Statistics symptoms and conditions

I am a 70 year old woman, I have been on 20mg Lipitor for high cholesterol, 200 total and 25mg of Spironolactone for a not so high blood pressure, for 3 1/2 yrs. Oh, my God, the Spironolactone is a potassium sparing diuretic that is very dangerous and has many uses I didn't know about or the terrible side effects, it causes breast cancer. It's also used to treat women who have an over growth of hairiness, or on a higher dose to treat hair loss and I've gone bald on the top of my head! Plus all of the good foods we're supposed to eat for high cholesterol, fruit & veggies one isn't to eat on this drug, because of lot's of potassium, what a huge contradiction. And muscle pains, and rashes, (eczema, atopic dermatitis) that I've suffered from both.
Anyway, Lipitor, had know idea about the side effects until I looked it up on the internet and read these posts on here.
I stopped taking Lipitor last week and Spironolactone 2 days ago.
I had cholesterol test last week too and saw my dr. Wednesday. He said it was okay that I stopped the Lipitor, but not the other one, why not the other one worse then Lipitor and why am I on this strong drug, geez.
The pain and burning started in my hip for no reason, then my ankles with eczema which started soon after Lipitor, then my fingers, numbness, can't pick things up, tingling, burning. Then my feet, yes, just like all of you I have these same problems. This is not just coincidental, this is from the drug Lipitor. I get severe joint cramps in my legs, feet and fingers.
For now on before I take any drug I've prescribed I will thoroughly check for side effects and not take it if they're seriously impairing like Lipitor. I feel like a cripple and older then I should feel, I almost just felt like why live anymore if this is how it's going to be.
Since I've stopped Lipitor I feel a little better, I read that it causes permanent muscle and nerve damage though, oh I hope not, I can barely walk anymore or get up out of my chair. This is all drug induced toxicity of my system. Thanks so much everyone who posted for sharing and enlightening all of us who are suffering from this drug and others.
It should be banned along with Baycol, (a statin) which was banned a few months ago because of these same side effects. With the studies that it only helps maybe to prevent heart attack, well I'd rather be able to walk again and hopefully all this will go away, the rash, etc.

I am freaking out reading all of this. My dermatologist just injected my scalp about 20 times with Kenalog for female pattern balding to stimulate hair growth. She says that it is diluted. What makes me upset is that she just told me that this is our plan and we get good results with this and she just walked up to me with a syringe and needle. I stopped her long enough to ask how much it hurts and she just started injecting. After I was home I was angry at myself that I did not stop her and ask more questions but I really felt that she did not want to take any time with me. She did not inform me of any side affects or statistics. She did not even tell me the cost. I was not given the opportunity to make an informed decision. I did not even know what it was called until she was done. This does not seem ethical to me. I feel like a victim. Now I have to wait and worry what is going to happen to me in the next few months. Has anyone been given injections into their scalp? Please let me know.

I have not had any issues with the NuvaRing AT ALL. I think it's awesome that I don't have to take a freakin pill every day. My cramps are lessoned, my periods are lighter.... I'd like to see actually statistics as to how many women are on the NuvaRing vs. How many women actually have neg. side effects from it.

My 13 year old daughter was injured by Gardasil and completely disabled for the past year. Merck got it right when they used the slogan "One Less" for Gardasil. Because of Gardasil, my daughter was "One Less". She was "One Less Student", "One Less Active Child", "One Less in every aspect of her life". Take it from a mother who has spent the past year sitting by my child's bedside wondering if she would die in her sleep. INVESTIGATE BEFORE YOU VACCINATE. DO NOT trust your doctor to make this decision. If you want to understand Merck's role in the medical community, investigate some of their former wonderdrugs such as VIOXX and then marvel at how many people died from it before it was pulled off the market. The CDC AND FDA need to do their job and get this off the market before more children are harmed. The public is not aware of VAERS and the #'s are grossly understated. I have had to tell my child's doctors about VAERS and make them file reports or she would not be one of the current statistics in VAERS. Even then, her information has not been entered correctly so I know that VAERS is not what it should be. Please do not let this happen to your child.

