Sunlight symptoms and conditions

I have been on Triam/Hctz (37.5/25) for about a year. About two weeks ago I developed a very itchy rash on my lower legs, forearms, back of hands and neck. I probably was exposed to sunlight (though this is October and I had no effects when at the beach in August). The itch is driving me crazy. My doctor said to discontinue the med and prescribed some sort of topical cream (which I haven't begun to take). Oatmeal baths and Benadryl seem to help somewhat.

I'm 18 years old and live in Florida, while at the gynecologist for a routine visit my doctor strongly suggested that I start the Gardasil 3 shot cycle. After checking with my mom (who was unfortunately given biased information from my doctor without first doing research on the product) agreed since we both figured that my doctor would be knowledgeable enough on the subject (or you would think since she was the one administering the drug.) The first two shots went fine and I had no reaction at all. After the third shot (in October of 2007) I woke up the next morning with swollen hands and extreme swelling at the injection spot. I immediately returned to my gynecologist where I was told “there is no possible way you can be allergic to this medication” by my doctor, and that those reactions would go away in a few days. A few days following this I developed sores in the back of my throat and under my tongue, however my gynecologist still insisted there was no possible way it was an effect of the Gardasil (EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE VERY NEXT DAY) & I had no previous illnesses. Within the week following I developed body-wide hives so severe that I cannot sleep and they affect my breathing. I’ve seen several doctors (allergist, dermatologist, primary physicians, and immunologists) none of which can determine why exactly I have these hives, besides that it is a “drug reaction” (it took 11 vials of blood to determine that). However when one of my dermatologists questioned Merck about it they simply said that there is no evidence and I cannot sew!!! That’s all they cared about! A law suit! WHAT EVER YOU DO, DO NOT GET THIS SHOT, TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW! It has ruined my life. As an 18 year old girl living in Florida I love to go to the beach however because of these hives they get so severe when I’m exposed to sunlight I can no longer go. It’s also extremely embarrassing when people stare at them since they cover most of my body on a daily basis.

Taking this for "cellulites of the face" which I guess basically is a bacterial cyst on my chin that has caused an infection to go into my lymph nodes, which are all very swollen (even ones that I didn't know I had!). After taking 3 doses, we went to a water park for 8 hours (dumb move), and even putting SPF 50 on every 1/2 hour, my skin literally felt like it was melting off of my arms. And it was just my arms, no other part of my body. The second sunlight hit my arms, I immediately got this burning, tingly feeling. The morning after I was expecting to see that my arms were really burned, but they look fine. Other than that, so far I am just extremely tired.

i have been taking dorxy 100 mg once a day along with a .3% differin cream for mild acne. I have been taking it for about five weeks now. I am twenty years old. At first it only upset my stomach so I took it with food/milk and that helped. But as time progresses, I feel as though my symptoms are getting worse. I constantly have a headache, I am sensitive to sunlight (I do not burn that easily, but bright lights irritate me), loud noises, light headed, sick to my stomach, dizzy, confused. I have severe back pain and pain in my wrists, ankles and especially in my knees. Thankfully my boyfriend has been dealing with what could also be side effects, I easily change moods, I am depressed, I suddenly cry over ridiculous immature situations, I am insecure and refuse to believe anyone that compliments me. I loose my temper easily and never feel like taking part in sexual activity with my boyfriend. I also feel paranoid and worried at times, I feel overly stressed. I do have a lot on my plate with my personal life but I have never acted this way about situations before.

Basically, being happy to crying in half a second, always feeling tired and lazy, no energy, and not being hungry then starving, and feeling sick and dizzy are basically making me wonder if this medicine is worth these side effects. I do not want to risk putting my baby in danger if I ever get pregnant a few years after taking this medication and from what I have read, it could have a life long effect on our bodies.

Although my acne has made me miserable all my life, and seeing the results of it clearing up so quickly makes me SO happy, I am hoping that eventually I will grow out of it. Because in all honesty, we are putting our bodies through so much, all just to have clear skin! Someone out there thinks you are beautiful, regardless of your acne. So I am probably going to talk to my Dr. and discontinue the doryx. I just can't take the side effects any longer. Besides, I read online that in most cases, after you stop taking Dorxy, the acne comes back. Sigh, I don't know guys! This is a tough situation for all of us.

