Perfect vision symptoms and conditions

My symptoms started with aches in my ankles and I thought I should stop wearing heals for a while. But then the tingling pain moved up into my lower legs and then my arms/wrists over a period of a few days. I felt like I was having constant shin-splints. I was heavy joint/muscle pains. Then the back of my head hurt really bad on the left side, just at the top of my neck/bottom of my head, and was also really sore to the touch. Then massive headaches. Probably migraines, although I have never had them before. My MD immediately put me on celebrex, which did nothing. I was eating Advil and Tylenol like candy and couldn’t sleep. So the doc put me on steroids (prednisone). That took the pain away. After a few days, while at work, the vision in my left eye went in and out (perfect vision to completely gone). I have never had any issue with my eyesight before - perfect vision. Then at one point (actually while I was in for my first MRI) my vision never came back. No one thought it was serious enough until I demanded to go to the hospital. I spent three days in the hospital, where they ran tests after tests (including MRI, Lumbar Puncture, blood work, neurological tests, echogardiogram, dobblers, etc). Upon leaving the hospital actually diagnosed me with Optic Neurosis, and gave me a 15% chance of getting MS later in life. We were all relieved it was not MS, like they originally suspected. After going to the Eye Dr, they told me that was not the case. This kind of eye stuff only happens to people in their 80’s! I will never regain my vision. If my diagnosis had been optic neurosis, it would not explain the joint pain. I have seen specialist after specialist over the last two months, and they still have no idea. Every test I have undergone has come back clear and I am perfectly healthy. My doc said we might have to go with the retinal specialists theory - which was a piece of cholesterol that clogged the artery in my eye. I just don’t get why a piece of cholesterol would have caused me so much pain over the rest of my body. After viewing this site and the Mirena pamphlet that I found online they give to the doctors, I really think it was the cause. The packet even notes, if you have symptoms like visual loss and headaches/migraines for the first time, to remove it immediately! I did not get mine removed until a month after my vision loss. Every doc I have seen I have asked if it was Mirena and not one of them thinks that could be the cause. But it is ironic, that when you see someone for the first time, the first question they ask is if you are on birth control or any other medications! I think I need to show them this site, so they can read other women’s symptoms. I did also have all the other symptoms as well - weight gain, irritable, oily skin, cramps, moodiness, vaginal odor, gross discharge, headaches, nausea, low sex drive, hot flashes, anxiety, restlessness at times, fatigue, and the list could really go on and on.

This is the 3rd time I am taking levaquin in about 3 years. I had a MRSA type infection in my eye 2 years ago that I got in the hospital visiting my dying mother. She by the way died of a mysterious"infection" in her spine but frankly reading all of this I suppose it could have been caused by levaquin because they never found an infection but she complained of so much pain in her spinal collumn that they had to put her of morphine. No cause was ever determined but she was a dialysis patient and was given Levaquin on a regular basis for the infections that are common with having a stint in her arm. Her circulatory system collapsed and they could not do dialysis on her and she died after a week.
Getting back to my situation. I got the infection when rubbing the tears out of my eyes and woke up the morning of her funeral with a bad infection in the eye. Was going to eye doctor every week for 3 months thought I was going blind. Took 3 months of 750 mg dose. And multiple eye ointments. My eye sight took a hit and I now need to wear glasses for driving always. Used to have near perfect vision before this. This past year I took it again for Lyme's disease and after about a month after I developed and nerve or tendon pull in my neck that they could not explain how I got it. But I went to the emergency room and they gave me a neck support to wear.
Just was on Levaquin again for upper respiratory infection. Woke up in the middle of the night second day I was taking it. My head was pounding and it felt like it was going to explode (literally). At the same time my chest felt like it was collapsing. I thought I was really going to die and I was entirely coming undone in my mind. I called a friend at 2:30 AM and asked him (who is religious) if he knew any prayers for those who are about to die. I truly felt this was it - the end. No one told me about Levaquin's side effects until the other day when I was reading on the internet. I now have a pulsating sound in my ears that sounds like it is linked to my heartbeat. Never heard this sound before. Its been there for almost a week and it started a few days after I stopped taking the levaquin. I also have been noticing I have a shortness of breath and I am trying to move in a week. I keep getting very fatigued and have to lay down. Find myself falling asleep quite frequently.

