Bone density symptoms and conditions

I haven't gotten the Mirena put in yet but am terrified! I heard such bad things & then I found this site & I just want to get my tubes tied now. I am 24 and my fience is 30. We are trying to be responsible and not get pregnant until we feel we are ready and in the right place in our careers to support a child the way we never were. I did wonderful on Depo (no weight gain, hair loss, skin problems, nothing) but was taken off it due to the potential of lowered bone density after being on it for 10 years. I tried Ortho & Ortho-lo and both of them made me have bad mood swings, headaches, and I gained 17lbs. I tried Seasonique but that made me have migraines and the worst cycles of my life. I just got switched to a Progestin only pill that is supposed to be similar to the Depo but I can't take the every day same time pill thing. I can never find a good time to work with. The MIRENA has been on my mind for a year now and I just want the real honest straight up facts...not the doctor version. Please help me!

i have read a lot of these posts 7 its kinda freaked me out b/c im currently taking loestrin & i jus finished my 1st pack. i have light to heavy spotting everyday. i know most females wil began 2 spot 1st when they are taking a birth control that can decrease your period. i also feel moody & sort of depressed but i feel other things in my life are causing that. my cramps aren't as ad as when im not on bc. my breast are tender to but no acne, acne has never been a problem for me, thank god!lol. ut the only think that really bothers me is the constant spotting! i was on the shot, depo-provera for 2 yrs. straight. u get the shot once every 3 months. i spotted at first for like a month & then it began 2 decrease & my period stopped all together but still had increase breast size, extreme weight gain, cramps(not unbearable ones), & the worst migraines. these are jus typical side effects of birth control. i liked the depo shot cuz i didn't have a period or had 2 remember 2 take a pill everyday but the side effects are probably not worth that bargain. the any birth control especially the shot that stops your period & you take it for years straight can make you sterile i have a cousin who had a few miscarriages b/c of it b/c the shot might not ware of from a month to a year causing sterility. the shot also can cause bone density. im just so fed up w/ irth control b/c they all have a bad side effect. i hope they can invent something w/ way less side effects because the negative out ways the positives with most if not all birth controls but i guess im gonna try loestrin for a while before i give up on it.

PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THIS DRUG! IT"S LETHAL> I was on Advair 500/50 for 2years to control my severe asthma, which it did and for about 6months I felt great, but at what a price?....Chronic Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Teeth Breaking, Bone Density Issues, severe hair loss, most awful leg cramps, dizziness, shortness of breath, night sweats, anxiety and chest pains. I suspected that Advair was too blame, came across this site and it all just clicked!. I immediately quit Advair cold turkey in March this year. In May during my annual physical I had an abnormal EKG and a murmur was noticed (for the 1st time in 20years). My primary care physician of 25years was as baffled as I was,.I had a perfect EKG the year before. She referred me to a cardiologist and he did a battery of tests (EKG, echocardiogram and stress test with contrast).The echocardiogram came back as abnormal with mitral valve regurgitation and tricuspid valve regurgitation. Is it coincidental that some of the side effects triggered by Advair such as Chest Pain, dizziness, heart palpitations is also the common symptoms of heart valve issues? I don't know. I'm not a doctor, but my common sense tells me that this drug is the culprit.
Before taking this drug, I was a very healthy 40 year old. I could run 10miles a day, work 10hours a day and take care of 4year old. 3months ago before quitting Advair, I felt like a 83year old with advance heart failure. I'm finding my way back to almost feeling and looking my old self again minus less hair, broken teeth and a not so perfect ticker, courtesy of GSK and Advair.

Like many of you here... i am extremely happy to have found this website. I have been on Yasmin for about 5 years (frightening!!) and not until yesterday did i realize that all of the peculiar things that have been happening to my body must be connected to this pill. Let's start with the weight gain...

