Brain chemistry symptoms and conditions

I was on ability for about 2 weeks to try to help calm my racing thoughts and chill me out on my supposed "mania" (The dr. said I might have a slight mania), at first it helped just a touch, not really much - but then towards the end of the second week, I felt faint and very nearly fainted... also felt like I couldn't concentrate at all. Now, months later, I feel as if it has permanently altered my brain chemistry because where I was almost manic in my energy (which was actually nice sometimes) now i have no energy at all and am sleeping tons and just can't get going in the morning. It's awful. Extreme fatigue that I have never known in my life before. I'm hoping to treat it with vitamins, exercise, sun, and am going to see a Naturopath. I won't touch any brain-altering meds in the future ever again. Abilify is horrific they need to just do away with it.

ive been taking for 2 years im lightheaded all the time dry mouth and im more nervous and anxious when i take it. at first it was helping me.Now it just makes things worse and trying to stop it is hard.I'm trying to dose off of it now i was taking half of 1 mg a day then 1 mg a day now im trying to half the half and im just getting worse i wouldn't recommend taking alprazolam(zanax)yes it calms you down for a little bit bit in the long run its no good.Oh yeah have bad dreams on it(a side effect) and also wake up with racing feeling at night maybe 5 times a night.

I have had the mirena almost two years. Wow now I know im not going insane. My energy has been sucked right out of me, ive been forgetting things left and right and got my first muffin top. I am interested in having mine replaced with the copper t. Does anyone have any experience with this? I like the sound of it because it contains no hormones.
What to do?

Lower back pain,depression, anxiety, mood swings, mind fog, out of sorts,
lack of energy, junk food cravings, terrible acne on neck chin and back

I have been making inquires as to how and if the fda will conduct investigations in to permanent damage left from this drug.Although on taking my son off this drug i saw a 90% improvement,i am still missing the final piece,is it that he lost 3 years to this drug or did it do damage that cannot be fixed,we as parents need to know.The FDA responded to my letter,they said if they see a trend in reports from medwatch,it may prompt an investigation .I am asking all who still have missing pieces to file a report.What has happened is a tragedy,we need to explore ever option for continued success for our childrens future.Good Luck to all,Keep Fighting

Hi, For those who are wondering if you can experience sudden, intense emotional changes as soon as you begin using the NuvaRing, here is my story:

I was on NuvaRing for 2 months. I put the 1st one in on Friday and by the following Tuesday, I had severe irritability, anxiety, anger control problems. I blamed myself but looking back now, having found websites and forums where other people talk about going through the same thing, I know it was the ring. I remember that Tuesday, thinking I had gone too far with my boyfriend by blowing up at him and being extremely anxious, unable to deal witht he stress i was facing that day. After I blew up at him, I was so remorseful and I cried and cried. The following evening, the Wednesday, again I became frightingly aggressive toward him, followed by intense crying. I felt so bad, so angry with myself for treating him that way. These outbursts continued and I became increasingly tired. I ended up going on the pill because the Ring gave me intense burning during sex. it was very painful. 4 months later, I was diagnosed with major depression and put on antidepressants and work arrest.

I warn everybody not to use hormonal birth control. If you decide to use it, be aware of the signs if your mood changes. It is so easy to blame yourself when it comes to emotional problems, but they are related to physical health (brain chemistry). It's all a big whole which you cannot separate. So if you play with hormones, you can become very screwed up emotionally. And don't expect the doctors/pharmacists/psychiatrists to listen or to recommend you go off the pill. For me nobody listened. it was my own decision to stop everything.

I have been on Singulair for about one month and am experiencing extremely painful cramps/charlie horses in my legs. I am taking Singulair for adult onset asthma. Have a horrid cough, been told over the past 20 years, yes, 20 years, it is caused by allergies but no medication stops the coughing. Then they figured it had to be caused by acid reflux. So prilosec is prescribed. Still have the cough. Now this specialist deems it to be adult onset asthma. The Singulair does not stop the coughing - so what is next? Major leg cramps/charlie horses.

