Tingling and numbness symptoms and conditions

I conducted a search for "long term effects of Topamax" and discovered this site, and am so glad to have done so. I have been on Topamax for around 2 years now, at the 200mg level, for chronic, sustained migraines. I have figured out, through tracking, that I will get a migraine lasting 3-4 days during ovulation and again on my period. The Topamax has helped considerably with the headaches, although I do still get at least one per month. It is generally not of the same duration, though, and is fairly easily controlled with pain meds.

I've been a bit worried, though, about continuing the drug for life, as it seems I need to do to control these headaches--thus the search. I, too, have experienced the "mental fog," and general decreased cognitive abilities. I am an extremely intelligent person, a writer, a former English teacher. Why am I unable to pluck words from my brain when I need them?

I've also experienced the tingling and numbness in various extremities, sensitivity to cold, blurred vision, fatigue, and loss of taste sensation. I've also become a royal bitch to my husband and children--although I had no idea that this could be related to this medication. I feel relieved to know this now...to know that I can change and be the person I once was. I don't like myself very much right now, but it's like trying to stop a runaway train. I can no sooner prevent or alter my knee-jerk reaction to things than I can stop that train.

I've been off of the Topamax for approximately two weeks now, and have already gained 5 pounds, although I work out 2-3 hours daily and play competitive volleyball 2-3 times per week for several additional hours. I had initially lost around 18 pounds and kept it off, even when my appetite returned. I'm uncertain, though, why I'm gaining the weight back so rapidly. I'm eating fewer than 1500 calories/day and exercising like crazy. It doesn't make sense.

I don't care about the weight, though. My chief concern is the return of my cognitive function. Has anyone experienced a return to their prior cognitive state after getting off of this medication?

I started taking Lisinopril two weeks ago for relief of high blood pressure. Male, 45, 260 lbs, family history of high blood pressure and stroke. After one week I began experiencing intermittent chest pain, tingling and numbness in my left hand, and sensations like shocks in my head.

I spent several sleepless nights feeling for chest pain, feeling my heart race, expecting my heart to explode and wondering if I should go to the ER.

I visited my doctor and expressed my concerns. She immediately performed an ECG and verified that my heart was functioning normally and that my blood pressure was down. She also indicated that it's not uncommon for vasoconstrictors like Lisinopril to allow stomach acids to rise in the esophagus. This can cause chest pain and affect nerves leading to the brain and to the arm. She prescribed Zantac 150 twice a day and asked me to call her at home 60 minutes after taking the first pill.

I filled the Zantac prescription (one of the $4 prescriptions you can now get most places) and took one immediately. Ten minutes the chest pain was gone. Twenty minutes later the shocks in my head were gone and my arm went from tingly and numb to just slightly achy. Thirty minutes later all of my symptoms were gone. After an hour I dutifully reported to my doc that she was a genius and on my Christmas gift list.

If you're taking Lisinopril and having chest pain obviously let your doctor know about it. Studies indicate that denial is a serious issue and a contributing cause in heart disease victims. Many of my symptoms were classic for unstable angina, which is scary. However, they are also common stomach acid symptoms for first-time users of a wide variety of high blood pressure medications. It's possible that a simple antacid could relieve your side-effects.

Now my goal is to lose 80 lbs so I can get off this medication completely. Working 90 hours a week (the highlights of which are travel, sitting at desks, and eating) isn't going to cut it any more.

My experience was a seven day short-lived trip through hell on Topamax.

I began experiencing a constant headache for several months in February 2009 (no prior history of headaches). I am healthy 32 y/o male. After multiple MRI's and CT scans came back negative I had a very severe headache that sent me to the ER. The ER helped arrange for me to see a Neurologist, who after patient listening to my laundry list of symptoms concluded I was having migraines (even though I had no sensitivity to light, sound, or nausea). I had been doing a decent amount of research on headaches and didn’t agree that they were migraines but decided, he’s the neurologist, I should trust him. Let me also say at this point, I am not a person looking for a pill to cure my problems, but I was getting desperate as my headaches were ruining my life. I was prescribed Topamax.

