March 25th
2009
5:57 PM
My story started about a year and a half ago. I got my first kenalog injection for ORAL LICHEN PLANUS and was told that it was safe enough to give to his own wife and kids and he convinced to take it. But little did i know that it was going to leave this huge dent in the top part of my right arm. The doctor said it would fill in but would take awhile. So in 4 months i went back for my second injection because it seemed to help my mouth but then strange things started to happen. I take blood pressure meds and have for 14 years and never had any problems until that second shot and my BP started to go up and down and i mean very low and very high. I went to my family doctor and he wanted to try other meds and i said no so he sent me to heart doctor and that was a waste of time and money. I just waited it out and in the mean time i stared to to drop a lot of weight and couldn't figure it out. Now it was time for third shot and by this time my weight started at 145lbs. is now 119lbs. The doctor said my problems are not from the shot. So my health started going down hill and my bp is now very high all the time and still losing weight. Guess what its time for fourth shot and i now weigh 109lbs. and i told myself no more shots because in the end every shot i took started to not help my mouth anymore. Well its been 5 months since my last shot and my bp is normal now and my weight is at 115lbs. I still have the dent in my arm. This is a very dangerous drug and i advise no one to try it. Someone needs to take it off the market. And before i forget- what it has did to me is i have very bad bone and joint aches but i hope in time it leaves and blurring vision and headaches everyday. I just want it out of my system.
-- By racecar850 | Reply | Private Message me
February 23th
2009
8:18 PM
I'm 14, and was prescribed Yaz for my moderate acne.
I was on it for almost three whole months. In those three months i gained about 12 pounds. I constantly felt crappy and down, like their was a cloud over me. I think this may have contributed to the weight gain as sometimes i can be an emotional eater. The day before i threw away my yaz was when i realized how much weight i had gained. Yaz was a complete waste of time and my body weight! Screw that crap
January 2th
2009
1:46 PM
I was put on Lipitor 10 mg. last Spring about 8 mos. ago. I have never taken medications/drugs other than aspirin or Motrin or antihistamines. Since that time I have had a strange combination of unexplained symptoms arise throughout the months. These sx's included: Headaches, stiff neck and severe neck pain, acute shoulder pain, hip pains, joint pains, severe knee pain (tendon or Ligament problems?) and loss of movement, hair loss, jaw pain and some memory confusion. Initially, I had severe HA's for several months, but attributed them to stress, however, I had never experienced HA's as a common occurrence. Then we went away to our Maui house to get away from stress, HA's continued, along with leg and shoulder pains. At the same time, I started noticing several strands of hair falling out if lightly touched my hair to move it out of my face. The pains seemed to move around my body at different times, for no apparent reason. I am used to daily exercise, living in CO in the mountains @ high altitude, not usually having muscle soreness. Now, given my leg and knee pains have gotten so bad, I cannot hike and have difficulty climbing my stairs. Skiing is out. Snorkeling caused leg cramps. No explained reason for having muscle tenderness or soreness without my usual exercise at present time. When the pain leaves one area it tends to arise in a different part of my body. At the present time, my hair loss has subsided, as also my jaw pain and headaches. However, my leg pains and knee pains are so acute (for no apparent reason) it is impossible to exercise and difficult to walk that I looked up adverse reactions to Lipitor, finding all my sx's most probably might be attributed to this drug. Partially my fault for not looking up RX information prior, especially being a medical professional for many years. My husband kept throwing away the info when purchasing the RX. Too many unexplained symptoms, I decided to obtain the drug info. myself. I tended to make excuses for months, such as: I am getting older, under stress, must be an old injury, not exercising properly, need PT therapy etc.... I am dc/ing the drug immediately and have an appt. with my MD on 1/5/09 to discuss.
-- By forestseaski | Reply | (11) replies | Private Message me
January 1th
2009
6:31 PM
I had excruciating muscle spasms in the legs when taking synthroid. My physicians argued that Synthroid or T4 was all that was needed because my body would produce T3. This simply is not accurate information for everyone. The muscle spasms became so severe that I went to the Cleveland Clinic in hopes of resolving this issue. This was a waste of time; the docs could only confirm the presence of muscle spasms in my legs and offered no other options. Finally, while reviewing all my lab reports and the related symptoms, I discovered that the muscle spasms only occurred when I was taking synthroid for hypothyroidism. I switched to Armour thyroid and the muscle spasms ceased. I urge everyone with hypothyroidism to find a doctor that can think outside the box.
