Advocate symptoms and conditions

It took me forever to get this poison out of my system. Took 11 months to figure out what was causing my skin to look grey, itching head to toe, female infection, horrible stomach pain and more.....for some reason doctors are denying these side effects. I was put on it for slightly elevated blood pressure. Like everyone else you want to trust your doctor but you have to be your own advocate. If you think something is not right then do something about it and don't rely on another human being with a medical degree to let you know when you can quit taking poison.

I have had very weird, descriptive dreams....my weight has stayed the same...although i don't crave food as much...and i eat less. but it seems at night i am ravenous, which is not good just before bedtime. no other side effects here. i recently just lost my insurance cause of a drop in my work hours..so im weaning myself off of it slowly....in case Medicaid does not cover it, when I get it.

One person here said:
>My MD attributes the issues to aging. I going for a second opinion and third if necessary. I am told by my MD that there are no studies showing these side affects for this medications.<
"Aging" is the oldest excuse in the book for not investigating a medical problem. That LAZINESS. Doctors can get lazy, like any other worker.
The reason there are "no studies showing these side effects" is that studies are rarely done once a drug is FDA approved. They wouldn't do the studies at all if the FDA didn't require it for approval. When they do the pre-approval studies, they are careful to select people who have few health problems; they are not studying a good cross-section of the general population. It's AFTER a drug is on the market that the REAL side effect profile shows up. Doctors don't like to blame drugs for symptoms because they are part of the system that pushes drugs on the public. They don't want to get caught up in a malpractice suit, but pushing drugs is their bread and butter. Sad, but true. Slowly, more of them are turning toward more natural approaches to disease management. However, YOU remain your own best advocate.
I am going back to taking natural supplements like Hawthorne leaves and flowers (stronger than berry.) I resisted the drugs for years, and after reading all this stuff, I remember why. My mother struggled for years with the side effects. I'd rather die slowly of hypertension!

I posted back in August or September 2008. I FINALLY had my Mirena removed and when I say FINALLY, I mean FINALLY. I went in late October to have it removed only to be told that it could not be located. I then had to have an internal ultrasound to locate the IUD. Thankfully she found it, but I was very scared of the pain of removal that I talked some more with my OB about it and decided to wait until the New Year to see if my symptoms had subsided. My symptoms were namely the horrible acne I started having after insertion. My periods at this point were non-existent, which was nice, but as a 37 year old woman, the acne was more than I could handle. Come 2009, the acne was still there - and when I say acne, I mean acne. I mean hard cystic acne that turns red and does not go away with time and medication. I have been a Proactiv advocate for a long time and sadly not even Proactiv was managing my acne on the IUD. So . . . January I went in to have the Mirena removed. The doctor knew it's general location and tried to remove it. She could not locate it and the procedure was extremely painful. Long story short, I had to undergo out-patient surgery and be knocked out to have it removed. I'm back on the Yaz and am already noticing a difference in my skin!

If you ever struggled with acne during your teens and early twenties, I would think twice about the Mirena. I struggled with acne and was finally at a point where my skin was "maturing" and the Mirena made me feel like that 14 year old with horrible skin all over again.

People on here seem to be confusing Yaz and Yasmin--they are not the same. Yaz has less estrogen than Yasmin and Yaz has 24 active days vs Yasmin that has 21. I've been on continuous Yasmin pills (no breaks) for 8 years or so and it's been a godsend. It stopped my hormonal migraines and gives me the right amount of estrogen. In fact, I work with a specialist and take two Yasmin bcps a day to get what my body needs to manage the perimenopause I developed in my 30s as well as my migraines.

Birth control pills effect everyone differently and that's why it can be a long haul to find the right one--especially if you are prone to hormonally induced migraines--and I have them worse than ever even when I'm not having a period or ovulating. It can also take several months to determine if a birth control pill will work for you and often that means putting up with side effects that are short term--possibly bloating, emotions, etc (certainly not life threatening side effects like hives). When you start a bcp, there is often a very uncomfortable period of time--could be the first two months as your body attempts to adjust to the changes. It's a matter of being your own advocate and tracking the side effects--or what might be your body adjusting--and seeing how it resolves. As I mentioned at the beginning, everyone is different. I've seen that with friends who try to use Yasmin--some it works, others, it's a nightmare.
And for those wondering about weight gain--Yasmin has qualities in the hormones that are diuretic in nature, so typically someone will not have bloating and should drink more water...and get potassium checked at least yearly.

