Posters symptoms and conditions

I cannot contribute - in the same way as other posters, I can add a side effect of getting of all birth control pills-- health. The pill seems to act by mimicking the first trimester symptoms of pregnancy in many ways - explains many of the symptoms. Can you imagine being 1st trimester-pregnant for years? I cannot understand why women will use un-natural, non-organic foreign substances in their bodies with possibly deadly side effects - yet swear by organic soy milk, veggies what have you -seems a bit schizophrenic. Better to wait for the man who would love you fully and not ask you to hurt yourself so he can use you for sex. We become just like the men here, this is so sad to me. Instead of being "liberated" we, (not the men) become slave to the pill. And then we don't get he freedom or the man. Try organic sex, in the ways God intended, much healthier.

I have no idea what most of you are saying. My son has cronic severe asthma and there have been times where he has been close to dying. He is 8 yrs old and been through a lot more than most people have been their entire lives. He has been on singulair for about 6 or 7 yrs now and he hasn't any problems with side effects that any of you are talking about. Before he was put on singulair controlling his asthma was almost impossible. For the parents who have not given ao have just stop giving their children their medication just like that. You should talk to you doctors because I know first hand how dangerous asthma can be. If any parent has ever had to rush their child to the ER and then you child was put into the icu for weeks at a time. You will think you lucky stars there is a medicine like singulair out there. Thank You for letting me share my story.

Is there anyone who has taken lisinopril and had a mri of the brain that has showed white lesion on your brain that are unexplained? Also how long do you think it takes to get this drug totally out of your system?

I started using nuvaring 3 weeks ago. I have had no negative changes in my life... actually some positive one but I am an emotional wreck. I have contemplated suicide everyday for the last 2 weeks. My mom, sister, and friends have spent the night at my house bc I have been in such bad shape. I have had periodic bout of depression but nothing like this esp. Without any cause. I am removing the ring after I finish this post.

One thing I find interesting, I used the ring about 5 or 6 years ago without any problems. I was 26 or 27 at the time. I am 32 now. Really makes me wonder what age has 2 do with emotional side effects as it seems many other younger posters here don't complain of nearly the side effects those of us with a few years under our belt do. :)

I also had weight gain, big time increase in appetite, dryness\burning burn sex and foreplay. Also some headache and fatigue... but those maybe coincidence.

Hello All,

I started taking the antibiotic and also had a "lump in the throat feeling" about 5 days after taking it. Like some other posters, the feeling started in the middle of the night and has persisted since. I think it may be GERD. Tomatoes and citrus certainly make it worse! I am going to try a diet of mild foods until the coarse is over.

I have been taking Topamax for atypical trigeminal neuralgia for about five weeks - starting at 25mg and working my way up to 100mg each night. The first three or four days I was a bit headache, nothing unbearable but just kind of uncomfortable.

Right from the beginning I had this great side effect that I haven't read anyone else here mention - this feeling of clarity in my head, as though I've always had noisy background static that was now suddenly switched off. I just love it! I was not even aware of this noisy static that had apparently been going on in my head all my life until it had been switched off! And now I feel this wonderful sense of peace and calm. So I have no idea what that is all about, but I'm not complaining. I do remember once reading about generalized anxiety disorder and wondering if I perhaps suffered from a mild case of that (not a very severe case of it), if that is the case, that could perhaps explain the static-y background noise in my head - that is now thankfully gone after taking Topamax. So, I can happily say that I have a pleasant side effect from this drug (sounds like I'm one of the few from reading this forum!)

I'm not sure if it's a related side effect, but I feel more calm and more peaceful. Like it takes a lot to upset me. It's kind of funny, I'm watching my husband get all cranky and fired up about something and I'm just watching him and waiting for him to calm down, whereas once before I would have got hooked and gotten all cranky and fired up myself. Now I just don't get it and I'm thinking to myself "why's he getting so upset about this?" And he's looking at me all quizzically like "why aren't you getting all upset about this?" But it all just kind of slides right off... Interesting because some of the other posters are saying quite the opposite about feeling aggressive on Topamax...

Another really good side effect for me is being able to sleep really well at night, something I've never been able to do (I've always been a really erratic/light sleeper), I don't remember ever sleeping this soundly. I swear I now sleep with a big smile on my face : ) I'm just so happy to be sleeping soundly! And I actually think I might now be less sleepy during the day than before (so unlike other posters) which is likely to be because I'm sleeping better at night. Although if I'm having a lazy day at home, it is very easy to have a big daytime nap (but that’s not really that new for me!), and I definitely get very tired at bedtime, but otherwise my energy levels are quite okay, probably more than before Topamax, rather than less.

