Cancer symptoms and conditions

After a year and a half of synthroid because of removal of my thyroid for cancer, I feel worse than I have ever felt in my life. Many tests have shown that there is no recurrence of the cancer. I would think I had fibromyalgia if it weren't that I read the blogs from other sufferers like me. I now take 150 mcg on most days. Some days I have to cut it down or skip it because I just cannot bear the body pain, weakness, brain fog, constant awakening in the night, severe cramping knee and leg pain, and muscle aches (there's no word strong enough to describe this pain -- 'aches' just doesn't do it). On the days I don't take synthroid I begin to feel like my old self. But my old self was 40 pounds thinner and losing. My old self walked three miles a day and hiked into the back country with my son. And my old self felt energetic and woke up every day with happy plans. Now I feel like an invalid. Some days I can barely walk. I cannot stand for longer than 5 minutes. I have tried cytomel, unithroid, and armour with varying problems. Synthroid is all that is left. Those of us who are dependent on this drug really need some good research on its effects. And we also need compassionate physicians who do not dismiss our pain and, it is not overdramatic to say, suffering.

I am so sorry to read about the bad experiences with Mirena. For myself I was put on it to keep hyperplasia and the beginnings of an oestrogen dependent cancer at bay. I was very hesitant at the thought of having something in me but oral progesterone had left me bloated, with awful migraines and terrible mood swings.

Once the Mirena had been inserted, It took a few months for all the bleeding I had been having to calm down and eventually stop altogether, but the most wonderful thing to me about Mirena were the side effects it had on me. My monthly migraines completely disappeared, so did my terrible depressive PMT, and best of all, the severe almost disabling pain from endometriosis was completely gone! I began to be one of those blessed women who hardly know they are having a period.

Five years later and a repeat one was put in last week. I have an extremely gentle and skilled gynae and a lot of the problems I am reading about seem to be related to incorrect insertion that is leading to terrible pain afterwards, because the darn thing is to low in the uterus and is sticking into the poor woman.

I quite understand those for whom is just seems not to be suitable, but for me I wish I had known about it's wonderful effect on endometriosis, migraines and PMT years ago. I would have taken it for that alone 20 years ago. And it is keeping me cancer free. My sex drive has also not diminished on it at all.

So I post this just to balance the negative experiences. Above all get a skilled and gentle Gynae.......that is the secret of skilled, speedy, and gentle insertion of an IUD.

Hi all again! I posted on Sept. 15th and 19th and I'm here again! Since I had my Mirena removed, I've had some heavy bleeding which has started to go away. I started to take Slow FE, an iron supplement because yesterday I was ready to drive myself to the ER - I felt lousy - drained to the bone and ready to pass out. After listening to my boyfriend, I went home, gave my kids something to do, and rested for a few hours in bed.
Later on I ate dinner and started to feel better. This morning I really started to feel more like myself (!). I have some bleeding, but it's turning brownish, like toward the end of a period. I am going to the OBGYN who delivered my kids (different doc's ofce than the one where I had the Mirena inserted); I want to get another opinion about the thickness of my uterine lining, the sono report, etc. just to rule out anything serious. My boyfriend thinks that I may have had a miscarriage without realizing I was pregnant (ironically, I was feeling like i had eight years ago when I had a miscarriage and a D&C and didn't realize it until he asked how I had felt then and compared it to now). I would need bloodwork to determine any hormone levels at this point; I'd just like to be reassured that it's not cancer.

Ladies - listen to your bodies. Yes, there is such a thing as allowing your body to adjust and some women haven't had the side effects which a lot of us are writing about; just don't overlook anything that is telling you "this is not normal, this is not natural." Trust your instincts and yourselves; you'll know if it's for you or not. And for crying out loud: if you want it out - insist upon getting it out - don't be coerced into doing something that you don't want to to.

i have had the mirena for 2 yrs now and everything as been great with it untill 2 months ago then i started with the bleeding,cramps,back pain,headache`s and tender boobs etc constantly, i have had pre cancer before but because im bleeding they wont do a smear test which i have every 6 months and they also cant find my strings now so im waiting on a appointment go up to the hospital which could take a while but there's one good thing ive had no mood swings or depression as of yet i had that all that when i was on the pill instead .

