“…the FDA was warned by their own experts not to release this Meridia and it got on the market anyway.”
I am a 62 year old mother of three grown sons. I have been exceptionally healthy all of my life. On 9/4/99, my birthday, I looked in the mirror and said to myself, “Jane, you would never have gotten those lines over your lip if you had never smoked.” I then started on my campaign to stop smoking and I did just that. When I grew up, all the movie stars smoked, it was glamorous, my parents smoked. But, I made a decision and this time I would make it. I DID!!! Only to have this devastating thing happen to me. I didn’t have any illness from smoking and decided I wasn’t going to.
I stopped smoking but gained 22 lbs. So, on my yearly visit to my gynecologist, I told him about the weight gain and he put me on Meridia. I had never heard of this drug but, had high hopes for results. I am a dancer and (vain about my looks) and this 22 lbs. seemed just too much. I breezed through the menopause and was a little heavier than my younger days but still an attractive, well proportioned, active lady. I was raised to think “Wellness”. My mother was a nurse and my Irish father thought eating right was the answer, and that young women should not be to thin. So, I think I had a very healthy outlook and just tried to reject illness. Besides having healthy genes, and youthful genes, I look at least 20 years younger than I am. I was so fortunate!!!
Shortly after starting Meridia, my right heal began to hurt, shooting pain near the Achilles tendon. I started walking on breaks at work, so I attributed it to that. My balance also seemed a little off. Also, there was a drastic change in my vision, but, being me, I told myself that I was finally going to need reading glasses. Still thinking “Wellness” but trying to admit that I was getting older. I visited an eye doctor and he asked if I was a diabetic. I am not and have never been. So, he said to go get checked for diabetes, since he had never heard of going from a -150 to -275 so quickly, and if I was diabetic, maybe when I was on medication, my vision would return to normal. All the diabetic tests were normal. My gynecologist ran the test. At that point, I mentioned to the doctor’s nurse that I was getting suspicious of the Meridia. And she snapped at me, “Then you must be one of the one’s that can’t take this drug.” I was furious, but kept my mouth shut. I have since confirmed to her my suspicions and asked that she tell the doctor and not to prescribe this drug to anyone else. Now, she has humbled a little.
This is getting much to long, doctor. Other symptoms: Broken bones in my feet. Confirmed stress fractures in right foot and I am being checked on the left foot this week. Dizzy spells, loosing my balance, staff infection right hand, from a slight stick to palm which did not even bleed. A rash on my nipples that is driving me crazy. After taking Augmentin for the staff infection, and getting a big dose of something in my butt, an antibiotic, I got something else, the exterior areas of my vagina became bright, maroonish, red and burned. This has gone away. There are some other symptoms but I have taken up enough of your time. I am really scared and this is why. As healthy as I am, with only the one doctor, the gynecologist, until this all occurred, I have been in touch with a legal firm out of Arizona and the young, legal asst., college student, pre-law, has told me that I may be experiencing decalcification of the bones. They have several people who have contacted them and the 19 year old boy, brilliant, has done a lot of research.
Well, that’s most of the story. I am very angry and scared. I may not be out of the woods. The law firm has not accepted my case yet although they represent a 29 year old girl, who is a vegetable, she admitted she took more Meridia than she should have. Her husband has to do everything for her and their young children. They are supposedly are suing for $25,000,000.
I also have done a lot of research but, have not been to a medical library and just simply don’t under the serotonin connection. I am very intelligent and perceptive, and thanks to my intuition, I only took this KILLER drug for 2 months and was off of it for a week when I took the Augmentin. I had three 10 mg. pills left and took them but, as mentioned above, (not all three at once). I decided not to get the third refill. I guess I am one of the lucky ones. I may never be able to dance (could out dance any 25 year old). And, I may never regain my good vision. I am really worried about these stress fractures. I am calling to order your book tomorrow and maybe the serotonin connection might make a little sense to me.
Thank you so much for taking time to read this long email. You must be a very nice lady to care so much. Doctor, the FDA was warned by their own experts not to release this Meridia and it got on the market anyway. Knoll waged a major P.R. and exhaustive marketing program to fool the American people again. I consider these people criminals and I plan to expose them if it’s the last thing I ever do.
4/5/2000
This is Survivor Story number 26.
Total number of stories in current database is 96