I'm still not sure yet if the frequency of my atypical trigeminal neuralgia is less as I usually only get it about once every ten - fourteen days. I think it has been less frequent but I will need to be on it a little bit longer to know if it's working for sure.

I had a scary experience one day after I'd been taking it for about a week or two where it felt like a water balloon had been popped in the back of my head and the water was running down the back of my head and neck. It was the creepiest experience and one that I didn't immediately attribute to the Topamax but after reading some of these posts made me think that maybe it was?

The tingling in my feet has been pretty bad, not just your regular pins and needles but really very uncomfortable/almost painful. Yesterday was the first day I didn't have it, I'm not sure if it was because I've been drinking more milk (I read that calcium could help) or taking potassium supplements. I'm also being mindful not to cross my legs or sit on my feet as I usually do. I've also been very constipated so I'm making sure I'm eating a lot of All Bran every day.

My biggest concern has been the cognitive side effects because I'm due to start my doctoral degree in a few months and need to be extra sharp. I have definitely not been feeling sharp! Again, yesterday was probably about the first day I started to feel a bit better with that side effect too. I've been taking folic acid supplements but I also took the advice of one of the other people who posted here who suggested taking the Topamax with food, so I take it with my dinner and maybe that's what's helping? I'm not sure, but I don't feel quite so dumb! One of the things I felt most ditzy with was time perception, I don't know whether other people experienced this also? Whether it was being aware of the day or the month I just couldn't work it out...

I'm also less hungry - loving that. Weight loss is very slow though (but all weight loss is good), maybe 2kg (4.5lb) in 5 weeks. I was on holiday for 3 of those weeks in my favorite food eating destination surrounded by all my favorite foods and I was pretty much uninterested - now that's a first. Normally I come back from this trip with an extra 5kg! If I wanted to I could still eat, but it definitely makes it easier to abstain, so I know I won’t have to worry about getting dangerously thin as some other posters have written about.

My side effects have definitely changed over time, I'll get something for a few days and then it will go. So I'm hoping that I'll continue to get the good ones and that the bad ones will go. Overall, I'm very satisfied so far with Topamax and seem to be tolerating it quite well, so fingers crossed that it continues to go well. Perhaps different people simply tolerate different medications differently. But from all the reading I've done on Topamax, here's a few tips I've picked up which seem to be helping me: I take it only at night (to help combat daytime tiredness), I supplement with a multivitamin, folic acid, potassium and make sure I'm getting enough calcium, I take my Topamax with dinner, I drink a lot of water, plus I don't take any other meds. I hope these may help some other people reading this and I wish you all the best of luck with your migraines/trigeminal neuralgia/epilepsy or whatever other nasty ailment has you taking Topamax. I’d also love to receive your replies to hear if any of you have experienced any of the same side effects as me.

My doctor prescribed levaquin for a sinus infection AND possible stomach ulcer - kill 2 birds with one stone. Took one pill yesterday and had a rather quiet evening. Very difficult to wake up this morning, but got up anyway and headed to work. Found it VERY difficult to drive!! I was shocked - I didn't realize until I got part of the way to work that I was extremely spacey. Maybe the coffee I'm drinking this morning is spreading the drug around in my body / brain?? After arriving at work, felt even worse, and became very irritable. Want to just close my eyes and go to sleep! I have cold chills and I also feel very depressed and started to cry for NO reason. I called my doctor and she said to stop taking it right away.

As a side note - I have just started taking Femera (post cancer medicine) about 2 weeks ago and wonder if it's a combination of both of these drugs that is making me not feel well, or if it's just the Levaquin...I feel a lot worse emotionally today than I did yesterday, so for that fact alone, I know it's the Levaquin that's doing it.

I agree with other posters that I would not take this drug again unless it was absolutely necessary. The sinus headache was bad, but feeling like this is WORSE. I feel out of control and like an emotional wreck.

I'm noticing most of the posters are women...Well, I am a man, i I have been living with the side effects of a wife having Mirena for about a year.. For the first few months it seemed ok..then gradually I started noticing little things change...slight weight gain that was never there before, horrible mood swings and anxiety attacks ...and the WORST PROBLEM!!...NO Sex Drive..She went from wanting it on a daily basis to NEVER...and thats enough to drive any normal man insane...So i decided before I committed suicide ...lol..or just completely leave the woman ive loved for the last 6 years..i would google "Mirena" ..and "Bitchiness" ... and this is where it took me.... We are getting the thing removed in two days....I CANT WAIT... you will have a full update when this occurs...hopefully i can go back to my normal life with my normal loving wife

My daughter had her 3rd Gardasil shot in the beginning of November 08.
About 2 weeks later her glands in her neck started to swell. I took her to my ENT who did a mono test, which turned out negative. However her glands were still very swollen, one was so big it had to be surgically removed. The doctor thought she had Hodgkins, thankfully it was also negative. OK now what? After more blood test were taken she was diagnosed with Epstein Barr Virus, a form of Mono. Like so many other posters she was a very healthy active girl prior to the Gardasil shot. Since the 3rd shot she has had 2 UTI's, is unable to sleep at night and has frequent headaches.
I am another one of those mothers who regret having my daughter get these shots. I didn't do my homework. Now I can only pray that she does not have any further complications. After reading the post on this, I wouldn't recommend getting these shots.

