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When medications add side effects on top of side effects
Medication sometimes can feel like playing with fire. Of course it’s always crucial to take medications as prescribed, but what do you do when these medications make symptoms worse or just add fuel to the fire?
Many with pulmonary hypertension need to take medications with side effects that range from nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and muscle pain. It seems ironic that taking something to help us remain as healthy as possible can make us feel anything but!
One of my hardest side effects from my medications is fatigue. I wish there was a magic pill to take to boost my energy levels without the caffeine that would cause my heart to race out of control !
Do you experience side effects from medications? What is your hardest to manage? What do you do for this?
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8 Replies
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Mine would be the same. I so dislike not having the energy to do anything. I try to take advantage of the few minutes a day that I MIGHT have a bit of “get-up-and-go.” But there is usually so much that I want to do in that small amount of time that I can’t even begin to decide WHAT to do. Time wasted! Double whammy! I have a list of things to do (a short one and a longer one) but I can’t decide on just one thing. I guess besides fatigue, brain fog would be the next side effect I dislike.
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I agree Beverly !
Brain fog is such an annoying side effect and I feel like sometimes medications can add to it. I always try to cram everything into the moments when I’m feeling well but am let down when I can’t do as much as I hoped to! That’s always a difficult reality to face when we bite off more than we can chew !
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After my latest veletri uppage the adjustment has been miserable. Nausea, jaw pain, fatigue….at this moment I could throw up on the cat and I wouldn’t care. I have so many things I would like to do….especially eat but not with this gut…. hopefully this will pass….
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Hi Charlotte,
I have been struggling with problems with my gut too. It’s an awful feeling when you’re so fatigued and can barely eat because of lack of appetite or feeling nauseous. I feel that sometimes when doctors try to help with symptoms they end up just prescribing more medication to add to the list of meds we are already used to taking ! I know natural remedies won’t “cure” what’s going on, but have you tried anything besides medications to help ease your symptoms a bit?
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I like many of us agree with Brittany that some medications can add side effects to other drugs or conditions. I have been on Letairis since 2009 when I was diagnosed with PH. Since then my doctor has tried to add Tadalafil which did nothing but cause SVT which is a form of tachycardia which would cause my heart rate to increase to 120 to 160 without warning and reason and it would sometimes last for several hours at a time while other times it would last only a few minutes. I had my doctor take me off that medication which alleviated those events sometimes.
I was also put on Adempas which did nothing but cause extreme headaches to the point that I didn’t want to get out of bed for the most part. I had to stop that medication also.
Just a few months ago I was put on Sildenafil and I used that for almost 2 months before stopping that medication. The side effects I was having were chills as I constantly felt cold even though it the temperatures here have been between 70 and 80 degrees outside and because of that I shouldn’t have to run the portable heater and crank up the heater to 77 degrees inside. My wife was always complaining that I was trying to roast her like a chicken 😉 In addition to the chills I was having low grade fevers, night sweats along with a few other adverse side effects all of which stopped when I discontinued the Sildenafil.
I have bad allergies and at the current moment I have Postural Tremors which the Mayo Clinic believes is due to a bulging disc that is pushing on the spinal chord in my neck. The tremors cause a slew of symptoms and adding medications like Sildenafil only make matters worse when the medication has more risks than benefits.
I have learned over the years that doctors prescribe medications by determining the risk vs the benefits of a drug. I get that with all of the above medications I shouldn’t have had little to no side effects but I tend to usually be that small percentage of patients who will have some rare and unusual side effects so I have always used caution to not always trust that a medication a doctor prescribes is safe and I have learned to always do my own research about new drugs that are being recommended to me and to check for interactions with other medication I’m already taking which for the most part weeds out drugs that I might have a higher risk of side effects. However, even with all of that there is still no way to predict the likely hood of an adverse side effect of a drug until you begin taking it. But doing your research will always help reduce some of that risk as you can sometimes catch side effects or interactions with other drugs that the doctor might not have seen or noticed when they prescribe a medication.
I know that sounds harsh as most of us grow up being taught that we should never question our doctors because they know best. I frankly think that is load of bull as every patient should have an active role in their healthcare.
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Hi Nathan ,
I can totally relate to the side effects of headaches and arrhythmias. I also have been diagnosed with SVT but mine was not a result of medications. I’m glad that getting off the medicine has helped you with that. Because as you know, SVT just adds to all the complaints and is such a nuisance and disruption when you feel your heart that way!I agree with you that doing our own research and asking questions to pharmacists is helpful with taking an active role in our health. We must remember that is is OUR life they are dealing with. We need as much control as possible!
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My memory is gone. My brain is not working. I can´t focus on reading. I am sleepy 24/7. Tachycardia. JAW PAIN every time I bite into food or drink.
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Hi Martina,
I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this too ! Brain fog is so hard to manage and can get in the way of daily life. The jaw pain must be awful! Have they given you explanation for that?-
I used to read several books in the same time. Now I can´t focus on one chapter of fanfiction I like. I go to bed at 8pm how tired I am. And I wake up every few minutes due to being able to lie only on the right side of body. Body screams for change. On the left side I can´t breathe at all, on the back I suffocate after few seconds. Therefore I can´t get a proper rest I need.
I found out, that jaw pain is side effect of Veletri I am on. It´s blinding pain. It really affect appetite. And doctors didn´t even tell me about it. I found out about it from other patients. From facebook groups. And taking all pills with water in the morning, awful.
Plus diarrhea, due to Veletri too.
I am so weak. I only walk few steps, then I have to rest. My 81 years old father walks faster.
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