Prescription drug symptoms and conditions

I took Zocor for 9 months after I had a heart attack. After about 8 months I began having sever muscle spasm in my legs. I had a couple of episodes where when walking I couldn't pick up my feet and thought I was having a stroke and had to sit down and rest before walking on. I had to do this several times to get where I was going. I told my cardiologist and he had me stop the Zocor. The spasms stopped but I never regained the strength in my legs. Today I have had to put ramps in at home cannot climb steps. The ramp is difficult because of the incline but it is better than crawling up my steps to get in the house. I can only walk about 50 steps before my legs give out on me. I cannot walk on uneven ground without holding on to something or someone. I have now had 2 back surgeries because I have been told over and over it is my back with no relief for the legs. This last surgery my left foot drags and my big toe hangs down and I cannot pull it up. Now I fall a lot because of that and have to wear an AFO to keep my foot and toe up so it doesn't drag and trip me. The back doctor thinks it another pinched nerve and wants to open back up again. I am so tired of them trying to convenience me it is my back when I know it was the Zocor and the damage apparently is irreversible but no one wants to agree with me. I am sick of it and just wish they would say yes it was the Zocor and get you a scooter and live the best you can. I know I am headed for that road I use a walker and cane when I don't have someone with me to hold on to. Because I am so unstable on my legs.

Except for having high cholesterol (310), I'm a 29 yr old healthy active female, very petite and weigh 98lbs. My mother has had a quadruple bypass and 4 stents at the age of 54, high cholesterol is just hereditary in my family. My doctor put me on 40 mg of zocor. The first week taking zocor I started feeling strange, a little soar here and there and very tired at times, also I have become very forgetful. It's been almost 2 months now and I have severe pain in my legs. First it was the right leg and now both legs, the pain starts at my lower back all the way down to my cav. I have a burning painful feeling sometimes numbing feeling, its driving me crazy!!!! I can't stand for too long cause I feel tons of pressure on my lower back pushing down my legs, It feels like my sciatic nerve. I went to my doctor and he said he is 95% sure that this is from the zocor medication, he told me to stop it right away. This is my first day without it, I know I need to do something to prevent what happen to my mother, I'm on a strict healthy diet, staying away from all fatty cholesterol filled foods, but there has to be a better way then taking statin drugs! If anyone has some ideas of what kind of alternative meds I can take, please help.

I went online tonight to see if I could find a connection between the severe tooth and gum pain I've been experiencing and Singulair - the only prescription drug I'm on. What a revelation! I am so angry! My teeth are sore, my gums are red and receding, my bite has changed, and I'm grinding my teeth. I know its the Singulair! Now I am also wondering about the worsening social anxiety and isolation I've been experiencing. I'm off this poison forever and going back to herbal remedies. Have I ever been a fool!

My daughter was on Yasmin for a year, and almost immediately began experiencing a variety of symptoms including depression, mood swings, headaches, nausea, tingling and numbness in her legs, etc. Doctors checked her thyroid, gave her a cat scan, prescribed anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, anti-psychotic drugs ( she started hearing voices) and warned that she couldn't stop these drugs abruptly without causing their own serious side effects. After her second hospitalization for suicidal threats, the psychiatrist, at our insistence took her off Yasmin, the only prescription drug that she was taking when the problems began. She began to feel normal within a few months, and was able to wean herself off Prozac a short time later. We are convinced that this is a very dangerous drug.
In doing research, I found that there is a consumer watchdog group, called Public Citizen ( ******), which monitors FDA reports and has successfully lobbied to have a number of drugs removed from the market. They have Yasmin listed on their "do not use" list ( ******) because of the risk of increased potassium levels and blood clots. The British Medical Journal (******) also has articles suggesting a link between Yasmin and thromboembolisms.
I believe the first step for any of us who have had adverse experiences with this drug is to go to FDA.gov and "Report a Problem". My understanding is that the level of severity of the problem leads to a required response on the part of the agency.
I think the biggest problem is that this drug is very widely prescribed but that few doctors seem informed enough to make a connection when the serious side effects ( fully described on the label) begin to emerge.

