Literature symptoms and conditions

I had tingling and numbing in my hands and feet. After few weeks without Lipitor all that tingling stopped. My doctor said that it could not be Lipitor's side effect but after doing research online I really wished they listed tingling and numbing as side effect of that drug. It would have saved me a lot of money I spent on all kinds of tests my neurologist did.

I'm a 53-year old male. My BP was 150/100 before starting the medicine. A few days after starting lisinopril, I developed severe low back pain. I thought that I had aggravated an injury that occurred 25 years earlier. It did not abate for about 10 days. I read on literature that came with the medicine that "muscle cramping" was an infrequent side effect. I decided to stop the drug on my own, and the low back pain subsided in 2 days. My doctor put me on HCTZ only and I have not had a recurrence of the back condition.
dt326

I actually posted my side effects (profuse, foul smelling discharge) before reading many of the posts here. I found my side effects to be common on other sites. I did want to mention that I thought the IUS (Mirena) was not to be used on women who ha not had a baby yet and I read here several women who have had it inserted before ever having a pregnancy! I'd check that out because Mirena literature itself would rule out a condidae based on that. Otherwise gals, my Mirena worked wonderfully--to virtually no pain or bleeding at insertion, to all but eliminating my period. However, I can't and won't live with the excessive foul discharge...CAN"T WAIT TIL 12/29 FOR REMOVAL!!!!!!

I took Levaquin 750 for 10 days for a sinus infection. I took first 5 doses, went to see my doctor again 6 days later because I was still sick. She prescribed again 5 does of Levanquin 750. I am still coughing and I feel very tired. It did not help at all. I am still sick and I have muscle pains in my two calves and stress Achille tendon. I am a runner and I have sometimes problems with my calf: I have been not running too much recently and I was wondering how come suddenly I had those muscle pains in both my calves. I am not sure if it is related to Levaquin, but when I read all those comments, I am worried. Why I have been prescribed this antibiotics if it is obviously dangerous?

Hi, All

I normally do not post on websites, however, the issues that I read about in other toddler has me concerned for my grandson as well..

He started to live with us in Georgia three months ago. He was 20 months old. Over Labor Day weekend he developed a severe sinus infection and virus with a fever. Against our better judgment then, we allowed his doctor to prescribe an antibiotic which seem to help him for about two weeks, but her began having excessive mucus and coughing constantly. He had no fever. When we returned to the doctor, they suggested that he use Claritin because he had no infections, but a lot of mucus and drainage. Claritin worked, however, the side effects were he was a little sluggish. The doctor recommended trying Singular. We tried it for three weeks. Over that three weeks, we noticed that his appetite decreased and his aggression level increased where he started a fight with another toddler. He is normally an easy going little boy. He has been very aggressive lately, plus he has had dry coughing and gagging worse than when he was on Claritin. When I read the literature that says this medication causes sinusitis, I immediately decided to discontinue it. He will not be using this medicine again. It may be great for some children, but they really ought to make parents aware of the side effects. They are awful.

After 2 years on Avodart: no ejaculate, almost total impotence and the worst is a major reduction in penis size ( 2 inches lost in erect penis). This is a major side effect that had never been mentioned either by my physician or in any literature. There is no mention that 5-alpha reductase inhibitors can be a trigger for the production of estrogen in men - causing male breasts to increase in size.

I was given Levaquin for a UTI about 2 years ago and ended up in the ER, the side effects were so bad. Thought I was having a allergic reaction,
heart poundings, felt like a just drank 3 cups of coffee, also muscles reacting slowly, like I couldn't move my arms and legs how I wanted to.
Unfortunately I have take Cipro a couple times in the last year, and the last dosage of that did it for me. On the 5th day I all of a sudden had extreme pain in my left knee, could hardly walk. I took a couple Advil and rubbed some icee stuff on it and it went away but that night my lower back and hips became also extremely painful. Severe pain. That was the last dose for me. (The pain was much less the next day and almost completely gone after about 4 days.) I called the Dr. and they told me to stop taking Cipro- which I had already done. What really bothers me though is I mentioned this to my orthopedic Dr. and he said he never heard of Cipro causing joint pain!
I am going to send him some literature, but wow!! couldn't believe that.