I am 5'9" and have always weighed about 128-132 lbs... As soon as i started taking the pill i jumped up to 138lbs and then over the course of 2-3 years peaked at 160 lbs!! I have struggled to lose that weight for years, exercising daily (with a trainer and also running, doing bikram yoga etc) and eating immaculately (under the supervision of one of New York's best nutritionists..) the result?? not much! i have struggled to lose 10 lbs and have remained at this weight (around 150 ) for about a year!! no matter how many crunches i do, laps i run, and vegetables/ salmon i eat my tummy and midsection is flabby, bloated etc. and i can't shake this weight

next up... i am always tired but yet have trouble sleeping... lie awake at night clutching my chest thinking i'm having a heart attack. fluttering heart/ palpitations etc. they always pass but i thought i was mad until i came across this site.

phantom leg pains... i have inexplicable cramps in my lower legs... thought they were blood clots. have been to see about 20 doctors... all over the world... been tested for blood clots w/ ultrasound, been tested for nerve damage, muscle damage, bone density issues... you name it. even went down the whole eastern medicine, acupuncture route... NOTHING!! nobody can diagnose it or even locate any issue.

these pains also wake me in the night.

last, but not least, i develop hyperpigmentation when i expose my face to the sun... basically looks like a have a moustache b/c my skin darkens... i know this is normal for any birth control/ hormone pill but figured i'd throw it in anyway! also noticed hair on my lip/ sideburns which i promptly removed with laser but i'm now thinking might have been from the Yasmin.

i am midway through a packet but as of today i am stopping. praying that the weight will fall off and the weird aches and pains and imaginary heart attacks will stop.

thank you all for your posts and good luck! does anyone have any updates as to their progress since getting off it??? i promise to post an update in a few months to hopefully help anyone with similar issues!!

all the best!
GM

I have been taking Fosamax for 1 year. A few months after beginning this medication I have been experiencing lower back pain which I never had before. A few times I skipped a dose and seemed to feel better, but the doctor insisted that I needed it because of the results of a bone density scan which showed I had osteopenia. So I am presently still taking it and now with the back pain I am now having abdominal pain and just recently noticed blood in my urine. I may now have kidney stones. I am seriously considering throwing the rest of the Fosamax I have in the garbage.

So my story starts off like this I am 28 years old and I have used the depo since I was 16 years old and I absolutely loved it. I have had two children in between the shots through-out the years. Recently, my doctor told me that the depo causes you to lose bone density and that I had to stop using it. For the last year I have tried Yaz (pills) & NR. I stopped taking the pills because I thought that using the ring would be more convenient. It has been 1 month and I am having problems. For starters, I have uncontrollable itching that feels like a yeast infection without the cottage cheese if you know what I mean. Second, I have headaches, achne, leg cramps, stomach pain and am very moody or depressed.The second time I placed the NR in it feel out and I didn't even know it happened, so I hope I'm not pregnant now oops. I don't know if I'm putting it in wrong but I sure hope the other one is not floating around inside my body. I will be going back to the pills so lets just hope my ovaries will behave once I do.

I just completed my last Lupron shot. It really did wonders for the extreme pain. But the other side effects were extreme such as the anxiety, depression, sleepless night and have just been dealing with the high blood pressure. This decision to take this shouldn't be taken lightly, do what works for you. But always research for yourself!

On July 9, 2008, I was admitted to the hospital for severe anemia, due to a heavy period that was on it's 3rd straight week. Because I had lost so much blood, I had to get a blood transfusion (4 pints). Since my bleeding would not stop, my doctor gave me a shot of Lupron. I was discharged from the hospital the next day because the Lupron stopped the bleeding. A week later I got, what I think was my normal period (which I don't even know what that is anymore) and that lasted 7 days. Almost immediately after receiving the shot, I noticed my hair was falling out in clumps when I washed it. 2 weeks later, I started getting bouts of suddenly feeling hot and sweaty. I didn't think much of it. I just thought my A/C unit needed more freon or something. That was until I went to see another Dr. for a second opinion. I am 38 years old with uterine fibroid tumors and my first doctor wanted me to get a hysterectomy. I have 2 teenagers and do not plan to have anymore children, but I just wanted another opinion. My second doctor informed me that Lupron's side effects are hair loss, loss of bone density, hot flashes, and premature menopause. When he mentioned hair loss and hot flashes, I knew then that I was not going crazy! Anyway, the second doctor explained to me that the loss of bone density and premature menopause would happen if Lupron is taken consistently. I just want to know when is my body going to get back to normal. All I had was one shot of this stupid drug! The hot flashes are not only uncomfortable but also embarrassing! It's been 3 months since I received the Lupron shot and the hot flashes have not vanished nor decreased. I know that every female's body reacts differently to different drugs, but if Lupron causes all these side affects, I suggest that you read up on the drug before taking it. I was told that if my bleeding comes back that I can ask for another Lupron shot. Well the answer to that is thanks but NO THANKS. Seriously, I would rather bleed than go through more hair loss, hot flashes or any other debilitating side effect.