I love Yasmin and for me, it saved my life in terms of quality of life managing my migraines!

I am a 25 year old with Factor V Leiden and was told by doctors that the Mirena would be the best birth control for me since I can't take BC pills anymore. I had the Mirena inserted Nov. 2008 and am having it removed next week. I have had a horrible experience with it. My obgyn told me that the chance of experiencing any side effects was rare since the hormone stays in your uterus. The insertion was extremely painful which I expected since I have never had a child. In the past 4 months I have gained 15 pounds despite regular exercising and eating a low calorie diet, I have a constant stinky discharge, acne across my chin and sides of my face, my hair is falling out, I have no energy and am incredibly tired all the time, have been experiencing nightmares, and have sharp cramps that make me double over in pain. I am a newlywed and have never had any psychological issues. Now I am in therapy for anxiety and depression and after reading all the posts, I now am convinced that this is also a side effect of the mirena. I used to have a healthy sex life and now I have no desire to have sex or be touched by my husband with is causing tension in our new marriage. I was trying to stick out the side effects to see if they would go away since I paid so much money ($600) for the mirena. When I spoke with my obgyn about my side effects she said they were not caused by the mirena because the hormone is directly in your uterus. I am so frustrated! I feel like I have been lied to by my doctor. I am hoping that after removal of the mirena I will feel like my old self again!

hi all. I have never taken these kinds of boards to heart before, but this time I am convinced. I had my mirena inserted 11 days ago and I am all ready to have it removed. It hurt when it was inserted, but I've had 4 natural deliveries, so I can tolerate a lot of pain. I was fine right after as far as cramping goes, but since having it inserted, I've constantly felt pregnant. Lower back aches, heavy bloated feeling, and the constant feeling of having a uti. That is the worst. I constantly feel like I have to pee and nothing comes out. But I go to the doctor and there is no bacteria in my urine. And now my hair is falling out. My gyn really pushed me towards this instead of having my tubes tied, that this worked better, but if I wanted to feel pregnant, I would just have another baby. I have an appt on Monday for him to check it. I may just have it removed and find another dr who will tie my tubes.

I just recently had the mirena iud inserted. Oct 30 2008. 3 months after having my first child under a normal vaginal delivery. When I have asked my doctor regarding any side affects he stated that women may have heavy bleeding the first 6 months/ and that after those 6 months that your periods will actually disappear.

The first week that I had the mirena in, I began bleeding almost instantly. Blood clots the size of my closed fist came out of my body from the uterine wall I suppose. I went through a super tampon/ and a pad in an hour and a half. ( I am one of those women who normally use a super tampon maybe once in a while/ normally a reg. size does the job) This bleeding has not stopped since the mirena was inserted.

Looking at a computer screen is part of my daily routine at work. It seems as though my eyes feel blurry through out the day as I am working. Towards the end of the day I can barely stand to look at it. This has never happened to me before. It is almost like I want to turn all lights off and sit in the dark, with no noise(headaches).

Of course sex drive is at the all time low. Who is in the mood to go for it when you are bleeding with a terrible headache?

The first few nights I had a horrible time falling asleep and staying asleep.

Well... at this point I have had headaches... all day for a week now. My head hurts like someone is pounding it against a wall. I have not had a headache in years. My stomach has been upset/ feeling as though I may have to throw up.

I am afraid that I may start seeing the other symptoms that ladies have talked about.
When you had the symptoms did they all happen at once or one at a time over different time periods?

Hi everyone....
I just had the Mirena inserted Friday...primary reason was easy birth control and second was because I did not want to take estrogen. I'm 29 and do not have any children so the insertion was pretty uncomfortable to say the least. I'm good with pain but this was intense...if that's anything like childbirth no thanks! Thank goodness its over quick. Anyway, I had some cramps afterwards for that first day and my whole "area" felt like it was clenched in fist...really tight and sore. I took Motrin and used a heating pad for my cramps. The next day I was good as new...no cramps, barely any spotting. So although it's only day 3, I'd say my experience thus far is totally manageable. Everyone's body is different. I've been through the ringer already with my hormones...been put on lots of different forms of progesterones to regulate my cycles and even premarin at one point...I know what hormones can do. If it's not working for you, you're not crazy!!!! Just tell your doctor you don't like it, you won't have it, and get it out! You've gotta be your own advocate in the medical world. No woman should put up with feeling like a lesser version of herself at the hands of birth control.
I'll keep yas posted as time goes on...I see that some women start out feeling great then get issues down the line.

