Auras symptoms and conditions

I am so happy I found this sight. I am 32 and I started taking Yasmin in 2002. I have had SEVERE migraines that are taking over my life every month. Also, I have gained over 50 pounds since being on it. I want to get off it, but am scared of getting pregnant. I'm married, but cannot afford a child right now. Any advice?

Ladies:

I needed to post this warning right away:

I visited my gyno today (was able to get in for an ASAP visit), and she told me to get off of Yasmin IMMEDIATELY when I told her that I have had facial numbness etc.. She was very concerned, and here is why:

I have been experiencing migraine headaches with what are called "auras". I know it sounds weird, but you can look up "migraine auras" and you will find plenty of information.

I know that many of us have had these symptoms and not known what they were- numbness and tingling, visual disturbances, strange smells etc. This is what those symptoms are- migraine auras.

****According to my gyno, if you have auras you need to stop taking Yasmin or any other birth control right away.****

Getting these symptoms and continuing to take the pill, according to my gyno is (and I quote) "ASKING FOR A STROKE". They are warning signs that our bodies send out and it is extremely dangerous to keep taking ANY hormonal birth control, ESPECIALLY the combination pill.

If you had any further doubts, stop now. Please. I am not trying to scare anyone, I am just concerned and wanted to warn those who are experiencing these side effects.

Best of luck to all of you and hugs.

M.

I have had Mirena in for about a year. I got it because after trying birth control pills, I was getting severe migraines all the time. My doctor told me I was at risk for stroke and should never take birth control pills again. Not wanting to have to use condoms the rest of my life, I asked for options other than the pill. My doctor strongly recommended Mirena. Well, I had it put in in September of 2008. At first I had the normal symptoms of heavy bleeding, severe cramps, etc. But after about 2 months that calmed down. However, I felt bloated all the time and started gaining weight. I was only 21 at the time, and had never had a problem with weight gain in my entire life. I wasn't over-eating, and I was still exercising. In the last year I have gained about 20 pounds. Anyways, around January I got a large cyst on one of my ovaries which eventually burst, but I still feel like I have sharp stabbing pains in my abdomen quite a lot. The real problem started a few months ago. I have been getting severe migraines again, and they are coming more and more frequently. I get optical auras with the migraines and often feel tingling in my face and hands. I am concerned that something more severe could be wrong or that Mirena is putting me at risk for stroke. I was told this would not happen with Mirena, but I have had no other significant changes that could account for the migraines. I have had migraines since I was a little girl, but never this often or with the strange tingling. The only other time I had migraines like this was on the pill. I really like Mirena because it is easy and I don't have to think about it, but I hate the migraines, weight gain, bloating, cysts, etc. I don't know what else I would use, though, since I can't be on estrogen-based birth controls. Does anybody have any advice? I am only 22 years old and don't want children for a while. I really don't know what to do.

I have had Mirena in for about a year. I got it because after trying birth control pills, I was getting severe migraines all the time. My doctor told me I was at risk for stroke and should never take birth control pills again. Not wanting to have to use condoms the rest of my life, I asked for options other than the pill. My doctor strongly recommended Mirena. He said I would not get migraines with this. At first there were the normal symptoms of bleeding, severe cramps, etc. But after a couple of months I was pretty happy with it. The only thing that was really bothering me was that I was gaining a lot of weight. I was only 21 at the time and had never had a problem with gaining weight in my life. It was so weird. Over the last year I have gained about 20 pounds and am really upset. About 4 months after getting Mirena I got a large cyst on one of my ovaries, but it eventually burst and went away. All of those things I suppose I could have dealt with, though. However, after about 9 or 10 months with the thing I started getting severe migraines again. I got married in June and over the past few months I have had more and more frequent migraines. I have optical auras and often feel like I have tingling in my face and hands, which is similar to what I had when on the pill. I am concerned that this could be a serious problem. I like having Mirena because it is easy and I don't have to think about it, but I am not sure what to do. I can't be having migraines all the time, and I also would rather not have the weight gain and cysts. I'm not sure what else I would use, though. If anyone has any suggestions for me, please let me know. I am only 22 and don't want kids for a while.

