Pfizer symptoms and conditions

Now it makes sense why doctors were so eager to prescribe Lipitor. Pfizer has been hit with a 2.3 billion penalty for illegal marketing promotions of 13 drugs that includes LIPITOR. They were awarding doctors free golf, massages, and resort junkets for "pushing" Lipitor, Viagra, Zoloft and 9 other drugs.

I have been on and off advair for the past few years and yes, it does seem to take the wheezes away....it was prescribed to me as a result of what was diagnosed as a GERD symptom altho I didn't feel breathless, just wheezy. The wheeze did go away, but I have also suffered hair loss, which my GP brushes off as menopause which does not make me happy. So having read all the preceding posts I think I shall ease off the Advair and see how I am without it (GERD seems better controlled with diet changes), and switch to Flovent I think it is...the old inhaled steroid. I did ask for that and was given the prescription. I didn't find these asthma like symptoms bad enough to warrant a strong drug like Advair - I think it would be fantastic for severe asthma that needs it. Wonder if the other inhaled steroids affect hair too? Just praying it all comes back! Nothing worse than getting old AND losing your hair as a woman!!! I see some regrowth so fingers crossed.

okay, I was on and off the depo provera for about 6 years. I have been in for a bone density screening and theres no trace of osteopenia. I have however been to the dentist many many times. At first I had 17 cavities, all along the gumline and just below it. About a year ago, I had another bunch, didn't count that time, which I had filled and I had two teeth removed. Luckily molars so you cant tell. I just went back two days ago and I have 6 now. I brush twice a day and floss. I also have a tooth thats really sensitive because the gumline receded. I am tired of this and it almost seems like my dentist is afraid to tell me anything but "make sure you floss and brush regularly." I think when the FDA really discovers what depo does to the teeth, maybe we can get a lawsuit and make pfizer pay for real nice implants....

I was on Lipitor 20 mg also for about a year. During that time I experienced breathing problems and muscle aches. The Doctor told me to take Co Q10 which helped w/ the muscle aches. But I ended up cutting the pills in half, to help w/breathing a lot. When I told my my Doc that-she said go back up to full dose, I tried for 3 days and was so short of breath I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs.
I stopped and went out and got a $129 heart scan instead. The insurance co. won't pay for it, but the 129 will be made up in three months of not buying this horrid pill. I've since rec. two letters from Lipitor saying they noticed I'm not taking my pills as prescribed.....nice

Hello I'm a 41 year old female, and I took Lipitor 20 mgs for 6 months about two years ago. When I called my doctor's office to complain about side effects they told me it couldn't be the Lipitor because I had been taking it for a month already, and would have had problems before that. I eventually took myself off of the drug 5 months later. Here are some of the side effects I experienced:
Itchy fingertips, increased blood pressure, 30lb weight gain, shaky hand writing, acne, poor driving skills, poor memory, hair loss, "frozen joints", IBS, incontinence, low grade fever, itchy feet, numb toes, numb hands, foggy brain, joint pain, muscle pain, foot pain, plantar pain, dizzy, jaw pain, back and neck pain, week ankles and wrists, nasal allergies, skin rashes, migraines, heartburn, Increase in Astham, heart palpitations, knee pain, difficulty standing up from sitting position, difficulty climbing stairs, water retention alternating in feet, hands, arms and legs, almost constant taste of bile in my mouth.
These are only the ones I can remember. Two years down the road everything but the muscle and joint pain and weakness is gone. even those have improved a lot. I stopped taking the Lipitor and lost all 30lbs I had gained on it, without dieting, in a months time. I still have two toes on each foot that are partially numb. I have trouble climbing stairs, and getting up from a sitting position. I can do both, but I move slowly while doing them. The pain in my muscles and joints drives me crazy, but I'm grateful that the rest of the symptoms have cleared up. My doctor never believed me about my symptoms, and neither does my new doctor really. Went to the emergency room for asthma that was not responding to my inhaler, and they were about to let me go home when I mentioned to the doctor that I had been on Lipitor. Suddenly a huge battery of tests were ordered including a CT scan and a stress test. When I asked the doctor why he said that they just wanted to be sure that it wasn't something other than asthma. Why did they do that after hearing about the Lipitor? Do they know something? Are there doctors who believe that statins are killing and seriously injuring people? I'm so angry. Even as I sit here typing I know when I stand up I will have massive amounts of pain that I will have to "walk off". My quadriceps have not recovered, and remain ridiculously weak.
If I can stop one other person from going through this I will be happy. Thanks everyone for taking the time to list your symptoms. It makes me feel better to know that someone believes me, and knows what I am going through.

