Protocol symptoms and conditions

My eldest son was diagnosed as a Severe Asthmatic at the age of 3. He was put on Flovent 110, 5mg of Zyrtec and Singulair. I cried thinking about my little guy having to be on daily meds for who knows how long. I decided that I would just try the Zyrtec and Flovent 110, it worked wonderfully. When my eldest was 4, my other son, 2, was put on Flovent 44. Never gave them to my youngest because I knew it was not asthma. I ended up lowering my eldest's dose to the 44 and giving him 1 puff a day with the Zyrtec, he is now 7 and is still under control. As for my younger son, he was not asthmatic, he had sleep apnea, had his tonsils and adenoids removed and is now perfect. Just be careful with these doctors, they seem to diagnose these little ones too quickly......most of the time they are not even right. My eldest went through many many doctors before he was finally diagnosed in the ER and sent to peds for 2 weeks. My youngest went through many doctors too, none would do anything, I had so many excuses as to why my son was such a heavy breather and why he had difficulty swallowing and sleeping. Sorry guys, I ran off here, just want you guys to know that all that are diagnosed with asthma do not necessarily have asthma and I believe way too many drugs are prescribed for these little ones.

In addition to the rather common occurrence of the sweats, I have gained 30+ pounds since commencing a Lupron intermittent protocol. The majority of the weight gain has manifested itself in my stomach. My appetite has not increased or if so, not significantly. I exercise regularly and in most cases, aggressive exercises. I have carefully monitored my diet and have been unable to shed any weight or stomach mass.

I was prescribed Toprol for an irregular heart rhythm (eventually diagnosed as premature ventricular contractions) that developed suddenly when I was 54, despite an active lifestyle, low-normal weight (110), low stress levels, and low blood pressure (100/60). I felt as though my heart was skipping beats, and the "catch-up" beat was so strong my entire chest seemed to vibrate. The Toprol stopped 98 percent of the PACs virtually immediately. But within days I noticed occasional numbness in my legs, and my hands and feet turn icy cold for no obvious reason. I'm also quite tired till late afternoon (I take the Toprol around 10 p.m.), and I just feel "blah." No suicidal, but generally unmotivated. I am often sleepy--at least until around 1 or 2 p.m, when the Toprol starts to wear off. I'm not ready to stop taking it yet--though these reports are sobering--because the PACs made a normal life impossible. But I'm going to be cautious, and if other side effects appear, look for other options.

Attention!
I used Lupron protocol for IVF the last year 07. I began to have side effects a couple of weeks after I finish it. I had hot flashes, headache, insomnia and gain weight. However, on October 07 I began with burning sensation in both legs, which do not allow me to sleep or rest during the night or day. I went with 2 neurologists and I had a lot of blood tests done, also 2 nerve conduction study, 3 MRI… and until now November 08, No diagnosis. The burning sensation in my legs is not a joke! I need to try to keep my legs cool or my life is miserable, even in the winter my legs and feet are hot. I soak my feet almost every night in bucket of cold water and ice because they are practically burning. This year on November 08 I received again lupron as microdosis lupron protocol. Immediately, I begin to have the hot flashes 5 or 6 days after start it. The last year was after few weeks to finish the protocol. Also, the burning sensation in my legs is worst this second time. For a couple of weeks before use the Lupron again, the sensation in my legs was very light. Actually I cannot sleep at night and normally I wake up during the night because my legs feel on fire. Please if someone knows more about it, write in this blog. We need to figure out what is going on.

I started Mirapex at .125 dosage to help with Fibromyalgia pain. The protocol for this was to increase to 3.0. At .75 to 1.0 I began to gamble quite frequently. At 1.50 I couldn't sleep for more than 5 hours a day and became unnaturally hyper. At 1.75, the sleep amount went to only 3 hours and I became delusional with obsessive/compulsive tendencies. If not for my family, I wouldn't have even realized anything was wrong because the dosage increase was so gradual. I am normally a very sensible, stable person and this drug made me into a person that no one knew in my family. Be very careful with this drug. And, do your research on any drug before taking it. I certainly will in the future.

