Otc symptoms and conditions

I wrote a post few days ago about Singulair and how great my daughter is doing since she started to take this medication three months ago.
Then I started reading about all the side effects that other children had because of Singulair. I GOT SO SCARED!
So scared that last night I stopped giving Singulair to my daughter.

From January to September my daughter had asthma every other week. She was put on steroids (prednisolone) every time she couldn't breath. Then in September the pulmonologist said we have to take control of the situation because so much steroids can damage a little body.
She made me feel I had been a terrible mothers since I always refused to give her singulair.
She convinced me and then I started Singulair, but now I feel worst because I have the feeling I am giving poison to my daughter even if her asthma is under control.

My 7 years old stopped Singulair 12 hours ago, I do not know what is going to happen now. Of course I cannot call the pulmonologist anymore in case my ds gets bad.
Somebody here said that she is giving her son Nordic Naturals Fish Oil, Culturelle probiotics, vitamin c, and changing his diet - increased magnesium and decreased dairy.I will love to have more information about this alternative way of controlling asthma. I do not remember who wrote this post. If there is a web site of a doctor I can contact i will do right away. I live in New York.

I need help. Thank you so much.

I was given a Rx for Levaquin on Dec 17th (5 day dose). I started it on the 17th. By Saturday the 20th, I wasn't feeling good at all, my ankles, knees, hips, elbows, wrists and finger joints hurt. I only had one dose left so stupid me, I took it.

I have had pain ever since. I had read the sheet you get from the drugstore when I had the Rx filled. I remembered something about possible joint pain but didn't think much about it until the pain didn't go away after I stopped taking the drug.

Wednesday the 24th, I looked Levaquin up on an internet drug site and looked at the side effect list again. That is when I realized that the pain I was having was under the "notify your doctor" category. Their office was closed until the 29th. I tried to call the 29th but the phone was always busy. I finally got through today and told them my symptoms and told them to put in my chart to not give me that drug again. The nurse called back to say that they put it in my chart and to take otc stuff for the pain.
I have been taking Advil and a combination pill of glucosamine and condroitin (those are probably not spelled correctly - sorry). I am better but still not 100%.

Today is the 31st and my last dose of Levaquin was Dec 21. I am down to knee pain and a puffy feeling (not really swollen externally but feels swollen internally), left shoulder pain (worse in the morning when I wake up), my hips hurt off and on and my ankles hurt off and on. I am concerned about one of my ankles because I already have a haglund deformaty there so there is already damage to the area.

When I try to get out of a chair, I feel like I am 90 (I am only 49). I really hope this gets better soon. I haven't heard anything about a law suit or anyone who has a way to speed the recovery. Please, let me know if anyone knows how to help this get better faster.

Began taking 500mg of niaspan after 81 mil of Bayer 30 minutes prior (at 11:00 in the am) about 3 weeks ago. Recommended at this time since I do enjoy my 2 glasses of red wine at night. I then take 10mg of Lipitor before bed. Side effects have been swollen lips that keep peeling, after many OTC lip balms, racing heart and unbelievable insomnia. Only had flushing the first day before nurse, not doctor, told me about aspirin. I don't know whether my allergic reaction is the Niaspan or the Lipitor. I also had mild nausea and foot cramps at night. The nausea has subsided but not my lip problem.

For one year prior to taking these drugs, I was on 10/40 of Vytorin but since all the negative results of that drug, my doctor has taken all his patients off of it.

My husband was recovering well from hepatitis A. He's been bothered by some GERD-related digestive problems so he tried OTC Omeprazole because he didn't find any contraindications for liver conditions on it. He took 20 mg daily for 3 days, suddenly felt too full and had no appetite, stopped it but tried again 3 days later when he started having stomach discomfort again. On the 4th day he complained of stabbing pain in his stomach. The next day he was exhausted, bloated,and had a tickling irritation in his throat, and swelling in his feet. He'd had none of these symptoms before taking Omeprazole. I did some research on the Web (at physician's sites) and learned that it is very bad for people with liver problems -- it suppresses key liver enzymes and remains in the body for a very long time. That's been 10 days ago now and his symptoms continue -- mostly fatigue, bloating and swelling in the feet. He never experienced ANY of these things before taking Omeprazole! I see by postings that many people do experience these symptoms for a very long time.

could anyone tell me if claritin is the same as singulair or what i could give my child that would help with the allergies/stuffy nose she was on singulair and was taken off

What exactly do we need for a class action suit, guys?