Started Lisinopril in August and it has controlled my BP really well. But I started to get some side effects. After about a month I noticed I was losing my hair. Called the doctor and he said he never heard of it. Then in October 2008 I felt a heavy, pressure feeling in my upper chest, going towards my throat, like something was stuck at the base of my neck. Also a dry cough throughout the day. Went to doc today and he said dry cough is very common with Lisinopril but he doesn't think the chest heaviness/pressure is related. I do. I had a chest X-ray today and am waiting for the results. Am scheduled to have an echo and possibly stress test if the feeling is still there. I'm thinking, after reading all these postings, that Lisinopril is definitely responsible for the hair loss, chest heaviness/pressure feeling, lump feeling in throat and dry cough. I'm tired of feeling these symptoms. Hopefully all my tests will come out fine and I will probably end up changing to a different drug.

I am a male 55. Started taking Altace 15 years ago. BP kept creeping up. I work outside for a living. Sometimes work is very hard, climbing mountains, carrying land surveying equipment ect. Dr started me on lisinopril 40 mg, dropped altace which I had been taking with HCT 25mg. Started getting numbness in left hand and charley horse in elbow after playing mandolin for 10 minutes. I thought this strange. Now I have muscle cramps in legs and I am wiped out when I get home. (thought must be getting old) Then other joints, shoulders, and knees stared hurting and lower back. Started thinking what has happen to me?! I am completely falling apart! That's how I found this web site. Now I wonder, snake venom sounds about right. I had started thinking I had been poisoned. Guess I'll make a DR appointment or move to an "old folks home". At least I won't have a stroke.......right?

Hello everyone. After getting my period two weeks ago I have been bleeding for the past 5 days as well. I have tremendous breast tenderness as well. However, I have been on the pill for 15 months now. The spotting between periods has been going on for about 6 months now. I mentioned it to my primary dr about 4 months ago. long story short I have a cyst on my right ovary, and a complex cyst on my left ovary. Needless to say I will be having surgery on November 12th. First to remove the cysts, possibly the ovaries. If I can tell any one message this is it..."Listen to your bodies ladies!" You know your body better than anyone else. I originally went on the pill because I had polycystic ovarian syndrome and here I am getting ready to have cysts removed. I am not trying to scare anyone, but make sure the pros out weigh the cons while considering staying on this pill. I have to wear a pad everyday because I don't know when I am going to have breakthrough bleeding. This is very frustrating and I hope it will be resolved after surgery? Not sure if I will continue on birth control following surgery. I am 36 yrs old and I am at my wits end. When I heard about everyone being sensitive, or crying at the drop of a hat I have to say I was relieved. Maybe I am not crazy! Good Luck and please take care of your bodies! You are your best advocate. Thanks for listening.

I am a loving mother of a 5 1/2 year old boy. He has been on Singulair for over 3 years. In this past 3 years my son has suffered in an unspeakable amount. He came down with Rota Virus and was hospitalized at 2. He then came in contact with Pneumonia in the hospital while he was there. They automatically put him on Singulair, Zyrtec, Prednisone, and antibiotics to treat the pneumonia. Since that day, my son has gone though more tests than I have in my entire life. He has had asthma, sinusitis, leg cramping ( to the point he cannot walk for 2 years), IBS, Acid reflux,(they gave him laxatives for a year that made things worse and addicted to them also), stomach pain, constipation and diarrhea back and forth. He also got Erythema Mulitforme TWICE, while on this drug. All of which the doctors said could NOT be caused by Singulair. He has had several Upper GI's and CT scans. Along with Barium enemas, several hundreds of blood tests, and many many pokes and prodded that were not necessary. All since he has been on Singulair. He now has frequent bathroom trips, depression, confusion, and anger outbursts. He also has to go to the restroom every 5 minutes. He has had genital swelling, and many other aches and pains. None of which his "doctor" ever said could be a result of Singulair. I am 100% sure it was!!!! He currently has anxiety and emotional sporadic issues causing problems in school The teachers and counselors say that it is so strange because there is no TRIGGER and the outbursts are completely inconsistent. His preschool teacher and director are sure he has ADHD. Well, we had him tested and he does not have any part of it. He has no learning disability what-so-ever. So that brought me back to square one. He is in a positive loving enviroment. How could he be depressed and want to hurt everyone around him? He cannot sit still. He cries and says he is 'stupid" and "can't think" like the other boys. He has nightmares and cannot sleep alone. He is scared of everyone and everything. So, as I sit here crying, I realized that this has all been a reaction of his "medicine" Singulair. He never should have gone through all of those painful tests, only to prove they couldn't find anything. So many treatments and sound full advice speeches from his doctors. How could they be so naive and selfish in the life of my son?

