Weening symptoms and conditions

October I received my mirena in 2006, if I had known then what I know
1st now I would never have gotten it. My husband and I share 3
2008 beautiful children, 2 being twins, since the risk of having another
8.30am set of twins was high, and his refusal of a vasectomy, my
doctor assured me this was the best thing for me. During the
2 years that my mirena was in I gained 20 kilos and continued
to gain blowing me up to 130 kilos. I have always been chubby
but no efforts to lose weight would work. I suffered depression
and the same doctor started me on medication for that,
still saying nothing about my mirena as the possible cause for
my problems. I was suffering excessive sweating, and not the
nice smelling kind, terrible tiredness and fatigue, aches and
pains, pelvic pain and complete loss of periods. It was only
when I went to my doctor a few months ago and demanded
that the mirena be removed, that I have started to improve. No
more sweats, I am still on my depression medication and am in
the process of weening off it. I have started to lose some weight
but unfortunately have now been blessed with liver disease. If
it's not one thing it's another. I have been researching to see if
mirena has contributed to my liver problem as I did not have it
before the mirena was inserted ????????? My experience has
not been a happy one, but losing trust in who I thought was a
good doctor really sucks. Don't take what they say as truth!!!!
Now I have to convince my husband to have a vasectomy and
so far he is proving quite difficult!!!!!

im a 20 year old male who was given prednisone to reduce the inflammation around my spinal cord in my neck from a herniated disk. 60MG in the morning for 4 days and 40MG in the morning for 3 days...... no real weening process which im seeing probably should have been administered. while i was on it the mood swings were nuts and i noticed feeling muscle weakness and joint pain along with the occasional burning or tingling. ive been off it for 6 days and now the muscles in my legs and feet twitch and im still crazy in the head with little sleep and sinus headaches that don't quit. how long does this shit go on?

My 30+ year run with Prednisone
My experience began back in the 1980s when I took 2 aspirin for a headache one day and landed in the hospital with difficulty breathing. I was diagnosed with Chronic Asthma Triad (Aspirin Sensitivity, Sinus Polyps, and Asthma). My doctors (Allergist & ENT) prescribed Prednisone to help with the asthma and control sinus swelling in does ranging from low 15mg up to 80mg per day with weening off periods lasting weeks to months. Over the next 9 years I underwent 12 sinus surgeries ultimately obliterating all of my sinus cavities. Chronic asthma continues today and I have now developed additional lung disease I was followed at UCSC Medical Center in San Francisco after being diagnosed with Bronchiolitis Oblitersans, at which time I was fully disabled, unable to work at all for almost 2 years. This was the most difficult period in my life.
Over the years dealing with chronic sinus disease and controlling my lung and airway diseases I have made many trips to the ER and experienced many hospitalizations. I have not been off of Prednisone since this all began. With so many doses of steroids both by IV and by mouth with tapers in doses ranging from 120md daily (by mouth) to a low maintenance dose of 5mg per day. Believe me when I say that I know the side effects of this dug all to well. Initially I experienced bloating in the face and body, a rash that still remains today. I have developed significant bone density loss and now experience joint pain full time. From a mental side effects stand point I am in a state of fluctuating brain fog, memory loss, and confusion. At times I get baffled easily. I continue to experience mild to severe mood swings.
I am currently working full time with great difficulty and at this time taking 40mg of Prednisone daily to control my difficulty breathing and severe shortness of breath.
Of all the side effects it is my memory loss that has been the biggest impact on my ability to work and communicate clearly, I am having difficulties performing at work and at home. I had no idea this medication could have such an impact on daily living.
The bottom line? Prednisone truly is a two edged sword, on one hand a wonder drug and on the other a destroyer of mind and body.

Stay away from Prednisone

My prayers to all of you who take these destructive "medications". here's my short story.

I had been diagnosed with Sarcoidosis back in 2003. My doctor gave me 60MG per day (three 20 MG tabs) for over six months, with the weening off period lasting another six. To make a long story shorter. I went through many of the same problems like, bloating in the face and body, rashes, a bump that looks like a wart--that still won't go away, and a continuing state of memory loss. I get baffled easy now. I also continue to go through mood swings.

