Sincerely symptoms and conditions

I have just been reading the list of, what I am considering to be "possible", side effects from Dilantin . Doesn't everyone, whether on Dilantin or no drugs at all experience headaches, nausea, stomach pains or depression from time to time?
After being on this medication for over 30 years there are some things which I've experienced. Just about everyone complains of hyperplasia but it has been my experience that if I maintain a clean healthy mouth, there is no hyperplasia. If, for one day, I do not brush my teeth, hyperplasia sets in immediately & it then takes a week or so to get it under control. So, brush, brush & brush your teeth.
As far as memory loss or difficulty learning, I suppose it happens to everyone at one time or another. However I have graduared from high school with honours & became a registered nurse (top 5 in my class of 56) all while I was on Dilantin.
The only true adverse side effect from taking Dilantin for over 30 years which I experience is that whenever I am tired, my speech can easily slur. I am very aware of this & it's become habit to pay close attention to my pronounciation & correct it so I may articulate normally. Not a big deal & a very small price to pay.
I'm not one for pity trips or blaming my seizures or medications for my downfalls in life. I am so grateful to have my seizures under control & hate to think where I would be today if not for Dilatin. Remember, if you look for it , you will likely find it. So try not to look for all these adverse side effects (crutches)& see the benifits. We have enough to handle keeping this under control & educating the sometimes ignorant world.
I took control of the epilepsy that attacked my system. I would never allow it to control me. Good luck to all of you. Sincerely :)

I am a 56 year old female who was very active ranching, balng hay taking care of irrigation etc. 3 years ago I had pain in my left arm and my heart was racing went to the E.R. where they did a 12 lead ekg. Could not find anything wrong other than my blood pressure was up to 160/90 they gave me ToprolXl 100 mg and told me to see my primary care physcian. Which I did. He continued the medication.

Since that time I have complained to all of the symtoms I have seen on this site. With one exception. Two months ago I was watching TV and had double vision. It only lasted for a few seconds but noticed the next day my peripheral vision was gone. I made an appt with an opthomologist and he spent 3 hours with me and recommended an MRI which was conducted some 2 weeks later. I was referred to a neurologist who ran a lot of blood work. My first batch of blood work showed a raging inflamation. They started testing for MS, lymes, lupus etc. Last week i met with my neurologist for the follow up blood work report. Everything is normal he says but by the way you have myathenia gravis. You get double vision again you call me I will give you medicine. Like I am a two year old.

I have researched myasthenia and the one thing you dont want to do is be on a beta blocker or a calcium channel blocker, as both of these will aggravate the condition. I called him to ask that he change my blood pressure medication. He says I wont do that. My primary care physcian is no longer in practice with the original medical group and has left the area. I saw him only 2 weeks ago and nothing was mentioned. The point is folks Don't trust anyone. Oh and by the way the side effects you are seeing mimic myasthenia gravis. Now no one knows what causes it for sure. Stress is a factor. But if you have not been tested get yourself tested. I may not even have this disease but I am getting off this medication and I am going to find out for sure what in the heck is going on. By the way I have seen a cardiologist last month without a referral because I wanted answers and he says there is absolutely nothing wrong with my heart...so why was I put on this medication? Heaven help us all.

Prednisone is a miracle drug that is saving my life. I realize that the side effects can happen and do. I've experienced them too: pockets of fat on my face even though I've lost 25 pounds; loss of hair; Thrush in the mouth and other yeast infections; hyperactivity; insomnia; blurry vision; the shakes; reduction in muscle tone; and secondary infections because of compromised immune system. I have pulmonary fibrosis and waiting for a lung transplant. There is no known cause, cure, or treatment of this terminal disease and most patients die in 1-5 years. Prednisone is the only drug that will at least slow the disease down until I receive that transplant call. I realize that most people on this post are not terminally ill and you can say, "no" to this drug; but just wanted you to know that for some of us it's a miracle drug.
Di

