Quality of life symptoms and conditions

I started taking Lipitor in April 2009 and my Dr prescribed 10 mg per day. As I usually have negative reactions to medications I compromised & agreed to take it every other day. I am a healthy 56 year old woman and the only medication I take is hormone replacement therapy. I am also in pretty good shape physically. At the end of July I herniated two disc's in my lower back, the L6 & L7, after a day of normal yard work. I could not move for two days and experienced the worst pain of my life. At the time I did not make any connection between Lipitor and this event. The recovery was slow and painful. In Sept I also began to experience sharp pains in my thigh. I read the side effects again regarding Lipitor and determined that this drug is most likely the cause. I decided to stop taking the drug and after three to four weeks the thigh muscle pain disappeared and my back pain significant decreased. Just to make sure I was not imaging the whole thing I took Lipitor twice in the past week and my back pain symptoms returned and I experienced the muscle pain in my thigh again. I was so bad it woke me up. After reading more about Lipitor and the effect it is having on my quality of life I am done with this drug. Although it did reduce my cholesterol I will find another way to control the LDL's & HDL's.

I have been taking 20mg of Simvastatin every night for about 4 years now and after coming across this site I have decided to stop taking it. I have been feeling particularly unwell for a couple of days, decided to do some research and can't believe what I am reading on this site! For the last year I have suffered terrible pain and loss of movement in my neck shoulders and arms and shooting pains in my legs along with muscle tics. More recently dizzy spells and quite severe tinnitus and headpain and fatigue. I have also found that my muscles tire very quickly when doing the smallest of tasks i.e: changing a duvet cover! The night sweats are particularly bad which I have been putting down to my age but may be to do with the statins. I am praying that these symptoms will reverse once I stop taking them but remain skeptical after reading other peoples comments on here!

My whole torso, stomach area and sides along with upper and lower arms broke out in an extreme rash which was painful, oozing, welts, open sores and some bleeding. This lasted from @ mid July 2009 to present, Nov. 2009. Using A&D ointment, oatmeal baths, many vitamins and plenty of water it is just now settling down to symptoms of pink(raw) skin and not so severe pain with still some itching and flakey skin.

I'm 24 and just recently finished my lupron treatment for endo. I'm still having some of the side effects and have yet to start my period again. I honestly would've rather had surgery again for endo than go through months of the side effects. The memory problems, overall fogginess, night sweats, insomnia, mood swings, hot flashes, and just the stress and complete crappy quality of life I've had most of this year has completely affected all aspects of my life. It's not easy at work, at home with my husband- surgery took a day or so to recovery from and this has been a nightmare for months and months. I'd really think about it and research the benefits for you vs the side effects before doing it. If there are any other options- I'd absolutely consider them.

I was prescribed tramacet which did nothing for me.. Ralivia was useless.. but Tridural, which is a type of Tramadol, is working for me very well. I take 300mg slow-release tablets every 24 hours. It is, however, extremely dehydrating at first, and gives me difficulty urinating. I used to be up 7 times a night to pee, and then sat there and had to concentrate to pee! I just thought I would ask if anyone else had the following problem with Tridural: I had been taking it in the afternoon, and I was extremely lethargic and sluggish midday when it began to wear off. I also had insomnia at nighttime. After suffering like this for a few months, I finally clued in to what was causing this lack of energy, and I decided to experiment with the time I took my pill. When I took it before bed, I was wide awake at 5am ready to clean the house! When I waited till morning to take it, my pain was too severe to get out of bed, and I was sluggish again (from withdrawal). Finally I set my alarm and took it at 4:30am, and by 7:30 am I am feeling terrific and am full of energy all day long. I just thought it was important to share this since the time of day really made a huge difference to my quality of life.
By the way, I am using Tridural for pain from "Enthesopathy" or migratory polyarthropathy. In my own words, all of my tendons in my body are weak and very painful. I have trouble walking and carrying my little kids, and some days I feel like all of my limbs are broken and I can't even function or be around my kids, they find it too upsetting.

ok, so I am 28yrs old just had my lap for endo on October 1 and my doctor has recommended lupron, and am going to be getting the med in a week to 2weeks,but after reading this I am soooooooooo scared to even get near this med. Its like you either take this with the hope of saving fertility and no pain..or not and have endo ravage your body and you will live with unbearable pain!!! I have no idea what to do,and i am so scared after reading this. Is there anyone that did not have weight gain, headaches etc...anyone that can testify that lupron actually worked for them? did any one have a baby after doing this. my bigs thing is being able to have a baby. Cause right now its my health on the line, my ability to have children, my ability to have a normal life free of endo pain or these crazy, horrible side effects...please help me!!!

