Breakthrough symptoms and conditions

My mother actually stumbled across this site and encouraged me to look into a possible connection between my severe joint pain and the Mirena IUD. I had the IUD inserted in July of 2007. For a few months following I experienced breakthrough bleeding but that did eventually end. I suffered from some mild bouts of depression and would completely fly off the handle at my two children. Always linked it to stress. My sex drive became nil. But no other real problems to complain of. But this past Nov (2008), I started having pain in my wrists and hands. I type all day so I assumed carpel tunnel. Then we began a kitchen remodel. After one particularly tough day of demolition, moving and climbing up and down stairs, I became really stiff and sore. Of course I didn't think much of it until a week later when the pain was getting worse, not better. After a few more weeks, the joint pain became so severe that I could not get up and down off the couch, off the toilet, out of the car, without wincing in pain. I felt 90 years old! My doctor had prescribed Naproxen (which wasn't helping at all) and gave me a course of Prednisone. The Prednisone made me feel like a million dollars. Problem is, you can't stay on it. That's when we found this site. I immediately called my OB/GYN and had the IUD removed 2 days later. Of course, doc didn't believe this could be the issue (Surprise, Surprise!). Once the course of Prednisone was over, the joint pain gradually came back, albeit not as bad as the first time. RA and Lupus panels were negative, no thyroid disorder, no diabetes. Going to see a Rheumatologist next month so we'll see. I can mention that I already see a difference in my moods. I feel more patient with my children lately and that alone was worth having the stupid IUD out.

Been on it since about June. Lots of breakthrough spotting the first couple of months, which got better. I did feel more irritable than usual and appear to have gained about 5 lbs. I have had 4 kids and am DONE, so this was a stopgap until we do something more permanent. Suddenly, in month 6, I had heavy breakthrough bleeding for two straight weeks, then It ook it out, and no real period or anything. I guess tyhere is nothing left. I am going to give it another month then go back to my ob/gyn to discuss permanent options. Hopefully I will lose the weight easily once I quit.

I have been on yasmin for 11days. My doctor switched me form yaz to yasmin because of breakthrough bleeding. I have experienced depression, crying for no reason, feeling really bloated and fat and lethargic. Very fatigued. And my sex drive has decreased.
My doctor is going to change me to loestrin to see if that works better.

I wanted to update people since my last post. I have taken YAZ for a month now, and at first I had some killer side effects. I hate the bouts of depression, extreme anger, cramping, breakthrough bleeding, etc. Now, all my side effects have gone away, and I'm the same old mean. I suggest those of you having problems SEEK medical advice from your doctor. Don't rely on the internet (this is what causes us, myself included, to panic) everyone is different. Everyone reacts differently, especially if you are starting on a hormone. Go with what your gut tells you, not what the internet tells you. If you feel that you shouldn't take it, stop immediately, but I suggest you give it a little try and a little longer to see if your symptoms go away. If they do not, then YAZ is not the right choice for you. :) Good luck ladies

i have just been diagnosed with auto-immune hypothyroidism and have been prescribed 25-Eltroxin sodium. I've also been trying to conceive. At the time of starting my medication I was coming up to ovulation. On day 13/14 of my cycle I was worried as I noticed significant breakthrough bleeding (bright red/with clots). I am waiting for my temperature to go up to show that I've ovulated but it hasn't happened yet. My bleeding is lighter now, 5 days on and brown in color. Can anyone explain how/if thyroxine can cause this as I've never had mid-cycle bleeding before. I have been bleeding for 4 to 5 days now and its not as heavy as it was. What is happening to me?

I have been on Loestrin for a month now. I had breakthrough bleeding the 2nd week in for four days, wasn't bad at all. Then i had three more white pills to go until I went to the iron and i started spotting so i am guessing i got my period? I went on Loestrin bc i still had bad cramps and my period for seven straight days and headaches. I have had a headache for the past three days straight and ive been crampy and have had back pain. I will give this pill some more time. it was nice having just spotting as a period. To make sure I took a pregnancy test and it was negative. But i hope my migraines stop :[

I have had my Mirena for 23 months - placed 6 weeks postpartum. Like most, I too experienced the usual breakthrough and almost consistent bleeding/spotting for the first 6 months with cramping, headaches, and weight gain. What I have also experienced is an overwhelming sense of exhaustion that has not improved but gradually worsened.

Around 4 months PP I realized that something was off in my body. I did not have any energy, didn’t feel like myself, super emotional and no matter what I would try I could not gain motivation to accomplish the task of maintaining my house. I was struggling with a feeling of fogginess and cloudy thinking. I've experienced hair loss, increase in breakouts, dry and splotching skin.

During the first year I would have 1-2 good days in a week where I felt energized and I would be fooled into thinking that I was on my way back to the old me. I could accomplish things, rationalize clearly and deal with life. The rest of the week though would slowly slip back into a drained, over emotional foggy state. At 15 months into having my IUD in place, my days of productivity were dwindling further and further apart.

I have been blessed to have a husband that truly loves me. However, even still he has had a hard time comprehending what I have been dealing with and it has taken a toll on us. He will often say you are just not a happy person no matter what. I know that I am not unhappy with my life in general, my husband or kid and yet he is right. This thing robs you of your happiness and sense of self.

For the past 2 years I have said over and over again that I know something is wrong. I simply don’t feel right. I have been very aware of the changes within myself. I have struggled to be an active parent to my child and I have struggled with the most basic tasks. Things that use to take me 1-2 hours could stretch into days now. I was once this extremely productive individual that now barely is able to get the simplest of things done. I literally put all my effort into trying to accomplish things yet it barely makes a dent.

Until I started doing some reading, and I have found there thousands of women going through the same stuff I am, I really felt like I was going crazy. These symptoms are so subtle and similar that they most often get passed off as PPD, or dealing with the pains of motherhood and stress of life. Up until 2 weeks ago I couldn’t even verbalize the fact that no matter how much I slept, took vitamins, or exercised that I still felt tired all the time and was experiencing an inability to be productive.

I've been reading ALL the reviews on this website regarding Femcon FE and to be honest I haven't gained any weight, my mood swings are no crazier than usual, and I definitely haven't felt any sickness...but what I have felt, after only taking the pills for a Fin' week!!....is breakthrough bleeding! I can't believe this crap, I'm bleeding and my period isn't due for about 3 more weeks!! And I'm not talking a light little spot here and there, I am freakin' bleeding like my period is here! I've been off and on bc pills since I was 19 years old, I'm now 27...there are WAAAYY too many pills out there for me to stick with this sucker! I'm done!! Good luck ladies

Hello everyone. After getting my period two weeks ago I have been bleeding for the past 5 days as well. I have tremendous breast tenderness as well. However, I have been on the pill for 15 months now. The spotting between periods has been going on for about 6 months now. I mentioned it to my primary dr about 4 months ago. long story short I have a cyst on my right ovary, and a complex cyst on my left ovary. Needless to say I will be having surgery on November 12th. First to remove the cysts, possibly the ovaries. If I can tell any one message this is it..."Listen to your bodies ladies!" You know your body better than anyone else. I originally went on the pill because I had polycystic ovarian syndrome and here I am getting ready to have cysts removed. I am not trying to scare anyone, but make sure the pros out weigh the cons while considering staying on this pill. I have to wear a pad everyday because I don't know when I am going to have breakthrough bleeding. This is very frustrating and I hope it will be resolved after surgery? Not sure if I will continue on birth control following surgery. I am 36 yrs old and I am at my wits end. When I heard about everyone being sensitive, or crying at the drop of a hat I have to say I was relieved. Maybe I am not crazy! Good Luck and please take care of your bodies! You are your best advocate. Thanks for listening.

I love Quasense. I have been on it for about a year and a half. For the first year, I took it for the 3 month, would have a very short period for the placebo week and I had no breakthrough bleeding. My gynecologist told me I could skip the placebo week and start the new pack to avoid having a period at all. Every once in a while I will have spotting when I start the next pack after not taking the placebo, but its very light. Other than that, I have not gained any weight, my appetite is the same, I don't have nausea. I don't have any cramping, I don't have mood swings, it improved my acne. Other birth controls I have taken in the past has made me gain weight, or given my acne or made me nausea. I love this stuff.