1990 - 2003 synthroid
Major bone loss
Complete hair loss

I have now tapered to 10mg prednisone every other day and will end 75mg Cytoxan Aug 19th. Just went to the Dr. and she said protein is back in urine (bad) but also rising in blood. (good) I can continue to taper prednisone but will have to have another 24 hr urine speciman to determine wether I have to go on cyclosporine. Was originally diagnosed with Minimal Change Disease, but now she thinks it could be another kidney disease. Has anyone had successful tapering with the addition of cyclosporine? Does the urine protein ever get higher? What about side effects of cyclosporine.

I have taken 4 doses of Fosomax-1x a week - and have noticed weight gain, nausea and lethargy. After the first three doses noticed a mild headache, which I blamed on my sinuses. After this last dose ( taken 6 days ago), I have had an excruciating headache, and facial pain. I have a constant burning feeling in my stomach. I will not take another dose. I saw that someone had previously mentioned taking Bone Up, and had good results. Has anyone else tried this? As a breast cancer survivor with borderline osteoporosis I am looking for a good alternative.

Hello asthmatics,
I've taken Advair for about 10 years and have had a problem with bone and muscle pain since I've been on it. I started taking it because it was the only med. that enabled me to breathe, as I have severe asthma. Back in the day before Advair, I used nebulizers all the time. After reading the side effects of Advair (decreased bone density), I realize I need to stop taking it. I take a calcium substitute every day and this helps to eliminate the pain, but I feel like I have the body of a 90 year old and I'm only 24! Screw Advair, I don't need to mess around with bone density issues! I wish my doctor had told me that, or I had thought to look it up years ago. Only recently have I eliminated all other Rx drugs (except the occasional nasal spray) as well as most everything over the counter. I hope I'll still be able to breathe without it! If not I'll just have to find something else to take. Any thoughts on Intal? It seems like it might have less side-effects. Take care and good luck to all.
-Ange-

I am 43 and have been taking eltroxin for a couple of years now and apart from feeling the cold more than anyone else and the odd fatigue I have felt fine. I recently hurt my back and asked for a bone density scan. The results were that I had the beginning of osteoporosis After a little research I found that Eltroxin can effect bone density, so now am looking for a natural substance to treat my hashimotos disease.

I started taking Lamictal about six weeks ago for epilepsy. Now keep in mind, I was on Dilantin which worked great for 17 years and then suddenly stopped working. I have been in medication hell since then. First Topamax made me dumb as a rock. I would space out all the time. Worst drug ever. Then Keppra which was better in that my memory/ability to speak came back but I had these intense ups and down. I had rages constantly. Now I'm on Lamictal. So far, it's better than the Topamax and the Keppra, however the dreams are very intense as are the night sweats. I'm also experiencing much hair loss. Fortunately I have a full head of hair but I'm afraid I will eventually lose it all.

Have been taking Fosamax for several years and switched to Fosamax D. Now I have heartburn-first time in my life- and that lump in the throat feeling. Although I don't know what my bone density would be without Fosamax, I continue a slow decline with using the product. Am not sure this is worth it. Skipped a week and the discomfort has been less but still noticeable especially a few hours after eating a meal.

BE in BEthany Beach

48 year old male. been on Advair for MANY years. recently diagnosed with Osteopenia, which describes the condition of loss of bone density. I have significant loss of bone density in spine, femurs and hips. I have three compression fractures in T6, T7, T8 vertebra

I had no idea until recently that Bone density problems were a side effect of Advair. Sad.

My experience with NuvaRing is very similar. I got on the ring last April after being on Depo for seven years. I loved the shot and I loved not having to deal with periods or cramps or emotional issues, but my doctor was concerned about my bone density and took me off of it.