I am a 38 year old female and was put on Toprol XL for anxiety/rapid heart beat/stress. I have experienced weight gain, hair loss/thinning, tiredness, walking up/down a flight of stairs takes all the energy I've got and I need to sit and catch my breath, memory loss, loss of sex drive, gas/bloating problems, lack of activity due to fatigue. After I began reading these comments I can't believe that all the symptoms I'm having is due to this medication. As I was reading everything was coming back to me and I kept saying to myself, "That's exactly how I feel!" Just like most of these people! I'm not alone! Thank God for these posts! I'm going to stop taking this medication, gradually of course. I'll have to deal w/my anxiety/stress in other ways.....Prayer!

hello, was on lisinopril for about the first 3 weeks of 2007 and had bad stomach problems and could not uriniate, felt like my bladder was full. i thought i had prostrate problems, went back to doc, said it was probably a urinary infection. gave me cipro and said it would clear up in a couple of days, got worse. found this site on jan 20 and quit taking lisinopril that day. after 3-4 days i could uriniate again. doc then gave me atenolol and took it for about 10 days, have had a wierd kind of sore throat and sore around adams apple, feels like something hung in my throat and my appitite is nothing like it used to be, not hungry, and not sleeping worth a darn. anybody know how long these side effects last. driving me and my wife crazy. also hoarseness in throat and voice. i sure am glad to find this site. tommy p.s, am sure symptoms were before taking atenolol.

Guest 34551
Hi! Thanks so much for your informative post. I had no idea prozac was used this way as well and will definitely read up on it as you suggested. Your story is intriguing to me because you describe my situation pretty closely, and confirmed what I had felt all along, that my testosterone had fallen and that estrogen had taken over (even if my estrogen was registering a normal level it was still too high because I did not have the testosterone levels to balance it). Did your doctor confirm these findings with you? I had the same annoying stomach problems and just when I thought things were getting better again, I would feel bad again. However at my six month mark, I did feel some improvement, maybe a little more than the 1% you were describing, but not completely, so I tried to restart my old pill I took for 12 years with no problems before I took the yasmin, and at first I felt pretty good and things really started to feel normal, but then about 12 days into it I started with the anxiety again and stopped taking them immediately about day 15 and all my symptoms seemed to start over from scratch just like after I quit the yasmin. (I really wanted to die at this point), but now 4 months after that episode I feel like I may be progressing again, but it is like you said, back and forth. And all along I have been testing my hormones monthly, I was starting to see my testosterone come up when I was starting to feel better, but when I tried to take that pill again it fell again (I could feel it, I knew even before the results came back) But I want to know, did your doctor confirm your hormones with lab tests? I will definitely read up on the prozac, as I had not heard of it used in this way. Your right though, that is a pretty low dose. Also, I was just wondering did your doctor ever suggest hormonal replacement with bioidentical hormones?
Thanks for your post and in advance for your reply.
Sincerely, BitterRN

I am seriously considering getting BACK on the Yasmin... I only got off of it because I forgot to refill my prescription. (I don't take it for birth control, I take it to level out my hormones.) The side effects I had while on it were headaches, sinus infections, 7 day periods: stuff like that. My issues started AFTER I got off of it.

I've been off of Yasmin since Sept 22. I went one month without any other BC, then started Loestrin 1/20 FE. I just started my second week of it and I AM MISERABLE... I'm eating out of control, I'm weepy, angry, irritable, my boobs have grown at least a full cup size (and they hurt like HELL) and I have funky discharge!!!! I was just fine until I started mucking around with these pills!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm at a loss - I sincerely do not know what to do. I don't have insurance until Dec so I don't have a whole lot of options... Do I stay on Loestrin? Do I go back on Yasmin? Do I stop taking them altogether?!? How do I get back to feeling OKAY?????

