top of page
Amanda Fox Gibbons

Pharmaceuticals & Highly Sensitive Humans

Have you ever experienced totally unanticipated side effects from a popular medicine?


Did you question if a commonly recommended medication could really be causing such extreme reactions?


Maybe wonder if others had ever felt this way, too?


Are you a highly sensitive person?


If so, you're in my boat. Being highly sensitive can feel isolating, but you are not alone.



My intention for writing this post is to help spread awareness about certain products. Maybe you have also experienced some wild side effects from using both prescription and over- the-counter pharmaceutical products. I have learned first hand that my system cannot tolerate most mainstream medications and this has left me feeling alone and oftentimes anxious in the conventional medical system.

*This is not medical advice, only my personal experience.


When I share my experiences of different side effects, the western med doctor's I have been working with usually look at me like I am nuts and offer a different pharma product. They will show me the pamphlet with the instructions and the list of side effects, such as dry eyes, sore throat or change in taste. However, no doctor or pharmacist has ever mentioned the enormous impact "simple" medications can have on one's entire system if you are sensitive to chemicals/meds like me.


I understand everyone is different and that pharma products can help in certain situations. From my experience, the following products caused far worse side effects than the actual reason for using them in the first place and I think it needs to be recognized that the reactions are real.


Claritin and Zyrtec

I tried these medications at separate times, about one year apart. After being on these common antihistamines for approximately 1 month, I suffered crippling anxiety, major memory loss, brain fog, dizziness and extremely dry/painful sinuses. I felt as though I was having a split with reality. It was terrifying. Intuitively I understood that the antihistamine was causing brain inflammation and I tapered off quickly. It took about a week to regain normalcy after discontinuing use.


Antihistamines can be so helpful during mold recovery, histamine intolerance and of course at springtime. A highly effective natural remedy I've had great success using is Forest Leaf: Quercetin, Nettle and Bromelain. Available here. No side effects from my experience.


There is also a wonderful Chinese medicine called NAET that helped me tremendously with allergies and out of control histamine levels. It's a combination of acupuncture and muscle testing. On the website you can search for a practitioner in your area. Mine happened to be a chiropractor in Wyoming who helped me achieve excellent success with histamine regulation. I am now able to eat almost anything despite it's histamine content!


Cromolyn Sodium is an older prescription antihistamine that I have taken orally and have nebulized with great success.


Prednisone

Can we say "roid-rage"? 3 days on a small dose of this steroid caused me to feel absolutely irate, unable to sleep and totally anxious. I even envisioned ways to murder my dog when she took off after a truck cruising down the road and wouldn't respond to my calls. Not my usual reaction! That ended my usage of pred.


Symbicort

This asthma medication contains 2 parts: the corticosteroid and LABA, or long acting beta antagonist. It's designed to lower lung inflammation as well as keep your airways open and less reactive. It is supposed to help lessen the use of a rescue inhaler. It did all of those things really well.


However, after 1 week of use I experienced insomnia, abdominal pain, intense bloating, vision flashes, tinnitus, debilitating anxiety, nonstop weeping and short term memory loss. I couldn't remember conversations or tell if I had thought something or actually said it out loud. It felt as though everything was moving too fast and that my head was a mile away. I am grateful that I connected the dots after one week of use and tapered off.


Sometimes side effects don't show up for weeks or months, making it difficult to discern what is causing the reaction. These are paralyzing side effects and I am 100% certain they were from the inhaler. All subsided within 3-4 days of stopping this medication. Who should have to choose between breathing or feeling like that?

There has to be a better way.


  • Clear Lungs is an excellent natural remedy for breathing support available here.

  • This book taught me so much about the importance of breathing correctly.

  • Here is a website that has personal reviews about medications. Reading real accounts of other's experiences helped me understand and believe what was happening with my body and to know that I am not alone.


In all fairness, I have used a couple pharmaceuticals without reaction and am glad to have had their assistance in my recovery. Of course I prefer to use all natural medicine and believe it is imperative to listen to your unique body when trying out different approaches.


The most important thing is that whatever it is helps without causing more harm.






39 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page