-- By w001wyj | Reply | Private Message me
October 15th
2008
8:09 PM
Hello everyone, I did a posting on Sept 27th will my adverse reaction to levaquin. Well, I did a lot of research as to how to help with the side effects. In addition, I discussed the side effects with a friend in medical school to see what he could come up with. I did not even bother going back to my doctor because from many stories that is just a waste of time.
Anyway, its been about 3 weeks and my side effects have gotten much better. Not totally gone...but much, much better. Everything was from my local drug store.
Here is what I did:
Do a colon cleanse or detox regimine right away. Get as much of this stuff out of your system as possible.
Fish oil LIQUID FORM one teaspoon a day (yuck...but do it!)
Bromelain to help with the joint inflammation
Glucosamine to help with joint repair. I got both a pill form as well as liquid. I used this product by Drinkables called Liquid Joint Care Dietary Supplement. Anything in liquid form absorbs quicker.
I also had to resort to getting a sleep aid for the insomnia, you need to get good sleep somehow to help your body repair.
Last but not least, and I know it sounds strange. One small shot of clear vodka a day. It's an old Russian remedy...I guess it has a cleansing effect on the body.
Anyway, somehow all of this really did help. Good Luck!
-- By agnieska | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
September 29th
2008
12:04 AM
I am a loving mother of a 5 1/2 year old boy. He has been on Singulair for over 3 years. In this past 3 years my son has suffered in an unspeakable amount. He came down with Rota Virus and was hospitalized at 2. He then came in contact with Pneumonia in the hospital while he was there. They automatically put him on Singulair, Zyrtec, Prednisone, and antibiotics to treat the pneumonia. Since that day, my son has gone though more tests than I have in my entire life. He has had asthma, sinusitis, leg cramping ( to the point he cannot walk for 2 years), IBS, Acid reflux,(they gave him laxatives for a year that made things worse and addicted to them also), stomach pain, constipation and diarrhea back and forth. He also got Erythema Mulitforme TWICE, while on this drug. All of which the doctors said could NOT be caused by Singulair. He has had several Upper GI's and CT scans. Along with Barium enemas, several hundreds of blood tests, and many many pokes and prodded that were not necessary. All since he has been on Singulair. He now has frequent bathroom trips, depression, confusion, and anger outbursts. He also has to go to the restroom every 5 minutes. He has had genital swelling, and many other aches and pains. None of which his "doctor" ever said could be a result of Singulair. I am 100% sure it was!!!! He currently has anxiety and emotional sporadic issues causing problems in school The teachers and counselors say that it is so strange because there is no TRIGGER and the outbursts are completely inconsistent. His preschool teacher and director are sure he has ADHD. Well, we had him tested and he does not have any part of it. He has no learning disability what-so-ever. So that brought me back to square one. He is in a positive loving enviroment. How could he be depressed and want to hurt everyone around him? He cannot sit still. He cries and says he is 'stupid" and "can't think" like the other boys. He has nightmares and cannot sleep alone. He is scared of everyone and everything. So, as I sit here crying, I realized that this has all been a reaction of his "medicine" Singulair. He never should have gone through all of those painful tests, only to prove they couldn't find anything. So many treatments and sound full advice speeches from his doctors. How could they be so naive and selfish in the life of my son?
When I called my pediatrician of 5 years, she told me that " parents that have children with behavioral problems will LOOK for something to blame their problems on." She also said "drug companies only put side effects on their labels to PROTECT the drug companies. (as she laughed at me) They are not always valid". Then she said "if you take you child off of Singulair you will be playing Russian Roulette in his life." Then she said that all children around 5 or 6 go though this emotional time in their lives." She told me that if I take my child off of Singulair that she would no longer be a part of his health regimen for his asthma. She told me to see a Pulmonologist for further treatment.