Sorry. No one ever responds to my posts anyway and I just needed to rant. I don't know what to do. I have Bipolar disorder so having my hormones out of whack doesn't help...

hi guest 31990,
i'm glad that you have found a pill that works for you,what's not right for some is right for others,i know some people do really well on yasmin and other brands of birth control pills,if you feel great on it then that is good but just please please listen to your body,if you get any strange symptoms or start having any kind of emotional problems at least be aware of the fact that it might be the pill,i did really well on it for 6 months,had clear skin,lost a bit of weight,no pms,light periods and bigger breast but then i started to get ill and have panic attacks and severe anxiety. I am not saying any of this to put you off or to scare you i just cannot bare the thought of not warning women of the possible future side effects,hopefully you will continue to do really well on yasmin and i sincerely hope you do. we need both sides of the story on this site so that other women can make informed decisions (unlike many of us that took yasmin blindly!).
best wishes to you.

sarah

Has anyone here tried Loestrin 1/20 FE? I'm going to the dr today and that's the one I'm going to ask for... I looked at another message board and it seems like the majority of users are very satisfied with it! I am sincerely hoping it helps get me back on track: I think getting off of the Yasmin and the withdrawal side effects have messed with my Bipolar a bit and it's triggering a mixed episode. I'm not too happy about that at ALL.... Stupid hormones...

I wanted to know the Long term side effects or irreversible side effects?

Thankyou for your cooperation in this matter.

Sincerely,

I have a sister who is mentally retarded and they want to give this to her for behaviors - I say NO she has seisures, too. There are too many side effects on this medication.

I am taking a very low doses 225mg and am taking paxil 12.5mg.
I am getting itching on my face and break out of pimples. Which could be the cause of this problem. Sincerely, Esther Starkman

here here silke!
i too was surprised at the "2 weeks and great "post! i thought yasmin was a wonder pill for the 1st 6 months i was on it,my skin cleared up,my periods were a doddle,no water retention,no cramping.i went on holiday and took 2 packs back to back and bang........ my life turned upside down! i was sooo anxious i was scared to go out,i was scared to stay in ,i cried,i had nighmares,terrifying thoughts,i couldn't eat,i couldn't sleep,i just cried all the time,i couldn't deal with my kids,i was scared to be around them because i thought i had gone crazy,i lost 35lbs because i physically could not eat or if i did i was sick,i felt dizzy,my ears felt muffled,my vision was blurred and i just felt like i was going to die. i had constant panic attacks,palpitations,racing heart,shaking...the list goes on and on,i was put on diazepam but that made me worse.i struggled on until i found this site by accident,i stopped taking yasmin 5 weeks ago and am already feeling much better,my anxiety levels have dropped massively and the panic attacks are getting easier to deal with. if yasmin works for you then that's great,were all different but please remember that we are not all so lucky! we are all here to share our experiences of yasmin and to give each other help and advice if we can, femalepara...i am glad that yasmin is relieving some of your ailments and i sincerely hope that it carries on working for you as it does for some women but please please bare in mind that if you get ANYTHING unusal,like nausea,bowel problems,depression or any of the symptoms discussed on here,it could be that yasmin has struck again.

While taking daily dosage of 18mg increasing to 20mg after 4 days (regular increase of 2mg) I experienced a sudden blackout lasting approx. 5 minutes. I am 58 years of age and had never passed out before. The reason was bradycardia and a drop in BP, from a norm of around 125/85 to 95/58. BP and pulse rate normalised in four days but dosage not increased since. No benefit yet found in dosage of 20mg. Slight nausea and insomnia also experienced. Wondering if I should continue; following advice of GP but would really prefer a homeoepathic remedy if there were one available!
Sincerely,
Rita Hudd

Hi everyone, I am Meg-

Just wanted to let you know about me, I started taking Yaz this week, I have only taken 5 pills. I have nausea, dizziness, I am sluggish, depressed, week and feel like I am on drugs. I called the doctor and they took me off of it right away. They said they haven't heard of these symptoms in this before but they were going to make a note of it and told me to stop taking it immediately.