I was suppose to start with three days at 25mg, then go to three days at 50mg, and finally up to 100mg per day. The first three days were uneventful when I hit 50mg and then 75mg…I was out of my mind. I read these messages and see people at 400mg with no problems…it makes me cringe to think of dosing that high. I stopped at 75mg…here were my side-effects. Tingling in my face, lips, hands, arms, and fingertips, chest pains (I do have GERD and it jacked up my GERD bad!!!), pain in the back of head, taste confusion (soda tasting flat), and pressure in my eyes and temples…But those are NOTHING compared to the complete feeling of anxiety that over took my body. I had a mild nervous breakdown at work, became paranoid to the point where I was afraid to do routine tasks. And the MUSCLE SPASMS…those are the worst part. I have muscle spasms all over my body, just random fluttering of muscles in my chest, arms, back, neck, head, and face! I became suicidal and had the worst night terrors ever, of things, that I wasn’t even afraid of.

I have been off Topamax cold turkey for four days now and the anxiety has significantly subsided. I have worked through a lot of the anxiety with my wife and I now believe that stress is the cause of my headaches, not migraines like I tried to tell the doctor…but the muscle spasms have not stopped (they have decreased) yet…but I can’t wait for the Topamax to leave my body.

I used to think these messages boards were part of the problem, but they are very helpful. Do your research before you put anything into your body…trust yourself and if you disagree with your doctor, get a second opinion. This has been a life changing event for me.

Health and Happiness to all

I just came across this site while searching online for photos that resembled what is happening to my body. I have matching large indentations above both butt cheeks, and after reading this I realize that they are in the same location where my dermatologist gave me "steroid" shots for poison ivy in Sept. of 2008. I have no idea if it was kenalog, but after reading this I'm afraid that's exactly what it was and will be calling his office on Monday to confirm. I too would like to know just how big these will get and if there is any way to correct them. It's all I can do to sit at my desk for 8 hours. I am in great discomfort, and very upset about the appearance of these large indentations.

I am a 38 year old male suffering from a combination of occipital neuralgia and migraines. For 20 years, until a year ago, i would endure pain that was only manageable with narcotic pain relievers (imagine all the gamut of such kind). I would have neck and head aches typically 3-4 times a week, accompanied by vomiting, dizziness which would put me to bed for the entire day. Work and family suffered in magnitude comparable to my own suffering. So then I finally saw my GP for that. The pain meds went up the roof, imitrex, maxalt was added to the equation with only marginal side effect. I saw a neurologist. He had me do an MRI and put me on Topamax starting from 25 mg, which I upped to 200 mg within 6 weeks. Past the initial side effects, the headaches subsided, the frequency reduced and i was able to enjoy weeks at a time with no episodes. Stayed at 200 mg for 5 months. In the meantime, the MRI came back positive for some brain inflammation. False positive they said, does not fit the clinical picture. Second MRI, same positive, this time proceeded with LP, which was negative. Third, MRI still positive; making the neurologist uncomfortable. While dealing with MRI results, the topomax had yielded positive results as far as pain management was concerned. But little by little I noticed that I was becoming more irritable, more impatient and more forgetful. Someone would have to remind me of something several times before it would even register in my mind. I empathize will all the posts that mention feeling like having Alzheimer's. I didn't care in the meantime. As long as I didn't have to deal with the pain it was ok with me. But the situation became worst and worst. I couldn't concentrate on anything, the mere task of remembering to do something was insurmountable. I would wake in the middle of the night and find myself staring at the bathroom mirror for no reason. I would have terrible panic attacks which i control with valium. But yet i continued on with topamax convincing myself and being convinced by other people around me that i just had a "personality disorder". Finally, work begun to suffer. I was loosing track of meetings, deadlines and when this happens someone knocks on your door (boss) telling you that something just doesn't click, something just doesn't feel like a personality quirk. Other people playing doctor would slap on my face that i just had ADD, that I should take something for that and get on with my life. But something was wrong. Pain or dizziness or lack of concentration etc are all electrochemical processes in your brain. It turns out that topamax was helping my headaches but it was not slowly deteriorating other cognitive abilities. Finally, the neurologist decided I should wean of the topamax, stepping down from 200 - 150 and then we go to 100 and so on. I dread the re-occurrence of the headaches. I am waiting for them to happen again at some point as I drop the dosage. But in the end of the day, I'd rather be in pain and in control of my life rather pain free and absent minded.

