September 29th
2009
12:04 AM
I have been on Warfarin for 3 months.Fatigue, poor memory and definite increased sensitivity to heat and sunlight. I've always worked outside and this summer has been unbearable.I sweat profusely from average activity. I asked my dad who is also on warfarin if he felt tired or noticed the suns heat on his skin and he replied no. Of course my
Dr. said he had not heard of these symptoms. another side effect is ringing in my ears.
July 7th
2009
12:36 PM
I am a 46 yr old woman. After developing 3 DVT's in my lower rt calf after major foot surgery, I was prescribed Coumadin/Warfarin. My doses have fluctuated between 1mg to 7.5mg (I have just lowered my dose from 6mg to 5mg as my INR yesterday was 3.9). I have noticed a lot of the symptoms listed above (others comments), but have bumbled along. The symptom that is bothering is my mouth! I can hardly eat or talk - my lower jaw especially aches constantly and even despite using an extra soft toddlers toothbrush, my gums bleed profusely. I only read of one other persons symptom regarding teeth/gums/mouth. I know it sounds melodramatic, but my mouth aches as though I had mouth cancer!!! I can't wait to get off this rat poison! Good luck to all.
-- By flickwee | Reply | Private Message me
June 19th
2009
3:18 AM
Doctors really kind of hit and miss w/ all these agenda of telling patients that coumadin related symptoms are not at all what it seems..telling patients" it is all it your head"..what it seems and I know that doctors are 'tuned in" to tell patients "what they think they believe or read in textbooks and not listening to the real stories of these patients who are on these meds..they are therapeutic in a way to prevent blood clots in some conditions but in real situations those symptoms created by these meds are purely debilitating to some and having not to live life where discomfort won't hinder one from just living the normal life...free from all these adverse reactions,which are so crippling....I have made a decision to talk to my husband's cardiologist to have him stop taking this so called "rat poison" or surreal "human poison"...he was diagnosed w/ afib and had cardiac ablation..hubby's taking coumadin for about 8 months now-preventively...
but these symptoms had changed him into a very depressed individual..after reading all these tonight..I will take charge and will take control of our lives again and hopefully just live to be healthy again...thanx for all of you that posted these info.......
April 23th
2009
6:22 PM
I really don't know if this has any connection but here goes. I am 60 years old with no significant medical issues. My blood pressure has been creeping up over the past few years. Because of my job (professional pilot), I addressed the blood pressure issue with my family doctor and she prescribed Lisinopril. I was on the medication for a little over 3 months when all of a sudden with no warning my heart rate jumped to 185 and remained there for almost 2 hours. I underwent an angiogram (no significant blockage) and an echocardiogram (negative). I have an appointment with a Cardiologist in two weeks to continue follow-up with a stress test and possible electrophysiology study. Attempting to figure out what happened I started looking at what in my life had changed in the past few months. To my surprise I ran across this information on Lisinopril (rat poison).
-- By hawk23 | Reply | Private Message me
February 24th
2009
2:33 AM
I had open heart surgery August 23rd 2006 for a conginital heart defeat (Aortic Valve replaced with mechanical St Jude valve). I wanted a bio valve but Drs insisted I should have the mechanical valve because of my age (45 at the time).
Prior to my heart surgery I was a performer, singer/songwriter/actress/comedianne and I loved what I did. It was my life. Now, after 2+ years post-op and on Warfarin (7.5 mg daily for life) I feel like life has ended and I'm just a walking dead person. The effects I feel daily are as follows...
Dizziness
Severe Headaches
Blurred vision
Memory Loss
Fatigue
Weight Gain
Trouble concentating
Fluttering effect in my head/ears- Hard to explain
Hair loss
Unexplained pains in chest & left side of my body
Unable to sleep well
Tiredness- even when I've done nothing to be tired for
Nausea
Gas & Diarrhea off and on
teeth pain- Like I've drank something very cold
feeling in my head similar to a brain freeze- like you ate ice cream too fast
Night bleeds in my month- wake up with a mouth full of blood daily
What do think, is that enough??
I'm going in tomorrow for a cat scan because the headaches have been so bad they feel I need to be checked for brain tumor and/or internal bleeding. When I tell the Drs I think this is due to Wafarin they pratically laugh in my face as if to say, "Silly silly woman, don't be foolish! We know whats best for you. Remember, we saved your life!" Really? Did you?!