The reason is when you stop taking the Lipitor, and your symptoms don't go away is this: Lipitor cause hearing loss, which is what causes the Tinnitus! I have been having severe tinnitus for months now, seen all kinds of Dr.s who didn't have a clue. And I finally went to the House Ear Clinic, and they told me what it was, but they didn't know how I got it. I got Tinnitus a few months after my Dr. upped my dose. It's taken me this long to put the puzzle together. The Physician's Desk Reference lists hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness as side effects of Lipitor. I am appalled that not one Dr. asked me what kind of medication I was taking!

I want to post this because this site has given me good perspective on this Rx and side effects experienced by others; its good to know I am not alone. As far as an agenda, I have none, in fact I was all for the Singulair initially, because it seemed to be a good alternative to inhaled steriods which I had read could interfere with normal growth. My son, 4 yrs. old, with a diagnosis of Asthma, started Singulair about 2 weeks ago. Asthma seems to have been improved by Singulair. Within a couple days of starting it, though, he reported vivid (but not nightmare-ish) dreams, a week later he dropped his afternoon nap, which we were expecting to happen eventually, so didn't think much of it. He is a wild child generally, but we also noticed an uptick in bad and aggressive behavior within a day or two of starting the Singulair; we really clamped down on him though, so that effect has been somewhat muted. He has always occasionally complained of indigestion stomach aches, but these complaints have increased to several times a day in the last week, also complain of lower abdominal pain which he says is "different" than his earlier indigestion stomach aches. Last week or so he's been up late at night, had trouble going to sleep, looks a little pale with dark circles under his eyes ("he's becoming a Goth" I joked with my wife). Last night he got out of bed late, appeared disoriented and seemed to be half awake, half asleep. He was talking, but not making sense and seemed to be upset and/or confused, but when pressed he assurred me nothing was wrong and nothing hurt--put him back to bed and this morning he remembers getting up, but also keeps telling me he had a "weird" (not scarry) dream and that he keeps seeing it while he's awake. Luckily this weird dream was not scarry for him, but he was clearly a little freaked out by seeing it again this morning. He seemed o.k. heading off to preschool, but we are taking him off the Singulair as a precaution. My advice to anyone else out there seeing similar symptoms in their kids is to go with your gut -- I always tell people that a Doctor's job is to tell you the odds, like only 1 in 500 or 1 in 1000 kids will have a certain reaction, or condition, or illness, it is the parents' job to be sure that their kid is not that 1. So I'm taking my kid off the Singulair because I think he may be that 1 kid who experiences these unusual side-effects. How wide spread they are, I have no idea. I will get on my soapbox and say I think it's time for the FDA to require drug companies to conduct long and short term clinical studies on kids for any drug that will be prescribed to kids--entrusting our childrens' health and well being to a drug company's own short term study conducted on fully developed adults is foolish and insane.

I have been on Yaz now for a little over a year. I'm only 18 and I'm always exhausted and sore. My whole body aches almost all the time. Like most others on Yaz, I've been having really bad headaches on and off. I just found out today that the maker of Yaz is actually being sued because Yaz is such a dangerous drug. Exact words from the article: "ATTENTION: YAZ YASMIN PRESCRIPTION DRUG NEWS, On October 3, 2008, the United States government ordered the manufacturer of YAZ/YASMIN, a powerful birth control pill, to stop advertising that misleads the public regarding the value and safety of this drug. If you or a loved one has suffered a heart attack, stroke, blood clot, or death after using YAZ/YASMIN, please call right now. SERIOUS INJURY LAWYERS"

That's an article from Phillips and associates...Apparently this isn't such a safe BC.

I posted on July 27, but have to amend my complaint. The flexeril was definitely not effective for me, but the good news (for others taking Flexeril) is that the tingling and numbness I reported was due to the sudden withdrawal from another prescription drug, and not caused by the Flexeril.