I have been on lipitor 10mg for about 6 mths (after reacting to lipex with severe hip pain and going off that). Am now experiencing abdominal pain, severe headaches, excruciating neck pain and to top it off a droopy eyelid and loss of extreme peripheral vision after a bout of flashing auras and fluid like waves in the outer edge of my eye. After tests my retina is not detaching so what is the cause then. My cholesterol is high when not on lipitor and am wanting to lower it without drugs. I could do with losing 10kg weight but will that bring down the cholesterol. I walk every morning for 30-40 mins. Diet is healthy, a few junk things each week but not overly so.

I have been on Loestrin24 since March 2008 and have been hospitalized once, in the emergency room once and suffering since. About two weeks after I started taking Loestrin24 in March 2008, I had what they thought was a TIA or, a "mini-stroke" and was put in the hospital. I was seeing a rainbow-like aura, had a splitting headache (for only about 30 minutes), became extremely confused, my blood pressure jumped up to 168/93 (stage 2 hypertension) and I couldn't speak for a few hours. Of course, they hospitalized me, ran all kinds of tests and found there to be no medical reason for a mini-stroke and the neurologist cleared me so, I was sent home with no mention of the fact that it could be the Loestrin24 that was causing it and, yes, my husband did tell them I was taking it. Two months later, I was back in the emergency room with the same symptoms. However, this time I recognized the symptoms as the same ones I'd had before and we immediately headed to the hospital. I was not hospitalized this time and the ER doctor said it was a migraine (there's a migraine that causes stroke-like symptoms) and that it's possible it could be the Loestrin24. Well, I'm taking the birth control pill because I have incredibly painful periods and was trying to be able to live a normal life. Without the birth control pill, I literally have to plan my life around my periods. So, not wanting to believe it was the Loestrin24, I continued to take it because, I hadn't had a period since I started taking it. That, alone, was worth it for me. But, last night while watching TV with my husband, the worst symptom hit me. It was like someone took a sledge hammer and slammed me in the forehead with it! I was wracked with such pain in my head that my hands flew to my forehead and I was screaming/crying. My head hurt so badly that I was would not have been surprised if I was actually bleeding from my eyes and ears. This morning, I'm still having the ringing in my ears and I could sleep for hours. I have contacted both my ob/gyn and my family physician and both of them said to stop taking it immediately.

Also, like I've read in several postings here, my sex drive is completely gone. And, when I do give in to my husband and have sex, my heart feels like I'm going to have a heart attack. The sudden splitting headache has actually come on during sex, too!

I certainly do not want to go back to the debilitating pain of my periods but, I can't live like this, either!

I also am having a difficult time with memory loss. I have a very short term memory. I never used to be this way. Before I started taking Lamictal, I was taking Depakote. I haven't been on Lamictal for that long, so I do not know if my previous medications have caused my memory loss. I also get dizzy sometimes and I'm feeling out of breath lately. Some other medications I've taken are: Zyprexa (which gave me type I diabetes); Abilify; Risperadol; Adavan...the list goes on, unfortunately. I have been taking anti-psychotic drugs since I was 16, and I am 37 years old now. God help me!

I began taking statins about 10 years ago because of a high cholesterol blood test, beginning with Lipex and then Lipitor about two years later. Until recently, I was taking 40 mg daily. I developed multiple migraines with auras after about two years of statins, then I had a 13 hour episode of transient global amnesia. For the next two years I had constant nausea and tinnitus, foot and leg cramps, with the migraines occurring frequently. At the beginning of this year, I had my first episode of paroxysmal hypertension. In June, July and August this year, my blood pressure was labile and it was accompanied by nausea, tinnitus, feelings of great weakness, painful tightening in left arm, shakiness, enervation. The general physician I saw in hospital thought my migraines could be triggering the paroxysmal blood pressure. (Later when I read the weight of anecdotal evidence on the internet, I asked myself whether both were triggered by Lipitor.) It was then discovered that I had acute gastritis. When I was told that the cause might be one of the drugs I was taking, I looked up Lipitor on the internet. I could see so many of my own symptoms but the standout side effect for me was transient global amnesia. After reading the many websites on Lipitor side effects, I asked myself whether both were triggered by the Lipitor. I stopped the Lipitor immediately and the doctor I was seeing at that time agreed that my decision was the right one. However, my general practitioner only accepts the peripheral neuropathies and tinnitus as Lipitor side effects because TGA is not listed in Pfizer's patient notes. When I contacted Pfizer, they said TGAs were not listed in their research material, but when I pressed the point, admitted that TGAs are a form of amnesia, which is listed but only in the material given out to doctors on request.