I want nothing more than to get off this rat poison and regain my life, but to do so could mean a stroke or heart attack. I would go under the knife again to have the mechanical valve removed and replaced with a biological valve, but do you think my insurance company (Kieser) would pay for a "silly" thing like that? Right!
Welcome to the greatest country in the world!
I'm going to start a website to help people like us. I want your stories, please send me your info, together we might make a change, what can it hurt to try? Email me ******
B.
-- By beverly4help | Reply | (8) replies | Private Message me
December 7th
2008
12:14 AM
I posted earlier today about my side effects: ringing ears, headache, nausea, agitation/anxiety, inability to think straight, stuffed nose, etc. Though no fun, I was tolerating the side effects ok so far. Not for long...
Update: Took pill number 4 of 10 (500mg, 1x day) tonight at 6pm. Oh my God. Within an hour I am itching, and where I scratch, there are welts. Then nausea and belching, like I'm gonna vomit. I immediately take 50mg benadryl in case of allergy. Breathing is ok, itching stops. But this poison is making me shaky on the inside, and still nauseous with terrible headache, and muscle aches in my neck and back. I also have a sense of muscle stiffness, bodywide. All this for a "possible" post surgical infection. You couldn't get me to take this again for a million dollars. I am ordering a MedicAlert bracelet with Levaquin on it, as I don't ever want this in my body again. I almost had my husband take me to the ER. I am drinking lots of water to flush it out. I'm sure I am in the minority, and many people take it with no troubles. But all I can say is that I feel like I just took rat poison.
-- By napagirl2007 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
November 18th
2008
11:51 AM
I have taken three 500mg doses of Levaquin since Saturday. They were prescribed by my urologist for a "possible" minor prostates that might be affecting my PSA (2.2). The very first night I was unable to sleep, tossing and turning all night. Thought nothing of it, and blamed it on diet or too much sleep the previous day. However, insomnia has continued for three straight nights and last night I woke at 4:30 AM with shortness of breath (had to take long deep breaths to feel like I was getting enough oxygen) that felt like an anxiety attack. Although there was no pain, I felt like my heart was pounding and rapid. Finally got a little more sleep and woke up feeling OK in the morning, but blood pressure was elevated. I continually feel like I'm on a caffeine high. I never associated it, but, I woke up second and third days with a sore throat and have had a few minor muscle twitches in arms, legs and abdomen.
I feel fortunate compared to others on this forum. I have stopped taking the Levaquin and have an appointment with my family doctor tomorrow. As a side note, I had an acute prostates this time last year and took Cipro for over one month with no similar side effects that I can recall. Does anyone know if two drugs from the same group can have such different side effects, or can I expect the same problems if I start taking Cipro again?
-- By erom43 | Reply | (4) replies | Private Message me
September 29th
2008
10:29 AM
I'm 39 and have been on Coumadin for about a month. Was diagnosed with DVT in right calf after taking Yaz birth control for only about 4-5 months (no other pre-conditions - I'm a non-smoker, fairly active, not overweight, no recent airplane trips or long car rides.) I was on Yaz to treat severe problems with my period which has been the case since I was a teenager, but I was tired of having to call in sick to work every month, and had hoped Yaz would eliminate that problem. I had been on other BCPs when I was in my 20's, and never had any symptoms of clotting, so didn't think that it would be all that risky to try again, despite me being slightly older than the typical woman on BCP. Obviously, I am not taking Yaz anymore, and will not be able to take any other hormonal therapies for the rest of my life. But I guess that's minor compared to the risk of developing PE from an undiagnosed blood clot.
Anyway, I've been noticing I've been getting sudden, severe headaches since starting the Coumadin. I have a history of migraines but I usually only get one or two per year at most. Now I've had what feels a lot like a migraine twice in a matter of a couple weeks. My husband has also commented that I've been irritable and acting "spacy".
My INR has also been all over the place. They've been alternating me between 5 mg and 7.5 mg per day. For the first few weeks I was right where they wanted me - between 2 and 3, but then last Friday my results were 4.6!! Way too high. I go back this afternoon to see if anything's changed over the weekend, after skipping a dose and then doing 5 mg Sat. and Sun. I do hope they can find the right balance and don't have to keep tinkering with the dosage. I'm wondering if that's what's contributing to the headaches. Maybe if they can stabilize how much I'm taking from day to day, my body will adjust.
