September 28th
2008
8:38 PM
For about eight months or so I have been experiencing pretty intense anxiety. Thus, I was prescribed the generic Clonopin (Clonozepam). After building a tolerance to the increasing dosages I was prescribed, I found myself needing to take up to 10 mg daily. I became as many people told me, "a zombie". I developed extreme depression and constant bad thoughts. After talking to my doctor i was prescribed Paxil. I did not like this whatsoever so about two months ago I stopped taking the Clonopin abruptly. I experienced pretty severe withdrawals, or what i thought to be withdrawals (shaking, sweating, very irritable, constant pain, and anxiety). It was absolute torture. After talking to my doctor i was then prescribed Xanax, which i am currently on. My depression seems to have stayed constant. It was suggested to me to take Wellbutrin rather than Paxil, which of course i would have to wean off from my 100mg a day. Two weeks ago, or so, i started taking the Wellbutrin at 150mg once a day in the morning. After the first week or so i felt "up" more or less, in comparison to how i had been feeling. I began to research about possible side effects. I didn't really find many except mildy vivid dreams and anxiety, which threw me for a loop since i was trying to fight that, right? Well, after the first week i had been lowered on the Paxil to 50mg daily and raised to 300mg of Wellbutrin, once a day in the morning around 7am. I am now on my second week of the anti-depressant, but ironically i feel as if i am more depressed, just in other ways. I feel very lethargic, and i feel as if i am to be very "spacey". I'm not quite sure if it is the mixture of the medications or one in particular. But the most noticeable side effects of the Wellbutrin have been IRRITABILITY!!, veryyyyy indecisive, and ridiculously vivid dreams with little to no meaning. They seem to last for weeks on end at times, and i often find it hard to differentiate what is a dream and what is reality. By no means am i trying to say that this medication will not work for you. Anything to make someone feel better. Whatever works for you is great and you should persue it! Any suggestions or comments to this would be great. And is anyone feeling the same side effects??
Cameron
-- By cameron | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
September 7th
2008
6:05 AM
Hi,
5 days ago I was diagnosed with staph, MRSA. I went to my doctor, who put me on Augmentin, didn't work so he added Levaquin. I ended up in the ER on Thursday with my arm worse and intravenous drugs. To make a long story short, after my second dose of Levaquin I told the doc I woke up that the night before at 2 AM, soaked in sweat and asked if it could be a sign of the Levaquin. He said no, and to continue taking it. Needless to say, I took a dose tonight, I am up, anxious, my heart is beating out of my chest and I feel dizzy. It is now 3:00 AM and I just got off the phone with the nurse hotline because I know it is the medication and I am scared. She told me to try and stay calm, don't take anymore, and report it to my Doctor. The thing is I did report it, and he told me the effects I was suffering had nothing to do with the drug. Same thing with the ER doctor, he told me the same.
DON'T TAKE THIS DRUG IF YOU KNOW IT IS HURTING YOUR SYSTEM. IF YOU FEEL STRANGE, DIZZY, WEIRD. I JUST WANT THE DOSE I TOOK TO BE OUT OF MY SYSTEM.
-- By smith477 | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
August 18th
2008
1:11 PM
I have been taken diovan now for about 4 months and I have no complaints. on last week my doctor switch me to lisinop/hctz but after reading all the negative responses i rather continue paying the high cost medication.
-- By shorty09 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
August 4th
2008
2:41 PM
I was prescribed Levaquin for a bout of diverticulitis six weeks ago. About a half hour after taking it each morning, I felt completely unwell--dizziness, fatigue, overall weakness, odd sensations of pressure in my head, chest, and bladder, weird bouts of sudden joint pain. The worst side effect was terrible insomnia. I'd go to sleep OK, but wake up after 3 hours and not be able to get back to sleep, sometimes for the rest of the night. Instead of getting the rest I needed to get better, I was getting more and more exhausted. Now, a month after stopping the medication, my sleep hasn't returned to normal. I'm still awake in the middle of the night for two or more hours. Is this a residual side effect from Levaquin? Has anyone else experienced it? When can I expect my sleep to improve? Is there a way to detoxify from this drug?
-- By cindyo | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
July 9th
2008
3:29 PM
It is quite amazing how when the story hits the news, the number of postings here jumps up! How sad it is that many people now realize the same things that many of us have known for quite some time. I only hope that the floodgate have now opened and that everyone will now keep the pressure on to limit the use of thee dangerous chemicals.
After 20 months I have had my right distal tendon surgically repaired, I endure tremendous pain in my left arm daily, and I fight the other unmentionable adrs. A black box warning is a start but it is not nearly enough.