But here's the kicker, I haven't taken Prednisone for over 3 years and I was trying to begin lifting weights. I thought I popped something in my arm, but the doctor says that I have "aseptic necrosis", that has developed in my left shoulder and soon to start in both sides of my hips. For those who don't want to "google" the term, basically parts of my shoulder and hip bones are not getting blood flow and are dying (necrosis).

With my memory loss, I am having difficulties performing at work and doing routine tasks at home. I did not think this "medication" would have affected me this much.

Prednisone needs to be on the banned list of medicines.

I have asthmatic bronchitis. In June 2006 I came down with an infection in my lungs, which also set off my asthma. Between the two I was hospitalized and put on 240 mg of intravenous Prednisone and the antibiotic Levaquin. I was cured of the infection and was able breathe normally again but it took a great toll on my body It took me 3 months to taper off of the Prednisone and almost a whole year to feel myself. I was a strong, physically active person before this happened to me and I have not gotten my energy level and endurance back to what I was before I was sick. When I was released from the hospital I went from 160 mg of intravenous Prednisone to 80 mg of pill Prednisone. That step down was too severe and I went through intense joint and muscle pain in my body that it woke me from a sound sleep in the middle of the night. I luckily had an old Vicodin that I took which only made the pain bearable. I should have upped the Prednisone to make it go away but I wanted off. This pain lasted one week with each day getting less. The side effects I experienced from then on were so plentiful that I almost can't remember them all. The physical problems were, thin skin that bruised or ripped and bled profusely with the slightest bump, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, muscle cramps in my legs and hands, sleeplessness, dry mouth and frequent urination. My stomach bloated and got stretch marks. I didn't have any before that. The muscles in my thighs and upper arms atrophied so bad that I could not walk up stairs w/o using my arms to help. My arms were also very weak and I got hemorrhoids; another muscle that was affected. I had a bad case of the drops. I couldn't hold on to anything and broke many glasses. I got moon face that took a couple of weeks to go away after I was off the Prednisone. Because I was on such high doses, my hair died and stopped growing. About 40% of it fell out in one month. It took 6 months to grow back and it all grew back curly. On January 30, 2008 my bronchial tubes closed again due to a sinus infection. Again I was hospitalized with 240 mg of intravenous Prednisone and Levaquin. This time I responded much better, because I jumped on the infection/asthma instead of waiting. I stepped down from 240 to 180 to 90 to 60 and decrease 5 mg a day until I was off. This time I did no lose my hair land did not get hemorrhoids. The other physical effects were pretty much the same but much less severe. However, this time the emotional effects of Prednisone were much worse than last time. I was not a nice person. I was short tempered and argumentative and even had to stop myself from resorting to violence a couple of times. That is definitely not who I am. Prednisone stops your adrenal glands from working and adrenaline is you chemical way of coping with stress. I have been off of the Prednisone for one week and still find it hard to cope with the slightest controversy. My brain is still in a fog and I get confused easily. I cannot handle too many questions at once and forget things. My face is still round. Both times, I have found it the hardest dealing with the Prednisone at the very end and even after I finished taking it. I think it builds up and even though the chemical is suppose to be out of your body in 24 hours, it's effects stay a lot longer. I thought I knew what to expect but the second time was different again. It is a horrible drug but my trade off was breathing. Sometimes I think, that if I have to go through this a few more times, the side effects will kill me before the asthma. I wish all you Prednisone users loads of luck and stay positive.

I began 15mg of Remeron per day about 1 month ago. At first, it was wonderful. I slept better than I had in years and my depression was reduced greatly. I felt hope for the first time in ages. However, about a week into it, I started to become aggitated VERY easily. I would get angry at anything. This has not subsided at all...in fact, it's worse. Now I wake in the middle of the night with my mind racing and either in a rage or STARVING. I eat a lot. It's nice to have my appetite back, but I crave sweets too much. I can accept that symptom if it wasn't for the rage and inability to stop my mind from switching between utter numbness to anger. I'm going to give it longer, in the hopes that it brings me back to where I was when I started taking it. If this keeps up though, I'll be in trouble.

