Taking medicine symptoms and conditions

So. I have read a lot here about side effects. What have you guys switched to (i.e. what BPM are you taking now)?

Who has switched to something else and been pleased with the results?

Need specifics please on an alternative.

So like i just told the lady that thinks this site is a joke, I am happy for her that she hasn't had any negative side effects. For the rest of us though, this site is a blessing. I am a 27 year old with one daughter who is 2 1/2. I got my mirena put in at about my six week check up as well. For me, it took at least a year for me to really notice any symptoms, I guess before I just thought it was new mama syndrome. Now I am losing tons of hair (now when I say tons, no one can tell but me, like when i pull out handfuls when i shampoo or blow dry), I have horrible fatigue, depression that i am taking medicine for with little relief, discharge, and about once a month i have horrible pain on my right side about where my ovary is. Oh and not to mention no sex drive, which is not normal, and moody, moody, moody.

So my point pretty much is that I am a REAL WOMAN, not someone paid by a drug company, and I was looking for answers. Maybe the lady that is posting nastiest about this site is paid by Mirena? Hmmmm.....

I took 1 Levaquin pill 500 mg one evening in September 2007 for a kidney, UTI infection. My left side went numb and started tingling, my left hip hurt, I could not put weight on my left leg, had to limp to walk. I had severe pains shooting through my head, felt dizzy, nauseous, weak, had to stay in bed for 3 days after taking medicine. I could only limp to eat and bathroom. I called doctor, they said KEEP TAKING IT. NOT. They told me that these were normal side effects. I read on the internet that these are NOT NORMAL side effects. I didn't take anymore and read about alternative medicines. I was still in a lot of pain in my kidney and bladder. So I asked for Bactrim, a sulfur based drug. It worked great on the kidney/UTI. But since I took the Levaquin, my joints hurt and pop, my achilles tendon is painful everyday, my shoulders have excruciating intermittent pain and my hip hurts inside when I move it. Also, there is a lot of crackling and strange sounds in my joints now. My wrists have been having a lot of soreness as well. I just read about Levaquin causing these problems for years after you take one pill. I didn't know all of these symptoms might be connected to the Levaquin. Does anyone know how to get the Levaquin out of your body and joints???

I am on a 6 day treatment of PredniSONE 4mg for a foot injury that caused massive swelling. The swelling was gone after the first day of the treatment, but the side effects started the second day for me. I freaked out yesterday thinking that I was having a heart attack. I even asked the doctor if there were any weird side effects and told him that I have anxiety about taking medicine. He said it's harmless, and not to worry. I felt safe taking it the first day but now I've been experiencing increased heart rate, flushed face, pain in my muscles, left arm, and chest, tingling and itching, I can't sleep, when I do sleep in the morning I wake up tense and frustrated, I've lost my appetite, it's hard to go to the bathroom and I can't seem to get my thoughts together. I had an anxiety disorder before and had I known the side effects of this medicine I would not have taken it. Today I decided to skip a day by only taking three pills today and two tomorrow. I just want OFF THIS STUFF!!! and I never want to take it again. I can't believe its on the market and doctors are soo shady about it! And all this from the lowest dose... 4mg.

I have been taking this Leviquin for 4 days. I have had severe cramps in my calves and feet in the middle of the night. So bad that I get up and try to step em' off but to no avail. My muscles hurt so bad in my legs arms and I have been very sick to my stomach. Do these things go away? I am not taking one more of those pills. I would rather have sinus and bronchitis problems than deal with these horrific side effects!! Any feed back?

I never had anxiety or depression before and consider myself quite happy and well balanced. A unique life event all of a sudden through my head on a tail spin. I became very worried, had panic attacks, became depressed, emotional and lost a lot of weight. My doctor prescribed Paxil (20 mg). He told me that it could take up to a month for the drug to be effective. At first I was miserable. The stress and the Paxil taken before bed, gave me insomnia for almost a month (I never had sleeping problems in the past and used to brag about my solid daily 8 hours of sleep). After 3 or 4 weeks on Paxil, I became a new person. I do not feel depressed, anxious, and I am now able to sleep without taking medicine. The issue that triggered my depression is still present but somehow it does not seem that threatening as before.
I did however started having night sweats. At first I was very worried as night sweats can be related to some kind of infection, but having no fever was reassuring. I was at peace when I found out that Paxil can indeed cause the night sweats. I intend to wean off Paxil in a few months, once my issue is put to rest and will do so with the help of my physician, but for now I must say that I highly recommend its help.