Hey there! I have been on Venlafaxine/Effexor for 5 months now and have steadily had my dosage increased (I now take 150mg in the morning and 75mg at night) and I can say that out of all the other antidepressants that I've taken (Prozac, citalopram, sertraline) this is the one for me. Yes I did have some side effects such as slight nausea in the beginning but the one that gets me is sweating, and I mean I sweat a lot! But for me it is worth it so I am not an irritable, bed ridden depressive and I actually want to go out and enjoy life with my son. Effexor is the best medication I have come across for relieving the crushing anxiety that I felt in my chest and has really helped with OCD symptoms.

It has taken me 3 years to come across this medication after numerous fails with the other meds, which in turn (on each occasion) made me doubt pharmaceuticals and my doctor, but if you are suffering on this drug then change it, there are so many slight variations to anti-depressants the one for you is out there, don't suffer in silence, just be brave and keep trying because when you find the one your quality of life will be unbelievably better.

Much love and strength to you all

After my kidney transplant I was taking 40mg a day and only weighed slightly over 100lbs. I felt all of the same side effects: trembling, sweating, bloated tummy, paranoia, confusion, horrible acne, insatiable hunger, bad headaches. I started taking the pill and this helped a lot with acne and hair growth that started to appear. Ask your doctor if you can taper down to a more manageable dose. I'm still on prednisone and probably will be for the rest of my life, but I was firm with my doc and got it down to 7.5mg MWF. This level is much easier to deal with, and although I still have a slight "moose hump" (some kind of name) and disappearing eyebrows, my hair loss has evened out and I'm happy with what I have. Like many of you I used to have really thick hair. Things will get better, you just have to be persistent. No one should live that way, it's horrible and I don't think that doctors understand the drastic drop in quality of life that occurs.

I too have memory loss. It is humiliating not to recall events with friends and family and people I have been introduced to. I cannot conversations, movies and names of bands. I am 43 and have been taking this drug for seizures. The seizure disorder is gone due to the drug. I have gained weight, awaken with a severe headache on several occasions behind my right eye, feel tired and dizzy after an hour of taking the drug and blurred vision. I thought it was early onset of Alzheimer ( i forget how to spell it though I am in the medical field). My generalized Doctor and my Neurologist say this is not from the medication but from age and normal. The quality of life is not as I would like. I feel like I am missing out on my own life. Thank God I came across this blog! I have been researching this drug on the net and NOWHERE does it state this as a side effect. This is the only med I take.

Hi, my name is M. I just got up with my son Jo Jo as usual about 2:00 pm. Nightmares--severe. Leg and foot pain. In fact I thought he was having restless leg syndrome and the doctors had him tested for seizures. His moods are horrible. Tantrums have been out of this world. After two years of sleep deprivation for both of us, something said look at side effects of Singulair. Actually, I believe that something was God because as I massaged my son's legs I prayed. I came to the computer, found his website and saw my son's symptoms written out clear as day. We are done with Singulair. Forever. I just walked back to the room and apologized to my sleeping son. I can not tell how horrible I feel as a parent for my child to have suffered so. I also can not begin to describe the relief I feel right now. My son has enough problems without medication causing him to suffer. I have suffered as well. As a single parent I have to work but I am often sleepwalking through my days. Thank God for all of you who posted. You have saved my son's health and quality of life. And mine. Thank God!