I am 32 years old, I have an 8-month old and I was on the pill (Levlin 28) for 10 years before I got off so my husband and I could concieve. Before that, I was on the pill off and on starting at age 16 due to a medical condition called Menorhagia. So I have taken several different kinds and I threw up with a few at first and had to keep trying until I found one that I was ok with. I have never had these other symtoms with any of them before. Thanks for all your comments, it really helped me to think twice as I was having these symptoms, as soon as I read your comments I called my doctor immediately so I just wanted to thank you so much, you all may have saved me years of pain or trouble.

Thanks again

Sincerely,
Meg

Thank you for this site.
Last august (9/05) I had a Kenalog shot in my left knee. Since that time I have had to get up and pee in the middle of the night ( this is a probelm for me because i am an insomniac). I never had a problem of night urination before the Kenalog shot. All the doctors i have talked to do not believe me. I don't know much about medications but I am very in tuned to my body. There is no doubt in my mind when I started having this problem. There maybe additional dilemmas associated with this (bladder and prostate).
Is there any help and or advice out there? I would greatly appreciate it.
Sincerely
R4xz

I have terrible balance problems when sitting and walking. It feels like I am standing on a raft in the ocean when I walk.

Sincerely,
John

Dr. prescribed guaifen w/p-ephed 600/120mg 2x a day for sever sinus pressure - it certainly has releived the sinus pressure. My side effects have been racing heart beat shortly after taking, upset stomach within minutes and the most problematic has been the feeling of itching on the front of my entire legs, front & back upper torso - especially the upper back and entire scalp as well as waking up 1 hour after taking the PM dose - full of energy - getting ALOT accomplished. However, I am going to stop taking this medication as I want a full restful night's sleep and want the itching to STOP. I personally will never use this product again. Thank you everyone for your input - it helped me greatly. sincerely - sleepy!

Lisa,
THANK YOU! I just realized that the same company makes Yasmin and Mirena. Coincidence?

I sincerely hope that more docs get better informed about the 2 drugs. Mirena costs about $500.

Mirena sounded good initially. I appreciate you telling me your story.

I am so embarassed to be on paxil. The doc said that I am not depressed, I need it for anxiety. Let's hope I don't get side effects. Last thing i need are side effects.

I am having bad side effects from Seroquel they include wet underwear even after I shower I don't understand it. I am also having a heavy menstrual cycle. Can the side effects be worse if the medication has been misprescribed. I've become more aware of these problems as of late. More body awareness.

Sincerely,
Tiffany Jill Rose

I have experienced weight gain while adding toprol with norpace. Which can be the greatist weight gain cause?

Sincerely,
Maureen

I have been reading the posts with great interest, and as a frequent prednisone flyer, I have a Canadian perspective that may or may not be helpful. (Please be patient as typing and prednisone don't mix with me :>)

But back to the point. During my years of prednisone useage, I have always been told that long term prednisone use shuts down the adrenal glands, not enhances it. Which is why after a period of two weeks,(the time it take for them to shut down approximately, continued use of prednisone takes over what the adrenal glands formally did. (ie. regulate metabolism, and provides resistance to stress; ie. temperature extremes, high altitudes, bleeding, infection, surgery, trauma, dental work and good old stress. It also has the bonus of raising blood pressure if and when a body needs it.) A lot of the side effects I have read come from the prednisone directly, and indirectly from non-functioning adrenal glands. Furthermore, we are told it takes roughly a year (sometimes longer), for full adrenal gland function to come back, and why, if during this time you do need surgery, dental work, or get an infection, or in an accident, it is not uncommon to have to go back on the prednisone until the 'stress' is fixed. The symptoms of low pressure (feeling faint, sweating, dizzy etc.) is usually the first sign that the adrenal glands are not working at full capacity yet.