PEOPLE, PLEASE DO NOT DISCONTINUE THIS MEDICATION SUDDENLY, IT CAN BE DANGEROUS!!!

I have been reading about this medication here for some time, and I feel concerned when I read about someone deciding to just quit taking it suddenly. I personally intend to quit as soon as I find a doctor with enough knowledge to help me wean off of it in a safe manner. I've been on it for two years, and the side effects have grown worse than my original health problem, so I understand wanting to just up and quit taking it, but after learning the hard way, I've found out it's not so easy.

Do your homework, read and learn about the potential 'rebound effect' and by all means, talk to your doctor before doing something that may cause you to be in danger ( as in having a heart attack)...if you don't believe me, learn for yourself, the information is easily researched.

Blessings, and good luck...

I am taking lithium with a 800mg dosage of sodium valporate for my bipolar.But i cant sleep most nights cause i wake up every hour to wee and my throat is so dry.so thirsty.I also have acne which from my teens i never had any.i also have terrible headaches.I seriously feel like stoping as i dont even see a differences in my condition.

I was on 30 mg of remeron for 7 months for depression. This drug is a nightmare! Severe cravings for sweets, and an unsatified hunger that nothing seemed to please me at night, munched about anything. I gained weight and slept through about anything at all. 3 months ago I developed a constant anger/rage feeling, and I was ready to take on anybody who crossed me. Sometimes I even became violent, I would break things, scream and yell at my BF for no reasons at all. BF left a few times, and friends stopped coming around. I felt like I was going insane. I would be happy one minute, and then either angry or sad and crying for no reason at all. I have started to ween myself off this drug for 8 weeks. I DO NOT recommend remeron.

I am a 39 year old woman who was on prednisone for 14 years as a regular med. for asthma. From the time I was 14 months until I was almost 15. I stopped taking it on my own when I was 14. I over heard the doctor tell my mother they wanted to start weening me off it because I would probably be sterile. But, it would take 6 months to ween me off. So I did it myself.I spent my entire 8th grade year in the hospital. After not taking it for awhile, my asthma actually improved and I also was able to go off the other med.I was on and now only have an inhaler when I need it.
I have the moon face, I was lucky and didn't get the barrel chest. But the lasting side effects are still there. I rarely sleep, I am still have nervesness. But the big one. I am now a Type 1 brittle diabetic and must wear an insulin pump. I go to the doctor an average of once to twice a week. I have more doctors than I know what to do with. I have had to have surgery done to my heart because of a murmur.
The doctors feel that the diabetes is from prolonged use of this med. and that it destroyed my pancreas. All it took was a cortizone shot and I went from nothing to this. I do have 2 children, I had them very young and I mean young. 23 & 21 years ago.I am sterile and never have been able to have more children.
I have had almost every side effect listed. Nausea, weight gain, insomnia, bloating, etc...
Taking myself off this med. like I did. Almost killed me...I don't remember my childhood other than living in the hospital and that was my childhood. I hated this med. I remembered everything and everyway it made me feel. I will not allow my family to use this when it is prescribed for them.

Hello- I was Dx with Sarcoidosis in February, 2007. My lung specialist put me on 20mg Prednisone, increasing to 40mg within two weeks. My Sarcoid symptoms were from enlarged lymph- extreme trouble breathing, middle and lower back pain, kidney pain. Within a week of being at the 40mg level my heart rate and BP became so erratic that he had to start weaning me down. Initially I had extreme energy which felt good after suffering from fatigue but was short lived due to the cardiac problems.