Best of luck, take care everyone. :)

Wow, had I seen this webpage before last year I would have never had my Mirena put in.... that was April 2007. Since then:
1. I have had constant extreme fatigue, sometimes to the point I feel I am in actual 'pain' just to walk from one end of the house to the other.
2. I have noted a serious increase in gray hair all of a sudden, which does not run in my family on either side.
3. I have had a significant weight gain, and I too appear to be several months along due to the bloating.
4. I have inconsistent rashing that flares up on my face. Seems to be triggered by being in direct sunlight, but it is almost always on my chin area and feels as if my skin is on fire when it happens.
5. I cannot seem to get enough sleep.
6. I cry for absolutely no reason, something of which I never did before.
7. I have had, the past few weeks, had severe pain in my lower back area. I've never had pain like this before down there.
8. I've had numbness in my left foot, but I attributed it to a skating injury, something my trainer said had never happened to any of the other girls before... doctor said it should have healed in a month. It didn't.
9. I have never in my life had acne before, and I think in the past year I've had more zits than I've had my entire lifetime.

That's it for me that I can think of. I have an appointment to have it removed in a few months. I'm done with this thing.

I've started taking this medication for a week now for a bad case of sinus infection. Its so bad the doctors say it is backed up in my head and isn't draining.My eyes get really red, migraines and headaches causes really bad pressure in head and I also have fluid in my ears. I guess this is why it was prescribed to me. I woke up one morning and my face was all swollen on the left side of my face and my lymph nodes in the back of my neck are all swollen for about 3 days now(looks like lumps in the neck). Anyway, I decided to leave the house for one day since I started taking this SMZ-TMP DS, I ended up catching hives throughout my body and got tingling every day after that. I read the bottle and it says Do Not be EXPOSED to excessive exposure to direct and/or artificial sunlight and it was quite sunny that day. I don't know if my meds are working but I think I will be seeing another Dr. to change to another medication.

Been taking Topamax 300 mg a day for the past 4 year. I also take 450 mg of Wellbutrin. This is to help with migraine. Although my total count of Zomig pills I took last year was 120 pills and some of those I broke in half so I wouldn't have to use a whole pill for a migraine. So that mean, with the Topamax and Wellbutrin combined, I still had at least 123 migraine this past year. Three months of migraines. That's insane. I can't stop the "Dopamax" because my doctor says it would be really bad with it. I have terrible memory loss, forgetfulness, and loss of words that is embarrassing. The nurses did not inform me of the side effects when I first started taking it and I thought I was going crazy. I started looking up ADHD on the computer thinking I had developed it as an adult. I was made at the nurse when she asked me how I was doing remembering things and and if I was stumbling for word......I wanted to slap her off her stool.........at that point it was NOT funny.

I had pain in my lower back and left side of my hip, while sleeping, the pain woke me up. I've been on Fosamax D for nearly a year, but I've been reading about the terrible side effects, that I am not taking it anymore, even if my doctor insists that it does more good than bad for my bones. I stopped taking Fosamax D for about 2 or three weeks and the pain stopped, thank God. I am looking into other natural alternatives like Vitamin K2 to build strong bones, in addition to Calcium supplements, Vitamin D and magnesium, and yesterday I read about the best Vitamin D comes from exposure to sunlight.

i was prescribed this drug for kidney and bladder infection. i avoided sunlight ( warning on drug label). my skin began to look thin and dehydrated, tingling sensations. my face became swollen and cheeks exceptionally red, like severe sunburn. it's been over two weeks since i stopped taking this medication and my skin still isn't anywhere back to normal. my face actually became flaky.

i have taken Bactrim in the past with none of the above side effects. how does this drug differ from Bactrim.

-By vivian - ohio

Hi, my name is Claudia and I'm from the Netherlands. I have had the Mirena for about ten months now, and am gonna get it to be taken out next Wednesday. I have had nothing but trouble since day one. Nausea, depression, anxiety attacks, numbness, neck pain, migraines, IBS, hair loss, and very painful breasts with swollen milk glands. My GP said he didn't believe it was all caused by Mirena, and put me on anti-depressants. Now I know for sure that I'm doing the right thing by having it taken out. The nausea was so bad, I thought I was pregnant because it felt exactly the same. And hair started growing in my face, and falling out from off my head... terrible. And I got these pregnancy-like spots in my face from sunlight....

I've been taking Femcon Fe since the end of July of this year! My breasts feel really tender as if I am going to start my menstrual period and i have tiny cramps. Sometimes I get upset about little things and I cry over it for about five minutes then get mad that I was crying. The worst thing is I constantly have headaches and and every little thing triggers my headaches..ie sunlight, loud noises. Most of all I get nauseated and dizzy and feel like I am going to throw up at the worst times possible. I dont think this pill is working out for me, especially since I am a college student and the pill is only making me lazy and tired all the time!