tingling and numbness in torso and legs

My then 11 year old daughter received her first vaccine in June 2007, and third in December 2007. In January 2008, she began complaining of backaches and headaches. During the spring/summer 2008, she began having tremors, tingling and numbness in her legs and arms. She is always tired and never feels good. We have seen a neurologist and 2 neurosurgeons, had CT scans and MRIs. But no answers. She is on medication that has helped slightly, but she still suffers from a constant headache that she never ranks less that 4 on a scale of 1 to 10. Typically she rates it as a 7 or 8, and we have had a couple of 12s.

My daughter was on Yasmin for a year, and almost immediately began experiencing a variety of symptoms including depression, mood swings, headaches, nausea, tingling and numbness in her legs, etc. Doctors checked her thyroid, gave her a cat scan, prescribed anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, anti-psychotic drugs ( she started hearing voices) and warned that she couldn't stop these drugs abruptly without causing their own serious side effects. After her second hospitalization for suicidal threats, the psychiatrist, at our insistence took her off Yasmin, the only prescription drug that she was taking when the problems began. She began to feel normal within a few months, and was able to wean herself off Prozac a short time later. We are convinced that this is a very dangerous drug.
In doing research, I found that there is a consumer watchdog group, called Public Citizen ( ******), which monitors FDA reports and has successfully lobbied to have a number of drugs removed from the market. They have Yasmin listed on their "do not use" list ( ******) because of the risk of increased potassium levels and blood clots. The British Medical Journal (******) also has articles suggesting a link between Yasmin and thromboembolisms.
I believe the first step for any of us who have had adverse experiences with this drug is to go to FDA.gov and "Report a Problem". My understanding is that the level of severity of the problem leads to a required response on the part of the agency.
I think the biggest problem is that this drug is very widely prescribed but that few doctors seem informed enough to make a connection when the serious side effects ( fully described on the label) begin to emerge.

I started taking Lipitor in 2004 and by 2008 was taking 40mg daily. I'm not sure exactly when certain symptoms manifested themselves, as looking back they now seem insidious, but I do know they became bad enough in 2008 I went off the drug myself, especially after reading postings like those at this website. After being off the drug for a month, it was clear to me the most of the symptoms dissipated, but it did have a residual affect. I realized I had suffered a loss of range of motion (ROM) in my left arm (frozen shoulder) and have been in physical therapy for over a month to restored 80% of it. I could not have done this while staying on Lipitor as I was experiencing “deep” muscle pain and weakness. I still have some weakness and pain in my left arm and shoulder and don’t know if it is permanent.

I am Hypothyroid and take Synthroid and am currently going through menopause and am on partial HRT. I took no other meds other than the Lipitor. At one point, I thought my symptoms were stress related, but realized my symptoms were causing the stress. Aside from the muscle pain, spasms, tingling and numbness experienced in my left extremities, I experienced gastro intestinal disturbances, occasional vertigo, some lower back problems and other aching in other extremities (like that of flu symptoms). I also suffered recurrent mental fogs, which I initially attributed to some lack of regular exercise (although I lead a relatively an active life), but that was not the case, as even after aerobic activity the tingling and pain would resume.

When I told my physician I had stopped taking the Lipitor (at that time for nearly a month), he didn't blink an eye. I agree with previous blog; the idea of statins are to lengthen your life, but what kind of life is it when you are in misery and nothing short of ceasing the medication brings relief?

I'm not advocating everyone "doctor themselves. Listen to your physician, but most importantly listen to your body and trust your instincts when it comes to these types of medications. Symptoms listed about scripts described as "rare" are usually not that rare at all. You are not crazy.

I posted on July 27, but have to amend my complaint. The flexeril was definitely not effective for me, but the good news (for others taking Flexeril) is that the tingling and numbness I reported was due to the sudden withdrawal from another prescription drug, and not caused by the Flexeril.

