Slurred speech symptoms and conditions

I stared Topamax about a month ago and at first I was completely out of it. I couldn't remember anything to save my life, my speech was slurred and my brain was just in a fog...and I'm only 25. After about 2wks that eventually went away, however, I still cannot drink carbonated drinks, that taste flat and have a tangy taste to them as well, its gross. The one side effect that really bothers me about this medication as well is that I'm always nauseous. I haven't weighed myself lately but I definitely have lost weight because I never want to eat anything. The nausea seems to be more of an issue than the migraines. I was getting them about 3-4 times a week, now I get them about 1-2 times a week. By week 4 on the medication I started to break out on my face/chest/back really bad too, and I haven''t had acne since I was a teenager. The other odd thing is I feel like I've constantly had my period while on this medication too. Has anyone had any of these side effects as well? It's only been a month so I figure I will try a little bit longer and see if it helps or if I have to go up a little bit more in dosage if it helps but at this rate I'm thinking I may just need to try a different medication. The other bad thing is that I have become extremely agitated lately, which I'm sure my poor boyfriend can agree with because he gets the worst of it. I feel like my personality definitely has changed on this med...

Three and a half years ago i suffered a heart attack, i had three stents put in and was put on Aspirin 75mg, Cardicor, 1.25mg, Tritace 5mg and Lipitor 80mg. I was fairly fit at the time, didn't drink or smoke and ate properly.

But now i'm suffering, i've been to the hospital and my GP, but are told there is nothing wrong, my hear tis good. So why am i suffering with light headedness, pains through my body, back, neck, chest, stomach. So much so i thought i had gall stones or kidney stones. My right knee can't be touched, it is so sore. Chest heaviness, eyesight getting worse, slurred speech, depression i could go on.

I've said this to my doctor, he just brushes it off and says i'm on them for life, ....apparently standard treatment for anyone who's had a heart attack. I walk 5 miles a day, eat 5 or more fruit and veg, don't smoke or drink, do all what i'm meant to. My cholesterol is really low, but so is the HDL too. I was never recommended CoQ10 or a vitamin B complex.

It was my mother who told me to research the side effects of all the meds i'm on. I agree, we all want to live a long and healthy life, but at what cost. I am now of the opinion that doctor's are so use to thinking they are near god like, they have forgotten that we are individuals, that we know our own bodies. I'm sick of the fact that the large pharmaceutical companies send out there sales reps to doctor's surgeries and that is what is deciding what the patients end up taking and not the patient's problem.

DOCTOR'S WAKE UP TREAT THE CAUSE NOT THE SYMPTOMS!!!!!!!

I have stopped taking Lipitor after 3 yrs. I was told I had a mini-stroke because of my slurred speech 6 mo. ago. Since then I have had a battery of tests and my neurologist told me "I don't think you had a stroke." I saw the words "Motor Neuron Disease" (I looked it on the web because I never heard of it before) on the script for my EMG. I blame it all on Lipitor and the wasting of the nerves and the muscles. I sound as if I am drunk. No one can understand me . I am taking speech therapy but it doesn't seem to help.

Hey. Just a disclaimer, before I list my experience. Keep in mind that everybody is going to react to a new drug differently. All drugs, especially drugs like Ambien CR, come with warnings in bold print and all caps saying that if you experience ANYTHING...ANYTHING abnormal after you start a new medication, to immediately call your doctor or pharmacist. Don't let it get to the point where your loved ones are driving. If you notice things have happened and you have no recollection...CALL YOUR DOCTOR! It takes maybe ten minutes to call your doctor or pharmacist. This ten minutes could potentially save your life and others. This goes for ALL medications, even ones like Tylenol PM.

Okay. Here is my observations of my mother (55 yrs. old) while on Ambien CR.

Ever since she’s been on the medication, I’ve encountered strange behavior on her part. These are the most common:

1. Phone calls, with no particular purpose or intent. She sounds like she is very lonely and just wants to chat, but her speech is slurred and her thoughts impaired. Most of what she says is not in coherent sentences, just mixed up phrases. Sometimes she starts off sounding somewhat normal and then fades into the slurred speech. I usually terminate the conversation once she starts repeating herself, asking questions she had either asked earlier that day or even just minutes before in the same conversation.