Hello to All
I'm 33 yr old female who began taking Topamax 2 years ago, after diagnose with Pseudotumor Cerebri,(elevated intracranial pressure),doctors still don't know why i have PTC, it is common overweight women, certain medications, secondary to disease, which all did not connect with me as I was not overweight, have never taken any medication, other than OTC allergy or pain relievers, and all secondary diseases I was tested, and nothing, with a history of migraines headaches, that suddenly became unstable, with vision disturbance I was put on diamax, it lowers elevated intracranial pressure, finally help for this horrible headaches, , I had a side effect it elevated my glucose levels to dangerous levels, due to elevated intracranial pressure I was hospitalize, undergoing several lumbar punctures and eye surgery for decompression of my optic nerve, doctors still unsure of my diagnosis, but telling me I must have surgery for a spinal fluid shunt, I was terrified, I decided to try and consulted with another neuro ophthalmology who had a totally different opinion, I switch doctors and this is when I was prescribe TOPAMAX 25MG to start, now I'm taking 250mg daily, at first the fact that I was going to be OK, that I can continue my life without shunt, no more lumbar punctures, the fact I was not loosing my eye sight, I can go running, rock climbing, after been told I couldn't, I was convinced TOPAMAX was a miracle. The 1st side effects constipation; decreased sweating, drowsiness, dry mouth, loss of appetite I lost about 20 pounds, family friends were really concern, after a while I gain it back, numbness, tingling, I was ok with it, because I no longer had debilitating headaches, had perfect vision, surgery was out the question. and I was stable, but then I suddenly experience seizure, 3 different occasion, no explanation, severe joint leg pain, trouble with speech, bruising, light sensitivity, severe acne, irregular menstrual cycle, vaginal issues, anxiety, heart palpitations, and the worst one yet, the reason I began to search on line mood swings, I'm in the medical field and the people that I work with tells me I'm just getting older, depression, 1st sings of menopause, I'm very active healthy women, with normal daily stress 2 children and 16 years marriage, I have seen my family doctor, had blood work done, and all normal. I have told my neuro about my experiences, and he says is not topamax, my ob says take birth controls it might help, im just lost any one suggestions?

I've been on Lisinopril 20mg for a week now. I have been having the hoarseness, leg cramps, tired (no energy), getting no sleep, and cough. But what worries me most is my blood pressure has dropped to what I think is TO LOW, (example: 87/60, 90/58, 96/66 89/68. I called my dr. 2 days ago and explained my concerns. They told me to cut my 20mg pill in half and we will decide what to do at my next appt. which is in a few days. Even after cutting the pill in half, my bp is still running 96/67, 98/66. Should I demand to be taken off the Lisinopril and be put on a different medication?

I can't believe I found this info, two days ago I was ready to make an appt with my Dr for some type of anti-depressant, I have never been depressed before so I started looking online at different meds, and I found all these sites about Yasmin. About 10 months ago I started taking Yasmin after I gave birth to my second child. Every month got worse and I really am changing into a totally different person, crazy (sad, numb, mean, paranoid ext..) No sex drive, vision problems. I kept waiting to be happy again. Thanks to all the women who have shared these experiences, I stopped taking this pill yesterday and I am finally excited about having control over myself again.

