Clothes symptoms and conditions

I had my IUD removed November 12th after having it for two years. The removal was painless. Within twenty-four hours, the abdominal bloating was noticeably less and within a week, gone. I also noticed an increase in energy level and change in appetite. I am looking forward to getting rid of the gained weight over the past two years and getting back into the clothes I love. More importantly, I want to feel alive and attractive again. The only adverse effect of having the IUD removed was four days after removal, I had a very emotional, crying episode for the better part of the day. A minimal amount of vaginal discharge, similar to the start of a period, has been present for about six days. Otherwise, no problems. Also, my knees, hips and back are no longer hurting like they were. Don't hesitate to have it removed and don't let your doctor talk you out of it! It is your body and your right to make all decisions regarding your healthcare! Good luck to you all. Thank you for sharing your experiences. If you had not, I may have never put two and two together.

I am sooo glad i read everyone's comments on this horrible BC pill!
I hate it! I have gained over 15 lbs and look so completely different, my face, my body, my stomach. None of my clothes from last summer fit me this summer. I was a size 4 and now a 6 is pushing it. I look so fat and was retaining so much water, I took an EPT test because I thought I was pregnant. Anyway - I have been off it for some months now and I'm just wondering when and if all this FAT will go away. I feel so ugly and uncomfortable and this pill was nothing but a nightmare. Mood swings...forget about it! Scary b**h was me. And now I don't even get normal periods anymore. It was such a HORRIBLE experience I don't think I will EVER take a BC pill again...its not worth it! Im 40 yrs old and don't need the extra weight, drama and all the rest of this crap pill. It sucks!

Oh!!!! I thank God for finding this site. I have been so down and out for the last 4 to 5 months. I'm 48 years old and had my Mirena put in March 2009. It was very painful for me but I quickly got over that with minimal spotting. Since the insertion I have gained at least 10 pounds. I don't weigh myself but I go by how my clothes fit. I consider myself an athlete who is a decent runner. I've completed 12 marathons to date. I know how to work out and how to eat. But for the life of me I can't get rid of this. My breasts feel like they did when I was pregnant - tender and larger. Then I started having stomach problems. Terrible bloating and pain. I went back to my OB and they did a pregnancy test which of course came back negative. I went to my family practioner who put me on prescription Zantac for my stomach issues. With all this going on within a 7 month span, I knew something was wrong but until this morning I didn't know what. I called my OB and talked to the nurse and she said that the weight problem I'm having is just because I'm getting older. HOG WASH!!!! She can't tell me that what I'm feeling is normal. I can't live like this anymore. I will just have to use some other birth control.

At 32 years old, this is my first experience with birth control and I have to say that I'm completely miserable. I'm eleven days into my first pack of pills, have been bleeding (like my regular period, maybe even worse!) since Tuesday, and decided this morning that i'm DONE. I'm taking this pill for contraceptive reasons only - and if I keep taking them, I won't need them anyway because my boyfriend will surely have dumped me. I'm moody, I'm tired, I have headaches, I can't sleep, my cramps are horrible today (and I've never had cramps in my life), and this out of control blood loss is a little concerning. I called my doc's office yesterday to see if I can stop abruptly, and they told me to finish the whole pack and THEN stop - but I cannot take one more day of this nonsense. My biggest concern with stopping midway through my pack is that I'll be really screwing up my cycle, but something is definitely already screwed up, so how much worse can if really get? Does anyone have any experience with just stopping birth control abruptly, and if so, what should I expect? THANKS!

Amazing. like you I've fallen into this trap. So healthy and in shape at 59, (more like in my 40's), working out every day, happy. Now, after 2 months on Simvastatin, 20mg every other day, my shoulders and neck muscles are so inflamed, swollen and there's more hurt in my upper body than ever in my life. For the past week, I've been having trouble even getting my clothes over my head! Also headaches have started which I've never had before. I thought it was the relatively wet summer we've had this year in Denver, and was believing the weather had brought me into full-blown arthritis. I am so disappointed in myself to have poisoned my body this way, especially after telling my trusted MD for the previous 3 years "no thanks" to a satin drug. Thank God for my chiropractor sat me down yesterday for a consultation for why I was so much in pain. When she found I'd gone on a satin, the light bulb was lit. I will never taking any satin again and will work to always be as drug free as I can be after this lesson. Thanks to those of you who give me hope that I may feel better soon and I pray for no permanent damage from this "Simvastatin".