Who is paying who? This is my son's life???????? I decided to go with my mother-gut instinct and get him off of this medicine. No matter what. He has been a different person since. He is currently going though a lot of side effects and withdrawals (leg pain, insomnia, hic-ups, emotional distress) but every day is getting better. How can the drug companies say that this is a "wonder drug?" There are more reported side effected patients then clinical studied patients! How can a "medication" that stimulates the brain not be connected to other problems? This "medication" interferes with the bio synthesis and action of LTs and has been marketed as NOVEL medication against asthma and allergic rhinitis. Who the hell is playing God here??? The pocket books of Merck or our over PAID "doctors?" Who pays the price? Our children? Or us. Thank god I found this before it was too late. I would not be able to withstand the pain of losing my son due to their lack of scientific evidence. They are lucky I am one of the smart ones. I will not settle for less than Justice for the drug companies and their paid "doctors?" You all end up in the same place. HELL
There are 18 million people on this drug. Most of them are children. Please save a life if not your own child's life. Thank You
-- By daisydookes | Reply | (14) replies | Private Message me
July 25th
2008
8:41 AM
I am a male of 67 years old. I took Lipitor for a year, and after a few months of taking it, I felt muscle pains in my arms and shoulders, as well as my back. I felt weak and could hardly put my socks on by myself. I told my family doctor that I thought the problem was caused by LIpitor. He said it couldn't be possible, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong, so he sent me to a rheumatologist, who gave me an initial diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica. I went back for a checkup, and although the sed rate was normal, the C-reactive protein was elevated. He felt his diagnosis was an accurate one. He prescribed prednisone for me. I had some doubts about it, since I am diabetic, and was concerned about the elevated blood sugar it might cause. Well, it did elevate my blood sugar, and I weaned myself off it within three months. My blood sugar went back to normal, and while the prednisone helped the symptoms of muscle pain and aches, after I stopped it, the pain returned with a vengeance.
About a year passed after discontinuing the prednisone, and I felt worse and worse. Any time I engaged in physical activity, such as yard work, I was almost incapacitated for two or three days. I felt weaker and weaker, and by now, my activity is about ten per cent of what it was three or four years ago. I am unable to do anything physical without paying a heavy price.
I would tell the doctor that I felt the problem was caused by the Lipitor. He would dismiss my comments, saying that the pain should have gone away after discontinuing Lipitor. He sent me back to the rheumatologist with results of recent blood tests. Both the sed rate and C-reactive protein were normal. The rheumatologist touched my back and other areas, which caused me to jump. He said it might be fibromyalgia. I told him again that I thought it was caused by the Lipitor. He said the same thing my GP had said: if it had been the Lipitor, the pain would have gone away when I stopped taking it. I know the Lipitor caused the pain, because I tried red yeast rice for a couple months. The pain increased to almost unbearable, so I discontinued the red yeast rice. If I were not susceptible to the pain from the Lipitor, would the red yeast rice have increased the pain?
So here I am with a fuzzy diagnosis from the rheumatologist, and no clue from my family doctor (that he will verbalize, at any rate). My life has gone steadily downhill. I used to be a strong, active person, but now I can do very little, and my strength is a shadow of what it formerly was. What can I do?
-- By bbsmith2008 | Reply | (7) replies | Private Message me
July 18th
2008
6:33 AM
It took 3 years for me to be diagnosed with hypothyroidism and for a year I tried levethyroxine. This was a total waste of time. I was so exhausted the kids kept missing school, I kept walking into things, couldn't remember anything so I asked my doctor to let me try armour thyroid. This has apparently T4 T3 T2 and T1 and the T2 is the one that helps your metabolism (weight).
The change is nothing short of miraculous...I know it may not work for everyone but it is worth trying. I also had very extreme mood swings and the doctors were considering manic depression, but the latest thinking with that is to take your TSH levels higher before considering drugs such as lithium. I have just moved to Reading and my new doctor thought my T3 levels too high so reduced my armour dosage by half .....BIG mistake. Ended up in bed for days, couldn't remember which day it was, and the mood swings
!!!!!!! screaming, tearing my hair in frustration, punching my boyfriend. I staggered, literally, in tears back to the doctor who reinstated my original dosage of 2 grains one day 3 the next etc. For me my TSH has to be 0.1,
T4 around 14 and T3 around 8 to 9; basically on the high side but my blood pressure stays low as does my body temp and I feel alive again. It is worth trying different variations synthetic T4 AND T3, and don't rule out armour thyroid if nothing else is working after 6 months of use.
