Birth defects symptoms and conditions

I was on Femcon Fe for around a year. I didn't experience any negative side effects, it was easy to remember and quite effective. In May of 09 I started experiencing some weird symptoms (mind you, Ive been on this drug for almost a year by that point), my breasts were so tender it hurt to touch them, I was overly emotional, and exhausted all the time. I complained to my husband and my friends. They all joked and said "Uhoh sounds like youre pregnant". I already have one child and I figured I would KNOW if I were pregnant. Besides, I never missed a period. Never, not once. Finally, in July I broke down and made an appt with my OBGYN to discuss what was going on. My Dr. said she could almost guarantee that I wasn't pregnant and that it was a hormonal imbalance. Well, she got me a blood test and sure enough I was pregnant. 2 more blood tests down the road (because my HCG level was fluctuating strangely), they scheduled me for an ultrasound. Not only was I pregnant but I was 10 weeks pregnant! I will swear in a court of law that I never missed a period. If anything, my periods from May-July were heavier and lasted an average of 9 days. Junes period lasted almost 14 days.
Anyways, September 17th after a detailed 20 week level 2 ultrasound, my Perinatologist detected fetal birth defects. My baby has hydroureter and her left kidney is significantly malformed. The kidney will never improve and they can only monitor its function until birth and the bladder will have to be shunted immediately after birth to drain the excess fluids.
I will never EVER take another birth control pill...EVER. My daughters life will be forever altered due to Femcon. Ladies, beware.

wow I thought that everyone really enjoyed the Mirena I know that i do. I actually do not get a period at all just thee occasional spot here an there. I Never got half the side effects that everyone else has gotten on this page..lol so I am thinking that this is another "Med" that has different side effects for everyone boy am I sure thankful that i didn't read some of the articles in this site or I would have never got it!!!! I am 22 a mother of two and my husband and I wanted to wait for a while to have another. Since the Pill didn't do its job and thats how I got baby girl #2 so I turned to the Mirena. Other then the uncomfortable insertion I was fine I bled for a few weeks after I had it put in but I absolutely love it. i have had mine for about a year..In fact a year next month and I AM NOT HAVING MINE REMOVED...lol I just have to say to everyone out there you cant be sure what its like till you give it a try...

I was on Loestrin 24 for 9 months and thought it was wonderful....until I was recently hospitalized for 2 weeks with blood clots in both lungs. The doctors determined that it was the Loestrin. If anyone knows of a class action lawsuit against them, please let me know.

I got my Mirena November 14, 2008, the day before my wedding. The pain was insane, I could barely stand up as I walked out of there and hardly made it through my wedding rehearsal that night. I cramped and bled for the first couple of weeks and then it suddenly stopped only to come back full force as a full period on my honeymoon of all times! My hair started falling out immediately, but until I read these boards I was blaming it on the dry winter air and all of the coloring I do to it. My migraines came back full force (I got the Mirena because my doc took me off of the pill because it was giving me migraines) mid December and I have gained about 10 pounds always feeling bloated. I've been feeling depressed lately and extremely tired! I thought it was because I recently lost my job and now that my life has calmed down I was starting to feel the effects of it, and now I know it was the Mirena! Thank Goodness it's now really me! Just in the last couple of days I've noticed vision problems, not really blurry, but kind of wavy vision...I was starting to blame it on the fact that it's time to have my eyes checked anyway (I wear glasses) but my eyes really don't change from year to year anymore, so wavy vision is a major problem! So, to summarize, 10 lbs gained in a month and a half, bloated, constipated, migraines, wavy vision, spotting, depression, tired constantly to the point of exhaustion (I can fall asleep on demand).

I'm making an appt with my doctor this week to have this thing taken out! I don't know what to do next. I can't have any more babies...I had one baby, she died in March 2003 due to multiple birth defects and the doctors don't know what caused them, I'm not going to do that to another child and I'm not going to go through that again. I can't find a doctor to tie my tubes though, so hopefully my husband can find someone to give him a vasectomy!

I know everyones body reacts differently but I personally would not recommend this birth control method to anyone! Ive only had it inserted a mere week and 3 days ago and I hate it! The insertion was a breeze slight cramping and ive been bleeding ever since but I was made aware of that possibility.However, it seems that after walking for several mins I start feeling a sharp pain down below (no, not cramping) and i start walking a bit bowl legged in order to relieve the pain. It goes away when I sit or lay down for 20-30 mins but with a very active child I don't have the luxary. I'M GETTING IT REMOVED ASAP!