Hello Fellow Women Against Mirena (WAM! O.K. I'm going to copywrite it) I am so, so, so relieved that I'm not alone. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't wish this ....on anyone, but just like the support groups for any cancer (which I have to take a blood test for), or disease, it helps to know your not alone. I know that sounds corny, but I have always been a person who's feet hit the floor at 5:30a.m. and don't stop until 11:30p.m. and was able to lift 75lbs over my head, handle a charging stallion (not the hubby as noted by you all...not happening), now I am 50lbs overweight, don't eat at all, I used to be a grazer, ate little bits all day long just like my horses. Now if it wasn't for them waiting for"Mom" with their big brown unjudging eyes,cuz animals don't care about you being fat etc, but they do want their Mommie time back. I think that we should keep our removed Mirenas in little viles or zippys and chuck them on the desks of the CEOS who manufactured this demon ...then ask them to try their product out on their wives, girlfriends, daughters. mothers...I bet they wouldn't...I think after surgery to get it removed, I'll be mailing a package to Bayer and the company who makes it in Finland.....Look out Bayer in Wayne, NJ...your going to get your product back and I want a refund!...Thanks WAM, you have lifited my spirits..and if I happen to flat line in surgery, guess who I am going to haunt!!!

question that I have is that has there been any report for side effect sexual for either male or female? If so what was suggested?

I had Mirena placed just last Thursday and I wish I hadn't. The pain was excruciating, nearly passed out. Ever since, I have been nauseous, headaches, cramping/sharp pains in lower abdomen (not like menstrual cramp) and excessively tired as well as dizzy. I will give it the three to six month trial but as of right now I would not recommend this to anyone. I should have stayed on the pill!!!!!

I was diagnosed with cancer of the Kidney and subsequently had it removed; this was after I had been taking Byetta. During the course of injecting the Byetta for my Type 2 Diabetes I suffered from severe vomiting, fatigue, dizziness and just over all feeling ill. I would appreciate knowing if anyone else has had this problem (Cancer in particular) after injecting Byetta.

Im still on the fence about Ativan...I am taking a 1mg tab once a day along with my 100mg og zoloft. The ativan is for my dystonia, which is a result of certain surgeries i had to rid myself of cancer. The dystonia would flare up and become horrible (meaning my neck,left shoulder and left side of my back would twitch like crazy)and this eventually lead to the ligaments in my shoulder becoming so loose from the twitching that I have had to have two more surgeries to correct that problem. Since taking the ativan on a daily basis, I have has almost NO ticks or twitches. however, while i don't have as much anxiety, i do feel more depressed and my doctor upped my zoloft...

Endo Cancer?

It has to be listed and discussed.
All you ladies out there that have had the Mirena removed:
Are your periods lighter than they ever were?
Are they still?
What is the time frame of having the IUD removed & your return to what is a normal period for you?

If you're still experiencing a "light" or "lighter" flow than what is your norm after having the Mirena out, get yourself to the doctor's office (NOT your Gyn), tell them you were using the Mirena & ask for an ultrasound to measure and look at your uterus. Chances are, like me, you'll have an unusually thickened endo lining. Not just thickened, but irregular as opposed to smooth.
What does this mean? Well, you shouldn't have a THICK lining that keeps growing or stays the same.
I was normal before insertion. (u-sounds done 2 weeks prior)
At about 10 days after removal, u-sounds showed an irregular thick lining measuring at 10mm.
At almost 8 weeks after removal, u-sound test showed the lining to be at 13mm.
NOTE: The "C" word starts getting used if you head toward the 15mm range.

Has anyone in your GYN office addressed this side effect with you?
Mine certainly didn't. Not one word. They didn't even tell me what to expect after my insistant demands for removal. (I called them after to report severe bleeding and clots of tissue, to which they responded was "normal".)
Ok....so if I had a heavy bleed, one would assume that the lining would be completely shed. So, why, after two cycles, and only 21 days of actual Mirena usage, is my endo lining growing like a banshee?

I am 31 years old. I have HPV. I got it when I was young I have 4 kids. I have never really had any problems from HPV. I do worry about the risk of cancer so I get my pap-smears. I had warts one time 2 was it and they went away on there own my doctor said that I did not need to treat them if I did not want to, that was over 10 years never had any more. My daughter is 13 and I have never even thought about getting her the vaccine, the thought of law makers telling me I have to makes me mad! I never did trust it and knew there would be problems it sounds like the CURE is worse then the disease! Just be careful what you decide to do. Don't buy in to the fear.

I had the Mirena put in May'08. I've noticed increased acne, cramping in my legs, and spotting. I am also dealing with symptoms of bladder infections, however, there is no infection. My OBGYN says there is no correlation between the Mirena and my bladder problems, however, the urologist said that the Mirena could cause problems to other organs around the uterus (including the bladder). He stated it could be traumatic to our bodies, causing muscles in our pelvic area to tighten, nerve damage, etc. My OB diagnosed me with Interstitial Cystitis, a disease of the bladder lining that is without a cure, but my urologist didn't buy off on this and so now I'm having other tests done to make sure it's not bladder cancer, etc. Again, my urologist believes it's related to the Mirena. All I know is that I didn't have bladder problems until I had the Mirena inserted, which was the most painful experience aside from giving birth to my children! After reading the postings on this website, I'm definitely removing this device from my body ASAP! Good luck to all of you women who have had similar experiences. I pray that our bodies will return to some sense of normalcy.