Hello! Its kind of creepy that i just now realized my problems and where they are coming from. A couple months ago I was having symptoms very similar to being pregnant.. went to pp and the dr. and I was not. I have been on Yasmin and the generic brands for 3 years now. and recently quit taking them for the 3rd time... About 2 weeks ago I started having " prego " symptoms again.. took a prego test and of course came up negative once again. Its been a little depressing as my partner and I have been wanting a baby. but now i'm starting to see where these symptoms are coming from.. My digestive system has gone haywire.. i get headaches.. my boobs hurt.. and i'm extremely emotional... my boyfriend has mentioned recently that my "outbursts" are frightening to him.. I didn't think it was that bad but now that I look back on it i've had these problems only during the time i've taken BC. WOW!!! as much as i enjoy the BC because it relieves me of my extremely long periods and severe cramps reading and feeling all of this makes me feel a little mad. I wish there were better ways of handling birth control and menstruation My doctor wont give me an IUD and my mother had severe side effects from the shot so i've been left with only the pill.. as the patch gave me really bad numbness after only 4 days..What are us women supposed to do!!! it seems like the doctors know what they're giving us but they do it anyway! women today should be able to be confident in their BC and know its not going to kill them. if anyone has some sort of "option" for me please don't hesitate to email me your thoughts and ideas... thank you! ******

I'm taking 25 mg Toprol XL once daily following a mild heart attack in June 2008. What I have experienced is just an overall feeling of aging--tired, muscle aches, fuzzy thinking, forgetfulness, short fuse. I have very little motivation to do things around the house and tire easily. I accepted an invitation to golf this week, but I already told the group that I may only be able to do 9 holes. I don't feel like I could do 18. That's just not me! I have cut back to 12.5 mg. but still feel like a really old man. I complained to my cardiologist, but he said that my dose is too low to cause these problems. I am going to slowly reduce my dosage to 6.25 mg. to see if that helps. I feel my quality of life has suffered for taking this drug.

Male 28. Was diagnosed a couple of months ago with Ulcerative Colitis and was prescribed Prednisone. A large dose to start with then tampered off for 4 weeks. The first week I felt great, better than great, fantastic. The only downside was difficulty sleeping. The following 3 weeks, without any exaggeration have been among the worst I have ever experienced. I think the lack of sleep finally caught up with me, so I was constantly tired and generically felt depressed, also knee ache, eye pain, inability to think clearly (quite a problem when you are an Engineer), lacked energy or strength – and the Acne. Never before have I had Acne like this, and I used to suffer quite bad during my teens. Its just so aggressive, every few hours there seems to be new ones appearing. It seems to occur when ever I step down the dose. I think having this bad skin has really added to my depression over the last few weeks, it has been especially difficult considering I have been in the process of starting a new job. To top all of that my UC seems to be worst than ever! I’m worried that when I go back to see the Doctor next week he is going to put me on some equally-annoying medication or maybe another course of Prednisone if I’m lucky.

Does anyone know of some natural alternatives that are good for UC, very reluctant to put anymore man-made chemicals into my body.

Does anyone here ever had any tingling issues? I had total thyroidectomy in Feb. 2009. Felt good the first month or two and have gone down from there! Some days are good, some are bad. Never know from day to day how Im going to feel! I started out for about a month and a 1/2 on 125 levothyroxin.....then my doc lowered it to 100.......as of July 14th, Im now taking .88. The tingling Im getting is all over my body, different places, here and there. Ive had some heart rate issues for a couple of months now too and finally had my regular doc send to me see a heart doctor.
Thought maybe the tingling could be from low calcium.....it was normal, CBC was normal, ECHO was normal.....waiting on the holter test results right now. The heart doc gave me a prescription for Toprol. I told him I wasn't going to take it cuz sometimes my heart feels like its barely beating and Im afraid it will make it worse. Im glad I didn't get it! Ive read of too many side effects.
Palpitations, kinda fast heart beat with pounding.....sometimes it feels likes its barely beating! Most of this occurs when first laying down......every now and then while sitting, etc. I do not exercise.....and should but just don't find the time. I switched jobs around the time I found out I had several nodes on each side of my thyroid. I was getting tired a lot and just thought i worked too much. I went from a physical job to a sit down, 12 hour, graveyard shift. Since the surgery, Ive felt it more. Im tired of feeling like crap all the time......I was already going thru some perimenopause stuff before all of this! Before I ever found out about my thyroid, I did have real light pounding of heart when laying down and tingling every blue moon, but very mild as well.
Now with no thyroid.......and medicines with all the side effects......IM GOING NUTS!!! Right now the moodiness and tingling are whats bothering me the most. Some days Im really tired, others Im ok. My body gets hot off and on, no fever. The past 3 days my calves, feet, and ankles have started to swell........never before! Plus I get some throbs and pains in my legs and arms and under my arms here and there. I probably need a new doc and I change of medicine......but Im afraid.
For one, Ive decided to go back to a physical job........and hopefully it wont screw with my heart rate even more. Ive read up on tingling........Im guessing maybe its from all the damn stress since my calcium was normal. Does anyone here have any suggestions?????

