Auto pilot symptoms and conditions

I have taken Lamictal for about three years since I was 19. I feel like I'm experiencing the memory loss of a 60- or 70-year-old. I've always been quick and witty with impeccable grammar and spelling. These days, I struggle to remember words and their meanings, spellings and pronunciations.

I can't remember conversations I had with people half an hour before or items on my to-do list. I MUST write everything down. Sometimes, if it's in my planner, I still don't remember to do it.

It has affected me in my college classes, on the job and in my relationships. I hate the feeling that I'm less intelligent and quick as I used to be when I'm just 22. My short-term memory is shot.

Along with memory loss, I struggle to focus (always have been a straight-A student), follow conversations and often feel confused and need people to restate their thoughts so I can understand.

It's just so embarrassing to be so spacey. I didn't put it together until my sister (also on lamictal) told me about the memory loss and it clicked. At least there's a reason for my new-found stupidity.

Thanks for telling me doctor. Oh wait, she didn't.

I have taken an oral form of Doxycycline daily for at least a year.
Before, I thought such symptoms were relevant to a fluctuation of bodily chemicals during pubescent growth.
I am now sure otherwise.
During the time between when I was prescribed and today, I would never have known that these things were side effects of an antibiotic.
I'd wake up every morning, take a shower, and feel like I'd vomit if I kept standing. I laid down on my bed and realized I felt way too hot. I'd take off my shirt and lay down in front of my floor fan.......Now, every morning after I take a shower, I stand out in my back patio, 45 degrees, in only my boxers--completely comfortable for as long as whenever.
I have terrible sleep.
I stay up at night thinking too much about almost nothing.
Overwhelming self-conscious thoughts.
Overwhelming.
Sometimes I feel like I have to do simple things manually, instead such movements occurring normally, like auto-pilot.
Walking. A majority of the time I walk, its like my first steps:
bring left knee forward, put left heel down, bring right knee forward.....
Blinking.
Concentration.
Anxiety, paranoia, you name it--
I developed a smoking habit that numbed out all the stress.
I am not quite sure if I was addicted other the occasional crave of a cigarette, but...
Look,
every now and then, because my doxycycline came in the mail, I would have a week or two without it.
I think, antibiotic, right? Doesn't matter right? just like a Vitamin? just take it and whooosh its all good, it does what it does, helps my acne whatever--
during those periods without it, I felt distinguishibly happy and calm and I didn't even crave cigarettes.

As of now, I realize that those were not loony mood swings, and, a multitude of people suffer and have suffered from doxycycline.

This drug works great for like one year. Then, it wears off and you feel on auto-pilot. I was on this for 3 years and at the end it does not work, you just function with no passion at all, always tired no matter how much sleep. With a physician's help, you can taper it down safely and get off of it. I felt so alive and awake once I got off. bottom line, if you need it short term for something like post partum depression, it is good to fight off anxiety, but long term, you are not enjoying life to its fullest....it is a drugged life experience.

i had the mirena coil put in on the 3rd of December 2008 and i haven't been right since.was at the end of a period when i got it in 13 days later my period came and i am still in it this is now the 13 of January i collapsed on new years eve due to heavy bleeding now i am anemic and need iron tablets and yes haven't been able to go back to work due to my low blood count .i have experienced weight gain and hair lose .i cant forget blurred vision too i wish i could get this out as its not doing me any favors at all .

Started on Seroquel last September, and between then and Christmas was basically a walking zombie. I was on auto-pilot, functioning as if someone had programmed me to do things. I complained and the dose was reduced, but with no effect. After Christmas the medication was stopped as I was told by my Psychiatrist that I no longer needed it.
Things went from bad to worse after coming off it, my mood dropped dramatically, to the point where I was suicidal, so after 6 weeks, it was started again. Last week another psychiatrist decided I no longer had faith in my medication, and so he removed everything, including the seroquel.
Since then, I have been so sick every time I move, I vomit. I have horrendous headaches and am basically back to being so low I'm suicidal again.
This medication has made my life a misery, and even more so when I stop taking it. They say it is not addictive, but obviously I'm going through some sort of withdrawals, and while I don't like the brain-dead effect it has on me, I'd rather be out of it than suicidal and vomiting constantly. I believe this is all a money-making scam by the drugs companies. Even when you decide its not a medication you want to take, you feel forced to take it to stop feeling worse than you did when you were taking it. Don't know if that makes any sense, but I felt I wanted to share that with others, and recommend to anyone who is considering starting treatment not to.

