Steroids symptoms and conditions

I have long standing lung problems and after recent infection have just had 6 day course of 40mg prednisalone, which ended 3 days ago. since stopping the steroids i feel terrible my face is swollen i am in pain everywhere i have the runs i feel sick im dizzy by breathing isn't good. I telephoned the doctor to ask if he could leave me a prescription tili get to see him tomorrow and he refused as he says my symptoms are not due to prednisalone which i know are. ive been prescribed steroids for my lung condition for 30 years on and off so i know exactly what they do to me. i am so angry and depressed that i cannot get help.

Being weaned from Methylpred, for the third time in 1 1/2 yrs. VERY bad side effects from losing weight, to siezures, thin skin,lots of bruising, mood swings, depression, anxiety, shaking. Now that I have been decreased once more, from 42mg daily, to 12 mg, my stomach is enlarging by the day! My body and face are thin, (size 4) however, my waist is now 35" and my lower abdomen is 39". I am totally uncomfortable. I work out daily, watch my caloric intake, but each day my clothes get tighter. Any ideas? Is this normal. Can I hope to get my flat stomach? I was placed on mega doses of steroids, when it was rhought I had Polymyositis. Had leg biopsy---inconclusive, however, steroids seemed to lower CPK numbers after several months. Now Neurologist believes steroids are causing numbers to raise, and weaken my muscles. Yuck! Thanks for any help JN

This is an evil drug, far more dangerous than most illegal drugs. It ruined my life. I wish I had never been put on it. It was the first drug I, a teenager, was put on, having just been diagnosed with my disease.

I hadn't tried other drugs or other treatments; medical guidelines, I know now, say not to use this drug unless the disease is both severe and other treatments have failed. Well, I hadn't tried other treatments yet, so I shouldn't have been put on this drug. And yet the doctor I was assigned, Dr. Anne Sullivan at the University of Iowa's hospital, thought I needed to be on it, told me it was safe, that it didn't have any side effects, and that I would be completely healthy again in a few weeks.

If I had been told about the side effects, as doctors are supposed to do, according to both legal and medical standards, if my doctor had honestly answered my questions about side effects, I never would've taken it. And I'd advise others to never take this terrible drug. I would rather die than take this drug again.

It did nothing for my disease, but it did give me quite a few side effects, some which, according to the doctors I've subsequently went to, are permanent and long-lasting and there's nothing you can do about them; they're just permanent.

People don't talk about the psychological effects of steroids, but they should; they're serious. And, no, they don't just go away when you stop taking the drug. If the drug makes you bipolar, you're not just going to just go back to being you're regular self. Bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, these things don't just go away on their own.

I had no problem with mental illness before taking this drug, and yet I'm still severely depressed to this day, part of that, perhaps, is from what the drug did to me, that is, the physical side effects, but part of, I suspect, is just that it changed my personality, like it changed my brain chemistry.

Go here-******to learn about the psychiatric effects of prednisone.

Excerpts:

"Although a powerful therapeutic option, corticosteroids are associated with serious adverse effects, both physiologic and psychiatric. While the somatic adverse effects of corticosteroid therapy (Table 1) have been extensively researched and widely described, the neuropsychiatric adverse effects have received less attention."

"In our literature review, we found that the potential psychiatric adverse effects of corticosteroids span a symptom spectrum from subtle mood changes to full-blown affective syndromes and frank psychosis."

"The most commonly reported corticosteroid-induced psychiatric disturbances are affective, including mania, depression, or mixed states."

"Cognitive deficits, particularly declarative or verbal memory deficits, have been well documented during both long- and short-term corticosteroid therapy."

"More severe cognitive impairment consistent with delirium or dementia has also been described."

"In a case-control study of 20 patients receiving long-term low-dose corticosteroid therapy (prednisone, 7.5 mg/d for >6 months) and 14 volunteers with similar illnesses who were not receiving corticosteroid therapy, Bolanos et al9 found a 60% lifetime risk of corticosteroid-induced mood or anxiety disorder."