I cannot stand for even a couple of minutes without my feet tingling/burning for the rest of the day. Walking seems to help therefore I thought it was circulation but vein docs say it is not. Symptoms got seriously worse during ivf treatment (3rd ivf, 3rd baby), and now one year later I have a baby but symptoms are worse. I thought drug effects are short term but maybe they are not. I am suspecting lupron but i could not find much info on its long term effects and how to counter those effects, or it could be something else. Saw neurologist who wants to do nerve conduction study but that just sounds very painful and not necessarily helpful.

if you have any feedback, would love to hear. thanks

I am a paramedic and run calls of people having these reactions a lot. It worries me that Docs do not discuss these possible reactions with their patients. Lisinopril is a decent drug to treat hypertension in itself. I have had patients who have been on Lisinopril anywhere from a month to several years. Yes, it is true that it can happen without any change in behavior, health or meds. We do treat it as an allergic reaction. We administer Benadryl per protocol but Benadryl really does nothing in these cases. It really is just a matter of managing the patients airway and waiting for the residual Lisinopril filter from the patient's system. Just be aware of this or talkj to your MD about switching to another HBP controller.

As a Doctor myself I think drugs are NEVER the answer except in EMERGENT issues in Heroic life saving... YOU however and all individuals are and should be MORE accountable for your own health and STOP DEMANDING the Drugs and look to LIFESTYLE changes in DIET and EXERCISE to achieve the GOALS so necessary for quality and quantity of life.... The tools are at your fingertips ... The almighty internet ... And your OWN imaginative mentation is your TRUE limitation... So TAKE control of yourself and BE accountable .... Sorry so blunt but MORE tough love and Educating people is whats needed.... NOT more drugs....

MDG

I had a hip replacement in June, then contracted a staph infection after that (non-MRSA, thank goodness!), for which I have been on a 12 week antibiotic protocol, in addition to having the hip opened again for cleaning and replacement. For the first 6 weeks, I had a PICC line in my arm, which was infusing Oxacillin every four hours 24/7, as well as two oral doses per day of Rifampin. After the removal of the PICC line, I was put on a daily dose of 750 mg of Levaquin (I was also on Levaquin in the hospital, and couldn't sleep for weeks after coming home from the hospital). I have now been on Levaquin for 4 weeks and have incredible pain. The first symptom and most annoying was insomnia, as well as EXTREME rotator ruff pain, stiff fingers, tendor pain in my left elbow, and right knee. I can't walk well, the bottoms of my feet hurt (what's up with that?), and I can't even put on my bra by myself, my shoulders hurt so much. I thought I could take the pain because I just DO NOT want to have the staph infection come back and have another hip replacement, but I think I will actually have to go off of it. It's just too much pain. And I'm worried about long term damage.

The nausea is tolerable, generally short-lived as long as I eat prior to taking the Chantix and drink plenty of water.

I have a sense of...fogginess....detachment, while at the same time, seem to sense clear hidden messages in the way people look at me, in what they're saying to each other, and to me. Yep, it's probably paranoia.

The nightmares are horrible. I dream specifics about deaths of loved ones, in horrible detail. I also awaken at least once a night gasping in terror, unable to get a breath.

The thoughts of suicide are strangely comforting and don't seem wrong at all. I'm depressed, but comforted knowing that I can end it if I really want to. Bizarre and I know it on some level at least.

I'm bruising easily this time. I mean REALLY easily. A small bump results in a hard, raised, dark bruise.

I developed a rash on my stomach that's been there for 3 days but seems to be clearing today.

This is my 2nd time taking Chantix and I'm 3 weeks in. I had the same symptoms last time and expected them this time. I'm smoke free but plan to continue with the Chantix as long as possible. The urge to give in and have one cigarette is too strong post Chantix. I tell myself everyday that the thoughts are NOT me, and that I can let them come and not act on them because it's the drug, not me.

The backs of my hands burn and have red blotches...they burn if the sun even touches them (tough to do anything outdoors...michael jackson gloves, or what?)...they also burn when I run water over them. I'm taking 200mg twice daily for chronic lyme...and am toward the end of the second week of a three week protocol. After reading some of these comments and other allergic reactions elsewhere, I've taken my last dose about an hour ago...

(I love the sun, and am afraid I'm turning into some of those people you see with huge wrap around sunglasses and arab clothing...I want the beach, surf and sail...)