I am a 34 year old and have been taking Yaz for almost a year.

I had some minor side effects until this past month when everything came apart at the seams. I do not know if yaz is the culprit - but the number of women with the EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS as me listed here SCARES THE HELL OUT OF ME.

My "minor" sude effects were the following:

* No period for 5 months
* No sex drive (was not the case before taking Yaz)
* Panic attacks / anxiety (no history fo this. My doc has now put me on Zoloft.)
* Bloating / weight gain
* Brown blotches (like age spots) on one side of my face

This is NOTHING compared to the last month of my life. Basically my life has sucked for the last month. Roughly a month ago my symptoms started with a red rash on the left side of my face and pain in my left ear that led to a migraine that has not gone away at all. (The pain level goes between a 5 and 10, but never lower than a 5.) The rash went away in 2 days, but my ear still hurts today (a month later).

My vertigo began roughly 5 days after the onset of my rash and ear pain and has been non-stop since. I've taken phenergan, valium, etc. - but they are not working. I get spinning/dizzy every time my head moves (up, down, left, right) and with up and down eye movement. It seems like my migraine pain intensifies when my vertigo hits me. If I lie completely still - I have no vertigo - but my migraine is still there. To make matters worse, I have become very disoriented, like I am in a fog all of the time. I am only 34 years old and feel like I am losing my mind. I cannot remember simple words at times and have a tough time completing sentences.

All of these symptoms coincide exactly to the day I began a new packet of the birth control pill called YAZ (Yasmin). I had taken this brand of pill for a year, and though it has worked (not pregnant) I have had some minor side effects up until the last month. The biggest side effect is that I have not had any period at all for the last 5 months. I have also had anxiety (no past history) and have no sex drive (not my normal self.) I stopped taking the pill about a week ago - after reading literally thousands of people with the same side effects I am experiencing on a website called medications.com (My neurologist also told me to stop taking it.)

I am NOT having ringing in my ears or loss of hearing. I mention this because I know other ailments have these as symptoms.

I have already been seen by my dentist, physical therapist, ENT, 2 neurologists and a gyn. So far - they are not helping. I have even been hospitalized for 5 days and all they really did was try and dope me up to sleep and had me take a very potent anti-migraine drug called DHE that must be administered over a 36 hour period via IV. Guess what? It did not work.

The most scary thing is that even though I get severe vertigo any time I move my head (even to the point of waking me up while I sleep) - NOT A SINGLE DOCTOR EVEN MENTIONED I MIGHT HAVE BPPV ( BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO) and they did not test for it at all. They were all interested in treating my month-long migraine with anti-migraine drugs. They all swore up and down that my vertigo was related to my migraine. They also said my fogginess was because I was "tired and sick" and many migraine sufferers are that way.

After my husband and I searched the internet and found dozens of websites, we are pretty much convinced that I have BPPV. We are going to get in front of a vestibular specialist ASAP.

So you know, I have been through a CT scan, two different MRIs, basic blood work on my white cell counts, thyroid levels, potassium, etc.

They have ruled out a sinus infection, brain tumor, pituitary tumor, stroke, blood clots, etc. They have simply treated me with anti-migraine medication - and it has been worthless. I have taken Topomax, Frova and DHE (the drug mentioned above) and my migraine is still there. These drugs have not helped one bit. My neurologist swore that the DHE would do the trick. Guess what? He was wrong.

I discharged myself from the hospital yesterday and am now at home.

I just want my normal life back. I cannot drive, work, take care of my family, etc.

My two biggest questions are:

DOES ANYONE KNOW IF BPPV CAN CAUSE MY MIGRAINE? The reason I ask is that the doctors all think that the migraine is causing my vertigo. All along they have been treating my migraine (with zero success) and have been giving me valium and antivert to simply mask my vertigo (no success there either.) No one has tried to really diagnose and treat my vertigo. Is it possible if I get my vertigo fixed my migraines will disappear?

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL PILLLS CAUSING BPPV? I saw woman after woman on medications.com have the same symptoms of vertigo, migraines and brain fog while taking the birth control pill Yasmin. I also know that my avalanche of symptoms eerily coincided with my first pill from a new pack. If they are related, I am most interested in what to do to get my hormones back on track in an effort to stop my vertigo.

This is all driving me crazy. A month ago I was absolutely normal. Now I am 100% disabled. I just want my life back.

Please help!