Side effects: Severe disorientation as if very drunk (vertigo, dizziness, feeling "out-of-body" or high), hallucinations (including feeling things crawling on me), overwhelming fatigue (as if I hadn't slept for days), muscle soreness (as if I'd exercised for hours), joint and tendon pain (especially in hands, wrists and ankles), insomnia, nausea (lost 8lbs in a few days), racing heartbeat, dehydration, ringing in ears, stomach cramps, yeast infection and spotting.

The drug immediately made me sick but I thought it was just the sinus infection, and unfortunately kept on taking it. The side effects were actually worse AFTER I stopped taking it (I got much worse before I got better).

If you're on this stuff, STOP IMMEDIATELY. If you're scared and experiencing side effects as I did, PLEASE KNOW that they are real (you're not imagining things) but they WILL go away. Listen to your body, rest as much as you can, and drink plenty (and I mean PLENTY) of fluids. Despite the nausea, eat SOMETHING (toast, bananas, applesauce).

This is a 24-hour drug, so (verified by my pharmacist) due to its half life, it takes a MINIMUM of four days to leave your system. I only started feeling non-drugged a full 7 days after I stopped taking it. The fatigue lingered (kind of like getting over the worst bout of flu EVER) but now it's slowly going away, too. This stuff was an overwhelming blow to my physical health (I've NEVER been this sick), but I'm getting better. YOU WILL, TOO!

Wow am I glad I found this page. I thought I had a brain tumor or something.

I had taken an albuterol inhaler years ago with good results. I saw a doctor recently and mentioned I had been using an OTC epinephrine inhaler to control my asthma. He recommended I go to something... gentler? So he gave me prescriptions for Singulair and Ventolin HFA.

Two days later, I got the worst headache of my life. I thought I was going through withdrawal from caffeine or sugar (which I began as a result of seeing the doctor). FIVE DAYS LATER I was still fighting it. Not withdrawal, not for that long. Since I'd taken Albuterol before, I suspected the Singulair.

I was fine for a couple weeks, until the headaches inexplicably came back. They were focused around the sinuses, so I was popping decongestants, antihistamines, snorting Afrin, using a Neti-Pot, you name it. I got periodic relief but nothing lasting.

Finally I decided to go off the Albuterol, thinking that because I was older, I had maybe developed a new sensitivity. Within 24 hours my headache cleared, and it hasn't come back. Only then did I start searching the internet for side effects, and I can only conclude that I am sensitive to the new propellant.

Thanks for posting your experiences. You can also tell the FDA about this problem by going to ******

I never thought an allergy med would have a reaction with my esophagus, but I guess everyone can discover something new! I used to be on RX Zyrtec many years ago and never really noticed any issues with it...I have taken Claritin OTC for some time now, but it doesn't seem to last long enough to cover the 24 hour day as it says, so I decided to try the Zyrtec OTC...by the third day I seemed to be having very tight and sharp esophageal pains in the middle of my chest and for the whole week I was on Zyrtec, the symptoms continued and became very intense...I stopped Zyrtec 3 days ago and have noticed a VAST improvement in the pain diminishing and I wondered if anyone else has had any of the same issues as I faced with this!

I have battled acid reflux disease for 10 years. After years of Prevacid, Prilosec (prescription and OTC), and everything else, Nexium worked for me. I had no side effects except I was pain-free in my stomach. My only complaint was that 60 pills (of 40mgs) cost $40 after health insurance. I would definitely recommend trying it.

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?

I'm 18 and had my first son June 4, 08; I got the mirena put in late june 08. This is the worst choice I've ever made health wise. It started when it was inserted - severe cramping like I was having a miscarriage or something. They made no mention of this before hand. I started having spotting and constant light cramping since the day I had it put in for the first 3 weeks. When the time comes for my regular period I get severe cramps that nothing relieves. I've used ALL the ibuprofen and Norco pills that have been prescribed to me in 2 weeks. I'm out of all OTC ibuprofen even though it offers no relief. I called the OBGYN and they say the cramping is normal and just to take two ibuprofens (the ones I had which were 300 mg each) EVER 6 HOURS.