My daughter has been off of Singulair for about 6 weeks now and is still having "explosive" reactions to minor issues. My daughter's personality is better - no more dark thoughts, etc, but the anxiety/aggressiveness is still hanging on. Anyone having similar issues? We are also still dealing with the OCD behaviors as well. She is 4 and I really think her brain chemistry is still altered. At what point should I recognize that this new child may be my new reality? I would really appreciate any thoughts from those of you that have been off for more than 6 weeks. Are you back to 100%?

My husband and I found out he had Meatastic prostate cancer 13 months ago..We went to the doctor because his lymph glands were hudge.. He has been on the Lupron injections ever since.. He had really bad hot flashes for the 1st few months but that has past, but now he is very moody and angry for no reason.. He yells and gets angry over the littlest things i think he is going crazy and he is driving me nuts, he has no desire for me and is rude and acts like he don't even like me sometimes.. it is torture to me..He has depression he doesn't enjoy anything like he use to.. whenever we go try to have fun he gets all stressed and makes the fun turn into miserable..He acts as if he has no problems..He has some big rashes on his legs and crack and I am pretty sure it is from the Lupron shot also.. he has a little aches and pains. Very tired all the time..just about a week ago we found out the Lupron shot is not working very well anymore, his psa level went up to a 15..I am thankful for the shot because i know it has saved him some time to be here.. I love him so much, but the way he is now has caused me to feel like he is a grouchy roommate on his period 24/7.. There is other things like casodex to take but i heard it does not work as well as the Lupron..Hopefully one of these days they can find something that works even better then Lupron without the side affects..The lupron Shot has helped many people live longer, but what about the quality of life he is miserable but I am sure he rather be alive and miserable.. Good luck to everyone with the Lupron shot, it is a trying time when they or you go through these changes and do not understand why you feel negative and unhappy..

Effexor XR worked at getting rid of a deep depression when nothing else seemed to help, made me less irritable and more pleasant to be around and rekindled some long-lost interests and made me less reactive and defensive.. AT FIRST.... within a couple months I found myself in a numb kind of depression, there was this irritable sad feeling in my head that I tried to get rid of by eating sweets, something I was never to fond of. I packed 20 pounds on my 5 foot 1 frame which is several dress sizes. I would have gained more if I didn't have periods of dieting and exercising here and there, but mostly I wasn't motivated, I would do things like sleep through doctor's appointments and not even care.. My sex drive was so gone I started thinking I was asexual, no joke.. I kept on craving junk food and couldn't stop, I also couldn't sleep at all.. It felt as if my stomach to my groin area were numb, that's why I kept on eating, to see if I could feel something but I never felt full... To me sleeping, having an orgasm and feeling full are basic human functions and to take them away is well.. depressing... I choose to accept my brain chemistry as is , that was part of the problem, feeling like we have to be happy and smiling all the time... My personality "flaws" are automatically cured when I accept them cause' they are no longer flaws and that makes me more positive and happy!

I love topamax.
I've been taking topamax for depression for 5 months. I started on 25 mgs a day, than worked my way up to 25 in the am and 25 in the pm, and now my doctor is moving me up to 50 in the am and 50 in the pm. I'm 31 years old, and have tried antidepressants since I was 17. I've struggled with depression since I was a kid. Antidepressants always made my depression worse, and caused me to get brain shivers because I don't tolerate serotonin drugs well. Antipsychotics for depression cause me to want to kill myself. Topamax was the only relief I have ever found.
The biggest side effect is sometimes I feel high or stoned like I smoked pot, especially if I am tired from not eating or pushing myself too hard. Most people don't get this, I just have a very strange brain chemistry.
Topamax works in the temporal lobe of your brain and can cause serious cognitive side effects if you do not already have damage in that part of your brain. That's why some people love it and some people hate it.
Weight loss isn't something I have experienced either, which sucks because I am overweight. I actually gained 10 pounds since being on topamax and I love carbonated beverages. But I am also the kind of person that quits smoking and loses 20 pounds, so I don't know if that will be true for you. I've also been way more thirsty since starting topamax, and my feet do fall asleep easier. But circulation improves if I practice a little yoga every day.
Don't be scared of this medication. It could really save your life.

