Maxidex and poison ivy

I was having a problem with my right ankle swelling and my blood pressure was rising - going from fine to high in a little over 6 months.

I have been taking Maxide for almost a year now. My head was swimmy and I had depth perseption issues with my vision the first few days which faded with only occasional episodes now. My kidneys frequently hurt, especially in the morning and I have to drink alot of water or my output goes way down. I found that soda, tea and coffee aggravate the situation. I find that I am extremely light sensitive now. Mowing the lawn at 4:00pm resulted in a mild sunburn. I seldom go to the beach with my family anymore because I get horrible burns there now. Until now, these are the only symptons I attributed to Maxide.

I have muscle stiffness after sitting for 30 minutes or more, especially in the ankles and knees. I have the same problem with pain in the hips and shoulders from laying at night and often wake with feet or hands numb. I've been visiting a chiropractor regularly for the past year. This makes me feel better, but doesn't appear to solve the problem.

I discovered the potassium deficiency and started taking a suppliment to correct that.

I've had strange rashes that seem to be poison ivy when I couldn't recall any exposure to it.

I've had blurred vision problems that my eye doctor couldn't explain.

I'm only 42, but I feel like I'm a cripple old woman. I had no idea these other problems could be attributed to Maxide. My last DR visit was the day after we got back from Vacation out of the country and my BP was high again. My Dr wanted to double my 25mg perscription and I refused. I found this searching for other ways to get healthy.

I started taking maxide toward the end of July 2005. In early September, I developed a rash that itched so bad I thought I would go out of my mind. It started on the backs of my upper legs and progressed to my ears, face, and neck. I took prednisone to take care of the rash with the doctor and me thinking it had to be poison ivy. Two days after stopping the small dosage of prednisone, the itching was back in full force. I have since stopped taking maxide.