Side effects

[Misty-Eyed]

So.. drug side effects, we've all had them and most of them are pretty nasty and unwanted. But have you ever had any unusual and possibly even positive side effects from anything (apart from feeling better, obviously), and have you ever had any that have lasted even once you've come off the drug?

In my case, the only time in my whole life that I ever got a tan was while I was on cyclosporine. It also gave me REALLY curly hair which I still have to this day. (It's just straight in my pics as I straighten it lol)

 

[Peaches]

Hmmmm, the one great side effect I can think of (aside from Remi making me feel like a million bucks again!!) is from PRED. When I'm on the high doses of it and can't sleep - it makes me able to be super creative. I just get up in the middle of the night and get in the studio and piddle around while everything is quiet. It is like it puts my mind on hyper drive and the ideas start flowing :O) I *really* like that side effect and get kinda bummed when it goes away.....

 

[imisspopcorn]

I had a dystonic reaction to Droperidol/inapsine in the ER. It was given to me for vomiting....It was really freaky. My whole Jaw and neck spasmed. Now I have to becareful whenever I have an anti-nausea meds...

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/814632-overview

 

[Guest]

i've got some textbook allergies - penicillin, metronidazole - which gave me well-documented reactions, but i've also got weird allergies to things with weird reactions.. i'm allergic to wasp stings, strawberries, quite a few other drugs, local anaesthetic to mention but a few, and these don't cause the usual swelling/rash etc, they make me almost pass out due to faintness and my skin feels like it's literally on fire. i also had that reaction from eating a couple of my kids' fruit sweets some years ago, and despite talking to the manufacturers, i never found out exactly what ingredient caused it.

 

[KiwiJo]

OMG! I think I had that too (Imisspopcorn). Except over here in NZ my doctors called it "extrapyramidal side effects". I get it from dopaminergic drugs (like anti nausea and anti-histamine). Its because the drugs block the dopamine in my brain to a point where I get symptoms like parkinsons. My arms flap, my head jerks, my body twists, my speech goes funny and i get really grumpy. I was sooo freaked out the first time it happened. thought Id be like that forever!

whoops! Just read the link you posted. Basically says what I just said, lol

 

[chrisssteeven]

A side effect is usually regarded as an undesirable secondary effect which occurs in addition to the desired therapeutic effect of a drug or medication. Side effects may vary for each individual depending on the person's disease state, age, weight, gender, ethnicity and general health.

Side effects can occur when commencing, decreasing/increasing dosages, or ending a drug or medication regimen. Side effects may also lead to non-compliance with prescribed treatment. When side effects of a drug or medication are severe, the dosage may be adjusted or a second medication may be prescribed. Lifestyle or dietary changes may also help to minimize side effects.

 

[Peaches]

Pop - you just reminded me of something that happened to me in the ER one time. I was having severe abdominal cramping and they gave me something (I can't remember what it was - and hubby can't remember now either) - but it made me want to rip every piece of clothing off that I had on because I felt like I was on *fire* all over and I got really agitated. Felt like I wanted to run down the hall. I'm glad he was there - it was like an altered state for me - felt really weird. I guess I better figure out what that was so I don't ever take it again LOL!

 

[Rob]

Ok it's not a side effect I guess but what peaches jus said reminded me of somethin

I was having a really bad flare up, real bad i would get extreme sharp stabbing pains which would literally drop me too my knees when they hit
so I went too er
they gave me a liquid ant acid of some type, but i watched them crush 3 little pink tablets an mix into it

with in 5 mins of drinking this I couldn't feel a thing. As in I felt normal
my throat and etc was a bit numb but otherwise my stomach etc felt perfect

what the hell were those tablets?
The mix gave me houts of full relief

 

[kenny]

I have environmental allergies to Dogs,cats,feathers,grass,ragweed,mold,tree pollen and so on and so on. That is kinda funny if you have seen the pictures of my dogs and take into account I am the certified Greenskeeper for a Golf Course :ylol:

Anyway my positive side effect is the almost complete lack of allergic response to thing things that previously made me sneeze, eyes turn blood red and swell, under my chin itch and little red welts pop up on my skin! The Imuran is making my life so much easier right now. I am taking it to help close some small fistulas at my resection site but since I started taking it I have not taken a single allergy pill. That from a guy who kept a bottle of Benadryl and Visine in the nightstand for the past 10 years! Not one :thumleft:

 

[ChefShazzy]

Interesting. My hair always used to be straight, and now it is curly, I thought maybe it could be related to all the different drugs I have been on... but I couldn't tell you which one.