Frantee, I was a near fatal victim of statins. A few weeks ago I met a fit 70 yr old retired builder customer, who was wreaked in pain, couldn't walk to his letterbox or stay awake or do weeze etc etc. I gave him the Medsafe (New Zealand government) print out of statin adverse effects. He and his wife then knew without doubt that it was his statins killing him. They went to their doctor who put the fear of God into them "if you stop taking this medicine (statins) you could well have a heart attack or stoke and die" this fellow's golden years are painfully and avoidably ruined, end of story. This is despite Medsafe telling all doctors in NZ "... if a patient presents unexplained muscle weakness or pain to cease the medicine immediately" Undisputably criminal negligence. Like yourself I have been blackmailed, when I've gotten a bit niggly with my GP I get very very scared that my supply of oxycontin will be cut off. If I were to loose my pain killer any time in the last 14 months I would definitely have suicide out,at the worst I could not walk 500 metres without pain killer even with the medicine I came very close to suicide a couple of times. The only solution for survival is to have your blood tests etc done with your doctor, accept the prescriptions, agree with everything he says then study or visit a qualified natural path before taking medicine. There is currently major dissention at Harvard medical school where the medical students are saying "the information we are receiving is not at "pure" as it should be in such a "protected" environment. It seems like the pharmaceutical finance structure, stocks, bonds, shares debentures etc is in the top 3 or 4 finance structures on the planet. We've seen oil cause war and the largest frauds of all times in the financial banking sector I have no doubt the largest and cruelest genocidal crime has yet to be fully exposed. help yourself and help others, best for your recovery.

I am only 42 years old and have been on zocor for the past 30 months. I've had mild tingling in my feet and achy joints along with slightly elevated liver enzymes and fatigue since then. Ever since my doctor increased the zocor to 80 mg per day ( because although my cholesterol level is normal, my triglycerides are still very high) , I feel like I am 100 years old! All my joints ache so bad and my feet and hands alternately tingle or feel very cold! I am also having trouble focusing when I look from something close up to something far away! I am also clumsier and more forgetful. Could these symptoms be caused by coenzyme-Q deficiency?

I was on 40 mg of simvastatin for 4 months with seemingly no side effects when my doctor said my cholesterol wasn't coming down quickly enough to suit him, so he added lovaza - had me taking both at the same time. Within 2 months I was noticing sore muscles but didn't relate it to the meds. After about another 2 months I was so bad I could hardly walk - extreme muscle and joint pain over my entire body, severe weakness, shortness of breath. Then I found out that both of those drugs can cause these side effects. I wish I had tied it together sooner. I have been completely off of them both for about 3 months and still have some pain in my feet, shoulders and elbows, along with severe pain in my hands, and I am still weak and short of breath. I don't know how long this is going to hang on, but I certainly hope it isn't permanent. I can't stand to think that I might have to live with this pain for the rest of my life. My hands are so close to useless, and I am so weak, that it's about all I can do to take care of my job and make a living. I haven't been able to work around the house for months. I want to work on my cars (my hobby). I have 2 antique cars that I enjoy working on and driving, but I don't think I'm going to be able to do very much with them this summer. My hands just won't let me. And the beauty of it all? My cholesterol numbers did not come down any great amount. Since I stopped taking the meds I have brought the numbers down by changing my diet - eggbeaters instead of whole eggs, less beef (venison is very low in cholesterol) more chicken & fish, oatmeal, plus I'm taking vitamin C, D3, garlic and cinammon for cholesterol and B complex for muscles, msm and glucosamine for joints. I also bought a hot tub, which helps with the pain and stiffness. This has definitely not been a fun thing. I just hope it goes away some time soon.

28 year old 6 ft 4 in 200 pound male. cholesterol approaching 300 on 80mgs a day of simvastatin. Legs and arms immediately sore after a round of horseshoes. How ridiculous. trouble concentrating, can't sleep, have sour stomach. have the trots daily. Great way to live. This sucks!

