Pulmonary artery symptoms and conditions

I started taking Welchol in February of 2009. Took 4-6 pills a day. I began to have heart palpitations, and flutterings of the heart soon after. I did not see any connection to my symptoms with the Welchol. I went to the doctor and he did a CT and told me that the heart was fine. He increased my heart medication and still the palpitations went on. Then, last week, I forgot to take the Welchol...didn't take it for a whole day and suddenly the heart palpitations ceased. I'm into 4 days without the Welchol and have had no heart palpitations whatsoever. I will stay off it for awhile...then try it again, and if the palpitations return, I will know who the culprit is. Is anyone else out there having this problem. I did have the tiredness and after reading all these side affects, I now know the reason why.

Hey Ive been on the NuvaRing for about 2 1/2 years and I had been hearing bad side effects of the NR like Pulmonary Embolism (A PE is a blockage of the pulmonary artery (in the lungs) or one of its branches by a blood clot) Symptoms include:Chest pain (hurts especially to breathe), shortness of breath, anxiety, coughing (may cough up blood), sweating, and fainting or passing out. The risk of PE scared the crap out of me so I took the ring out immediately. But the problem is I took the ring out after just putting it in for two days. I had already had my period and everything and now Im spotting or I just started my period again! Did this happen to anyone when they took their ring out permanently? Im kind of scared that this isn't normal!

Ha I know what you all mean when you say that the NR was hell, the first week of trying it I had nausea, spotting, and it hurt VERY bad to have sex. I thought this all was normal so I didn't even think twice about it until now!! Lately though I have been having an increase in chest pains, stomach aches and headaches and IM ONLY 18! But since I took the NR out about 3 days ago my headaches haven't been bothering me as much and neither have my stomach aches. These are the only things that bugged me while on the NR, I only had minor mood swings and I didn't have a decreased sex drive. But still I DO NOT recommend the ring to anyone because recently Ive heard of women dying from the NR. NUVARING HAS SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS AND ITS NOT WORTH IT!!

I have my first steroid injection as a 10 year old to try and put weight on my sickly skinny body.
In my 20's I had 5 lung collapses from toxic chemicals( I work in a oil refinery and laboratory) and Bullous Lung disease. Blisters of air and fluid on the outside of the lungs. Break a bleb and have a spontanious pnumothorax (lung collapse. I had a thorocotomy (opened the chest and spread the ribs) in 1976 when I was 29. They sewed up a hole in my lung and tacked the lung up by taking gauze and rubbing the lung and the pleura (membrane sack in which the lungs are protected) so they would grow together and my left lung could no longer collapse.

I massed scar tissue and it pressed the lung in half and blocked my pulmonary artery. Results: Primary Pulmonary Hypertention a cor pulmonae (right ventricle can't push enough blood through the mentioned artery.

Prednisone treatments began to control swelling and treat pericarditis (inflammation of the heart) I traded certain death with certain death later on)

I had injections but don't remember the dose. I took 20 to 100 mg daily for 5 years which was how long a Primary Pulmonary Hypertension patient survives.

On the short term Prednisone caused depression. I had bouts of pneumonia and pleurisy (severe) for the next seven years.

Prednisone clearly saved my life. However it impairs the immune system leading to the pneumonias.
I went from 6'1' and 135 lbs to 265lbs and had a classic moon face. Some 30 years later I am a trim 170 with no fat.

I developed osteoporosis (bone thinning) and broke numerous bones including two ribs (one in two places) which happened when my wife clutched my chest during a love making session.. I no longer have osteoporosis, it took seven years to wash the steroids out of my body. You can get better.

Long term effects also includes avascular necrosis (blood vessels dieing in all my joint caps which has led to one hip replacement ( I would rather not have another)
And I have abnormal hemoglobin (beta 2 immunoglobulin) which are precancerous cells leading to Multiple Myeloma which has no cure.

It was discovered in my 30's that you could take large doses of Prednisone every other day and prevent the adrenals from shutting down. I have forgotten doses and have gone into adrenal shock. It takes a very long tapering off of the odd day dose but improved my life greatly. I took Prednisone for 10 years.

It has all kinds of nasty side effect but frankly it saved my life. It is killing me now at sixty; yet, I have had a bonus of 33 years of life and have seen my kids go to college and have a grand daughter 10 years old.

I have been throughly poisoned with steroids as I have with chemicals.

Prednisone has saved my life but it is too dangerous to take without strict medical follow ups. (this is a little hard to find these days)
The topical steroids which you put on the skin, inhale or any non-systemic use are pretty safe.

I don't regret taking them but regret more the fact that I needed them in the first place.

Patrick