I have had no bad side effects whatsoever with Armour Thyroid. I was diagnosed 6 years ago with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (before I became symptomatic, actually, it was dumb luck that my neurologist sent me to the endocrinologist for a slightly off T4 level.)

I was started on Levoxyl (sp?) which gave me a headache every single day at the exact same time, exactly 9 hours after taking the pill. Then I was given Synthroid at too high a level and had rare side effects which subsided when I went down.

However, a couple years later I became symptomatic for Hashimoto's and although my endocrinologist swore up and down that no one should take Armour Thyroid, I had read otherwise, and had asked about it an an online women's forum. 9 out of 10 women on the forum said they did much better on the Armour Thyroid, and my new wholistic physician said, "Interesting, those are the same statistics I have in my office."

All my Hashimoto's symptoms went away within 6 months after starting Armour Thyroid and I've had no problems in years.

I have been on prednisone since I was two years old (I am now sixteen) because I have Autoimmune Hepatitis IIa. I would like to point out that there is still a life worth living being on prednisone, maybe I say this because I do not know life without it, but at least we're alive! Last year I had a flare up of the AIH and had to 6x my dose of prednisone. It sent me into a spiraling depression of constant sleep, crying, hopelessness etc....but I made it through. Just PLEASE keep hope that things would get better, because I know what it's like being on the dreaded drug better than most.

Less than 2 months after taking Lipitor I have been experiencing intense weakness of the legs, especially the hip area. A normally avid walker, last week really woke me up when I was unable to walk over 40 feet without having to stop from sheer leg exhaustion. I'd have to actually lean on my partner until I could manage to shuffle again- a shuffling gait is what I had to resort to just to make it back to the car.
This is bullshit because even though I've had some angina symptoms, right up until I went to the hospital I was able to hike; was still relatively strong.
So today I have spent hours researching side effects and have seen on this site alone many mentions of intense leg weakness and pain with Lipitor.
This, along with simultaneously educating myself on the truth about high cholesterol has convinced me to gradually cease taking this medication.

Instead I will replace with sufficient quantities of VitC, buckwheat combined with gingko, and of course I can never stop with the garlic because it is delicious.

I'm 21 years old and I had a PE December 2008 (a week after my birthday) and spent the Christmas holiday in the hospital. They don't know what caused it. I started out doing lovenox shots (which was horrible) and then switched to Warfarin. I have not been able to stabilize my INR and I've had to go to get it checked at least every other week for 5 months. It's so draining. At first I did everything by the book as far as eating right, not drinking alcohol, not shaving my legs but honestly I'm getting fed up. I'm tired of having to restrict my diet so much and be tired and depressed ALL the time. I started shaving with a razor again a few months ago bc the electric one does nothing. I also go out to the bars with my friends a lot more but it's so hard to be a new 21 year old in a college town. I want to be like all my friends and go out and have fun without having to think about the consequences.
Supposedly, I'm finding out on June 17 whether or not I'll be on warfarin for life. Sometimes I think that if that is what the doctor says, I will tell him no! I just don't think I can do this forever. It doesn't get easier and none of my friends understand. They don't know how bad I wanna cry every time they say "At least you are alive." Give me a break...

I'm 46 years old male. I am very active. Water Ski, Snow Ski, Weight Lifting, Hockey etc. I was on Simvastatin 40mg per day for about two months. Although I have a bit of arthritis in my knees and shoulders I couldn't believe how horrible I felt on this drug. I felt so weak and I had joint pain that was incredible. I walked around feeling like I had the flu or something. I ached every where. My knee swelled up really bad and I didn't know what to think. So I called my doctor and he said to go off it for now and I can't believe how good I feel again. The scary thing is he wants me to take a two week break then go back on it. According to him, he has read stories that statistics show if you go off this drug for a few weeks then go back on it ,that most of the time people don't experience the same side effects ever again. If anyone has been off then back on it without side effects I would like to hear from you. I really don't want to gamble with this again. It was horrible.