Is anyone experiencing confusion, trouble thinking, trouble concentrating, decreased cognitive function, mental sluggishness, trouble solving problems or situations which require logical thinking and sequencing, and memory loss? Would love to hear from anyone experiencing any these symptoms and if so, how long were you on the drug.
Thanks!

Hello All,

I have had the Mirena since July 2007, and I have in fact experienced some of the side effects mention by other posters. Severe depression, inability to focus, mood swings, irregular bleeding and don't forget the VAGINAL DISCHARGE AND FOUL ODOR - Argh! My doctor recently prescribed Prozac for the depression but I opted not to take it and instead prayed for some relief and then I realized that I was fine, except for heavy periods - before the Mirena and then I researched it and found this site and read the other post. I immediately felt better and made the decision then to have it removed..so I am scheduled to have it removed this week!!!! I thank God for coming across this site.

I ,too, have been taken Lisinopril(25mg) with Atenolol once a day for the past 11/2 years. I don't know if anyone has had a problem with hair loss, and would like to hear from someone who has had the same problem.

I got Mirena back in May. I felt HORRIBLE. I was tired all the time and ALL of my joints ached constantly. I could NOT lose weight. My skin was so dry and flaky. I was moody to the MAX. Also, my bad cholesterol levels shot thru the roof. Both my regular doc and the OB pooh poohed that it could be the Mirena, but got OB to take it out anyway. Went back on my good old Low Ogestrel (generic lo ovral). While in the OB office, the posters mentioned about Mirena not being a 'dual' method. Ding - light bulb went off! After leaving the doctor's office, I searched on symptoms of low estrogen. Lo and behold every symptom was tied to estrogen deficiency!
Within a week after going back on the pill I was back to 'normal' and had lost 5 pounds - with no change in diet or exercise!
(not to mention I now know exactly when to expect my period.)

I have used Advair 250 for a few years now and have noticed a few of the same symptoms as the other posters, but my main concern is whenever I go off the drug for too long my asthma gets drastically worse. I have become extremely dependent on this expensive drug that I can barely afford and I fear it is just weakening my health while only mildly suppressing my asthma. I feel stuck with this drug now. I feel like a slave to it. It's an awful feeling.

I started using Nuvaring last month and I will never use it again. I had horrible headaches, cramps and for some reason I had a hard time going to sleep. I might have to go back to Yaz. It's is such a shame since it's so convenient to not think about taking a pill everyday.

In people close to me I have seen the following side effects:

All statins have similar side effects. They can come at once or after many years.

Pain in neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, legs, feet

Pains that keep moving to different parts of the body and could be unbearable -like nerve pains.

Head ache

Burning, tingling sensations in the different body parts mentiond above and numbness

Weakness in hands which caused the person to drop things

Hair loss, difficulties to swallow, ringing noise in the ears, loss of taste, memory problems - particularly with short term memory, difficulties to find words and to remember what just had been read, impotens, extreme sensitivity in the skin (abdomen).

Please "educate" yourself.

Read books and look for information in many different places. Remember to find out who is behind a certain webb-adress. Could it be a pharmaceutical company.

Unfortunately I am not allowed to write webb-adresses here - but Google the titles of the books/writers below and you will find some webb-adresses.

The Great Cholesterol Con (Anthony Colpo)

--------------------"--------------- (Malcolm McKendrick) - this is another book

The Cholesterol Myths (Uffe Ravnskov)

Malignant Medical Myths (Joel F. Kauffman)

Overdosed America (John Abramson)

Lipitor - thief of memory (Duane Graveline)
Duane G. has an interesting site

The Truth About The Drug Companies (Marcia Angell)

Google "Stopped our statins" and you will find this webb-site.

Under print articles to the left you will find an interesting article from Weston Price Foundation.

It takes time to look for information and then read it, but often it`s quite essential to do that and to make up your own mind.

It`s your body and you know best how you feel.

Remember it`s a lot of money involved and that`s why news about serious side effects quite often are delayed.

The cholesterol issue - that high cholesterol should cause heart attacks etc - is very controversial. But it`s only the pharmaceutical companies who have the money to "brainwash" by advertisements, ghostwriters etc.