My name is Katie, I am 31 years old. I have been suffering with what doctors call Chronic Idiopathic urticaria for 16 years now. I was prescribed Zyrtec 14 years ago and remained hive free until I had my first son. After a complicated pregnancy and emergency delivery the hives returned full force. The doctor prescribed Singulair in addition to the Zyrtec.

The hives went away; however, I have so many other problems now. I have been seeing a specialist thinking I have lupus or some other disorder, but all my tests are normal. It wasn't until I had my singulair refilled yesterday that I realized instead of symptoms, what I am experiencing may be side effects.

-- I have gained 60 lbs.
-- I have horrible headaches almost daily
-- I am so tired that when I am not working it is impossible to even make myself leave the house
-- I have taken myself to the hospital 3 times thinking I was having a heart attack and told I suffer from acid reflux
-- I have so much pain in my legs/feet/back that I can hardly walk
-- My hands and feet like to go numb for no apparent reason
-- I am always anxious & moody.
-- Can't sleep
-- Clearly I am not myself. Lately, I have felt the quality of life I am leading is horrible.

Wouldn't it be something that I have spent all this time & money trying to figure out what else is wrong with me when it is the medicine I thought was keeping me well really making me sick. Why do the finest doctors not realize when your symptoms are actually side effects?

I am pretty out raged at this point. I would take myself off this medication today if only I knew how to control the edema.

I know this is long, but I could really use your help, so I would appreciate you taking the time to read through to the end. (thanks :-) )

First, I want to thank everyone posting. I needed to read this stuff because I'm absolutely terrified of what's happening to me. I'm on the second week of my very first pack of Loestrin- my very first birth control pill EVER. I didn't want to start, but my OBGYN encouraged me to, once I told her I had 8 day long episodes of clots, cramping, vomiting and just sheer misery once a month. She said this would help if I'm sure to take it as recommended.

So I took the first one the Sunday after my period started, at 8:45am and have taken it religiously since. I have not changed my diet or routine. I exercise and eat fairly well. And there are no particularly stressful factors in my life. I am also quitting smoking- just down to 2-3 a day instead of 10 or 15.

Now that I've been doing this for 2 weeks, I think I would rather suffer what I had before. At least it was predictable! I have been bleeding for 5 days now. And this is NOT my time to be on my period. I'm sad and tired. I have back pain and on-and-off cramps. I have nearly no sex-drive. My boyfriend and I had sex at least 4 times a week and I masturbated on the nights we didn't. And although he is INCREDIBLY supportive, I can tell he feels lost and helpless around me. I don't want him to touch me, hold me, or even breathe on me! Normally, we are very affectionate and I am active and fun. Now, I just want to be left alone. I feel fat, unwanted, dirty, depressed...the list goes on.

I feel as though there is something seriously wrong with my body, because I shouldn't look or the feel the way I do or bleed like I am. I called the doctor and she said that I should give it till the end of the month. But 1 month is a long time to live with a depressed quality of life. 1 month is a long time to cry yourself to sleep with alcohol and Motrin.

I feel angry that the best the medical society can do is give us something that is trial and error, fully aware that it may hurt us, though temporarily, and make the lives of the people around us miserable. I am concerned the even my doc is in the pocket of some pharmaceutical company to give me a drug that she said would help and has only hurt.

Or maybe I'm just paranoid...

