Bonus symptoms and conditions

i just wanted to let you know tha I am a RN. I have been on YAZ for 3 months only. In this time frame, I have had severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and back pain. I at first blamed it on the hormones but now attribute it to bad side effects from YAZ. I have already had my Gallbladder out when I was 18 yrs old (side effect of BC pills). Anyway, my doctor just sent me for an upper GI and small bowel follow through....but, I think that it is all related to YAZ. The MD thinks I am just being a "know it all" nurse, but I have research this med. I have lost 12# in 3 months (bonus), lol....but I am sick of being sick...my husband thinks I am a big complainer, but its real and it hurts. I would have been in the ER also, but being a nurse, I am a little more stubborn to go to the hospital. I did go one night because the pain was sooo bad but the wait was 3 hrs and I vomited 3 times while waiting, The pain was now tolerable so I left! I have 5 days left of YAZ, I was going to try to last out the rest of the pack, but after getting severe pain, again, tonight....after eating soup only all day and throwing it up...I am DONE WITH YAZ. I am stopping cold turkey...the body will regulate itself. I want to feel better. I hope once this stuff clears my body, I will feel better once again! Good luck!

I'm 31 been on YAZ for about 8 months, since then I have become, insane with rage, my emotions are out of control! I'm severely depressed, my skin looks great! the only bonus and I have developed over 21 painful cysts in each breast, so bad in fact some days I can even move my arm from the pain. I have stopped YAZ for a month before to see if it was the pill, my breast cysts went away, I was SO much happier and CALMER! the only bad reaction was my cystic acne came back in a huge way! I have my dermatologist on stand by because I have to officially dump this pill before I ruin my life and my marriage. I should never have gone back on it for such vain reasons as acne. I can't wait to feel like me again.

This medication works well for back pain and as a bonus helps my worn knee due to its favored use as climbing stairs with left side cramps my back on up to the base of my skull and I would have to leave work early and I need money this has helped put in many 10 12 hour days it does boost heartburn sometimes though the benefit outweighs the heartburn for now.

First off, I've NEVER posted to a thread like this before. But I've been researching Mirena side effects ever since my girlfriend mentioned her side effects to me a few weeks ago. I feel like a I'm having an "a-ha" moment. It's all making sense to me now that I've read this and other threads about the Mirena side effects. I had the Mirena inserted when my second son was 6wks, in Nov. '05. Aside from the bleeding the first 1-2 months, it was great. Then again, I was nursing him, and so any symptoms I might have had I would have attributed to breastfeeding. I stopped nursing him just before he turned 1, in Aug. '06. First of all, I've never lost my pregnancy weight. I thought it was just the fact of having 2 babies within 2 years b/c I was in my mid-30's. So far, the only way I've been able to lose weight is thru a liquid diet and exercise!

Also, I have been certain I was pregnant many times, each with a negative hpt! Last month, my period came 10 days early, and this month, no period whatsoever! My hubby keeps asking about it (I want another, he doesn't). I, too, have had the stomach flutters, which weird me out! They sometimes feel like pregnancy uterine stretching, sometimes like a little baby! I am ALWAYS tired (thought it was my "normal" from all I do), I am almost always bloated except just after a period, my breasts are almost always full ( and I gotta tell you, their already big enough, so that's not a bonus!) And I've NEVER had a stretch of more than two months with no period. My pre-Miorena periods were light and short with little cramping anyway. And we've been to counseling because of my sex drive! I actually told my husband that I was "good" with once a week! Even then, I often have to work at it just to get in the mood. (I'm 37 also, like another post said). I guess the one theme here is that I feel like I'm always pregnant. What else is out there? Scared to have this removed, b/c hubby wants a vasectomy, and I'm just not there yet. Not ready to let go of my lifelong dream of having a daughter in addition to my wonderful little boys.