Knowing all of that, I sincerely wish I had known that if one is depressed, anxious or suffering from panic attacks prednisone compounds the emotional problems greatly. Or
simply creates them as side effects. If you have existing psychological difficulties, sleeping 2 hours in 24, massive, unpredictable mood swings, (for me it was not so much mood
'swings' per se, more like bad, worse, and would someone please put me out of my misery.) For me, I know prednisone turns me into a 'speedfreak'. I can't sit still, can't talk, walk or smoke fast enough. I was very lucky after a stressful last year, and taking 50 mgs of predisone for 4 months, when I finally crashed, I spent 6 weeks in a psych ward basically to
contain me until I had been weaned off of the prednisone. (Ironically enough, it was a year ago tomorrow when I was hopitalized.)

So today I started taking 50 mgs of prednisone, and can already feel my heart and pulse rate excelerating. Fortunately, I no longer have the emotional distress, but during this summer I developed edema (45 pounds in a month), and high blood pressure. Both the doctor who prescribed it and the pharmacist who fill it assured me prednisone does not affect either. It only took about a minute and a half on the 'net to find out that wasn't true, (Everyone who already knew that feel free to giggle and roll your eyes a bit) after spending months working on getting the edema/HBP under 'reasonable' control. (At this point, I eat pizza and my eyes go blurry.) In closing I would be curious if any other readers have edema and/or high blood pressure before taking prednisone, and if/how much/in what way your experience has been in mixing the two.

Thank you.

shaking, tremors, agitation

Hey voicesi, sherry here.......
Just to update you on my progress. been taking the water pill for a week now but has not been helping which seems to suggest that there's more to this than general water retention. Weight gain/bloating is still there. Feel horribe about it. This and sometimes experiencing heart racing/anxiety is the withdrawel symptoms i've been suffering.
Wondering how you are doing and how agnus cactus is helping you.
Remember i was only 4 months on this yasmin and i'm already off it for almost the same amt of time. I can't even believe how much havoc this has wreaked on my lifestyle.
I have an appt with this holistic doc. on friday. I sincerely hope he can help me.
looking forward to hear from you and I will be updating my progress.
Love you all.
God bless-Sherry

I'm guest 12586 jules, could u explain why vit. c is helpful for after pred. use? Glad to see u back. No more insults and I sincerely apologize again.

I am a 36 year woman who has suffered from depression and migrianes. In the past couple of years, my depression has been much imporoved by stopping the use of alcolhol (duh) and finding a spriritual way of living. I have been managing it with Wellbutrin 300 mg a day, and have felt pretty well. My migraines, however, have been ever present and have continued to be a problem 2-3 times a week. My docotor suggested Topmax as a solution, and frankly, all heard was it could help with my migraines and one of the biggest side effects was weight loss. Yippee! Fewer headached and weight loss? Practically a miracle!

I am usually very careful about researching any new drug I take before I even fill the prescription. I have to admit I did not do this with Topmax. I sincerely wish I had.

The first thing I noticed was the lethargy. It was all I could do to crawl out of bed, go to work, and then come home only to crawl back again. I also got very angry and depressed right away. After 7 days, I went to speak to my pharmacist in tears on my lunch hour from work to ask her if this could be from the medication. I had just spent the morning in a rage over nothing, unable to think clearly and I just felt really out of control and in a fog. She said most of the side effects should pass in 2 weeks, and to give it about ten more days to seeif things improved.

I took Topomax 100 mg for nearly a month, and decided after that I would rather have migraines than suffer from all of the side effects I was experiencing. My side effects included severe depresssion, anger, confusion, problems with memory and concentration even my speech.I was lethargic, had aching joints and muscles, and generally I was exausted all of the time no matter how much I had slept. I had no energy to do anything. I was confused, had problems muli-taskng at work, and became suicidally depressed. Something that has not been a problem in years.

I have ceased taking the medication all together after consulting my doctor, and am feeling a little better after just a few days. I hope to be back to myself soon. It has been a horrible experience, and I will never take another drug again without fully researching it's side effects.