Anyone have any encouraging reasons why I should continue this? My sister, who was on Ortho for a while and DIDN'T like it, suggests that I stick out a little longer and I trust her opinion, but would like more. I'm open to suggestions or comments. (Especially if you know a way to stop my period so I spend less days of the month on it than I am on...)
Thanks :-)

I was on birth control for 17 years because I suffered from severe cramps and bleeding when I was a teenager. Two years ago I was so sick - extreme fatigue, dizziness, nausea, severe constipation, severe depression, irritability, almost constant yeast infections and overall just felt very sick. I had gone to many doctors for many different testings and they all told me they couldn't figure out what was wrong. Some thought IBS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome but nothing specific. I finally got to a point where I didn't want to live like this anymore and went to see a Holistic MD. He changed my life! The first thing he said was that I needed to come off the pill. Of course not wanting to ever have children - this was very scary to me. It took me about a year of talking to him about that that I finally decided to give it a try. OMG! I became a totally different person! Happy, full of energy, no fatigue at all, no more yeast infections, all my symptoms disappeared. It took about a year for the hormones to regulate because I had been on them for so long. I'm telling you all this because after being off of the pill for two years, I decided to try the ring which didn't work and then thought I'd try going back on the pill for my huge fear of pregnancy. Well, it's only been 3 weeks and all my symptoms are back in full force. I am miserable and will be taking myself back off. My quality of life is more important than anything else. The doctors don't tell you these things because they believe what that sales reps tell them who of course want to make a ton of money. As women we need to stand up and speak out so that is what I'm doing. My husband and I are researching other options but the pill is definitely not one of them.

This drug should be taken off the market. My Dr. warned me of a cough when he gave it to me but did not tell me that you would literally drown in secretions from the drainage in your throat. I have been on it 2 weeks and my quality of life has diminished considerably. During the day its as if a little man with a squirt bottle of acid is spraying my throat. At night the same thing but lying down produces uncontrollable drainage. I have to keep a spit cup by my bed and hardly get any sleep. Have tried allergy medications to no avail. I threw it in the garbage today. I would rather monitor my BP 30 times a day than live thru this.

My question is if you have been on this drug and your Dr. took you off, what did he use in its place? Would Beta Blockers be better? Who has experienced this and is now free of it? What is the alternative drug? I called my Dr.'s office today and they have Benicar waiting for me in the AM...anyone know about that one? I am desperate!

My husband has been on Singulair for ten years now. It was a miracle drug for us as his asthma and allergies were ruining his quality of life. Little did I know that the Singulair would have such drastic effects as well. He is a police officer who has been through some traumatic events in his career. I attributed his irritability, depression, anger, severe nightmares, heartburn, weight gain, and puffy swollen eyes to post traumatic stress disorder. He stopped taking the medication about two weeks ago after his prescription ran out and he saw the FDA report. He is once again the man I fell in love with. Now I know what has been causing all of the changes in him, and we have decided he will never take Singulair again.

My healthy, active 55 yr old husband of 30 yrs was prescribed SIMVASTATIN in Aug. of last year. He started having pains in his legs & back and had an appointment in Oct. with the dr. to check on how he was doing with the new drug. When he went in to the office, he was having terrible pains in his chest, legs & back. The dr. immediately called 911 thinking he was having a heart attack. He was in the hospital for a week while they ran a multitude of tests. All came back clear for his heart. He kept telling the dr. that the back & leg pains were still there. They didn't seem to be concerned about anything except his heart. He was dismissed continuing to have pain. The pain steadly increased over his whole body, then in Feb. of this year, he suffered a major seizure and spent another week in the hospital. This time they wrote it off as epilepsy and put him on anti-seziure pills. After he was released, the symptoms increased, his memory, vision & balance are all effected, he has chest pains, depression, and is in constant pain. He's been sent for numerous MRI's, bone scans, blood tests,etc. He has been to neurologists, neurosurgeons, chiropractors, physical therapists, etc. The entire time, his health has declined because he was being poisoned by Simvastatin. Finally, after doing our own research, we found a neurologist that recognized the problem. He told us that this drug distroys muscle tissue and that the damage may be irreversible. My husband can no longer work, drive, or enjoy life. He walks without a cane or walker, and depends on pain pills because the pain is so severe. He stays in bed most of the time due to the pain and lack of energy. He has been off Simvastatin for a week now with no change. We are hoping & praying for improvement over time. PLEASE, if you are your loved one are taking this drug-STOP IMMEDIATELY. The results can be devastating. I can't imagine why the FDA would approve a drug like this that destroys quality of life.