I am a 33-year-old female. I was taking YAZ birth control. I woke up on a Friday morning with a bad cramping feeling in my left calf. By the end of the day, I was limping. By the middle of that night into Saturday morning, I woke up in such excruciating pain. I could not walk without help. I went to the ER. They ran an ultrasound and found nothing. They said I had a "pulled muscle" and sent me home. Went to my PCP on Monday. He said it was "phlebitis" and sent me home. He told me to return in 3 days. Did that. This whole time I told them my left foot was cold, the leg was discolored, and that I could not walk! Hello! I went back in 3 days, but this time he was finally alarmed when he couldn't find a pulse in my left foot (never checked that in the first place) and sent me back to the ER. The same jerk ran another ultrasound, and there was the clot. I've been on warfarin since February. In the beginning, I had TERRIBLE HEADACHES (which have since subsided). Now I am dealing with this: CONSTANT BODY PAINS (especially my back and ribs), OVERALL BODY SORENESS (kind of like when you have the flu), FATIGUE, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, BLOATING AND GAS (I wake up with a huge painful puffy stomach every morning), CRAMPS (like having a period without one), sometimes DIARRHEA, STOMACH ACHES. When I reported the initial body pains to both the specialist and my PCP upon my follow-up visits after being discharged, both looked at me like I was crazy or making it up or something. I came home in tears after seeing the specialist. I thought he would be the one to know about this stuff! Instead, he made me feel like an idiot or crazy person. I was totally insulted and cried on the way home. I am so annoyed and have lost all faith in doctors. They should all have to retake their Anatomy and Physiology courses so they can be reminded what their ears are for. Why don't they listen to their patients? This is insane! I am so disgusted with this whole mess. I just want to give up.

I've been on Advair for 4 or 5 years and can never find a doctor who will even entertain the notion of taking me off of it. Although I have many symptoms that have been documented by GSK they consider it "very unlikely" that Advair is causing my joint pain, bloating, headaches, mouth sores etc. Last year I had pneumonia (also a reported adverse reaction) and THIS year I was diagnose with osteoporosis (yet another risk). I think these doctors are afraid that if they agree to wean me off & I die they'll get sued. Sorry to be so blunt but the problem is that the last doctor who tried to wean me off (now retired) even contacted the manufacturer & was told there is "currently no protocol" recommended for the cessation of Advair. My asthma got so bad when I tapered off, even with oral steroids he eventually just put me back on, hoping to hear of a protocol later. I'm very frustrated to say the least. Doctors seem to think "well it seems to be working since your still alive". Of course I can't to a certainty attribute all my symptoms to Advair it seems very unlikely that NONE of them are. Can't say if the Advair is directly causing depression but the Advair SITUATION is depressing!

I just started taking Diovan 160mg 7 days ago and feel like crap. After doing research on the drug found that your PCP should test your kidney function prior to putting you on the medication, which mine didn't. Disturbing isn't it. We go to the doctors to get better and we get worse. I guess that goes to show only you can control your health. Ask questions make sure doctor is following protocol prior to starting and medication.

My 56 year old son. Jim, is Bipolar. He was taking three medications, one of them being Topamax. The Dr. that prescribed this medication died and the new Drs. thought Jim was doing fine so they continued on with the same medication. Jim became fecal incontinent. We did numerous medical tests to see if this had any basis. None was found. Over a years period (Jim's third year using Topamax) Jim began losing his memory. This doesn't sound too horrific unless you know that Jim has 160 IQ and total recall memory. He never had to read anything more than once and he could quote verbatim almost anything from any page. Total recall of phone numbers and names, etc. At first the Drs said this was early onset of Alzheimer’s. He was being cared for by this time with a battery of Drs. Neurologists, medical, psychiatrists and doing some very extensive testing. Finally it was judged that no, Jim does not have Alzheimer’s. However he continued to quickly decline. He by now was both urinary and fecal incontinent. His speech was slurred and he was unable to bath himself. He required around the clock help. He would ask me questions like, did I go to school? Did we live as so and so town? Then he asked, is my name Jim? This was hard to hear but then he quit talking altogether, was staggering and would respond to telling him walk this way or sit here but little else. Finally the Neurologist told me he was almost certain that Jim had a rare brain disease and it was always fatal within a year. He determined that Jim was in the advanced stages and probably had 2 to 6 weeks to live. I was devastated! Jim was sitting in the office when the Dr. said this and he made no recognition that he heard or understood anything.