"The corticosteroid dosage is the most important risk factor for the development of psychiatric symptoms."

"Psychiatric disturbances can occur at any point during corticosteroid treatment, including almost immediately after initiation and even after cessation of treatment."

"Corticosteroid-induced psychiatric disturbances are common and include mania, depression, psychotic or mixed affective states, cognitive deficits, and minor psychiatric disturbances (irritability, insomnia, anxiety, labile mood)."

"It is important that clinicians in all specialties become aware of the potential psychiatric adverse effects associated with corticosteroids and explain these effects to their patients."

"Which patients will experience corticosteroid-induced psychiatric disturbances cannot be predicted. Dosage is the most important risk factor for the development of adverse effects, with patients receiving less than 40 mg/d at minimal risk, those taking 40 to 80 mg/d at moderate risk, and patients receiving more than 80 mg/d at high risk. Most patients will develop symptoms during the first week of treatment, and more than 90% will develop symptoms by 6 weeks."

Side effects: mixed bipolar disorder/manic-depression, suicidal ideation, cystic acne, scars on my face, panic attacks, severe anxiety, rage, euphoria, sadness, impulsiveness, confusion, memory loss, hard to concentrate and remember, thin skin, delayed healing ability, bruises, premature aging, rapid heart beat, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, higher cholesterol, thyroid disease, sweating all over, itching all over, joint pain, increased appetite, massive weight gain, stretch marks, hormones out of balance now, dry eyes, so dry my eyelids stick to my eyes, so dry I can't wear contacts any more, permanent red eyes, blurry vision, vision worsened, eye pain, eyes sensitive to light, migraines, and yellow skin.

Since HTML is not allowed...need you to find the links to the following:

"whether an oral contraceptive (OC) containing drospirenone (DRSP) (3 mg) + ethinyl estradiol (EE) (30 μg) (DRSP + EE) could modify psychological symptoms and whether it could modify steroids interfering with the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-A receptors.

Conclusion(s): The results suggest beneficial effects of DRSP + EE on psychological symptoms by

decreasing DHEAS."

Beneficial to lower the levels of DHEAS?!

"Women With Higher Levels Of DHEAS Have Better Cognitive Function"

"dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), inhibit the production of TNF in vitro and in vivo."

Who is at greater risk?

Those who have the HLA-DR gene type and already have allergies/asthma.

Adrenergically blockaded conditions = AdBCs include the following: respiratory allergies, skin allergies, and asthma.

IgE will go thru the roof. Allergic reaction. Th2 pathway.

""It has also been shown that young women exposed to intensive stress situations,

with low plasma of dehydroepiandrosterone
sulfate (DHEA-S),

and a recent use of contraceptive pills are most at risk for

onset of autoimmune disease."

I am a 53yr old female, I started with bronchitis in Feb 2008, after two er visits, and treatment with antibiotics/ cough meds/ decongestants, etc. thought I was finally over it after 2/3 weeks, then all of a sudden I would start up with the same tight, non productive cough, twice accompanied by strep throut also, these symptoms started to return almost monthly, without warning. The last episode I had in July I was put on prevacid for acid reflux, (the first dosage of that gave me a slight improvement of symptoms of the cough, then the following week prednisone was added with almost instant improvement, Wow finally, each day better that the last, then as I started to taper off a bit of increase in congestion, nothing that a child's dose of mucinex didn't help. Then almost a month to the day after thinking that I was finally better, I started all over again, up for almost 36 hours straight from coughing, started back on steroids, antibiotics, etc. But this time is tougher, The initial steroids helped right away, but there is a lot more mucous with this episode, My Doctor set me up for a PFT (pulmonary function test) and pending results plan to followup with a Pulmonary specialist, but as I've been tapering off the prednisone again the symptoms have increased, almost back to the beginning of the episode, with more coughing than not. Nervous about the last day of my steroids, my doctor put me on the Advair Diskus, my results of my pft should be in tomorrow, I took my first dose this morning, (quite nervous about it because I have several medication allergies and reactions) Now for my dilemma, my dose went well, I almost thought I felt a little something good, I know it's supposed to take awhile to help, but I felt positive about it and looked forward to my next dose in 12hrs. A little later in the day I started feeling funny, kind of spacey, fuzzy headed. Is it possible that this feeling is from the Advair? I've read the side affects and a lot of feedback from Advair users, and nothing matches what I;m feeling. Is there anyone out there that has felt like this? Please help, I'm almost due for my next dose and don't know what to do.
PMB in CT.