I wonder if anyone "official" is tracking the number of DVT/PE patients that can trace their onset of symptoms to Yaz. My sense is that this is a much more serious and prevalent side effect than their marketing dept. would like to admit.....
-- By sallyjane | Reply | (8) replies | Private Message me
September 27th
2008
9:09 PM
I started on 40mg of Celexa in 2002 for depression/anxiety. In 2006, my wife told me she "didn't think it was working anymore" and I should go talk to our doctor about switching. We talked and he switched me to Effexor. No, I'm not blaming him!
After dealing with the massive increase in sweating (at the time I was running a custom A/V installation business including new construction. It was nothing for me to change shirts, underwear and socks 2 or 3 times a day in the 100 deg summer heat!) gaining 40 lbs, watching my cholesterol shoot up to 290 and my bp to 160/120, I decided I'd had enough and went back 1 month ago to talk about quitting. He shrugged, asked why, gave me a scrip for 37.5's, told me to "take them for a couple weeks, then start lengthening the days in between". And "oh yeah, you'll probably feel a little crummy for a week or so after you stop completely".
A LITTLE CRUMMY???
The brain zaps are unbelievable and by far the worst symptom for me so far. Turn your head like you have a plate balanced up there or pay the consequences, right? I had a couple 37's left and that little voice kept telling me to "go ahead, take one, it's ok." I finally flushed the last 3 or 4 pills down the toilet today to prevent me going back at all. (It's ok folks, you won't end up drinking my pills. I'm on septic and way up on the side of a mountain far from any water table.) I can't believe all the data/opinions I've read today on "SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome". Truly unbelievable stuff. With God's grace and my family's support, I know I'll join the ranks of those that have been able to leave this rat poison behind me. One zap at a time, right? ;-)
September 12th
2008
10:32 PM
No, I am not a drug rep,I am simply just being honest.Not everyone has a terrible experience from this drug. I am sorry that so many of you have had so many bad reactions,just like any medication it may not be for everyone,but it does work for some.
-- By cherylathomas | Reply | (5) replies | Private Message me
July 19th
2008
7:34 PM
horrible...started taking coumadin in November of 2007--it is now July of 2008 and in recent weeks I have had the most horrible bruising all over my body--deep maroon and deep purple and HUGE! One covers my hip on my back completely and I have others all over me. I have been having severe fatique, widespread pain to include my entire abdominal cavity, my lower and upper back, my sides, sudden headaches, and a general feeling of malaise, weakness in extremities...I am not taking this medication EVER again and I have an appt with my heart doc in a few days. I feel like I've been run over with a paver and aspirin is obviously a better choice for me. What's the use of preventing clots if your quality of life is s__t. After all, it is basically rat poison. Seriously, folks...look at the ingredients on both.
-- By deborah1963 | Reply | Private Message me
June 23th
2008
2:04 PM
I'm 46, female.. developed blood clots on my lungs for apparently no reason, found them when going to ER and complaining of bad headache, nausea and left shoulder and back pain. I haven't had a recent surgery, nor was on birth control.
I'm dealing with anxiety, depression, unusual headache, horrible back and upper shoulder pain, itching of head, hair falling out during shampooing, , tightness in chest, trouble swallowing, really bad pain in hips, legs and feel like feet swell. I don't sleep well, even on Ambien.. doesn't keep me asleep. I awake in the mornings around 4:30 with diarrhea, nausea, headache and feel awful. Never get a good nights sleep. My hips hurt as well as dealing with parathesias down right arm and into hand.. feels like needles sticking in my hand. Most days I feel wiped out in the afternoon.. as I try and drag myself out of bed to get some excersise.
Does anyone deal with parathesia's down their arms or hands.. what feels like nerve pain?
Has anyone ever tried Aggrenox, also known as Dipyridamole instead?
Or actually tried the real Coumadin, instead of the generic Warfarin?
Has any other woman out there been told not to use a tampon when on her cycle, as this will cause more menstrual bleeding?
I'm so tired of Dr.'s not having personal experience of their own with this drug.. and telling the patient that they are crazy and need to be on anxiety meds or anti-depressants. I just found out that Warfarin is the main ingredient in RAT POISON..
