Daily basis symptoms and conditions

I was on Yasmin on and off for the past year without major issues (maybe because I used it for a month, then drop off, then another couple of months and another break) and this year I started taking it nonstop since mid July.

So almost 3 months later now, I'm beginning to bloat and feel tubby all of a sudden (which is ludicrous because I just started eating healthy and doing exercise 2 weeks ago, so it's not me pigging out and blaming it on the pill!!). My tummy is also swollen and distended on a daily basis now, and I have a latent feeling of indigestion every bloody time I eat, it's very uncomfortable.

Yasmin definitely upsets my stomach, and I can tell the difference because on the last week of the cycle, when one's off the pill for seven wonderful days just before the period, I have no issues whatsoever.

On this last cycle I've also been feeling really emotional and snappy, and this only used to happen when I was actually PMSing not randomly like now.

I seriously believed in all the benefits Yasmin promises, but I'm beginning to realize the weight gain (and I really hope it's just water retention) is about the same as with all the other hormones in the market.

My periods were definitely lighter and I got rid of the spots, but... at this price? I guess that as a woman, you can't win can you?

I also have a question. I've taken about 5 pills so far this cycle and I just want to stop, I can't go on like this any longer. What happens if you just stop taking it for good when you haven't finished the treatment?

Thanks for reading.

I was prescribed Loestrin FE 1/20 TAB for clotting and having menstruation more often than I should (once every two weeks or so). My first experience resulted in leg pain, after six days. This ended with a Doppler scan to check for blood clots. Well, that was cleared so back on to Loestrin I went. When I picked up my prescription I asked the pharmacist (yes I had already asked my doctor) during consultation about interactions with the other medications I take on a daily basis. Prednisone 10mg tablet and Armour Thyroid 240mg. I was told, not to worry, no issues. Eleven days after starting Loestrin again, I called my doctor because of nausea, vomiting, fatigue, indigestion (like I've never had before) and feeling "foggy." I was told these were "not typical complaints" that they heard. I then checked for interactions on line and found that both the prednisone and Armour Thyroid have interactions. With Prednisone it's side effects can be made more severe than they would be without the Loestrin (never had a side effect in the eight months I was on it, until the Loestrin). I experienced With the Armour Thyroid Loestrin binds to it, preventing the absorption of the thyroid medication. This explains all of the symptoms I was having. Please, beware that you must check on interactions yourself, do not rely on your pharmacist or physician to be aware of these.

I'm 18 years old and live in Florida, while at the gynecologist for a routine visit my doctor strongly suggested that I start the Gardasil 3 shot cycle. After checking with my mom (who was unfortunately given biased information from my doctor without first doing research on the product) agreed since we both figured that my doctor would be knowledgeable enough on the subject (or you would think since she was the one administering the drug.) The first two shots went fine and I had no reaction at all. After the third shot (in October of 2007) I woke up the next morning with swollen hands and extreme swelling at the injection spot. I immediately returned to my gynecologist where I was told “there is no possible way you can be allergic to this medication” by my doctor, and that those reactions would go away in a few days. A few days following this I developed sores in the back of my throat and under my tongue, however my gynecologist still insisted there was no possible way it was an effect of the Gardasil (EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE VERY NEXT DAY) & I had no previous illnesses. Within the week following I developed body-wide hives so severe that I cannot sleep and they affect my breathing. I’ve seen several doctors (allergist, dermatologist, primary physicians, and immunologists) none of which can determine why exactly I have these hives, besides that it is a “drug reaction” (it took 11 vials of blood to determine that). However when one of my dermatologists questioned Merck about it they simply said that there is no evidence and I cannot sew!!! That’s all they cared about! A law suit! WHAT EVER YOU DO, DO NOT GET THIS SHOT, TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW! It has ruined my life. As an 18 year old girl living in Florida I love to go to the beach however because of these hives they get so severe when I’m exposed to sunlight I can no longer go. It’s also extremely embarrassing when people stare at them since they cover most of my body on a daily basis.

Thank God for this Site!!!

Just wanted to add a recent post. I have all the same symptoms... fatigue, emotional roller coaster, dizziness, headaches, as well as feeling incredibly insecure. I want NOTHING to do with sex. TMI warning... My boyfriend and I used to have sex AT LEAST on a daily basis, now I cant stand to think about it. I am 25 and have played sports all my life. I even coach for a high school team. This BC is aweful. On top of not having enough energy to do ANYTHING, when I pushed myself to workout, there were absolutely NO results. This is a debilitating drug that has been branded with an incredible amount of false advertising. It seems the pro's that the company braggs about the most, couldn't be further from the truth.
So once again, if you don not want:
Dizziness
Eye sensitivity and pain
Extreme mood swings ( from throwing things to crying over commercials)
Severe cramping (even when not on your period)
Insecurity
Weight gain and inability to loose weight
Food craving
Migraines
Oily hair
acne
Fatigue
DO NOT TAKE YAZ!!!!!