Two years after taking Chantix a tumor was found on my brain. I also have the pain all over every muscle, bone and joint every day. Do not take risks like I did. I trusted the FDA, and Pfizer and now I regret being so trusting.

This testimony should help strengthen our case for warnings for Singulair.

Neurologist Sought Warning for Pfizer Drug
By JEREMY SINGER-VINE
June 20, 2008; Page B10

A British neurologist who analyzed effects of the drug Neurontin told a court hearing Thursday that he advised its maker -- now a unit of Pfizer Inc. -- to include a warning on the drug's label for potential side effects of depression and aggression, but his advice wasn't followed.

The University of London neurologist, Michael R. Trimble, was testifying at a hearing to decide whether civil cases brought against Pfizer alleging suicides linked to Neurontin can proceed. The hearing was jointly held by judges for U.S. District Court in Boston and a New York state court who are hearing similar cases. In various lawsuits consolidated in the federal court, plaintiffs allege more than 100 suicides were connected to Neurontin usage.

Dr. Trimble described what he said was a "plausible biological pathway" that could lead from the compound gabapentin -- the chemical name for Neurontin -- to suicidal behavior, hostility, and aggression. Dr. Trimble said that in 1995 and 1996, he was hired to write two confidential reports for Parke-Davis -- now a unit of Pfizer -- because the company "was concerned about psychosis in relation to their drug." Dr. Trimble said he was unable to find a link to psychosis, but noted effects of depression and aggression.

Lawyers for Pfizer argued at the hearing that the evidence linking the drug to suicidal side effects wasn't scientifically sound. Under cross-examination, they challenged his description of a pathway as a patchwork of studies that didn't prove a biological connection. Neurontin and generic forms of gabapentin are approved for treating epileptic convulsions, but have also been prescribed widely "off label" for other conditions.

In five of nine patient cases he analyzed in 1996, Dr. Trimble said he saw depression and aggression in patients who had no previous symptoms of the side effects, so he said he recommended to the company that the drug "should carry some kind of warning" for susceptible patients.

Thursday's proceedings were the initial phase of a hearing requested by Pfizer to challenge the opinions of the plaintiffs' experts. Under cross-examination and a subsequent examination by the plaintiffs' attorney, Dr. Trimble said the biological pathway between Pfizer's Neurontin and suicidal events were plausible and supported by a series of peer-reviewed neurology research.

I don't think that anyone can predict a time frame for getting over an adverse drug reaction. Below is my opinion but I see a lot of evidence that it is basically shared by other people maybe not exactly as I state it.

Adverse drug reactions deplete many essential nutrients from our systems. Inflammatory response is very stressful on the body. It is sometimes a very big effort to work on the diet to put back what has been taken away. It can take a long time.

Quinolines particularly deplete B-vitamins, folic acid (B-9), calcium/magnesium/zinc and omega-3 fatty acid. Sometimes the blood-lab work shows elevated homocysteine which proves that the body has suffered inflammation. Cardiologists now use homocysteine levels to show whether someone is at risk for heart disease due to inflammation. Deficiencies of B-6, B-9, and B-12 are known to cause elevated homocysteine.

Here is the pharmaceutical company ZINGER. Now companies such as Merck and Pfizer are going to offer niacin products to lower cholesterol. Well, yeh, duh !. All of these drug reactions are causing depleted B vitamins which elevate cholesterol. Then after they have tried to kill us by depleting our B - vitamins, they want to sell us another pill to give the B vitamins back to us. How many people out there are on some kind of a pill with side effects that cause inflammation? What a business? It is win, win, win.