2/21/09

I have had my Mirena in for two weeks now. I have been having abdominal pain, I thought perhaps the Mirena had bruised my ovaries. The insertion was extremely painful. I had a two week check up and now I have multiple cysts on my ovaries.
I have a 6 year old and 22 month old twins. I have always had heavy, long periods. After having the twins I began experience extreme cramping 2 weeks prior to even having my period, lower back pain, and mood swings. I have never been a fan of contraceptives but felt if the Mirena could stop me from feeling crampy all month long it could finally be the relief I have been looking for.
Now I am in more constant pain because of the cysts and after reading this site wonderf if I should have my thyroid checked again. Before the Mirena I was positive for Hashimoto's disease and have had a nodule removed (non-cancerous). I wonder if the Mirena is going to push my horomones so that I will have to begin taking medicine for my Hashimoto's.
I wonder what releif is out there since the pill is still a hormone.
When I spoke to my OBGYN she said the Mirena had nothing to do with the cysts. I don't know if it is because there are a couple on each ovary?
So far my side effects include ovarian cysts, facial hair, acne, swelling in ankles.
Thanks for having this page and I hope we can all find some relief.

****OKINPA: I can't wait to hear how you're doing with the generic Celexa, because I just started it today. I have noticed a couple side effects: fatigue, shaky hands and sort of "in a fog" but I feel much more relaxed than I did yesterday!! I'm praying to God that this medicine will just be a guide to help me begin the journey of counseling. I am only on 10mg and hope I don't have to increase, just need a little something to calm my nerves so that I can actually make it to the counseling sessions without having a panic attack. I was also prescribed ativan to use as an immediate relief until Celexa kicks in. I take half of the .5mg tablets of the ativan. I HATE taking medicine and any weird change in my body makes me paranoid, so I can't believe I'm actually trying this. BUT, I have to, I'm so sick of being a prisoner in my home.

No horror stories to report. Was on Lexapro 20mg for several years. Am switching to the generic Celexa soon because that is what insurance will pay. I have had weight gain problems with Lexapro, hope that subsides with the Celexa.

At times I did notice "weird sensations" while taking Lexapro. Seemed to come on if I missed taking the med or took it late. Almost like some type of withdrawal symptom. I just work hard at taking it as prescribed. Lexapro worked well for the Panic/Anxiety though. Will let you know how things go with the Celexa in a few weeks.

My gyn wants me to get the mirena. I am 28 and have a blood clotting disorder for which I take blood thinners. I had an embolism while on Nuvaring in March. Anyway, because of the blood thinners I bleed 25 days out of a 28 day cycle and there is nothing they can do about it...so the gyn suggested MIRENA. I'm a bit scared because I have not had any babies yet and I DO want to get pregnant within the next 5 years and start a family. The gyn assured me that I would not have any fertility problems and that Mirena was a wonderful device. I am still skeptical. What if I become depressed? What if the cramping is too much? It seems like a lot to go through ...the insertion, the risks etc. and what if I hate it? I am leaning towards asking for the mini-pill instead (progestrin only). The idea of having something inserted into my uterus frightens me.

I started taking Yaz 2 years ago after my son was born. I didn't have any side effects for a long time and was generally happy with the pill. About a year after being on Yaz I started getting horrible anxiety and depression. It was really beginning to interfere with my life. I always felt on edge, my heart was constantly racing, I felt down, starting binge eating, etc. I also started noticing that my blood sugar was out of wack. I became hypoglycemic and had to eat little snacks every hour to keep myself from having my blood sugar drop too low. I sometimes even had to take a glucose tablet. My thoughts were always racing. I felt like I was going crazy. After going to my PCP and a psychiatrist and not getting any relief from the way I was feeling, I took it upon myself to stop taking Yaz to see if that made a difference. Well, since stopping Yaz my anxiety, depression, and hypoglycemia has completely disappeared. I feel happy again, normal and healthy. I have gained a few pounds and my skin is an oily mess, but I would much rather deal with that than the hell I was dealing with before. I'm not big on taking medicine unless I absolutely have to and this experience has only made me feel stronger about that. I think I will go back to using condoms and give my body a break. (forever)

I have been taking Hydrocholorthizide and 5 years and Lisinopril 20mg about 2 years. This year I beginning to notice that I have a dry cough. It would come on during the early morning hours and late at night. So When I went to my internal doctor he did a complete chest z-rays and the result was positive, which was a sign of release but I was also taking medicine for acid flux which also had a side effect like a dry cough so he advise me to take acid flux medicine as prescribe, because at first I would only take it when the acid flux bother me, and he will re-ovulate me in two weeks and if this doesn't work he going to re-write me another prescription for my high blood pressure.