I had written before about moodiness and severe stomach bloat from Mirena, I have had it for three months now and the bloat has gotten better, but the moodiness has not and now I have severe joint pain - I have been using OTC pain meds every day for a week now just to make it through the day. It is not just one joint - but every joint - it hurts to sit, to stand, to type, to sleep - UGH!! I am so fed up. I am not a sick person, I have had three kids in the last 5 years and this is the worst! I do not want to give up on Mirena - but too much is too much. I am requesting blood work at my annual checkup next week and if nothing is irregular - I am going to have this thing out. I just have not felt like myself since I got it. I know it is not supposed to cause the joint pain - but at some point don't we have to listen to our gut feeling despite what the literature says?

Hi, I had the Murena inserted 2-7-08 at 2 PM. I am 43 years old.I nearly passed out at the doctor's office due to the pain. I felt like like my body was trying to expel the dog-gone thing. The literature said I would experience some discomfort during the insertion. That was an understatement!! I went home and by 4:30 I was cramping very bad. I called the doctor and he said to take some more Ibuprofin and to go to bed.Said to keep an eye on it I was bleeding very badly. I had to change tampons every 2 hours and wear a pad. It was gross with large clots. I took some strong I buprofin the rest of the weekend and called the doctor again. I know he had to think I was whining. I ran a fever and felt like crap. I went in to see him and he checked to see if I was expelling it. He said no. I continued to have a period-heavy- until my 6 week follow-up visit. He said "Let your body adjust, and if you continue to have problems, we can discuss taking it out." I had a period for 3 months.With wearing tampons for so long, I was concerned about Toxic Shock Syndrome. I still have brown slimy stuff every 2 weeks ago. I just never know when it will be, no set day. I used start my period every 4th Tuesday on the dot that lasted for about 2 1/2 days. since then i have gained 18 pounds. I can't check to see if the thing is there because I have a very long vagina and can't reach it with my fingers..and it's gross. I don't really have an appetite. I have been depressed. I don't have a lot of energy. I don't want to go anywhere. I don't desire sex (no wonder you don't get pregnant!) I have started to get acne. (I haven't had acne since high school). I am thinking about getting it taken out but don't want to risk pregnancy. I was on the pill for 15 yrs off and on and have some concerns about it at my age. I thought this would last me until I hit menopause and then wouldn't need birth control. Anyway, at least I am not crazy..there are others with these issues.

I had the mirena put in in june after my third child. I did feel a bit dizzy when it was first put in but did not cramp at all. I was still spoting then from giving birth, so it just continued for about 3 more weeks the stopped altogether. I have not had a period since, woooooooohooooooooooo!!!!!!!! I don't feel bad about that at all. I did have a day when I woke up cramping and thought I was going to start but never did. My doctors nurse told me everything I needed to know about the mirena long before i had it put in. I actually made the appointment to discuss it with her. Everyone should have been smart enough to ask questions before it was done, not the day it is. You cant think straight when someone is getting ready to put a device in you. I have to say I love my mirena and would not trade it for a pill, a shot, or any other birth control method. Ladies know your gyn very well before trusting them. I think most of you just think it is your doctors fault. It is not it is yours for not researching it more. And come on what women is not moody a day in her life, not many. How many headaches did you get before the mirena? How were your sinuses before mirena? Probably the same. Some womens health simply changes after having a baby. I also advise against you removing these mirenas yourselves. It is not smart, you could get a bad infection from not being in a sterile environment.

I am 38 years old and was on Yasmin for 3 years to control ovarian cysts that kept bursting. It kept good control of my acne, but I had no sex drive, horrible facial hair, no vaginal lubrication, and extreme pain during sex especially climax. Finally, 2.5 years ago, I suffered from right-side paralysis which ended up sending me to the hospital. My potassium levels were so low that my I was suffering from neuorlogical problems that they initially thought I was having a stroke at the hospital. Taking potassium did not keep my potassium levels up while still taking Yasmin, so I finally went off it. The literature does mention that one may suffer from low potassium, but even taking supplements did not allow me to keep my potassium levels up enough. I am getting an IUD put in place on Thursday and hopefully this will take its place well enough!