In September of 2007 my then 13 year old daughter was put on Singular for mild asthma. At the time she was a straight A student, vice president of our school and a popular girl who's guidance counselor described as "the glue of her grade" because she was so well liked. In November she told me that she was struggling with advanced Latin and Science. She asked to drop down to on grade Latin so we did. In December her science teacher notified us that she had a C average. She told me that she thought she had ADD/ADHD and she couldn't keep up. At the same time she was having a lot of problems with friends at school and we just attributed it to being 14. 3 weeks ago we discovered that she is significantly behind in English and it was then that she told me that she is been having horrific night mares. She said that they usually involve someone killing her or her killing herself. She said that they were so graphic that she couldn't repeat it out loud. She also said that she would feel waves of anxiety that would come over her at school and she would act "witchy" to the kids in her class for no real reason. She said that sometimes when she is trying to do her homework she will read the same passage for 2 hours and still have no idea what it's about. She also said that the suicidal thoughts from her sleep happened during they day and that she had thoughts of her harming herself. Fortunately her pulminologist told us that this may be caused by singular and we immediately took her off of it which was 2 weeks ago. She has only had 1 "bad dream" not even a nightmare since. She had one anxiety attack 3 days after she was off it and she describes her moods as the "cloud lifting....slowly". Now, we have to pick up the pieces. Her grades have suffered, her friendships have suffered and most of all her self esteem is very low. I'm grateful that we found out the cause but I feel as if my daughter lost a year of her life and I worry that because Merck won't admit there are side effects we can't find out how long it remains in their system. Is anyone else concerned about the long term affect and has anyone pursued a class action suit to try to get this drug tested properly?

Unfortunately, as with all drugs, including the lowly aspirin, there are a myriad of side-effects. There is not a single drug on the market that has no side-effects and almost all have multiple side-effects. Additionally, Western medicine is designed to treat symptoms, rather than treat the cause of the underlying problem. The Western medical establishment, and pharmaceutical industry in particular, profits from illness and has no incentive for patients to receive proactive care or treatment. With that being said, there are often many holistic, homeopathic or ayurvedic treatments for many of society's ailments. This is the thorn in the side of the big pharmaceutical corporations, such as Pfizer, Merck and others. They are working hard to have herbal and other supplements regulated by the paid-off FDA. The big pharma companies spend billions per year in FDA fees and enforcement activities to protect their investments and to prevent others from cutting into their market share--this is why they are so determined to regulate herbal supplements or even have them banned from the marketplace altogether. The other problem is the absurd scare tactics used by the FDA, FBI and the big pharma companies. What they fail to tell uneducated Americans is that companies like Cipla, Ranbaxy and Dr. Reddys have FDA-approved facilities both in the U.S. and in India. Furthermore, these companies supply a vast amount of American drugs, both generic and brand name. These drugs are not "counterfeit," but they may be "misbranded," under certain conditions. Think about it--India is a country with 1 billion people--more than three times the U.S. population. Do you think a multi-billion dollar company like Cipla would compromise its quality or even exist if their drugs were of inferior quality? This company thrives because of stringent quality control which produces superior products that surpass even those of Pfizer's or Merck's.

VERTIGO!
I've had bouts of it in the past but nothing like this! Falling down, unable to drive, to the point of vomiting. I thought it was from allergies (which are bad but if I'm taking the Zyrtec... as well as Nasonex and psuedofedrine... and I am not getting better... what was I thinking?). Went to the doctor who gave me a 3 more medications and exercises and told me to continue the Zyrtec. Then, after starting the other medication and feeling better, I took Zyrtec before bed and my symptoms got worse again! Thankfully I realized what was provoking it.
I contacted Pfizer to see if they were collecting additional information to fine tune the side effects info they have now.

My mother is on Geodon. I cant remember how long shes been on it. but in the changes I have seen in her. I want her off ASAP. she used to enjoy life...you know..going to work, going out with friends, talking and hanging out with me but now I don't even recognize her. to me its like she is a zombie. all she does now is just sits at the house and watches TV all day. and as far as talking to her....it seems like shes not even interested in having a normal conversation with anybody. I think shes taking a bigger MG than she should but that cant be it cuz shes only taking 60mgs twice a day. half of the things she says I can barely understand. I have to listen carefully or I have to ask her to repeat what she said. anybody have ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS PLEASE LET ME KNOW

Within 5 days of beginning course of Geodon, 40mg daily, doc doubled my dosage to 80mg, began to have problems. Intensely manic, easily frightened, insomnia, terrifying dreams. I decided to get out of hospital ASAP and decide if to quit taking Geodon.
On day six already my face was twitching, was irritable and manic, pacing, increasingly manic throughout day, decided to skip evening dose, keep total dosage same as before, 40mg. Began tripping around midnight and it was all downhill from there. Sleepless all night, by morning I had convulsions, increased heart rate, fear and anxiety, psychosis, uncontrollable crying. Had another seizure 12 hours later. Slept a little with help of Valium. Next day developed Parkinson's like symptoms, had my father not been there to help me, Lord knows what would have happened to me. Still awake in day 3 of withdrawal. Hoping the worst is over.

