Vegetarian symptoms and conditions

I am a 45 year old woman. I have been on advair (it is called serevent in Australia) for about 2 1/2 years. I have noticed the following symptoms:
insomnia, headaches, weight gain, severe mood swings, chesty cough, sore chest, aches and pains all over and many more. Every time I would try to go off of it my asthma would seem to get worse so out of fear I would resume using it. I have now been off of it for 3 days and already I can feel the chesty cough starting to dry up. The irony is that I never had severe asthma, I was given advair because I got a very nasty flu and my asthma got worse. In hindsight I think it would have proably cleared up on its own. I would urge anyone to be very careful with this drug it is very, very dangerous!!!!

My husband was given a sample of this for a month-long bout of bronchitis and we are now thinking it has done permanent damage to his vocal chords. He only used it 5 times, got thrush (yeast infection) in his throat and is still hoarse after a week of being off of it. Does anyone know the history of this drug and has the word "class action lawsuit" crossed anyone's mind besides mine? I am amazed at the way pharmaceutical companies run the healthcare business in this country!

I don't want to go off on a rant here, but are people aware that a large portion of the FDA's operating budget is provided by pharmaceutical manufacturers? This isn't our first experience with this type of thing and I'm about to launch a grassroots campaign to educate the public. Maybe they'll stop believing all the marketing hype.

I'm thinking that the pharmaceutical companies ought to heed the Hippocratic oath - FIRST, DO NO HARM. Wouldn't it be a remarkably different world if they would take all the money they're spending on marketing and use it to lower the price of orphan and AIDS drugs? They keep saying that research is expensive - and advertising on every possible television show, radio and magazines is cheap? Hello? Are we going to be sheep or are we going to be citizens and hold these companies responsible for what they're doing. Thanks for letting me vent. Please contact me if you want to do something about this. And no, I'm not an attorney, but I'm a writer and I think I just found out what my first book is going to be about...

I started taking lisinipril about 1 year ago. since then ive had recurring problems with gout.the pill i take has a waterpill combination.i reserched this problem and its because its preventing the elimination of purines that build up in the urine.i believe this is totally related to the lisinipril iam on.ive become almost vegetarian because of this problem.does anyone else have this problem?i dont drink or anything.

Kim,

I didn't know that you also are a vegetarian!! That's another mark for the fact, that you're assessed to be iron deficient (iron is mostly contained in meat!)!

Don't know if you already did, what I suggested (googling about iron deficiency). The Ferritin is the more important parameter than your iron level in your blood because the Ferritin shows the condition of your storage!! And if your storage of iron is still low you can have the symptoms you now are having.

And if you put this together with the side effects of Yasmin, you're DEFINITELY still suffering from, it is no miracle, that you're feeling so low now!!

Are you still taking the iron supplements every day?? Kim, I really hope that you believe me, how important that is for your situation!!!

The problem with the dopamin and serotonin is clearly a thing, which can be caused by bcp. You have to know that those two are also hormones!! And so it's simply clear, that, if your whole hormonal equilibrium is out of whack, the serotonin and dopamin might be also!!!

This is why time can help us all. Your body is able to get everything back in balance, if only he gets enough time for that difficult thing!!!

You didn't write anything, if you already had tried the Valerian (sorry, sometimes I still get the feeling that you're not reading really everything we all are writing here)!??

To the lady, who took Yasmin only 3 months:

You should be thankful, that your symptoms have come up that early. I know it sounds weird, but I think getting the side effects only after 2 years without noticing and taking that poison another 3 years has really damaged my body worse than if I only had taken Yasmin about 3 months. This can protect you from much more and worse symptoms than you are having now!!

Sarah:

I forgot to mention, that I also during my worst time lost about 20 pounds in only 4 weeks because I couldn't eat anything!! And I felt the same as you wrote: I would have been rather fat and healthy than slim and ill and not able to leave my house and having to go through all this nightmare... I totally understand, what you mean!!

But as this was the same for me, I really think that your weight will also get back to normal if you give it enough time. With the excercising I also agree with you! I still haven't been that fit again, as I was before that all. But, ok, 5 years of Yasmin were definitely too long and I know that I'll have to be much more patient than others and give it much more time to get back to where it was than others..... Hope I'll stand it further on...

But being able to sing again helps me very much. Although there always is some insecurity and anxiety in me, because I'm always afraid of getting as weak as I was during the last two months and that everything could break down again, what I' ve built me up now... (ok, although the weakness (thanks god) has gotten better again).

So ladies, just lets try to look forward and perhaps some day forget that nightmare (ok, I don't believe myself what I'm saying, don't know if I ever can forget, what I've been going through....).

One thing for those who have been only a few months on Yasmin: Please be careful and if you have the slightest doubt or the slightest symptom: GET OFF IT IMMEDIATELY!! You have the chance to avoid so many harm and sorrow!!!

Best wishes
Silke

Silke Flowerbabies Sarah

Iam I weak and stupid and putting myself at more risk by taking the Lexapro so ashamed of myself and sad and disgusted

If I wasnt a vegetarian and holistic person prior maybe I wouldnt be beating myself up

I just didnt know which way to turn anymore

I have been taking Lipitor for the last year. Recently I started to have stomach pains on the right side. An ultra sound revealed that I had developed cysts on my liver.
I had a CT scan this week which confirmed the cysts, and also a thickening of my stomach walls.
I had a colonoscopy and upper GI, and everything checked out ok but they took a biopsy of my stomach lining.
Even though I had low cholesterol my doctor prescribed Lipitor as a preventative drug. I strongly urge people to discontinue its use. I exercise daily, am a vegetarian, and have a low stress job. I have always been very healthy. This is the first time I have a problem.