I have been on Loestrin 24 for over a year now and I have to say that it is working really well for me. I have extremely light periods (esp. compared to the ones I was having before), predictable periods, and no mood swings. i have had breakthrough bleeding 2 of the months I've been on this pill. The only thing I've noticed is it is extremely hard for me to lose weight. Now, I only need to lose like 10 pounds, but I was running everyday and eating healthy for about 3 months and did not lose a pound of weight. I don't know if it was due to the pill, but in the past it has been fairly easy for me to lose,

Hello. I am am going through some major hair loss. I started the pills three weeks ago and i can honestly say that I have lost more hair in the past couple of weeks than i have ever lost in my entire life. I am 22 and I have no family line of baldness. I was on YAZ and this never happened. I switched to FEMCON Fe because I had breakthrough bleeding. Now not only am I having an almost nervous break but my face is breaking out. Something that I never really experienced with YAZ. Can anyone tell me if the hair will grow back?

Thanks

Tomorrow will be my last day of the first pack of Loestrin, but during my 3rd week I got a period. Is this NORMAL? I am not used to taking a daily medication and I forget to take it at the same time everyday, even though I normally try to take it when I wake up in the morning. I wear a panty liner because I have been spotting for the past few days, even after the "regular" period was over

Let me add a few things I forgot in my post at 10.40 this morning.

Total brainfog and sometimes it's hard to find the right words.

Last year I hade the worst pain down there for a whole month and the ob/gyn didn't find anything wrong with me.

I started having breakthrough bleeding now and then.

I went from a size 6 in pants to an 8 without gaining any weight?!

Dry mouth.

About 2 hours after taking the pill every morning I would get really down on life.

My stomach who used to be pretty flat is now FAT. ( I am 5,6 and weigh 130 or a little less. )

I'm sure I'll think of more things later but I wanted to add those at least.

Has the period come back and acted normal for ANYBODY after this pill? It doesn't seem like it. And what happens when the period doesn't come back? I mean, what's the treatment from there?

And if I eat normal and healthy food and exercise at least 4-5 times a week (swimming mostly) will I still gain weight? And how come people gain weight after getting off this darn pill???

I started FEMCON FE about 3 weeks ago because I had been bleeding heavy for 6 straight weeks. My doctor pulled me from my previous birth control, Ortho Tri-Cyclen and put me on FEMCON to stop the bleeding. Surely enough 3 days later it stopped, however, I have experienced headaches, dizziness, a lack of appetite, fatigue and a very low sex drive over these last 3 weeks. Not to mention, I had breakthrough bleeding this week for 3 days. I am going to continue taking these for another month and report back, but right now, I am not too content with this birth control.

I have been taking Loestrin 24 FE for the past five days and i am doing pretty good, it actually stopped my period because i still had it when i started the pack which was awesome. Its hard to tell because i have a sinus infection if i am not feeling well from the pill or from the infection. I really think its just me being sick.

everyone needs to realize that this isnt the pill from hell, it just wasn't for you body, everyone is different, ill update you guys in like two weeks, see if im still saying the same thing

I've taken Zenchent for three months now. The first two months I had breakthrough bleeding in the third week of the pill pack. However, now my experience is quite the opposite. I have had no breakthrough bleeding as well as no bleeding at all last month. I skipped the period all together, so I am anxious to see if this becomes a re-occurring situation.

I'm 22 years old and I've been taking Loestrin since the end of February. I haven't had any real severe side affects from it. It's my first time on birth control and I was very weary about getting on the pill all together. I do notice my period is different. Sometimes I'm really heavy for 5 or 6 days and sometimes I don't see any blood. I don't notice much nausea from it and I was really concerned about that before I starting taking it. I do notice my libido is down and I don't have much energy. I need to switch off of this pill because it's not in my price range. I'm trying to find a pill that was actually kind of similar to it. A pill that was low in hormones more particularly. Does anyone have any suggests?