New side effects: intense anger with the FDA and drug manufacturers, distrust of the medical community, and the required development of pain management skills.
-- By antileviquin | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
July 1th
2008
5:21 AM
Ugh. I'm so glad I found this list and that everyone has been so candid!!! I am in my 2nd pack of Femcon and the symptoms are only getting worse. Toward the end of the first week I began spotting and did so on and off for 2 weeks. When I took the brown pills, I had my classic day-later start of a true period, as I have done with the Ortho versions I used to be on. Naturally, the period was very light--actually it never did go to red, only icky brown for a whole week. Then I started the first 2 pills of the 2nd pack before seeing my doctor for the pre-op appointment before my Esure procedure. (He put me on this pill when I told him that I didn't trust condoms alone in the 3 month waiting period while the procedure takes--I don't trust the Divine Sense of Humor this close to finally being sterile.) He told me to stop taking them for 5 days while they put me on something else that would thin out my lining so they could better see the entrances to my tubes, then continue them like I had never stopped. Great. I did that and the procedure has healed nicely. I went back on the pills--much to my dismay. I'm back to all-month-long PMS, tender breasts and spotting. I have been baffled and attributing the constant headaches, cycles of insomnia & exhaustion, lack of motivation, depression, acne breakouts, weight gain, dehydration even though I'm guzzling water, bloating, mood swings, and decreased sex drive to the stresses of everything BUT this pill, because I have never had this problem before. In fact, previous ones helped alleviate mood swings, cramping, irregular and heavy periods, acne, and bloating, but I've been experiencing the opposite for nearly 2 months now. The other day, in addition to the cramps and spotting, I started having major stabbing pains in my lower abdomen--where the Esure could be possibly causing pain--except that they didn't do it on that side because my fallopian tube is blocked naturally. My breasts have been getting more and more sore, and tonight they hurt terribly without touching anything except clothing! The cramps are continual, as are the headaches, and I wake up with my hands completely numb. I haven't been able to get to sleep well for weeks (it is 3:05 a.m. now) and I'm dragging all day. Trying to wake up from a nap is like waking from the dead, and then I'm disoriented and out of it. I'm having dizzy spells too. I can't focus and every little thing sets me off--my poor friends and boyfriend! I'm up and down like a toilet seat!! I don't know if the sore throat I've had for the past couple days has anything to do with this, but I don't feel sick. Could be allergies...??? The last couple days I've had diarrhea and an upset stomach, and with how quickly the breast tenderness level rose to horrible, my insomnia and anxiety rose to an all-time high as I feared I was pregnant. So I bounded out of bed to start looking up pregnancy side-effects, only to see that many of them could be caused by birth control--particularly this birth control--and hence I found this list. THANKFULLY! Grrrrrrrr. Needless to say, I'll be making a phone call to my doc tomorrow. Thanks again for sharing your experiences. I hope mine helps others!
-- By izzydancer | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
June 24th
2008
9:37 AM
I find some of these posts interesting because it seems as if some folks either do not completely read the dosing instructions that come with all medications when they are picked up from a pharmacy or given by a doctor, or they just choose to ignore them. I have been on Doxy for six months for the treatment of Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. It's been no picnic at times but I feel 100 times better than before I started it. When I started taking Doxy, I too didn't pay much attention to the dosing instructions and I learned the hard way with some uncomfortable side-effects. Here are a few recommendations from someone who has been taking this drug long-term. 1. You must eat! Eat a small snack (banana, crackers, fruit) before you take the drug. Do not take it with something that you know upsets your stomach, also do not take it with dairy or any supplements containing magnesium or iron. 2. After taking the drug, eat another small snack, same as in #1. Avoid any of the supplements or dairy listed above for at least two hours. 3. Imperative!!! Take a good probiotic regularly (30-50 billion cfu). Antibiotics are designed to kill stuff in your body. They do not distinguish between bad and good however. You need the probiotic to replace the good bacteria in your digestive tract, otherwise your body will not digest properly. I was constipated for quite some time before I figured this one out. 4. I saw a few other folks mention this one. Do not lay down immediately following taking the drug. Again, I learned the hard way, I had severe GERD for a time as well. 5. Avoid long-term sun exposure. This was the latest. My skin has always had some natural pigmentation in it for a white guy and I have not burned too easily. On the Doxy though, I found out that I burn extremely fast. I guess I will be under an umbrella at the beach in a few weeks. 6. Don't panic! This drug was made to fight infections/disease. Be prepared for some side-effects, but also don't be afraid to see your doctor if they are just unbearable. All people do not respond to medications in the same manner. What works for you or me might not work for someone else. I hope this information helps someone out there. I know it is incredibly frustrating when you are taking something to cure an illness and more things go wrong.