I don't know what is wrong with you people but its like you can't handle anything. I had the mirena put in November last year and yeah ok i had cramping for the first month or so and yeah i had spotting. But unlike some of you fools i knew what the side effects were i read what came in the package which means i knew what to expect before i got it put in. And yeah there are loads of possible side effects but if you read everything and know what could happen you shouldn't complain if something does happen. Not everyone who has the mirena has these things and for people who are considering it i would recommend trying it and after 3 months if it doesn't feel good then get it removed. That especially goes to people that have just had a baby... i mean really in the first 3 months after having a baby who is really seriously interested in sex right away. The reason i am here was to see if there was more information about them now because UNFORTUNATELY i had to have mine removed for an operation. I had a cyst on my fallopian tube which was not mirena related. In fact almost all women get them when they are menstruating but they go away. Unfortunately with me they don't go away and this is the 2nd cyst to be removed in 3 years. I am planning on getting a second mirena inserted next week. Because frankly i find it ideal. And yeah i may have had mood swings on occasion while i had it but come on think about it what woman doesn't have mood swings. So sure you can blame everything on the Mirena but for the most part besides then for the people where the mirena got stuck or moved during the time you had it... its all in your head. And like i said before i would recommend the mirena and if after 3 or 4 months it doesn't suit you then go for something else... but don't dismiss it because some people have too much time on their hands and like to spend it whining over everything on the net. Remember with the Mirena you have a 50/50 chance of having symptoms or not. Take that risk before taking the risk of going on the pill and forgetting to take it or going on depo provera and putting on 20 pounds.

POLL: If you or your child have been adversely affected by Singulair could you please reply to this and let me know what ethnicity you are and skin tone. (fair, med., dark, etc.) I'm interested in the demographics of this drugs effects.
Thank you!

For all of the poor girls who are searching "mirena experiences" because you are looking for a sure thing contraceptive-
This site is only for people who have had BAD experiences. Read them all if you want, but take into consideration they are the 3%, or whatever number, that had problems. None of these women deserved it, asked for it, needed it, or wanted it, but unfortunately their bodies responded to it in such an ugly manor.

Here's my experience so far....Had it inserted 8/06/08. Insertion was fine. Felt that speculum more than I could feel the actual insertion of the mirena.
Slight cramping afterwards...not immediately-went home and for like 20 minutes had cramps lighter than my period cramps.
For the first week bled lightly, second week had an actual period, week three and week four just spotting. The doctor told me this can go on for up to six months...kinda worth it if you think about it.
No acne problems so far, my hair is fine (and trust me, if my hair was thinning, falling out, or anything like that I would take the mirena out!), muscles and joints feel like they did before pregnancy, still breastfeeding (I know that they say that the mirena will make you produce less breast milk-tell that to my breastfed 13 pound 24 inch long 2 month old. he would disagree)
My breasts are a little tender and at first I was slightly bloated (less than if I were on my period) but that has subsided. Abstained from sex for a month after insertion per my doctor's orders, so I will come back and post if there were any problems with that...NEXT WEEK! yay!
Know that I understand the side effects could show up later.

Now again, EVERYBODY will experience something different. We are interfering with nature. Birth control is one of the most unnatural things we could do to our body.

Again, since this site commonly comes up when searching the mirena, I want for women to know that it might work for them better than it did for others.

My 8-year-old son started on Singulair 6 weeks ago. Soon afterwards he had severe problems falling asleep--often up until 4 or 5 am before drifting off, but I didn't make the connection. (Thank goodness it's summer time and no school!)

About 2 weeks ago, my doctor recommended Singulair for me, too. The first day I was unbelievably sleepy, but after that I, too, have had severe problems with insomnia. I have also noticed involuntary muscle twitching, restless leg syndrome, and my mind feels like it's turning to mush. I used to tutor statistics; now I can't even do basic multiplication! Scary!

I have just thrown out both my son's and my bottle of Singulair. I hope stopping it will reverse this crap.