I was prescribed Doxycycline by the Student Health Center at my college for alleged Bronchitis. I've been taking 100mg twice daily, and I definitely noticed the intense nausea immediately. I've always had a strong stomach, so I was a bit surprised by how I reacted to it. Luckily no vomiting. But within 2 days, I noticed that my vaginal area was incredibly irritated, itchy, and red. I thought it was just random irritation, but it has persisted for three days, and I finally realized it wasn't a temporary thing. I've never had a yeast infection before, so I spent an afternoon researching them, and was terrified that it was a symptom of an STD (even though I'm well educated on the subject).

In my research, I somehow stumbled upon the name of this drug, and immediately searched for further side effects (since my doctor only told me to take water and food with it, avoid sunlight, and not to lie down within 1/2 an hour of taking it). What do you know, but yay yeast infections.

Basically, I'm furious with my practitioner for not warning me about all of the things I've read on this site. I've stopped taking the medicine and have no problem with dealing with a cough if it means the yeast infection goes away. I'm never taking this drug again.

I had a stye/ staff infection in my right eye. It was swollen and severely hurting me. Well, my doctor put me on sulfameth and a eyedrop antibiotic. I don't mind taking the eye drops, but these pills are making me feel horrible. I am on 1 pill twice daily for 10 days. I asked the doctor and the pharmacist if this stuff causes constipation and they both said no. Well, I haven't been able to use the bathroom well since I started it. My muscles twitch, my eyes are sensitive to the sunlight, I can't go to sleep easily, I've been itching up a storm, and I have headaches. I want to just stop the medication but if I do then I will never get rid of this infection in my eye. I figured I'd stop the meds in the middle of the week. I hate feeling bloated and constipated. Has anyone else had the constipation effect?

This was the worst experience! I started taking Doxy to rid myself of infection that might be caused due to a vaginal procedure. I started taking the med on Monday afternoon, by Thursday night my legs and arms were on fire it seemed. The tingly feeling you are talking about. I completely lost my appetite. I was tired, weak, lightheaded, nauseated. Here it is five days after I have stopped the med and I still feel the burning, tingly skin. Also, I had muscle pain that caused my skin to be sore to even touch. I cringed at the thought of someone touching me for two days. NEVER AGAIN will I take this. I mean, after all, it's strong enough to be used for ANTHRAX, how strong does that have to be?

Hi all, i just wanted to let some sunlight in on yasmin a bit..... for years i have had irregular periods mostly four months at a time without my period, i would lash out at everything, i hated being social, couldn't stand company, always restless always jumpy, then i discovered i had nine (9) ovarian cysts very small but could be fatal eventually if nothing was done, my gynae put me on yasmin and i have been on it for over a month now i havew lost significant weight, my mood is so much more cheery, nothing gets to me, i have some more energy, sleep better, no cramping, period had been regulated all in all i have had a wonderful experience with this product, so for those who feel skeptical it could work either way for you, in my case the results was positive, Thank you YASMIN..... you mad my life normal.......

fallenangelchick8
Trinidad and Tobago....

I was on it for about two months and experienced a little of the upset stomach. The worst was the sunburn on my nose, hands, knuckles and tops of my toes. And the tingling sensation on my hands was so weird! My nose and hands have healed, but the tops of my toes are still bad (one month later!!) I'm really scared, but one of my docs say that toes take a really long time to heal because of poor circulation. Anyone have this problem with their toes?? Another doc suspects discoid lupus. yikes!

I am on Lipantil (Fenofibrate) 267MG and Ezetrol (Ezetimibe) 10MG.
I was on a 20MG statin but changed to the above because it didn't agree with me.
Has anyone noticed a tendency to suntan more easily?
I look like I have been under a sunlamp, my face being noticeably browner than the rest of me yet I have not spent a lot of time in direct sunlight.
I believe the Fenofibrate may be the cause of greater photosensitivity.
Should I worry or just be pleased I look browner?
Anyone else noticed this effect?

To the above posts:

#1--
GET MEDICAL HELP if you have a rash with this drug, it could be a severe allergic reaction. don't wait.

also

#2--
read the label on yr prescription bottle, it should say STAY OUT OF THE SUN!!! You are hyper-sensitive to sunlight/ artificial UV/ sunlamps while taking it.

do a internet search for: doxycycline "side effects"
seriously, there are specific instructions regarding these side effects. be sure to read instructions & listen to yr doctor/ pharmacist with any medication.