2. Eccentric “projects.” She recently said, “I’ve found that after I take my medicine, I get very creative.” This particular comment was after I found her in the kitchen putting Hot Tamales (the candy) in her ice water, after she had taken her medicine. Another time, she was standing on a trunk, trying to put up shades in her window.

3. Binge Eating. Just the other night she baked an entire batch of cookies...and ate them ALL within 30 minutes of them coming out of the oven. This is just one of the many times I've seen her eat like this after taking her medicine.

Overall, she seemingly "stays up" until she either crashes from exhaustion or only after repeated commands to turn off everything and go to sleep. I recently, after researching further, have found out that she actually is asleep, but medications such as Ambien CR can induce a complex form of sleep-walking and talking, as well as sleep-driving (though my mother has never done this.) It looks, to an observer, like the person is aware of their surroundings because they can carry on complex conversations, or complete a complex task, even though, they are really asleep.

The most concerning thing to me is that she walks up and down the stairs (or gets up on things, like the trunk in her bedroom) even though she is consciously aware that she gets dizzy and has little control over her balance. Most of the time she is living alone, so if she happened to trip and fall, it could turn into a very dangerous situation very quickly.

Another note: She only seems to remember her strange actions once she is reminded of them. Sometimes she will remember them accurately, and sometimes she has a distorted memory of the events, but almost always must be reminded of her actions before she has any memory of doing it.

Since me and our family have taken time to talk to my mother about this, she (an RN for over 30 years) is calling her doctor tomorrow to talk about alternative solutions to her insomnia.

Dizzy, Lightheaded, legs feel limp, slurred speech, sleepy, can't concentrate. & this is after ONE 10mg pill I took Monday. Today is now Thursday & I still have these effects lingering. Will it ever go away?

I was prescribed the advair inhaler about 2 years ago. I was diagnosed with acute bronchitis and the physician suggested it to me. I didn't know how it would change my life forever. I started using it immediately. Soon after I experienced severe chest pain, shortness of breathe, flu-like symptons, pain in my legs and hands. I encountered slurred speech and memory loss. I found it difficult to fall asleep as well as trying to stand up. I vomitted a lot and I was constantly clinching my chess. I thought I was losing my mind. I stop taking the medicine and went straight to the doctor. I receive to known reason for this strange side-effects. I just continue to heal from this devastating event. I thought my life would never be the same. I found strength in God and my family. I had to just let the effect wear-off. I had also had chest x-rays and ekg screenings but nothing conclusive. I was just another unfortunate person lingering at the hands of modern medicine. I still don't know why it's still on the market. I may have helped some with asthma but many of us are still recovering from the side-effects alone. I am still struggling today. I still have severe chest pain and pain in my fingertips. Normal breathing is still a challenge for me. I don't think I will ever be totally free of this nightmare but at least I didn't lose my life in the whole ordeal. And that alone is good enough for me.

I have had shortness of breath,slurred speech

I am a 37yr old female. I started on Lamictal Jan.' 07 for severe depression. Which I have battled for years and still do not know why I have it. My doc tried many different antidepressants, but nothing seemed to really work well. In fact Wellbutrin XL made me very sick!! I felt like I hadn't eaten in days and had no appetite and then lost major weight. The doc said it was due to the depression, which I knew wasn't true. I took myself off the Wellbutrin XL and immediately felt better. Remember no doc knows your body better than you do!! I Started with the starter pack of the Lamictal. The doc worked me way up to 200mg. Now I just started 300mg for 3 wks, then the doc said I could take 400mg if I felt the need to do so. Taking 400mg makes me quite nervous to try. All the listings I have read are so interesting and helpful b/c I too have many of the side effects....... acne on face which I never had before, extremely itchy bumps along my jaw line, loss of short term memory ( I will ground my daughter and the next morning I can't remember why), problems concentrating, forget how to spell common words, balance is off, sometimes a little butterfly red rash across the face, loss of libio at times, a little slurred speech, and bad nausea once in awhile. These postings have really helped me b/c I also have Multiple Sclerosis and I wondered if all of these symptoms were from that or the Lamictal. I do believe that it is from the Lamictal b/c I haven't any problems w/ the MS in a long time. It is very comforting to know I am not alone w/ Lamictal problems. God Bless you all.