I got my Mirena put in a little over two months ago but problems since. I have been on my period for almost a whole month now and I'm having icky brown discharge that stains all of my clothes. I feel like I am constantly tired and I fall asleep all the time at work and other places. The acne is crazy. My back and chest are now covered with it. It's so embarrassing. I have a pressure down in my lower stomach area that almost feels like my ovaries are swollen. I just got over a UTI(or at least that's what I thought it was since it hurt to urinate and I had to go frequently with not much coming out and I had some of the other telltale signs) that I think was caused by the IUD because I've never had one in my entire life. And although I got the UTI about ten days ago, and have been taking medicine for it I STILL have some tenderness down there. It hurts to do anything sexual. I feel like I am falling apart. Does anyone know if all of the symptoms that I am experiencing are related to the IUD? The swollen ovaries are starting to worry me as is the extreme loss of blood. HELP! :(

I am 61. I was recently prescribed levaquin for an intestinal infection. Began having rapid heart beat, trembling, shortness of breath, floaters in my eyes, itching, thick tongue, lips tingling, irritability, sweating, feeling of brain fog. Felt like I was having a panic attack. Stopped taking medicine after 6th day. Now I can hardly move my head. My left shoulder and neck are hurting very badly -- feels like muscle spasms. After reading these posts about levaquin, I'm sure that is the levaquin has caused these problems.

This is my story. My daughter 14, the most precious child ever born. She has a wonderful disposition always happy, loving, and determined to succeed in whatever she does. She just brightens everyone’s world.
She suffers from severe seasonal allergies and mild asthma. She takes approximately seven allergy/asthma medicines a day during peak season. Over the past two years she has been taking Singular as one of her medicines. Being 14, sick of taking medicine she would not take the Singular on a regular basis. Approximately four months ago “MOM” says, if you take nothing else take your Singular it will work both for the seasonal allergies and your asthma. She has been taking this regularly four the past four months.
She became paranoid, she became a compulsive eater and bites the skin on her fingers. She would eat and chew on her fingers at the same time, until she choked. She had so much anger, she could not even go to the mall without temper tantrums.(As a child she never had any tantrums ) Always afraid. Severe depression set in. She would cry at a moments notice. She would say, I have a very sad life, sad very sad, nothing makes me like this, I’m just sad. She felt she should go live with the homeless people. I asked her why, she didn’t know, she felt maybe that’s where she belonged. Nightmares and sleepless nights.
She needs help quickly. Before calling the Doctor, I went on the internet and entered Singular and depression and I found 1900 entries, all people telling me what I was experiencing. Could this possibly be the answer for us? I called her Dr and told him what I thought, he said he has never had anyone that this has happened to. He hoped it was the answer, but really didn’t think is. He said if it wasn’t the answer she would need therapy, mood stabilizer and Prozac.

Its day four off Singular, she smiling, no tears today, no temper tantrums, looking forward to school next week, wants to play volleyball next year, singing in the car,
I hear that happy voice again.(Hi, Mommy!!!!!!) Every once in a while a glaze comes over her face. She isn’t a 100% back, but I know it is coming.

To all the people that don’t have the happy ending, I will pray for you and hold you in my heart forever.

June 2, 2008

I am a healthy woman and love doing sports. My allergies started slowly since I moved from my country Chile to U.S.A . At first it was a mild congestion, second year congestion and conjunctivitis, third year the same plus sore throat. This year almost asthma symptoms. It was right after running a 4 mile race through Central Park here in NYC. My coughing started very dry and by the third day I was coughing phlegm and I worried because I thought I was having bronchitis or something along those lines. Besides I have a 4 months old healthy baby girl. So I went to the doctor and she prescribed singulair once a day and asmanex two hours before starting to do exercises.
Immediately after taking singulair my itchy and watery eyes stopped and the first day was great. I am on the third day and I am so tired and achy almost as if I am ready to have flu. My stuffy nose is permanent now and at night I am anyway coughing but a dry cough. Because I take the medicine at night I wake up nauseous and with a light headache and also feels like if I have sinusitis. These may be mild side effects but it was recommended by the doctor to ease all these symptoms and I feel completely opposite...All these side effects are listed on singulair but I wonder if a medicine is listing more side effects than benefits...Why anyway goes to the market? I do not like taking medicine and I did took singulair for my daughter to protect her and our family as prescribed by the doctor. I could notice the negative difference right away since I haven't taken any kind of medicine since I got pregnant and even before. Maybe is too early to tell but I know my body and I can tell this medicine is not right for me. I have decided to follow up the treatment for 10 days to see if I notice some other improvements but so far it seems that I am taking medicine to get sick instead.