Last week I had an issue with my INR - it has always been unstable, but this time was weird. My INR had been 6 and so I stopped the warfarin for 4 days, and went back on my regular 2 mg dose. Then we went on holiday to Washington DC for a week. 3 days in, my pee was the colour of cherry kool aid. Went to the local hospital (thank god for travel insurance). My INR was 7.89 - In the US this is considered critical and I was admitted, and treated with Vitamin K and 2 units of plasma. Within 8 hours my INR had dropped to 1.8 - now too low. The next day down to 1.25, and a week later I am still 1. I am taking fragmin now until I can get my INR theraputic again but Fragmin shots are even worse than warfarin.

An ultrasound showed now issues with my bladder or kidneys, but I do not understand why I was bleeding.

Guess that this just shows the importance of regular checking of INR levels while on warfarin.

Welcome to my hell!

If I could choose to have my thyroid back, I take it and take my chances with the cancer. Well lets see... I take .300mcg of Synthroid and generally feel good only when I forget to take my medication for a couple of days. After about 3 days, I start feeling tired and will eventually start crashing for 10 to 12 hours at a time. OH! Ive heard that it takes weeks to level out, but I can feel the difference in about 3 days. Of course, the doctor says that's not possible, but then - he is holding my thyroid hostage.

I have gained 30 lbs. Have headaches frequently, get moody, AND now I get bloated when I eat. Im ready to try the Armour thing that Ive read about. Cytomel makes my heart race.

Im pretty sure that smoking helps! I read that it lowers your TSH levels.

Im just tired of feeling like sh_t all the time.

Just switched to synthroid 88 mcg after 8 yrs on Armour. My doctors found an ugly mass on my right thyroid and rushed me to surgery, certain it was Cancer: it was just an ugly goiter..now I have to take thyroid meds the rest of my life. :(

It took a year to get me regulated on Armour and I gained 30 #. 20:20 hindsite. I thought it was good and natural too... for 8 years

BUT here is an FYI: NOBODY TESTS THE PIGS. THERE IS NO QUALITY CONTROL TO SEE HOW MUCH THYROID WE ARE 'REALLY' GETTING.ANIMALS CAN BE HYPO AND HYPERTHYROID TOO.

Sooo... 7 weeks into a 90 day supply of my Armour and my pharmacy recalls it. I mention it to my doc who promply makes the connection and draws my labs, VOILA I am suddenly hyperthyroid AND now I can understand some of my crappy symptoms of late..

Lesson learned. Hoping to be feeling better soon. Hope you all find what works for you but these are all drugs and be aware.

I think Fosamax KILLED MY MOTHER. My mon was previously healthy with no known medical problems. No hypertension, no high cholesterol, no diabetes...nothing. She was taking Fosamax for osteoporosis prevention. She developed an acute liver failure. There was no viral, bacterial, or cancer linked to this sudden onset of liver failure. She received a liver biopsy and within one week was dead from bleeding from the biopsy site. I have recently found some journal articles linking Fosamax to acute liver failure. MY HEART IS BROKEN. Do not take this drug without doing in depth research on its side effects and discontinue it immediately if any side effects occur. God Bless.

Statin Drugs cause congestive heart failure, muscle wasting, memory loss, cancer, damage to the liver and kidneys and generally disrupt the quality of life of anyone who takes it. I know because my elderly mother was prescribed 20 mgs lipitor after her stroke in 2006. She suffers from everything I listed except for the cancer. The doctors did all the tests to rule out other causes but her problems are worsening to the point where she can barely walk. The doctors still don't want to stop the lipitor and won't even require that she take Coq10. How criminal is that? According to Therapeutics Initiative, statins provide only a 4% absolute benefit from having a major coronary event for people in the secondary prevention group like my mother but you have to take the statin for 5 years in order to get that lousy 4% benefit.
Add in the nasty side effects over the 5 years and I am sure that the side effects would cancel out all those benefits.
Lipitor is a scam drug that ruins the lives of the patients who take it.

I started using Fosamax two years ago and after approximately 18 months of use I noticed some distortion in my right clavicle (which I named my “barnacle) and pain in my upper shoulders and neck. At the time I attributed this to perhaps the heavy luggage I had been pulling around on a trip and that maybe I had strained something. I mentioned this to my doctor who ordered an x-ray which indicated an asymmetrical clavicle. She then ordered an MRI and the result was that perhaps I had a touch of arthritis. I asked her if perhaps this “barnacle” could be a result of the Fosamax I have been taking. She was very doubtful about that. I then googled Fosamax and started reading some of the side effects of this drug – NOT GOOD!! I did not see any mention in the comments by others who have been taking Fosamax about bone growth, but I did read about bone and joint and muscle pains. I had never had a problem and I am certain that the sudden pain in the shoulders and neck is a direct result of this toxic drug. I saw the doctor again and told her that I wanted to stop taking Fosamax and told her about the comments that I had been reading about and I claimed that this distortion in my clavicle and pain in the shoulders, etc. was the result of this drug. She then ordered a bone scan and additional x-rays which indicated again an “asymmetrical” clavicle and the suggestion was that I see an orthopedist. She mentioned that she had once had a patient who had a similar distortion of the clavicle and was sent for all sorts of tests, ending at the orthopedist who did a biopsy which turned out normal. I told her I was not interested in going to see one. I said I would stop taking Fosamax and see what would happen. She did order a blood and urine test checking for cancer, both of which turned our normal. I have not taken Fosamax since the end of June and already I have noticed a lessening of the pain in my shoulders and neck. Hopefully it will stop completely once this toxic drug is out of my system. I am an otherwise healthy 64 year old woman, I exercise, and eat a well balanced diet. I will take my chances with brittle bones, etc. and advise others who are taking this drug to get off it immediately.

I did not even notice until a few months ago that my generic was not budeprion, not buproprion. Looked it up, found it was also the generic of wellbutrin and di not give it another thought. But I was also becoming increasingly worried, worried about my kids, that something bad was going to happento them. Worried that I would get cancer and die. Then I started to feel extra lazy, stopped exercising, and began to feel like I had something caught in my throat, the feeling moved from the throat to the abdomen and back and forth. I felt heart palpitations occasionally. today, when I flet the feeliong in my throat, I got nervous, and all of a sudden flet like I could not breathe, then flet like I was going to pass out. My sister was there, felt my pulse and it was racing and pounding. My toes felt cold and sweaty and my face felt numb. That feeling in my throat made me feel like I could not breathe, I actually had to tell myself to breathe. My sister is an EMT and she thought I was in shock. It slowly passed. I took a xanax to try and help, and I eventually felt better, though I still fell my heart palpitating. I am going to my doctor Monday to be sure I am physically OK, and discuss this drug. Has anyone else ever had this type of experience?

My wife started taking Reglan last year one week before she committed suicide at the age of 57. She had never been diagnosed in her life as depressed, but obviously she was at the end. Two years previous she had a hysterectomy as part of treatment for uterin cancer. Five months previous to her suicide she got sick and after many weeks was diagnosed with acid reflux. She was given Nexium for this, but continued to suffer from the reflux. I believe somewhere in this time she became depressed though she continued to deny it right up to the day she took her own life. I really do not know if the Reglan or the Nexium was behind her suicide, but I believe it is quite possible. I should be mad as hell about this, but for now I just can not get beyond the grief. I am putting this out here just to say you may want to be very careful with Reglan!!!

I had posted my case on May 17th on this blog--as I noted, I URGE others to report their adverse event to the FDA--just click on this link and complete the form: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/. The FDA is responsible for assuring safety of medications. Therefore, it is imperative that the FDA recognize the adverse effects to provide any credibility to a class action suit. Please consider forwarding your case to the FDA to force them into action and begin addressing these atrocities. Such documented cases and recognition by the FDA will provide leverage for attorneys in pursuit of a class action suit. Also wanted to see if anyone has contacted a lawyer on this issue?

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I had many of the same problems (as jssrabbit) which were a result of Lupron injections. I did not lose my job, but easily could have had I not been there so long. I did wind up taking a leave of absence. My doctors kept saying that they didn't know what was wrong with me, and that my severe muscle pain, joint pain and fatigue weren't known side effects. My life drastically changed as a result and I am still trying to recover emotionally a couple years later. My sympathy to all who have had these horrible problems. I understand that many people can take this with minimal problems (my father was given for cancer), but people should be aware of the potential for very bad side effects and be allowed to make an informed choice. It can have a huge impact on your life.
BTW, I'm just curious, do any of you who have had bad side effects have a thyroid disorder? I'm pursuing a theory - I am hypothyroid and wonder if that affected my outcome. Best of luck to all -- skrrks