My side effects with NuvaRing are as follows:
- EXTREME irritability and emotional distress to the point where I feel completely out of control.
- Zero sex drive.
- Pain during sex (which on top of the lack of a sex drive makes for a very sad sex life with my fiance).
- Constant yeast infections.
- Odor.
- The type of cramping that keeps you from going to work.
- Extreme breast tenderness.

I have my annual exam next month and will definitely be getting off NuvaRing. I want my life back!

After reading many of your experiences, I feel the urge to tell my story. I got my Mirena put in back in June 2007. My doctor had been encouraging me to try Mirena because I was having such problems with my periods while on the pill and I had tried different types and brands and nothing seemed to be helping me. So, finally after about 2 years of her telling me to try it, I did. Since I have not had children, she said I needed to have it put in while on my period so that my cervix was more open. I called her on the first day of my next period and got it put in. It was very painful to be inserted, and the horrible cramps lasted about 48 hours, but then went away. My period also got worse during that time, but then completely stopped two days later. I didn't get my period again until two weeks ago, which stunned to me. My doctor had said that I may have spotting the first couple months, but then that would stop and I would no longer get my period. Since it has been 6 months since I've had it, I thought it was very odd for me to suddenly be getting my period again. Along with the actual menstruation, I got the cramps, headache, bloating and everything else wonderful that comes along with a full blown period. I only had menstruation for 3 days (the shortest period of my life) but the cramps have continued constantly for the last 2 weeks. I decided I should look up the side effects of Mirena to make sure it wasn't abnormal. I got the same information from their website as I did from the pamphlet I'm sure we all got from our doctor - saying that only a very small percent of woman have any side effects at all. So, I thought I was making things up. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized all the things that have changed for me since I got it put in. That's when I stumbled across this site and found I'm not the only one and I'm not imagining all these things! I gained 30 lbs in the first 3 months - I blamed it on stress because we had just put our house on the market, however I had never in my life gained THAT much weight in such a short period of time. I am now over 200 lbs and I'm only 5'3". I have been desperately trying to take the weight off, but it won't budge and I'm only continuing to gain more. It is getting to the point where my weight is starting to cause other health concerns. Also, I have not had a single good night of sleep since I've had Mirena. I again blamed it on stress (but to be honest, I've lived through much more stressful times in my life without the tremendous weight gain and insomnia). After several weeks of trying OTC sleep aids, I went to my doctor and she gave me a 10 day supply of Ambien. The first 2-3 nights it helped, but then that also stopped working and I was back to sleepless nights. I found there is an herbal supplement that helps me sleep, but it only works for a few hours at a time, which obviously is better than nothing. I have also had cramps on and off throughout the last 6 months, sometimes they are very sharp stabbing pains that make me buckle over in two. I have also realized that I may be having depression - I don't feel suicidal, but I get very down very easily and stay that way for much longer than I ever have. I have actually had such horrible down days that I've called my husband at work crying and begged him to come home. I have never in my life done that until Mirena. I'm sure that I have more symptoms, but I have been able to persuade myself that they are "normal" or explained them away otherwise. I think that Mirena and the OBGYNs must be in cahoots. I was not warned about any of these problems - I was only given the small pamphlet and told it was so wonderful. I think there are a lot of other women out there experiencing all these side effects but their doctors are telling them it's normal or blaming it on something else. And they aren't realizing it is Mirena that is causing all these problems! I have an appointment for next Tuesday to get mine taken out and I cannot wait! I am finally going to be able to sleep again!

I have been on the NR about a month and a half now. Have headaches, my breasts are definitely bigger (swollen and very tender), I have nausea from time to time, vaginal discharge, and I can definitely tell that I'm feeling more depressed. I'm SO glad that I found this website. I had no clue what's been going on with my body. I was on depo the past 3 years and my doctor recommended that I get off it for a while to let my bone density get back up to where it should be. I had no problems and no periods with depo and I want to be back on it so bad!! I'm going to wait it out until the end of the 3rd month, and if I'm still feeling this way, I think I may look into getting an IUD. But hopefully I can maybe just get back on the depo. Patch doesnt stay on for me, and the pill makes me have bad nausea too.

