Thousands of dollars symptoms and conditions

i started using nuvaring about two and a half years ago. i have always had a small problem with eczema (on the inside of my elbows only), though for the past two and a half years, it has consistently been flaring all over my body. it looks awful and has brought me to an emotional low that NOBODY should feel. i have spent thousands of dollars on medical visits (including a patch test - "inconclusive"), medicines (a variety of steriods, protopic, allegra), vitamins/teas/etc, and countless hours reading and online trying to figure out what could be causing this uncontrollable flaring. about two months ago, i decided to stop using the ring and see if it is the problem. so far, things have been clearly up, SLOWLY but there's some hope now. if anyone is experiencing these symptoms, i urge you to try and remove the ring, don't waste as much time as i did and have to recover from two + years worth of damage to your skin.

Our son, who is now 6 was prescribed Singulair at the age of 3 due to asthma/allergies. He was prescribed this by an ENT/Allergist. I thought our sons mood swings were due to the fact that we were expecting another child. He was always so happy/loving and playful. When the baby arrived 2 months later, his behavior worsened. Again, I put it on the new baby sister in the house. His moods/anger/outbursts increased. He hit, threw things etc. I told the doc about this and he said it was due to his enlarged tonsils, and they were then removed. Well needless to say, his behavior did not change because he was still on the Singulair. I mentioned the possible side effects to his pediatrician and she said it was a possibility, but to keep him on it because he needed it. Well, 3 years later, in March of this year I took him to an allergist that I had seen years ago. He immediately took him off the singulair (and all inhalers). His moods seemed to brighten a bit, but not they are worsening again. Is it possible for the Singulair to have long term damaging effects. I understand kids have tantrums, etc. Kids are kids, I get that. But he punches, kicks, screams, cries etc. My husband are at a loss. We don't know what to do. Oh, and he is now on Veramyst as needed (march-june, Aug-Oct.). Has anyone else experienced long term effects due to Singulair?

I don't know where to begin; I have a text box in front of me that says "add a new side effect of the Mirena" but all I see are the same side effects over and over. That, in itself, speakes volumes. As for myself, it's been depression, weight gain, exhaustion and yet unable to sleep, pain down to my knees - of course all of these symptoms can be explained by everything else in the world - who, these days doesn't have money problems, stress, employment fragility, etc.? But I know myself, and this is wrong.

I had mine put in March 2009 and after a month I told my doctor I wanted it out. She said I didn't give it enough time (apparently six months is the magic number).

It's now been three months and getting out of bed is an act of heroism for me. Sex is out of the question (well, we have given it a go a couple of times and he can indeed feel the strings, contrary to what I was told - perhaps it's because he's - er - oh, never mind.)

I bleed erratically and it stinks; if I hadn't lost my sex drive already I'd be put off just by that.

I got the thing not for birth control but for pain and bleeding (not that it makes a difference)- it has made the pain worse, so I don't understand why I'm so nervous about asking my doctor (tomorrow - Monday) to have it removed?

I am a 41 year old woman who had an epidural injection using Kenalog in my lower back (for stenosis, disc herniation, degenerative disc disease, etc.). My first injection was on 4/1/09. About two weeks after the injection, my period started a week early. I had light to moderate spotting, not quite like my normal period. I also noticed that I broke out with major acne, had bad mood swings, constant urination and increased hunger. I had a second injection in my back on 429/09. I told my pain management Dr. what I had been experiencing, and he said that it was the side affect of the drug, Kenalog.

I just saw my GYN for my yearly pap smear and told him what I had been experiencing. He said he had never hear of anything like what I was going through as it related to an epidural injection, though he also admitted it wasn't his area of expertise. Due to my age, my GYN commented that the spotting I was having could be due to my body changing and getting ready for menopause. He said that spotting was very common in women my age. He gave me a prescription for Progesterone 100mg to start taking for 15 days to see if that stopped my spotting (and hopefully return my cycle back to normal). He also did a uterine biopsy to rule out any other causes. My uterine biopsy came back normal. I'm currently taking the progesterone and my period seems to be tapering off, but it still hasn't stopped. It went from spotting to more heavy bleeding to spotting again. I'm due to stop the progesterone on Tuesday 5/26/09 so we'll see what happens there. It's officially been six weeks of having a period.

I'm very frustrated that I've had a menstrual cycle this long. I canceled my other future epidural injections as right now, by back in doing much better (the injections did help, though the side affects are the pitts!). If my back flares up, I will seek other solutions as I will NEVER have any Kenalog again.

For those women who've had the same issue with their menstrual cycle, did your cycle ever return to normal? If so, when???