The Prednisone has resolved much of my inflammation for the Sarcoid but I will not go on this again. I have been weaning now for over three weeks. Down under 5mg of Prednisone and it is almost unbearable. Each time I took a drop my mental symptoms became intolerable. Anxiety, extreme fatigue with extreme weakness, irrational thoughts, blurred vision. Within the last couple of days I could hardly get myself out of bed. My weight has increased steadily, bloating stomach, stiff joints, skin rash.

My biggest complaint is that doctors are not giving us enough information as to how this will affect from a negative side. Yes, it takes care of the inflammation but no one prepared me for these awful side effects and withdrawal symptoms. I feel like a nut case most of the time with no coping skills.

wow. i am a 36 year old female that started taking 50mg of toprol about 1 month ago for frequent pvc's. all these side effects i am reading about are just blowing me away. i have several...foggy, tired, difficulty falling asleep, muscle aches, weakness, tingly legs, weight gain, depression, nightmares, swollen ankles, hopeless feeling, decreased sex drive, cold hands and feet, leg and foot cramping.... NONE of which i had before. THIS MEDICATION IS EVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i will be weening myself off of it starting NOW!!!! i would much rather feel my heart beating funny than feel like this.

I have gained weight despite my eating habits staying the same. I experience cold sweats in the night. My head tingles and I become very dizzy. My chest (left side) feels like I am about to have a heart attack and I am only twenty nine. My doctor seems puzzled. I am weening myself off of it -taking it every other night. I started taking it for chest pains and irregular heartbeat / palpitations. It has not helped. I have been on it fot six months. Sometimes I feel like I am going to die. It is a horrible way to live.

I've been reading the past postings and so far have seen nothing about adrenal gland failure. My husband was on 60 mg a day since Nov. 05 (for GVHD) and they have been weening him off since. He was down to 5 mg and he just seemed to crash, no energy, panting when going upstairs, just plain tired. They tested his adrenal glands and I have read that prednisone can atrophy them so now they have upped the pred to 7.5mg which is what these glands put out usually.
Has anyone had this or know what drugs they use to kickstart the glands?
He also has the moon face, buffalo hump and budda belly but he exercises every day because of the osteo and muscle wasting.

I have been taking Wellbutrin Since April of 2005. My doctor prescribed it to help with overall stable moods (but I was not depressed and I told my doctor this) and for help in losing weight. I started with 150mg and experienced the following side effects:
Dizziness
Feelings like I had an urinary track infection.
My libido stinks anyway but it didn't seem to help or complicate anything sexual aspects.

I began taking 300mg about a week later. All of the above continued but the dizziness and urinary track infection feeling went away about a month later. However, these are the things I notice now that may be attributed to the Wellbutrin XL:

1. Extreme fatique that increases as the day goes on-I take my pill in the morning.
2. Difficulty concentrating and focusing. Mental clarity problems. I feel this affects my ability to work because I do a lot of writing. Memory problems. One example: left my keys in the car running until my husband noticed.
3. Sensitivity to light.
4. No wieght loss (as this was the reason I am on it), I feel like I am eating more and more often.
5. Physical weakness.
Among other things.

I must say that I am unsure as to whether all this can be contributed to the Wellbutrin XL. I had blood work done because of all the fatique and mental concentration problems. I was told that given the blood work that I might have arthritis, then I was told that I have a reactivation of MONO. Then I was told that I may have Lyme disease. Do I think it is the Wellbutrin XL? Right now I am weening myself off the drug. Taking half a pill until I reach my doctor to discuss this. Since taking less of a dose, I feel much better with more energy (not completing my self) and I feel I can concentrate.

We will see if the above side effects are in fact the Wellbutrin.

Good luck to all. For me, I am better off not taking Wellbutrin.

Regards,
Beth

-I have been on Effexor XR for almost 1 year @ 150mg.

When I was first on the drug I would feel the dizziness, brain shock, etc, side affects if I went roughly 2 days without taking the drug (on accident). In the past few months I start getting severe withdrawl side affects (dizziness, brain shocks, etc.) as soon as it hit 24 hours from my last dose (If I took a pill at 2pm on one day, by 3pm on the next day I was having severe side affects).