I've been on topamax at 400mg 2x a day for about 8 years now. It is a great drug but it has HORRIBLE side effects! It ( along with lamictal) gives me WONDERFUL seizure control. And it is safe for pregnancy. BUT it has destroyed my memory. short term and long term I cant remember much of anything! The sexual side effects is just awful. It makes reaching an orgasm almost impossible! I am very scared that I may have full blown alzheimers by the time I am 30!

Has anyone gained they're memory back after stopping topamax?

I'am only 26 but I have been a insulin dependent diabetic since the age of three. Being a diabetic for so long has made it difficult for my body to maintain normal cholesterol and triglceride levels. (I'am not overweight and I am very active) At 19 I was put on lipitor but it gave me severe stomach pains when I called the doctor they told me "it was just a side effect" and should subside. I wasn't on it for very long when I found out I was expecting and had to stop taking it anyway (can't take statins while your pregnant it can cause severe birth defects) Anyways, after I had my daughter they said my cholesterol was fine and they weren't going to put me back on anything. Yes! Until just recently my doctor discovered that my triglceride and cholesterol levels were so high he had the lab re-draw my blood tests! Odd because I feel perfectly fine. Because of the stomach pains years ago with Lipitor he put me on Simvisatin and Antara. Every since I have been on the Simvastatin my cholesterol levels are perfect but I am soo tired all the time. When ever I tell my doctor he says it's because I am a young mother of three and work full time. But this is a different kind of tired. I seriously could drink a five shot extra strength espresso and fall asleep this isn't normal. All my blood work is fine. It has to be a side effect.

this might help anyone who is looking for more information. This site is trying to get the FDA to investigate more into this drug:
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Under the "documents uncovered" area, it lists SEVERAL woman who have been hospitalized from this shot from Jan. 2008. Very scary stuff.

also, a post the one of my friends sent me from a news story:

10 deaths have been linked to Gardasil since September 2007, and there have been 140 reports so far this year of serious side effects such as miscarriage and Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Well. We’ve already lost 18 girls, some as young as 12, in the effort to spare them from the mere possibility of cervical cancer later in life. Others have developed debilitating and potentially life-threatening ailments within weeks of being vaccinated, and others still have had spontaneous abortions or given birth to babies with birth defects.

Also consider this: Cervical cancer usually develops in your late 20s to mid 30s. The protection period of Gardasil is estimated to be 5 years. That means, if you receive your first set of shots when you’re 10 years old, you’d need at least 2 to 4 additional booster shots to make it through your 30s. And THAT means you’ll have to expose yourself to the potential side effects of Gardasil over and over and over again.

But now to the real clincher, and I want you to read the following section as many times as you need to let this truly sink in…

U.S. statistics show there are 30 to 40 cervical cancer cases per year per one million women between the ages of 9 and 26, which is the age bracket that Gardasil targets (and was tested on).

According to Merck, Gardasil was shown to reduce pre-cancers by 12.2% to 16.5% in the general population. So, instead of ending up with 30 to 40 cases of cancer per million, per year, in that age bracket, the HPV vaccine can potentially bring it down to 26 to 35 cases of cervical cancer.

What that means is that you would have to vaccinate one million girls to prevent cervical cancer in 4 to 5 girls.

Further, about 37 percent of women who develop cervical cancer actually die from the disease, so vaccinating ONE MILLION girls would prevent 1 to 2 DEATHS per year, at the bargain-basement price of $360 million per year, plus potentially lifelong suffering for an untold number of women, which has no price tag.

Is this REASONABLE?

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I get constant UTIs. I have for 5 or 6 years now and my urologist recently gave me this medication to take "as needed" in order to prevent full blown UTIs and in order to prevent me from going to see him every single month, if not multiple times a month.

The medication works great and quickly. I used to take amoxicillin but it is not very strong and no longer works for most people so I needed something more effective. And since I am allergic to other antibiotics most frequently prescribed for UTIs, such as Bactrim, and macro, I had only a few options left. The only side effects I notice is that I get some discharge.

It's very effective, but if you are a female and sexually active, you must be very careful since this medication can cause birth defects!