I have read over a lot of the comments and I must say I am one of the few people who does not have many complaints. No acne, no difference is my sex drive, no headaches, no depression. I don't have much of a period anymore. But this is where my complaints start. Before Mirena, my period would come and go without much pain but since insertion, I have noticed more cramping during and two weeks prior. The cramping does include back pain. I have also noticed the first two days of my period I am exhausted. But other than, I have been pleased with Mirena. Just like any medicine, there are side effects and it varies from person to person.

Centocor, the maker of Remicade, aggressively pushed physicians to set up infusion clinics, write for the drug and promised huge profits.Most of these infusion suites are run by nurses. The drug dose is calculated by a nurse and mixed into the iv bag by a nurse NOT A PHARMACIST. The drug, which can put patients at risk for serious infections and tuberculosis is not even mixed in a sterile IV hood !!! It is mixed out in the open air and exposed to contamination. In the meantime,Centocor downplayed the severity of the side effects. This drug actually caused LUPUS in a patient who subsequently won $19,000,000 in a lawsuit. The drug can greatly increase the risk of lymphomas and blood disorders with fatal outcomes. But the literature does not adequately educate patients and physicians on how to properly monitor the drug! The drug can cause memory problems, visual changes, and increased sed rate and increased c-reactiv protein.

Read my symptoms first; at the bottom it will tell you how long I had the IUD and the time line of the symptoms.

constant pelvic discomfort
(sometimes to the point where Advil usage doesn't even help)
("zaps" or "pings" of pain...light lightening bolts)
almost constant bleeding
(sometimes with clots - in differing sizes)
(coloring can be bright red to burgundy and brown)
(odor from the bleeding is very noticeable)
immediate weight gain
(this includes severe abdominal protrusion)
(I belly dance, & the costume I had just worn 2 weeks prior to insertion no longer fit)
severe swelling of the extremities
(hands usually do swell in hot weather, however, I've never had my feet and lower legs swell up like this - I had elephant feet/legs)
immediate acne issues
(my skin is always clear except for a few during my period)
moodiness
brain fog
(I'm a bookkeeper, & I noticed an immediate problem with my making stupid mistakes or taking longer than normal to resolve usual issues in this regard)
clumsiness
(could be attributed to the brain fog)
breast tenderness
(feels like someone's constantly squeezing/poking them)
movement of the IUD
(I could feel that it was out of position; it was more on my right side and caused ALOT of discomfort)

Here's the kicker, ladies. This was all within 1 WEEK of USE.

I demanded removal of this nasty thing & the GYN office refused.
After two more weeks of hell, I insisted, & they finally removed it.

This is what I experienced AFTER the removal:
Immediate relief in my pelvic area, BUT, still having pelvic pain.
INTENSE bleeding & clotting. To the point where I bled through my clothing at work (yes, I was using tampons & heavy pads).
The GYN's office didn't seem concerned; they said this was my body's "normal" reaction. (yeah, right). I finally stopped bleeding a good 5+ days later.
Even more breast tenderness.
Weight gain/bloat has not gone away. (I'm quite active)
Still experiencing brain fog.
Acne is starting to dissipate.

I have a ****** Group set up to shout to the world about this horrid device; look for: mirenajustsayno

Report your experience directly to Mirena; they have a contact # to report an "Adverse Reaction". From there, file a report with the varying health organizations.

On another note, I also had several ultrasounds done at the GYN's office prior to the insertion. The DR stated I had no ovarian cysts, no fibroids, BUT, my uterus was overly large. I sounded at a 10 as opposed to the usual 8. I was told it didn't matter, that I was a good candidate. He also stated that I had "a little endo".
(The reason for my use was to control the heavy bleeding during my period, along with the severe cramps.)

Well, I had some ultrasounds done at the hospital late last week, about 10 days after the removal of the Mirena. This is the result:
irregular complex cyst on my left ovary
unusually thickened uterine wall (no other explanation other than it was thicker than average)
It was noted that the series needs to be repeated.
(I'm assuming they want to look deeper)
Note that I have not resolved whether or not there was any perforation from the IUD moving out of place; the GYN never ran an ultrasound to verify it - they just did a regular exam & told me "it was still in my uterus". (that exam initiated severe bleeding for several days as well)

Good luck and let me know how you're doing!

And, yes, I do have several friends that LOVE their Mirena.