What seemed to be unrelated at first was the fact that in the past 2-3 months I started to have severe sleeping problems. I got extremely worse in the past 2 months as no matter what time I went to bed it became extremely difficult for me to wake up before 10am - 11am (which obviously affected my work). It was the hardest thing in the world to drag myself out of bed, no matter what time it was (it was almost impossible for me to get out of bed before 8am). I would then work for a few hours and come home and take a nap. I went to my Doctor (same one that prescribed me the Effexor XR) and he sent me to a sleep study thinking that I might have Sleep Apneia. Immediately after that a friend recommended trying to get off of the Effexor XR and as soon as I started weening down my doseage, my sleep went back to normal. In any regard, I was able to ween myself down to 37.5 MG for a couple of weeks and have now been off of it or 3 days and it has sucked. I've tried getting off before and have many horror stories as other people (the following horror story is one that happened about 2-3 months ago when I tried to quit cold turkey once from full 150 mg a day doseage, not a good idea!).

This is somewhat funny & scary...I had gone about 2-3 days at one point in trying to cut cold turkey from 150 mg a day(I was also out of pills) and was suffering from severe withdrawl affects and decided to drive to my pharmacy to have it refilled because I could not take it anymore. My pharmacy is one that is in a large grocery store...so while it was being refilled I tried to find some granola bars so I would have something to eat to take with the medication. I was so dizzy and confused that I had to call my wife (fiance at the time) on my cell phone. I had to ask her to help me find the granola bars (this was a store that I often shopped at) and was standing in the middle of an isle with tears streaming down my face begging her to help me over the phone. I'm a 30+ year old professional who is 6'2" and was (prior to my weight gain recently) a healthy 250 pds, and was reduced to tears in a grocery store trying to find granola bars. The storry is sad, true, scary, and slightly funny all at the same time.

I've also managed to put on about 25-30 pds in the last 2-3 weeks as well. One of the side effects I personally got when I went too long between doses (or now in trying to stop completely and was feeling after reducing doseage) is a weird nausea feeling (I suppose similar to the one others have felt too). If you've ever felt nausea from being overly hungry, this is the type of nausea feeling I get. I feel like my body needs some food to help it feel better, so I eat and eat, and it's a very temperal relief (unfortunately, even the temporal relief doesn't always come), then the nausea is back. Hence the 25-30 pounds in the last 2-3 weeks.

In closing, I think it is sad that most doctors probably do not fully understand the drug. I know the manufacturer states that the side affects occur in about 10% of those that use the drug. However, I wonder what the percentage of severe side affects is in those that try to come off of the drug? I'm sure it has to be very high as the only thing my doctor made clear was to talk to him when/if I want to ever come off of the drug. THESE SIDE AFFECTS FROM COMING OFF OF THE DRUG ABSOULTELY NEEDS TO BE MADE CLEAR TO PATIENTS BEFORE THEY START OUT ON THIS DRUG!
Thanks,
M

i have been on elavil for about 4 months 50mg three times a day, ive had intense stomach pains, overheating and panic attacks and i have had severe thoughts of suicide. they are weening me off of it and switching me to welbutrin.

i have been on zoloft about 8 months, I tried weening myself off of them but then my head started again. I was put on them for stress and tension headaches. I hate the way I feel on them, fatigue, constantly dizzy, dis-oriented. I don't feel right. Sex- drive, down the drain. Latley, I've been having severe head pressure, waiting on appt w/ Neurologist again, went to orthodontist to see if it could possibly be my jaw. Do I sound crazy???????????please help me

I have been on Paxil 40 mg for approximately 7 years now. I've never had a problem with it, and hope I never do, after reading all the messages posted. In the first week of taking Paxil I remember feeling great. I told my mom that everyone in the world should be taking this drug. There wouldn't be any war! But after reading these postings, I've realized that I'm very lucky. I suffered from Depression. I had suicidal thoughts but never followed through. I would cry every night in bed. I couldn't fall asleep at all. The list goes on. I also had anxiety attacks. Paxil has helped all of these things. I am more outgoing and comfortable talking infront of groups of people. I do remember feeling extremely tired when I started taking Paxil. I had the yawns. But that was it. I only wish that all of you could feel the way I did/do with Paxil. I did try weening myself off of it but I just wasn't ready. I had a baby 3 months ago and he's fine. I took the Paxil all through my pregnancy. I did my research on Paxil and pregnancy. So far so good. Yes I would love to stop taking it. It's medication that I'd prefer not to have to take but i'm just not ready yet. I'm happy with the way things are right now.