I was prescribed Celexa for stress/anxiety. I have 3 kids, a husband, and a job as you can imagine life for me is hectic. Before being prescribed Celexa I was not sleeping, having panic attacks, crying on a daily basis, and suffered from mood swings. Since being on the medication, I finally slept for 7 hrs. straight., I haven't not cried, or felt worried. I am no longer irritable and I feel that Celexa was a good choice so far, for me. I must say I do feel a lot more sluggish/drowsy than usual, but I assume that will go away over time, however it is one of the side effects. I believe you have to research any medication that you are prescribed and speak to your physician to choose your best option.

Wow, this is so scary! My boyfriend, incredibly strong and physically fit was put on the antibiotic for a UTI and has used the antibiotic maybe 5 or 6 times over the past couple years. He noticed severe pain in his feet and went to his family doctor as well as an Orthopedic doctor, neither came to the conclusion that this drug was his problem. We just found all of this information that has answered so many questions as his tendons have been torn in both feet for quite a while now with no explanation. Does anyone know....IS THERE PERMANENT???? He is also having soreness in his biceps as well as in his shoulder area? He just stopped taking the drug and any information would be great! I believe that everyone should get together and sue these drug companies...this shocks me!

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...

Adderall has been an excellent drug for the treatment of ADD. It took me from a lethargic, disorganized adult, to a more productive one who finally could finish her work and leave her desk organized at the end of the day. Unfortunately...
...there are many side effects to this drug which has, reluctantly forced me to quit taking it. The weight loss was a welcome side-effect as was getting rid of the lethargy I have experienced on a daily basis since the age of 11 (anti-depressants did nothing). However, my infrequent migraines became daily and excruciating after starting Adderall and its generics. My insurance could not keep up with the coverage of the migraine meds I needed. I began experiencing ear problems (primarily in my left ear) that felt like I constantly had the pressure associated with a cold. After visiting my doctor (who told me nothing was wrong), an ENT doctor, getting a hearing test, and an MRI of my ear canals and Eustachian tubes, I finally found out it was due to the Adderall. The worst side effects, however, was a gradual increase in dermatitis (dry, itchy, scaly, skin). My complexion looked sallow and my back and neck broke out in horrible cyst-like acne (not typical AT ALL for me). My eyes became so dry (not to mention the cotton mouth), that I began trying to reverse this effect with pills from a Lasik eye center (helped, but didn't solve the problem). Perhaps the worst side effect, however, has been the hair loss. Long, beautiful blond hair, has been replaced by very thinning hair (comes out tons at a time in my shower), which is now brittle and breaks all the time. I have finally decided to quit this medication despite its benefits. I only took 15mg 2/day. Once my body recovers, I hope to take on an as-needed basis for important work projects or hectic weeks where productivity is necessary. Other than that, I won't take it any more. The side effects are too severe, even for me.

I am 54 and Prempro has been the most wonderful thing that has happened to me. I can sleep through the night, although I do wake up at least once to pee, No more hot flashes, my MOOD is so much better, I am happy. NO more PMS. I still get a period every few months and it lasts for about two weeks but the second week is light. My sex drive is not so good but I have been married for 30 years so I think that's just it. Nothing a studly 40ish manly man couldn't cure. The only BAD thing is weight gain. I could eat a horse on a daily basis. Food is my new sex toy. i have gained 10 pounds in 5 months. I have no will power. So I am doing a 1/2 pill now and that seems to be working. Although now I have an occasional hot flash if I eat chocolate or pasta but other then that I feel great!******