I have been taking Singulair since it came on the market almost 10 years ago. I am now 26 years old and working on a Masters in Psychology. My theory is about this drug that people that are experiencing depression, and suicidal thoughts are prone to having this without the drug. I cannot skip a day without this medication or else I start having severe flair ups. I am writing because it always seems when there is a good drug on the market it gets pulled because of the side effects. I hope Merck does extensive testing and surveying to make sure of these allegations before the drug is discontinued. Also I took Singulair the entire time I was pregnant and my child has no kind of birth defects etc.

My Mirena Removal....
So i posted here a few weeks ago after I found this site. I had EVERY side effect listed and was so freaked out that i immediately made an appointment for removal.
For those of you reading and wondering what the removal is like..
Well, NOTHING like the insertion. I was so so nervous and it was over before we actually started. The DR was surprised that i was back in his office to have this removed. He then proceeded to do an ultrasound to be sure it was placed properly before removal. And yes, all was OK on the position of it. I explained to him my reasons and he looked at me like he had never heard this before. I honestly can not imagine with all the women he sees that NONE of them have complained. But...as I was getting dressed afterwards, I took a good look in his office. There was Mirena literature ALL over the place. In fact, that was the ONLY thing he was advertising. Not to mention...they made me pay up front with the insertion back in Nivember...billed my insurance and I still have yet to receive my reimbursement. Oh yeah, and that...they charge more than the actual Mirena costs, then they bill your insurance for the price they know they will pay and the DR then makes about $150 profit. Nice.
Ok, back to my side effects post Mirena. The removal was not painful at all. I did spot for about a week- nothing too heavy but it was clotty and def there.
A couple of days after the removal it felt like I was coming out of my skin something terrible. I figured this was my body adjusting to the lack of hormones. I also had some headaches.
It has now been 2 weeks and the spotting has disappeared. I also can see the bloating of my stomach is starting to go away. It looked like I was about 4 mos preggo while I was on it. I also have an increased sex drive. And sleep-- well let me tell you, I have not slept this good in a very long time. I am actually sleeping more than 6 hours now and the night sweats have also discontinued.
I can't believe EVERY time I come to this site and look up Mirena ALL the people that have posted their experience as being negative. Yet, the DR looks at me like I am crazy! I have been seeing him for years and I have never complained about something like this. I really am so happy that I have it out and wish I would have done my research on this prior to insertion (which was one of the most painful things ever!)
So..for those of you out there that are either contemplating having it inserted...I say NO WAY. And for those of you out there that are nervous about the removal or not sure..I SAY YES, DO IT! For our bodies to be reacting this way, it is clear to me that it should not be inside of us. Listen to your bodies...they really do speak to you and let you know when something is not right. Forget about the DR saying it is safe or he has not heard of any of these side effects...YOU be the judge.
Good luck! And I promise it gets better once you get that lil' demon out!
Mona

I have taken Lupron injections for almost a week now. Me, and my husband are focusing on the end result...the baby. I am different than usual(as far as mood swings), but it is comforting to know that it will change here soon. It's also helpful to read other's issues with the drug, so I know I a not the only one.
Yesterday, my girlfriend came over to visit...I was crying uncontrollably....which I never do that! I also get VERY snappy with people..especially my husband. I am mad so much more and more intensely

OMG! I just stumbled across this site after googling "tender breasts NuvaRing" because my boobs have been killing me. I've been using the ring for 6 months and I MUST be on birth control due to an anti-psoriasis drug I'm on that causes birth defects. Anyway, besides the boobs, I am slightly depressed (not like me at all), no sex drive (worse than usual for this full-time working mother), I also had a weird pain in my chest last night (I'm 38 and in good health). I've noticed a total increase in my appetite. My co-workers have been commenting on how much I'm eating but I'm so hungry all the time. I'm sure I've gained weight too. I knew it had to be hormonal or something because of this thing!

I was born without a thyroid gland so I can't compare the way I feel now to the way I would've felt with a thyroid. I've been on Synthroid my entire life (22 years), and I'm up to 112 mcg now. I am very skinny (5'5", 104 lbs) and feel constantly fatigued no matter how many hours I sleep, what I eat, and how much exercise I get. I periodically get pain in my hip joints, heart palpitations, and intense mood swings. My thoughts race but I have very little physical energy. I feel restless and gloomy almost all the time for absolutely no good reason. My doctor tells me I'm depressed but I honestly have no reason to be depressed and I wish she would see it as a symptom instead of a diagnosis. I graduated from a good college, I've got a job I like, I have friends, I enjoy life and my hobbies, yet I feel overwhelmingly sad. This does not seem like depression to me.