My wife had Mirena inserted last year around May. Side effects were similar to those detailed here. Non-existent libido. Acne. Consistent with other's reports of joint pain, my wife experienced symptoms that were diagnosed and treated as Lyme disease. At the time we wondered how it could be Lyme disease when the doctor reported that several tests for Lyme disease came back negative. Now we wonder if the joint pain was actually the Mirena.

After reading the comments on this site, we had the Mirena removed in late May, despite a skeptical doctor. A week of uncomfortable heavy period, but not to bad. My wife's libido has returned, her face has cleared up, and I've gotten a vasectomy.

best wishes, Jim in VA

I know that many here would like the FDA to take a very serious took at the problem. I personally don't see how a review of their data is going to make any difference at all. But, if there are experts who can propose a model of the pathways of cell signalling that include the possibility that these symptoms can occur (and under what circumstance), then maybe the problem will look like something much more than statistics.

This is not my field. But I tried to follow the possible pathways to see if I could identify a possible area of concern. Then I looked for someone who had written in the area and read their abstract. A place to start may be to get an opinion from those who know something about "normal homeostasis of the mast cell." Singular blocks the cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 which is a site on the outer membrane of the mast cell (other cells also). The mast cell which is produced in the bone marrow is released in a immature state and matures after it arrives at it's destination. The mast cell does not become active unless it's receptor sites come in contact with the activating agent. So, what happens when a receptor site on the mast cell is suppressed by Singular, a receptor antagonist.

You see, I don't have a clue what the signals are that tell the bone marrow to make mast cells (or what the signals are that tell them where to go after they are made in the bone marrow). Does Singular interfere with something that tells the bone marrow what to do? If Singular does interfere with that process, then what is happening and what period of time does it take to happen? Could we wonder whether Singular is interfering with the NUMBER of mast cells that are produced over time? And, of course, maybe there is some OTHER kind of explanation for why the adverse drug reactions are happening. But, at this level, I got lost and can't go any further.

Maybe this group would be interested in the Singulair problems or could suggest somebody else?

http://www.edata-center.com/journals/2ff21abf44b19838,0a1257122f661a7e,0d8ee7116ef23452.html

I apologize if this lead doesn't produce any results but at least it could be a place to start.

I like to live my life with facts, not speculation and drama. My child is on Singulair and doing fantastic. I remember the trips to the ER when I did not know if my child would live or die. Of course when I saw this report, it caused me some concern so I did some research on my own. Did you know that suicide is the leading cause of violent death in New York State, the United States and the world? In 2002 in New York State there were 1,292 suicides which exceeded homicides by 32%. The statistics show that 1 in 10 teenagers plans to commit suicide. The National Center for Health reports a 10% suicide rate in kids 15-24 years of age and 4 male suicides for every female suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among those 15-24 years old.

So now we have 1 child in New York that has committed suicide that just happened to be on Singulair, and it is Singulairs fault? Show me the proof. All I see is one distraught mom who is trying to find blame for her son’s tragic death. Is there only half the story being told, a trend I have noticed in journalism these days. Let’s face it, life happens. I am NOT on Singulair and I have had melt downs, thrown things across the room, been depressed over things, cried, and even for the past week have been having some crazy dreams. I remember as a child putting notes on my room door telling my parents how much I hated them. I remember as a teenager thinking my life would be better if I were dead. I remember my child being cranky and fussy before she was on Singulair, gee maybe she was teething. The term “terrible twos” has been around a lot longer that Singulair. Let’s face it, we have turned into a society of people who always want something to blame. I think it is time people start taking responsibility for themselves and accept the fact that sometimes life just happens. Take accountability for your own lives, and stop trying to blame everything and anything.

