Blogs symptoms and conditions

I have had my Mirena for almost two years and I think it's the best medical decision I have made in years. I was on the pill for years and even had depo shots for a while. The depo mad me moody, irritable, and downright nutty. I have had none of those issue with Mirena. I have not had a period in a year & a half, and I have enjoyed every moment with my implant. People blog about bad experiences, but rarely share good ones. I just wanted to spread the word that it is GREAT for me. Like you, I read good & bad before I made my decision, and I am SO glad I did it despite reading blogs liek this one.

I had the Mirena inserted about a year ago and am very anxious to have it out tomorrow. I have so many side effects that I thought I was crazy until I found these blogs. I gained 10 lbs and im not doing anything different than before I'm still eating and exercising the same, I'm a raging bitch and I don't know how my boyfriend puts up with me, I cry out of nowhere, My hair has been falling out by the handfuls, I've had depression, migraine headaches, cramping in the lower abdomen along with numbing of the vagina. My doctor said there would hardly be any side effects when he recommended this to me and he swore by it. I would never recommend the Mirena to anyone! If you are considering it I highly suggest you re-think your options! I cannot wait until this little piece of hell gets removed!

I am so glad I found your comments regarding Lactaid. Although I haven't experienced the vomiting most of you have mentioned, I have suffered the last few weeks or so with diarrhea and nausea. I found drinking water has kept the thoughts of vomiting at bay. However,I have gone to bed in the fetal position spoken about and slept. When I began Lactaid, I purchased the "best" brand. It was working very well. After the first bottle, I bought one of the generic brands. Now, I realize the mistake I have made. At first I thought they weren't mixing well with the "hotflash" medication I take, but after elimination testing, that isn't the case. Reading your blogs have just verified my pain and my need to either go back to the "best" brand, or stop taking Lactaid altogether. Thank you and have a painless day!

I am only 21 years old and I have an 11 month old. I got my Mirena inserted in March. (First let me say that Ian was 5 mo. old when I tried to get Mirena the first time and it came right back out after insertion... before I even put my pants back on....this should've been a sign to me but I was persistent and went back a month later after kegel exercising and nipple stimulation) Since then I have had a vaginal odor, discharge, difficulty reaching orgasm, severe headaches (which I used to never get), acne (which was also not a problem), back pain, body aches, weight gain, strong appetite, fatigue and depression. Today I googled UTI with Mirena because for the past 2 days I feel like I am starting to get a UTI, however, it is only for about 2 hours when I first wake up then throughout the day my symptoms disappear. Until I found this website I thought these symptoms were just post baby seeing as this is my first child and I am new at these things. My appetite for sex is still strong but b/c of the strange smell and lack of feeling (which wasn't like that directly after childbirth) it's just not the same. Also like a lot of other blogs I have read, I have taken a pregnancy test or two after the IUD was placed in because I have some symptoms that are familiar to pregnancy. A strange question I will ask is does anyone who has already had a child or several ever experience a feeling in the gut like that of the baby kicking? This was odd to me and something I did not want to feel for a good while (hince why I spent the amount of $ I did on Mirena). Which also brings up the point that now I am considering taking Mirena out, however it is going to suck paying for something I am not using plus the additional $ I am going to have to spend on new BC. And another question is are there any suggestions as to which BC has worked well for women who have tried IUD and weren't happy with it. I was on the pill when I got pregnant which makes me a little weary of trying that again. Thanks for all the knowledge I wish I would've found before I decided to get this thing in me. Hope to hear back. And good luck to all of you who have had worse symptoms than me, hopefully if I get this thing out now I won't have to go through some other symptoms.

I just started taking doxy-hyclate yesterday due to infection in my mouth. I don't have any side effects as of yet, but- hopefully I don't. By reading these blogs- I am slightly scared... I will continue.

Thanks,
Milwaukee WI

Hello everyone,
I just filled a prescription for Loestrin 24 and wanted to know a little more about this pill since I have never taken birth control pills b4. I have not started to take the pill as of yet, after reading these blogs I am a little hesitant to start taking them seeing all the complains against this pill. can anyone recommend a good BCP, with little site effects.

I began reading all of the blogs about Topamax and was surprised. I have been taking Topamax as a mood stabilizer since February 2007 at 200 mg at bed time (I probably sleep off the fatigue). The only side effect I am concerned about is the weight loss. Short term memory is not an issue. As a matter of fact, I am attend college and am managing a 3.85 gpa. I wish all of you the best of luck and hope you find something that works for you.

Hi,

I just found this site, as I am looking for an explanation for the extreme joint pain that I am having, along with swollen ankles/feet. I have been dealing with some type of chronic contact dermatitis that no one has been able to solve, since last July. I have been on numerous steroids, then on Cyclosporine, for several months, which can play havoc with your kidneys. I also started taking Singulair for the itching, which is one of the few things that has really helped. Since November, I was taking Singulair on and off. But, as I recall, I began taking it daily since around late January. Around late February, I began having joint pain, which still continues, and lately, is becoming excruciating! When it first began, I blamed it on the Cyclosporine and kidney breakdown. But, since I have been off that, the pain has continued to worsen. Then I thought it may have something to do with the Doxepin, which I also take at night for the itching. I stopped taking that two nights ago, but the pain continues to worsen.

Now, from what I am reading, these blogs make me believe it could be the Singulair. Can anyone tell me how long it takes for the pain to go away once you stop taking the Singulair????? I will gladly stop taking it if this pain will go away. In fact I will be thrilled, because I was suppose to begin testing next weak for possible Lupus, because it doesn't seem that the Physicians who prescribe Singulair, are well aware of these issues.

I would appreciate anyone who can give information as to how long it takes for the side effects to subside. Thank you!!!
(In pain in Boca Raton, FL)

I had a thyroidectomy on 4/16/08 and started on the generic synthroid right after that. The reason for the surgery was nodules and pre-cancer cells( I have had breast cancer and mastectomy 12/06. Since starting it, I have had swelling all over my body and was wondering if it could cause it. Since reading all these blogs, I see it is probably the cause. I am taking 75 mg and was wondering if maybe it's to high a dose.(?) I don't go to my Endo for a month but was planning on calling him tomorrow to see if I can half the dose until I see him-Is that a good idea or should I increase it? I'd appreciate all replies. Theresa

I have been on the 4 months going on 5. i may have gained a little weight but just water weight. My skin has cleared up and i am not getting the PMS breakouts anymore. I just turned 29 and still get acne so anything that helps is welcome. however i have been noticing slight headaches here and there. i typically don't get headaches and from what i have read on these blogs the ring may be to blame...other than slight weight gain and a headache or two it's been good using the ring. i also don't get ravenously hungry before my period anymore which is a blessing, i would eat anything and a lot of it-lol! i am going to be paying more attention though, and come to think of it i have noticed been tired and i workout a lot so i usually have tons of energy. tough call, i guess every birth control method has draw backs.

I am glad to see recent Mirena side effects. as it is taking a sweep across the US. I had mine removed after 3 months and that was also 3 months ago. The bloated belly is still here, energy has increased, I have extreme pain in my elbows, very irritable, probably from the bloated tummy. I have gained 30 lbs back. My OB did a preg test in Dec just because I had gained 15 lbs in 2 weeks. She was very concerned but had not heard of others with problems. I had just lost 40 lbs last year before Mirena insert. I haven't searched for recent blogs lately but am glad I did today. Other blogs I have read say they had side effects for up to 6 months after removal. I also called Bayer and they weren't very helpful or polite. Just wanted a list of symptoms and when I couldn't speak to them during a lunch meeting on my cell, they returned my call, they hung up and said that was my tough luck. I would like to know if there is any litigation towards them. I feel like 6 months of my life have been ripped away thus far.

My name is Bobby and I've been dating a girl who has been through some tough times. She took my advice and started taking an antidepressant, Celexa, 5 weeks ago. 3 Weeks after starting the Celexa, we began to have the relationship I always knew we could. I love her so much and for one week I was the Happiest man in the world.
Unfortunately, against my advice she started taking Yaz a week after beginning the Celexa. I told her that beginning two new drugs at once will eliminate the ability to identify which drug is causing which affects whether they be positive or negative.
After 3 weeks of Celexa and 2 weeks of Yaz, my girlfriend started acting alive and excited about life again!! She even started losing weight because of her beautiful new-found energy and zest for everything. She was playful, she was laughing, she was sexual, she was the girl of my dreams and we fell more in love than ever.
One week later (After 4 weeks of Celexa, and after 3 weeks of Yaz) a monster emerged who no longer can stand the sight of me. She doesn't want me to touch her, hug her, or even kiss her. She doesn't sleep at night. She screams and yells at me for being annoying when I'm doing things that once made her smile with love in her eyes.
I found an apartment today and decided to move out... I have never been treated so poorly by anyone in my life before. She's aggressive and verbally abusive. She's been complaining that people are talking about her and she seems paranoid. I made the mistakes of taking steroids a while back and I can tell you she is the monster now that I was then and both Yaz and steroids affect hormone levels and I'm telling you I just can't believe how many relationships this drug must be ruining.
Tonight I took the Yaz and threw all of it out. She got mad at me because she's afraid that she'll stop losing weight... I mean she's just completely lost perspective. I showed her pictures of us happy together and she still chose losing 3 more pounds over our relationship. I'm losing my mind... Just a few weeks ago she reminded me again that she wants to marry me and give me babies. Where has my future wife and future mother of my children gone??

I'M LIVING IN FEAR THAT SHE WILL FIND A WAY TO GET MORE YAZ B4 SHE'S BEEN OFF LONG ENOUGH TO SEE WHAT IT'S TURNED HER INTO.

SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!!!
******

I just started using Loestrin and felt like there wasn't much information about breakthrough bleeding with new lo-dose extended (24day) OCs like loestrin 24 and what causes it. The blogs have been really helpful, but I wanted more medical information. My sister works for the CDC so I asked her and she sent me this article on how different OC pills effected women in various trials. There are a few medical terms I didn't know of right of the bat, but it was pretty comprehensible. It helped me understand what the heck was going on with my body this first month with all the bleeding and cramps. If you want a copy of the article, just click on the private e-mail button and let me know where to send it.....

My 13 year old son has been on Singulair for about 4 years. I considered it a wonder drug because he would always get sick from his asthma. For the past couple of years my son has been very inattentive. I blew it off as the preteen hormones. It wasn't until recently his dad made a comment about him never smiling or enjoying things they use to do together. If you saw any of his recent photos compared to his past pics, he appear dazed and depressed. I would always ask he's okay, any new changes in school. OMG! I can't believe they are marketing this medicine to our children.

He always complained of stomach upsets, really bad headaches every week, pain in his legs and hallucinations. I know this sounds crazy, but I would have never considered it may be the medicine, but after reading the blogs, I'm starting to realize it could be contributed to Singulair. It's been two days since I've taken him off Singulair and I can only hope and pray his asthma does not flair up like it has in the past. I also pray that Merck is reading these blogs and will take Singulair off the market until a more detailed research is conducted. I at one time looked at Singulair as being the greater good for my son's asthma, but it's not worth risking my son's mental health. I wonder if Merck would give this medicine to there children?

my daughter is 7 and has been taking Singulair for the past year. she has exhibited many of the symptoms described in these blogs.....she constantly complains of stomach aches and headaches. wakes up at night saying mommy i had a bad dream....(has not done this prior)....her closet door must be closed at all times (new to her)....she cannot have the bathroom door fully closed,again new to her.......she wakes up and does not want to go to school, new to her!!!!!! she also complains of itching, she itches herself to the points of opening her skin.......i had stopped the Singulair this past February and could not believe what a change in her behavior. she had to go back on it after asthma episode and once again i notice her change in behavior. i recently stopped it after she began crying saying, mommy i am a bad person, i did not brush my teeth tonight....the next day i heard the news of the mood side affects and threw the Singulair out!