I had my parotid glands washed out with saline and because they were still dirty the surgeon decided to swab them with Betadine. When I came around from the operation I was panicking in the recovery room. Later, I was put into a side ward, luckily with my sister in attendance, and took a minute sip of water. This caused me to choke and I could not catch my breath. Assistance was sought and I was taken away to get help with my breathing. My whole face swelled up and my eyes had huge sort of blisters under them, which affected my sight for about 3 days; my hearing was also affected temporarily. The sides of my face, where the parotid glands are, were absolutely solid, my lips were distorted and I looked like I had been in a fight. My vocal cords were also swollen, which resulted in very poor speech for 24/36 hours. I had to be put on continuous oxygen, and have frequent nebulisers. I was given steroids, antihistamines, antibiotics and other treatments which I am not sure of. What should have been a 45 minute operation and 2-3 hour recovery resulted in a week's stay in hospital. When I was discharged, I had to return the following day, as the swelling had come back up again and I had to have the steroid medication I was sent home with doubled and Piriton and Omeprazole prescribed as well. I had intense pain at the top of my head, over my left ear, at various times during the week, resulting in me having to take Oramorph. All of these effects caused my diabetes to go out of control, with my blood sugars running over 20 for the first 2 days and well over 10 for the rest of the week. All in all I was very unwell.

I was prescribed a 6 day pack of 4mg Methylprednisolone (Medrol) at the ER for an allergic reaction I was having to a gel that I used on my sking. The Medrol worked great at stopping the allergic reaction. My swelling, pain, and rash began to rapidly clear up. Unfortunately I began to have many side effects. On day 5 I was unable to get out of bed I was so tired and dizzy. I had a headache and mental confusion and unclear thinking. I called my primary care provider on a Sunday to ask if it is okay to stop taking the steroid. She said it was and that it was unlikely the medrol was causing my symptoms. She told me I had a virus. I told her the symptoms I was having were listed as side effects on the drug info sheet but she did not believe me. IA few days later I made an appointment to see a doctor, not the same one who took my phone call. This doctor said all of my symptoms were from the Medrol. She knew because of personal experience she saw in her mother who was also taking steroids. She told me medrol can cause a manic response or a depressive, the latter is what I was having. As part of my exam she wanted me to have blood work but said I should wait at least 2 weeks to allow the drug to get out of my system. It is now 19 days since my appointment and I am still having side effects: nausea, complete lack of appetite, dizzy, and tired all the time. I put a call in to my doctor today and am waiting to hear back. I am sorry that I took this medication, will never take again. How long will it take for this med to get completely out of my system so that I feel normal again?
A friend told me her mother had a manic episode on steroids. When I was younger I took steroids for a brief period and had much milder side effects.