I have been on various doses of prednisone on and off for 9 years for a kidney disease. The doses have varied from 70mg to 5mg. I have just about had enough. I cannot describe how debilitating this drug is. Every side effect on here I think I have had except excessive energy. Here is a small list:
Moon Face
Buffalo Hump
shaking like Parkinson
body aches
EXTREME weakness
heart palpitations constantly
joint pain
something would go on with my knees in the morning....it felt like something was boiling. It would be my guess as to what the "Bends" must feel like....it feels like someone is stabbing you in the knees with a knife.
Sleeping at least 16 hours a day
I could barely make everyday at work. It was so miserable to not be able to wake up, I would push myself in 15 minute increments....
You cannot know what it is like to be bed ridden for weeks and to have no doctor understand or believe what is happening to you. You just seem fat and lazy.

I am emotionally scarred by this medicine, there is not a day that goes by that I'm not terrified of having to take a large dose of this again. I just can't.
There is no quality of life at all. You can't do anything.
On top of that, there is no one to talk to, not even a doctor that understands what you are going through.
God help anyone that has to go through this. I understand.

I have been on Loestrin 24 Fe for a year and a half. When I first started out I had terrible head aches and severe nausea. But I had regular periods always getting them on a Friday and ending on a Sunday. Never missed a period or had any spotting. The last few months I have struggled to get out of bed every day. Going to work is a chore. I can't stay up past 8:00 p.m. I feel very fatigued. I have had a few episodes where I am driving in my car and suddenly every thing goes blurry, I get very hot, dizzy, confused, can't remember where i'm at or where I'm going, I feel like my heart is going to beat out of my chest. I didn't know what was wrong with me I thought I was having a heart attack I never thought it could be from the birth control. I also can't stop eating. I am never full. I haven't gained any wait but lately my stomach is so bloated. I get very shaky when I haven't eaten. I scheduled a doctors appointment because I thought i had a thyroid problem or diabetes but after reading all of these comments I now think my health problems have a lot to do with the loestrin . If my doctor doesn't find anything wrong with me than I am going to stop using loestrin. I can't live like this anymore. It is affecting my relationship and quality of life. Whats the purpose of being on birth control to have sex if you never feel well enough to do anything ...

Can anyone tell me if you can just stop Lipitor cold turkey or do you have to stop it slowly? I have been taking Lipitor for 5 years now and I have been trying to find out what is causing my leg weakness. I mentioned it to my doctor who said it si just a fact of getting older. The problem is getting worse and I noticed it started about 3 months after taking the Lipitor and has steadily gotten worse. I am 49 years old a little over weight {which I am working on}. I also noticed my asthma which I haven't delt with since a small child has come back. This may or may not have to do with the Lipitor but the pain in my knees and legs I believe do. It really hurts in the joints of my legs and sometimes in my shoulder area.

hi im from mexico but i went to see the a doctor in san diego, three years ago i was diagnosed with anxiety panic attacks etc.. my life was horrible i would never leave my house i was scared of everything even to eat, to be at the movies, TO DRIVE, it was a nightmare. So I took paxil for three whole years and my life was back, i was happy, nothing appeared to affect me i was strong,then i started to notice that my sex drive was non existent. i would never want to have sex, or have an orgasm, i felt very sleepy, so i decided to get off paxil, and for eight months everything was great i had the best orgasms ever it was me again, i was ver happy, until a couple of days m anxiety came back with the panic attacks, right now i would not leave my house, im terrified i dont want to drive anymore, so i guess i have to start taking it again as Sad as it is, the quality of life without paxil is worse than anything even an orgasm, it is just sad to not have it all. Anyone knows how to have a good sexual life taking paxil?