I agree Kenalog has a lot of adverse reactions, being a nurse myself, I suffer from pollen, ragweed, mold, dust mites I can go on and on, and have swollen eyes and wheeze/sob almost on a daily basis from asthma and allergies all yr around, am tired all the time ... I have a heart murmur so I cant take the fast acting inhalers, I also suffer from panic disorder, have 2 benign lung nodules on my left upper lung as of today, still in my 2 yr for the sit back and see if it grows follow up with cat scans every 6 month's, my 19 yr old son passed away from a brain bleed in 06, and am still working in nursing where I want to help out other's, it has changed my thought process to live life to the fullest , try not to dwell on the petty things in life, and yeah every single drug that helps us in one way or another has a side-effect, don't pitty me , just think about this , or at least this is how I get by, I sit and weigh my options, would i rather have sweaty palms, rapid heart rate, tired a lot of the time, mod joint pain, period irr and pit in my butt leg and foot cramps day and night a few, h/a's rather than to, sneeze 24/7, have nasty swollen eyes that burn and hurt to the point I cant see, or not be able to take in one deep breathe and feel like im breathing through a straw, yeah you may not like this post, but to all the people who do not have a whole lot of medical knowledge, I ask you to do your research, don't beg the lawyers to take it off the market, thats what I call petty in my case Kenalog is a godsend!.. have the smarts before you go in, after all they are just Dr's not GOD..we should all re-evaluate what is a priority in our lives, since the death of my son in 06 I have, but please note people , its not the Dr's faults , we need to know what we are taking and have all the info before we take it whether it be the internet, a PDR, they are free to read in the library as well in every doctor office just ask to see one (that might through them into shock making them think your having a part in your health as well), a local pharmacist, because lets face it this world is becoming a fast paced, whirlwind circus and in the end, we all just cant sit back and blame the busy Dr's. I will say one thing though, Kudos to all the Nurses in this world, if it were not for us, now where would the Dr's be :P ..so make the best out of life, we never know whats around the corner, but most of all remember EVERY single drug has a side-effect every one of them, we must realize that we have to take the good with the bad..been there still doing it... take chare of your life, be informed, or get the info, you can do everyone of you! Just food for thought.

I removed my Mirena 10 days ago. I've had it for a little over a year. Within one month of having the IUD inserted I broke out in eczema all over my body. I didn't make the connection until about three weeks ago. I have been to many doctors in the last year, primary care, dermatologists, allergy doctors in order to figure out why I suddenly have eczema. I will report back on my eczema since it has only been 10 days since removal. However I have noticed a huge change in my mood since removal. I would get so angry to the point of rage at my 3 children for the trivial things on a daily basis and now I feel like I am the most patient person. Also, my sex drive has skyrocketed...before I had no interest in sex. Do not use the Mirena it is not worth it.

I thought I was going out of my mind! I had been on NuvaRing for almost 1 year, then quit (b/c of insurance reasons), then went back on it in April. While off it for over 6 months, I noticed my sex drive increased and I lost some weight without even trying. I went back on it because I have severe cramps in the middle of the month, and NuvaRing really helped.

I had no problems (that I can recall) the first year except for slight weight gain, 8-10 pounds. But these last 3 months have been awful! I am short with my husband and kids, and I worry about things non-stop. I am SO tired, but I get in bed and cannot sleep. I lay awake worrying about things like car accidents. I am not normally a worrier. I also have felt very down and cry often. I was starting to think I had an anxiety disorder.

I have no reason to feel depressed, and have not struggled with depression in the past (I am a mental health professional, so work with mental illnesses on a daily basis; enough to know there was something not right with me!). I have also put on 10 pounds in the last 3 months. Partly due to low energy. My hands even get tired when I color with my 3 year old.

I have taken 1-2 Excedrin Migraine a day to ease (not cure) my headache that has lasted for over 30 days.

Just this weekend, it occurred to me maybe it was the NuvaRing. After reading all these posts, I took it out a week early. I would rather live with some cramps instead of all of these side effects!

I am finally writing after reading these posts since the end of April. That is when I took my 11 year old son off singulair, in an act of desperation. He has been on singulair on and off for about five years for seasonal allergies. He started again in mid-March so it could get into his system, before the allergies started. Immediately thereafter his behavior changed. He was arguing on a daily basis. He would hit, kick or trip me when he was angry. He was starting to destroy things in anger. He seemed to be fueled by anger. It was affecting the whole family. He was starting fights with his younger brother, my husband's heart was palpitating and I was crying every day. I heard about Singulair side effects and looked it up. I saw that it caused behavioral changes and out of desperation, took him off, not knowing what to expect. We had three days of total peace, then on the fourth day another outburst. Then my son told me he had taken a singulair the night before. That was it. I threw every pill in the garbage. He no longers acts like that. It's been almost two months so I am convinced it was the Singulair. By the way, he always complained of headaches, stomach aches and would scream in his sleep. Who knew - it was the singulair all along.

Hello To All,

I too am on this med, I have been on it for 1 year as of July 2008-

35 pounds, brain fog, headaches, eye sight for reading, chest pain and fluttering heart beat. My doctor who is my friend has told me that he will up my dose... "Dear God" any more and I will go nuts. Does anyone know of any study done in a medical journal that theu could forward to me so I can show my doctor.

Please email me at ****** I would be so very thankful.

Thanks to all and be healthy.

I've been taking Topamax now for about 6 weeks, and my headaches are still just as bad as ever, except now I have headaches with the thrill of numb fingers, confusion, weight loss, memory loss, an absolute horrid taste in my mouth, and now the latest.... my hands feel dirty all the time. Has anyone experienced this?? I just feel like my hands are dirty. I wash them, and a half hour later, it almost feels like there's a film on them, and I have to wash them again. Almost ocd-ish. So 6 weeks in.... Anyone have any advise on how much longer I should give this topamax before I give up on it & try something else? My doc said it should have worked by now if it was gonna - but I have read on here, that it sometimes can take months...? I just don't know if I can take these side effects, AND the headaches for much longer without going NUTS! {grin}
Any advise?