Hi Gosh I can't thank this forum enough. I have booked my appointment for the Doc today I have felt so bad, and then came across this forum. I used to suffer from Panic attacks about 5 years ago. It happened suddenly and it got so bad that I ended up in Hospital. I was put on anti depress. for a year. Now I know I was on the pill then but can't remember which one and never thought about a link. However I have been fine for the last few years and was not in a relationship so didn't go on pill. Now in one for the past year and a half and firstly went on Dianette as I had bad acne then6months later went on to Cilest, had really bad breakthrough bleeding on both. So last month switched to Cilest. Have had two major Panic Attacks within the month, and as I never associated the pill with the attacks the last time it never occurred to me until now that it could be related. It was obvious to me that there was a connection to Yasmin as I just went from normal to mental this month, had a huge row with my Fiancé over nothing, had two major attacks. On Saturday was out at a meal and my mouth went like sandpaper, couldn't get rid of it then almost a second later major diarrhea
and felt heart palps. Was up all night anxious. Now my head is all fuzzy, ringing in the ears, feel my neck is stiff and I am dizzy all the time and my heart is really beating out of my chest. My contacts are also a nightmare with dry eyes This is after one month on Yasmin and it has to be it as nothing else in my life has changed over the month (except getting engaged< so I can’t be depressed!) I have really felt out of sorts and bloated too. I have talked to my Fiancé about it and have said that I may just come off the pill all together and get an alternative non hormonal contraceptive as I am just so unhappy on the pill and sick of changing.

I’ve been on Loestrin 24 fe for a year now, and I started it because I had so much breakthrough bleeding with Orthocyclen. Strange side effect of Loestrin is that I have never got a period since I started (1 year), even though I follow the directions completely. Anyone else had this experience? The worst side effect I would say is that I have absolutely no sex drive. None. It’s very depressing to me and confusing to my husband. I haven’t found anything that helps. I’m afraid to try another pill for the chance of having worse side effects. Any suggestions?

I am so glad this site exists! I thought I was losing my mind with all my side effects. I really didn't think to blame my birth control but all the side effects kept adding up! Enough to make me google search them! I'm 25 years old and have been on YAZ for 13 months. I have experienced the following side effects: NO SEX DRIVE! Even when I try... I "dry up" quickly! =( Breakthrough bleeding(which can be three weeks of spotting). Headaches. Sinus pain. Breakouts. Fatigue. (I can sleep for more than 12 hours at a time!) Anger/rage issues (resulting in physical violence). Emotional mess! I was prescribed YAZ because I was getting very painful ovarian cysts. Prior to YAZ I was on Ortho Lo which made me a crying, screaming, hairbrush throwing lunatic. But at least I has a sex drive! I noticed how different I felt when I was on a week long prescription of antibiotics for an infection of my foot. My YAZ wasn't working and I felt like a million bucks. I obviously need to be on some form of birth control for the cysts but I will be contacting my doctor asap to get this changed!!

I just started Femcon.I was a little skeptical on starting it after reading other peoples experiences.I just came off the NuvaRing, which i had breakthrough bleeding.It wasn't bad but it just was annoying. maybe i am impatient to wait it out but we will see how this pill does.I just want to be free of the bleeding.One thing i will say i haven't experienced any mood swings like i did on the nuvaring.

I was on the Nuvaring for 6 months in 2006 but had to stop because I lost my insurance coverage. I had no side effects back then, except abnormal clots in my period.

I just started it again a month ago, I'm on my fourth week and have to put the new one on on Monday. I have no other side effects while the ring is in, but since I started my period yesterday I have had bad cramps and very bad lower back pain. I never usually get cramps during my period without birth control. I also have the blood clots again.
Is this a bad side effect that could be effecting the health of my body overall?

I have been on this Pill for a year now, At first it was terrible because I had breakthrough bleeding for 8month, I never took my sugar pills. Well recently I have had serious stomach pain, numbness, headaches, bad mood swings, I always said I'd rather deal w/ the side effects of a pill than have another child at this point in my life.. Well I am at my breaking point, this pill is RUINING my life...