Have been on Prednisone before(3 times in the past year and a half) but always low doses-10mg,down to 2.5mg over 10 days. This time I went from 20mg, weening down to 5mgs,been on it for a total of 5 weeks now for Rheumetoid Arthritis.Before that was on Relifen,then clinoril-both caused side effects with my liver. Was worried about the whole "moon face, weight gain" thing. Have heard such horror stories about it,even at that low of a dose. So far ,have not gained any weight, in fact have lost 3 pounds in the past 4 weeks.Can move my hand again with out major pain.The only side effects I have had are easy bruising,muscle pain in legs and very dry mouth. Will be weened off completly in another week, then going to start Mobic.

my daughter started taking depakote at 2 yrs. old. She was taking 375 mg of depakote per day plus 200mg of topomax. She had hair loss but it has since grown back. She cannot concentrate at all. I have slowly but surely started weening her off of everything myself. She seems to be doing much better.

I was diagnosed with Crohns about 2 days after my 21st birthday, in April 2003. I was put on 40 mg of prednisone and was to stay on it for a few months, slowly weening off, lowering the doses weekly. Side effects weren't that bad then, only a slight weight gain, which wasnt that bad since i lost about 30 lbs before i went to the hospital, so 10 lbs or so wasn't a big deal. What I noticed later, maybe 6 months of not taking the meds, was that I now had serious depression, mood swings, fatigue, face, back and chest acne, and chest and facial hair! I can deal with the depression but no female should have chest hair! Anyway i realize the meds helped heal me but in the process they've really done a number on my self esteem!

Huh, you guys should be happy you don't have a crazy doctor like mine. I'm 5'7" and 160lbs and my doctor wants me to take 20mg basically cause he thinks I talk too much. Not only that, but he wants me to take it indefinetly. My mother had originally wanted me to see a doctor and take some kind of medication because I was having somewhat of a nervous breakdown about a year ago when I lost my job. Now she's just wanting me to get off the medication completely and I can't agree more. Yes, my body has gotten used to the 5-10mg that I take (what did you think I was really going to take 20mg? I'd never get out of bed) and I feel ok taking it but do need lots of coffee in the morning to get my brain working. But I feel that this drug may permanently alter my brain chemistry if used for a prolonged period of time and I'm just going to have to get off of it. I've been weening myself off it for a couple months now. After about three days of not taking the drug it get's really tough. My sensesk, especially my hearing get hyper sensative and always hearing high pitched shrilly noises in just about everything. This in itself gives me a paranoid like feeling. Hot flashes all the time, no eating, hard to sleep. I can't understand why my doctor is so crazy about taking so much of this stuff. Not once has he even mentioned that this drug is for short term use. I'm going stop taking it now and not see him anymore. Hell, he put me on short term disability a year ago cause he said I was in no state to have a job. I wonder if he failed to realize this was because he was giving me 20mg!!! Where did this guy learn medicine? Well, the disability insurance has ended because they state that "the information in my file indicates I have recovered," and I'm going to get my life back to the way it was before and without any medications. Especially cause without medical insurance I'm looking at a $450-$600 a month medication cost. No thanks. Oh and as far as the smoking question. Nicotine and smoking cigarettes is ok and actually increases the metabolism of the olanzapine significantly. So your probably just getting a reaction to intial increased metabolism of the drug. My biggest complaint about the side effects of this drug is the blurred vision, constant sleepyness and just not being able to think clearly.