Severe dry skin symptoms and conditions

Started with a Pred pak for a sinus infection. Made my heart race and had tach and early heartbeat, which kept me from sleeping. Went to Cardiologist. Several doctors denied that the Pred would cause the rapid heartbeat. Then the Cardiologist did an echo and found a pericardial effusion and some weird spots on my lungs. They suspected lung cancer which may cause the effusion, so I had surgery to do a pericardial window and a lung biopsy. Then a pulmonologist decided to put me on Pred again...steady dosage...because she didn't know what else to do. (Didn't have lung cancer) I didn't have any more funny heartbeats, so maybe the pred didn't cause it after all. But I've gained 40 pounds. My hair has grown faster, and I've gotten some facial hair (not supposed to have that, being a female)...which I call fur. Moon face with cheeks that are hard, muscle cramps, can't sleep, but once I do go to sleep, I can't wake up. Tired all the time, headaches, joint pain-sometimes severe, dry skin, generally bad attitude, with very little patience, low potassium levels which add to my muscle cramping problems, difficulty swallowing, indigestion which I've never had, with painful and burning reflux. And occasionally when I eat, I have the rapid heartbeat again. I go in search of food like I'm going to store it in my thighs for winter. Anything you eat will turn to fat, including protein. Can't wait to get off this stuff which will take until June of next year. Then my doctor says it will be 3 months before all these effects wear off. No one told me I would get fur.

After suffering from terrible skin from about junior high, I finally got a good enough job so that I had insurance to pay for a dermatologist. After heavy antibiotics and Retin A, I was given Accutane. In the next 3 months I suffered through: Severe dry skin and chapping, my hair fell out in clumps, my fingernails curled like parrot beaks, terrible muscle pain, severe depression (even though I didn't realize it until I was off of it), and of course the scarlet leather facial skin that "showed the drug was working".

Then after all that, shortly afterward my grandfather's Type 1 diabetes appeared in me (at age 40!). This warning about getting diabetes was NOT in the warnings that I had to sign off on then, but it IS now (funny, huh?). The kicker is, that after all that, I didn't even have acne. A better doctor correctly diagnosed me with Rosacea, gave me a simply lotion (Metrolotion), and my face has been fine ever since.

Stay AWAY from this drug!!!

I had my Mirena put in Sept '06. My sister talked me into getting it, she said she bled for 5 months afters. I was expecting the same.. I only bled for about 2 months. But it's like living every day the day before my period starts. Extreme heavy discharge, constant cramps and severe dry skin on my head forcing me to get medical attention for that. I have other health issues, so I'm not sure if my back and kidney pain can also be attributed to the Mirena. I am finding an OB in my new state to have it removed. I can't take this anymore.. My sister had hers removed last week because of severe pain in her Pelvis. I've also had mood swings and headaches, more than normal.

I tried Yaz (lower dose form of Yasmin) for two months and it made me give up on birth conrol completely. I had many ear aches/problems but no infection.I also had some un explained chest pains. My main complaint though is when I was on the reminder pills and when I stopped the pill I got severe dry skin. I have been very oily all my life. I am also having nervousness and problems sleeping. I think it has affected my potassium levels or adrenal glands (as another member posted) because I feel like I did when I was ill before I had my gall bladder out a few years ago. I have not taken any mediceines or changed any routines during this time. I have been on 4 different birth controls for the last 8 years and this was the worst. I hope I will feel normal again.

I am so thrilled to have stumbled across this site. So many lightbulbs are going on. I have been gathering pieces of the Advair complications in my life just recently after taking it for years. Finally so many things are making sense. I started taking Advair 100/50 in 1996, and like most people, I had almost immediate relief of symptoms. My alupent inhalers that I used to puff on regularly started to expire before I was even 1/3 of the way through them. What a miracle!
I experienced no MAJOR side effects until my dosage was bumped up last fall to the 250.

From that point on, I have experienced:

* a chronic raw, gravelly sore throat. I saw a specialist (who knew what amount of Advair I was on and never mentioned this as a possibility) He sent me on my way with a pamphlet on heart burn. I don't have heart burn, and my friends joke that I have a permanent new, husky smoker's voice!

* severe dry skin and horrible eczema, concentrated mainly on my lower legs and ankles-- this started almost exactly one month after my dosage was increased but I didn't make the connection

* thinning hair

* cuts, sores slow to heal

* yeast infections are a frequent and nasty visitor

* swelling in my ankles

* toe and leg cramps

* slight weight gain

* irritability-- my typically sunny attitude has shifted to a lot of depression and feelings of anger off and on

Also, like so many others here, when I tried to talk to the Dr. about decreasing my level of Advair, she told me not to mess with success and wanted to hear nothing about it. When I flat out asked her what the long term consequences could be of inhaling steroids, she responded by saying "Well, you don't absorb them in your system since you are inhaling it, so there's obviously nothing to worry about! Harumph.." She acted like it was the stupidest question she had ever heard and left me feeling angry and frustrated.

I consulted with my dermatologist in regards to my eczema.. I have almost been scratching my legs until they bleed because the itching is so insufferable and nothing has been alleviating the symptoms. She confirmed that the Advair use could definitely be linked to my increasing, chronic skin problems. Another patient in their practice had developed full blown Cushing's Syndrome after years of excessive inhaled cortisone. Her skin was thin and papery and her whole system was a mess.

I have an appt with a new dr. this week to begin a regimen of weaning off this stuff. I am quite scared and only wish I would have connected the dots sooner. It was my German brother-in-law, a doctor, who raised red flags with me when I told him about my symptoms and showed him the dosage of Advair I was taking twice a day. He was quite stunned and quickly convinced me the severity of the situation.

Eczema, severe dry skin & hair growth out the wazooooooo, extreme facial hair growth, and i now shave my legs everyday instead of once a week. I also suffer from insomnia and hot flashes.
Now the good part I am pain free and anything is worth being rid of the pain from endometreosis. I have suffered with endometreosis for 19 years. This is really a saving grace.