Amazing! Like you, I've fallen into this trap. So healthy and in shape at 59, (more like in my 40's), working out every day, happy. Now, after 2 months on Simvastatin, 20mg every other day, my shoulders and neck muscles are so inflamed, swollen and there's more hurt in my upper body than ever in my life. For the past week, I've been having trouble even getting my clothes over my head! Also headaches have started which I've never had before. I thought it was the relatively wet summer we've had this year in Denver, and was believing the weather had brought me into full-blown arthritis. I am so disappointed in myself to have poisoned my body this way, especially after telling my trusted MD for the previous 3 years "no thanks" to a satin drug. Thank God for my chiropractor sat me down yesterday for a consultation for why I was so much in pain. When she found I'd gone on a satin, the light bulb was lit. I will never taking any satin again and will work to always be as drug free as I can be after this lesson. Thanks to those of you who give me hope that I may feel better very soon (yes, it's no way to live) and I pray for no permanent damage from this "Simvastatin".

I am on day 5 of Loestrin 24, I do not read the "pamplets" that come with medicine simply because if I read it I will get it, power of suggestion is what my doc calls it. My boyfriend noticed almost immediately my mood swings, I thought I had the flu, I cry all the time and last night, after 4 days of no sleep I planned out my own suicide in my mind, even what I would write in the letter to my parents and my new niece. I layed beside my boyfriend and convinced myself he was cheating on me, he was seeing someone else and I got up, woke him up and started throwing his clothes in the backyard. I have full blown anxiety attacks and cry all the time. I am sick on my stomach but starving at the same time, my head is splitting wide open and I am waiting on a call rom my doctor right now. I called in to work "crazy" today, thank God my boss is very understanding and I will never take this pill again in my life. This is scary and as I sit here now I'm still not sure how long this feeling will last

hi there! i'm 21 yrs old and i got my iud 2 months after i gave birth to my 2nd child ]. i've gained 12lbs since i've gotten it put in...and i've tried everything to get it off with no luck. i have been so emotional since it was put in. i get really angry at the smallest things. i've had really bad pains from cysts for 2yrs now. also my uterus swells up like i'm pregnant almost every day...i cant even wear my normal clothes when it happens. also i have such bad uteran cramps that i feel like i'm in labor!! i have no periods in 2 yrs, and i get nauseated as badly as i did when i was pregnant. my dr says that the mirena doesn't cause these problems, well, i disagree bc i never had problems such as these until i got the mirena inserted. i asked another doctor about it and she told me that if its giving me all these problems, that i can just remove it myself...that it wouldn't hurt anything as long as my hands were clean. so 2 days ago i pulled it out in my bathroom. it didnt hurt at all(cramped like 10 or so min afterwards, but not bad), it didn't bleed or anything. and i am so happy to report that i haven't been emotional, nauseated, bloated/swollen or had cramps or pains since i took it out! :):):):)

My 3rd child was born in November of 2008, because I'm very fertile (having 3 children in less than 3 years) and not sure if I'm completely done, but not wanting any more any time soon, I opted for Mirena. I didn't want to deal with Depo because of the constant stories of weight gain, so Mirena sounded great. I hate taking pills because I'm forgetful. Anyway January of 2009 at my 9 week check up I had the Mirena put in...within a month my periods were virtually non existent, some of it could be due to breast feeding, but I still pretty much have no periods. Last month however I went in to the ob/gyn to have him check some pains I'm having in my lower abdomen, an ultrasound confirmed cysts (i read the tech type this out) and then the doc lied and told me there weren't any. Before Mirena, I had gone down to 175 lbs within a month of having my son thanks to weight watchers, after Mirena weight watchers wasnt working. So I quit paying for it so I of course gained back 10 lbs. I'm still eating less than 1500 calories a day, I chase 3 kids around all day, eat decently, don't exercise a whole lot but still don't sit on my butt all day and weigh about 190 lbs. If I even consider eating a piece of pizza I gain weight. This is ridiculous. My doc said he'd remove it if I continue to have pains because that usually helps, well that just one of many reasons I'm calling as soon as Im done typing here. I'm tired, my face is worse than it was in high school, I wear my husbands clothes all day, my wedding ring won't come off, I snap at everyone for everything, I'm sad, and I'm fat too boot. I would love to get back down to pre-pregnancy before the third baby 172lbs, but no matter what I do it doesn't work. Hopefully after removing this thing I can lose that and then some. I'll actually want to work out and have sex again! Not to mention have the desire to play with my kids rather than chase after them and fuss at them for everything they do.

