I tried stopping zyrtec many times but could not because of the itching but I thought it was allergies. Then after many many attempts I started researching, and MrsD there are miliions, not thousands, of people who suffer from being addicted to it.

I praise the Lord I was able to get off it. It was a BAD month. But after reading so many AWFUL cases, apparently I am "lucky" I got off with only a severe month of suffering. I can remember hubby and I would be out at a movie and the bumps/itching would start, I couldnt sit still in my chair. I got a rash over my chest, arms, legs. In times past when i would quit for 5 days and this itching started, I assumed it was allergies.

I was on a facebook group for awhile and really...it was like crack cocaine withdraw for these people.

It is awful.

I would NOT put it pass this company to do it on purpose. It certainly keeps the customers purchasing their product.

Again I will state, it has been researched that even people who don't realize it:

MORE PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING FROM DRUG SIDE AFFECTS THAN FROM DISEASE.

powerful.

i dont take antihistamines fortunately bar maybe once every few years......but my son does for good reason.
i will read that page well...thanks mrs d

i recall many years ago using Phenergan as a sleeping aid when i worked night shifts. forget how long i used it but it didnt take long to give me tinnitus. end of intake.

i dont know if nexium is the baddie for my heart rhythm.....it is just that it finally crossed my mind that there was a time line parallel involved.
i had taken it years ago with no problems.

after a week of cut back on nexium i see no difference so am watching what goes on. the drug has worked for the ulcer and other stuff caused by another drug (not celebrex) .
one thought given to me was that it should be taken for life.
ummmmmmmm. i may well need something for life but it may not be nexium

dont think that oil is doing anything. feet are crazy since it got colder here the last day or so.

HI,I was reading about people having side effects from different drugs that's why when i go to my MD and wants to put me on some type of i have told him if the sides are worst then the drug its not going to happen.
My theory is that people who take a lot of drugs may not drink enough water to
flush their systems out.
I went and got some B12,but got the wrong type got the CYANO instead of METHLY B12 but it would have cost me 3 times as much to return them in fuel then what they cost and if i understand right if my system can convert it fine if
not then i will get the right type next time.
At 72 years old and only using insulin i feel i may be doing something right for now i also take ALTERIL as it is a natural product as a sleep aid

I a bit confused about a few things. I am trying to put things together reading this thread. You mentioned Lisinopril causing you terrible edema. I have been on the Lisinopril for a few years now.

I had some bladder surgery and developed terrible edema shortly afterwards. I thought the surgery may have been the cause. All the doctor/surgeon would say is "well you know you are getting older and may be the cause of the edema. My legs and feet swell from the edema. Because of the edema, I take Spironolactone daily to keep it under control. Since you mention the Lisionopril causing you a problem with edema causes me to wonder if this might be my problem.

Also, you mention Morton's Magnesium Lotion. A while back, I purchased Kirkman Magnesium Sulfate Cream. Is this similiar?? I have terrible burning of the feet and ankles daily. This Cream has not helped. Is Morton the name of the brand of Magnesium Lotion you are using? What should I be looking for in order to get the kind of mag lotion you are using? That sounds wonderful if I could get some of the burning down; especially when it really gets out of line. While I have a problem with both ankles burning; the worst burning and swelling is in my left ankle.

Any info you can give me would be most appreciated.


Gerry

Lisinopril belongs to the ACE inhibitor family. All the drugs in that family, raise bradykinin levels, and this is the problem.

There is a specific enzyme in the body to degrade this, but some people lack this enzyme genetically, so bradykinin builds UP... and dilates blood vessels all over and fluid then accumulates in the tissues, and when this hits the lungs/heart and throat you can die.

Lisinopril also is not metabolized and is excreted as such in the urine, and will do this to the bladder...irritate it and swell it.

Any trauma, surgery, (they say even a huge psychological stressor), or even a bug bite may trigger an attack that is called angioedema. You need to get off that Lisinopril ASAP and have your doctor give you another type of drug.

Ace inhibitors are dangerous for some people.

http://www.hcplive.com/publications/...-04/2005-04_02

http://www.haea.org/

If you have had GI symptoms or swelling of body parts BEFORE the lisinopril, then you may have the genetic form of angioedema.
If only since using this drug, you may have:
1) drug induced lupus from it (which I had)
2) and/or your swelling is due to it and the bradykinin elevations.

It has only been since 1972, that angioedema has gotten attention. Probably this is because of the ACE coming to the market. My doctor had a CE on it just over a year ago, so she is a bit familiar with it. She thinks I have the hereditary type and that explains my "emergencies" all my life.

I have been using the magnesium Morton's lotion on my left foot and hands and their swelling is greatly improved.

It is best to go to an immunologist who has experience with HAE...most regular doctors don't know how to interpret the blood tests.

I have been using two things I found on the net that are bradykinin receptor blocking agents. One is bromelain which is an enzyme from pineapple stems. I use the only enteric one I could find --the enteric coating protects it from stomach acids.
LEF makes it and I get mine at Amazon at a discount. I use 2 a day in divided doses. I also use green tea instead of my black tea now, as it is supposed to help. I have reduced my GI spasms to once a month now, and the mag lotion has taken down my hand swelling.