I also live my life by reading internet blogs with a grain of salt. These blogs are public forums and places where anyone and everyone can post. How do you know that all these posts are real? Remember the day when kids made prank phone calls for fun? Now they have the internet and can post pranks on these blogs. How do you know that a competitor to Singulair is not posting in order to fuel the feeding frenzy? How about a registered sex offender or a felon in prison? There are a lot of “sick” people in the world and yes, they have access to the internet too. If you are hanging on every single one of these posts as being true and real then I feel sorry for you. The internet provides anonymity and it is easy to create a fictitious identity and a fictitious story. That is probably why if you do a search for “internet safety” you get 15,700,000 hits.

Until I see proof, I am not going to take my child off Singulair. The CDC reports that in 2002 there were 1.9 million visits to the ER for asthma and 4,261 asthma deaths. If I did stop my child’s Singulair, and she died in the ER from as asthma attack, whose head does that fall on? The media?

I have had it out for about 6months now. My sex drive has completely come back, so now I feel a bit more human! Also, I am not the depressed person, with the mood swings, that I once was. But the acne is the thing which won't go away. Its left my skin all marked and discolored and I keep getting weird spots on my back, chest and face. It makes me feel blue. I NEVER had spots before the Mirena, which I had in for 2years. This thing sucks.

I do wonder how many woman go through life feeling depressed, with low sex drive and mood swings due to their contraceptives, just getting added to statistics. I reckon that so many people would be so much happier if it wasn't for hormonal contraceptives.

I use condoms now, I don't think that we should muck around with using hormones-they cause so many problems.

I lost my job, my family, my dog, I'm dying, THANKS YASMIN...good lord some people on here are blaming every *** problem on the pill, come on now...going from a size 2 to a size 12, UMMM HELLO...how long would you let yourself gain that much weight, before STOPPING the pill??? Good lord..I understand that the pill isn't right for everyone, but it amazes me how long people continue to take something that isn't doing them any good.

From the first AVELOX capsule, I was sweating, dizzy, weak and could not concentrate. This continued till the 4th day, when I started having severe pain in the neck, a feeling of about 50 pins and needles being pushed all over the back of the neck and down to both shoulders and arms. I hope I'll be able to regain a full range of motion in my neck and shoulders, as this is a terrible pain. As I stopped AVELOX over the weekend, I am still getting worse, and pain medications don't help. I wonder how the FDA allows the use of a drug that can cause syncope and death, are they trying to make statistics with our lives?? I am going to E. R. right now, although I won't be able to sit up.

I have been prescribed 20 sulfaameth/trimneth for a possible sinus infection. After reading all the reactions to this medication, I am afraid to take it. Are there any statistics on the percentage of people who get reactions as compared to those who don't?

cardiologists do not make $$$ from pharm companies for prescribing any drugs, statins included. they REALLY, REALLY believe in the efficacy of this class of drugs--they believe the manipulated statistics published in medical journals proclaiming statins to be better for the population at large than veges. No doc makes $$ from prescribing a medication--it is considered illegal to do so , not to mention highly unethical.

I have been on Wellbutrin xl 150 for about 8 months. I also take 5 mg Lexapro daily, but am weaning off. I was recently upped to 300, about 1 month ago, since I want to eliminate the Lexapro completely. I have noticed I sometimes stutter or cant get my thoughts out fast enough! I am a nurse and work in the ER in a very fast paced environment. I thought it was just me, and I am worried maybe it is something else, but has anyone experienced this? I noticed it only after upping my dose??? also I am very concerned about the seizure statistics.. 1 in 1000 or 1 in 4000 people have seizures on Wellbutrin???? I never knew this, has anyone had a seizure from this? I am very worried!!!!!

I took one dose of advair because my doctor recommended it and my heart began pounding like a Jack Hammer within 2 hours of using it. I have a pulmonologist who prescribed it for me again and he thinks I should try it and get over the side-effects within 2 days.

After reading this website I think I'm just going to chuck the stuff. Don't you think that those of us who have used this stuff and had adverse reactions get together and file a class action law suit or at least try to warn the public in a major way about the dangers of this drug?

What are the statistics? I also would like to know if Glaxo has handled this drug like some other drug companies have handled anti-depressant drug reactions (ghost written the studies and pushed it through anyway). I don't trust the big drug companies.