I have taken Cipro & levaquin or several occasions for several years. I DID NOT KNOW OF THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF THESE DRUGS ON TENDONS AND OTHER MUSCULOSKELETAL EFFECTS. A FEW DAYS AGO I HEARD A LEGAL AD ON TV WHICH CAUGHT MY ATTENTION: ' IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE HAS TAKEN LEVAQUIN AND SUFFERED A RUPTURED TENDON, CALL....... ' OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS , I HAVE HAD THREE ROTATOR CUFF INJURIES, TWO OF WHICH REQUIRED SURGERY AND A LONG REHAB, AND A "PROBABLE" TENDON TEAR OF MY FOREARM FOR WHICH I WAS ON LIGHT DUTY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, REHABBING W/ PT, STEROIDS, BOTH ORAL AND INJECTIONS, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEDS. AS MOST OF THESE INJURIES OCCURRED AT WORK- I AM A CCU NURSE- AND WAS TREATED BY OCC MED DOCTORS, AND THEN REFERRED TO SPECIALISTS WHEN I WASN'T GETTING BETTER, I WAS MADE TO FEEL AS IF THESE INJURIES WERE SOMEHOW MY FAULT, THROUGH POOR LIFTING TECHNIQUES,ETC. AT NO TIME DURING ALL THESE TREATMENTS FOR INJURIES DID ANY HEALTHCARE PROVIDER PUT THESE TWO THINGS TOGETHER AND ASK QUESTIONS, AND NOR DID MY OWN PHYSICIAN. THIS WOULD LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF THIS DRUG HAS NOT BEEN WELL DISSEMINATED TO THE MEDICAL PROVIDERS.

I'm 18 years old and I've been taking Advair (500) for about 4 years. I've had very persistant asthma my whole life and my Advair seems to save me from having to use my albuterol around 6 times a day. About 9 months ago i lost my voice for over 2 months. After that went away I had a break for about one month then around 6 months ago I developed what seems like a smokers cough yet I don't smoke. I just got a chest x-ray done and they said it was normal. They put me on steroids and antibiotics but it doesn't seem to be helping.

Could it be the Advair? I don't know that I can go without it even if it is. I want to get rid of this congestion in my lungs. I'm sick of coughing up mucus daily. Does anyone have any advice?

I had been on Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim for ten days when i had my allergic reaction- i went out for a run Saturday evening and about thirty minutes after my return i started breaking out into unbelievable hives and excruciating itching at this point it was only on my arms and i put some anti-itch gel on it to get better went to bed and woke up around 2 am with my lip completely swollen out i then took benadryl which controlled the itchiness- going into Sunday the hives got so bad i could hardly move my hands and then the hives spread to my feet which made it literally unbearable to walk- i have never experienced anything like this! I felt like a cripple i was hardly able to move- luckily i had a packet of steroids previously prescribed to me started taking them and immediately started to feel better i woke up Monday morning around five am and the hives had almost vanished- then when i got up to go to work on the drive in the hives were back and stronger than ever it was horrible i was driving in traffic watching my arms and hands swell in size and itching unbelievably out of control- managed to get some benadryl in my system and another steroid- made it to work- throat started closing in on me started wheesing couldn't catch my breath- ended up in the emergency room- this has been the craziest thing that has ever happened to me! The ER doctor told me that 40-60% of the population is allergic to this antibiotic- YET ITS STILL ON THE MARKET!!!!! I seriously thought at time i might die- this was the most excruciating experience i've had- and if i lapse the time i need to take my steroid the hives come back soo fast-The doctor said it can take a week for my body to metabolize the antibiotic out of my system- the lesson i learned here always do your own research on any medicine the doctor gives you to take- just bc they prescribe it doesn't always mean its the best i mean up to 60% of the population is allergic to this- had i known this i would have asked for a different antibiotic! In my case i think that it took my body so long to have its allergic reaction due to the fact when i went on the antibiotic to fight an ear infection i was also prescribed a steroid and i believe the steroid was fighting off my reaction and keeping it at bay until i ran out of that....Also anyone having this reaction DO NOT TAKE ASPIRIN OR IBUPROFEN/ADVIL THIS MAKES THE REACTION WORSE- IT IS REALLY BEST TO JUST TAKE ALEVE!!