i took zoloft around 6 yrs ago for 7 months and it helped me with anxiety tremendously, fast forward : i've been on zoloft, about 14 months, 50mg to start, and after an auto accident in july which caused increased stress and anxiety, 100mg a day. nov 2008 i weighed 134 @ 5'3", today Sept 1 2009, i weigh 152, and sometimes it is a bit higher!, i am not taking my zoloft daily anymore and in fact, after a friend told me he heard it may cause weight gain in some people, i only take 1/2 my pill (so, 50mg).
i do sometimes feel the dizziness/egg-for-a-brain feeling, but the weight gain, the increase appetite, the night cravings (which i did not have before) are driving me downhill/depressed. zoloft has helped my anxiety both times greatly, it mellows me so that i'm not worrying 24/7 BUT, the increased appetite, the eating to make me feel good--which i have NEVER ever done before--is not worth the inability to lose weight, fit in my clothes,etc. i have been consuming healthy coffee for the past 6 months and thanks to God, it has helped me with these things, the main reason i started it was because a lot of people have had their appetites curbed, but i guess not for me: my blood pressure, which skyrocketed after the auto accident July 2008, was around 189/110. after 2 to 3 weeks of this amazing coffee (not expensive either and tastes awesome), it is around 130/77 most of the times that I check it. . I now have no cravings whatsoever to alcohol & sweets, no more jitters or stomach burning or caffeine crashing either, a lot less headaches and I used to get nauseous from too much regular coffee too!;no more muscle twitching either. My allergies to oak and other crap have improved as well I'm thrilled to report. I have a better sense of well-being with I'm sure the coffee. I just hope that by cutting down on the Zoloft NOW more so than ever after reading these posts, will enable me to lose this weight--it seems that even though i am more physically active now, due to my feeling a bit better after the auto accident injuries, and eating more salads, I still cannot lose this flabby disgusting, making-me-depressed, weight.

This website is a joke! After I had my Mirena inserted 4 months ago I started reading on the internet about possible side effects. I was furious with myself that I hadn't Read up on this before the appointment. There were so many horrible reviews involving hair loss, weight gain, acne, and mood swings! I was so scared and actually thought about removing the Mirena that week. I then found multiple reviews on websites not owned and operated by other drug companies that are trying to scare people in order to prevent the sale and use of the Mirena and the side effects listed here were a 180 degree difference. I have not experienced any weight gain, in fact, I recently was able to shed 5 pounds from picking up running again (so it is possible to LOSE weight on the Mirena as well). I have had zero hair loss, have not had a pimple anywhere or any random hair growth. My live in boyfriend and I have discussed if we've noticed any mood swings or changes and my mood which is usually optimistic and positive has been the same since I had the Mirena inserted. My periods are much lighter and although they can last an extra day or two more than what I was used to, they are light and I have not had any cramping. I'm writing this review not because I absolutely love the Mirena, I think it's a fine form of BC but who LOVES their BC, isn't it all kind of a pain. The Mirena is by far the most convenient form of birth control and I don't worry at all about missing a day and the chance of getting pregnant. I'm writing this review because I encourage everyone to talk more with their doctors about the side effects and look around on the internet for REAL websites.

Hi I had the mirena removed 2 weeks ago, started bleeding 3 days later still going, one week later started feeling very down in myself, don't want to go to bed (restless thoughts) waking up sad and worried about everything and anything,. hate going out, finding fault with myself, how i look, my clothes. Hope this won't go on too long more, it's very scary.
Thanks for sharing all your experiences.

I've been on birth control since my early 20's and now I'm 39. My most current bc was Diane 35 which was not bad. I was scared about the risks of using birth control after the age of 35 so changed to a lower form of birth control-Aviane. Was suppose to have Alesse but was given the generic Aviane. I've gained weight so most likely due to my bad habits, old age due to a lower metabolism. I'm sure I'm at my max weight of 120. I've been feeling horrible in the dressing rooms when I'm trying on clothes and my stomach seems to be more "muffin top" than normal. Also, feel very bloated all the time...thus, a spa rep had asked me how many months I was(might have been the type of top I was wearing but...) I just went on the scale at a gymn I was trying out and to my shock I had gained 10 pounds? I haven't eaten that much different lately...is it Aviane? I think it's time for me to get off bc..