I've been on Topomax for about 3-4 months now. I've had memory loss, slurred speech, decreased concentration (I have to re-read something several times to understand it) tingling in the hands and feet, depression, increased anger, loss of appetite, weight loss. I'm now at the point where I have a rash on my leg, severe nausea, and abnormal bleeding. I going to follow up with my neuro and PCP to see what's going on so we'll see. My migraines have decreased from 3-4 a week to maybe 1 a week, so it has been worth it so far so I can function for work and for my kids as a single mother. I've suffered from migraines for about 10 years and can't take the pain no more!!! If anyone has experienced the nausea, rashes or bleeding please reply.

I'm 25 and have never had great skin, but I've found that minocycline will clear up my acne right away. That is, it used to, until I started with lamictal. Even with the minocycline plus tazorac and an antibiotic cream, my skin is breaking out on my face, especially at the jawline and outside of my face. But the really weird thing is that my back and chest are breaking out. That has NEVER happened before and it's not the infamous rash.

Other things I've noticed: sensitivity to computer screens and TVs, probably because my vision is getting worse, but so I get headaches; brutal periods with extreme breast tenderness; slurred speech and short-term memory loss at first, but not any more; occasional feelings of just being "out of it;" a bit of weight gain and I've always been superthin, but even with diet and exercise am having trouble maintaining my weight. Oh, also the nausea mentioned above, in the mornings; it was so bad I thought I was pregnant.

I'm only on 75mg/day at night for mood stabilization, but mostly because I take wellbutrin and had a seizure on it last year, though I'm not epileptic. I've always been sensitive to medications, and I have to say I've felt extremely "stable" on lamictal, but almost too stable. It's been a bit disorienting and I've felt my creativity diminish (I'm a writer). When I first started the lamictal I had also started a new job. This was a really bad idea as I couldn't remember any of the things my boss was telling me and my speech was messed up; I even stuttered a bit, which was scary.

My doctor put me on Topamax for migraines, but I can not handle the effects. I just started the 75 mg dose just as I was moving into a new college apartment with new roommates, and I felt like I was going crazy! I couldn't eat anything without feeling completely ill, I was spacing out, and I couldn't remember words.. for three whole days I couldn't remember the word 'tapestry.' I finally had to look it up in the dictionary.. not a good sign for a college student. The worst, though, was the overwhelming sense of panic that was getting worse by the day. I was no longer myself! The last straw was a panic attack, complete with hypernentilating. I have never felt so scared in my life. I actually had to go the ER to get something to calm myself down.

So, I decided to stop taking it. My parents talked to my pharmacist, and she told them that Topamax IS the type of drug you can stop "cold turkey." But after a week, I feel almost as bad as I did when I was on the drug! I still can't eat anything. Also, I wake up hours before my alarm goes off, completely sick at my stomach. I feel panicky and nervous. I have several bouts of diarrhea and this morning I almost didn't make it. I share a bathroom with three (normal!) girls, and it is getting to be embarrasing and annoying. Please, can anyone tell me.. when do the side effects go away?? I want to be a normal 19 year old again!

I used to take Lamictal 150mg at night, no problems, but started feeling anxious in the afternoon/evening. My Dr. Rx'd 300mg lithium at night to see if it would help the anxiety, but I had very fitfil, unrestful sleep to the point where I was not sleeping much and very tired all day. So, the Dr. took me off lithium and substituted Tripletal 300mg in the evening. That worked, but I was still a little depressed & she increased my Lamictal to 200 mg at night. I started waking up after about 4 hours with horrible nightmares. I thought the nightmares were from Trileptal because that was a new med, but even after I discontinued it, I still get the nightmares/panic feeling that wakes me at night. I took 2mg Lunesta for a while to help me sleep, but then I slept too much 10-12 hrs. I take the Lamictal now in the morning & don't get those nightmares & I sleep fine now, but I feel anxious & dizzy and have trouble concentrating, again about 2-4 hours after I take it in the morning. Dr. says I can take ativan to help the anxiety, but I feel like I need to get off Lamictal and try something else. Maybe lithium will help if try to take it now witout the Lamictal.