I am a 36 year old female who has been taking Cymbalta for almost a month now. I currently take 30 mg once per day, in the morning. Here's my story: For the past two years, I have been living with chronic pain, mostly in my back. I've also not slept well either. I could never get comfortable enough to fall asleep and if I did fall asleep, I'd wake up in pain. My Doctor has put me through numerous tests. I have finally got my thyroid medicine regulated and I've tested negative for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus. So, my Doctor wanted me to try Cymbalta. She said that it was originally an antidepressant, which we know I don't need, but she said it has been successful in helping patients with Fibromyalgia. I was very skeptical about taking it, especially after reading the blogs on ****** about it. I spoke with a coworker who is on it and she said it has helped her tremendously. She had severe migraines. Well, I tried it, and in only a few days I felt a lot of relief from my pain. It didn't make it go away 100%, but I would say it helps a good 80%. That is so much more manageable than without it. I've only been taking it for about 3 weeks. I have a follow up appointment with my doctor next week. I have a feeling that she will put me on it twice per day though. It helps a lot during the day, but I think it wears off before bedtime. However, I have been sleeping much better since I've been on it. I don't think it makes me any sleepier during the day. But, I've been living with fatigue for a while now!

I had been on Lisinopril for about 5 weeks, first on 40 mg. then I reduced it in half on my own, and have now decided to stop entirely and go back on Avapro. When I started it, I developed flu like symptoms and I thought I was just sick, but my body continued to fill "unwell". I had such terrible vertigo that I fell down 3 times and would get very dizzy when sitting up or bending over. Sometimes, the vertigo comes when I am sitting perfectly still! I became constipated and bloated with bouts of gas, headaches and sore throat in the evenings. My arms and legs were falling asleep during the night, so bad that I had to wake up and massage my hands and move my legs to get them circulating. Also, leg cramps have developed and cramps and shoulder pain that doesn't want to go away.I started to have to urinate all the time, as well! When I went to the doctor's office after being on it for 3 weeks, I complained that I was feeling awful (like I was going to die), depression had set in, I want to sleep all the time and have terrible vertigo, I was told that these were unusual symptoms and to try it for a few more weeks and see if these symptoms subside! Typical!!! It is thru researching blogs like these that I found that my symptoms are not at all unusual, but they are VERY ALARMING! I am a 46 year old woman and am healthy in every way. This medicine makes me feel as if I am being poisoned! I went off of it yesterday and am now doing an herbal cleanse to detox myself. I am also on fish peptides - which lowered my bp substantially in the past, but needed to find a reliable source that keeps it in stock all the time. It is safe and has no side effects.

When i was in college i was taking orthotrycyclin low, But stopped it for about to years just to clean out my system. Usually during my period (with no bc) last for one week and very heavy with pain. On top of that i only have one ovary. My doctor suggested that i should get back on some sort of bc to control my periods. I tried the patch but as soon as I placed the patch on my lower abdomen I had a migraine. (I've never had a migrane before). So I immediately was scared and took it off. I went straight to my dr. and he told me to try Loestrin 24. So I did. The first 2 months were not that bad. But recently I have been very moody especially when it comes close to that time of the month, I've felt much anxiety, and have been in and out of depression. Of course i've never had depression before but i come straight home from work and just feel down and like not doing anything. The other day I was busy with work and happened to miss my pill. Well ladies be sure not to miss a pill. I had severe cramps and spotting. I'm at the point that I want to get off of it and am really considering. I tried getting off of it before and realized that MY MOODINESS increased. Believe me my co-workers and boyfriend let me know. and my depression increased. I also gained about 15 lbs. since i've been on Loestrin 24. I consulted with my doctor and he said the bc's don't not make us gain weight. But after reading all these blogs i know I'm not the only one going through this dilemma....

I just started using le24 @ the end of Feb.2008. i was 19 but turned 20 this March. I started taking this pill bc i had very bad cramps & mild acne. i have not had any weight gain, my skin is so...... clear even the dark spots. so far so good with this pill. i think this pill is better for teens to young adults 15-22. bc i have read the other blogs & it seems the younger girls has less side effects.