May 20th
2008
11:01 PM
i have been on celexa 60 mg . i don't believe that it helps. well my doctor put me on it for depression and anxiety because i have chronic urticaria which is a unknown allergy which causes me to have chronic hives and severe swelling of the hands, feet,fingers etc.my doctor believes that it is caused by stress and if she treat the stress i shouldn't brake out. but she's wrong. Well to get to the point i have been on celexa for about 4 months now. i still brake out with the hives that caused me to get back on the worst drug ever prednisone. but since i've been on celexa i suffer with nervousness, night sweats, shaking,blurriness, and it makes me tired and makes me feel like I'm going crazy. i just stopped taking celexa because i think it is a waste of time and it just gives my doctor something to believe that she has cured my problems with the hives well shes wrong. i have seen over a dozen different doctors and they all told me that they will never find out what is causing me to brake out. but this doctor i have now is determined to prescribe me celexa that does solve any of my problems. celexa sucks
-- By shaunquell | Reply | Private Message me
March 21th
2008
3:16 AM
So I started taking YASMIN in December 07. I switched to YAZ in January 08 and just quit a week ago. So about 4 months of bc. A week ago, I broke out in hives and rashes. I would itch one spot and then others would form. The areas get hot and the welts raise up my skin. It started when I was out in the sun but it couldn't have been sun poisoning because I never got burnt. I am diagnosing myself rather than a doctor because they do NOT know everything. After reading into the YAZ and YASMIN side effects, I am not risking anymore problems. Oh and I got an upper respitory infection along with the rash. This lingering cough has a weaze and phligmy sound. My friends are concerned with it too. I have never been the type of person to suffer from any major sickness or skin problem. I am tough skinned and have never gotten any kind of food allergy. I am 24, 5'6'' and in semi-athletic shape. I am an actor and model and I cannot afford to get rashes and a bad horsey cough! YAZ was great for 2 months and now bam! Downfall happening. Temporary relief-cortozone cream and antihistamines like benadryl.
YAZ benefit-clear skin, no PMS
YAZ side effect-rash, no sex drive/libido loss, difficult/no orgasm, appetite like a hog! Food #1 thought. Packed on pounds quick.
YASMIN benefit-clear skin, lost weight quick
YASMIN side effect- a little loopy, speech impediment, no sex drive/libido loss, no orgasm, couldn't even fake an orgasm!
February 13th
2008
11:05 AM
I had my Mirena inserted 8 weeks after having my 3rd child. Everything seemed fine for the first 3 months but then I began to develop severe pain in my finger joints, wrists, ankles, elbows, back and neck. I was shuffling around like a 90 year old woman. At first I thought I may have developed arthritis and then my mother suggested I give up the breastfeeding as it might be 'taking it out of me'. Then the other symptoms seemed to creep up on me - foggy brain, severe mood swings, feeling sad and depressed for no reason, SEVERE headaches, night sweats and extreme fatigue. I couldn't complete tasks like washing the clothes and general cleaning of my home and I never felt refreshed after a long sleep. I remember saying to my husband on 3 or 4 occasions 'I feel like I'm going crazy!!' I think he thought the same thing. It was only by chance I revisited a forum I had bookmarked earlier when I was trying to find out how long after initial insertion the bleeding lasted that a post containing some similar side-effects to the ones I was experiencing caught my eye - well what an eye-opener, I would never in my wildest dreams have connected my symptoms with my IUD. The cause of my debilitating symptoms became so clear and that night I squatted down in the shower, found the strings, gave a tug and took the damn thing out myself! That was 3 weeks ago and I've felt a little better every day. I'm hoping to be back to my old self as soon as possible. Thank you so much to everyone who has shared their experiences. If it wasn't for you these debilitating effects on my body would have continued for I dont know how long.
-- By mellyjelly | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
December 12th
2007
1:46 PM
This method is just as unpleasant as the other methods I am sure. Unfortunately, this method did not work. Diarrhea did not start for over six hours. My colon was not cleared by 7:00 A.M. when they began the procedure. I was still having diarrhea as I arrived at the clinic. The test and agony were a waste of time and money. The colonoscopy results were inconclusive. This stuff is a joke. The doctor got his money and I got screwed. I will never again submit to this procedure after my experience with MoviPrep. Try something else instead.
-- By ccrooks | Reply | Private Message me
November 18th
2007
11:46 AM
My college age daughter was diagnosed with allergies and asthma last winter. She had a series of allergy test and results were grasses, dust mites, mold, cats, dogs feathers. Her main complaint was shorness of breath during exercise, boxing and lately tennis. She is a very healthy young lady that played tennis, ate healthy and stayed away from pop and junk food. This sudden breathing issue is baftling. She was put on Singular and the lowest dose of Advair. For 9 months she has been taking these meds and they don't seem to help. What's more baffling is that 6 months ago she developed an eye irritation, itching, swelling and redness of the eye lid. She has see 3 opthalmologists and 1 cornea specialist. They've all said it's "dry eye". Fine, but what is the cause.
I am one to read all the package inserts to all medications. As a professional, having sat on two Institutional Review Board for Animal and Medical Research at Henry Ford Hospital, I am well aware of all the possible side effects that can arrise with medications.
Recently I read up on Singular, I am confinced that there is a definite correlation of the eye problem with the Singular. I have told all the doctors and non seemed to want to speak with the allergist or work with him, or even consider that this is a possibility.
I intend to have her stop this medication and hope and pray that this will problem will cease. If any one has had a similar occurance with Singular, please respond.