I had my iud for a month and then all of a sudden one night i noticed a horrible pain in my left leg that i couldnt get to go away.I laid on the floor and elevated my leg with no relief. I tried to get up off the floor so that my husband could take me to the er, i then realized that i couldnt walk, i was having blurred vision, numbness in my left arm, slurred speech. My husband took me to the er and they did an ekg, ct scan, x-ray, mri of my entire body during my day 2 day admittance to the hospital. They found nothing wrong with me, i still continued to have leg pain, inability to sleep at night and was forced to take motrin to help me fall asleep. I had another episode two weeks later that cause the same symtoms along with a really bad panic attack, this time the ambulance was called and they took me to the hospital and the drs said noting could be found to be wrong with me. Well i then decided to have it taken out and here i am almost three months later symtom free. I dont reccomend mirena to anyone. I truly felt like i was having a stroke with all the symptoms the two have in common.

After by-pass heart surgery in 2002, my cardilogist put me on 40mg of zocor.
I was in good health with no physical limitations. I had no heart damage. The restriction of heart arteries were found due to my stress test that was performed each year as a part of my annual Physical. After surgery I was on zocor for three years, during that time I experienced a little tiredness, little weakness, a little muscle aches. some tingling in my right arm and shoulder. I went to my heart doctor Jan. 2006 and he changed me to vytorin (10mg zetia and 40mg zocor). about 6 months all of the about symptoms got worse.
By Jan. 2007, my muscles became so stiff, I could not walk, had balance problems, severe muscle aches and cramps, numbness and tingling in both arms and hands, also stifness and pain in my hands, stiffness and pain in both feet, stifness and pain in my back and weird nerve sensations over my entire body. During Jan. and Feb 2007, I was seen by my family doctor, a neurologist, and a muscle doctor. Thanks to the internet, I found info on zocor and zetia, which is the drug vytorin. Warnings described the same symptoms I am experiencing. I stopped vytorin, I am not taking any statins drugs now. My doctor order a blood test to check for muscle damage, It indicated severe damage, a Creatine level of 770. This level should not be over 200. After being off the drugs for 30 days the creatine level dropped to 645. My condition has improved by 25%. I am walking a little better, but I still having muscle problems, there is improvement. I think there will be a very long recovery. There seems to be some evidence that these Statins affect people of age much more than the young. I am 70 years old. PLEASE PEOPLE, IF YOU ARE TAKING STATINS DRUGS, STOPPED NOW! SLOVE YOUR CHOLESTROL PROBLEMS BY OTHER MEANS. Since I stopped my cholestrol has gone from 157 to 280, but I am not going back taking these drugs. I am trying the natural way now. I have read post after post on many web-sites of people with the same symptoms that were using these drugs. The drug companies and the FDA are responsible for the the degradation of people's health taking these statin drugs.

The doctors haven't been able to determine if I had a stroke or drug related (symptoms- if the slurred speech, facial palsy, memory problems, problems with working memory, and a 30+ drop in IQ points, weakness right hand). I had an open MRI and nothing was abnormal. They took me off the topamax and there has been no change and put me on verapamil sr. Trust me the verapamil is horrible as cause anxiety, insomnia, increase in appetite and congestive heart failure. At this point, the only thing that the topamax is responsible for was a decrease in appetite ( Yup, I had a stroke). I can't wait to get back on the topamax.

after 1st dose numbness of finger
after 2nd dose slurred speech, blurring of vision, water comes out from nose
after 3rd dose devolop squint stop the drug these symptoms subsides with a week time but numbness of fingers left after a month

Started on 20mg 4 days ago. Started to have severe anxiety and panic attacks, unable to focus eyes properly, legs not part of me, daren't drive. Visited emergency health clinic twice in one day with stroke symptoms. BP 160/100, slurred speech, metallic taste in mouth, no appetite. Will not take anymore of this so called medicine. It could have killed me.

I took it for over 7 years. I would get up during the night several times and eat excessively to the point of #30 lbs wt gain. I acted drunk, slurred speech, was incoherent, etc and never knew it according to family. I was extremely tired during the day and ended up with chronic fatigue, restless leg syndrome and fibromyalgia. I felt drugged during the day and even though I thought i was sleeping at night I was actually up most of the night sleepwalking, and doing things I never realized i did till I was told later.

my wife aged 45 yrs took montelukast 10 mg at night 2nd day she felt numbness of hands and feet and bitter taste 4th day she developed blurring of vision, haeadache, pain during chewing meals, slurred speech and vertigo then after 5th & 6th day she devoloped vomitting. she has taken only 3 tabs and today is the 5th day to stop the drug but still she is feeling nausea vomitting diplopia Double vision vertigo headache. What should I do now.