I hope my suggestions can make you more interested in the medications that you are taking.

Finally - a very interesting book about a certain kind of antibiotics - Bitter Pills by Stephen Fried.

English is not my native language but I was forced to read a lot of English books because of the suffering of my relatives, but without the Internet I would not have found them.

Remember new drugs are not necessarily better than old, but always more unsafe. They are also more expensive and that`s why they are so highly promoted.

I've had Mirena for almost 2 years. I am bloated and fatigued. My joints hurt, especially my hips. I've gained 5 pounds and cannot lose it, even working out 7 days a week. I workout regularly but not with the stamina I used to have. I am 39 and in great shape. I can't make it through my classes the way I used. I struggle and it's very depressing. For the past few months my sex drive is zero. I am considering having it removed. Was it extremely painful?

I recently started using NuvaRing in August '08. I had it in for three weeks as directed and took it out two days ago. I haven't had any mood swings, depression, lack of sex drive, cramps, back aches or headaches as most other posters described. My only problem is itching down there. I am using cream to relieve the itching and some days I am fine. Other days, it is hard to bear. Since the ring is out, I am waiting to see if the itching goes away. Is this a side effect? Did anyone else have this?

Where are the other 50 posters for the Epzicom side effects? Why can't I find this? Anyone give me a hand navigating this page?

I am a 39 year-old man who has been on warfarin for just under three years. To date, there have been no adverse side-effects for me that have really jumped out as being due to the drug. I have noticed that my memory is not as sharp as I once remember it being (no pun intended). One thing most of the posters have to remember is that once you are over age 25 or so, then things really start to go on our bodies. I feel horrible for people suffering from side-effects, but don't forget, not only are our bodies starting to show signs of aging, but most of use have gone through a major illness (which stresses the body) that forced us to be on warfarin in the first place. My illness was a DVT, which I thought was a leg cramp, that became a full-blown PE which almost killed me! I am surprised and thrilled that I haven't had the same side effects as many of the posters here. Don't forget to look at some of the positive things people have written too.

I have been using Lisinopril for about 4 months. About two months ago, I noticed a rash, itching, and hives. After eliminating soap, changes in diet, weather, etc. I believe that Lisinopri is the cause.

I also noticed a cough and scratchy throat, although not as serious or pervasive as with other posters.

I stopped taking the medication 6 days ago. The side effects have not cleared.

My doctor was supposed to call me back a couple days ago, but never has. Go figure...

If you are just starting BC,

YOU MUST GIVE IT AT LEAST THREE MONTHS TIME.

BC is a medication. It's a man-made drug. Of course you will have side-effects and probably bad ones while you are just starting it. I really can't say that enough.

When I started Loestrin 24 Fe, it was my first time on BC and I had all the terrible side effects previous posters have had, especially breast tenderness. I had to wear a sports bra at all times, it hurt that badly!

But after that three month mark, everything improved. I stopped retaining water, and actually LOST weight. This pill has helped to regulate my appetite. My acne that I'd had for 7 years disappeared. My periods stopped being weeks long and now last only 3 days at most.

So, until we can create a BC Pill/Injection for men (wouldn't that be more practical anyway to begin with? Get someone on this right away!), we ladies have to endure Short-term side effects associated with the Pill.

My wife had Mirena inserted last year around May. Side effects were similar to those detailed here. Non-existent libido. Acne. Consistent with other's reports of joint pain, my wife experienced symptoms that were diagnosed and treated as Lyme disease. At the time we wondered how it could be Lyme disease when the doctor reported that several tests for Lyme disease came back negative. Now we wonder if the joint pain was actually the Mirena.

After reading the comments on this site, we had the Mirena removed in late May, despite a skeptical doctor. A week of uncomfortable heavy period, but not to bad. My wife's libido has returned, her face has cleared up, and I've gotten a vasectomy.

best wishes, Jim in VA

Began taking Levaqauin on/about 19Mar08. Became symptomatic (agitation + insomnia followed by a host of psychiatric ills) within eight weeks. I'm in a living hell now, which might or might not be related to flouroquinolone, e.g., levaquin poisoning. There are more than 2000+ posting on this site that go back five or so years. Most of the postings constitute one-way communiques from hell. (Go ahead, read a representative sampling of the postings.) Here's the question: what became of these people who wrote their awful posts? Are they still alive? Did they find cures? How does one contact some of the earlier posters?

To all the new posters: please file your complaints with the FDA. You can do it online. Also, you can e-mail Sarah Sellers with the FDA. She is responding to e-mails. Scroll back for links/e-mail address. Thanks Kate Miller.