FOLLOW-UP to Nov. 23rd posting. Great news! My father has been pain-free for one week now. After he stopped taking Lipitor (but still on Plavix), he was still having some pain in his body. We decided to stop taking Plavix in case this was interfering with trying to "flush out" the remnants of Lipitor. Within one week of stopping Plavix, the pain became less and less, until finally there was no more pain. My father is now back to normal and has not felt a pain in his body for over a week.

On another note, I just finished reading "People's Pharmacy" advice column in today's Los Angeles Times newspaper. Someone mentioned taking Cholestyramine (comes in powder form) for high cholesterol and having NO muscle pain. The advice columnist, Joe Graedon, a pharmacologist, wrote that Cholestyramine was prescribed long before statins were invented. The side effects may include constipation, flatulence and digestive upset.

I began taking statins about 10 years ago because of a high cholesterol blood test, beginning with Lipex and then Lipitor about two years later. Until recently, I was taking 40 mg daily. I developed multiple migraines with auras after about two years of statins, then I had a 13 hour episode of transient global amnesia. For the next two years I had constant nausea and tinnitus, foot and leg cramps, with the migraines occurring frequently. At the beginning of this year, I had my first episode of paroxysmal hypertension. In June, July and August this year, my blood pressure was labile and it was accompanied by nausea, tinnitus, feelings of great weakness, painful tightening in left arm, shakiness, enervation. The general physician I saw in hospital thought my migraines could be triggering the paroxysmal blood pressure. (Later when I read the weight of anecdotal evidence on the internet, I asked myself whether both were triggered by Lipitor.) It was then discovered that I had acute gastritis. When I was told that the cause might be one of the drugs I was taking, I looked up Lipitor on the internet. I could see so many of my own symptoms but the standout side effect for me was transient global amnesia. After reading the many websites on Lipitor side effects, I asked myself whether both were triggered by the Lipitor. I stopped the Lipitor immediately and the doctor I was seeing at that time agreed that my decision was the right one. However, my general practitioner only accepts the peripheral neuropathies and tinnitus as Lipitor side effects because TGA is not listed in Pfizer's patient notes. When I contacted Pfizer, they said TGAs were not listed in their research material, but when I pressed the point, admitted that TGAs are a form of amnesia, which is listed but only in the material given out to doctors on request.

My husband is also on Lipitor for CAD. Although his cholesterol readings were low, his doctor doubled his dose of Lipitor. Since that time he developed appalling short term memory problems and could not think through relatively simple problems without a great effort. He cut the dose by half without reference to his doctor, and his short term memory had definitely improved. He is considering his next step.

hi, my father was on lipitor since 6 years and he quit the medication last october 06 with not big change he still has dificulty walking very weak muscle cant stand stright and hard to get up or sit in the car,but he has some improvement that before all his body was numb which is he never felt pain now the numbness is gone but he is crumbling form severe pain,he dreamed all night and scared and maked noise while he was aslept but now he doesnt his upper leg was very hard like stone and numb and stiff but now it is abit like normal but very painful his memory improved his dry eyes subside but cant walkhe is starting coq10 50mg fish oil and also taking zetia10 mg and will see his improvement even my doctor refuse that lipitor is not doing this damage and i am a doctor study for 7 years and you means me just read few post from net and chalanging a doctor even he wants my father to put him bach to lipitor and write a prescription for him and i said to my father dont take it i copy some of these post and gave it to my doctor he didnt even look at it and siat it is all lies and none of them are rightand told me dont trust to these topic but i do coz all the symptom that i see here my father has and i dont believe to doctors any more about this what ever he say i wish full recovery for all the people who suffering from this medication and please if any one recoverd plz send me a private email on ******
i think pfizer should be sued by people who are suffering and this medication should be withdrawnfrom the market before it harm others.

I am 53 years old and have been on 10 mg of Lipitor for at least 5 years. For the past 3 years I have been experiencing tight muscles in my back and muscle spasms on my right side. I have had the following tests done - all of which came back negative: CT scan, Ultrasound, MRI, gall bladder scan, kidney scan, pelvic exam, even had a colonoscopy (that sucked), and went for physical therapy which the therapist said I had weakness on my right side. The doctor never even suggested to stop taking Lipitor but after reading these posts, I'm stopping myself.

Lawsuits Filed Over Lipitor Side Effects

By DAVID B. CARUSO

The Associated Press

Thursday, June 8, 2006; 9:33 PM

NEW YORK -- Two men who believe they suffered lasting muscle damage
from taking the popular anti-cholesterol drug Lipitor are suing
medication's maker, Pfizer Inc., claiming the company didn't issue
loud enough warnings about potential side effects.

Charles M. Wilson, a former insurance executive from Atlanta, and
Michael Mazzariello, an attorney from New York City, said in separate
lawsuits that they began experiencing debilitating pain, weakness and
memory problems after taking the drug.

"It ruined my life," said Mazzariello, 47. He said that within weeks
of going on the medication, he couldn't walk without a cane, tend his
garden or lift his 1-year-old child.

The symptoms subsided once Mazzariello stopped taking the medication _
he stood under his own power at a news conference Thursday at a
Manhattan hotel _ but he said he still suffers from pain, fatigue and
a tingling sensation in his hands and feet.

Pfizer called the two suits "baseless" and vowed to fight them in
court. A spokesman for the company, Bryant Haskins, said all potential
side effects of the drug are included on its labeling and often
mentioned in advertising.

Haskins said the number of Lipitor users experiencing those symptoms
is "very, very small ... well under 1 percent," and that they are far
outnumbered by the millions of people who have taken it safely.

Mark Krum, the lawyer handling the suits filed by Wilson and
Mazzariello, acknowledged that the medication may be safe for most
people, but he said that didn't absolve the company of its duty to
market it responsibly and adequately disclose side effects.

memory loss, horrible back pain, joints pain, muscular pain, neck pain. I have had surgeries to no avail, I just had 2 Epidurals to my Lumbar and Cervical region, numerous MRI's, x-rays, and it all came down to Lipitor...I went to a spinal surgeon 8 days ago, begging him to do spinal surgery as I have some collapsed discs, he could not figure out why I had so much pain in my right side when the pain should have been on my left side. He stated that he wouldn't do surgery as it could make the pain worse. He could not understand what was going on..as I was leaving in tears because the pain was so bad, and I couldn't find help, his nurse caught me at the elevator and told me the doctor wanted me to try going off Lipitor for 3 weeks to see if the pain got better. I have been off of Lipitor for 8 days and the pain has already subside so much that it is unbelievable. for the first time last night, I slept without my Vicodin and muscle spasm relaxers. I have gone through memory losses, balance problems. I have been to nuerosurgeons, Orthopedic specialists, Neurologists, I have had 8 surgeries for joint pain. I really believe that Pfizer ought to reimburse us for all of our pain and suffering, our testings done, our Epidurals, our medicines that we have been living on. for the last 8 months the pain was pure hell. I hope the food and drug administration and Pfizer is happy with themselves for not releasing the true story and the symptoms of Lipitor that can and are happening to people all over our country.

I took Lipitor for 3-4 years, and it didn't seem to control my numbers. Sometimes up sometimes down. I am at 360 now.
I am a weight lifter , walk 10 miles a day and have had high numbers since 28, now 48.
After years with Lipitor I lost libido function. I was literally numb, no urge, a slight desire but no reation. 2 years off, and I am alot better though not as good as before.
Two Phara sales (relatives)people told me Pfizer has been settling out of court on this libido issue. Which gave me strength challenge the doctors choices.
Now they're trying to give me Tricor.

My mother was on Lipitor and had kidney failure after flu like symptoms. I am positive it is from Lipitor. The doctors tried to say kidney was from high blood pressure, my mother had low pressure. When I said I thought it was from Lipitor they all denied it could cause kidney those statements till I had them read the PDR (physician's desk reference). Being as one had a Lipitor Billboard on his collar, talking to him was like talking to a rock (although the rock would be smarter). I found out her personal doctor brought her cholesteral to 110 and her kidney doctor said everthing is fine although your kidneys are small. This was one month prior to total kidney failure.

My mother's memory is totally gone. It has progressively gotten worse. Aparently cholesteral has an important function in the brain that hasn't been looked at by the medical profession. Today, my mother will ask the same question 5 times in a row in the span of 20 minutes. She forgets anything she is told almost immediately.

Lipitor is killing people, it is a profit thing for Pfizer. When lawsuits exceed profit, it will be pulled, just like Baycol.

Pfizer doesn't admit that Lipitor has this side effect, but it does. I have swallowing and speech problems plus memory loss. I am under care of a neurologist who who originally diagnosed me as having Bulbar ALS. After an EMG test he realized that my nerves were regenerating AFTER I had stopped taking Lipitor for a few months. He now things that my problems were caused by Lipitor and that I do NOT have ALS. My speech and swallowing have not deteriorated further since stopped Lipitor one year ago; however, they have not improved very much either.