Good grief. No wonder I'm so sick. This is only my third day on this med, and I'm nauseated and having hypoglycemic attacks. My dermatologist told me to take it on an empty stomach twice a day, which is hard for me because I'm hypoglycemic and get really ill when I don't eat.

And now this medication on top of it.

I swear she told me not to eat. I even have literature that she gave me that says "take on empty stomach, either one hour before eating or two hours after eating."

Muscle weakness, pain, tingling

After taking levaquin, I still suffer from muscle weakness, pain, and tingling several years later. My doctor who is one of the top specialists in New York has seen what this drug has done to me and is doing research for an article in a medical journal to put the word out of the horrible side effects of this drug as well as increasing the knowledge to hopefully figure out how to counteract this.

If you are/have suffered similar results, please contact me at ****** and we can discuss how you can send your case information to my doctor for the study and medical journal article. We need more scientific studies and literature out there about this drug and the side effects.

It is so funny to read all of the negativity but nothing positive! I came here looking for side effects and get a bashing about how horrid Yasmin/Yaz is! Let me first start off by listing my side effects that I wanted to know about:

breast tenderness
change in appetite
tiredness
red spot in eye

Next, let me tell you that I researched BEFORE taking this medicine because 1. I have MS 2. I suffer from migraines and seizures and 3. I take a whole boat load of medications! My doc recommended Yasmin for PMDD coupled with Sarafem to help my mood right before and during my time of the month. I must say that I have only been on it for about 10 days so I do not know anything of how it works with my period.

I am APPALLED at the fact that there are few, if any, positive comments about this pill! I know for a FACT that it works because I know 7 people personally that are on it that have NO PROBLEMS! So, I ask you all that have negative comments, what is wrong with you, other than you HATE the pill? What OTHER meds were you on while taking it? I read a few comments about stopping for a month and then starting again and then wondering why they felt like crap?? Well HELLO?! You are effing with your body's hormones! And there is a difference between Yaz and Yasmin hormones. If you had a bad experience with Yaz, make sure you are not confusing it with Yasmin! Yaz is a 24 day hormone pill where Yasmin is only 21 days.

I am not a doctor, but like I said, I have done my research. I have suffered with adult acne and PMDD for years. It sucks. If Yasmin helps, I want to know. I don't want to read a bunch of bull about people who mess up their cycles by taking the pill and smoking or taking the pill with meds they shouldn't be taking them with. I know what I can and cannot take. Most of what I take is natural and what is not, well, it CAN be taken with Yasmin. Like the website for Yasmin says and like most of the informational, non-biased websites say, Yasmin and Yaz is not for everyone. Some people cannot handle this type of hormone.

I can guarantee you that some doctor or pharm company can tell you that whatever symptom you are having is from something completely unrelated to the BC you are taking. Warnings are clearly marked...read them and obey!

I had Mirena put in on Monday at noon and had it removed on Wednesday at 4:30. The time in between was awful. First, the IMPLANTATION (and don't let anyone tell you it's an INSERTION - it's IMPLANTED) was honestly the worst pain I've ever had. It compares to slamming your finger in a door. My eyes immediately teared and I kind of screamed and jumped. The dr. said "It'll only hurt like that one more time." WHAT???? Sure enough, it hurt like that again, then it was in. Then the cramping started. It continued through that day, eased up, hurt a bit the next day. Then my stomach started hurting, and I began developing a bruise on my skin on top of where the Mirena was. It felt as if it were trying to push its way out through my skin. The next day I woke up feeling almost normal, but that afternoon thought I was in labor. Was crying, couldn't take deep breaths or it would REALLY hurt, severe cramps worse than any menstrual cramps I've ever had (and I've had BAD ones). My husband called the doctor and I went right over and had it removed. Within 1-2 minutes I felt normal again.

What upsets me the most is not the promotional piece of literature that only told me the benefits, but the fact that my gyno presented it as The Device That Would End All of my Problems. I would expect a more fair assessment from a doctor.

It ended up being her partner who removed it, and he said, "Mirena's not for everybody." I really wish it had been presented in a more unbiased way upfront.

Anyway, the pain is over now and I'm taking Loestrin. My advice would be to just REALLY SERIOUSLY consider what you are doing before you get this device, and be ready to have it removed if it doesn't work out for you.