Other than that, I have noticed that methotrexate has thinned out my arm hair a little bit...

 

[Nyx]

The only side effects I've had from drugs are the lovely facial hair and moon face from prednisone (oh boy that makes you feel pretty! and having your partner say you have a fu-manchu mustache doesn't help...lol) and hallucinations from being on demerol and gravol. The hallucinations were just weird....I was seeing things moving on the wall, just like tv, and I kept hearing the The Who....lol It was bizarre!! Although not altogether unpleasant....lol

 

[Peaches]

I have environmental allergies to Dogs,cats,feathers,grass,ragweed,mold,tree pollen and so on and so on. That is kinda funny if you have seen the pictures of my dogs and take into account I am the certified Greenskeeper for a Golf Course :ylol:

Anyway my positive side effect is the almost complete lack of allergic response to thing things that previously made me sneeze, eyes turn blood red and swell, under my chin itch and little red welts pop up on my skin! The Imuran is making my life so much easier right now. I am taking it to help close some small fistulas at my resection site but since I started taking it I have not taken a single allergy pill. That from a guy who kept a bottle of Benadryl and Visine in the nightstand for the past 10 years! Not one :thumleft:

Now THAT is a GREAT side effect Kenny!!! Especially with the dogs and the grass!! LOVE the new avi BTW - I had to do a double take on the picture with the name :O)

 

[Misty-Eyed]

The only side effects I've had from drugs are the lovely facial hair and moon face from prednisone (oh boy that makes you feel pretty! and having your partner say you have a fu-manchu mustache doesn't help...lol) and hallucinations from being on demerol and gravol. The hallucinations were just weird....I was seeing things moving on the wall, just like tv, and I kept hearing the The Who....lol It was bizarre!! Although not altogether unpleasant....lol

I lived with the moon face for a good 7 years. It took ages to finally go when I came off the pred. Did you have a nice little steroid hump too at the back of your neck? Nothing beats feeling liking a a roly-poly camel. I never got any facial hair but I grew a kind of fur all over my body on the cyclosporine. I also had rather attractive thick, dark eyebrows too! Lovelllyyyy.

 

[Nyx]

I never got the camel hump, I guess I wasn't on it long enough to develop that! I feel left out now....lol

 

[Misty-Eyed]

I'm guessing you missed out on the bones of an 80 year old too then? I guess I missed out on the facial hair so fair is fair. lol

Has anyone made a thread with before and after pred faces? I have some cracking ones from back in the day lol.

 

[Peaches]

I think there are some posts somewhere with before and afters - Kello82 put some pics up somewhere - but I can't remember where. It is quite amazing what faces will do on pred!! I never did get full on moon face, just a bit chubby in the cheeks and waddle

 

[imisspopcorn]

Interesting. My hair always used to be straight, and now it is curly, I thought maybe it could be related to all the different drugs I have been on... but I couldn't tell you which one.

Other than that, I have noticed that methotrexate has thinned out my arm hair a little bit...

My hair has gotten super curly too....I was on Imuran for a while. After surgery I lost tons of hair. What grew back is really curly?? My hair stylist, who I have gone to for 8 years,is amazed....Back in the 90's I use to pay good money for perms.

 

[shazamataz]

My hair has done the opposite and gone really straight on Pred. It may be the Pred or generally not being well/not enough nutrition? I haven't noticed any more falling out but it is definately thinner, and I don't like it!
One good side effect I had on high dosed of Pred at the hospital was feelings of slight mania. I had a couple of intense 'spiritual' experiences where I could feel light and love radiating off me - it was kind of awesome!

 

[imisspopcorn]

^WOW! I want that experience.....I'll I got was stoned from the Dilaudid.

 

[shazamataz]

Yup it was pretty cool I felt totally connected to the Universe and really powerful in a loving way. Had all this light coming from my head. I still knew I was me so I hadn't completely lost it!

 

[Nyx]

@shazamataz..I was manic on Prednisone too - I felt I could move mountains! It was fantastic!

 

[KiwiJo]

My GI now knows not to give me prednisone, Id refuse it anyway. I just go stupid on it. Totally high as a kite. I clean everything, eat everything, and wont stop talking, and the insomnia is insane. randomly I didnt put any weight on while on it, but my face got soooo chubby! My mum used to call me lollipop girl because i had a stick thin body and round round face, thanks mum.