I have been on Lisinopril for BP for the past 6 months. I am 5'4" and never been overweight. Well, this past week, I officially weigh more than my husband, who is of average weight for a man his size. I have been anywhere between 120 - 130# before.. now I can't even mention where the scale is pointing! Can Lisinopril do this??? I eat very healthy (I'm a part time vegetarian!) and exercise regularly but my weight just won't budge! Help!!!

I was put on Advair and Singular in December 2005. I was on both drugs all of January and almost all of February 2006. My asthma started to get worse, breathing very labored, painful eyes, joints, muscles, heavy chest, hoarseness, and total loss of energy. I also gained more weight. After looking up side effects, I immediately got off both drugs.

My symptoms have improved dramatically, but my energy level remains low and I have developed some type of infection in both eyes. Both are very painful, and the left eyelid feels lumpy. This definitely was a case of the cure being worse than the disease. I actually felt like I was dying a slow death. I'm just hoping the drugs did not cause me permanent damage. I am now on a total vegetarian (raw food) diet, hoping to rid my body of these drugs.

I am amazed at what I have read here. It seems like all of the symptoms that have been plagueing me this year may be connected. I was put on Yasmin in April because my gyno said I MAY have PCOS. I didn't test positive but they said I should go ahead and go on Yasmin for it and it would help me shed the 13 pounds I had gained.
I since have gained 15 pounds on Yasmin. I have a very small appetite and I'm a vegetarian, so I know it has not been because of my diet. I started getting severe headaches behind my eyes that would travel to the back of my head on either the right or left side. I had tests and no one has been able to figure out the cause of my weight gain or headaches. I also have become so overwhelmed by anxiety and depression that I basically dropped out of my life. I even have been having recurring thoughts of suicide. Being fat now and having these headaches all of the time doesn't exactly help the depression either. I will not be taking my Yasmin tomorrow. I am not sure what to do about the gyno, but I plan to to something. My physician sent me to the gyno last week to tell her that she thought Yasmin was causing my weight gain. The gyno insisted that Yasmin could only cause me to LOSE weight. She actually convinced me.
Thanks to all of you who posted here and opened my eyes to what is really going on.

Thanks to all of you for all of this valuable information! I am newly diagnosed with bp problem. my bp is "only" 130/90- but I have polycystic kidneys and i was told that bp med's would "save" the kidneys... I have been carrying my 10 mg bottle of lisinopril in my bag and have not taken them yet... thanks to all of you- this prescription is in the trash. I am thin- practice yoga and even eat primarily vegetarian. there has to be a way to solve the bp issue- it is very frustrating. I am going to try one more time with a bp reading and if i can't get it down I am going back to the doctor and before I fill the prescription- i am going to research the side effects to death. i feel so bad for everyone here that has been made a guinea pig out of the lisinopril. I am now cold, shaky- and I feel sick after having read all of your experiences here.

I have spent the last hour reading these messages. Yes i can believe that many Drs refuse to believe you when you tell them what is happening to you. I was told I am a hypochondriac, anxious etc. Funny how physical symptoms are there though huh? 2 days I have been taking Zocor and I have 12 symptoms described in others posts!! I remember many years ago I was on Zocor, then went to Lipitor for some reason (possibly side effects then stopped that too) but haven't been on any statin meds for several years. I am not taking Zocor EVER again. The chest and back pain was the worst for me. Blow that!! I have hereditary cholesterol even though I was vegetarian for 5 years weighed 130 pounds, (I am 5'5") rode horses, swam, did all the great stuff, still didn't make a difference (aint I lucky :| ) I will do it without meds from a western pharmacy!! I have emailed larryhor@optonline.net and I am telling you this person seems like a genuine wonderful man, wanting to share his experiences with lowering levels with everyone. What have you got to lose folks? ALL the horrible symptoms and your cholesterol levels right??? I will let you all know how things go with me over the next few days and weeks. I hope all of you get relief and are able to resume your normal lives real soon.
Blessed be to you all and THANK YOU LARRY!!!!!
Raine.....

I have been on Zocor (20mg) for about 40 days. I am an active, 33 year old male. I have a very balanced diet, and am not overweight, and an ex smoker. Unfortunately, my cholesterol is high. (at one time, it was 289 as a vegetarian).
After 40 days, I was rechecked, and the cholesterol went from 249 to 169. Tri's went down to 140 from 200... HDL and LDL are now in the good range. There is no evidence of liver or muscle damage.
Here's the problem. I'm severly fatigued. I can't get out of bed in the morning, even after getting a full nights rest. I feel "depressed" although I don't know if it is just because I'm tired. I quit smoking a week before starting Zocor, so I"m not sure if the lack of nicotine is contributing to the malaise.
I've had some
The doctor is taking me off of Zocor for a month, to see if things improve.
I could live with the fatigue if it would eventually go away, because Zocor has done what it's intended to do....