Brain functions symptoms and conditions

I know that for every woman, the side effects or various medications and hormones are different. I personally had the Mirena IUD inserted a little over 3 years ago on the recommendation of a friend who, at the time, had nothing but positive things to say about it. I went on that recommendation alone, and now wish that I had done more research into the side effects before having one inserted.

The initial insertion was not horrible, but not great either- a pinch at insertion, severe cramping and pain within a few hours, and a dull aching feeling in my abdomen for about a week. After that, though, I couldn't feel the IUD at all.

It was not long after that when I began to experience side effects. Like many of you, I attributed my symptoms to stress and life changes. I figured that my migraines, back pain, fatigue, dizziness, increasing urinary tract infections, and weight gain were a result of a changing metabolism and high-stress job.

When I went to my family physician to have blood work done (because I was declared anemic when trying to give blood), I was told that I wasn't getting enough iron and I went on iron supplements. (The supplements then made me constipated- sorry if that is TMI, but that was a very unwelcome result!) When I took trip after trip to my ob/gyn for antibiotics to treat UTIs, I was told that the UTIs were unrelated to the IUD. When I saw a urologist to have three separate tests done (one for hormone levels, another for uterine function, and yet another to test kidney function), all tests came back within normal range. Even when I went to the ER one Saturday morning, when my back was spasming so badly that I could barely walk or stand, I was told that my back pain was stress-related.

All the while, my friend (the one who recommended the IUD in the first place) was dealing with similar problems- weekly severe migraines, back pain, etc. She was being told the same things by her ob/gyn- none of her symptoms were related to the IUD. Since she and I trusted our doctors completely, we went on about our lives, upped our workout regimens, tried to de-stress as much as possible, took OTC pain meds when it was all too much to bear- and yet for both of us, our symptoms continued.

Then, in July, my husband and I decided to begin trying for a baby. I made my appointment to have the IUD removed (which was a painless process), and it was only then that I began to research the Mirena IUD online. My former ob/gyn had moved, and my new one seemed ill-informed about what to expect once the IUD was removed. I wanted to know how soon I could conceive, and she knew very little about the process- heck, she didn't even know what the hormone was called that she had given me to jump-start my period (it was progestin, by the way- a very common prescription that my paramedic husband knew quite a bit about, but the ob/gyn didn't even know the name of!).

Once I got online and found this site (among many others), I finally began to put two and two together. I am now firmly convinced that my symptoms were directly related to the Mirena IUD. Again, different women are affected in different ways, but I know that for me- nothing good came of messing with Mother Nature like that.

Now that I've had the IUD out for about four months, I feel like a different human being. I did experience the "Mirena Crash," but once that passed, I almost immediately began losing weight, my abdomen was no longer blown up like a balloon, my energy level and sex drive increased, my back pain is now gone, and I haven't had a migraine or UTI since.

I've since switched ob/gyns, but I now have a healthy distrust of anything medically new and experimental. I will never have the Mirena inserted again, and I will definitely research anything and everything regarding my body. Ladies, listen to your bodies- mine was screaming at me loud and clear for over three years, and even though I knew that something was very wrong, I didn't listen. I'm just happy that I "accidentally" figured it out. (Oh, and my friend will be having her IUD removed later this week. She and I now call ourselves the "sister skeptics!")

I am a female in my mid-to-late 30's. I was on Topamax for about a year. The memory, vocabulary, concentration, focus, loss of words and 'confusion' got so bad it became a real problem at work and the rest of my life. When I started forgetting how to get home, the neuro doctor took me off of it. Those problems decreased a bit, but never entirely disappeared. After weening off the medicine, the full-blown headaches/migraines returned (Topamax only moderately relieved pain). So now in addition to the pain in my head, I have the lingering sides-effects to deal with. It cost me my job. I've been off Topamax for over a year and still have not regained control of my own thought processes. Among other things, it's embarrassing because I feel stupid. I no longer understand about half of what I read, have trouble following (and remembering) conversations, habitually forget what I'm supposed to do/have done/am doing. Forget being able to follow a series of directions. I am afraid Topamax has caused permanent damage to my cognitive brain functions and I have no idea what to do about it. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

WELL I HAVE BEEN READING EVERYONES SIDE EFFECTS THAT THEY CLAIM TO HAVE EXPERIENCED SINCE BEING ON WELLBUTRIN.FIRST OF ALL WELLBUTRIN IS A VERY EFFECTIVE DRUG FOR DEPRESSION AS WELL AS BEING PROVEN TO HAVE SOME OF THE FEWEST SIDE EFFECTS OF ALL ANTI-DEPRESSANTS.THIS DRUG DOES NOT CAUSE SEIZURES,WHAT IT DOES IS LOWER SEIZURE THRESHOLDS,WHICH MEANS IF YOURE PRONE TO SEIZURE(LIKE STOPPING DRINKING WHILE ON IT)YOU MAY HAVE A SEIZURE.IF YOU SEIZURE WHILE ON THIS MED ITS BECAUSE YOU MAY HAVE A CONDITION THAT YO ARE EVEN UNAWARE OF THAT MAKES YOU PRONE TO SEIZURES,WHEN AN ALCOHOLIC DRYS OUT THEY ARE PRONE TO SEZIURE SO IF ON THIS MED THEY ARE ACTUALLY TOLD TO NOT STOP DRINKING.EACH PERSON IS DIFFERENT IN CHEMICAL MAKE UP,SO WHAT ONE HAS AS SIDE EFFECTS OTHERS MAY NOT.IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU ALL HAVE READ POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS AND HAVE CONVIENCED YOUR SELF YOU HAVE THEM.EVERY DRUG HAS A SIDE EFFECT BECAUSE ITS NOT NATURAL IN THE BODY.HOW DO I KNOW?? WEL I AM A PSYCH NURSE IN A PSYCH WARD AND SEE WELLBUTRIN USED AND RECORD AND OBSERVE SUCH MEDS AND THE EFFECTS THEY HAVE ON PEOPLE,AS WELL,I HAVE BEEN ON WELLBUTRIN FOR SOME TIME NOW AND HAVE HAD VERY LITTLE SIDE EFFECTS AND THE ONES I HAVE ARE ANNOYING BUT NOT SERIOUS.I BELEIVE ALOT OF YOU PEOPLE DEPEND ON YOUR MEDS TOO MUCH AND THINK THAT THEY ALONE IS WHAT WILL MAKE YOU BETTER,THEY CAN ONLY HELP YOU,NOT CURE YOU.WELLBUTRIN IS ONE OF THE BEST YOU CAN TAKE,JUST TRY TO COME OFF SOME OTHERS OUT THERE AND YOU'LL SEE.IF YOUR ON WELLBUTRIN COUNT YOURSELF LUCKY AND STOP LOOKING FOR THINGS WRONG WITH IT,WORK WITH IT.

65 year old female highly energetic with super brain functions.
Taken 20 mg lipator for 1.5-2years and definately noticed short term memory loss.Also had severe leg muscle cramps
like charlie horse in upper thighs, totaly excruciating pain. Stopped lipator for six weeks and cholesteral shot up to 290
but I feel great and energetic. Doc wants me to go back on
and recheck blood in 7 weeks. Will try 20mg every other day
and not let him know until blood results, otherwise I'm off it for good. I would rather die at 80 with a good functioning brain, then 100 like a zombie.Doc also said memory loss atributed to getting older and I said bull crap. I'm fine now and workiing full time as I was before even though things were not as sharp to me as now without the lipator. Will advise.