I have been on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo for 9 months. I went through a major depression last spring. I was diagnosed with MAJOR DEPRESSION and went on anti depressants and on sick leave from work. Now looking back it seems there could be a link with the birth control pill. Around the same time I started taking it, I started having such bad MOOD SWINGS, ANGER control problems, ANXIETY and fatigue. I was always getting angry at my boyfriend and picked fights. No more sex drive either. I spoke to my GP, to a psychiatrist and to my pharmacist. I asked them "should there be a link with the pill?". Each and everyone said "no", "highly unlikely". Nobody suggested I try stopping the pill BEFORE starting anti depressants. I got a second opinion from a other doctor. THIS is what he said to me:" you'll be very depressed if you get an unplanned pregnancy." the thing is ladies, they DON'T WANT YOU OFF THE PILL BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT UNPLANNED PREGNANCY. THEY DON'T WANT YOU OFF THE PILL BECAUSE IT PAYS A LOT MORE TO PUSH PILLS THAN TO RECOMMEND OTHER METHODS (pharmaceutical companies giv big incentives and gifts to doctors). THEY DON'T ENCOURAGE YOU TO LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.
I'm going off the pill at the end of my pack and am giving myself a couple months to see if I feel better. then I am going off the anti depressants.

I too wanted to get off effexor xr and did in May. I went through 2 weeks of he@@. The worst of the side effects were the brain zaps,sometimes running down into my stomach. I felt like i was dying but I still worked and took care of my family. I quit cold turkey!! Just give it time the side effects will go away. I am so much happier now less the nightmares, wanting to sleep all the time. And a huge bonus, I have lost about 25 lbs. in 3 months!!
Any one wanting to take effexor xr.....DON"T!!!! I was on effexor for 7 years!!

My 12 year old son has been on 60 mg of Prednisone for two weeks now. His side effects have not been bad at all up to this point. He's gained about 6 pounds. His brain is unusually active right after taking the drug, and this effects lasts a few hours. He's always been a wildly creative kid but prednisone seems to intensify is creativity and the productivity of his brain. He has Tourette Syndrome and his tics waned overnight after beginning the meds so that is a big bonus if prednisone is responsible for that. He has always been an insomniac since he was a baby but prednisone makes him sleepy, so sleepy he takes naps during the day and goes to bed early, sleeping soundly all night, so soundly he had an accident and wet his bed last night. His head sweats when he sleeps. He has infrequent periods of mild irritability. His appetite has increased but not unnaturally so. Seems like he finally has a sustained healthy appetite. He goes to 45 mg for two weeks tomorrow so I'm interested to see what new side effects this brings on. No stomach problems despite taking this along with very high doses of antibiotic. Maybe the prevacid he takes with Lactobacillus is helping with that and the fact that he takes his meds with small meals or lots of fluid.

YOU have to get together and fight for change,the big pharm companies are running the show,they just about have diplomatic immunity,they can pass out poison and not be held accountable,change needs to happen,write everyone your congressman,your rep,they are supposed to work for the people.Somebody has to be made accountable.Pharm companies get to police themselves,they are in charge of their own clinical trials,it is a for profit business both for pharm companies and the clinics running the trials,nobody has your best interest at heart only their bottom line.Even the fda gets a bonus...IT IS WRONG

I have been taking Wellbutrin SR for about 6 weeks. I started out taking 1 per day then increased to twice a day 8 hrs apart as prescribed. I love this stuff. I am no longer depressed and a bonus is I am starting to shed some weight. I was going through menopause (I am 53) and did not have a period for about 6 months. I also had a decrease in sex drive ( actually none at all) and now my sex drive has returned along with my period. I had been having horrible hot flashes and those have stopped also. My energy level is fantastic. I feel 30 again except 3 nights ago I noticed a ringing in my ears. It only seemed noticeable upon laying down to sleep. Then the 2nd night it was louder. Last night it was almost unbearable and this morning the ringing is still noticeable even after getting up and busying myself. Anyone have this problem? I read side effects this morning on the online PDR and ringing, roaring and hissing is one of the possible side effects listed, but says nothing about what to do about it or if it is a sign of something more ominous. I would appreciate anyone that has experienced hearing changes while on Wellbutrin to let me know about it and how it was resolved. I would hate to have to stop taking this medications it has made such a wonderful difference for me.

