoloft for depression. I really need to get her off of it FAST! She was at 1ml for one week. I called the doc because she was having nausea. He wanted to try it one more week. She went to 2ml last monday after one week. Fri,Sat, and today she is having terrible headaches. I read all the replies on this sight yesterday for side effect. I told her about the zapping pains and she said yes, that is the kind of pain in my head. It will not let up. I took her back to 1ml last night. What happens if I take her clear off? Can the side effects be any worse than the constant pain she is having in her head? It is 2 weeks today that she is on the drug. Do I wean her or just stop now? PLEASE Help!!

Started taking 500 MG Biaxin last night for a respiratory infection. Never had nausea this bad. Took another one this morning. The nausea got worse plus loose stools and a sharp pain in my head. My doctor told me to quit taking it immediately and phoned me in a prescription to help the nausea. I'd rather have a respiratory infection than to have to go through this again!

I started taking DOXY 100 Mg twice daily for MILD cystic acne, together with a DUAC Gel in the morning. I took the first pill with a little food, but no dairy, and felt a little loopy. I noticed myself getting severly dehydrated also, and had to slam a lot of water (like 32-44 oz.) I took the second dose at around 5pm; by 11:00 PM I was experiencing a severe pain in my head just above and behind my left ear. I guess it could be considered a skin pain, but it feels deep; putting my sunglasses on sparked it up this morning. The pain is very acute and comes in waves of 10 -12, 10-15 second shooting pains in each wave. I discontinued the meds after seeing some of the similar "nerve pain" postings here and will advise my doctor on Monday.

I was prescribed this in conjunction with Biaxin for a sinus infection. I have more pain in my head, headaches, light headedness, nausea, and a very lathargic feeling. I also have extremely dry nasal passages. After reading the previous entries I am going to stop taking it. It can't hurt.