I am a 60year old female who was admitted to Mayo clinic after experiencing a hypertensive encephalopathy seizure. I was placed on lisinopril to try to bring my blood pressure under control. I have been on as many as five different medications per day with none controlling my extreme high blood pressure. After taking lisinopril for two days I developed a severe headache with floaters. My face became very swollen, especially my eyes, with unbearable itching and soreness. I also have had chest pains and it feels like my throat and insides are raw. My stomach hurts and it is hard to eat. I have only taken two lisinopril tablets and will not be taking any more. I see my doctor tomorrow and expect to be given a different medication. So far I have had no luck with any blood pressure medicine and I have tried about ten different kinds. If any one has had any luck with a prescription drug or an alternative remedy, I would love to hear from you.Thanks, Evelyn

Thanks and blessings to everyone who has posted problems with Lisinopril on this site.

I am a 60 year old Caucasian male who was put on Lisinopril 10 mg by my doctor in conjunction with 54 mg of Concerta for treating me for ADHD. Two years later I finally discovered that the “ADHD” was caused by my progressive glasses being one diopter too strong causing Induced Dyslexia. The real problem was not my ability to mentally focus or “follow a task list.” The real problem was my inability to read what was in front of me, let alone find the list.

I now have a correct progressive glasses prescription and computer glasses for seeing what is on my monitor so that I can think again. I weaned myself off the Concerta and haven’t felt this good in 5 years EXCEPT for when I came down with the flu five months ago (despite taking the flu shot – which we now know only worked 40% of the time). After being ill for six weeks with the flu, however, almost all of the flu symptoms were gone except for the dizziness and fatigue.

I was so dizzy and exhausted that “I felt like I was on some type of drug.” That was when I realized that I WAS taking a prescription drug - Lisinopril.

It was also when I discovered your webpage and the side effects of Lisinopril of dizziness and fatigue.

I stopped taking the Lisinopril and within 36 hours the dizziness and fatigue was gone and I feel great. Mentally I think that I am also much more alert, and think that the Lisinopril also increased the confusion that the Concerta was supposed to help reduce.

Again, THANK YOU.

After I switched to Metoprolol Succinate ER, the generic form of Toprol XL, which I had used for 4 years with no noticeable side effects, I began having the experience of everything moving faster - heart beat, pulse, intestinal peristalsis was highly accelerated. Daily bowel movements increased from one or two normal a day to three or four. After a few weeks this condition was punctuated by brief bouts of diarrhea(not something I am prone to) approximately weekly.

Since nothing else changed in my food, supplement or prescription drug intake, my digestive system has always worked extremely well, without problems; and because I had a colonoscopy showing no abnormalities in recently years and no occult blood in the stool in a recent doctor's visit, I am wondering if the Metoprolol is the cause. My entire system feels like it is on some type of "speed' drug, sort of a mania experience.

Have there been other reports of this with people who switched from Toprol Xl to the generic?

I came across this site purely by entering "swollen red foot and kidney pain" into my search engine, imagine my shock when up came a site listing kidney pain and lisinopril!! I have been taking lisinopril for about 7 months now and as I had no adverse side effects in the first week carried on popping my "little lifesaver" no questions asked. Over the last 3 months I have experienced kidney pain to the extent that I was beginning to think I would pass a kidney stone! dry persistent cough, sleeplessness which means I am up at all hours throughout the night and catnapping (when I can) during the day, nausea ,stomach pain and headache!! The swollen foot I don't think I can attribute to the lisinopril....but who knows? I appreciate that in medicine we use various "poisons" as cures and remedies for illness, but when I read of the side effects that so many people are experiencing and am able to see a definite link to the ones I am experiencing then I start to wonder ....the good thing is that this drug and I take 10mg daily has reduced my B.P to a rather good level.....but I have decided to stop taking it for a few days to see whether my symptoms stop and have made an appointment to discuss this treatment with my G.P as a matter of urgency!! Thanks...Jill xx Oh almost forgot to add the incessant itching as well!!