I had Mirena inserted in Nov '08. I bled constantly for 6 weeks after and then nothing. I only have occasional spotting. At first I thought this was great - no period! (woohoo!!) but now I actually miss my period. It's not natural not to have a period! I've been experiencing a lot of side affects that I was attributing to turning 40 but after reading the symptoms others have been experiencing, maybe it's not due to my age. I've had problems with large ovarian cysts. I constantly have pain in my ovaries which I'm thinking it must be more cysts. I've gained weight and can't loose it no matter how hard I try. I have no energy and no interest in a lot of things I used to love to do. I have pain in my knees, pain in the joints of my fingers as well as mood swings, depression, anxiety, memory loss. I recently went to the doctors because I felt I had a constant lump in my throat - I went for an ultrasound and found I have multiple cysts on my thyroid. I'm not sure if this is all related to the Mirena, but I don't remember feeling this crappy before I had it. I'd like to have it removed immediately but I can't get an appt' with the GYN until September!

As many of you have I started Fentanyl for chronic back pain and neck pain. My nurse case manager suggested it as she had been on it for 3 years and thought it was great. I started out with 50mcg for 3 days each patch. First patch I was a little drowsy feeling but by the 2nd I was used to it and it seemed to help a little. Enough that I had increased my walking and was hoping to help strengthen my back. Now to the horror, my calves continued to ache. At first I thought it was from the extra walking but it would not go away. Then I had the sweats and would just soak a T shirt while I was sitting in my recliner, then I would freeze to death. I thought something was wrong with my air conditioner. Then trouble sleeping and just 1 thing after another until the depression and anxiety started. I am disabled and my wife is a nurse so I'm home along a lot so I hid it. I would sweat like crazy and shiver and be so cold then get so anxious that I would lay down in be to try to rest and paw at my covers and even my clothes. I was either too hot or too cold. I would pace the floor so anxious I thought I was going to loose my sanity. The silly thing is that I was not putting together as being the Fentanyl. Our son had been diagnosed with a very bad brain cancer about 6 months before and I thought it my be partially from that. I fought it for a couple of weeks behind closed doors, although my daughter had call mom and said what is up with dad? He is having some type of problem. Well, to try to cut this to a manageable sized document I finally had to wake my wife up in the middle of the night shaking, crying and pulling at my clothes saying I'm *** and I don't cuss like that. She had warned me not to try this med but I was desperate to be pain free or at least able to manage it and be half way normal. She got me to the doctor and at first they were gonna cut my 50mcg down to 25 for 2 weeks and then go to 12.5 for 2 weeks. My depression and side effects were so bad that they wanted to stop putting Fentanyl into me asap. So I went 3 days with the 25 and 3 with the 12.5. I have been climbing the wall since Wednesday and have none in me except the residual and hopefully it will be out in a week or so. I just want to say that my depression is something that I cannot even explain. I ball and blubber like a baby at times for no reason. I cannot even see or talk to my kids on the phone because I just come apart. I'm constantly beating my self up over my mom dying from Alzheimers as if I could have done something. I think of times when the kids were small and literally want to go back there. It's not like saying hey remember when we used to do (whatever) I literally want to go back there. I know in my mind that it is impossible but I just cry to go back to the farm where my dad and mom lived. Mom has been dead for almost 10yrs. The doc gave me Ativan to take the edge off a little and Clonidine for chills and sweats. I've been off of it (Fentanyl Patch) for 3 full days now and the depression is still unbearable but the other side effects are a little better. My body aches were pretty bad last night though as I think about it.
I just wish some one could tell my how long it will take me to get back to my self, good sense of humor and loves to have fun with my family.
Thanks
*****

Started Nuvaring last month..figured I would give it some time to work out the side effects I was having...leg cramps, backache, dizziness ( I am a phlebotomist and almost fainted 3 times at work), I got so hot and had to take clothes off, I was so irritable I would cry for no reason. I just didn't feel like myself...I found this site thank God and I took the ring out tonight. Since I have taken it out just 5 hrs ago I now have no headache anymore and my leg cramps are gone. This just did not work for me. Thank you everyone for posting your issues, it good to know I wasn't going crazy & am not alone. Best to all of you :)