-- By tluckenb | Reply | Private Message me
June 11th
2008
11:24 PM
I don't have a side effect to report, but I have read all of your responses. Over all they are 95% negative. The only thing I am wondering, is WHY you chose Yaz to begin with.
I have been thinking about taking Yaz to help with my severe PMDD. If you don't know what that is, basically it's like the moodiness side of PMS times 10. I am euphorically happy normally, lol, kind of like how happy a cocker spaniel is when their family gets home... except I don't piddle on the floor. About 5 days before my period starts I go into a very deep depression, I bloat, I am irritable, and my entire life suffers. I cry (wail is more like it) for absolutely NO reason... blah blah blah. But once I am about 2 or 3 days into my cycle it all passes and I am back to chipper me.
Long story short, I heard Yaz is supposed to be amazing to help stabilize emotions in people like me. How many of you started Yaz just as birth control, or as an acne control? How many of you took it for PMDD and it STILL didn't help?
-- By freeasabird84 | Reply | (6) replies | Private Message me
May 27th
2008
10:12 PM
I have been taking Levaquin for sinus infection after Augmentin didn't keep it from coming back. All I can say is that I am completely exhausted. I wonder if it is the drug or something else. No muscle pain. I don't know if I should stop taking it or continue. Tonight I was walking for exercise and couldn't finish because I thought I might faint. My heart was beating and I was shaking. Do you think it is the drug? HELP!
-- By linda1195 | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
May 20th
2008
7:47 PM
I'm a 44 year old female, and I have been taking 40mg. of lisinopril for over a year now. I also take omeprazole 20 mg. (a sub for prilosec) every day. Before taking lisinopril, I did have high blood pressure, but since taking this medication, I have had more problems than that. I have an irritating cough all the time and phlegm in my throat so thick that I feel as if I am chocking to death. I also have a severe rash all over my body and on the bottoms of my feet, and on my hands. I am depressed all the time, have no interest in sex whatsoever, and basically feel like crap all the time. I have a very bad pain in the left side of my neck that I know is not a result of sleeping the wrong way. I have to say, I never felt this way before taking this medication, but today I got to the point that I wanted to look up side effects to see if what I'm taking is hurting me. After reading some of these posts, I believe I know what my problem is. My husband was also on lisinopril, but 20mg and had such a terrible cough that we thought he had pneumonia. He is off the medication now, and his cough had disappeared. For me, the rash, and depression is the biggest thing. I have decided to take myself off this medication on my own, and try to find another way to deal with my high blood pressure. If you know of any herbs, and/or foods that help with blood pressure, I would love to hear about them. Thank you all for the information you have posted here. I'm sure it will help others think about what the doctors and pharmaceutical companies are trying to do to us. Seems the more medications they prescribe, the worse side effects we endure. Thanks again everyone!
-- By belladanah | Reply | (5) replies | Private Message me
May 14th
2008
9:35 AM
I am so glad I found this site as it has confirmed many of the suspicions I've had about advair for quite some time. I've had the hoarseness, dizziness, memory loss, major weight gain, and major cramps and leg pains. I was even diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis because of the non-stop joint pains etc... The doctors too insisted that non of my troubles were due to the advair and I find this completely maddening that they lead patitents to believe that something is safe when it is not! About 9 months ago, totally fed up with the state my health has fallen to, I began alternative medicine-- acupuncture and am starting homeopathy soon-- and the results have been very promising. I am not using rescue inhaler at all and am weaning myself off the advair. I am starting to feel best I have since I was diagnosed with adult on-set asthma. I would encourage anyone to explore these safe alternatives and would also like to know if anyone has found any "safe" replacement for advair which does help control asthma symptoms w/out the HORRIBLE side effects?
-- By smbryant | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
May 6th
2008
11:44 PM
I am 60years and a stroke survivor of ten years.
About 9 years ago started on Lipitor 20mg until about 18months ago prescribed 80mg.
Looking back I have symptoms for quite some time, and thought it must have been from tthe strokes.3 weeks ago had a CPK blood test showed my level was about 300 over recommended ratio. Have been nauseas, light headed as though I am going to fall (even when I turn my head in bed) bloated, very hungry, put on weight,stiffness, sore or aching muscles. Have been on Luvox for depression since the strokes chest pain, back pain, shoulder pain foggy vision again, aching under armpit and groin areas, irritable,and always seem tired and the list goes on, even my speech seems to be worse at times
Have had two weeks of Lipitor and started to feel better, but had to try them again for this week. See doctor Friday and I wish to say never again do I want to take another lipitor. I live in Australia and would like to find more info. Any advice would be appreciated.