Has anyone EVER gone the totally nutrition route, juiced and gone radical, telling their Dr.'s that they were getting off of all meds?
Does anyone suffer from feeling like their ears are full, or hearing loss?
I'm so tired of feeling afraid.. and tossed around by Dr.'s who really don't want to do the research, nor listen to their patients.
I'd love to hear from anyone who has some insight..on any or all of the questions..
-- By lisaspillowtree | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
April 19th
2008
7:30 PM
My son has been battling sinusitis for a few months . I didn't know sinusitis could be so bad. His doctor prescribed Levaquin three days ago and I read the side effects and realize it was a risk because my son has seizures.After 2 dosages and sleepless nights with headaches and him not being able to function I've stopped giving it to him.
Thanks for such a great website!
The benefits don't out-weight the risk.
March 20th
2008
7:30 PM
I have never, ever responded to any of these "side effects" websites before! As a healthy person who very rarely requires medication, I had to find something on the web that would "explain" my suspected side effects for the Levaquin I've been taking for the last three days. This was prescribed for a UTI. The "new" side effect (that I didn't see addressed anywhere here) was what I can only describe as "asthma-like," to include wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. Anyone else with this symptom? I was also overcome with a great sense of futility that just scared me. I am normally a positive, "the-sun'll-come-up-tomorrow" type person, but this just knocked me for a loop!
-- By healthnut | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
February 19th
2008
1:18 AM
Thank you all for confirming what my doctors say can not be the Warfarin. Did you Know that it is RAT POISON? I have had one nurse and one doctor confirm that fact. After reading all the side effects that people are having I am not having much faith in the " it makes the rat bleed to death" storie.
-- By jimmybinaz | Reply | Private Message me
July 8th
2006
10:11 AM
July 24th
2004
4:53 PM
I'm 29, slightly overweight. I've been on the 20mg lisinopril for about 8 months now. Initially I only had moderate fatigue, which I took as a reasonable trade-off for a lower BP. About two weeks ago, however, I started having the worst dry cough ever, and I'm so tired and hurtin' that I feel like I just sparred with Mike Tyson (and I'm not a boxer). I don't know if my body finally reached a "saturation point" with this stuff... Thank you all for this forum, it's been a godsend. My doctor gets a visit tommorrow, and I will demand answers for why he didn't give me a low side-effect medicine but put me on this rat poison instead!
-- By anton_kotzev | Reply | Private Message me
November 20th
2003
12:31 PM
This Levaquin is some potent stuff. Rat poison probably.
WOW!
And guess what, I have only taken "1". I have bad anxiety, very irritable, bad headache, pain in the back of my neck-stiffness too, also I have very bad muscle aches. Feels like I just worked out for hours, that is how sore I am.
I called the Dr. to switch to something else and all of the other drugs have side effects but, not as bad as this one. I feel for all of you who have taken more than "1". It must be bad.
I have started Shaklee and I am a member, meaning that I paid a membership price and I am taken a detoxin (natural vitamin) to help get this drug out of my body. You need to get this out, because otherwise it stays in your body and you get worse.
If any of you need help with the de-toxin part, e-mail me and I will try, by Gods grace, helping you.
Also, they have a cream that people swear by used for pain and muscle pain.
I will be than happy to help, please don't think that I will be making money off you, I just am a member and I get a discount and I could let all of you get a discount also.
Meanwhile, we should start a petition and let the FDA read all of this. This drug company is going down!
Save and write down all of your reactions and problems related to this drug. I don't want to see or hear about another person suffer from this.
Like I said, I cannot believe what just 1 pill has done.
Amazing!
Warfarin Sodium (10) Levaquin (6) Lisinopril (2) Effexor XR (1)
September 29th
2009
12:26 AM
Been on warfarin for three months for DVT left calf. I got to this site looking up fatigue associated with the rat poison. I've also experienced increased sensitivity to sunlight both directly on my face and extreme sweating from doing lite work. I also have a constant ringing in my ears and memory seems to be worse. My dad also takes this medication and doesn't have any of the same symptoms. I will deal with it for the time being rather than have my calf swell up like a cantaloupe.
-- By freebird777 | Reply | Private Message me