hi all. thanks for writing your comments here. it has helped me today, another HORRIBLE day of prednisone hell. i have been seriously ill for 8 months been told ever other week I'm likely going to die from lung disease (i'm 35) and after a painful lung biopsy have been told my lung problems are almost all reversible... after a year on high dose prednisone. i was on 40mg a day for a month a while back and was so out of control from rage and crying and insomnia and panic/suicidality, ravenous appetite, that they lowered me to 30. then after biopsy they said i should be on 100mg to cure me, we settled at 60mg. it's been 24 days. The moon face started about one week in. i've gained 8 lbs. i am an emotional wreck. i have at least one rage filled attack per day where i am screaming and want to kill somebody or destroy something. some days i am so filled with hopelessness and worry i just want to die. my body changes (after just losing 30 lbs and being a work out fanatic my shortness of breath makes it impossible to walk up 2 flights of stairs without resting) face changes, acne, excess body hair (oh my god please make it stop i'm like a chia pet and i'm so afraid it is going to get worse) double chin, puffy eyes and cheeks, absolutely uncontrollable emotions and mood swings, inability to be logical or reasonable. i don't want to leave the house, i'm panicked and scared all the time. i never sleep. ambian gives me minimal relief (just started taking it) i feel like i'm losing everything, except my lung functioning is returning and i'm not going to die from this illness (they assure me THIS week) i understand light at the end of the tunnel, but living like this is unbearable most days, almost impossible the rest of the time. am i alone with the severity of this? or are all the others like me too busy hiding the sharps and crying in a corner to write on this board? thanks for listening :)

figures, forgot to mention what HELPS. no eating after 8 (7pm is better) no salt, no sugar, exercise, even just a walk every day, anything physical, i walk like a grandma on the treadmill but i still do it, sometimes it is the only thing that stops my crying. no alcohol, support and understanding from loved ones, it's not you, its the drugs. good luck.
figures, forgot to mention what HELPS. no eating after 8 (7pm is better) no salt, no sugar, exercise, even just a walk every day, anything physical, i walk like a grandma on the treadmill but i still do it, sometimes it is the only thing that stops my crying. no alcohol, support and understanding from loved ones, it's not you, its the drugs. good luck.

Yasmin is a steroid so when coming off it you can suffer all the same symptoms as someone stopping a steroid drug... and by the way, when people are taken off steroids it's done in a controlled way - they cut down on them very slowly by reducing the dosage. It's a real shock to the body to just stop a steroid. This could explain why a lot of us feel so terrible when we stop taking it. I know I had a real increase in severity of symptoms followed by months and months of exhaustion and fatigue.

I have had a skin rash called vasculitis; Have taken prednasone and my highest weight is 230lbs. I used to weigh 147lbs. I feel like jabba the hut!! If I don't take it I break out and feel like a lepper if I do take it I may still break out and gain more weight. It's enough to make you depressed and i have been. No one should live like this.

I have been on prednisone since November 2007 for minimal change disease, 65 mg, in May I started to decrease the dosage (per Drs. orders) and by the time I got to 15 mg all my symptoms came back and I swelled up again. I was again put on a higher dosage of prednisone and put on Cytoxan 75 mg. I am now decreasing prednisone, back to 15 mg every other day and will be off Cytoxan next month. Hopefully this will work. Right now my main complaint of side effects is chest pressure, anything I eat or drink makes my stomach swell and I feel like I can never take a full breath. I recently had chest and abdoman xrays and an ultrasound, all negative. Does anyone have this symptom? I also have moon face, weight gain, hump on back, insomnia, headaches, digestive problems ,shakes, night sweats, vision problems, extreme tiredness and hair loss. How long before all this goes away?

I have had the same reation with helioplex but in Piz Buin products. My son only used it a couple of times and has come out in a red bumpy burning rash over all areas applied. He had to have a course of steroids and has had a week off school. I certainly would not recommend heloplex to any other person.