I absolutely hate this thing. I have had 2 ob's recommend this thing to me instead of me having my tubes tied. They made it sound like it's wonderful and will save lots of money in the long run. Months ago I started having really bad back pain, so bad I can't bend over to pick something up. I saw my family doctor and he ordered an X-Ray. Nothing came of it. I went and saw my ob and she checked the IUD's placement and examined me and came up with nothing. A few weeks ago I noticed sharp and at times severe pelvic cramping and burning. I went to my family doctor who ordered a CT scan with contrast. He discovered that I have an enlarged ovary. Next I had to have a pelvic ultrasound and I learned that I have an ovarian cyst. All that time and money for a cyst!!!! After telling my ob everything my family doctor had discovered, she thinks I should take the pill. I cannot believe all the time and money I've spent on this darn thing, only to find that NOW I should take the pill. If anyone is reading this forum to decide whether or not she should get this thing.... the only advice I have is to save up lots of money because you're going to need it. I have spent 4,000.00 on unnecessary testing on things that I thought were serious health problems, but were nothing more than side effects. I wanted this thing to be removed months ago but my ob insisted that I wait just a little longer. Now, I'm stuck with a bill for thousands of dollars and it's all because of this damn thing. Wish I would've went to Planned Parenthood... they would've removed it for $150.00, but at least I wouldn't have been out $4000.00!!!

Another update:
I had my 2nd Mirena in for 14 months and had it removed Valentines day.. 12 days ago. In the first 5 days my energy is back to normal.. if not above, my mood is euphoric compared to angry and sad all the time.. joint pains are gone. My appetite is half of what is was and I'm not craving junk food and chocolate anymore. i used to hide in the pantry and eat peanut butter & chocolate chips most of the afternoons. Since the Mirena was removed, I've lost 5 pounds! My sex drive was nil for the last 3 years (with 2 pregnancies and 2 mirenas) and now I make my husband come home early for an afternooner, and today i needed it twice! No more dryness.. exactly the opposite. Can throw out the lube..lol. Never needed it before Mirena and don't anymore. I fell out of love with my husband when we were married in 2005 and have been angry with him and unattracted to him since. The last few days, I just look at him and I get turned on. I can't believe we payed thousands of dollars on marriage counselling, and our biggest problem was this stupid IUD! I'm so happy to be alive again!
I owe it to everyone here who has shared their stories.

I am a 25 year old with Factor V Leiden and was told by doctors that the Mirena would be the best birth control for me since I can't take BC pills anymore. I had the Mirena inserted Nov. 2008 and am having it removed next week. I have had a horrible experience with it. My obgyn told me that the chance of experiencing any side effects was rare since the hormone stays in your uterus. The insertion was extremely painful which I expected since I have never had a child. In the past 4 months I have gained 15 pounds despite regular exercising and eating a low calorie diet, I have a constant stinky discharge, acne across my chin and sides of my face, my hair is falling out, I have no energy and am incredibly tired all the time, have been experiencing nightmares, and have sharp cramps that make me double over in pain. I am a newlywed and have never had any psychological issues. Now I am in therapy for anxiety and depression and after reading all the posts, I now am convinced that this is also a side effect of the mirena. I used to have a healthy sex life and now I have no desire to have sex or be touched by my husband with is causing tension in our new marriage. I was trying to stick out the side effects to see if they would go away since I paid so much money ($600) for the mirena. When I spoke with my obgyn about my side effects she said they were not caused by the mirena because the hormone is directly in your uterus. I am so frustrated! I feel like I have been lied to by my doctor. I am hoping that after removal of the mirena I will feel like my old self again!

I used to receive a Kenalog injection once a year to treat my skin. It worked great. Best drug, nothing compares to it. After a few years it worked so great that I didn't have to receive the shot anymore.

This drug is far too helpful in the medical field for it to be removed because of its side effects. Never had a problem with getting a hole "in my butt" either... Not that I let A LOT of people look at my butt anyway. There's a reason why you're told what the side effects could be, if you don't like them then tell the doctor you don't want to take the medicine.

If you're a model, then have it photoshopped out... We know now that's what they do anyway. You give young girls bad impressions thinking they have to be perfect, when you're not.

My son is 7 years old and was put on singulair for his asthma and allergies, my daughter who is 10, had been on it for over 2 years.
My son started experiencing, night terrors, out burst of crying, difficult to make decisions.
Anxiety attacks, panic attacks, did not want to go to school. After seeing his Doctor it was suggested that we pull him off the medicine. We started noticing changes within a few weeks. Please watch your child closely if on this drug. My daughter did not have side effects however we have taken her off this medicine also.
I would really be careful with this drug. Our family was in complete terror, watching your child struggling like this. USE CAUTION, IF YOU DECIDE TO TAKE THIS MEDICINE....