January 4th
2007
7:17 AM
hi syberlib. great ode to yasmin the "peril in pill form" !
i find it really weird that some people get symptoms when they stop yasmin,did you have any troublesome symptoms whilst taking it?
i was the opposite. i had dizziness,insomnia,depression,MAJOR anxiety,panic attacks,tingling and jumping limbs and restless legs as well as a sense of being smothered then there was also the ever present headache! as soon as i stopped taking it within days i felt phsically much better.the palpitations got less and less as did the headaches and the jumping,shaky feeling. The anxiety is proving to be a tough customer. although it is still there it is manageable most of the time and certainly getting less as time goes on. i have been off yasmin 8 months now. maybe age and childbirth are factors,i had taken dianette on and off since i was 14 up to the age of 22 and i never had a problem with it.never gained weight,got spots,heavy periods,nothing,it was perfect although i never stayed on it for more than 18months at a time as i have always been a little worried about the long term effects of messing with nature! i did not go back onto BCP's after the birth of my 1st child, A) because i didn't know when i wanted to start trying for my second and B) because my sex drive had gone into "park" i just couldn't be bothered so it seemed like a waste of time being on bcp's. after i had my second child i breast fed for a year then my doc put me on yasmin the new "wonder drug" he was right about the "wonder" part. within six months i "wondered" what the hell had happened to me. i was a shaky,poorly mental wreck.!!!!!
i have no idea what yasmin really does to the body but it has some really weird side effects. when i went to have blood tests when i was still on yasmin my blood was really thick,in fact the nurse asked if i was taking any blood thinning agents,i said no and she said i should be!! when i had another test 6 months after i stopped yasmin it was normal again as it had been before yasmin.??? not sure if it is linked but it was just another odd thing that has only happened whilst on yasmin. The heart flutterings also seem to be really common. i read a report on the side effects of yasmin i found on the english government site and it had a major number of pulmanary embolisms listed as reported effects,they were reported by medical staff not members of the public so some doctors somewhere know this stuff is poison. they pulled some of the older brands saying they caused blood clots and strokes etc but yasmin seems to be just as bad if not worse! i never heard of any of these side effects with the older brand of pill.the worst you got was a bit of bloating and maybe some weight gain and if you were one of the really unluck ones maybe a DVT.
once again i have ended up writting a hugely long post,i never mean to but once i start ranting about this devil in white i can't stop!
-- By flowerbabies | Reply | Private Message me
November 6th
2006
11:56 AM
I started taking Lisinopril 2.5 weeks ago and I have been having severe muscle cramps in both calf muscles and started yesterday in both forearm muscles. Dr wants me to have an MRI to check for pinched nerve but after reading the side effects and seeing muscle cramps on the list, I think it would be a waste of time and money. They never look at the side effects before scheduling new tests. Be careful.
-- By larryjillbost | Reply | Private Message me
Singulair (2) Mirena (2) Yasmin (2) Lipitor (2) Synthroid (2) Kenalog (1) Celexa (1) MoviPrep (1) Yaz (1) Advair HFA (1) Levaquin (1) Lisinopril (1)
July 15th
2009
10:00 PM
Major hair loss (even my eyelashes have thinned out. Talk about upsetting), nausea, seriously bloated stomach, gassy, bacterial vaginosis (the second in my entire life), 2 week periods, breasts grew a half size so far, foggy headed, vision seems off when I drive (focusing it harder).
I posted some of my side effects last week. Today I got Mirena removed! I was sweating it b/c it hurt bad during the insertion 2 months ago, but it wasn't that bad. Hurt a little but it was quick and easy. They used long tongs to pull it out. I'm bleeding now a little bit but I've been bleeding for 10 days already from being on my 'extended' Mirena period, so I don't care. I'm just glad it's over with. My doctor said I didn't have to explain why I wanted it out. It was my choice. I mentioned again to her anyway the hair loss (probably a third of my hair in just 2 months), and the bloating (I look at least 3 month pregnant and I haven't really gained but like 2 lbs. I think it's from progesterone. Progesterone has to be causing this gas too b/c I had that side effect years ago when I was on progesterone). She said it's all possible side effects and that everyone is different. Some women do well on it and some don't. I'm just bummed b/c I could never have sex anyway b/c of the long periods and the case of BV in between those. These past 2 months have been a big waste of time and energy/worry. I can tell my husband is glad this saga is over with. With 2 young children I need to focus my energy on them and be clear headed. Good luck! I won't recommend this to my friends.
-- By marylandgirl | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me