My recent terrorizing experience. A serious warning about a popular OTC medication.

For those who "know" me, you know that it has been ages since I have been active on AR. The reason is I have been seriously ill since the end of Sept.

Sept. the 29th I had what was thought to be a stroke. ( I'm only 38). I have been witness to several with my elder family members over the years and in my former position at a local hospital. Even my daughter was saying " Mom, are you stroking out on me?" while this was happening. The ER doc's and one of my family docs same to the same conclusion...classic stroke.

The next 6 weeks were a nightmare. I spent almost every waking minute feeling VERY drugged. ( Dizzy, disoriented, headaches, muscle spasms and twitches, racing heart rate, shaking, slurred speech) I fell down like 10-12 times, using a phone sometimes almost made me pass out, and I did black out a few times too.  I couldn't drive, use a computer, sleep...I basically could not function as a human in any way. Several times I thought I would honestly die- I was SO SICK.

 A neurologist diagnosed me as having Hemi-Plegic Migraines, a family doc- as a sinus infection, another as stress and anxiety, an ENT as fluid in my inner ear and infection in my middle ear, and a chiropractor said my C1 was tilted and could be pinching a nerve. True Misery, ok.

Anyway, 6 weeks and 16-18k dollars later (yes 16,000-18,000) I found the culprit. A VERY POPULAR over the counter Diet Aid- Orlistat, a fat blocker. It is marketed under several names. One is over the counter, and the rest are perscription only.

I had finally started to feel "normal" last week. I had gone back to work, was driving again, everything. I had been on so many meds in the last weeks that I had stopped taking the Orlistat. ( losing weight was the last thing on my mind) I had asked literally EVERY doctor that I saw if it could have caused this and they all agreed NOT. "Just cause gastro symptoms" was their answer

Hmmmm, I stared back on it Tuesday evening and by Friday afternoon, BAM! It all came rushing back. I looked into it further, under all the perscription names and the actual drug name, and HOLY COW! This drug causes all of these symptoms and more- even the ear infections. Stopped taking it then and today- I'm almost 100% again.

There have been others who have been through and experience like mine too, BUT the FDA didn't require them to list these side effects (and many others) on their product. (They only listed the one's having to do with gastrointestinal side effects.) The fact that 30% of people taking this drug had severe headaches didn't warrant a disclosure according to FDA guidelines I guess.(Or that 99 cases of pancreatitis have been reported to the FDA from those on this drug in the first couple of years it was made avail.)   

So, if you, or anyone you know is thinking of taking this stuff, just read up on it and know what to look for. There are some even more serious side effects than what happened to me.

I just had to warn as many people as I could about this *potentially awful product.  

*It works well for some without bad side effects