I am on 300mg for bipolar. I am having trouble concentrating, remembering (i forget what i'm doing while i am doing it!), I often worry about driving-just don't feel like i can focus well enough-riding down the road thinking "hope i know what i'm doing". It is like i daydream constantly with periods of not daydreaming. I feel pretty cheerful and not having any real emotional problems, but the physical problems are a mess. I am so tired that i feel like every single day is a "well i'm sick today, i'll give myself a break, maybe i'll feel better tomorrow". i do have better days sometimes, but for the most part, i feel kind of useless-not "useless" like i'm depressed-i mean "useless" like i get nothing done and it takes me two hours to get some lunch for myself and my three-yr-old child, and i mostly sit around because i'm "taking a break" and my legs are so sore or i have a headache or i feel shaky, or nauseated - each day, i feel so sleepy i am desperate for my husband to get home to care for my daughter (and me)-it feels like i took NyQuil or Benadryl or something! So, i am literally pretty useless. It's such a shame. I can't find a medicine to help me cope, it is always a trade-off...and going on and off them to try another is a nightmare. At least, right now, it is just a daydream...

I am a long time sufferer of brain chemistry disorder and have been on LEXAPRO for three years, which has been very effective for my condition. 11 March 2007 I placed on PREDNISONE beginning with 80mg 4xdaily and tapering every four days by 20mg for 4 day periods. This was given to help my immune system.
NEGATIVE: The PREDNISONE seemed to over ride the LEXAPRO, and I became very paranoid & suicidal. Experienced racing flash thoughts, was unable to sleep, extremely irritable and had major problems with thought processing. My condition mental condition became worse than it has ever been.
I WAS NOT WARNED this might happen and was not given any type of medication to offset this.
I strongly URGE ANYONE WHO IS ON ANY TYPE OF MOOD MANAGEMENT MEDICATION should talk with their doctor about this kind of side effect before taking PREDNISON.

hi pamelan,
my advice would be to get OFF yasmin,if it disturbing your sleep and giving you cramps and bad pms it is obviously not for you,try another brand.yasmin can cause so many side effects because it messes with your brain chemistry and you electrolyt levels,it is not worth the risk,if you want to take birth control pills i would suggest the older generation of progestins not the newer versions,they mess too much with you,it is a little bit of science that has gone to far!

KIM AND ALL WOMEN EITHER TAKING YASMIN OR COMING OFF IT:

PLEASE READ THROUGH THIS ENTIRE SITE OR AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. I CAN ASSURE YOU, YOU WILL FIND WOMEN HERE WHO HAVE ALL THE SAME/VERY SIMILAR SYMPTOMS AS YOU ARE EXPERIENCING.

THIS PILL-YASMIN, AND ITS SISTER, WREAK TOTAL HAVOC ON OUR HEALTH AS DO MANY ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES. SIMPLY-THE INCREASE IN YEAST DUE TO THE PILL CREATES ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS.

BCPS ALSO LINKED TO HEART HEALTH. STROKES, HEART ATTACKS AND BLOOD CLOTS-SO REALLY, AS WOMEN, IS THIS NECESSARY?

HONESTLY, THE MORE RECENT WOMAN WHO WROTE ABOUT BREAST PAIN-I'VE HAD THAT NOW GOING ON ALMOST A YEAR AFTER STOPPING YASMIN 3 MONTHS AGO! YOU'LL SEE TWO WOMEN HERE WHO-ONE HAD A MINI-STROKE, ANOTHER A LIFE THREATENING PULMONARY CLOT! THIS IS NOT SHIT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY AND I'M MAD AS HELL THAT SO MANY DOCS ARE PRESCRIBING THIS AND THEN OTHER ANTI-ANXIETY MEDS/ANTI-DEPRESSION MEDS AS A RESULT OF THE CAUSE OF THE DAMN YASMIN.