When I called my pediatrician of 5 years, she told me that " parents that have children with behavioral problems will LOOK for something to blame their problems on." She also said "drug companies only put side effects on their labels to PROTECT the drug companies. (as she laughed at me) They are not always valid". Then she said "if you take you child off of Singulair you will be playing Russian Roulette in his life." Then she said that all children around 5 or 6 go though this emotional time in their lives." She told me that if I take my child off of Singulair that she would no longer be a part of his health regimen for his asthma. She told me to see a Pulmonologist for further treatment.
Who is paying who? This is my son's life???????? I decided to go with my mother-gut instinct and get him off of this medicine. No matter what. He has been a different person since. He is currently going though a lot of side effects and withdrawals (leg pain, insomnia, hic-ups, emotional distress) but every day is getting better. How can the drug companies say that this is a "wonder drug?" There are more reported side effected patients then clinical studied patients! How can a "medication" that stimulates the brain not be connected to other problems? This "medication" interferes with the bio synthesis and action of LTs and has been marketed as NOVEL medication against asthma and allergic rhinitis. Who the hell is playing God here??? The pocket books of Merck or our over PAID "doctors?" Who pays the price? Our children? Or us. Thank god I found this before it was too late. I would not be able to withstand the pain of losing my son due to their lack of scientific evidence. They are lucky I am one of the smart ones. I will not settle for less than Justice for the drug companies and their paid "doctors?" You all end up in the same place. HELL

There are 18 million people on this drug. Most of them are children. Please save a life if not your own child's life. Thank You

Im so happy I found this site, as I too thought I was alone in this. I really beg someone to tell me, oce they came off the pill, how long did it take for them to recover? and for their first period to come? I was on the pill for less than a year, and came off it in Feb 08. It's now Sept 08 and still have not had a single period since. My weight has been fluctuating ridiculously, and the mood swings have made me lose SO many friends its unbelievable. i don't have energy to do anything, ive it a total depression. Im begging someone to just tell me how long after they stopped did everything feel back to normal? im worrying as its been 6 months for me and still nothing!!

I am a 38 year old female, not overweight but hbp runs on my dad's side of the family unfortunately! I was prescribed Diovan by my doctor who had a list of my allergies. So, i went to get it at walgreens and luckily they have my allergies also because this drug is a sulfa drug and I am highly allergic and they caught it before i took any. You would think my doctor would have done a better job as I could have gotten really sick. YOU NEED TO BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE WITH THESE DRUGS DOCTORS ARE PRESCRIBING, YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT! At that time my doctor then called in LISINOPRIL. I just got off of being on it for 10 months with horrible, horrible side effects.
If your doctor has prescribed LISINOPRIL for you, please look the drug up on this site before taking - WARNING! There are 1,800 entries from people who have/had debilitating symptoms. I have now chosen to be off of HBP meds for a while and monitor it 3 times a day and see if i still need to be on it. After what i have been through, i would rather run around the block 10 x's a night and change everything I eat and drink and lose weight before I would consider another pill!