When I went in for a check up, they said it was normal and it would hurt for the first 2-3 months. I then told them that I took all my prescribed Ibu. and then moved to the norco which seemed to be the only relief as I've tried warm baths, Alieve, Advil, Motrin, sleeping in different ways, hot and cold compresses and nothing. He offered to prescribe me ANOTHER form of Ibuprofen as if he didn't hear me mention I have been taking 600 mgs of Ibu EVERY 6 hours since I had it in. Then he told me all he could say was to try Noproxem and that it was just Alieve. He then just told me as I left pissed off to give it more time.

I'm now passing big clots and bleeding in shades of brown and bright red, have severe cramping bleeding through OVERNIGHT maxi pads that you can supposedly wear for up to 8 hours. But he says everything is normal and just give it time. I'm down to begging my mom for her prescription Hydrocodone and she's beginning to think I have a drug dependency problem even if I go for a few days without mention or thought of one at all. Because of this I'm in pain all the time, losing my hair, constantly tired, depressed because there's nothing I can do for the pain, and I'm gaining back all my pregnancy weight. I'm also a pain to be around because I now have severe mood swings that I didn't even have when I was pregnant. And now I have to wait to get my medicaid again to have it removed. As of right now the cramping is so bad I'm on the edge of going to the ER to get it taken out.

The commercials are a lie and every user comment of mirena are just like mine or worse. I would not recommend this to ANYONE (unless I hated them enough). Mirena is a form of torture.

Thank you for sharing your experiences with this medication. My 4 (almost 5) yo has been on Singulair for almost 2 years now for allergies. I've noticed over the past few months a slow change in his behavior/attitude, not positive changes. He's become an aggressive, angry child that can be set off in a split second over nothing. He's also getting worse with not wanting to go into other parts of our home alone. He won't even walk down a short hall to go to the bathroom alone - is afraid of I don't know what. Lately, he's also been obviously having bad dreams because he kicks and yells in his sleep. I've just chalked all of this up to his age. While taking a walk yesterday I ran into a neighbor that was telling me the doctors want to put her son on Singulair but because of the possible hyperactivity and other side effects she won't do it. I came home and found this site along with others describing similar side effects as my sons. As of last night, we took him off of Singulair. I'm curious to see if this is the problem. I'll keep you posted.

I have had wonderful results for my allergy problem...drainage or back-wash. I am no longer able to get this product in my area(Lehigh Valley,PA) . I need some suggestion with an otc replaacement or where I could continue to purchase this product. Thank you. Jean

This site is great! I developed a cold 2 months ago that turned into this severe bout of sore throat and bronchitis symptoms. I do have allergies and take otc meds. Because I was having such trouble breathing my doctor gave me 2 weeks worth of singulair. I'm also on several other meds to try and clear up this bronchitis, but the singulair is the only "new" med, as I have taken the other meds in the past. I noticed last week that I was breaking out in hives. Itching all over and especially on the left side of my face. At first I just thought I'm falling apart, but then I began wondering if it could be the singulair. Thanks to the comments here I'm stopping singulair. Doctors, as well intentioned as they are, really don't know about most of the meds they prescribe. And it is irresponsible for any of them to just say "no it's not the medication", when they really don't know. That's why the internet is such a great tool!

I am very glad I found this site. I have been taking Prilosec OTC for 3 years now and it took care of my acid reflux. I woke up 6 months ago feeling like my "funny bone" got hit but never subsided. I then learned it was possibly my ulna nerve. Burning sensation in my left pinky finger and half my ring finger. Anyone experienced this? I switched to a generic Omeprazole at Walgreens a couple of weeks ago and I have experienced the most excruciating sharp, shooting pain in my neck, shoulders and lower back and sometimes other joint areas. Anyone experience this with the generic brand? I am going off of it and see what happens. The pain is intense!!! Thanks for this site!

I just googled "Prilosec & weakness with sweating" and came up with this site. I have been on OTC Prilosec for at least 2 yrs. taking it off & on...mostly on (everyday). I have been getting more ill over the last 2 months than I have ever been! I am diagnosed with Firbomyalgia & CFS, so I keep blaming my worsening symptoms on those two diseases. My doctor has done so many tests & can't find any answers. I am so glad I found this site. My symptoms of severe weakness, & profuse sweating, with many heart palps, may be coming from the Prilosec. I am going off of it starting today to see if I get any relief. I will have to find something else for my acid reflux...no more medicine!! If anyone knows of a natural product or food to lessen the acid, I would love to hear!

