Anxieties symptoms and conditions

Well, I'll share my story with you, and feel free to comment or ask any questions. I had been taking Yasmin for about 3 years. For the majority that time, I was in college (UCLA) while my long term boyfriend and family were back in the Bay Area. I was extremely depressed, which I presumed to be because I missed my boyfriend, and school was very difficult, etc. However, I had terrible anxiety, to where whenever I went to class, walked the campus, etc, I would have trouble looking up, for fear of making eye contact with others. To ask a question in class made my heart race. I would get terrible lumps in my throat that I could not get rid of. I used to be really outgoing, friends with everyone. But at UCLA for two years, I barely made new friends (maybe 3-5), blaming it on being too busy with my studies. Pretty extreme anxiety. As a child, I was a gymnast and suffered from OCD at one point, probably due to the anxieties of a very strict, mature schedule at such a young age. I guess I've been anxious in some way or another during my whole life, however I feel it was WAY worse during the course of being on Yasmin. I have also suffered from depression in my life, but the worst times were during high school, and during the past few years while on Yasmin. I am not saying I blame Yasmin for these things, but I definitely think it made them worse. I also have been having terrible mood swings, crying spells (to where I felt like I was going crazy), and not feeling like “myself”. I did take a break from the pill after I broke up with my boyfriend, and felt WONDERUL, woke up in a great mood, ready to take on the day, instead of forcing myself to try to start the day happy (which rarely worked). It has been a CHORE to be happy and grateful for my wonderful life (family, friends, good job, own apt., dog) for the past few years.

I stopped taking Yasmin 3 days ago (Sunday the 13th was my first day off of it) and already feel more normal, balanced and myself. Happy, hopeful, more relaxed. Of course this could be “placebo effects”, but I now myself really well, am very in tune with my emotions, etc., and I definitely feel different. I am not rhuminating either, which was another effect.

Does anyone have a similar story? Thanks! -Cassie

I noticed a lot of postings about weight gain on Singulair, which is nowhere listed by Merck as a possible side effect. My 15 y.o. daughter experienced sudden weight gain at the age of 9 when she was actually underweight (BMI went from 17 to 21). To make a long story short, after being off Singulair for over a year, she is now over-weight, and diet/exercise have never made a big difference (gymnastics, swim team, figure skating, trampoline, etc.) Extensive labwork is always normal & there is no family history of obesity. It's a shame the quality of life of a child is RUINED by a drug that is deemed to have "no side effects", and the many drs. & specialists out there take it very lightly. We continually worry about our daughter's self-esteem, risk of diabetes, and other complications from weight gain which is not hereditary and goes on unexplained by the drug co. Reversing this weight gain has been nearly impossible. Everytime I hear a news report about our children being overweight and obese, it makes me angry because I think about the many kids that are taking this highly prescribed drug (for even the mildest allergy or asthma) and who knows how many parents don't make the connection!

I've been diagnosed with anxiety and panic attacks since Nov. 15 2007 ended at the hospital emergency room, after using Xopenex been using Advair and Singulair due to my asthma once my Doctor increased my Advair from 250mg to 500mg twice a day on Sept. 5th 2007 noticed fast palpitations and overwhelming. Knew and complained for quite sometime that I wasn't feeling like myself. Since Nov. 26th 2007 I stopped taking Advair, Albuterol inhalers,Nebulizers due to the fact of my new Anxieties that I never had. Continued taking my Singulair medication thinking that it was safe. Only been on Singulair a little over a year. Still continued to experience Anxiety and Panic attacks. Due to this I've been seeing a therapist since Dec. of 07.Has affected myself, my children who have witnessed my episodes of Anxiety attacks and know thats not me.Also has affected my performance at my job and attendance. Just took two MRI's of the brain just last week thinking there maybe something wrong with my brain.My side affects have been Dizzy spells,feeling faint,blurry vision,extremely tired,muscle spasms,loss of concentration, and not being focused. These are my experiences with Singulair and I believe that the FDA should further investigate these allegations. I know for a fact I've been experiencing this for quite sometime and my Doctors tell me I'm just depressed. Ignoring the fact they prescribed me so many medications that trigger Anxiety depression and God knows what. Thank you Cita