I started talking to friends about this and one of them said call her friend a paralegal nurse practioner. I did and she asked me "Why is Jim taking Topamax"? My answer I consider rather stupid now but then it was the truth, I answered "because the Dr. prescribed it". She said, titrate him off Topamax and then call me. I went to his Dr. at the time and the Dr. was most reluctant to take Jim off this medication. He accused me of "playing Dr" and was most insulting. I persisted and said if he wouldn't I would change Drs. Later I understand he took Jim off much too fast and we did have really serious side affects. We halved his dosage every two days and in 6 days he was off Topamax. Jim went into a catatonic state for several hours at a time about four times. There was about 4 days and nights that neither of us got any sleep. He had repetitive thoughts that nearly drove him crazy (His words). The sixth day Jim started talking but then would go into these catatonic states for hours. When he came out of them he would talk and explain some things, then he would quit talking again and he later explained the thoughts were going so fast in his head this was the only way he could preserve his sanity was to just "blank out".
After about two weeks of this intense illness and no help from his Dr. and Jim refused to go into the hospital, in his talking moments he said they would just fill him with sedative drugs and he wanted to get as clear as possible from these. To make a very long story short this was one year ago, three Doctors ago and Jim was relieved from his repetitive thoughts by Fluvoxamine, but that spiked him into a manic phase and eventually he went into the hospital. He is on a complete new regime of meds now but we always research any new med BEFORE taking it. It will never be just "because the Dr. prescribed it" again. By the way, Jim was taking lithium at the time Topamax was originally prescribed and gaining a lot of weight. His original RX was for weight control~! It didn't work but it nearly killed him. I called the paralegal back to thank her but she had left the law firm and no one can locate her. Our Guardian Angel????

I have Chronic Lyme Disease, as well as several very resistent co-infections and secondary infections. I've been following several treatments over the past few years, the last one included Levaquin.

Within two days of starting it, I couldn't get up by myself after kneeling down because of extremely severe joint pain. I thought I was having a bad reaction and cut my daily dose in half; should have been smarter and stopped it altogether. I also had insominia.

After a few more days, the hands and elbows were affected. After a while, I decided to research Levaquin online and realized that I wasn't having a Lyme outburst, but were being "poisoned" by Levaquin.

I cannot get up by myself, I canno't go up or down the stairs, I cannot peel potatoes or open jars, typing is painful, my whole body is in constant pain and I don't know how long it will last. I'm 35.

I should have taken my chances with Lyme. This is even worse.

Dear bitter RN!! Thank you so much for caring about me and everyone here so intensive!! It feels good not bo be alone with all that sh....

Well, my gyn said, everything was ok with my hormones. But I must admit, that I don't really believe him. It felt as if he wasn't sure himself, if really everything is ok with my hormone levels... He sounded so unsure... I think that hormonal things should better be done by an endocrinologist and not just a "simple" gyn... And if you're testosterone level with 0,6 already is "low", well, then what is mine with only 0,37?? Hmmmm... I'm getting so angry again about all that "gods in white"...... :-(

I'm sorry, but I can't read that part of the testresults behind the number of Testosterone. They sent it to me over fax and the part behind "ng/..." is totally unrecognizable.

But they even only sent me a handwritten protocol and not the original results from the laboratory. So I'm gonna call them again this evening and ask about sending me the original!! Also the normal lab ranges are missing on this protocol, so I can't say anyhow what those numbers would tell me....

As I found out over google my prolactine may be a bit high, but my gyn said, it was pretty fine. Hmmmm... I really don't trust in any doctor after my whole story any longer I fear!! So I'll really try to get those results completely and see, what I can find out by myself or with your help bitter RN!!

The blood was taken on day 3 or 4 of my cycle. My gyn told me to come to him within the first week of my period, which I did.

The fact about your iron levels sounds very interesting!! Another thing, which my gyn didn't want to believe in and therefore didn't test! I found out that the tiredness, weakness, breathlessness I was experiencing the last few weeks after my heavy period and that heavy cold are definitely symptoms of low iron levels!!! And another thing: My finger nails look totally unnormal, and that happened also since I've been getting my first period in August!! They are so soft and totally bend, it looks completely unnatural!!! And that's the way they looked ALWAYS (during the last years), when I was in such a bad constitution!!!

I definitely have to get to my family doctor to get that iron levels checked finally!!! And please all the other ladies: One little thing you should do also!!!

That sore mouth can also be a symptom of low iron levels (as well as for hormonal imbalances). And you may wonder: I HAD THAT DURING THE LAST WEEKS IN A VERY HEAVY WAY!! My tongue and mouth, especially the gum and teeth hurt so much somedays, that I thought I had something serious and should get to the dentist........ Sounds remarkable, doesn't it!???

Again to kim and dejay:

Everything that bitter RN wrote here is so right!! Reading it I felt as if I had written everything by myself!! And 5 weeks off Yasmin isn't really long I fear!! Even if you had been on it for only 3 weeks. So please stay strong and keep looking forward to the next months, there will be better times I swear, all it needs is TIME and PATIENCE, please believe us!!

And in a few weeks or months YOU will be posting here by yourself for many other women, that everyone who told you, you'll be better, was so right!! That's how it was for the last 2 years now (that's the time I've been coming here nearly EVERY day now!!)

Best wishes to all of you!!!!

Silke