Extremely tired , dizzy , as the one poster said Pain in one side of my head.Awful feeling like I am not walking straight.Stomach pain the first few days I started it.I think I will switch back to my OTC Zantac.

I don't have a side effect to report, but I have read all of your responses. Over all they are 95% negative. The only thing I am wondering, is WHY you chose Yaz to begin with.

I have been thinking about taking Yaz to help with my severe PMDD. If you don't know what that is, basically it's like the moodiness side of PMS times 10. I am euphorically happy normally, lol, kind of like how happy a cocker spaniel is when their family gets home... except I don't piddle on the floor. About 5 days before my period starts I go into a very deep depression, I bloat, I am irritable, and my entire life suffers. I cry (wail is more like it) for absolutely NO reason... blah blah blah. But once I am about 2 or 3 days into my cycle it all passes and I am back to chipper me.

Long story short, I heard Yaz is supposed to be amazing to help stabilize emotions in people like me. How many of you started Yaz just as birth control, or as an acne control? How many of you took it for PMDD and it STILL didn't help?

I am a 52 year old female. I've been using Zyrtec for four months, at first PRN, then for the last eight weeks daily. I also take Norvasc and Atenolol for BP. I was already experiencing slight swelling in my ankles presumably from the Norvasc, and I have been gaining weight steadily since starting the Atenolol in December. I have had overwhelming fatigue during exercise to the point that I can hardly finish a one hour Jazzercise class (which I have attended on a regular basis for over 20 years.) All symptoms I've blamed on the BP meds, especially the Atenolol.

I began complaining to my doc about the symptoms and had a complete blood work up to rule out other diseases that cause these symptoms. He suggested Weight Watchers and increased exercise to battle the weight gain, and reduced the Atenolol to half dose to over come the these issues. I didn't think to tell him about the Zyrtec I had started taking OTC.

I began careful monitoring of calorie intake and increased my Jazzercise classes in an attempt to lose weight with no success. In fact, the weight continued to increase.

This week, the swelling in my ankles increased to the point where you can not recognize them and the swelling has now included my feet. They are so puffy the toes are connected and you can make a deep impression with your finger in the skin. I decided to stop the Zyrtec and found the swelling to stop immediately. Even the slight ankle swelling has abated.

I started searching the web for contraindications between Zyrtec and the BP meds. None of the drug sites offer any negative side effects The Zyrtec site gives no info at all. After reading the many experiences here and on another site, I think the Zyrtec is to blame for all of my symptoms. I have not asked the doc about his opinion, but will inform him at my next appointment.

Went to the doc's with a bad deep cough had for about a week. I was prescribed an antibiotic, eye drop, and an antihistamine. Went to local drug store found out insurance would not pay for antihistamine because it was the same thing as OTC Zyrtec and that the drug store had a generic brand which was cheaper. Started taking it on a fri. night all went well until the following Thur. night at work. Arrived at work normal time then roughly one hour into my shift I notice sweating, dizzy, and not aware of my surroundings, when suddenly I found myself passed out on a hard concrete floor flopping like a fish out of water. Taken to ER were they performed CAT scan, MRI, and very painful spinal tap.
All came back clear. After a stay in the hospital fri I was looking forward to being discharged sat morning when all of sudden it happen once again. In fact it happen three times sat. What was it you ask? My heart had STOPPED first time 5 seconds, second time 11 seconds, and the third time with my Wife watching my heart stopped for a full 18 seconds. Awoke to the sights of several Nurse's with difb in hand ready to shock me back. Rushed to ICU my heart than began racing to 170 – 180 beats a min. had to get med’s. to slow it down. Was schd for a pace maker. Final diagnosis ZYRTEC! The hospital Doc., Cardiologist as well as my PCP agreed.

I am trying to get off Zyrtec after having taken it for the last four months. I am having a hard time doing so. I've taken Zyrtec every spring for about 10 years. Every time I go off of it I develop terrible insomnia. It takes about three months to get over the insomnia. BUT this time around, I have developed a terrible itching. The itching goes away if I take one-half of a Zyrtec pill. It comes back if I don't take another pill within 24 hours. Come to think of it, I have developed this itching before when I went off Zyrtec and used hydrocortisone cream to stop it, but I never before contributed the itching to the Zyrtec. It is definitely some type of withdrawal symptom.
Also, my husband has noticed that I get terribly moody, depressed, cry a lot, and become critical of everyone when I am on Zyrtec -- and go back to my normal self when I am off of it.
AND I have begun to notice that my appetite goes wild while on Zyrtec. When I go off Zyrtec, my appetite goes back to normal. I have gained almost 50 lbs since I was introduced to Zyrtec.
I would like to say that I will never take it again, but it is the only antihistamine that completely controls my springtime allergic asthma. I need to be able to breathe.