ALS, does anyone know if Prednisone can cause ALS, I have been on and off Pred. for years for my asthma and COPD, mostly the asthma attacks. I am on Oxygen 24/7. In the past 3 months I have been in the hosptial twice, for low oxygen levels, and severe asthma attacks, the first 2 night stay they had me on 160 mg every six hours. When I first went to the ER, I was unable to say more them 1 word at a time. That improved, but when I went home, I had slurred speech, it has gotten worse, due to my G.E.RD., I have always had a little trouble swallowing, but now it is much worse. Due to my 2 hospital stays, I was on Prednisone 24 days. Now they say I may have ALS, that is almost a death sentence. I had a MRI, no major strokes just tiny TIA,s
Brenda warner
******

My neurologist prescribed Neurontin for post-herpatic neuralgia (the pain after shingles). I'm supposed to be taking 2400mg a day, but am only taking 1800mg because the side effects are so bad. I have very bad coordination, dizziness to the point of falling over, spaciness, slurred speech, weird vision problems - its like my eyes forget to focus, my husband says I'm staring off into space alot too. I am a professor, and find that I can't remember words or key concepts while I'm teaching. I can't drive, so my husband has to drive me everywhere. In addition, I've been having very strange thoughts, such as that I am going to purposely crash the car, or that my cat is going to attack me. It is very frightening and I'd like to go off the medicine, but I know it can induce seizures if you go cold turkey. Is this really our only alternative? Either live in unendurable pain, or suffer from Neurontin?

Hello all,

I myself live in Canada, but a brother of mine, who still lives in Germany, seems to be suffering from the typical statin-drug adverse effects. He is off the drugs now, but the symptoms persist. What can he do to rehab himself.

Here the symptoms: impaired muscular coordination impaired sense of balance... can walk only with a stick. Impairment of finer motor skills - he has difficulty writing and he experiences difficulties swallowing. Slurred speech. Listening to him you'd think he is more than a little drunk. He feels dizzy, disoriented; pain at the back of the neck; pain in abdominal muscles
and in legs. He has trouble raising his arms to reach for something up a little higher than his head and experiences intense pain if he tries to hold an arm up in a horzontal position for more than say a minute.

He was on two German statins, one called "Zokor" and the other "Baycol" for some five years. He went to see half a dozen doctors and came away with half a dozen different diagnoses till finally one took the time to find out what drugs he was on and suggested he go without the statins for a while.

Has been off the drugs for more than a year but the side effects, though somewhat improved, persist. What can he do to rehab himself faster?

Thanks for any suggestions.

waterbuf, alias Bud ***

I just startred this med. 160MG... I thought i was going to die.

Could not control a muscle in my body. Slurred speech, cause my tounge was stickling out of my mouth most of the day. I countered it with some beneadryl, and was able to finally get some sleep.

Docotr reduccing the dose. hope that helps/

I have been using Ovcon 35 for 7 weeks and I have experienced symptoms such as high blood pressure, migraines, dizziness, nausea, EXTREME fatigue, increase in appetite, confusion, slurred speech, loss of coordination, inability to wear contact lens, irritablity, leg pain and nervousness. I called my doctor and his advice was to stop taking this pill IMMEDIATELY. I have never felt this bad in my entire life. I thought I was dying or having a stroke. I am extremely sensitive to this pill, but did not show symptoms until the 7th week. This pill is not for everyone and can be exremely dangerous. I cannot even go to work or function properly as this pill causes confusion.
I urge any women to immediately stop taking this pill if they experience the side effects that I have. I feel as though I will never be normal again from the side effects of taking this pill.
I have stopped taking the pill for 4 days now, and my blood pressure has finally gone down, but I am still experiencing the other side effects.

Have been taking statins for 10+ years with side effects of dizziness, flu like symtoms and fatigue and attributed all to aging. Started Lipitor 3+ yrs. ago and symtoms got worse, now including knee pain, stiffness,loss of balance, difficulty walking and slurred speech. Have seen numerous doctors who act as though I'm just an hysterical female. They are right. These symtoms are enough to scare anyone. Have stopped Lipitor for two mos. and knee pain and most of stiffness is gone but not other symtoms. I'm 70 yrs. old and have been active despite side effects until last 3 yrs. Now find it difficult to walk and have fallen too many times. No more statins for me but feel they have done irreparable damage.