I had used NR for six weeks when I woke up at 3 am with SEVERE chest pains. Went to the ER and was diagnosed with *substantial* pulmonary emboli (blood clots in the lungs). I was hospitalized for five days and am now under the direction of a pulmonologist and hematologist for the next six months while I'm on blood thinner therapy. I had to do injections into my abdomen twice a day to prevent further clotting until my blood reached a theraputic level with the Coumadin (blood thinning drug).

Usually, pulmonary embolism afflicts sedentary people or those who have recently had surgery or those who have cancer . .. etc etc etc. I am a 33 year old personal trainer. I have ZERO risk factors for this to have happened to me . .. other than the nuvaring. It was determined that it was the cause and I was told to remove it immediately and to never never never use it again.

Please be careful in your decisions to use this product. I used it for the convenience of not popping a pill daily as I would usually forget. Wish I would have just looked a bit further into the possible side effects before choosing to go ahead with it.

It's so encouraging to hear everyone else's views about this "device"!! I've had my Mirena since 16th March 2007 (yes, I remember the day like it was yesterday as inserting the thing was the most painful experience I have ever had, although I haven't had children!!).

The literature says you will get cramps and bleeding for up to about 3 weeks (I think) ... yes, try about 6 months.

Then, just when I thought things were settling down, I got sciatica over Christmas for no apparent reason. It was mild to begin with and then after £100 and 3 trips to the chiro, I am now on physiotherapy and have been for a month. I've also starting having cramps for about a month yet, but no sign of a period, so I got to thinking I wonder if this sciatica has got anything to do with the Mirena. I googled and sure enough, people are suffering and also from a whole host of other things I now recognize is happening to me. The blurred vision is interesting as when I went to get the Mirena removed this morning (it has got lost up there!!), the nurse said I've never heard of anyone getting sciatica. Check the internet love, the uterus is very close to the sciatic nerve and bearing in mind mine (the Mirena not the uterus) has gone walkabout, I'm pretty certain this is the root of my problems.

Someone had asked for the Mirena to be removed because it was affecting their contact lenses, so there must be something in the rumour.

Anyway, hopefully the doc can remove mine tonight or I can get a scan quickly and have the damn thing removed. Only 12 weeks until I get married and I refuse to walk down the aisle on crutches!!!!!

I am a 37 year old female ~185lbs already under treatment for clinical depression with two medications. I used to take Alavert (loratidine) for seasonal allergies but found it had "stopped working" well for me. Since Zyrtec (certirizine) went over-the-counter, I decided to try it.

I took it sporadically at 10mg daily for a period of 2-3 weeks, and then, during a particularly bad allergic exacerbation, began to take it consistently at 10mg daily. My depression, which was previous well-controlled on medication, worsened to the point of severity. Extreme despair, emotional detachment, and loss of interest in pleasurable activities--well, in ANY activity beyond sleep.

I am a pharmacist, and on a whim, I decided to do some research into interactions with my other medications, and found several anecdotal reports of depression onset and worsening in Zyrtec users. This particular side effect of Zyrtec was unknown to me, nor have I received any educational materials or reports in my trade literature listing depression as a possible adverse effect.

I have discontinued the medication in both myself and my three year old daughter (5mg daily). I can already see a difference in her disposition, and I am starting to crawl out of my pit of gloom. I'm using Alavert again, as I never had one issue with it, and I'm supplementing with Benadryl (diphenhydramine) at night as needed for exacerbations.

I had my Mirena removed last Friday. I had a meeting in the afternoon and I can swear that I was thinking much clearer. My doctor was very supportive. When I told her that I was removing the Mirena due to side effects she listened and took note of them. She told me she is not as satisfied with the device as before and that she was going to check the literature for side effects. She is getting some other patients with side effects. I felt relieved thinking it was not in my mind. Removal was a piece of cake. I'm now just waiting for the symptoms to clear up. I was able to use my contacts yesterday without the feelings of dizziness but I am still experiencing the headaches, palpitations, some joint paint though not as strong as before. I am much calmer. I don't have the constant anxiety and worry I had before, just the normal stress levels. One thing I noticed immediately was my energy coming back. On Saturday I woke up doing my laundry, breakfast, cleaning and my husband came to me asking me if I wanted him to help. I was surprised!! On the past I was always asking him to do stuff for me, but I felt so energetic that I was doing all things by myself without thinking about it. I just hope my normal self starts coming back slowly. I am drinking lots of water just in case. For people using contacts, how long it takes for your vision to come back to normal?