I am diagnosed with COPD. On March14, 2008, I visited my pulmonologist due to having a bacterial infection in the lungs and nose. I was given a script for Levaguin 750 mg for 7 days. After my first dose, my feet felt like they were on fire. I spoke with the pharmacist and he said it could be a side effect. I finished the meds with a lot of trepidation, feeling uneasy and anxious. However my large toes began to have a tingling sensation, which I reported to my PCP and he said to keep a check on it. I just came from my PCP today, July 8,2008 and now, in addition to my lung problem, I have peripheral neurophathy, involving all my toes and also my hands. This medicine is dangerous, as looking back at the time after I took this medicine, I was seriously considering ending it all! I will never take any medication in the future until I research it thoroughly. I trust my PCP and I trusted my pulmonologist, but I feel the pulmonologist should have informed me of the possible bad sich effects. Be careful out there!!!

I had the same steroid injection for tonsillitis this past January in both cheeks. I now too have noticed a large indentation in my right butt cheek. I was never informed of this possible side effect either. I would definitely be interested in pursuing a class action regarding the disfigurement of my previously favorite body-part. Had I been informed of such, I would have just had my tonsils removed!!

HI guys I was given pred at 60mg then over the next several weeks I tapered off. it is now about 3/4weeks since I took the last tablet. Whilst i was on them I developed quite bad hand tremors/shakes and since taper off to a low dose I have started with muscle twitches all over. Has anyone had experiences like these? And how long did they last?

I did a post a few days ago--but must add to it. I have SLE, MS, CAD, HBP, having 5 stents, asoteoporosis, arachnoiditis, cerebritis/vasculitis from lupus, chronic pain(fibramyalgia) and a bucn more that ill give u sum idea. I am also a RN for28 years and KNOW what medications can do. I mena come on lets face it--if we ALL read THOROUGHLY all the inserts with ANY medication--NONE of us wud take any of it. Even ADVIL and ASA have horrific side effect.!! I saw my doctor yesterday afternoon due to this rash--not my typical lupus reash---doesn't look like discoid lupus, it begins on my chest goes uop my face then all down my back then gradually works its way down my leg---it gets rasm, macular and some some end up with a popular looking area. The PAIN from if is almost as bad as the itch from the rash. I have had shingles and it is similar to that pain. I have been putting topical steroid base creams all over to no avail. I begged my doctor for the KENOLOG shot and discussed GREATLY the side effects: I have had a hysterectomy so that is nothing, it cause cause a psychosis, depression, panic racing thots insomnia--basically ALL the side effects everyone has mentioned---but IT WORKS -I JUST GOT UP AND THIS DIFFIGURING DISCUSTING RASH ALL OVER IS ALMOST 90% GONE!!!! Like I said I have been on steroids most of my life--and I KNOW the side effects of them--PERIOD. Educated patients READ the inserts and ask their doctors---all meds have risks but the questio is does the risk outweigh the benefit t
??????????? I am on a mediation that has you with an increase of 10-15% increase of having an heart attack--which I have had two--but I CHOOSE to take it becuz the benefit outweighs the risks. I understand 100% all the complaints concerns and everything, attorneys will NOT take cases where the medication is used and adminierted the correct way--esp. when the side effects are clearly listed. Doctors are TOO freaking bust these days to sit and TALK and explain every side effect with each of their patients. Does each of you know that the average physician HAS TO SEE at least 60---yes sixty patients A DAY???? That is actually in their contract--thata approximately 7 and a half minutes ith each of us.!!!!!!! Make a list of all ur concerns, questions etc for the doctor and I do this ---I manuaver my chair to in feonrt of the door and I DO NOT LT THE DOCTOR OUT until he has answered ALL my concerns---yea they get mad tell me I can't do that--and my response is is IF YOU can make me wait in ur office lobby for more than an hour--I will do what I have to do to get proper CARE!!! Shuts most of them up. But I am lucky I do have 6 of the most careling and compassionate physicians--I have lucked up--I have had my share of "stupid" doctors but-hey WE are the patient-=-go to another one until ya get one ya like. If you go to other website about medicine there are many more complaints and unhappy patients with medications they take. But I understand where all of US are coming from---Doctors are no different than us--and they are not GOD--they make mistakes and as long as they don't KNOWING harm you---or commit fraud--no lawsuit happening---now sueing the MAKER of kenalog MAY be a possibility( my sisiter is an attorny) thats her advice and itd have to be a class action suit and its kinda sad--patients don't ever get much in things like this but its worth a shot!!!