I had been on Cozaar off and on for about three years. Although the medication did bring my blood pressure down, my weight steadily increased, and no matter what I did, I could not lose a pound. I was tired, depressed, and my vision changed for the worse. I had increased urination, and I also developed a strangling type cough, and would have coughing fits every now and then. I experienced light headedness and a loss of concentration. Initially I did not attribute these symptoms to Cozaar, because they came on gradually. I never needed glasses before Cozaar, my appetite was the same, and I was not on any other prescription drug. About 6 months ago, I decided to ween myself off of Cozaar. During that time I have lost about 20 lbs, without dieting--eating the same way I did on Cozaar. My concentration and energy level has increased, and my vision has improved--I don't need reading glasses anymore. My blood pressure fluctuates from normal to medium-high, so I am looking into more natural remedies to control it. Please remember that drugs treat the symptoms, not the disease.

This past week has in large part been spent under the painful influence of a potent and fairly common prescription drug that I didn't need to take. I want you to be aware of the possibility that this kind of thing happening to you or your loved one. We see the prescription drug commercials and their disclaimers on TV and are amused that anyone would take a drug with a long list of horrible side effects for some rather minor ailment. And you always think it happens to some one else.

On Sept. 19, I went to a local dermatologist to have her look at a very small rash on my arm and a small cyst on my back. She extracted the "skin cells" in my back after using a local anesthetic and sent me home with 2 prescriptions, one for a lotion for the rash and, I thought, an antibiotic that the doctor had mentioned for the extraction. I had only the prescription for the oral medicine filled as I had also been given a small sample size of lotion and the area of rash was no more than a 2 inch square size.

On the 20th I began taking the pills from a large card with the dosage marked for day and night doses in decreasing amounts. By the the 25th I was jittery and miserable from the inside out, could hardly breathe, or talk, my muscles were all tight and tense and hurting, my stomach was upset but I could hardly get enough food, I was completely without any energy at all. By the next day it was all I could do to get out of bed and shower, I certainly could not work or function normally, in addition to the other symptoms, my body ached, head ached, not to mention how mean I felt. I stopped taking the meds after the morning dose on the 27th, when it occurred to me that this was not the result of "stress" from taking my mother on a 6 hour trip to see her brother in hospice care on the 23rd for two days. The next day I called the pharmacy to find out what I had been prescribed and they told me Dexpak, steroid. The symptoms have continued through the next days and have begun to slowly and slightly subside, but as I write this on the 30th I am still far from feeling like myself and my eyes have become cloudy, making it difficult to see. I made it to church this morning, but that's all I have been able to do since last week.

It is astounding to see the list of extreme reasons to prescribe this potent drug especially for a tiny rash on an otherwise very healthy person. Then the list of side effects, of which I have virtually every one, frightens me more and my concern is that they may not all be reversable. There are several things I didn't do along this path of taking the meds that I could have avoided all this if I had not just trusted that they were antibiotics (which I never got), and actually read the material they give you with the prescription when you pick it up. Even so, it begs the question, why would this have been prescribed in the first place?

I was only on Yaz for 3 weeks!!!

I have been off of it for 8 weeks now.

I have such bad anxiety that even the Lexapro (which I did not want totake as Iam holistic) but I was literally losing my mind due to the overwhelming anxiety.

Prior to Yaz I never took a prescription drug

I pray to God it didnt force me into menopause or damage me forever i cant live with this anxiety for ever iam so scared.

I have taken 8 Xanax as there are some nights I cant slepp I breka them into quarters so I get a tiny tiny dose.

I dont want to be on this lexapro does anyone please know of a way to stop the anxiety its mostly in my arms and legs!!
I tried tons of water swimming walking reading baths massage nothing and ia mean nothing stops it I tried Valerian, Calmfortay Kava Kava St Johns Wort none of which helps!!!!