Hi I have been on zoloft for 3 months and the very first side effect I can remember was being really freaking tired. I mean like very weak. My mouth got really dry. I had loose stools for awhile. I would steady shake and feel tremors in my hands. I would get really scared. My anxiety attack during the 1st month got worse. My sleep pattern was wonderful for the 1st month. I lost my appetite for food for about a couple of weeks. I didnt notice the fog coming until like my 2nd month. Sometimes you mind would get foggy and you would stare in one place and you would snap out of it. On the end of my second month i noticed i was getting happier and my anxiety went away just a little. You would experience tremors when you take your pill on a empty stomach or miss a pill. I noticed it makes you smile quite a bit but you still remain in a fog like state. My 3rd month now it seems to elevate your moods so you can feel a little symptoms and then you feel it go awy from time to time. I know ccrazy and vivid things run in your mind. I also notice you are sensitve to sunlight and your sensitivity increases. aNYHOW i will let you know more later.

within a week of taking doxycycline i had a rash which got worse in the heat, as i was taking it as an anti malerial drug for my travels. the instructions says to avoid sunlight.. this is stupid and impossible if you are traveling to a tropical country for a holiday. other side effects i noticed were my face was swollen , i had puffy eyes and constant itching of my skin.these symptoms disappeared 24 hours after i stoppd taking these tablets.

just got my prescription for the first time to-day 10-5-2006 had one tablet 500 mg about 2 hours ago it is now 4.35 p.m. got medication for sore throat by doctor rathbun here in boynton beach florida 33436 got medication at publix store it has side effects stay oput of sunlight and it may impair ability to drive until you are familar with it if i have reaction i will get back to you thank you for this opportunity for recourse if necessary patrick j english it was costly

My nine month old daughter was on Omnicef for one day and had red colored stools which we thought may be from the tylenol. She also broke out in a rash the second day (red bumps that looked like chicken pox) in a small area, so we watched it. The next day she had the bumps all over her trunk and head...they kept getting worse and multiplied until she was taken off of the medicine! They do worsen in the sunlight! We kept her in only a diaper for about four days and gave her an oatmeal bath and benadryl, and that helped. She also had night terrors where she would wake screaming and shaking which is very unlike her! She was taken off of the Omnicef by the Dr. and put on Zithromax which has been great!

After 17 months on hydrochlorothiazide for blood pressure, I experienced a bright red itchy rash on sun-exposed areas ( primarily face and neck). It was diagnosed as solar urticaria (allergy to sunlight) and was successfully treated. However, after 24 months now on it, I have bright redness on my face and neck again (unpleasant but not particularly itchy) with really mild nausea. The doctor tells me it could be a side effect of the drug. I am now on another blood pressure pill, but it has been four days since I took the hydro. and the redness has not gone away.

Been on Levaquin for 6 weeks now for acute prostatitus (thought I was ready for the glue factory, let me tell you that was no fun).

The first few weeks all I had was acute sensitivity to sunlight, a few itchy bumps and the inevitable GI tract distress that doctors always seem to think is unusual but for me is an inevitable consequence of taking antibiotics of any kind.

The last month however, I have extreme joint pain, mostly in my left hip socket but also in my knees. It almost feels like sciatica but it comes and goes. Mostly it is in the back side of my legs. One more day left, next time (hopefully never) I will insist on something else.

Glad to see its not just me, the "official" side effects don't seem to acknowledge the joint pain side effects.

Regards

Peter

Hello. I am in the US, but I though I would add to this list in hopes of helping somebody else avoid what i hope isn't to be my fate.

I am a 30 year old male who has chronic sinusitis and have had either no insurance or low-quality health insurance from my younger years till September 2004. I have gotten into the habit NOT consulting a doctor when I was slightly ill and have no fever because It was all out of pocket and I could not afford it. (before you comment, have you ever been sued for medical bills?) I have been lucky to only get sick once a year or less with a sinus infection that usually turns into an ear problem. I was given samples of Tequin several years ago and had a horrific reaction to sunlight which was witnessed by several medical professionals after less than two hours in direct sunlight and more than two weeks after I had discontinued use of the antibiotic and developed a good tan. This experience caused me to avoid medical treatment for the infections (very mild in nature) for the past 4 years.

I was persuaded to see a GP by my fiance because we both had very bad upper respiratory infections (similar to the one that I had when I took Tequin before). She is a hypochondriac; I'm the exact opposite in every way. I made an appointment with her physician, explained my medical history including the Tequin, and received 5 x 750mg Levaquin and was told to take one a day. I took it immediately after leaving his office at 2:30 PM. I was not warned that there were any signs to look for, such as muscle aches and pains, and I had none at the time.