I find that after I do aerobics I get a tightness in my chest, which makes me worry about my heart, but again my doctor doesn't seem to think this is cause for concern. I have been irritable/fatigued for YEARS and I suspect I'll feel this way for the rest of my life. The worst of it started when I hit 16 years old and started the 112 mcg. My tests are always normal and it frustrates me that my doctor disregards my symptoms. I've tried other doctors, but they always send me away with my 'normal' test results. Can anybody help?

! have been on yasmine for a little over a week and am only thankful I could recognize it's effect before it was too late.

I knew, as I drove to work going 70 miles an hour and thoughts of driving myself into the cement wall ahead were sounding appealing, that I was having severe depression. I had not felt depression that severe since my teen age years! I pulled over and cried for 20 minutes straight, then puked. I have missed work everyday this week due to extreme stomach cramping and nausea.

In the last 4 days my world has turned upside down. My poor 10 year old is probably ready to run-away and my partner is ready to tie me down and lock me up. I cannot even speak to either one of them without snapping, screaming and thinking they must be the stupidest people on earth. Worse is that as soon I unload on them, I am apologizing profusely becuase I don't really mean it. I am quite aware I am not myself, even more so they recognize it. It was almost comical at first, now I am just a wreck! I want to die and it is not like me in the least. I am a peaceful, soft-spoken person gone MAD!

The worst part of it for me is I have very few options besides this. My doc is requiring me to be on it because I take another med that if for some reason I got pregnant, it would cause such terrible birth defects that she refuses to risk it. I am thankful for her concern, but what do I do? My only other option is Ortho-Evra...has anyone here switched and preferred the patch?? I am most concerned for depressive side effects.

Lastly, if your thinking of going on Yasmine, only buy a one month supply and if you see these effects I recommend you try something different. REGARDLESS if they will fade. I almost committed suicide and I am one of the most cheerfull, happy, blessed people I know.

I have been on yasmine for a little over a week and am only thankful I could recognize it's effect before it was too late.

I knew, as I drove to work going 70 miles an hour and thoughts of driving myself into the cement wall ahead were sounding appealing, that I was having severe depression. I had not felt depression that severe since my teen age years! I pulled over and cried for 20 minutes straight, then puked. I have missed work everyday this week due to extreme stomach cramping and nausea.

In the last 4 days my world has turned upside down. My poor 10 year old is probably ready to run-away and my partner is ready to tie me down and lock me up. I cannot even speak to either one of them without snapping, screaming and thinking they must be the stupidest people on earth. Worse is that as soon as it comes out I am apologizing profusely. I am quite aware I am not myself, even more so they recognize it. It was almost comical at first, now I am just a wreck! I want to die and it is not like me in the least. I am a peaceful, soft-spoken person gone MAD!

The worst part of it for me is I have very few options besides this. My doc is requiring me to be on it because I take another med that if for some reason I got pregnant, it would cause such terrible birth defects that she refuses. I am thankful for her concern, but what do I do? My only other option is Ortho-Evra...has anyone here switched and preferred the patch thing?? I am most concerned for depressive side effects.

Lastly, if your thinking of going on Yasmine, only buy a one month supply and if you see these effects I recommend you try something different. REGARDLESS if they will fade. I almost committed suicide and I am one of the most cheerfull, happy, blessed people I know.

I've never skipped a period in my entire life. In fact, I've only been late by a day or two once about 10 years ago. I started taking doxycycline for acne about two weeks before I should have gotten my period. One of the common side effects I wasn't told about? "Menstrual irregularities" and "irregular uterine bleeding." It stopped my period entirely, caused lower abdominal cramps and water weight gain. I have been seriously uncomfortable for over a week now and am waiting for my body to balance back out after taking this drug. As a sidenote: This antibiotic also causes birth defects, vaginal itching, yeast infections, seizures, hormonal fluctuation and depression.

birth defects including,
seizure disorder (uncontrolled at times)
microcephaly (musculoskeletal system disorder)
partial agenesis of the Corpus Collosum(CNS/ Corpus Collosum partially
absent)
cerebral palsy(gross motor delay)
milk allergy & constipation(both trigger seizures)
urogenital malformation