Well, this seems to be a side effect I have not seen before or read about. I'm 67 years old, very blonde, tiny and petite---a runner and in excellent health. After pleading with my doctor for years he finally scheduled a bone heel test last year that indicated no bone loss had occurred. Three months ago my doctor finally prescribed a bone density MRI performed and whoopie-do, I have major bone loss! Two months ago I was put on Fosamax 40 to be taken once a week, a 5000 unit Vitamin D capsule and 500 mg's of Vitamin C to be taken 3 times a day. I have trouble swallowing along with dizzy spells , my stomach pain is severe and feels as though it's on fire. Also, my eyes seem to be much more sensitive and feel dry. I called my PCP last week and he said "not to worry, it takes time to adjust". Today I had my gyno appointment and the doctor indicated I have fecal bleeding. Since I have a colonscopy every 5 years (most recent was last year) I am positive it is not a bowel problem. Has anyone heard of bleeding from the stomach while taking this medicine? My gynecologist seems concerned, my PCP does not. I am wondering if a well-balanced diet with lots of calcium products would not be just as good---probably a lot better than taking this medicine and making Merck and Company richer than they already are. All I know is I felt a lot better BEFORE taking Fosamax 40.

Prednisone is a catabolic steroid, not anabolic which increases muscle, so people should know that continued use over time will literally break down and destroy muscle tissue. Without muscle, a person has no way of even standing more than a few seconds and could suffer many falls.....these falls are worse on the prednisone patient because prednisone also effects bone density and multiple disc fractures can result, leaving the person wheelchair bound.

How do I know? That's what happened to my mom. Also, if you are in a nursing home and contact scabies, forget about ever getting rid of them prednisone supresses the immune system so it can't kill them off, even with all the meds and treatments out there for scabies. Again, my mom.

This is not my experience but my mothers; She's been taking this poison for 8 years. Her doctor finally(though her bagering) has her at 5 mgs. a day but it's already too late, her spine has had disc fractures to the point where she is completely hunched over, when she first started the drug she had normal bone density. Now her doc wants her sed rate to be 19 before he even considers taking her off the drug, which is ridiculous since I read that most women over 50 average s hard. My brother and I help with some shopping and things but both of us have other obligations(he works full-time; I have husband and two kids) so my dad has alot on his plate.

Prednisone destroys the body, eventually, and sometimes it makes the original condition look like a cakewalk.

About one month after taking Lipitor (10mg), my blood calcium level was elevated. My doctor told me to stop my calcium supplements. I had taken them for years with no problem. Since doing that, my bone density dropped and I have had tendonitis-like pain in thigh and foot and regular arthritic problems and creaking bones. My doctor did not think the blood calcium increase was due to Lipitor (Atorvastatin calcium). She thought it was coincidental. I'm not much impressed by "coincidence."

I took Lupron several years ago after having a laparoscopy for endometriosis. I had headaches- night sweats - hot flashes - bone pain - and SEVERE depression. After I had a doctor wanting to test my bone density because they thought I had lost alot with this drug - I started reading up on it and stopped taking it altogether. To think that ME (22 at the time) lost bone mass!!!! I should be worrying about this in my later years--not as a 20 year old! This stupid drug also had a huge hand in my divorce after 3 months on this drug. I was thrown into a depression so severe, I couldn't control it at all. I recently found out through my state's attorney general's office that they won a settlement with Lupron for overpricing the drug - why isn't anything being done on the SAFETY of this drug? I worry that for the time I was on this - I need to be concerned with cancer... it did nothing but cause me pain and misery - and didn't help the problem!

I started taking Fosamax the morning of the 13th of April and this is the evening of the 15th. I have been having bouts of nausea and stomach discomfort since yesterday afternoon that are becoming more frequent and now accompanied by flatulence. My appetite has changed because I feel so yucky.
I was prescribed it because of a bone density exam that says I have severe bone loss in my femurs and moderate in my spine. I am an otherwise healthy 55 year old woman, very active and energetic, daily dog-walker at moderately brisk speed.
After reading this site I am even less keen to take it than I was....I have always bruised easily and I was born with thin hair.