The first day after, (Wednesday, March 22 2006), I awoke around an hour early around 6:00 AM. While I wasn't alarmed, I did have some muscle and joint pain getting out of bed. I attributed this to the fact that I only had 5-6 hours of sleep. I noticed some unusual but mild stiffness and aching while getting up from my desk and that my hands were seemingly more sensitive to cold air; they became numb as I typed (I am a software engineer for the #1 ranked LIS in the U.S.) and have a fairly in-depth medical background as I had initially sighted a career in pharmacy and then nursing and worked in the field as a C.N.A. and Q.M.A. for several years. I am fluent in medical-speak for the most part. I attributed the symptoms to my illness and the decongestant that I had been taking (and have always taken since the age of 14) Benadryl Severe Sinus Headache. I took my dose of antibiotic without question at 2:30 and went home sore and stiff.

On the second day (Thursday, March 23rd 2006), I awoke at 5:30 which alarmed me as I had only slept between 4.5 and 5 hours. I was very stiff and the balls of my feet, backs of my hands and feet, great-toes, and thumbs were extremely sensitive to pressure which caused very bad pain. I have a herniated disc with sciatic nerve-induced leg and hip pain, several broken bones, severe sinus pain, and know what having a ruptured appendix feel like; so please don't call me a sissy. I had a lot of difficulty due to weakness and pain while getting out of bed. I have used one sick day in the two years that I have worked for this employer and was considering using a sick day to recoup but went into work anyway... which was a stroke of luck because I looked at the side effects. I found it difficult to lift myself onto my toes and the backs of my legs at the ankle and knee felt inflamed. I went to work and had increasing difficulty typing (shooting pain and numbness like sudden carpal-tunnel to my elbows) also, standing up and walking to use the restroom or get a beverage was a chore as others saw me staggering down the hall and asked if my foot was asleep. I took two 325mg aspirin for the pain which seemed to help a little and took my next dose of Levaquin at 2:30. The symptoms worsened and I became shaky and confused as if I were in shock at 5:00 or just before. I called my brother who is a Pharm D. and asked him for advice. He first said that I must have another infection because of the pain and then hours later called back asking me if I had tremors and told me to stop the Levaquin and call the Dr. the next day if I didn't feel better. I searched Yahoo! for "Levaquin and Joint Pain" and found hundreds of websites like this one. I can relate to nearly everyone here, this drug is trouble and I wish that I had never gone to the doctor and just stuck it out because I was already feeling better at the time and went at the insistence of somebody else.

On the Third day (Friday, March 24th 2006), I called in to work and contacted the physician's office, as I woke up at 4:30 and couldn't return to sleep and my symptoms had made it impossible to hold onto the steering wheel of the car or even motivate myself past the pain of getting up and taking a shower. I only got up once before noon to soak in a hot bath (which helped slightly with more aspirin). The physician's office called back in two hours saying that they had a prescription for another antibiotic, this time the penicillin-derivative (Augmentin), ordered for me and wanted a pharmacy to call. I assumed that there were no permanent problems that were to result from the side-affects because they didn't mention anything to alarm me and continued to rest. I noticed that I had severe difficulty even holding open a book with my thumb while laying on my back and that my arm became numb and then pain-stricken when holding the book over my face to read within just a few minutes. I do not know how many times I had switched hands before noticing this. I then contacted my brother again to ask about the "Seek immediate medical attention" portion of the warning for liver problems and joint pain, etc from the internet site "drugs.com" for Levaquin. He said that it should pass when the drug began to leave my body and that things would begin to become normal again by Saturday (now Friday afternoon). I proceeded to spend the rest of the day laying around and noticed that when pouring my coffee that I had to hold the decanter with both hands because my wrists and fingers were weak.

The weekend of March 25-26th 2006 were far worse than anything I have ever experienced up until the afternoon of Sunday, the 26th when I began taking an increased dose of aspirin at my brother's advice (four every four hours this time). I also drank an entire bottle of Riesling out of desparation, which may have helped dull the pain a little. :-)

I am currently experiencing a numb and weak feeling in my hands and feet, mostly in my thumbs, great toes, and Achilles tendon (mostly in my right heel). I cannot lift myself with my right foot and have extreme difficulty rotating my hands and grabbing things. Today is Monday, March 27, 2006 and I have no improvement to report other than the pain is less intense but still present. I have contacted my physician with no response and am going to the ER tonight. I doubt that they will do anything other than waste 5 hours of my time and bill my insurance company liberally. I hope that I have inflammation and not ruptured tendons but am prepared for the worse. Thank you all for your words of warning. I wish that I had done my research before trusting the physician with another drug in this category.