SERIOUSLY-ABSOLUTELY CRAZY TO FILL OUR BODIES WITH ALL THESE MEDICATIONS. ITS NOT NATURAL AND ....EVERY MEDICATION YOU TAKE LIKELY HAS NO LONG TERM RESEARCH ON HOW IT ALTERS YOUR NATURAL BRAIN CHEMISTRY. THERE IS NO LONG TERM RESEARCH. SERIOUSLY. THERE ISN'T.

FEELING ANXIOUS-/STRESSED (A WESTERN TERMED CONCEPT) IS A RESULT OF CHANGE IN HORMONES AROUND OUR CYCLES. THAT'S NORMAL. NO MATTER HOW CRAZY YOU FEEL BECAUSE OF HOW OTHER PEOPLE DEFINE YOUR BEHAVIOR.

I WOULD RECCOMEND GETTING YOUR HORMONE LEVELS TESTED. SEEING A NATROPATH /HOLISTIC DOC, RUNNING OR EXCERCISING WHEN YOU FEEL ANXIETY AND MEDITATING.

WE ALL HAVE THE CAPACITY TO BE HEALTHY AND TO BE ABLE TO DO IT NATURALLY. DOCS ARE BARELY BEGINNING TO LEARN ABOUT AND UNDERSTAND WOMEN'S HORMONES. TOYING AROUND WITH OUR HORMONES WITH THESE SYTHETIC DRUGS WHICH ARE POISON AND THEN ANTI-ANXIETIES/ANTI-DEPRESSANTS ARE JUST MORE HELL.

ONCE YOU'VE IDENTIFIED YOUR SYMPTOMS, FIND SOMEONE YOU TRUST. PLEASE MAKE ROOM HERE FOR NEW PEOPLE TO READ AND LEARN ABOUT ALL THE EXPERIENCES VERSUS JUST POSTING FOR THE SAKE OF OR OPEN A 1:1 FORUM WITH SOMEONE DIRECTLY. ITS MADDENING AND FRUSTURATING TO SEE OVER 3000 ENTRIES AND NEW WOMEN WRITING WHO HAVEN'T READ THROUGH THIS, JUST STARTED AND NO IDEA ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE GOTTEN INTO.

FILE REPORTS WITH WWW.FDA.GOV AND THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY. UNLESS PEOPLE DO THIS, HOW MANY MORE YEARS WILL THIS CONTINUE? THE FORUM MAY BE GREAT FOR TALKING OUT/GETTING SUPPORT, BUT UNLESS WOMEN TAKE A STAND FOR REPORTING AND DOCUMENTING THEIR PROBLEMS, THIS WILL GO ON FOR YEARS!!!

sabresgirl123, I had the same problem where my BP escalated to 140/110 after being on and off Yasmin for 12 months total (on for 8, off for 1, on for 4). It was so frightning to have my BP go so far up the scale and I had a panic/anxiety attack, which hit me in 12/05. The Yasmin caused me severe side effects. I am not going to ever take another BCP/hormone/Mirena etc.... I can't risk it. I had leg cramps and all kinds of scary stuff.
I am now on 37.5mg of Effexor XR to counteract the anxiety and hopefully rebalance my brain chemistry.
I have been posting here for several months and found it very helpful. I hope that you will keep us posted. Stay well.

I,ve been on effexor xr 4 months now for depression and anxiety. Overall i have nothing really bad to say about this drug. I had trouble sleeping at first and some sexual side effects occur when my dossage is upped. Other than that I,m pleased with the results that I,m getting from this drug. I have more energy and it seemed to eliminate the minor body aches and fatigue that I I was expiencing. My depression has subsided a great deal and I can drive now without having a panic attack. I seem more comffortable around people I dont know and I have also gained a lot more confidense in myself. To be completly honest I dont know if I ever want to quit taking effexor. This drug is not for everone though. I would say to take the recommended dosage prescribed by your Dr. for the recommended time to allow the effexor to take full effect. After the 6 to 8 weeks if you're still eperiencing the same side effects, this drug is not for you. Try somthing else. If everyone in the world shared the same brain chemistry I doubt that their would be so many different anti deppressants. I wish you all the best of luck in finding true happiness, but remember the drug doesn't do the work all by itself. Their has to be a line drawn somwhere between fantasy and reallity, meaning that even perfectly normal people have bad days to.