I posted about four months ago with all my side effects from Loestrin. I was having terrible depression, anxiety attacks, horrible chest pain, tingling and numbness in my left arm, etc etc. All the same side effects that a lot of women are having with this pill. I switched to an older bc called desogen. I used to be on this one when I was in high school and had no side effects. I have been on the desogen for three months now. My issue is most of the emotional side effects have gone away, but I'm still having terrible chest pain and tingling and numbness in my left arm especially at night when I'm laying down. Does anyone have this problem? Any suggestions? My doctor said it would take a while for the Loestrin to get out of my system. But I'm worried it may have caused a more serious problem. Any comments would be helpful. We all need to show this site to our doctors. They aren't listening.

I had my Mirena put in on 9/11/08 last Thursday. I got it done on the recommendation of two of my co-workers that recently got theirs a few months ago. I had been having stomach problems, found out I have food allergies and than suddenly couldn't stomach my birth control that I had been taking for several years. Mirena seemed to be the answer. I had it put in on Thursday which hurt like hell. I was a little sore Friday and only spotting from my 2nd day on my period. By Saturday I was very sore and felt nauseous. By Sunday I was bleeding heavily, nauseous and had migraine headaches. By Monday I couldn't keep water down and had the worst headache. I called the doctor and she told me that the side effects were normal and I needed to give it time. I had read these post from Saturday and was getting worried. On Tuesday I couldn't even lift my head off the pillow. I woke up with my hands in a cramped position and couldn't feel them or my feet. I had tingling and numbness in my hands, feet and lips. I called my regular doctor who got me in right away. I had to be rolled in a wheelchair to his office because I couldn't even walk. I throw up about 4 times on the way down to hall to his office also (thankfully they had trash cans along the way). He immediately took the Mirena out and I got feeling in my hands and feet about 10 minutes later.

I was finally able to go back to work today after being out sick. I still have a dull pain on my right side around my ovaries and my stomach is very tender. I have felt like I was in a fog all day today and still a little sick to my stomach. I hope these symptoms wear off soon.

i took cipro for a UTI over 10 years ago and have had floaters, neuropathy, tingling, and numbness in my hands and feet ever since then. it was not until THIS YEAR that i stumbled upon information on the internet about CIPRO and its side effects. but immediately following my use of the drug i went to a doctor who insisted i had carpal tunnel and i asked then why is it in my feet? then a neurologist who found nothing and patted me on my little college girl head, told me it was "just stress," and prescribed me narcotics to calm me down. i threw the prescription in the garbage on the way out of his office... then was tested for diabetes and briefly thought i might have MS. eventually, after many docs finding nothing and my family thinking i was a total hypochondriac, i just decided to ignore the symptoms. pain in my joints, floaters in my eyes, numbness and tingling in my hands and feet. after years i figured if i wasn't dying from whatever it was and it wasn't getting any worse, then i would just live with it. one day when it was particularly uncomfortable i did an internet search and came up with CIPRO info. there was a class action law suit at one time because right around the time i took CIPRO, it was a new drug and had not been sufficiently clinically tested. there's no recourse for me now, but i feel better having solved the mystery.

i am appalled to see so many people still suffering in 2008 and this drug still being prescribed. i'm sorry you're all going through this. i tell everyone i know not to ever take this drug. i feel lucky to be still functioning. i am very healthy, just have the annoyance of these symptoms that never go away.

I have been on metoprolol since 1995, and I would love to get off it. I does cause horrible nightmares, and high cholesterol, blood pressure increased,
tingling and numbness in my feet, difficulty concentrating, depression, You name it metoprolol does it

I am a 51 y/o white female that has been on Lipitor for 2 years. I am 5' 1" and when I had to go on it my cholesterol was 267 I weighed 112 lbs. I was shocked.... my doctor told me weight had nothing to do with cholesterol. She kept a close watch on me and my cholesterol came down...... and then my ex-husband of 17 years and I re-connected and got back together and I moved so I had to get another primary care physician. I took all my meds to her, she also kept a close watch on everything. At this time my cholesterol is down to 109 and I asked if I could stop taking it, as I take quite a lot of meds, due to different things and if I could stop anything it would be great, but she said it I stopped it, my cholesterol would go right back up. So since I am not experiencing any side effects I'm okay with continuing it.