I suggest you get that lisinopril changed ASAP.... I really suspect it is a culprit in your suffering!
Antihistamines and steroids are not successful treatments for this. If your swelling gets to your chest, as mine was, you can be in for serious and potentially fatal consequences. Mine was mostly GI for a long time, and since I have that congenital malrotation problem anyway... the latter was blamed for much of my woes. In reality the angioedema was the trigger all along!

i have been unsuccessfully using the spray for about a week and thought it was messy and sort of hard to use in practical terms

for at least a week i have started using Kirkmans mag cream with NO noticeable effect on my PN.
sadly i bought some extra jars last week so really it is a waste in terms of pain control but will deliver me my desired dose of mag each day that i take anyway.

i was passing the only compounding pharmacy i know of today and got a price for 500 gms of cream. that would be about 4.5 jars of kirkmans as a close enough equivelant.
say 5 jars.
that would be $100 at most from the USA with your and our dollar as they are right now. big difference. the chemist offered the info that the only two people he had made the cream for.........a PN like me and a MS sufferer.......had had no positive effect from the cream.

so
it was a useful experiment but did not work.
will have to try the Lyrica.
just dread the change over but i have had a couple of terrible weeks of pain and balance issues, so going to have to do something

interestingly my brother was put on mag by his local doc.
forget why now . he normally does not take medical advice from me but left with two of my part used mag bottles (seeing as i also got a heap from iHerb of the doc best tabs!!) and is going to up his intake . he is diabetic but has no neuropatyhy.

off to walk the dog on my burning feet. it is getting colder and i really think that is now affecting me.... whereas before it was more likely the heat.

I believe I have been using the Lisinopril prior to my Cystocele Surgery. I will have to check dates. Even with the Lisinopril, my blood pressure was fairly high. It only started going down when first I was put on Furosimide, then later changed to the Spironlolactone that brought my blood pressure down. The spironolactone is used to control edema.

Should the Lisinopril be the culprit, and get off it; I would not probably need the med for edema. Are there any safe meds for the blood pressure?? Prior to the edema meds, My blood pressure was pretty steady around the 140 over 85 and at times higher. I just saw my PCP (Endocronologist) about a week ago. I have lab tests done the week prior (he treats my throid, etc.) He is well aware of all my issues. Not sure what I say to him about the Lisinopril as the possible culprit.

I did develop Stasis Dermatatis around the same time as the edema. My ankles are blue with broken vessels. Of course, all this really aggravates my PN which developed after lumbar fusion. My respiratory tract does not seem to be a problem; only legs and ankles.

Mrs. D, I really appreciate the time you take with all the different issues we deal with.


Gerry

I am taking only 25mg of atenolol. I used to take this years ago but then my doctor wanted to put all her patients on the ACE inhibitors! At first I had no problem. It seems in the past 2 yrs the edema was creeping up. So then she gave me Lasix which I use once a week or every other week. Then BOOM... I had a huge full body attack and my pelvic area swelled up so badly I couldn't sit...it hurt so much. I was huffing and puffing breathing and very weak and my blood pressure was higher than ever. This I think is from the stress of it all, and due to cortisol released to help with the stress.

I took the lisinopril at night and would wake up 3 hrs later in terrible pain in the bladder and everywhere else....it would go away until the next afternoon, then I would have dinner, and take the next lisinopril and boom again... So I looked at what I was taking at night... Benadryl, Vit D, melatonin and lisinopril and a light bulb went off in my head and I just stopped it and called my doctor.

I use the Morton's Magnesium Epsom lotion to take down the swelling, and it combined with the atenolol to bring my uncontrolled 180/100 down to 135/70!

I guess my system stopped degrading the bradykinin, and it built up to massive levels and caused all the grief. I also had terrible abdominal pain with this, it felt at times like I was going to "burst"... the whole reaction is settling down now. The bromelain is really helping and I can get into my older underwear again!
This clothing problem was very embarrassing, and I had to order special old lady underwear with no elastic online! I couldn't wear any of my clothes for at least 2 weeks either.

My hands still swell, but they go down if I rub in the mag lotion on the backs and wrists.

If you search bradykinin, there are papers explaining that repetitive motion will trigger angioedema attacks. So typing here must be causing my hands to swell, as well.

The edema takes a while to come down. And if you have the hereditary type, or the estrogen acquired type, you may still have some remaining edema, anyway. But now for me it has been just over 4 months, and I am a new person!

If your doctor has not had the CE on this topic like my internist...print out those two sites I gave you...as they target doctors with the information.

One characteristic of this is a type of skin swelling is called peau d'orange. This is where the individual pores are visible on the area and it resembles orange skins. Mine was most noticeable on my forearms (where my lupus skin discoloration is), and upper thighs. It is sort of like cellulite, only more uniform in appearance.
The magnesium lotion really shrinks this orange skin up, for me.

Type into Google hereditary angioedema and select images.
There are photos showing one leg or one hand, swelling. Some facial swelling. I had lower lip swelling and tongue enlargement too. I still get the lip thing moderately, but my tongue is much better, and I can taste things better too.

You should really get the blood work done, to rule out HAE for yourself... those complement, and C-inhibitor levels are diagnostic. They are on the HAE website.