Have been on Lipitor for just 4 days. I've been taking just 5 mg per day (prescribed dose in 10 mg), and already I'm feeling very irritable and depressed (also insomnia and headache). I know this isn't considered to be a "common" side effect, but it looks like I'm not the only one out there who has experienced this. It was almost like a "switch" was thrown in my brain chemistry within the first couple of hours of the first dose. I don't think I'm going to be able to continue with this (I'm even afraid to go up to 10 mg). I'm thinking of asking my doctor about Zetia. Has anyone had depression problems with Zetia?

Wow, there's alot of comments about this drug on both sides of the plate. I've been off and on Effexor four about 5 years now. I never had any bad side effects coming off Effexor. I take a whopping 300mg a day, and it keeps me out of trouble. I am also bipolar and take lithium which is a mood stabiliser. Effexor is NOT a mood stabiliser, anyone who tells you so, is wrong. It is an anti-depressant and only an anti-depressant. With any antidepressant there is the chance of weight gain, but I personally have lost weight on the drug, and perhaps like all drugs of this category, one should have their thyroid checked, to make sure that their weight gain is not due to hypothyroidism. Sexual side effects, like any anti-depressant, are always mentioned as a possible side effect, though I haven't experienced any change...maybe these affects are caused by depression and not always necessarily by the drug. All drugs work differently because we alll have our own specialized brain chemistry. Finding the right drug for you is important. YOu cannot make this decision until you've taken the full course of the drug which is 6-8 weeks for full effect. The first few weeks are usually when you're are going to feel any strange effects as your body gets used to this new element in your system. Good Luck to all.

Huh, you guys should be happy you don't have a crazy doctor like mine. I'm 5'7" and 160lbs and my doctor wants me to take 20mg basically cause he thinks I talk too much. Not only that, but he wants me to take it indefinetly. My mother had originally wanted me to see a doctor and take some kind of medication because I was having somewhat of a nervous breakdown about a year ago when I lost my job. Now she's just wanting me to get off the medication completely and I can't agree more. Yes, my body has gotten used to the 5-10mg that I take (what did you think I was really going to take 20mg? I'd never get out of bed) and I feel ok taking it but do need lots of coffee in the morning to get my brain working. But I feel that this drug may permanently alter my brain chemistry if used for a prolonged period of time and I'm just going to have to get off of it. I've been weening myself off it for a couple months now. After about three days of not taking the drug it get's really tough. My sensesk, especially my hearing get hyper sensative and always hearing high pitched shrilly noises in just about everything. This in itself gives me a paranoid like feeling. Hot flashes all the time, no eating, hard to sleep. I can't understand why my doctor is so crazy about taking so much of this stuff. Not once has he even mentioned that this drug is for short term use. I'm going stop taking it now and not see him anymore. Hell, he put me on short term disability a year ago cause he said I was in no state to have a job. I wonder if he failed to realize this was because he was giving me 20mg!!! Where did this guy learn medicine? Well, the disability insurance has ended because they state that "the information in my file indicates I have recovered," and I'm going to get my life back to the way it was before and without any medications. Especially cause without medical insurance I'm looking at a $450-$600 a month medication cost. No thanks. Oh and as far as the smoking question. Nicotine and smoking cigarettes is ok and actually increases the metabolism of the olanzapine significantly. So your probably just getting a reaction to intial increased metabolism of the drug. My biggest complaint about the side effects of this drug is the blurred vision, constant sleepyness and just not being able to think clearly.