I am 32 years old and I have had Mirena since Oct 2006. I did fine with it at the beginning, but now I am not doing so well. I still have Mirena in me and I am scheduled for it to be removed in a couple of weeks. That's the soonest they could get me in. I cannot wait to get it out of me. I pray I will start feeling better because I cannot go on feeling as bad as I do everyday of my life. My symptoms are very similar to others that I have read. I gained weight right after I had it put in me and I have always weighed in around 125 lbs then I put on 15 to 20 lbs. I didn't realize this was the reason I gained. Not only did I gain excessive weight, but I also developed an eating disorder with all the weight I gained. I could not keep the weight off me and now I battle bulimia. Which is a horrible disease that has about destroyed my life. Although bulimia has been a battle for me I have started to over come it and I am doing 10x better than I was 2 yrs ago. As far as the Mirena goes I have dizzy spells everyday. It's not a couple of dizzy spells a day it's several. My hair comes out in hand fulls. My completion is not as pretty as it once was. I now have a little acne when acne was never any problems for me. I am tired and moody. I cry easy and I get depressed and down on myself. I do not have a period anymore but I will spot a little blood. It does seem like I have more discharge now as well. I get very bloated and my body aches. I hope I will start feeling better and getting my life back to where I want it. I want to feel good again. When I had Mirena put in me it was painful. I hope it is not as painful to have it removed as it was having it put in. I hope everyone who reads this feels better or starts to feel better. I am glad I found this site and that I can relate to several. I wish the best for everyone, because we all deserve to be at the top of our game unfortunately Mirena has brought several of us down. I pray for all of you.

Ok well I got the mirena almost three months ago.. i am so bloated that i I look 6 months pregnant.i. the weird thing is ,,i cant even suck it in.. i feel like i just ate like it was thanksgiving.. im eating healthy.. and it dosent matter.. and also.. i get so mad I want to rip out random peoples neck with my mouth.. i have this uncontrollable anger that is insane. Ill be getting this thing out soon.. oh yeah.. and the spotting they talk about? I have been bleeding for the whole time going on 3 months now.. non stop!!! Its like a never ending period.. and i was going to try and wait it out to see if the symptoms would go away.. but they are not.. I don't need the mirena.. I am 40 pounds overweight, and i have turned into satans spawn.. I couldn't pay anyone to sleep with me..

I had Mirena put in last June '08. It is now June '09 and I had it removed yesterday. I had my child May '08 and was 10lbs away from my pre-birth weight when I had the Mirena put in. Now I am 10lbs heavier than I was in my ninth month of pregnancy! Its like I am pregnant all over again. My belly is always distended, feet and hands swollen. It is the worst 10 days surrounding when my period occurs- I can't fit in my clothes. Libido is zero and I have been foggy and unable to concentrate for the past year. The fatigue is considerable. I thought it was just being a new mom- since my Dr. told me this BC has no effects, but based on my previous experiences with the Pill- I think that anything with hormones is just a bad idea for me. After the mirena was removed yesterday, I have not stopping urinating! Belly has already gone down a little bit. I hope this does not screw me up too much!

I am a 43 year old with two children (18 & 21 years), happily married for the past 23 years. I had a Mirena inserted in April 2007 following a year or so of extreme pain, irregular bleeding etc etc. Polops discovered as a result of testing etc which I was told could be the cause of my problems. Gyno suggested Mirena as a new treatment plus removal of polops, decided to give it a go,
Now in June 2009, I still have spotting (sometimes bleeding) 2 - 3 weeks of every month, incredible tiredness, aching, headaches, sore joints, bouts of depression (we call it sadness) for no reason, reduced sex drive (sometimes zero), difficulty concentrating, some memory loss (may be aging), spots have appeared on my face, bloating, increased fluid retention and my breasts have gone up 2 sizes (along with my clothes).
Before Mirena I had lost 80lbs and attending gym everyday (running up to 11klms per day), in the past 2 years I have gradually gained 30lbs with no diet change (although lately I have given up and eat too much) and I only go to gym when I am feeling guilty.

I have had many appointments with my doctor with countless blood tests all apparently normal. I think my doctor thinks I am nuts (hypochondriac). No longer know what to do!!
My husband has made an appointment to see about having a vasectomy (we don't want any more children) so I can have the Mirena removed.
Would love to know which countries other women are from? I am in Australia.

PS forgot to mention I often feel sick and describe my condition as "never actually feeling 100% on any given day".