Today I got the results back from my yearly pap. While there were no abnormal cells found, there were also no "transformation" cells found either. I guess these cells protect the cervix from cancer. Now, I'm 37, never had any health problems to really complain about and this is the first time encountering anything like this.Some background on me: I have always had horrible periods, missed periods, and weight issues. We found that I might be polycystic, but it wasn't so bad that I couldn't get pregnant.I've had two children, 2003 and 2006. Shortly after the birth of my 2nd child, I had the mirena inserted about in early 2007. At first I was great with it, periods got lighter, no spotting, and very regular. I'd get some weird sharp cramps every once in awhile, but nothing really to complain about. But over the last few months, the hair loss, the weird acne around my hairline, the hairiness everywhere else besides my scalp, the mood swings, the memory loss, scrambled thoughts, no sex drive whatsoever, and moodiness have gotten worse. I kept thinking, ah, must be stress, work related, recent pregnancy, this that and everything else but the Mirena. Well I'm getting it out. I have to go in anyway to do another exam and more testing just to make sure I'm ok, but I'm not risking my life over not getting pregnant. Its nice to know I'm not at all alone in this. I've got two young children and I'd like to be around, and remain married for as long as possible. I'll post again once its removed. Hoping some of these weird symptoms start to vanish.

I have to say the nuvaring has been pretty good for me. I am so thankful not to have had any major side effects from it. For a very long time I was not given any Bc that had hormones because my mom had a stroke from estrogen in the BC pill. It was in the 70's and MUCH higher doses of estrogen were in the pill. But anything with estrogen was off limits to me. I was in the need of some form of BC after 10 years not being sexually active.My husband died of cancer and was not dating until 10 years later. I went for BC counseling and the doc. recommended the Nuvaring. yes it has a tiny bit of estrogen but sh was not worried. I also complained that my period was always so heavy I had to wear the depends underwear because if I didn't I would have to change a tampon or a pad every 8-10 minutes. And I had extreme cramps so bad they went down the front of my legs. She was like "have I got a deal for you'! Well... she put me on the nuva ring and had me change it every 28 days no break in between. Result: NO PERIOD! I love that woman. Ok on to the side effects...I had spotting for like 3 months here and there, The first few months I lost a clump of hair to the side of my part by my forehead..it grew back..I get leg cramps every once in a while and they are doosies (sore for 2 days after) If I forget to remove it during sex my vagina burns after. and yes I have more wetness in my vagina. My b/f jokes it is I just think about him too much! Ladies to all of you that have the terrible side effects my heart goes out to you. I hope you find the BC that works for you. Keep trying others there will be a good fit for you sooner or later.

I had surgery in August, 2006 for Endometriosis, and a Lupron injection 2 wks later. That one injection changed my life. Even though it was a year and a half ago, I'm still feeling the effects. Which is what brought me to this site -- I'm searching for an answer.

These were/are my symptoms:

-- I experienced immediate and increasing hot flashes that lasted for nearly 6 mos.

-- Extreme fatigue and the "activativation" of Epstein Barr Virus. I started sleeping 18-20 hrs/day and lost my career job because of it.

-- Cognitive dysfunction, memory loss, loss of concentration, etc.

-- Blurred vision (and I have otherwise perfect vision!)

-- To date, I have gained 40 lbs that will not budge no matter what my diet!

-- I have severe muscle weakness and burning (such as if I go up a
flight of stairs). Muscle atrophy and stiffness.

-- My joints (hips, knees, feet) hurt and I have a lot of back pain.

-- I have TMJ quite badly and it causes my arms to go numb.

Last year my doctor ordered a hair analysis for heavy metal poisoning -- and my levels were off the charts. I've read that Lupron is suspended in thimerosol, or mercury, and that raises a host of issues that I'd like to research, if anyone has info on that.

Today, I am doing much better in terms of being out of bed and active, but I am unable to lose the weight, despite an organic, all natural, gluten/dairy/sugar/corn/soy/caffeine/etc. free diet! My belly is always bloated and big.

I am really active, but I tire easily and still haven't been able to get over that "hump", as it were, and really exert myself. Before my surgery and the Lupron and the EBV, I was an avid dancer. It is my passion and I can hardly do it at all now. I cannot swim a full lap in a pool without my leg muscles burning.

I have read of some people having good experiences with Lupron, but I have read far more horrifying ones. Part of me doesn't want to accept that Lupron is the cause of what I'm experiencing...could it really be that simple? And part of me is happy to shed the burden of guilt that "I must just not be trying hard enough" in exchange for an outside cause. I guess research and knowledge is the best medicine in this case. =}