I have been on Lamictal and Topamax for approximately 4-5 years now. I also take effexor. I have a seizure disorder. At first everything was alright, however now I have been having double vision, staggering, memory loss that has occurred slowly within the last two years or so, and of course as with most meds the usual diarrhea or constipation. I wonder how long does it take being on medication for these side effects to kick in? I read all literature whenever I start a new medication even if it is a OTC drug. (over the counter). I just got out of the hospital and am being sent from one doc to another. I feel like a guinea pig in a lab! Please help!

OH and to those of you have taken the time to read these posts and have posted your own accounts and have not been offensive. Thank you! I appreciate you increasing awareness. Concerned citizen I am very thankful that you have done so much research. It has been very useful to me!

Some common sense observations about Singulair side effects. (As everything on the internet, this is only my opinion.)

Conclusion up front: Ethics in science SUCKS these day. Put enough money on the table and what happens? I don’t mean all scientists, just the few. But, the Merck ghost writers are the tip of the iceberg for those in the schm#ck category. Maybe, if we reveal the extremes of abuse of laboratory animals, the ASPCA will organize and save us all. How about if they find out about the pharma labs that just beat the cr@p out of the lab animals to produce a stress response to find out what chemicals are produced? What was that all about?? Probably military—send our soldiers out to war over politics/oil, then we will have a pill to give them every night to put them back together again for the next day??

1.The cysLT1 receptor, which Singulair blocks, is a gene, found on the x chromosome (?), part of our inherited innate immune system. It is evolution. The hypersensitive individual overreacts to environmental stimuli causing unpleasant or dangerous symptoms. It is advantageous to intervene to prevent that. Merck’s idea was to block cysLT1 so that the chemicals secreted by the mast cell cannot reach the tissues in the lungs and nasal passages to cause the inflammatory responses-asthma being the more severe.

2.How did Merck develop such a drug? The cysLT1 receptor , a gene, has a profile, a chemical map of the components. Montelukast, was modeled to chemically bond with the receptor so that it does not function. That bond will endure until the liver enzymes break it down. Montelukast blocks the leukotriene response until it is time to take another pill. All that sounds good so far.

3.Now comes the first of the too good to be trues. Montelukast was formulated for a specific gene profile. However, cysLT1 has variations, numbers unknown, but more than several. Even Merck recognizes that it is not effective for everyone because the clinical data shows that. Mis-matches with the gene profile can cause montelukast to be recognized as an allergen. Then, the body mounts an immune response against montelukast.

4.Many of the symptoms that we see here are allergic reactions to montelukast, headache (18%), types of neuro-muscular (10%), hives, nausea, vomiting, leg pain, stomach cramps, and more. Some people will recognize montelukast instantly as an allergen. If the mis-match is slight, the allergic reaction could be acquired or build over time. Montelukast will ALWAYS be an allergen to those people. Doctors will do great harm if they treat allergic reaction to montelukast with other drugs. Those people must STOP taking montelukast.

5.The second too good to be true, is that cystLT1 receptor, involved in the leukotriene response, is only a very tiny part of the immune system, genetically programmed to function as a WHOLE. Now what? It is highly unlikely that montelukast can block the leukotriene receptor - cysLT1 in the brain, lungs, spleen, intestinal mucosa, etc. and not cause some kind of re-structuring of the immune system to compensate for that. Those who take Singulair can expect that they are a new adaptation of human being who can operate without the cysLT1 receptor. Or, they can expect long term damage. How scary is that?

6.What would happen if Merck revealed that montelukast, by definition , cannot work for everybody because it is based on a gene profile with variations? What would happen if patients and doctors started to think about the immune system as a whole? Then Singulair – which means “single thing you need for air – breathe” the logo is even Singul-AIR, would not be the huge money maker that it is. Doctors would find a way to use it, for whom it is effective, in an appropriate way to consider the long term effects. For some people, this drug could have a place. But this drug does not deserve to be a CASH COW-money, money, money!

7.What in the heck is wrong with the FDA? Are they under a spell or hiding under a rock?