I have been using the NuvaRing since October 2005. I never had any problems with it. I thought it was great!! Unfortunately, I was dating this guy for the past two years that never wanted to have sex and all we would do is fight. I had no sex drive of course and I was always feeling depressed, anxious, or stressed out. However, we broke up in December, and now I have a new partner. I thought these symptoms would cease to exist now that the other guy is out of my life, but I am still feeling this way. And I thought my sex drive would return, but it has not. Well, last month I started bleeding out of nowhere, in the middle of my cycle, which had not occurred before and I became concerned. I went for a pap smear, and of course, the gynos are dying to get that ring off the shelves and into millions of healthy women, so she told me that my bleeding had nothing to do with NuvaRing (and then attempted to send me for an $1100 ultrasound). If something wasn't up, why would I need an ultrasound? I wasn't pregnant, at that point, which brings me to my next point. It was almost like a normal period when I bled out of nowhere, then my actual period was suppose to arrive 2 weeks later, and did not. But the gyno still said I was fine and there is nothing to worry about! So as far as I know, I'm not pregnant. I've just screwed up my reproductive system with this new BC.

Okay, after reading these blogs, I think it's time to trash the NuvaRing and go back to something else. Now that I think back on it, whether or not the NuvaRing has anything to do w/ these symptoms, either way I didn't have them before I started it: migraines, depression, weight gain, hair loss, anxiety, mood swings, loss of sex drive, and tiredness. I am 24 years old, and way too young to feel this way!

i have been using Loestrin for almost two weeks and the only thing i have experienced is the brown spotting...after i read everyones blogs i wonder to myself if should remain on this pill...but then again other people say since my body isn't used to it that its going to react weird at first...but i don't know if anyone has any suggestions plz let me know
Jo

I'm 21 years old and have been on a few different birth controls since i was 16. About two weeks ago i started taking Loestrin24 Fe and I'm not exactly sure what i think. I've read numerous blogs on here about everyone else side effects which makes me feel better because I'm experiencing the same "brownish pain in my ass discharge" too. which is not something I'm happy about at all. I've never had a problem with this kinda thing in the past. and I'm not suppose to have my period for another two weeks, so what is this brown stuff all about?? also,my breasts have been tender too. I'm going to give Loestrin24Fe a chance but if something doesn't change soon, I'm switching back to Seasonale which i didn't have no problems with at all.

It is funny to see so many side effects to Biaxin. I am normally very lightweight on any drug, but Biaxin has been awesome. I have been on it one year or Lyme Disease and co-infection treatment and I love this drug, I sleep like a baby, never had bad aftertaste, ever. Chew gum the say if "metal" taste happens. I would recommend this drug in a second. Just wanted to post something positive, because we are all so different.

I have been using Yasmin for almost 10 years. Recently I have began getting migraines (never had them before), nasty vaginal discharge and an embarrassing increase in facial hair. I can somewhat deal with the migraines, but the other two symptoms are extremely irritating.
I have been to my gyno for both. She told me that the discharge was "normal" with the use of Yasmin. I don't think snotty goo coming from your vagina for a straight week before your period is "normal". She assured me that all testing came back negative and it was just something I would have to deal with. As far as the facial hair goes...I can't leave the house without standing in front of a mirror and plucking my poor chin and neck for up to an hour each day. My gyno suggested that I get laser treatment, which would be grand if SHE were paying for it.
I don't know if I want to continue taking Yasmin or not. I have ovarian cysts and used to have severe periods lasting for a week and a half at a time, and Yasmin had helped with those problems.
Has anyone else had these problems...and what are you doing for them?

Hi Everyone,
I have been taking Topamax 25 mg for 1 week. I can't stand it. Today I am to up my dosage to 50 mg.I am not sure if I want to do that. The side effects suck.. I think I would rather just deal with my migraines, at least I know how to do that since I have had them for over 25 years. I have tried everything and nothing has worked so the Dr. and I thought we would give this a try.
I am trying to keep my place of employment happy with trying to cut down on the migraines but nothing works.
Most days I just want to give up.
Hopefully we will be able to figure something out.

I can't stand the pickhands and feet, the stumbling like I am drunk( and I dont' drink) nothing tastes right anymore, I have the shakes and I ache.
And all it does is makes me sleepy and like I am in another world.
I went to work today and made it half an hour before I came home because I stumbled and almost fell over. And when the boss talked to me it was like I wasn't there. So I came home. I don't know but I don't like it at all.