I'm 19 years old and have been on NuvaRing for 3 months. I am AWFUL at remembering the pill, so my gyno put me on it. I have not experienced any of these side effects...until i read this site! It's odd because I feel like I just shook a lot of things off to normality or just simple bodily changes, but now that I read and think about it, it's made a lot of changes in me too!
I have had blurred vision with distance and kept telling my mom I really think I may need glasses! It was weird because up until recently, I had perfect vision! Not only that, I have had MAYBE five headaches in my lifetime! I find I get AT LEAST one a day now. Not only that, but my sex drive...oooh...it is completely non-existent now! I feel so horrible because my boyfriend asks me more and more if I am not attracted to him anymore. It makes me so sad because he definitely turns me on, but my body doesn't seem to react the way my mind does. It is painful to have sex more than about five minutes because it's dry and just becomes painful friction so we have to stop. I am so mad at EVERYTHING all the time! I feel like I nit-pick everything my boyfriend does and I just get so mad and frustrated over NOTHING! Just one wrong thing said and I'm to boiling point in about .2 seconds! I also have a crazy rash in the last month that I shook off to changing laundry detergent and having a reaction, but it's not gone yet. It's all the way from half way up my sides to my knees and everywhere in between! Including my elbows, forearms, neck, I'm miserable with it! I have to get off this after finally having something bring this to my attention! I am going to the gyno the next open chance! Thanks ladies!

I had surgery in August, 2006 for Endometriosis, and a Lupron injection 2 wks later. That one injection changed my life. Even though it was a year and a half ago, I'm still feeling the effects. Which is what brought me to this site -- I'm searching for an answer.

These were/are my symptoms:

-- I experienced immediate and increasing hot flashes that lasted for nearly 6 mos.

-- Extreme fatigue and the "activativation" of Epstein Barr Virus. I started sleeping 18-20 hrs/day and lost my career job because of it.

-- Cognitive dysfunction, memory loss, loss of concentration, etc.

-- Blurred vision (and I have otherwise perfect vision!)

-- To date, I have gained 40 lbs that will not budge no matter what my diet!

-- I have severe muscle weakness and burning (such as if I go up a
flight of stairs). Muscle atrophy and stiffness.

-- My joints (hips, knees, feet) hurt and I have a lot of back pain.

-- I have TMJ quite badly and it causes my arms to go numb.

Last year my doctor ordered a hair analysis for heavy metal poisoning -- and my levels were off the charts. I've read that Lupron is suspended in thimerosol, or mercury, and that raises a host of issues that I'd like to research, if anyone has info on that.

Today, I am doing much better in terms of being out of bed and active, but I am unable to lose the weight, despite an organic, all natural, gluten/dairy/sugar/corn/soy/caffeine/etc. free diet! My belly is always bloated and big.

I am really active, but I tire easily and still haven't been able to get over that "hump", as it were, and really exert myself. Before my surgery and the Lupron and the EBV, I was an avid dancer. It is my passion and I can hardly do it at all now. I cannot swim a full lap in a pool without my leg muscles burning.

I have read of some people having good experiences with Lupron, but I have read far more horrifying ones. Part of me doesn't want to accept that Lupron is the cause of what I'm experiencing...could it really be that simple? And part of me is happy to shed the burden of guilt that "I must just not be trying hard enough" in exchange for an outside cause. I guess research and knowledge is the best medicine in this case. =}

I have been taking Topamax for about two weeks now just 25 mg to start and I woke up this morning and my perfect vision was no more.
EVERYTHING IS BLURRY. I was told that one of the side affects of this medication is Glacoma like symptoms where you lose your vision fast.
I was told to stop taking the medication and hopefully the symptoms will go away