Please let me know so I can wean off the Lexapro

Sarah you there please help!

Dejay and I ran parallelon this whole episode
She didnt have any of the symptoms prior to Yaz either

Dejay is taking lexapro and I may be soon as well if this anxiety doesnt subside

To say I have other issues going on I dont know how prior to Yaz
I never took a prescription drug
Never took over the counter meds
Never went to a counselor
Never had PMS
Never had anxiety

Now Iam anxiety ridden shakey and cant get myself back

Its overwhelming scary and upseting

First, thank you for your posts and providing me that extra push to stop taking this pill. For the past 5 months I've been on Yasmin. After the first few days I experienced dizziness and increased anxiety. I spoke to my pharmacist (in retrospect this makes me laugh) and he suggested I continue for a month to see if the side-effects subside. And they did. And sure enough my skin cleared, I lost some weight and my periods became quite light. Yet now, near 5 months later, the side-effects have resumed. I'm lightheaded, am having trouble with blurriness and am very anxious. Overall I'm feeling disconnected and a bit manic. Yasmin is the ONLY drug I am on. I actually am dedicated to an organic lifestyle and have for the past year injested almost all things organic. And so after reading your posts I realize that these feelings are not a function of being a "woman in her twenties" balancing stress, work and home, but actually a chemical reaction to the ONLY prescription or non-prescription drug I injest.
Now I pose the question - do I look for a replacement or give my body a break from BCP all together (I've been on them for 10 years now?) And can someone please confirm what alternative medications they took after stopping this pill to help bring the body and mind back to equilibrium? BComplex?
Thank you
Jacquelyn

I've been taking Ultracet for over SIX months, usually twice daily and sometimes 3 times a day. I herniated a disk a couple years ago and I've had two back surgery since then and have taken every type of prescription drug available, Perocet, Oxycodone and now Ultracet. Ultracet does help with the pain, but it's side effect are just as much of an issue as the scatic nerve and back pain. My main issue is dizziness or being woosey on a daily basis and I do get an upset stomach on occasion. I only drive short distances because of the dizziness and probably shouldn't drive at all. What concerns me is the length of time I've been taking Ultacet. I do believe Ultracet is habit forming or additive no matter what anyone else may say. I need to get off this drug, soon.

I find all the above symptoms/side effects strange.
I have keloids all over my body caused by ingrowing hairs and injuries. My doctor adviced me not to go for surgery as I had 90% chance of the keloids getting bigger. He suggested I tried kenelog injections and cordran tapes and they have worked like a miracle. The keloid behind my ears caused by ear piercing have flattened completely. The only side effects I have noticed are that my menstral cycle goes crazy (which is normal for someone taking steriods), I have increased pimples and the areas injected get slightly thinner and change colour. Asides from this, I believe that the results far outway the sideeffects which a somewhat reversible.
Only problem is that kenalog is a prescription drug and cost me too much to get since I am only a visitor in the UK.

Beta Sitosterol,three tablets (113mg) taken daily with meals, combined with non time release Wellbutrin 150mg twice daily, caused prostate enlargement. Have started and discontinued the BetaSitosterol three times in the last several months with no additional changes to my vitamin/mineral/prescription drug progam. Within 7-10 days the urine flow begans to decrease and at the end of two weeks urine flow is severely restricted. Have tried to contact the company 'Source Naturals' at their listed website at www.sourcenaturals.com but it is not available.
Anyone else have a problem with this natural plant enzyme?
Ta. W.dean

My doctor prescribed Levaquin 500mg at a duration of 7 days for liver infection problem. After taking this prescription drug I had intense psychological dreams with a strong desire of rage. Mentally I felt out of body and had a very difficult time sleeping. I have never in the past had this type of feeling of rage and intensity of dreams. I felt dis-connected from my self. I would never take this medication again and I would advise others to do as well.