I surely hate to hear what you all are experiencing with your Lipitor..... could your doc try another cholesterol medication?

The only one of my meds that is giving me any problem is TOPAMAX........ that we are using as a Migraine preventative! HORRORS!!! Today is pretty good day. But my cognitive abilities are in the trash... I say the wrong word when I mean something else...... I search my mind looking for a memory...... I am also on disability since 2002 because of the Migraines....... I have has them since 1978, but they got progressively worse over the years until I was sick more days per week, sometimes more than 7-10 days at the time, having to be in the hospital being rehydrated and on IV pain meds.......... and as awful as the TOPAMAX is.....it has been reduced the migraines to approx 2 per month and they do not last nearly as long.

So sorry, I got waaay off topic, but I know that it is not the Lipitor that is giving me the side effects as it the last med I had to go on and I had no new side effects....... but that TOPAMAX is kicking my behind.

I'm a 38 y/o woman. For 7 yrs I knew my cholesterol has been high. I refused to take cholesterol medication and decided to diet and exercise but that didn't work. I've had 2 children in the past 3 yrs. In May of this year I started having chest pains and palpitations. I had blood tests done. I was given Inderal and also prescribed Zocor 20mg for my cholesterol. It was 243 with and LDL of 178. I took Zocor for a week. I felt so awful. I was weak, I lost my appetite. I was constantly tired. I couldn't even carry my 10 month old son, yet alone care for him. I informed my physician and she changed it to Lipitor 20mg. I thought I was doing fine. I checked my levels again after a month. My cholesterol was 113 and LDL 58. I trusted the doctor knew what she was doing. At the same time I also was taking Omega 3's. I asked my doc to lower the dosage to 10mg. From the time I was taking Zocor and the start of Lipitor. I was feeling tingling and numbness in my arms, hands, fingers, toes, feet and legs. I also was having muscle pain. I asked my doctor about that. She mentioned because of my heart palpitations, it could be symptoms of anxiety and panic. I had feeling of pins and needles throughout my body, not knowing when it would occur. I had muscle pain in my arms and legs and neck pain. I went online to see the side effects of Lipitor and came across this website. I decided to do an experiment. I stopped taking Lipitor 9 days ago. I was on statins for almost 4 months. I don't have the feeling of tingling and numbness, but I still have pins and needles and muscle pain. I have to say, I feel so much better. I hope to get better. I 'd really like to know, how long does the medication stay in your system? What are the effects of getting off it so suddenly. I'd love to feel myself again.

weight gain, acne, dry/coarse hair, flaky scalp, joint pain, tingling and numbness in hands and feet, migraine, mood swings, depression, extreme fatigue, abnormal pap smear, pelvic pain, sinusitis

Prescribed Flexeril 10 mg/3 times a day for back and neck pain and stiffness. I had no relief with one tablet, so yesterday I took 2 tablets at noon, then another tablet before bed. Today my muscles are looser, but I have a strange tingling and numbness sensation on my left side. It's affecting the left side of my upper and lower lip and face, left shoulder, left arm and fingers and left leg. It's not painful but I am a bit scared. The pill should only last 4-5 hours and it's now been 10 hours since that last bedtime dose. So why am I still feeling this effect and when will it go away? And I am supposed to take 3 a day for a month?! I am not sure if I will be taking anymore.

I've been on Lisinopril for a couple to three years. I often get tingling and numbness in my arms when I sleep. Also, my sense of smell diminished
greatly. I've now gone off the 5 ml. and am noticing my SENSE OF SMELL is much better!! Has anyone had this problem?? My hands swelled badly too, and that has improved too. Cough all gone. I'm monitoring with a bp monitor, and my pressure is normal. Exercise and good diet seem to be working.
Am so glad to have my sense of smell back after years!!!!

I am 24 years old and I had a pulmonary embolism last month. I was on the birth control YAZ for only 3 months, and that's what doctors seem to think caused it. My insurance only paid for me to be in the hospital for three daysand I was sent home with lovenox shots and Coumadin pills.

One month later, my INR is still unstable, fluctuating so much that they are checking it twice per week. My dosage is constantly changing. I have a red, painful rash on my buttocks - it hurts of sit for more than a few minutes. I am losing clumps of hair. I have lost my libido. I am very irritable and snap at my husband several times per day. I have a headache almost daily and frequent nausea.