I'm not sure how these sites work, but preteandsheila and phylisrn have both responded to me....you or anyone else who wants to discuss lisinopril may email me at ******, but it has been 11 weeks since I stopped taking this med and I'm still having a problem getting a deep breath, they are setting me up with a stress test.

j.

My husband (57 years old) started Lisinopril in March of 2007 for High Blood Pressure and he's never been the same. At first, we didn't connect the symptoms but now I am convinced this drug caused his problems. His symptoms include loss of memory, can't concentrate, can't retain anything, short tempered, depression. At times confusion or unable to grasp anything requiring multi-tasking. He had a loss of appetite where in lost 25 pounds in less than 6 months. He described months ago that "his head just doesn't feel right". When asked...do you have a headache...he'd reply.."I can't explain it...it just doesn't feel right. The depression has lead to another drug "Lexapro". This drug interferes with concentration too!
Prior to taking Lisinopril my husband was running his own business and working a full time job he's had for years. Within 6 months, our lives changed drastically. I know 2 other people experiencing the memory loss, can't concentrate, can't retain symptoms around the same age as my husband... all taking Lisinopril.

All of this has been weighing heavily on his mind because his mother has been diagnosed with Dementia/Alzeheimers at age 74. Guess what...she has been taking Lisinopril for years and years and has been treating for depression for years and years....any connection here? This drug has been around for many years and it seems like every elderly person is taking this for High Blood Pressure. Could this be a culprit to Dementia/Alzheimers? A reoccurring theme I see amongst all of these side effects is "depression".

Of course when we discussed these symptoms with his Doctor...we were pooh poohed with "I've never heard of these symptoms in 20 years of practicing". Well, he needs to do some research! My husband quit taking this drug on Sept 12th which takes 2-3 weeks to get out of your system. I noticed recently he didn't struggle at all at the ATM machine. I'm hoping this is the culprit as we are now in the process of getting a second opinion to determine if he may be in the early stages of Alzheimers. We pray that he is not! Get this drug off the market!!!

I started taking REGLAN for gastropoesis 5 months ago. Since I have been tested for MS due to my side effects from REGLAN. Thousands of dollars in medical bills. Symptoms included, numbness and tingling in the extremities and face, forgetfulness, muscle weakness, fatigue, depression, anxiety, insomnia, loss of fine motor skills, confusion, muscle rigidity, etc. I quit taking REGLAN last night hoping that there is no permanent damage. Anyone have any hopeful conclusions?

I have been on Effexor 75mg and at first experienced extreme drowsiness and extremely dilated pupils. However, after the third week these side effects subsided, and I switched from AM dosing to PM dosing which helps with the drowsiness. The one thing I did notice though is that, though my anxiety and depression are gone, I have seemed to develop a new habit, or not new, but whenever I go shopping, I end up spending a lot of money and I don't really worry about it or care. The first month I burned through my credit and still, although I know it's a problem, don't feel any anxiety over it. Before the anxiety would stop me from doing ridiculous spur of the moment spending or other silly decisions, but since I have been on effexor I seem to not care anymore. I do love this medication however, and have learned over the past few months that I need to monitor my decision making more closely, and not based solely on my emotions, since I am always happy and carefree. Has anyone else experienced this?

After reading the other posts, I was flabbergasted at the side effects posted. My sons 8 and 10 have been on this medication for two plus years after seeing a specialist for asthma and allergies. During that time, my younger son was sent to "family therapy" for behavioral problems at school. Bedwetting and nightmares began for both boys, as well as stomach aches and a huge weight increase. They are both active and in sports. Upon reading this information on your post, I was floored when I read another child said "My brain makes me do it". My youngest son says that all the time in response to bad behavior and I never understood why he would say such a thing. After talking to him and explaining that I was taking him off the meds immediately, my older son overheard the conversation and said he wanted to go off them as well right away. He explained he's been sad since taking them and didn't know why as there is nothing to be sad about. We are a close knit family who spends all their time together. Singulair has helped my oldest son's asthma, but I'm so upset at the other side effects and not having this information from the FDA. I've spend thousands of dollars in family therapy only to find out it's the drug my physican prescribes that causes the problem. Do not take Singulair!

My daughter was taking Yaz as a predecessor to going on Acutane for acne. After a couple months began having severe nausea and vomiting which we thought was due to the Acutane (it is known to have potentially powerful side effects) so we took her off of that treatment. The nausea and vomitting increased to the extent that she had MRI, sonogram, and ultimately colonoscopy and endoscopy to determine if there was cancer, etc. All tests were totally clean...so doctors said it must be in her head. She was also having significant mood swings and almost a paranoia. That is when I sat down and tracked back to as early as I could the initial slight nausea symptoms occurred. Determine it started at the same time as this BCP. Looked up the message boards and was horrified to see what young women were going through. I immediately told her to stop taking the drug. Within one week, my daughter could eat again and her spirits were lifted. Nice to have her back after thousands of dollars in medical tests. Very frustrating that the doctors, who knew her prescriptions, did not see the potential. Because of this and another prescription issue, I will severely consider whether I or anyone in my family will use the 'latest and greatest' drug. Will ask for what has been tried and true.