April 2th
2008
6:58 AM
Everytime I read these side effects, I am still amazed about how the stories are so similar. My youngest son and I went to the doctor today. I think my son's doctor does a very good job. However, he is still suggesting the Singulair. He checked for updates on Singulair. Since the "FDA" has not sent any information with some of these serious side effects, it is still the green light. That is fine. But, I will not be administering this medication to him or my other child. These stories and my sons' side effects are substantiated enough for me. I think it is a matter of time, and we will all blessed after its findings. I am reading all these side effects again because my youngest son is again sick with diarrhea and puking. This has been happening a lot this year, and he is suppose to be taking the MAP testing. This stresses me since he has missed so much school. Last year, for quite some time he suffered with separation anxiety, and it took my husband and I forever to get him to school. Sometimes when we got him to school, he would not get out of the car. Sometimes we had to go inside with him and negotiate to get him inside the classroom and try to tell him we would be fine. One morning it was two hours, and another morning I finally left the school with him and took him to his father. I was exhausted!!!!!!! The school counselor would try to help too. I just do not think this is my child's disposition......................
-- By 64744 | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
March 31th
2008
11:45 AM
My 68 year old father has been taking Singulair for quite some time and in July 2006 committed suicide. We had no reason to suspect the Singulair until just the other day. How does someone go about finding out for sure if Singulair was the reason he killed himself. This would answer questions that have caused my life to be in a constant stated of depression for 20 months now. I don't think this will be my ticket to freedom but it would help to know if it was caused by medicine.
-- By ycart64 | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
March 1th
2008
12:13 AM
I am a 43 year young woman and have been on birth control for quite some time. Since they tell me I am approaching middle age, my OBGYN changed my BC to YAZ. After about 1 1/2 months, I was experiencing severe neck pain. I could not get comfortable and thought I just had to change my pillow. I went to my Chiropractor - nothing seemed out-of-sorts. The pain would still not go away. After another month, I became very ill. I had a wicked headache that would not go away and was very sensitive to light and sound. My husband came home from work one day and found me quite confused and slurring my words. He took me to the hospital and to make a long story short, I had (have) a blood clot in my brain. Now I realize I am "older" and am on other medications (none that were new to my repertoire) so there is a slight possibility that it could have been a combination of things. However, I find it hard to believe that this was just a coincidence. Maybe I survived to spread the word...
P.S. I am a non-smoker.
-- By jill1964 | Reply | Private Message me
February 20th
2008
4:22 PM
As we all read the messages posted on this board I'm sure we are all wondering how long will the pain associated with this drug ( that I myself have after just 4, 500mg pills ) will last under normal conditions. The pain I mean is muscle related, does it go away with time.
-- By frasco518 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
October 23th
2005
10:17 AM
My son is on concerta and has done much better ifocusing in school. I do see mood swings when the concerta wears off and he has been running his fingers through his hair and just told me he is pulling at the hair. Has anyone else experienced the hair issue with this?
-- By jepeltier | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
October 3th
2005
6:30 AM
Levaquin (5) Singulair (2) Concerta (1) Advair HFA (1) Dyazide (1) Elavil (1) Wellbutrin (1) Mirena (1) Celexa (1) Femcon FE (1) Lipitor (1) Lisinopril (1) Diovan HCT (1) Doxycycline Hyclate (1) Yaz (1)
November 18th
2008
10:52 AM
Omigosh! I can't believe all that I am reading!!! I have had the Mirena since Dec 7, 2005 almost 3 full years. I have been feeling icky for quite some time now. I have had frequent headaches, backaches, acne, memory loss, weight gain, mood swings, and most of all feeling like I live my life in a fog with severe tiredness. I decided to come online and look for side affects to the Mirena and found all of you having alot of the same issues as I am. I never thought all the things I have been experiencing were related to the IUD. I am in shock sitting here reading all of your stories. I am a 36 year old mom with 4 children and decided on the Mirena because I get pregnant very easy and didn't want to have any more kids but also wasn't ready to have my tubes tied. I thank everyone for this very informative and eye opening forum. I am going to make an appointment and have my Mirena taken out for good! I will take the risk of pregnancy over feeling like I have for so long any day!! God Bless you all and good luck to you all.
-- By purplerose | Reply | Private Message me