I have been on Topamax for 5 years. At first I believed it was a miracle drug. It was being used to treat bipolar 2. Over the course of 7 months I lost 40lbs, which at that time I did not know was caused from the drug. I was losing parts of my memory, and I worked in a high performance sales job, but was able to cover the mistakes. Over the course of the next year and a half things began to get worse. I believed at that point it was my illness. I began to have panic attacks and began to be more depressed. Eventually I had to leave my job 3 years ago. I was given other drugs with the topamax but nothing did anything, so they upped the dosage to 400mg, which put me in bed almost constantly. The dosage was taken back to 200mg. Over the course of this process I complained of back pain, losing the feeling in my left side of my body, vision loss (I had perfect vision before taking this drug) headaches, eye twitching, stomache problems ( which developed into diverticulitis)hair loss. I had nerve testing done, which came back negative. I had the first eye test done which came back with some eye loss. My doctor assured me that the topamax could not be causing any of these problems.
The last vision test from an opthmologist now says that I need surgery to correct my eyes, because of the problems that this drug can cause. He says I need lazer surgery.
Well, the fact remains, that this drug I believe has caused all of my problems. Most of all, my lack of motivation, my depression, and my lack of will to do anything. My sleeping pattern has been totally changed, and I suffer my panic attacks which I never had prior to taking this drug, and anxiety. I have no libido, which I believe has been a gradual thing, it was not immediate.
I am now weaning myself off, and it is not easy. The lower dosage has withdrawl effects, and the fear of weight gain has always been a problem. However I realize now after researching this drug to great extent the long term effects are not worth weight loss, and natural products maybe the better solution.

Butterfly rash on my face...Doctor stopped the drug temporarilly...she CLAIMS ITS OK>>>>>>on lithium also...My vision is terrible now....had perfect vision.. She wants to put me back on Lamictal...I need support from somewhere...it was a fantastic mood improver....the best...now Dr. tells me..there is NOTHING OUT THERE...besides lamectal........ is this true??? she might put me BACK ON IT>>I AM AFRAID>>

Yes,
This was also a side affect for me too. Almost finished my marriage because i was no longer interested in sex. It was my husband who first suggested to me that the yasmin might be causing my problems.

The progesterone used in yasmin is similar to an anti-androgen. Could this be the reason it affects some womens sex drive?
If anybody has any answers i would love to hear them.

One month i did not start my pack on the correct day so i decided not to take any at all that month. The difference that month in the way i felt was huge. The cyst in my breast was not so painful and i was not angry with everybody that month.

However i still took it the next month and i went back to being paranoid, unwell and completely disinterested in sex. Finally my husband told me that i was unbearable to live with while on this pill.

Believe me the difference i feel since i stopped taking it is unbelievable. I feel normal again after being on it for three years. No more paranoia, healthy interest in sex and i lost 10 pounds in the first pill free month. All of the extra weight had gone on around my tummy and was completly uncharacteristic for me as i am a vegetarian.

I think i have mentioned this before but yasmin worked great for me at first. After about one year i started to experience problems like anxiety and breast cysts among other problems. I was prescribed xanax to help with my anxiety but realised that was not the answer.
I also noticed that my once perfect vision was starting to deteriorate. It got so bad that i could barely read. When i had my eyes checked the optician told me that i needed glasses. I have recently had my eyes checked again and my vision is perfect.

Nobody can tell me that this is a coincidence.

My biggest guilt trip is that i told my sister how great it was and she also started to take it. She has been taking it for about a year and is now starting to have anxiety problems too as well as her skin breaking out in the pill free week. This is an exact pattern of what happened to me.

My best wishes go to any woman who is going through this at the moment because it takes a while before you actually realise there is a connection between your problems and the medication you are taking.
Of course, as suggested by the person who replied to my post on steadyhealth.com, it will not have these effects on every woman.
But the fact that it has these extreme effects on some of us should surely mean that more investigation needs to be done.
Good luck to you all.

i am only on 25mg of topamax which i take before going 2 bed but ive noticed that about 30 mins after taking it i pass out.....i am extremely tired during the day like im in a fog.....no one in my family wears glasses yet i had 2 get glasses cauz i was seeing blurry out of my left eye my right eye still has perfect vision...im never ever hungry ..............and for some weird reason i am always itchy itchy alllllllll over my body. i have extremly strange dreams that is when i get sleep cauz i only get about 4 hours a nite i cant manage to sleep thru the nite also ive notice alot of tachycardia......like my hearts about 2 jump out......ahhhhhh...but on the good note i no longer have migraines :)