September 30th
2008
7:15 PM
My son was getting in trouble with his new Kindergarten teacher almost every day. He went from being a bright, well behaved little boy to being labeled a troublemaker with learning issues almost overnight. At school he was crying all the time, poked another kid with a pencil, threw something at another child and wouldn't listen to his teacher. He had been in a very structured Pre-K program and we had never had any issues like this with his behavior. During a lengthy conversation with his teacher, she mentioned that he didn't behave this way every day. He actually had some days when he was "very good". I was at the end of my rope. When we asked him why he was doing these things he told us, "My brain told me to and I couldn't stop." Scary thing to hear from your 5 year old. After talking to my mom about the problems, she suggested that I look up the side effects of Zyrtec and I found this site. Many things matched up with what the teacher was telling us. The fact that he had some good days at school makes sense because he was only taking it on the days he needed it for seasonal allergies. Because he took it right before bed and the side effects would wear off by the time we picked him up from school we weren't seeing the full effect of what this medication was doing to him. We haven't given him Zyrtec for over a week and he hasn't gotten in trouble a single time at school! He's been much easier to put to bed at night and much more pleasant to be around in the evenings. We will never give him Zyrtec again and will be MUCH more aware of possible side effects from medicine.
-- By dicarroll | Reply | Private Message me
August 4th
2008
8:53 PM
I've been using refresh liquigel for about 2 years, almost every night, recommended by my doctor. I'm not sure these symptoms are due to this product, but what's happened is:,
there is a large gap on the inside v of the eyelid close to the nose, exposing the eyeball to air, where it usually never has such access. a large gap, large as an eraser on a pencil. it is dry so my tears form, and that is uncomfortable also.
It's not exactly painful, but very distracting.
I'm 64 years old and in very good health.
anyone have any idea what this is?
March 31th
2008
3:48 PM
Some of these stories read like a diary of our life.our son went from a reasonably confident, happy, somewhat easy going 10/11 year old to a now 16 year old with no confidence, somewhat paranoid, dealing with depression and tremors so bad that he could not hold his pencil to draw a straight line in drafting. He often says he hates his life, can't see any hope for the future and feels he is a failure- he is an honors student with a nearly perfect 4.0 average, yet he is never sure it is enough.
some of it we put down to being a teenager, who had inherited hubby's fathers shaky hands. some we figured came from my dad and his troubles with ocd and depression. i have worried, cried, prayed, ranted and begged for things to be different for him.
what changed at 10/11 years of age? he started taking Singulair. at first a low dose but about 3 years ago the doctor uped the dose to full strength, the symptoms also escalated - however he had entered the teenage years and changes they go through.
the allergist last year,put him on Pulmicort and at that point did not need the Singulair but through a misunderstanding we kept giving it to him. hubby is a pharmacist and questioned it, he has never been wild about Singulair because he says it opens you up to infections.
which may answer a secondary question of why he has had more cases of bronchitis and has had 3 bouts with pneumonia, more since the dosage was raised.
i have to wonder if the history of depression in our family made our son more open to the symptoms and side effects of the Singulair. the suicide part of it really scares me as my uncle and aunt both committed suicide, we didn't need any push in that direction. we have talked extensively about it and he assures me he does not consider it an option.
i know some kids take it no problem, but this recent set of reports, and the fact that the FDA has changed the warning labels 4 times in a year, causes me to take notice for him
please pray that we can see some improvement as he is now off of the Singulair. I stopped mine last year due to recurring ear infections. now i am especially glad i did. i have felt very hopeful today that this may be an answer to prayer. two days off and he had a good day today.
-- By momofone | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
March 28th
2008
10:48 AM
My 8 year old daughter has been taking Singulair for 4 years. She immediately began having sleeping problems. I never connected it to Singulair. When she was 5, she had a check-up with her Asthma/Allergy doctor. I received a new prescription and had it filled at Costco. She became more irritable and the sleeping problems persisted. After I had the second refill and had the information sheet Costco had given me, I decided to read the about side effects. That was when I realized she was taking the 10mg dose for ages 15 and up at 5 years old. I knew she was taking a different dose but it was new script because she had been at the doctors and I thought the doctor had just increased the dosage. I called Costco and had them check the original prescription and sure enough they had entered it wrong in their system and was given an OVERDOSE. They did pay for any tests for Physical damage (blood work and liver), and gave me free pills that were dispensed incorrectly. I assumed everything was ok now that she was back on the 5mg. dose again. She has still continued to have sleeping issues and her aggressive behavior has gotten worse. She has consistently had stomach problems, daily! A month ago I had an evaluation done for academic purposes, When the Psychologist was done he was saying she was a sweet girl. I proceeded to tell him about her violent outbursts. Just that morning her brother, 6yrs.old, was walking by her and out of the blue she took the pencil in her hand and slashed across his chest. I told him these were typical of the behavior at home and I had tried all type of discipline to no avail. HE WAS SHOCKED. He said that wasn't her personality at all. After talking to him a second time, He said it was probably a combination of her age, hormones starting to kick in and sibling rivalry! I knew it was more than that but still never connected it to Singulair! Well, as of today she is off the Singulair. I can't wait to see if her behavior changes. I see these posting go all the way back to 2003! If only I had thought to look online first!
-- By lsonuga | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
January 21th
2008
9:35 PM
I have been on Topamax for a little over a year. I've had most of the side effects; tingling, numbness in the fingers, dry mouth, forgetfulness, and weight loss - love the weight loss. All the side effects have sort of slowed down as I've been on the medication longer. The weight loss has slowed and I've even began to get my appetite back- I'm afraid I'm going to start gaining weight now! I've lost about 40 pounds and I needed to lose it, so that was wonderful. I've had a very hard time losing weight all my life so this was wonderful.
I was addicted to Coca Cola and this med also helped me kick that habit because I lost my taste for the carbonation.
Does anyone know if the weight loss usually evens out after about a year or a year and a half? I need to lose about 30 more pounds and was hoping that I would continue losing weight!
Anyway, I was on the Topamax for headaches and it has completely helped that! It has truly been a God-send for me. Other than monthly hormone headaches, I don't get migraines hardly at all!
I am wondering about having my doc up my dosage for the weight loss aspect????
-- By mzcheryl | Reply | (19) replies | Private Message me
January 18th
2008
11:48 PM
I was on Effexor XR for more than three years. Just calling these symptoms "side effects" doesn't seem powerful enough. The saddest thing is, these are normal, will most likely happen to you, and are for the most part, unpleasant. Consider the following before starting this medication, and if you're on it, listen to what your body is telling you.
Side effects-
Favorite foods.- Forget about 'em. Chances are anything and everything will make you want to vomit. After awhile you won't want to even eat just because it's easier.
Sleep- Everybody likes sleep right? Of course,when you can get it. Should you manage to avoid and/or get past the insomnia, sickness, and dizzy feeling, you'll be visited by nightmares. Vivid, horrible, put the movies to shame kind of nightmares.
Hair- That's right folks, a rare, but noted side effect is hair loss. Head, eyebrows, everywhere. Don't worry it grows back in patches with the help of special shampoo.
Withdraws- Heaven forbid you miss a dose. You'll get to experience your disorder in a whole new way. Too tired to be awake and too shaky to be asleep. Intense migraines accompanied by sickness. (Not just the normal "Hey I feel kinda woozy." sick. The " I can't stand or sit down, I feel like I need to throw up constantly." kinda sick. Shakes get more intense, mood swings are pushing insanity, and paranoia is through the roof.
Paranoia- This is a side effect you get to experience during both regular dosing and withdraws. The walls are closing in, everyone is out to get you, suddenly something you did wrong when you were four comes back to haunt you, and the worst part being.....might as well be real.
Shakes and Brain Tremors- You know that tingling feeling when your foots falls asleep? Imagine that in the middle of your brain. Now, try to focus, read (anything), watch TV, ha ha you can't without it leading to a headache. Holding a pencil used to be such a mundane task, now it's like holding on to a tattoo gun. Squiggle pen drawing anyone?
Memory Loss- We all forget things. Did I lock the door? Where did I put my keys? Try forgetting where you just were, where you work, the phone number of anyone that can help. Effexor XR can cause confusion and effect your short term memory.
I experienced these symptoms for years. It was no picnic.Effexor XR was prescribed to me for depression and mood stabilization. Wondering why I stayed on it so long? It worked. Helped my depression, no more mood swings. I was told the side effects would go away or become less as the drug build up in my system. Yeah, I'm still trying to choke that one down. They didn't stop. Granted, not all of them got worse, but guess what.....When you feel sick physically for so long, you start to, GET DEPRESSED.
There is no reason why anyone should feel both physically and mentally ill. It's life draining, literally. This is not a bashing session. There are the people out there that take Effexor XR no problem. If you're one of them, stick with it. This is your medicinal savor, but if not, GET OFF Effexor XR and keep looking. There are other medications, with less or no side effects. You might have to go through a few, it might be worth it.
Parents, if you adolescent is complaining of any of the drugs more intense side effects, please listen. Effexor XR still isn't "recommended" for anyone under 18. The drug can have serious long term effects in adulthood, even after discontinuation.
-- By jpyers87 | Reply | Private Message me
March 8th
2007
7:22 PM
My 6 year old daughter is having severe joint pain in several spots and redness/swelling around her joints. She is unable to grasp a pencil and is unable to walk due to the pain. This is almost identical to what happened to her almost two years ago, so I took her to the doctor and we just got home. We learned that two years ago my daughter had finished her 10 days of Omnicef just a few days before these symptoms showed up. Coincidentally, my daughter finished Omnicef two days ago for a sinus infection and her current symptoms showed up yesterday. These are the only two times in her life that she has taken Omnicef and unfortunately no one (including myself) ever made the connection that Omnicef might have been the reason for the reaction two years ago. After reading some of the other stories here and many blood tests and doctors visits later with still no answer for the symptoms, I feel very strongly that it is more than a coincidence that Omnicef is the cause of my daughter's pain. Two years ago she had the hives as well and all the symptoms lasted about 10 days. We are only in day 2 now and giving Motrin for the pain, but no hives yet this time. I will not allow Omnicef again for my kids - way too scary to see the amount of pain a drug reaction can cause.
-- By jkprod | Reply | Private Message me
February 22th
2007
5:59 AM
Oh my God! The itching is horrible! I woke up and my eyes crossed from the severity. I could not even go to work. After taking Sufameth/trimethoprim for 2 days (2 pills/da) for a UTI, my scalp started to itch. I scratched all day with a pencil...to no avail. Later that day, the vaginal and rectal itch was unmerciful. Vagisil maximum COULD NOT TOUCH it. I scheduled a gyne appointment because I thought, maybe I was developing something else...yeast infection. But there were no other signs. My husband suggested it could be an allergic reaction to the medicine. My nurse suggested I take an antihistimine like Benadryl. That provided some relief. Now I see similar postings on the web about severe itching. Thank goodness I only have one more pill of this 3 day treatment.
-- By cpatter981 | Reply | Private Message me
April 15th
2006
9:41 PM
I have taken Lipitor for 4 years. Two months ago, my walk became off balance. Soon after I began to have sever muscle aches and weakness. I have low back and hip pain, upper shoulder & arm weakness and difficulty holding a pencil. I have been walking with a cane and sometimes need a walker. I have been unable to work for the last 6 weeks. My doctor continues to say it is not the lipitor because side effects happen within the first few months. Only after finding this website am I convinced this is the problem. I took myself off lipitor 6 weeks ago and have had some improvement, but have a long way to go. Is there anything I can do to reverse any of these problems?
-- By jcoleman | Reply | Private Message me
March 11th
2006
4:53 PM
I have taken metoprolol for several years starting while I was serving in the army (late twenties). Now I am 37 years old. The first problem I encountered was lethargy, which forced me to cut it in half and take at different times of the day. But the worst problem by far is numbness in the hands. just holding a pen or pencil will cause fingers to go numb. I am a guitar player but that is quickly becoming an impossible task. It just recently occured to me that a drug change may reverse this- if anyone has an anecdote please contact me, thank you.
-- By jsilenttree | Reply | Private Message me
February 9th
2006
6:29 AM
I have been taking this medicine for about 3 days, I started running a fever with chills, then ached all over now i have lost the feelings in my hands and the ability to make a fist or even hold a pencil. My head hurts so bad I feel like its going to explode. and I am always tired I sleep for 27 hours the first day i took it but i also thought I was coming down with something.
Unfortunately I just took one before logging on so I already feel it my body is shutting down and dont have enough energy to stand up.
Singulair (3) Sulfamethoxazole (2) Lipitor (2) Omnicef (1) Toprol-XL (1) Refresh Liquigel (1) Effexor XR (1) Topamax (1) Zyrtec (1)
October 14th
2008
6:38 AM
Just started today with 40 mg dose of Sortis (Swiss-branded Lipitor).
60-90 minutes later, I am very dizzy, sweating, funny taste in mouth.
I am done... no more. My cholesterol is normal, but recommended as complementary treatment with Glucophage, as I am very slightly diabetic.
I am still spaced out as I write this note. Called the MD to tell him that I the one dose is all that will enter my body.
-- By whoopster | Reply | (5) replies | Private Message me