I am 17 years old and have been on NuvaRing for about 5 months. My doctor put me on birth control because i have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and would not be able to get my periods on my own. I've noticed that ive been much more tired and can sleep longer but that isn't what bothers me. PCOS made me have severe cystic acne but after being on the NuvaRing for a few months my skin is completely clear. Also, I find it convenient not to have to take a pill every day. The side effect that really bothers me is the weight gain. I have gained 10 pounds over the past 5 months and being 5'2 I really can't handle it. None of my clothes fit, my face looks fatter, and I am completely insecure. My boobs went up a cup size which is always a plus, but I really can't deal with the weight gain. I've been on birth control before and it made me gain 10 pounds also, and I was wondering if anyone has seen the weight gain disappear after using the NuvaRing for longer periods of time. If not, I plan on switching to a low-dose birth control this week but if the side effects of weight gain start to go away I would like to stay on the NuvaRing.

I have been on Synthroid .2 for 31 years. Recently I had to add 3 half doses to what I already take. About 10 years ago I experienced rapid weight gain, 40 pounds, in two months. The doctor's reply, "I highly doubt that!" I literally got up one day and could not fit into my clothes. I don't know why doctors discount the drug for this symptom and for anxiety. It seems to me the adrenal gland would be affected by these hormones in some way which could cause stress symptoms. I called the manufacturer and they said they have no knowledge of Synthroid causing weight gain. Perhaps we should all contact the company and REPORT our side effects.

I am male and 46 y.o. I've been on this for 6 weeks and I have gained 6 pounds. I've been eating the same things and going to the gym like I always do. I have also noticed that I can't do the same workout intensity as before. I wear a heart rate monitor and so I can tell that it takes less effort now to get my heart rate to a higher level than before. In short, I can only do about 80-90 percent of my previous intensity. My clothes don't feel tighter but I think it must be fluid gains even though I am on Hydrochlorothiazide as well. I'm concerned I'm going to keep gaining weight. I already have weight issues to begin with and had been keeping my weight steady for 2 years after losing 35 lbs. Has anyone here found an alternative to Lisinopril that treats their bp without the weight gain issues?

The nuvaring should be re- named to the devil ring. I went on it for two days about a year ago. I went for a jog (like i have been doing every day for years) and felt this horrible cramp in my pelvic area. I had to sit on the curb and almost flagged somebody down to take me to the ER because I could not get up. Finally, I made it home, took out the ring, and about a half hour later I was fine. People thought I was crazy when I attributed it to the ring so I decided to go on it again last week. I immediately felt very much not like myself. I was on vacation with my family and was so extremely moody and irritable I was just un-bearable to be around. I had it in for 7 days before I decided to remove the ring. Once removed, about a half hour later I was much more pleasant and less irritable. It has been 6 days since I removed the ring and I have gotten my period. I experienced terrible terrible cramps yesterday to the point that while shopping I was huddled over in the aisle because I kept getting this shooting pain from my back to my lower abdomen. I have also been having very bad night sweats (I wake up in the middle of the night and have to shower because my clothes are completely drenched). Now, today I have a very bad migraine, I am experiencing the chills and sweats with no fever. I have made an appt w my GYN for Monday but its Friday...that means I have to go through two more days of this. Has anyone experienced similar symptoms even when the ring has been removed?

They think that I have either crohns or ulcerative colitis. I have tried antibiotics, lialda, mesalamine enemas, with no improvement. After another colonoscopy they put me on prednisone at 40mgs, 30, 20, 10, then 5 decreasing weekly. Well the first week was okay. I had some of the side affects, insomnia, extreme hunger, and crazy. I could deal with that. But then when I decreased down to 30mg, my body flipped. I awoke from the middle of the night with burning pain in the knees. So bad I took 4 ibuprofen and threw myself in the tub with epsom salt. I thought okay that was weird because I have never had a joint pain in my life. I saw the gastroenterologist that day bc I was still having abdominal pain. He totally blew off the knee pain and said he had no idea what that was. I thought okay maybe it will go away. A few days went by and nothing. 3 days later and I awoke one morning crying in pain because of my legs. I called the on call doctor who also said he had no idea and go to the er. So I went crying hysterically for 4 hours. Even after 3 rounds of dilaudid I was still in pain. They suggested a Rheumatologist. So I went to one a week later who said I was going through steroid withdrawals. And there is nothing we can do but treat the symptoms of pain. I am now down to 10mgs have been out of work for 2 weeks and am absolutely miserable with severe leg pain, muscle weakness and fatigue. He also adjusted the drop down increments to 5 instead of 10. Anyway I will never take this drug again and I think they rushed to this one. Just wanted to share. I am glad I found this website because I went from a fully functioning physically fit 28 year old to a crippled crying crazy person. I think I was scaring my husband, honestly, until we both read some of your postings which were similar.