Visited new physician, blood test showed recent spike in LDL level (+60 points). Test was non fasting, and not repeated. At follow-up visit, doc directed me to take Lipitor, and when I expressed concern about taking drug before trying diet and other tactics for lowering LDL, doctor brooked no discussion. I specifically expressed concern regarding dizziness, as I had had very severe neurological problems after taking a high level of an OTC at a doc direction for an unrelated problem. My concern was dismissed out of hand (I've never seen it in 20 years.) No return visit was scheduled at this time to check on efficacy. (A medical student was in the exam room, I never spoke with the doc alone, and the doc left the room and I never saw her again.

Without other immediate options for medical care, I filled the prescription for 20 mg of Lipitor. At about the second week, I began to experience severe neurological problems (dizziness, sense of no orientation of my body in space, trouble keeping upright, etc.) I received a card for a cardiology appointment shortly after the visit, and decided to hang on until the visit. The cardio doc said to me, "why are you here?" I told her that the appt. had been scheduled by the other doc's office, but told her what I knew. She took bp - told me it was fine (actually, it was prehypertensive), and then told me my high LDL was genetic, and I'd have to be on drugs for the rest of my life (56). Did not ask for family history, and ignored recent severe leg infection as a possible cause for the spike in LDL.

Having been offered no alternative, I decided to stop Lipitor on my own after 19 days on it. (I decided I would rather drop dead than feel as I did.) Not much improvement immediately. It took 30 days off it to have a day on which I felt well. I am into my second week since then, and have an occasional bad spell, but I am hopeful I'll have a full recovery from the neurological problems. I've been on my own low fat diet for the LDL, but don't know what effect that is having, and have no intention to visit a doctor to find out.

Interestingly, the FDA's Medwatch only allows reporting of severe side effects, and I didn't stay on Lipitor long enough to meet the definition (become disabled).

I am a 34 yr old mom of 2 and have had my Mirena for 4 and 1/2 years. I actaully have been having a great experience, but again, have the same weight gain issues with almost no loss, no matter what. MY BIG QUESTION: has anyone else experienced mysterious vaginal discharge and symptoms? Starting about a year ago, I began having mystery discharge and have been to 7 different doctors who have tested for everything under the sun, and FOUND NOTHING. they can see it, keep giving me yeast treatments. etc, but in 2 or 3 months, it is right back. There is a pungent fish odor, especially after sex with my hubby, which Dr's have been saying is normal... MAYBE NORMAL FOR THEM, not me!! I actually thought it was due to a lack of hormones now that my IUD is ending is life.. However, I did have a couple of crazy panic attacks, which I have never had, the dryness for sex and friction is intense, and my hair has been thinning, which I thought was just me... Can anyone let me know if you've had the vaginal symptoms... I know no one wants to talk about it, but I have to ask!!

I am one of many that has decided to stop giving my child Singulair. And like many others, I have noticed a great improvement in her behavior.

My question is for those who have done the same. What medication have you replaced the Singulair with and have you noticed any of the same side effects that Singulair was causing? What are your thoughts on Flovent inhaler?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

My six year old son has been taking Singulair for almost three years for asthma and allergies. We have had such a hard time with him and it all started around the time he was prescribed this drug. He became very irritable, angry, hard to satisfy and generally unhappy. Now that he is six, the last two years have been the absolute worst with him saying he hates himself and just wants to die. He has stomach pain all the time and has had alternating daily diarrhea for over a year. Our pediatrician has done all sorts of tests and has referred us to a specialist. He has bad dreams every night and also complains of leg pain. He has been so depressed lately that he does not even want to go out and play after school and on weekends (not like him at all) and the teacher calls me several times a week to pick him up early because of stomach pain. I am so upset to think all this has been caused by this drug and he has suffered because of it! He also takes Zyrtec, as do all three of my sons, but the older two do not have asthma, just allergies. I gave him his last dose night before last because I just found out about the Singulair investigation. If anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated.