Blood vessels symptoms and conditions

I was on Yaz for two years before switching to Loestrin in July because of cost and because my Ob/Gyn gave me a discount card. I thought that Yaz was making me depressed. Well,I am still depressed and I have never had acne like I have now in my life. And its not premenstrual break out-its constant on my forehead and my back.
Worse, and most startling, is my inability to wear my contacts. It seems as though my blood vessels pop, my eyes get so inflamed and irritated. This concerns me most. I have been wearing glasses for weeks to allow the irritation to subside, and I fear that the inflammation was caused by the Loestrin, the only variable. What else is this pill doing to me, I wonder, after reading all of the other posts. I need to get off it, but switch to what???

I took the drug for 2 days for a sinus infection. Midway thru the first day, I started to feel numbness 2 front teeth, palate, upper lip and nose. Thought it was the sinus. Took one more pill.

The shoulder and elbow pain was exacerbated by the pill as I already have tendinitis.

The sinus infection is gone, at least for now. I hope it doesn't come back to bite me!

I started taking Avelox 9 days ago. I was prescribed 14 days of Avelox after a round of Ceftin failed to clear up a sinus infection.
I am an avid tennis player, playing 3-5 times a week. My first bad experience happened yesterday when I went out to play and as soon as I walked outside I had a head to toe tingling feeling. This felt like I had chills but no goosebumps were showing. Over an hour or so later, the goosebumps showed up. This was in 90 degree heat!! I first thought it was dehydration, which it may have been, since I didn't seem to be able to get enough water/Gatorade no matter how much I would drink. This is even at night when I am not in the heat!!
I didn't take the medicine today. Played again this morning. I had the same tingling feeling head to toe, but no chills this time. To explain the tingling, I told a friend my skin felt like it was creepy crawly! It was a horrible feeling again in extreme heat!
I, also, have a hamstring that feels a lil tinge to it. I never have these problems and I am guessing this is due to the medicine, too.
If I walk outside, my body temperature feels like it shoots up! Even though I do not have a fever.
I went to my doctor's office and he is out of town! I asked to see another Dr. and he was "too busy to see me" since he was trying to get to the hospital! I was told to call my family Dr.which I did, only to be told he was also booked and I couldn't be seen. So, I gave up! And, not taking the medicine anymore!! Never again. This will be on my list of 'Allergic to.'
I usually have no side effects from medicines.

I am also really glad I have found this website. I had my mirena placed in March 2006. I loved it, told all my friends thought it was a miracle. I have completely changed my mind. I have dizziness, headaches, joint pain and my PCP put on Lexapro for anxiety and mild depression in September 09.
I have a 3 and 4 year old, but am so fatigued at times I don't want to do anything but sit around. I can not lose any weight. I tried nutrisystem and
that didn't help. I am also having having a symptom that hasn't been mentioned on the site. I have done some research and noticed that the mirena can also cause blood vessels to constrict. In December 08 after having some (quite a few) drinks and smoking cigaretts at my husbands
Christmas Party the next morning my forearms and hands were a dusty blue color. I have had this happen one time since. A couple of times the bottoms of my feet were a purple/ bluish color looked as if they were badly bruised. After researching the cause of this, the only thing I can find is that the mirena can also cause constriction of the blood vessels. Has anyone else had this happen???? I had and echocardiogram done, that was fine all my blood work has come back normal. Am seeing a neurologist, he has me scheduled for a nerve condition test, but he thinks
I may need to see a vascular doctor.

HEllo.. I am a 47 year woman, whom started losing alot of hair all of a sudden... I had been losing, a few to 20, throughout a days brushing.> But the last few weeks a good chunk on and off for months.. I started advair last year.. Just got my 3rd refill... I been on albuterol for about 4 years.. My airways close severely..Allergies to foods, chemical, nature flowers and plants.. I also have Apnea sleep disorder which closes airways.. I take, singulair, albuterol, advair, naproxen, and flonase.. daily... I try to take the advair only if really needed.. BUt usually needed every day.. BUT I got the thought the more recent meds have to be the culprit..Not unusual to lose a 100 hairs a day by studies ! But clumps from same spot, all of a sudden! >YEa something not right ! So I started searching..Found so far nsaids such as the naproxen , and this advair both can make you lose your hair and then some ! I also get the itching for your life itch ! HEad to toe ! Dry, Told the doctor I use ever cream, lotion, gel, To Moisturize and it not help..
I been bloating on and off for years, with bowel trouble(IBS).. And nsaids also give constipation problems it seems , as advair has been said by users. BUt the last few years even more so.. I always excerscized..BUt bloat would make me not even appear as I exercise regular.. I have nerve problems all the time.. NEver had blood pressure... ALways read low if anything..NOW I am rating higher blood pressure when I go the dr.. I noticed in the last year My blood vessels show through my skin aLot ! That seemed weird to me ! Perhaps the meds? I been gettin more backaches than usual.. I always have them along in my life..BUT MOre prevailed Now in Lower back . My Eyes stay dry No matter what I do, Even feels like something in my eye, like a small bug or something... BUt never nothing there.. I get the ringing in the ears quite often now.. I think I will quit advair.. As for albuterol I do not know !? I do not know.>BUt Advair is the only meds I started recent.. And the clumps of hair been recent.>So I assume yes the advair !

THe person saying bad mouthing the advair or any med... that it is as prescribed only etc.. YOUR right ! Some people cannot take wat other persons can.> We take meds from a dr.. Not realizing we can have allergy reactions to the med, other people will not have ! PErhaps that it I have another chemical I cannot take in the advair, And perhaps the albuterol !

And another thing.>>The OZone harming chemical had been taken out the ALBUTEROL... they switched it to something else but calls it Albuterol still.. THat is what my Dr told me ! So if harmful to the Ozone, why not harmeful to humans. IT is about Sales to the medical fields more than HElping humans ! Money talks !

GOOD Luck.. and remember GOD is the 1st Physician.>HE cures still !

adderall XR -is a time released drug.
must be taken first thing when you wake up... the effects thus will start to wear off around 4pm... and complete by 8 or 9pm. basically we piss it out of our system.
don't take on weekends.
taking less then 20mg is not necessary...cuz then you are abusing the drug. anyone who takes less then 20mg could be simply experiencing a placebo effect. adults are not to take less then 20mg since this is the starting point. yes, metabolism does effect everyone diff.
don't mix with caffeine, or allergy drugs like zyrtec D -this drug increases your pulse and so does adderall and then if you add coffee -you could be heading towards a heart attack or even worse like a stroke.
think about the tingling effects you all have reported.
i too have had those... and there was pain that kept me up at night. i had to go to a neurologist who prescribed laxipro (depressant) to calm my nerves that had gotten literally a tight hold on my finger's blood vessels and thus i wasn't able to feel them at times.
this drug helps you focus... and times, that is what "us" anxiety prone people need -simply the time to focus in order to do our job or study for a test, etc. but cuz we are with anxiety or prone to it -genetic, it can get the most of us when this drug starts to wear off in the day -since it's time released. our anxieties return and then we feel them even more then before.

easy to understand if you read a little on this drug.
i take birth control too -so estrogen causes anxiety on it's own.

so... read... and observe your body. eat accordingly to help your metabolism adjust your body's dealing with this drug.
drink water to avoid headaches due to dehydration -this drug makes your mouth dry to begin with...so water is best vs coffee. or simply make sure to drink lots of water with your coffee.
don't take the drug past 10am -otherwise, you'll have a hard time to sleep.

don't make your own portions of this pill. if you have 20mg don't break it down. these capsels have ingredients that help the time release process and thus if you break it down or up -the effects are not known.

i'd recommend a special doctor that monitors depression with a pharmacy background. they are out there. they can begin to test your metabolism with the right drug with the right dosage to help you achieve the most effective result.

good luck everyone!

In 2003 I received a single injection of Kenalog in my left elbow for treatment of tennis elbow. Following the injection, the area became red and itched. I called the doctor who told me I was having an allergic reaction and told me to take a Benadryl. For weeks I continued to react with redness and itching. Within months I noticed changes in the areas that were itching. A dent was forming and spreading. My GP was concerned about possible nerve damage so I had several tests to established there was no permanent nerve damage. The dent continued to spread for about 2 years after my single injection. It's about 4 inches long with a diameter of 3 inches. My elbow is severely deformed as a result; it's basically nothing but skin and bone which I have to keep covered for protection. The skin is thin and tends to break open if bumped or turns black from blood vessels breaking if any pressure is applied to the area. Occasionally, the itching will return like it still spreading down my arm. Hard to believe that is the case after five years but who knows with this drug.

Since my experience with this injection, I have refused any treatment involving the use of any steroid. One look at my elbow is all it takes. Kenalog has changed my life and it certainly has not been for the better.

After reading other people's experiences with Norvasc, I realized that my symptoms are almost identical. I thought it was rheumatoid arthritis and asked my doctor to give me some tests and all came back negative. I started 5mg of Norvasc about 10 months ago and about 6 months in I started to get muscle spasms in my feet, then spasms and muscle twitching in legs, arms and hands. Extreme flushing in feet, small freckle-like rash on feet, lower legs and ankles. Also have what I would call chronic fatigue and just cannot get myself up and down stairs well. I'm 57 and feel like 100. All over body pain is very debilitative. I've gone from an active, happy person to a cranky person in pain 24 hours a day. So, now I have taken myself off Norvasc and am waiting to see if there is an improvement in my health. I'm still on coversyl for my blood pressure and will talk to my doctor again. It is so true that you must be your own health advocate and try to stay on top of all your health issues.

I was just wondering if any one else has expierecned the side effects I have. I'm not sure if they're from the pill or not so I'm wondering if anyone can relate. Now first I do get bad headaches and I know those are from this pill. My eye sight got slightly worse and I can't wear contacts well which again, are side effects from the pill. However, my "new" side effects are nausea, balance issues, I feel like my body swells when I get too hot (no I'm not pregnant), I also just feel so lethargic and tired all the time. I have no motivation to do anything, especially when it comes to being active. I'm not depressed but I'm getting there because of the laziness. I do have a few mood swings before my period but not often and I usually know they're mood swings and I'm being ridiculous. OH! Also I get this weird rash on my body, it's like a bunch of red blotchy spots when the sun is on me too long or when I get too hot. Does any of this happen to anyone else?

I think Yasmin is great. I understand, though, that not everyone is going to react the same way to a certain birth control pill. I have been on some that have made me pretty close to impossible to live with. I do, however, have a problem reading about all these so-called side effects of Yasmin that can be attributed to something else.

For one, Caffeine. Birth control slows the metabolism of caffeine in our bodies, making that one cup have a much stronger effect on our bodies. If you drink caffeine daily, look at the symptoms of too much caffeine, as that usually amount before Yasmin can now be an overdose for your body.

Symptoms of too much caffeine:
-Jitteriness
-Difficulty sleeping
-Headaches
-Anxiety
-Flushed face
-Nausea
-Accelerated heartbeat
-Increase Blood Pressure
Etc. (look up in google more if you want)

So if you experience any of those symptoms on Yasmin and drink caffeine of some kind, try cutting back first. It might not be the Yasmin. Any birth control will increase the effects of caffeine on your body. (Some possibly more than others)

Secondly, look at how much water you are drinking. Yasmin has a diuretic in it, causing our bodies to lose more water. Are you drinking enough to replenish what is lost?
Symptoms of dehydration include:
-dry mouth
-the eyes stop making tears
-sweating may stop
-muscle cramps
-nausea and vomiting
-lightheadedness (especially when standing).
-The body tries to maintain cardiac output (the amount of blood that is pumped by the heart to the body); and if the amount of fluid in the intravascular space is decreased, the body has to increase the heart rate, which causes blood vessels to constrict to maintain blood pressure.

Seriously, if you are thirsty, don't reach for the soda. Grab some water. It might be what you need.

So, again, I know, not every birth control will work the same for everyone, but at least look at what you are doing first to see if it's you or the birth control causing the problems. Don't blame Yasmin for giving you anxiety when it could easily just be the amount of coffee that you drink.

If you've cut back on caffeine (for more than one day now) and been drinking more water and you still have problems, switch, by all means. But make sure it's not something else first before blaming the birth control.

I started taking lisinopril 20mg Nov. 12, 2008. I've never smoked poison ivy before, but that's how I describe the constant side effect. Sinus and upper gums, upper chest. A dull allergic feeling. Some days I am preoccupied with it, gets depressing. Does keep the BP down. I am weaning the dose down to stop. I know you're not supposed to stop taking them, but I am sick of feeling sick. I've told the doctor twice, I think he thinks I am imagining it. I don't have insurance, it cost me $300.00 out of pocket to see him for ten minutes. I hate felling trapped like this.

43 yo Male 5'9, I weighed 259 lbs 2 years ago. I am now 221 lbs. I want to be 200 lbs. Work out 3 times a week gym. Take vitamins. Diet is better than what it was.
Can't say I am not trying. But if all BP meds are like this, I will no longer take them, and just take my chances.

Reading over some of these posts and wanted to share my experience w/Lamictal. Been on it over 2 year, 400mg/day. Sever bipolar with mixed & rapid cycling episodes. Oh YEA...I have side effects too: blurred vision that comes and goes, super klutziness, confusion, hard to complete sentences sometimes (just can't find the words sometimes for the simplest sentence!), dizziness, prone to broken blood vessels under the skin when bump into something or carry loaded grocery bag over my arm, jittery, short term memory loss, feeling really stupid like my brain isn't working sometimes. BUT...I will stay on this med because it rally works for me and the above effects are and bad, just frustrating. It took me a good 5-6 months for the meds to work as they should. Be aware that it won't make things perfect, mood swings and even moderate episodes can be expected. I am pretty much in a constant state of mild/moderate mania (2 hr sleep/night, hi energy, talk to fast, mind racing,etc), which is fine for me, as it really curbed the depression (maybe only 1 day every 2 months now and its NOT a BAD downer) I have found the drug is a good "stabilizer" keeping me mostly in a normal to moderate swing...never any severe swing. If the side effects are not unbearable, stick with the med, just be patient. It sure works for me. Learn to laugh at the klutziness and stupid moments and understand its the med and you. GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!

There was no any medicine excist in this world to heal and releaf the headache that I've been having and suffering for 5 years, "a baaaad headache" I mean the worst headache a mankind can get, even worse that migraine.then my doctor perscribe the epidrin, I tried it several time and again nothing happen like other medicine that I tried before. Antill one night I woke up middle of the night with having a bad headache I was crying like a baby and hitting my head to the wall and begging God to finish this suffer then I saw the bottle of the epidrin on the cabinet and decided to take two of them ones instead of one however it never worked before, then after 5 minutes accidentally decided to make a cup of dark coffee like starbucks coffee and drink in order to send some caffeine into my blood vessels assuming that maybe it stops the headache because I was crazy at the time and just wanted to do something to stop the pain then guess what, I went to the bed and after 15 minutes my whole body start to get relax it was like someone was massaging me professionally big time and then the headache stopped right there. I discover that night the epidrin effects a lot better and nicer taking with a cup of starbucks dark coffee, it work amazing, it is fantastic euphoria feeling when it fights with your headache or any pain when you take to capsule with a cup of dark coffee try folks you will see.
V.
Dallas, TX

I am a 52 year old women , except for a yearly resistant sinus infection I would describe myself as very healthy and have only minor aches and pains for my age. I was prescribed Levaquin by a walk- in physician after 2 months of a sinus infection. Within a week I felt 100 years old . I could barely get out of bed, the pain in all my joints was excruciating the first 5 minutes and didn't improve a lot during the day . I didn't think my legs would hold me upon rising from any position. After one week of finishing the drug I started to feel better.......it has been two weeks now.... I'm still sore and weak , especially noted in hands and legs .

I,too, am having hot flashes. I take 1000mg in the morning and 1000 right before bed. At night, I don't wake up to feel any effects, but during the day I start having these hot flashes. I can feel it coming on because my ears start to tingle, then feel warm; and it just moves right over my face. I feel like I have a bad sunburn. My eyes start to be shrunk in and my skin on my face begins to droop. I think these are hot flashes. They only last about 5 minutes, but when it's happening at work, it's embarrassing. Haven't talked to the doctor yet, but will bring it up at next appt. Is what I'm going through serious? I hope not.

I had a kenalog injection to my right cheek to treat a cyst. It ended up dilating the blood vessels and it atrophied the fat cells under the skin's surface. Now I have a permanent indent in my cheek that looks terrible. There is no way to cover it up and people ask about it all the time. It is very upsetting and stressful. I went to a different dermatologist and was told the only thing to do is a filler injection that only lasts up to 6 months at a cost of $525

There are many, many pages of Lisinopril side effects on here, very scary. I started taking this med and was only on a short while after reading these posts. I took myself off the small dose of 12.5 mg. and BP went up. I put myself back on again, but half the dose which seemed to do it for the high BP. However, I really don't like the way I feel on this drug at all. I can relate with many of the posts about the chest pressure, heartburn like feeling and a pressure feeling in my head. It's hard to tell whether it's symptoms of a stroke or heart attack!!! I've become so paranoid and lie awake at night thinking I'm going to die. You can't win -- if you don't take it you are damaging your blood vessels from high BP. What are the alternatives and are any other meds going to do the same thing? I know loss of weight and exercise are two big ones, but that's easier said than done.

I was “poisoned” by Levaquin -- resulting in acute tendinitis in both Achilles tendons.

Background:
I am a healthy, athletic male in his mid-50s who has never had an Achilles tendon problem. In early July 2008, my doctor (general practitioner) prescribed Levaquin for an infection. I took the medication for 14 days, as prescribed.
Sudden onset of acute tendinitis in my Achilles tendons occurred near the end of the medication period. The tendinitis occurred in both Achilles tendons simultaneously. Nothing related to my lifestyle would have caused the tendinitis.

Symptoms:
Symptoms included the following at one time or another:
1. aching
2. sharp pain
3. feeling of heat/burning
4. tightness
5. pins and needles in small areas (micro tears?)
6. weakness at rear/base of each heal.
7. When I woke-up each morning my tendons and the back of my heal pads felt sore, weak and tight.
At the height of the problems, I had extreme difficultly walking and negotiating stairs, and I thought there was a risk that my tendons would detach from my heal bone.

Doctors’ Advice:

My general practitioner’s and my podiatrist’s advice was to: (a) not run, cycle, hike or otherwise exercise my legs in any manner other than easy walking and swimming, (b) gently stretch, (c) take ibuprofen, (d) ice regularly, and (e) use heal lift shoe inserts made by my podiatrist. Their advice was based on the view that the damage that was done is more like damage cause by an injury than damage caused by an insidious drug. My readings on the subject indicate that little is known about the mechanisms behind this fluoroquinolone-specific toxicity. It is believed that the tendon’s collagen fibers become disorganized and infiltrated with small blood vessels -- resulting in weakness. And there are no specific treatment plans for this problem.

After 2 months of living with these symptoms, I decided to change course.

My Approach to Healing:

Because I never believed my pain was the result of inflammation, I stopped icing and taking ibuprofen. Because stretching seemed to further weaken the tendon and set me back, I stopped stretching. Because I believe that the body heals itself best when used, I started cycling at an easy pace. I then worked-my-way-up to cycling more aggressively, and to walking in the neighborhood. That’s where I am today. Two days ago I had my first day without discomfort in 3 months. Yet, I have a long way to go. I am not yet hiking or running. It’s a slow healing process with occasional setbacks when I push my tendons a bit harder than I should, Given the progress I have made, I am hopeful for a full or nearly-full recovery in another few months.

Other things I have done in the past month:

1. Taken L-Lysine (1000mg daily), which is believed to aid collagen formation.

2. Taken Magnesium (250mg daily), which some believe may help leech the fluoroquinolone molecules from the tissues because of the affinity of these antibiotics for minerals.

3. Taken Fish oil pills (3000mg daily), which improves circulation

4. Used a heating pad, which improves circulation

5. Started regular Acupuncture (first time for me), which improves circulation

What you can do:

1, Be easy on your tendons until you get a handle on the problem. Don’t over-use tendons when they are in a weakened state.

2. “Listen” to your body and take steps you think best to help the healing process.

3. Tell your friends to beware of potential side effects from fluoroquinolones.

4. File a MedWatch report with the FDA at fda.gov.

5. Share your findings/advice on this forum.

Good Luck

I have been on the Fentanyl Patch for about 5-7 years now, for a condition called Loin Pain Hematuria Syndrome. It's rare (but more people are showing up with it) that is not life threatening and has no cure, but consists of serious pain in groin (loin) area, side pain (near kidneys) and sometimes around to back. It also consists of mid to large amounts of blood in the urine, it's known have thin blood vessels in the kidneys that allow blood cells to enter urine, but no real known reason of its cause. I am still pain free (just have discomfort on the third day before I change to a new patch) but after the first few years have started to have a lot of side effects and withdrawal symptoms. I change my patch at night and on the first day (the next morning) I feel fine and have no issues except a little sleepy from the night before. On the second day I get very sleepy, anxious, somewhat agitated easily, and a little depressed. On the third day, when I have to change my patch that night, I am even more sleepy to the point where I can barely keep my eyes open and they are heavy, all through the day and evening, I too have some memory issues but are not as much as the other side effects, I get low grade fevers that I can feel change over different areas of my body, shallow breathing in which it feels like it is sometimes hard to catch my breath, urinating often with not a lot of urine coming out (on third day only), some body aches, worrisome, more depressed, and weakness. Then after I change my patch the third night and it absorbs, I am wide awake and can hardly sleep. I even wake up every few hours on the second night, but the night I changy my patch is the worst, so I am tired the next day which is the first day on a new patch and the three day cycle starts all over again. I like that I am pain free, but at what cost? I am going to talk to my doctor again and they cannot pinpoint the nerves or areas of pain so I cannot have a pain pump, and I changed to this because I was getting so much break through pain between any pill form of pain medications. I did not like having to take pills every 4-6 hours. Has anyone else had this on Fentanyl or had the condition I have?

HI, I am a 56 year old woman with elevated BP. I was put on Lisinopril/Hctz about a year ago. I am not exactly sure when the cough started, since I am an asthmatic and have trouble with coughing already, but this cough is different and much worse than my asthma coughing. I like many others on here cough in the night and mornings until I vomit, cough up fluids, gag and can't breath. The cough was so bad on Friday I broke the blood vessels in my face, the coughing spell lasted for 30 minutes. It was just yesterday that I looked at the Warning for this medication as I picked up my refill on Friday. There on the warning was dry cough. So I looked on this site and there was my answer...most of you described exactly my symptoms....I feel so much better now that I think I know what has caused it, since my doctor was chalking it up to the asthma. I have emailed him with my new info, and hope that he will change my medication ASAP. I also have researched cronic fatigue sys....because I am always tired and unable to get anything done.....I was never like this before. Good luck to the rest of you, thanks for sharing or I would never know that this medication could cause all my problems.
DL

i am a 42-year old woman diagnosed with chronic angioedema and it has become life threatening. the doctors say that it's idiopathic--can't tell what's causing it--and don't seem to know how to treat it (or me for that matter--my primary care doctor no longer wants to treat me, wasn't even kind enough to refer me out, the allergist most condescendingly said that in 20 years he's never seen or heard of someone so affected, and my dentist won't touch me because of my allergy to lidocaine.) i've been living with a daily minimum of 75 mg. of benadryl for the last four years but sometimes i've got to up that dosage to round-the-clock so some days as high as 450 mg. i'm allergic to meat protein, sea food, dairy, sodium and most spices, and certain fruits and vegetables. about 3 weeks ago i had a vegan meal at an indian restaurant and the spices accelerated my condition so on the drive back from the eatery my throat began to close and swallowing and breathing became difficult. i have had about 8 such episodes since then and twice have had to call 911 for emergency treatment to get things under control. on my first visit to the er about 2 weeks ago, in addition to the shot of epinephrine, i was given an iv in which they put a shot of benadryl and a shot of some sort of steroid. the doctor gave me a script for prednisone which was on a sliding scale (low dosage, one week.) i ended back up in the er about 4 days later and was given the benadryl and same steroid (think it started with an "s") again, and pepcid (doctor said it was for g-i and would help to limit the histamine being released into my system. since then, i have gotten the swollen belly side effect which i believe is from the prednisone (the angioedema causes blood vessels to swell beneath the skin but i don't think any swelling of this magnitude can be attributed to that). i have yet to find out if this swelling can be reversed with treatment or will go away of it's own accord. i've tried reading up on the reversal of the side effects but just hear more about how horrific they are--you all are truly in my prayers, keep your heads up!!!--so if anyone has experienced the dissipation of the side effects, please let me know and how soon after discontinuing the drug i can expect this disfigurement to go away. i too am dealing with depression for which i am prescribed but i dare not take the meds--far more too many side effect which with to deal and like some others here, i have no support system. i am the mother of the most wonderful 10-year old girl -- she is my heart and my world--but i dare not have her live with me because of this life threatening/altering/controlling condition.

sharing and hoping for good feedback.

blessings.

-vanessa w.

Initially, numbness and tingling in extremities which subsided, but memory loss and loss for words is very uncomfortable, and my neurologist suggested caffeine every AM to compensate, which helps some, but not enough. Difficulty reaching orgasm has become very frustrating as a side effect, but is better than the horrible headaches every day. What a choice!!1

OK FOLKS -HERE'S A GOOD ONE FOR YA- Just over a year ago I was on a heart transplant list. Today my heart function is normal and I am off ALL HEART MEDS. Even after finding out my heart function level was normal I was still living a nightmare for some unexplained reason. After MONTHS of tests and everyone telling me I was nuts a neurologist finally found out I was having seizure activity. Funny how my "seizure activity" feels EXACTLY how I felt when they increased my beta blocker dosage. I'm telling all of you.. This beta blocker helps some but they are burying their mistakes. I now know all of my ER trips, only to have them laugh and have them send me back home, were do to seizures caused by beta blockers while I had heart failure. I'm lucky to be alive.... and now that my heart function is good I have to fight this seizure BS. *REMEMBER THIS - Only YOU know what your body is telling you.. LISTEN TO IT! But do be careful.. You can't just stop taking a beta blocker.. Good luck all cuz we sure need it!

I'm 29, have been on birth control pills for 10 years, and switched to Yasmin about 2 years ago. I a small varicose vein in my right within 2 months of switching, but didn't think a relationship between my vasculature and the pill existed. I can now trace the entire vein from my right hip to my ankle. In the 2 years since starting Yasmin, my ankles and lower legs swelled heavily...but at very random times. It often began at the start of the 7-day sugar pill regime and finished by the time I started a new pack. I assumed that the estrogen withdrawal going into the sugar pills was too much for my body to handle and that the diuretic effects of Yasmin were obviously absent during that time. I also noticed leg cramping, heart palpitations, and I started waking up in the occasional hot sweat in a drenched bed.

So, after making sure that my heart and kidneys were healthy, my gynecologist prescribed continuous hormone Yasmin and claimed it as the "ultimate solution". For 4 months, I have skipped the sugar pills for each pack and started new packages immediately. I have not had a period since, and the edema has continued (still at random) and has become exponentially worse. In the last few weeks alone, the vein in my right leg has become massive, my legs are so distended by the end of the days on which they swellI that I can't fit into pants which are otherwise loose, I am noticing other large veins "surfacing", little veins are breaking everywhere, and I can now see most of the blood vessels beneath the skin in both legs. My primary care physician told me I have chronic venous insufficiency...a diagnosis I'm not okay with. I'm very worried...the changes and ensuing damage have happened way too quickly to be venous insufficiency. I am going to ween myself off of the pill, but don't know what the next step should be. Endocrinologist? Another OB/GYN? Anyone have ideas or similar experiences to share....

I was on the medication for several days. I developed a rash that traveled down my blood vessels on the outside of my body. It both hurt & itched. I went back to the doctor & he had doctors & nurses from all ends of the clinic coming to look at me. The rash was diagnosed as vasculitis & was the worst case they had ever seen. One of the doctors even did a biopsy on one fo the larger masses, but it was negative. They had never seen anything like that before. It took 9 months to get over the rash - like big boils that were on the blood vessels. It was so unsightly that I wore pants all summer long. Fortunately I only had it on my arms & legs. I now have scars where the boils had been.