I was given Topamax for headaches and loss of weight. I am obest. 142pds over weight. plus I am disable I can't be on my feet to long. I have rumatoy arthrits, osthio arthiris. I go thru depressions,anxieties,going thru menapause, will this topamax work for me? I have read all these side effects and they scare me. Because I have enough problems and I don't need more,scarier ones. please help. fumashoo1

KIM AND ALL WOMEN EITHER TAKING YASMIN OR COMING OFF IT:

PLEASE READ THROUGH THIS ENTIRE SITE OR AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. I CAN ASSURE YOU, YOU WILL FIND WOMEN HERE WHO HAVE ALL THE SAME/VERY SIMILAR SYMPTOMS AS YOU ARE EXPERIENCING.

THIS PILL-YASMIN, AND ITS SISTER, WREAK TOTAL HAVOC ON OUR HEALTH AS DO MANY ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES. SIMPLY-THE INCREASE IN YEAST DUE TO THE PILL CREATES ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS.

BCPS ALSO LINKED TO HEART HEALTH. STROKES, HEART ATTACKS AND BLOOD CLOTS-SO REALLY, AS WOMEN, IS THIS NECESSARY?

HONESTLY, THE MORE RECENT WOMAN WHO WROTE ABOUT BREAST PAIN-I'VE HAD THAT NOW GOING ON ALMOST A YEAR AFTER STOPPING YASMIN 3 MONTHS AGO! YOU'LL SEE TWO WOMEN HERE WHO-ONE HAD A MINI-STROKE, ANOTHER A LIFE THREATENING PULMONARY CLOT! THIS IS NOT SHIT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY AND I'M MAD AS HELL THAT SO MANY DOCS ARE PRESCRIBING THIS AND THEN OTHER ANTI-ANXIETY MEDS/ANTI-DEPRESSION MEDS AS A RESULT OF THE CAUSE OF THE DAMN YASMIN.

SERIOUSLY-ABSOLUTELY CRAZY TO FILL OUR BODIES WITH ALL THESE MEDICATIONS. ITS NOT NATURAL AND ....EVERY MEDICATION YOU TAKE LIKELY HAS NO LONG TERM RESEARCH ON HOW IT ALTERS YOUR NATURAL BRAIN CHEMISTRY. THERE IS NO LONG TERM RESEARCH. SERIOUSLY. THERE ISN'T.

FEELING ANXIOUS-/STRESSED (A WESTERN TERMED CONCEPT) IS A RESULT OF CHANGE IN HORMONES AROUND OUR CYCLES. THAT'S NORMAL. NO MATTER HOW CRAZY YOU FEEL BECAUSE OF HOW OTHER PEOPLE DEFINE YOUR BEHAVIOR.

I WOULD RECCOMEND GETTING YOUR HORMONE LEVELS TESTED. SEEING A NATROPATH /HOLISTIC DOC, RUNNING OR EXCERCISING WHEN YOU FEEL ANXIETY AND MEDITATING.

WE ALL HAVE THE CAPACITY TO BE HEALTHY AND TO BE ABLE TO DO IT NATURALLY. DOCS ARE BARELY BEGINNING TO LEARN ABOUT AND UNDERSTAND WOMEN'S HORMONES. TOYING AROUND WITH OUR HORMONES WITH THESE SYTHETIC DRUGS WHICH ARE POISON AND THEN ANTI-ANXIETIES/ANTI-DEPRESSANTS ARE JUST MORE HELL.

