Long-term side effects?

[labraticuex]

hey all,

I've been doing studies almost full-time (90% of my income) since 1998. At last count, I've completed 56 different drug studies.
And I'm worried that I may be doing permanent damage to my health.
Lately I've had some weird long-term side effects.
Starting last year I can no longer exert myself without getting intense stabbing headaches. I first noticed this at the gym when I was doing pull-ups. I've worked out for years and am fully aware of proper breathing techniques. But this time it felt like soing popped in my skull and the pain was so intense I had to sit down for several minutes. I then tried to complete my workout but was unable to w/o causing the headache to return. I have been unable to workout at all since then.
This has also effected my sex life. I can't finish with my girlfriend anymore because the stabbing head pain would return after just a couple minutes of exertion.
I had an MRI and MRA done and the doctor said he could find nothing wrong.

I've done a couple more studies since then. And now I have a new issue. About 8 days ago I woke up with a similar stabbing pain but this time in the right side of my chest. And it has yet to go away. It's not so severe that I can't function, but I have to move slowly and carefully to avoid the flare-ups of chest pain.
I went to the free clinic yesterday and they said it's likely just soing called Costochondritis, which is not dangerous and will eventually go away on it's own after a few weeks. I guess we'll see if that turns out to be true.

In addition, I've noticed a steadily decreasing ability to focus and remember new information over the years. One could argue that's just a natural part of aging, but it seems to effect me much more obviously than others my age (41) and older.

So now I'm very concerned. Have I done too many drug studies? Have they caused the health issues I'm facing or is it just coincidence?
Has anyone else noticed any strange long-term issues after doing drug studies?

[vark]

a friend of mine had a dream in which he met a Guy Hypothetical who had symptoms like yours. My friend suggested that Guy get into a study, perhaps at the place he'd been most often, then report having the symptoms,and see what the docs there say.
Meanwhile, he also suggested Guy get best available medical insurance soonest.

[ent568]

You should compile a spreadsheet of all studies you have done. What were the side effects of the drugs you did? Did you limit yourself to certain types of studies?

[labraticuex]

Jun 26, 2011 20:54:23 GMT -5 ent568 said:

You should compile a spreadsheet of all studies you have done. What were the side effects of the drugs you did? Did you limit yourself to certain types of studies?

Too late for that. I tried to hold on to Informed Concent packets for all of them for a long time, but moved so much and lost most of them. I can barely remember most of them or what drugs they were. I don't recall anything unusual, they were mostly drugs for Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, common stuff like that. I try not to do any that are for brain/mental issues (alzheimers, schizophrenia, etc). And I only ever did one HIV study back in 1999. That HIV drug was the only one that made me sick enough to vomit.
Since then, I've rarely ever had noticeable AE's while in house, and when I do it's usually just headache and tiredness.

[labraticuex]

oh, btw, I have some small good news: The chest pain/Costochondritis went away a couple days ago, just as the doc at the free clinic said it would.

[vark]

you can write to the places where you have done studies and ask for a copy of your files.
most of the time they will send them.