I have been on Topamax for a little over a year. I've had most of the side effects; tingling, numbness in the fingers, dry mouth, forgetfulness, and weight loss - love the weight loss. All the side effects have sort of slowed down as I've been on the medication longer. The weight loss has slowed and I've even began to get my appetite back- I'm afraid I'm going to start gaining weight now! I've lost about 40 pounds and I needed to lose it, so that was wonderful. I've had a very hard time losing weight all my life so this was wonderful.

I was addicted to Coca Cola and this med also helped me kick that habit because I lost my taste for the carbonation.

Does anyone know if the weight loss usually evens out after about a year or a year and a half? I need to lose about 30 more pounds and was hoping that I would continue losing weight!

Anyway, I was on the Topamax for headaches and it has completely helped that! It has truly been a God-send for me. Other than monthly hormone headaches, I don't get migraines hardly at all!

I am wondering about having my doc up my dosage for the weight loss aspect????

I was on advair for almost two years, It worked wonderful for my breathing. I been battling chest pain, hip pain, skin rashes, short term memory loss/complex problem solving, severe calf pain when sleeping, and always feeling lazy. I been to three doctors about my problems and have ask if advair is causing my problems. They all said there is no way it is. I spend thousands of dollars trying to figure out what is wrong with me and the doctors and my wife think I making everything up, that it is in my head. Last month I thought I'll try to quit using advair. My chest pain has be occurring alot less, like once a week instead of 8 hours a day, my rash is gone, I still have light hip pain and haven't had any calf pain while sleeping yet. I just hope nothing is long term. My breathing is kind of bad now because I'm not taking anything but its better then ever the effects. Has anyone notice their cholesterol being higher on advair?

I am starting to believe that it is impossible to sue the doctors for disfiguring my body.I have an attorney that is very nice but I don't believe my case is strong enough for medical malpractice.I guess in order to win a malpractice case you either have to be dead or maimed.If someone hit your car and put a big dent in the rear ,you could sue and have your car repaired or even get a new car if you wanted to.Well a doctor put a big dent in my rear and he probably will never have to pay for the repairs and I can never get a new body.He caused this damage and now I have to live with it forever.Where is the justice ?Does anyone out there have any advise ? I want my butt fixed and I can't afford the thousands of dollars that it will cost.I will never trust another doctor another doctor again.

I had pneumonia 3 times in 2004 and was prescribed Levaquin every month for 3 months. I began having terrible burning sensations in my arms, then legs and hips. After 2 months I was unable to even get out of bed. Lab tests showed high levels of inflammation in my system and I saw 3 different autoimmune specialists trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Then I had bronchitis 3 weeks ago and was put on the Levaquin again. My still present muscle pain became excrutiating and my finger joints started hurting. Then I realized it was the Levaquin!! Thousands of dollars and hundreds of tests later, I am sure it was the drug. It is time to start an active campaign with the FDA to get this medication off the market. Maybe a few major law suits will get the ball rolling.

I started my son on Singulair in Kindergarten. His teacher mentioned he was having problems concentrating, every day seemed like she had to start over ... he didn't comprehend a thing from day to day. She suggested he go through a bunch of testing (which cost me over $2,000). I ended up taking him off the drug (he was not good at taking the med at his age). All of the sudden he was doing better. I didn't put 2 + 2 together. He was fine in 1st grade. In the summer before 2nd grade, we started the Singulair again. He has been taking it for 9 months ... this has been the worse year for us, teacher conferences, thousands of dollars spent on tutoring and testing and he isn't retaining anything he learns. I walked into the office this a.m. and another gal mentioned she was having the same problems with her child and it was the SINGULAIR - she took him off it and he was so much better. I'm taking him off it starting today and hoping he doesn't have to repeat 2nd grade all because of a stupid pink pill. I'm calling my pediatrician and warning them of this drug.

I am a recovering IV drug addict and Seroquel has helped me through alot of rough times. I am also Bi-polar and my attitude has also improved a great deal. I havent gained any weight or lost any for that matter, but I can say that I feel much better when I take the medication. I also suffer from ADHD, SEROQUEL has helped this condition too. I am very greatful to my doctor, if not for this drug I truely believe that I would still be shooting thousands of dollars of Cocaine a week.
I realize there are side effects but for this reason I dont really care what they are, I believe that I can live with them as long as Im not in active addiction.

Thanks for listening
CHILL FROM ALABAMA