ONCE YOU'VE IDENTIFIED YOUR SYMPTOMS, FIND SOMEONE YOU TRUST. PLEASE MAKE ROOM HERE FOR NEW PEOPLE TO READ AND LEARN ABOUT ALL THE EXPERIENCES VERSUS JUST POSTING FOR THE SAKE OF OR OPEN A 1:1 FORUM WITH SOMEONE DIRECTLY. ITS MADDENING AND FRUSTURATING TO SEE OVER 3000 ENTRIES AND NEW WOMEN WRITING WHO HAVEN'T READ THROUGH THIS, JUST STARTED AND NO IDEA ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE GOTTEN INTO.

FILE REPORTS WITH WWW.FDA.GOV AND THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY. UNLESS PEOPLE DO THIS, HOW MANY MORE YEARS WILL THIS CONTINUE? THE FORUM MAY BE GREAT FOR TALKING OUT/GETTING SUPPORT, BUT UNLESS WOMEN TAKE A STAND FOR REPORTING AND DOCUMENTING THEIR PROBLEMS, THIS WILL GO ON FOR YEARS!!!

Has anyone experienced re-current colds after going off of Yasmin? I've been now for almost 3 months (went to Orthocept) but I've been sick now for almost 4 whole months!

Can anyone reccomend remedy for this? I can't figure out why this is happening? I was on Yasmin for 2.5 years, never,/rarely sick and certainly not ever this long!

What i can say and will say to everyone experiencing anxiety-the one tried and true remedy I have ever known was true and effective is EXERCISE. Aerobic. Meditation. Avoid caffeine COMPLETELY and sugar.

I would also say to be warey of all the Anti-anxieties and the anti-depresesants. i was on Prozac years ago when it just came out and since, they've come to recognize they've linked it to causing worse depression and suicide and there are no means to measure long term effects on the body/brain and its ability to naturally create and manage levels of dompamine and serotonin after going off of it.

I took singulair for 5 years while I was in college. From ages 18-23. I had violent mood swings and anxiety (which I attributed to the stress of school, but very uncharacteristic for me), I had vivid night mares, hyperactivity, and worst of all extreme joint pain with tingling in extremities. I am now 26 and I still suffer from joint pain, tingling extremities and night mares, my mood swings and anxieties are lessened but are still present and I make a concious effort to quell them. My hands, knees, wrists, fingers, spine and hip make me feel like and octegenarian (an 80 year old). The pain is so great that I must eat 800mg or more of ibuprofen a day. I am too young to have these issues and I have cared for my joints well with lots of low impact excercising and glucosamine chondroiten. I am glad that I found this site, it explains my severe pain for the past 7 years. I am going to talk to my doctor first and then my lawyer. Class action law suit here I come!!

The first time on Yasmin I did not see side effects. I went off to give body a break. Within 2 mo. I was having anxiety attacks. My hormones were unbalanced. I hust finished my first mo. back on Yasmin...my face is bloated. And depression,panic, and anxieties exist. I have decided to go back on---TriNorinyl.

I went on the nuva ring about a year ago-to help alleviate severe cramping at ovulation. It defineately helped with that, however I have been plagued w/ mood swings (none of which are pleasant more depressing), headaches (not migraines but some close), leg cramps, chills, diarrhea and other anxieties that I had never had before. I am afraid to go off and return to the cramps but also think that all these new "symptoms" are a result of use and long time use of the nuva ring! I said "good bye" to it today!! Condoms here we come!!

I have been on Levoxyl for several years, and it is the only medication I can't live without. I can give up my oral diabetes meds by going low carb, my allergy meds and suffer the hay fever, but Levoxyl is my friend. My levels are low normal, borderline if you will, but I have had muscle fatigue since I was a teenager. When I started the med, I could climb stairs without aching, style my hair without my arms trembling. My thin hair filled in and though it is fine, it is full of volume. The pharmacy switched me to the new generic and within three months, I was aching, my hair was thinning, I was 35 and felt 88. Switched back to the brand name, and am well again. The only negative is I have to drink a LOT of water to stayhydrated, but have to do that w/ the diabetes anyway. Alot of the sideeffects I'm reading here sound like dehydration problems. The anxieties, the fatigues. If you aren't drinking your 64oz of water a day, try it and see if it helps.