After taking a "leave of Absence" from this site, I see that Singulair is still up and thriving. I still see ads for it on TV, over and over again. They haven't been altered at all. Makes me sick. I wish there was away to get to other people whose children have died by suicide and investigate as to whether or not they were ever on singulair. Keep fighting. We'll get there! Kate K

I have some of everything above and am in so much pain that I feel as if I am dying a slow, painful death. I am on heavy pain meds and even with those I have severe abdominal cramping. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have this pain relief. I am very worried as to what is happening to me internally. They are scheduling cat scans and I am awaiting a phone call to get something diagnostic done. This all started 8/15 and not only are things not easing up, but I think this is getting worse. I also have a urethral discharge, UTI, and alternating constipation and diarrhea. Initially, I had a 102 degree fever and now my temp is low, only 97.1! my husband plans on calling a lawyer today, 8/26. One day I passed brown urine and it shocked me! I'd appreciate hearing from others as I feel so alone in this horrible nightmare which is unfolding! FYI, my doctor feels that my muscle tissue is breaking down...has anyone heard anything like this from their doctor? The stomach and abdominal pains are like labor!

I to wish to thank you and Dave,your efforts in such a time of personal tragedy have been momentos.I will continue on my end to tell all who i meet that will listen,unfortunately that does not appear to be the doctors,but i will keep on being my childs advocate,and if i have to fire a few,,,oh well

In 2007 I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. My doctor prescribed 500mg of metformin once in the morning and once in the evening with meals and lots of water. The meds made me drowsy all the time my heart began to beat irregular and I was cold a lot. At night was the worst because when I lay down my heart really beat irregular. I told my doctor after about a week and all she could say is that the metformin doesn't do that to your heart. My answer to her was I 'm not taking the meds any more. I found me another doctor who listens. I went on the internet and found out about the side effect I had they were serious. Listen people you need to be your own advocate no one knows your body as well as you if something don't feel right question it and seek answers. Doctors are not always right pride is no reason to not hear what some one is saying if I say something is wrong and you are a doctor at least hear me and check it out if you don't know the answer it ok you are only human.

I got the Mirena after my 2nd child in April 2007 at the age of 25. It was very painful and I can handle pain I had just done completely natural child birth to a 9 pound baby. I bleed for the first three months. With really bad cramps!!
However until seeing this website I never realized that all these things that have been happening to me are probably from the Mirena. The last 6 months I have been having anxiety attacks, dizziness, headaches, mood swing, acne, and I have been so tired I thought I was pregnant, now after today I believe it is from the Mirena. I am going to call my doctor and have it removed!!!

My son has side effect following third infusing...headache, acne like pimples, rash, mood swings, lose of short term memory, frequent urination, stomach spasms, and over all total body ache...now six weeks after last infusion...seeing two dermatologists, his regular doctor, and having to take a two week leave from work...my son finally showing improvement..his gastro Dr. wants him to go on with treatments of remicade...No, No, No...

My son is almost 9, he has been on Singulair for 3 years. Last Friday the pulmonologist took him off of it. My son has been sleep walking since about the time he started singulair, have noticed major behavior changes. He gets very angry over nothing, he is extremely sensitive, he is not the happy little boy he once was. He has horrible dreams. Over time this has gotten progressively worse. I have to say that since last Friday when he was taken off the singulair, I have noticed a huge difference. My happy little boy is coming back! I told the Pulmonologist my concerns ans could this be side effects and he replied "YES", Also, he feels that my son has outgrown his asthma which is wonderful. I feel so horrible for all these children and families going through this. Parents, remember you are your child's best advocate. don't let the children suffer.

I don't know if my dry skin is from the Levoxyl or not. I'm on 25 mcg's and have been for about four years now and am seeking to be off of it as it is the only medication I'm now taking with regularity. As an asthmatic with a slight hypothyroid condition, I've just done "what the doctors ordered." Now at the age of forty-four I'm starting to do some of my own research and be my own advocate. I don't have answers for anyone but I strongly suggest you do some reading at the ****. Just plug Dr. Mercola in a search engine and you should find it. What a wealth of wonderful and informative reading. Watch the "Allopath" video. Food for thought. Physicians treat symptoms and while I'm glad that many meds are there, I'm thinking that the first line of defense AND offense ought to be a look at one's daily nutrition and exercise as well as hydration levels.
Blessings

Here's a question- What are we supposed to say to our doctors to take this seriously and stop treating it like it's in our heads. Should they check our hormone levels? Have any doctors or nurses ever posted here?