I hate these side effects!

I have had a total thyroidectomy due to thyroid carcinoma about 2.5 -3 years ago. I have been on synthroid and levoxyl and both have caused tingling and numbness in my hands and feet, what I call a general fog (hard to concentrate or think, sometimes talk). I have been tested for neuropathy since endo said radiation may have caused issues. Only to be cleared by neurologist. Now endo switched does lower after rebout of cancer from 300mcg to 274mcg and have knee joints now going numb I want to sleep all the time, general weakness and now low testosterone levels.

I am a 47 year old male who took 3 days of 10mg singulair ending April the 16th. On the 4th day, I was walking around in a national chain store and started getting severe numbness and tingling in my arms and legs.
According to the info. pamphlet that comes with the drug, this can be a serious adverse reaction.
About 13 days later, I still get episodes of tingling and numbness in different areas of my arms and legs, and now, some areas on my face. My family doctor says there is nothing to be done about it, and my allergist says I may need to see a neurologist. I think the doctors need to go see a neurologist and have their heads examined for giving us this garbage to take in the first place!
Never had any of these problems until a took singulair! Hope these side effects aren't permanent!
Good Luck to you all, and may all of us get healthy again real soon!

I also am having a difficult time with memory loss. I have a very short term memory. I never used to be this way. Before I started taking Lamictal, I was taking Depakote. I haven't been on Lamictal for that long, so I do not know if my previous medications have caused my memory loss. I also get dizzy sometimes and I'm feeling out of breath lately. Some other medications I've taken are: Zyprexa (which gave me type I diabetes); Abilify; Risperadol; Adavan...the list goes on, unfortunately. I have been taking anti-psychotic drugs since I was 16, and I am 37 years old now. God help me!

hello all,
I had my Mirena put in on October of 07. due to heavy bleeding which caused severe Enemia. I have since had problems with very Low potassium, re-occurring yeast and bacterial infections and some heart palpitations. The latest symptom I have been experiencing is numbness in my left leg and foot. sometimes totally numb. My dr. told me that it could be a pinched nerve in my back but I have not done anything to strain or stress it. after reading this website i am convinced that these symptoms are caused by my IUD.
I am going to call my OBGYN tomorrow and have this IUD removed!!!!!

As I read through these posts, I had mixed feelings between thinking they were a little too whiny (please, no offense) to too many memories sweeping back in.
Here is my story... I was on Yasmin for a few years, a few years ago, from ages 18-21. I am now 26. I'd always been active and in shape, no major health problems. At 19, I started to get weird leg pains, tingling and numbness. It got much much worse. Long story short, I had two herniated discs in my lower back which was causing pinched nerves. I had steroid injections localized to my herniations. At this point my adrenal gland stopped working, my face swelled up like a balloon and I lost a ton of weight. Eventually, I had surgery on my back, but went to specialist after specialist to figure out what was going on with my non functioning adrenal gland. We figured that somehow the steroids had gotten into my bloodstream, which doctor after doctor told me was next to impossible. They were ready to do a write up in a medical research journal about my case. Eventually my 3rd Endocronologist (sp?) FINALLY told me to get off Yasmin. Somehow, this small bit of information was missed. My adrenal gland eventually kicked back into shape, my bloating went away and I finally and slow got healthy again.
So... coming back to Yasmin. After reading this site and continuing research on the effects of an influx of potassium, all of my symptoms lead straight to this source. The potassium increase caused the face swelling, muscle spasms, possibly even the nerve weakness (Only speculating, could have caused the herniation.) , from what multiple web sites state.
I must say that this is all speculation; however, light bulbs have just gone off in my head.
I was considering getting back on Yasmin because I now live in Thailand and they offer this pill. I have been on the NuvaRing and I love it, but I cannot find it here. If Yasmin was the cause of what happened to my body or not, I will not take my chances. Most of the symptoms listed by other women are effects of increased potassium. Please research this fact to become more informed about what is happening with your body. It helped me. I hope my story will in effect, help someone else.
And, I'd love to hear if anyone else had something similarly severe...