I'm a 53 year-old male and do regular Cardio Exercise every week and have for 31 years.
A cardiologist put me on Toprol XL 25 MG on November 22nd. The Doctor prescribed it because I add heart irregularities and palpitations which resulted in me going to the hospital as I didn't know what was happening and never had heart palpitations before in my life. I went to the emergency room and they got me stabilized but brought in cardiologist. My heart returned to normal function in a few hours and was result of taking a decongestant as well as Lisinopril 5 MG. I had just started these drugs and had been on them for three days when the heart palpitation instance happened. The decongestant is ... I had done a two hour hard workout at the gym which I do regularly 3 times per week and then the heart irregularities started on day 3 of taking the two drugs. A cardiologists now has stuck me on this Toprol 25 MG after that day because it helps with irregular heart beat plus my blood pressure was a bit high around 140/90. I immediately started noticing side effects from the Toprol 25 MG but stayed on it plus the Lisinopril 5 MG and 325 MG Aspirin for about 12 days at that dose. I started side effects like tremors, tiredness, constipation, strange dreams, anxiousness, impotence, and struggled to do my workouts etc. I made some lifestyle changes like eliminating caffeine, alcohol, etc and that plus the medicine reduced my blood pressure below 120/80 a bit. I stopped the Lisinopril on December 3rd and my blood pressure is still normal and reduced the Toprol to 12.5 MG at the same time. I did research and the doctor also thinks the irregularity was due to the Decongestant and Lisinopril I had taken for 3 days as both have heart irregularity and palpitations as a side effect. I decided I want to get off the Toprol XL altogether and let my body go back to normal functioning. All my problems were brought once I started taking medicine and the only real problem I have is high blood pressure which I can control now with life style changes and natural supplements. I called the cardiologist's nurse and she said not to do anything until I see the doctor on December 18th. I had already decided to cut the dose in half to 12.5 MG on December 3rd anyway and the side effects got better, but then I had instance the other night after taking a spin class at the gym whereby my heart beat stayed up around 82 bpm for several hours and normally is 59 pbm. I also felt anxious and couldn't get settled to sleep real well. I read on the warning label that your not supposed to work out during the process of reducing the dosage so I guess I will have to stop working out until I'm off this stuff. I have been an exercise person for 31 years doing at least 5 hours of Cardio Exercise per week and then racing bicycles in the summer months doing 10-12 hours of Cardio Exercise. I really want off this drug so I reduced to 6.25 MG today and will stop working out I guess until I'm off. I feel a little shaky and feel sort of like I could faint if I did to much exertion since reducing to 6.25 MG today. I was wondering how long it take to get off this Toprol since I was only on it for 12 days at the 25 MG dosage and should I keep cutting the dosage and go down to 3.12 MG after a few more days and then eventually off after a few days at 3.12 MG? Then how long once I'm off should I wait to return to my rigorous exercise routine?

On December 5th, I reported that, after stopping the Metoprolol, I was having some minor withdrawal symptoms. As an update, this week has not been good. I've had tightness in the chest, sleeping poorly and some gastric problems. It is now three weeks since the last dose. How long does it take to become symptom free?????

I started Topamax about 2 weeks ago; I still have the tingling in my hands, had headaches for the first few days, and I get so dizzy when I stand up that I usually have to sit back down... and I would love for the taste of metal to leave my mouth, I have already lost around 10lbs and didn't need to loose any weight in the first place, this makes me feel sick and frail. I'm already annoyed of people questioning my eating habits especially my parents, constantly telling me to eat; food just doesn't sound good. I am also very tired all the time. I just turned 20 and my doctor put me on this medication because I have been hospitalized for severe migraines even TIAs and he doesn't want me to be on birth control without being on something for migraines. I really don't like taking medicine every day, especially something that seems this serious to me, but I know that TIAs scare me more than a medicine. I increased my dosage last night and couldn't sleep at all. I'm really hoping that the dumb affect doesn't hit until after finals at least...

Doctor prescribed, but wanted to check side effects before taking it, am glad I have! Anyone else that's a smoker with mild hypertension (140/90) taking this med? Now I'm afraid of taking it because I already have a problem with coughing and post nasal drip, choking sensation, near vomiting. Also am on Celexa 60 mg for depression and anxiety and certainly don't want to take something that's going to increase my anxiety! Any others taking Lisinopril and Celexa?