April 16th
2009
11:56 AM
I am a perfectly healthy, 24-year old young lady in excellent mental and physical health. I eat right, exercise regularly and I have no history of any health problems. In August of 2007 I started taking Yaz, it was prescribed by my gynecologist and I always got free samples, so I began taking it. In November of 2007 (almost 4-months after starting Yaz) I began having severely painful and scary gallbladder attacks. After multiple tests, I found out that at 22 years of age, my gallbladder was functioning at 0% and had to be removed immediately. I always thought that it was odd and my family did too because there is no history of gallbladder disease in my family at all and I was way too young and healthy to have my gallbladder fail. During the first few months of taking Yaz, I noticed that I was moody and tired beyond belief. I lost a few pounds though. For the first couple of months, my acne got worse, but then around the same time that I had my gallbladder removed, my acne started to improve pretty rapidly. A couple of months later I was diagnosed with IBS and have suffered digestive problems since.
I was in a relationship when I started taking Yaz and for no reason at all I lost all interest in sex and developed anxiety and an aversion to touch and in January of 2008 I broke things off with my boyfriend for no reason at all. In March of 2008 I started having severe anxiety and panic attacks. At times I even had thoughts of dying and thought that "at least I won't feel this way anymore."
To soothe those feelings I began drinking and partying and found that I felt better with the calming effects of alcohol. I drank at least 4 nights a week for about two months until I started gaining weight from the drinking. I don't have an addictive personality at all and so I just quit drinking cold turkey. It tasted horrible anyways.
In May 2008 I met the most wonderful man in the world, and yet, I was unable to ever really "feel" anything for him and I always felt emotionless and empty. My anxiety and panic attacks continued and I absolutely had no sex drive. We would have sex, but eventually my aversion to it took over and we began fighting for no reason at all and I became panicky and depressed again. In July 2008 I developed a severe allergic reaction to peanuts and had to be taken to the emergency room. I have never had any allergies and have enjoyed peanuts all throughout my life. In August of 2008 I developed an allergy to penicillin and broke out in hives. I had never been allergic to anything in my life, and all of a sudden, I had two allergies!!!
In September of 2008 my immune system went down the drain and I developed a severe and life-threatening MRSA infection. I was in and out of the emergency room for a week straight and didn't get better from it for over 3 weeks. The doctors thought I had to have some sort of AIDS or Cancer to be getting MRSA at such a young age....but all tests came back negative multiple times and they just shrugged me off as an exception to the rule.
In October of 2008 I got a severe intestinal infection called c. diff.
This took two weeks for me to get over and was absolutely horrible!!
What was happening to my body??
What was happening to my immune system??
In November I started having problems with my blood sugar and I always felt like I was on the verge of passing out unless I ate on a constant basis.
It was horrible!!!
By this time, my acne was gone, my periods were shorter...thanks Yaz.
But, I had
Migraines/Severe Headaches
Fluctuating Appetite with weird cravings for salty and sweet foods
Low Blood Sugar with light-headedness and weakness
Blurry Vision (even though my eye doctor has told me repeatedly that I have perfect vision)
Brain Fog
Severe Anxiety
Panic Attacks
Nervousness and Restlessness
Inability to pay attention
Moodiness/Snappiness
Depression
Long episodes of ataraxia where I just couldn't feel any kind of emotion
NO SEX DRIVE
An aversion to touch
Hot flashes
Body aches
Thinning hair
My gallbladder quit functioning
I had a very weak immune system
and I had developed allergies to things I had been in contact with all my life...
I had back aches and neck pains
And I had severe Insomnia in spite of the fact that I was exhausted all the time! And when I did sleep it was worth nothing....
In January of 2009 I quit my job and dumped my 'perfect' boyfriend.
In February I was unable to get a hold of any Yaz bc and therefore since I wasn't having sex, I skipped February. I felt better in February and never made any connection and so I got back on in March and since then I have never felt worse in my life!!!! I've been doing research on the effects that Yaz and other bc hormones have on our bodies and it is astonishing how much it can psychologically and physically damage our bodies. I have felt like I am going crazy and slowly dying for NO REASON AT ALL>
Yaz is a nightmare!!!
I have been off of it now for 2 days and even though I still have some of the same symptoms, I can slowly feel myself getting back to normal. I've been told that it can take up to 2-3 months to get bc completely out of your system and for your body to adjust so I'm coping and being hopeful.
During the last month or so, I have even considered taking anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications because my life is a nightmare, luckily I looked deeper into my situation and discovered the culprit b4 I put something else in my body...
Yaz is not worth it.
I will never recommend it to anyone.
The pharmaceutical companies don't give a crap about us!!!
They just want our money and don't give a shit what their chemicals do to our bodies!!!
When I have little girls of my own someday, I will never let them take b.c.
I have been letting all of my friends and family know.
I would love to participate in a class action suite or an anti-Yaz campaign....
Anything. If you know let me know because I don't ever want anyone to have to go through what I have gone through with Yaz.
Ladies....Please do significant research before you ever put anything into your bodies.
March 24th
2008
2:40 AM
Sounds like withdrawal effects. Stay away from them for anything other than pain if you have an addictive personality. These are lesser forms of heroin, morphine released in the brain. The effects you are describing are absolutely withdrawal. If you take them for extended periods of time, you will find the withdrawal symptoms getting worse and worse. You will NEED to have a pill to get out of bed, when you SHOULD be otherwise healthy. Tolerance to the drug will build and you will quickly become addicted... If you have problems with alcohol, you are at heightened risk of opiate addiction, so stay away from it. (family history, substance abuse problems.)
If you are currently addicted to opiates, Vicodin/percocet/ etc. There are treatment options available. If you are feeling down after a short period of use, these symptoms will subside and you will be back to normal in a little time. If you keep taking them, it will only get worse and you may require medical treatment, IE: Suboxone/Subutex , methadone. Paths you don't want to go down. The high, eventually will NOT be worth the HORRIBLE, UNBEARABLE, withdrawal symptoms. You will have to take huge amounts of pills to feel 'normal.'
If your addicted to painkillers, get help. They retard your life IF your using them for recreational 'high' OR to maintain or avoid the withdrawal symptoms, post addiction. If you have legit pain, they are a life saver. But really unless you have a CHRONIC condition, you shouldn't take these any longer than your pain is present, until you are healed, or advised by your doctor.
Get with god, drink water and get a lot of sleep. Some people find anti-anxiety medication helpful for the mental discomfort (don't get abusive of that too, those withdraw symptoms can be fatal.) The addicted brain is damaged by the drug and MUST HEAL. If you believe you may be addicted to painkillers, there is A LOT of help these days. There is no excuse for taking opiates to 'maintain' normality.
Good luck, hang in there!
-- By xopiate | Reply | Private Message me
March 22th
2008
11:28 AM
I have itching, pain in the abdominal area, sometimes panic attacks, and sometimes drowsiness.
The pain I took it for has gone away now, but I still keep taking it cuz I feel like crap when I get up in the morning, runny eyes and nose, and an anxious feeling, with no energy. I take a perc and drink some coffee and I'm good to go. Think I'm addicted? I do.
February 4th
2008
9:37 AM
I started having panic attacks while taking Percocet. I am a chronic alcohol user, and I am saying this just in case it rings a bell for anyone. I have since stopped taking Percocet (about 3 days). I was a habitual/recreational user ... meaning that I took them when available, but I did not always have them. Since my last dose, I have been having recurrent panic attacks that are very scary. They include physical symptoms (heart pounding, cold and hot flashes, feeling of difficulty breathing, sweating, shaking) - and the much more scary mental symptoms (fear of death, walls closing in, inability to think or concentrate, vivid dreaming, fear of people, etc.). It appears that some other people have had issues like this, but not everyone. Can someone share their story with me. Has anyone had similar experiences ? Do they go away at some point ? Is it withdraw (I am not sure since they started while I was using them - but continued after I stopped) ? I have heard that it just takes some time, but it is very scary. I get some relief by drinking ... in fact almost complete freedom from most of the symptoms, but I can't just drink all day. Please help.
-- By telewheels | Reply | (7) replies | Private Message me
December 27th
2005
1:36 PM
I am a 31 year old male. I was told by the doctor that I had prostatitis. I sit at my job all day and he thinks this could have been the cause. I was prescribed 750 mg for 2 weeks. The problem seemed to only get worse and I was referred to a urologist. The NP put me on another 2 weeks of Levaquin. I told him that I was having soreness in my shoulders (joints) and pain in my butt and upper back of my thighs. I have taken the prescription now for almost a full 4 weeks. I now have all the pain described above and also joint pain in my ankles, tendons of my feet, hands, and the joints in my fingers, as well as my knees. I have had a stiff neck from time to time and piercing and dull pain that I thought was deferred pain. I typed in "aching due to levaquin" and found this site and many others with people who have the EXACT same symtoms as myself. I then looked up "alternatives to levaquin", and I found these drugs and keyed in "side effects and aching due to...Bactrim, etc..." None of these drugs had the severity of symptoms as leviquin. I called my doctor and told him I refuse to take anymore of this drug. He is putting me on Bactrim. I also have been taking 800mg of Motrin 3 times a day. It does little for the pain. I have been taking Ultracet which helps some. I cannot take narcotics due to addictive personality and my recovering from alcoholism. It is a scary thing when you can hardly get out of bed, can hardly walk, can't lay on your back due to leg aching, can't lay on your sides due to joint problems in your shoulders, and can't get a good night's sleep. The part that makes me even more upset is that I paid a pretty penny to feel this way. I am now worried about the side effects not going away. I have never felt this way in my life, and if I had to live for the rest of my life feeling the way I have been for the last 3 weeks since the levaquin kicked in, I would rather be dead. That should be enough to make you think twice before taking this drug. If anyone has any advise on how to clear up the adverse symptoms from this drug, I would be more than appreciative.
-- By arnolds | Reply | Private Message me
June 24th
2005
5:08 AM
I am not one to post my opinion on the web, but it is imperative that others taking ambien are aware of its potential risks. Ambien is extremely addictive. If taken properly (go straight to bed and don't take more than prescribed) it can work for a short period of time (just like the commercials say, 7 - 10 days). However, it appears that many dr's are prescribing it for years at a time. I have had a script for this drug for over 10 years. Ambien put me into a state of euphoria -- I'd take it and life suddenly appeared altered, for the better. I felt more confident and motivated while intoxicated on this drug. Although it makes you "high," it also wipes out your short-term memory, while you're on it and otherwise. You will not remember what you did after taking it -- whether it's raiding the refrigerator, drinking alcohol, having sex, manically cleaning/organizing your house, or calling friends. I could go on about the dizziness, lack of STM during the day (the hangover effect), or how difficult it can be to stop taking it. Ambien is now one of the drugs of choice by adolescents -- it's powerful high is appealing, but the "blacking out" is no different than a date rape drug. I have actually known adolescents that have been raped while using their drug of choice, ambien. If you have an addictive personality, ambien can be fatal and can effect your relationships -- especially with those that you interact with while on the drug (spouses, roommates, etc.). Your tolerance for ambien will also increase. Over the years, I went from taking 5 mg to 20 mg (always prescribed by my dr) -- in short, it stops working. Recently I switched to 25 mg of seroquel. It works like a charm. I was apprehensive to take it, as it's an antipsychotic drug (I just have dysthymia), but at such a lose dose, it puts my worries aside and I am able to fall asleep w/o getting high. I am certain that ambien is the next "oxycotin" due to it's addictive components, as well as the fact that it's so readily accessible. For all of you that rely on this drug to help you sleep to function, please find a new drug that won't enable you to make poor choices (most of which you won't remember). Perhaps you think you aren't addicted, but I insist that you will be. Because of abusing ambien, I have come close to divorce and have definitley lost or shall we say, "effected" many of my close relationships. I implore anyone that's investigating, taking or abusing ambien to explore alternative sleep aids. If you think you have control over this drug, you're wrong. It'll control you before you know it.
-- By smyers | Reply | Private Message me
February 10th
2005
6:34 PM
I recently tore my ACL and my MCL in my knee, as well as having suffered some nerve and cartlisge damage. they prescribed me ULTRACET. I have found its side effects to be quite a problem, and it seems to already be habit forming. But it does make the pain go away. WHile on it i am experianceing VErtigo, Confusion, and Euphoria.... I was once addicted to sleeping meidcation and i beleive that this is triggering another addiction... in short, do not take if you have an addictive personality, but it is good for severe pain
-- By bokken87 | Reply | Private Message me
January 17th
2005
3:47 PM
I was prescribed this medication for back spasms. It was my understanding that Ultracet was a non addictive muscle relaxer. It has been my expeirence that this drug is highly addictive. I would get samples from my Dr., and they would seem to run out unusaully fast. When I would stop the medication, I would go through withdrawls for about three days. Irritalbility, not wanting to be in social situations, and not sleeping, are the withdrawls I expeirenced. I would take two to four Ultracet a day. They eliminated my back pain, and allowed me to feel outgoing and social. I had no problem driving, or getting my work done. In fact, it helped me maintain a positive attitude in my stressful world. Well, anything that makes you feel unusually good will eventually do the opposite. I have now been on Ultracet for three months. I finished my refills yesterday, I and not planning on using it again. I have been in AA for four years, and decided to change my sobriety date. The withdrawls for Ultracet are brutal. If you have an addictive personality, and have abused pain medication, I suggest not taking this one.
-- By sicpitts | Reply | Private Message me
Percocet 10/325 (4) Ultracet (2) Yaz (1) Ambien (1) Levaquin (1)
September 15th
2009
2:49 AM
I have been taking perocect 10's for the last 1yr or so and it is very bad when I don't have them I feel like crap. When taking just one it is like taking 3more 10 min later cause it does not work as well from when I first started taking them. When I run out I am looking for them everywhere and taking other pain meds to cover the withdrawals. Man it is so bad feeling like that the runny noise,sweating,being angry,shaking, throwing up,shiting my guts out etc. I have a chronic back problem and I'm only 24yrs old. I have a very supporting husband who is there for me when I'm withdrawing all the time and I love him for that cause if it was any other man they would of left me hanging. I advice anyone who starts this pain killer to only take it when needed cause the chemical in the pill will mess your who life up and you will have some serious problems for realist is true but how I'm going to stop I will take a week out of my life to go to the hospital for help. Also there is so many other medication that can make you sleep.(PEROCECT'S WILL MESS UP YOUR LIFE SO DON'T GO DOWN THAT ROAD, PLEASE TAKE THIS MESSAGE SERIOUS THEY ARE VERY BAD, DON'T COVER UP THE PAIN GET IT TAKING CARE OF AND IF THE DOCTOR GIVES THE PEROCECT'S TO YOU DON'T TAKE IT CAUSE THEY DON'T CARE IT IS NOT THEM PLEASE DON'T).
-- By sjohnson | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me