(33yr) Was given Omnicef for an ear infection. After 3rd dose broke out with huge patches of red whelps. Stop taking, but then my joints started to ache and I had large knots on the bottom of my feet and hands. Diarrhea and vomiting, severe stomache cramps and low blood pressure... followed by antiphylatic shock. While I was in the ER the discovered I was also having a heart attack.

It has been 3 weeks and every time I come off the steroids, the rash and other symtoms return.

Has anyone else had similar problems.

I also received a kenalog injection from a dermatologist for rashes that wouldn't go away. He told me ONLY that it would probably mess up my menstrual cycle. I thought "yeah sure that sounds great" I just wanted relief from all the itching. The rash did go away but i started to notice a dent where they gave me the injection. It has since gotten bigger and I am scared and wondering what is going on with me. My doctor never told me of atrophy or even that it was a possibility. I consulted with another doctor who told me he is not sure how this couldn't happened and that they probly injected in the wrong site. i now know after coming to this site that i am not alone and it is the kenalog that has caused me grief. Doctors need to be responsible in letting patients know every detail about the drug they are using on us. I was reassured by him that my only side affect would be irregular periods. Hopefully one day mine will go away but until the people need to be educated on certain steroids.

I had my Mirena removed 4 1/2 weeks ago and I am still experiencing dizziness. I had posted previously that it was gone 2 days after the Mirena was removed but the dizziness has come back. Just thought I would let everyone know.

I'm 50, a lifelong asthmatic (since age of 4). I started taking singular in 1999, Time Magazine's cover story back then. In the spring on 2001 I had stopped taking it. I got sick and my doctor had me taking it again. I told him subseqently that I had noticed changes in my moods. He dismissed the notion. I worked on wall street. 911 came and I was put on antidepressants (zoloft 200mg/day and gabatril 8mg a day). I lost seven years of my life. Yesterday I spoke to my pharmacist. I'm now on disability (respiratory, depression and anxiety). Medicare Prescription plan would not pay for Advair. The pharmacist to my surprise pointed out that depression was written up as a potential side effect of singular. I have read that head meds may leave 70% of those taking them left them still depress and with sleep disorders etc. I have been off the head meds for 9 months now. The mental fog has cleared, (from not being sedated).). An my depression continues unabaited as it has for the past ten years.

I also found out that MAXAIR is back after being discontinued. I used it for at least ten years (in the 80 & 90's). It has nt steroids, long lasting compared to albuteral as an emergency inhalher and precluded the need for multiple asthma meds. My life changed when Maxair was not being bottled which was just about the time Singular came out. I doubt it will undo 10 years of environmental injury and damage caused by singular and steroids. I also believe the best advice for keeping me breathing freely was drinking lots of water, (distilled, I bought a machine rather than carry a gallon a day from the store.). was truely life improving. It allows your body to flush out the impurities our modern day life threatens us with. I read the posts on this site and was compelled to share my personal experience(s), for you to consider....

I am on my fifth day taking Avelox. Today I noticed some increased anxiety and my ankles hurt?! A throbbing and frightening pain.. both ankles. I've already called my doctor and will go see him tomorrow. I did not do anything strenuous at all that would cause this. The anxiety is killing me!

im 22. was diagnosed with dermatologist in November. its an auto immune disease...inflammation of the skin and muscles..been dealing with this for like 8 months now. been on prednisone through all of this the whole time. seems like it might have made my muscles better but does nothing for my rash really. i hate being on steroids. i never know how im gonna feel everyday. major mood mood swings. i was on 60mg ive moved down to 20mg a day now. i still have all the stupid side effects. hair on side of face, arms and back..swollen face..acne..and i now have stretch marks..i hate it and cant wait to get off of it. wish i was never on it.