Hi, I'm 40. had mine fitted end Dec. have had one bleed which lasted 3 weeks now due again but just having aching, ibs and nausea probs with cramping when moving out a chair or exercising.Last time i had that I was pregnant! Definitely have felt lightheaded, vertigo feeling and even visited an osteopath as thought it was my neck as had had lot of tension. Friend has one and said she feels fine & loves it! Got to give it 6 months she said. So I wait in hope that i will feel better. Don't miss the heavy periods, so thats a bonus! Have put on just under a stone in weight so that is annoying. All round tum area. think it probably affects us all slightly differently and all doctors have differing opinions. I will give it a bit longer, but no one should put up with feeling awful all the time. Listen to your body! thanks Jo

Who ever said there is a fine line between love and hate must have been on Seroquel. I have been taking Seroquel off and on for about 4 years. When it comes to my dosage, I have been all over the map. I have taken as much as 800 mg. which I felt I needed for the insomnia in the beginning. I ended up at about 200mg. per night. I wanted as little in me as possible and still get a good nights sleep. Here is where the HATE comes into play, I GAINED 50 lbs. in about a 5-6 month period that time around. Nothing I did would take all of it off, trainner 4 times a week, low cal. diet about 1400-1500 a day. I lost about 20 over 3-4 months where I stopped loosing. I said the HELL with this and stopped taking it. I didn't sleep much during this time but I did get back down to my orginal weight. I recentally started taking my Seroquel again reguarlly and once again I remember why I HATE it soooooo much. I have now gained 40lbs. in about 3-4 months. So I was just reserching other methods for us non-sleepers. I just feel like I'm already being punished by not being able to sleep and to top it off, I get really fat.... as a bonus?? Its not easy to go from a size 2 to a 8-10 in 4 months!!! I will say the love I have for Seroquel comes from the wonderful sleep I get when taking it although it seems I'm starting to loose sleep thinking about how fat I'v gotton. Just wanted to say over my years of taking this medication I have gotton some great sleep but now that the weight gain is back for the second time any LOVE I'v had has turned to HATE.....again!

I have been taking Topamax 50mg for 6 months now and feel it is a life saver. I would have 2-3 migraines a week, a couple with auras, and one that lasted 8 days and sent me to the emergency room. I thought I had menengitits the pain was so bad. Unfortunately migraines run in my family. I tried everything, inclunding injectable Imitrex. Nothing helped. Now I can go as long as 3 months without a hint of a migraine. I will still get the once in a blue moon hormonal migraine near that time of the month, but my quality of life is so much better. The first week I was sleepy all the time as I got used to the drug, and my brain felt jumbled, but I stuck it out and after a couple of weeks the symptoms went away. Now I just sometimes forget what I was going to say or what word I want to use, but its totally worth it. Most of the time I feel completely normal. I also lost 25 pounds, but that was just a bonus. Thanks Topamax!

I have been on Advair since 2004. Like most of you, it has done wonders for my asthma. I had symptom free days and had fewer and fewer attacks. The bonus for me is that I dropped a lot of weight and felt even better. Advair was a wonder drug for me.
However, as of late, I have been experiencing anxiety, dizziness and over all irritability. Thinking I was developing some kind of health condition, I went to the Doctor. I had the tests and the results concluded that I was a healthy 38 year old male.
It was only after I Googled Advair side effects that I stumbled upon this thread. I hope my contribution helped. I am getting off Advair.

Positives: Excellent excellent excellent for my asthma. I have never breathed so freely in my life! Also- reduced menstrual cramping, which is great and a bit of a bonus.