My husband is also on Lipitor for CAD. Although his cholesterol readings were low, his doctor doubled his dose of Lipitor. Since that time he developed appalling short term memory problems and could not think through relatively simple problems without a great effort. He cut the dose by half without reference to his doctor, and his short term memory had definitely improved. He is considering his next step.

Took mostly for seizures, but have been informally diagnosed with Bipolar II.

Had tremors at night, almost immediately, marked anxiety, weight loss, strange heat flashes, severe headaches (already have a migraine problem), complete w olfactory hallucinations (could have been breakthrough simple seizures, or headache auras).

Felt detached from myself and others. But the most disturbing symptom of all was auditory hallucinations. I have no history of psychosis and this only happened after starting Lamictal. Basically I could hear a constant chirping sound, subtle, but loud enough at night to keep me from sleeping unless my radio was playing to distract me from the sound. Could it have been a new form of seizure? Maybe, but regardless, the sounds started at the time I started this drug. Plus, according to a psychiatrist, I had no signs of psychosis, just the unexplained phantom sounds. One last possibility: Maybe an inner ear problem. Still would like to look into that.

People are right when they say this is still an experimental drug. If I had known what I was getting myself into, I never would have tried this drug to begin with. If any of you have had auditory hallucinations on this drug, without a history of any sort of hallucination or psychosis, PLEASE respond here and let me know about your experience. Thanks!

Took mostly for seizures, but have been informally diagnosed with Bipolar II.

Had tremors at night, almost immediately, marked anxiety, weight loss, strange heat flashes, severe headaches (already have a migraine problem), complete w olfactory hallucinations (could have been breakthrough simple seizures, or headache auras).

Felt detached from myself and others. But the most disturbing symptom of all was auditory hallucinations. I have no history of psychosis and this only happened after starting Lamictal. Basically I could hear a constant chirping sound, subtle, but loud enough at night to keep me from sleeping unless my radio was playing to distract me from the sound. Could it have been a new form of seizure? Maybe, but regardless, the sounds started at the time I started this drug. Plus, according to a psychiatrist, I had no signs of psychosis, just the unexplained phantom sounds. One last possibility: Maybe an inner ear problem. Still would like to look into that.

People are right when they say this is still an experimental drug. If I had known what I was getting myself into, I never would have tried this drug to begin with. If any of you have had auditory hallucinations on this drug, without a history of any sort of hallucination or psychosis, PLEASE respond here and let me know about your experience. Thanks!

I have been taking Topamax 50mg for 6 months now and feel it is a life saver. I would have 2-3 migraines a week, a couple with auras, and one that lasted 8 days and sent me to the emergency room. I thought I had menengitits the pain was so bad. Unfortunately migraines run in my family. I tried everything, inclunding injectable Imitrex. Nothing helped. Now I can go as long as 3 months without a hint of a migraine. I will still get the once in a blue moon hormonal migraine near that time of the month, but my quality of life is so much better. The first week I was sleepy all the time as I got used to the drug, and my brain felt jumbled, but I stuck it out and after a couple of weeks the symptoms went away. Now I just sometimes forget what I was going to say or what word I want to use, but its totally worth it. Most of the time I feel completely normal. I also lost 25 pounds, but that was just a bonus. Thanks Topamax!

Hi everyone! This is all just so overwhelming! I've been on Yasmin for only a week now. I have migraines, usually a max of 2/month, but I have medication that will get rid of them within a half hour. For the past three days, I've had a CONSTANT migraine. Even after taking my medication. My doc prescribed Yasmin for possible polycystic ovarian syndrome. Since I went off the pill (ortho tri-cyclen) 6 years ago, I've had acne, weight gain and hair growth in places I don't want hair! :-)

Have any of you had headaches shortly after starting Yasmin? Have they gotten better or worse? People say it just takes time to adjust...but migraines are NOT cool. Also, I have constant auras withthem so I haven't been able to see out of one eye...the swirly worms and stuff. Please e-mail me if you have had any experience with this and any advice at all. I think I'm going to ask my doctor to switch me to something else. I think any pill would help my situation...so I'm hoping...I appreicate any and all responses!! I'm getting desperate!

Thanks everyone!
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