Negatives: Extremely painful large joints (i.e. knees and hips). I have always had knee issues that were annoying at their worst, but this medication seems to be exacerbating my knee problems and making them unbearable. I am only 39 and feel like I am 80! I stopped taking it last night after reading the side effects posted on this sight. I was actually relieved to see that there was another posting above from someone that has had their joints ache as well! This isn't just a little bit of pain- this is bad aching...like it's hard to get up and down from a chair! Argh!
I have come to realize that we are all just large experimental mice...they will try out this stuff on us to see what happens and giggle all the way to the bank. It's a disgusting thing. When drugs are good, they are amazing, but when they are bad- they can really wreck your life. I think it's time for Merk to admit that this drug is great for some- but that the side effects are real and need to be acknowledged. Thanks to all for these postings, it has been helpful and informative.

clotty breakthrough bleeding, chunky discharge (not thrush), headaches, nausea some months, slight weight gain, breast increase (at least there's one bonus), more recently I'm getting lots of cramps and low sex drive - who wouldn't have low sex drive with all of the above? I'm sure Yasmin is fine for some people, just not me.

The trouble is, I've tried about 10 pills in 14 years, none of which suit me. All of them result in some or all of the above side effects. And I too, object to having to go through this in order to prevent pregnancy. However, when I stopped taking the pill, I scored myself the most delightful son in the world. But I'm not ready for another. What can I do?

I had been suffering from severe allergies for about 10 years and had been through the desensitizing shots, antihistimines, and whatever else one can imagine. I was a human dartboard for some of the allergists I consulted. Finally, this past Spring, my GP suggested that I try a Kenalog shot. At first I declined because I knew there could be complications with taking corticosteriods. After a month or two of suffering with the allergies and my fibromyalgia in full swing, I decided to get the shot. The difference in the allergies was like night and day. And the bonus to the treatment was that my fibromyalgia was decreased and a pressure buildup in my left ear subsided. Yes, I experienced longer and heavy periods, and occasional acne (which I was able to control with topicals), and I'm certain if I made the effort I could attribute other oddities in my life to the shot. However, I have been miserable lately since I believe the shot is wearing off. After reading all the horror stories on this site it has made me wary of the use of Kenalog. But we must remember that not all humans react the same way to all med.

good news, everyone. i just started topamax again after a year off (took for 2 1/2 years before) and i'm here to tell you that all the bad side effects do go away- pretty much. the tingles disappear, the grouchiness subsides, the drowsiness becomes manageable, but i did find myself walking into the sides of doorways occasionally. but that could just be me. i'm going through all the abovementioned again, but i know in a few weeks i'll be feeling better and- bonus!- i'll look great for swimsuit season! you have to look at the bright side. i hope you all feel better.

I have been on Yasmin almost a month now and havent really had many bad side effects at all. No terrible mood swings, my skin looks great, my breast are bigger...a bonus for me, but a little tender, but no so much so that they are painful, however. Im not excessivly thirsty, Im not having to go to the bathroom alot. Over all, I feel great. If I have anything new to add as I progress taking the pills I will post them.

I love Ultracet!!! I have degenerative disc disease and a lumbar herniated disc, but have been resistant to taking pain meds due to the risk of addiction and also due to the adverse cognitive side effects. I do not feel sluggish or "fuzzy" and can perform my job without impairment-not to mention the pain relief! However, I do feel a bit hyper and euthymic, but for me that is a bonus!

I've been on Yasmin for a couple of months, and I'm very happy with it. - No bloating or weight gain, my breats went up a size in the first three weeks and were tender, but the tenderness faded and I feel great.
My appetite has increased slightly, and water consumption - I have to be a little more careful in that I become dehydrated a little easier, do I drink plenty of water. It's cleared my skin up marvelously, and as a side bonus, I was booked in to see a dermatologist about hair loss, but since taking yasmin I've stopped shedding and my hair is actually growing thicker and feels softer.
I haven't experienced mood swings with yasmin, if anything it seems to be improved, particularly a few hours after taking the pill.
I do have to take them at night though, as I find it makes me a little sleepy.