Wow..this makes me feel a lot better reading all of this. I have been off of Yasmin for about a year now but am still feeling the side effects. When I was on it I felt fine at first & was extremely excited about finally being on BC. Then about a month into it I started getting extremely bad heart palpitations and tingly body and arms. My heart would race and I thought I was about to have a heart attack everyday. I consulted my gyn/ob about this and she stated it was "normal side effects of the pill." I told her I was concerned that I had a blood clot or something else extremely severe. She convinced me it was all normal & I would be EXTREMELY ill and in the hospital if that was the case. I told her it was interfering with my life on a daily basis but she didn't seem to believe me. My boyfriend had also noticed I had been acting extremely anxious, moody and depressed and became concerned. It got to the point where he couldn't even touch me when I was at home since I was having STABBING chest pains on a daily basis. I couldn't even move & I would have really bad heartburn all the time. I went to the doctor a couple of times because I thought I was seriously having a heart attack...Stabbing pains- tingly arms and legs, extreme anxiety...my heart was pounding so hard I couldn't breath and then my heart felt as if it would pop in and out when I took a breath. My doctor said it was normal side effects as well so I told myself I was just the crazy one once again. I went to the doctor about a month later when things got worse..this whole time thinking that Yasmin had nothing to do with it and found my blood pressure was 160/90!!! My doc said it should have been about 120/70. I started blood pressure medication but the heart palpitations did not stop so eventually I stopped with Yasmin. Things have gotten better but it has still left me with permanent damage. My anxiety is still a problem and my blood pressure is still sky high...even on meds. I never had any problems before any of this...now I have major problems for life because of this drug. I know they warn you of issues prior but NO medication should do this to ANYONE. I also gained about 20 pounds when I was on the pill and when I got off I lost about 15 pounds in 2 days..I lost equilibrium in my body and felt sick with all of the sudden weight loss....Is anyone considering a Class action lawsuit against this company? & why are the doctors covering up the side effects of this drug? I know they get paid for referring people to certain drugs but this is SCARY...keep me updated.

Had Mirena fitted 7th Feb 2008 and having it taken out on 12th June 2008. My stomach is huge despite eating sensibly and exercising. Also suffer from cramps on a daily basis, craved chocolate and have felt down in the dumps!! Can anyone tell me if having it taken out is as painful as insertion and will I bleed as much as when it was fitted. Am very nervous about the whole procedure.

Many thanks

I had the Mirena fitted not quite two weeks ago. Friday evening, I had a panic attack with depressive tendencies including nasty, nasty thoughts -- along the "my kids would be better without me" lines -- not suicidal, but horrible nonetheless. This is so completely out of line with my normal thinking, it was as if an alien had taken over my brain! Fortunately, a good friend of mine helped me to get re-grounded, and insisted that I speak to a doc about a return to antidepressant meds (I'd been avoiding them, but completely agreed). She called me back perhaps 1/2 hour later with one simple instruction: "Google "IUD Depression." I was shocked to see all of the horror stories of the Mirena. Like many, I'd believed that the hormones were limited to the reproductive tract, so wouldn't affect the rest of my system. Whoops.

Knowing that I'm highly sensitive to hormonal BC (the pill makes me a crazy person), I'm having it out at my 2-week check tomorrow. What good is birth control if it means I'm irritable, cranky, and completely pissed (for no good reason) at my husband?

Back to TCOYF for me -- and I'm now on a mission to learn to love condoms. Oh, and to determine if I really *need* AD meds, or if removing the Mirena will do the trick. Any thoughts?

3 weeks exactly since I had mine removed. Still no weight loss or improvement in acne, but at day 11...I noticed that my joint pain was completely gone and just realized today that I have not had any heartburn in a while. (I had been having severe heartburn on a daily basis for months.) I had a period the 2nd day after having it removed which lasted for about a 5 days and was heavy with clotting. Then I had another period which started last Monday, lasted for five days and was heavy with clotting as well. That 2nd period ended last Friday (May 23) and here it is Tuesday and I've noticed some more spotting as if I'm about to start another one! I started taking vitamins with extra iron to prevent any anemia with the 2nd period...but holy cow! I wasn't expecting a 3rd one within a month!

I'm wondering if this might be a reason that my weight is staying on and the acne, too: Maybe I'm staying in a state of PMS with all these periods. I'm hoping this one won't be as heavy as the last 2...but at least I have an appointment scheduled with a new GYN on June 16th.

I received my first shot of Gardasil in January 2007. It could have started sooner, but about a month later my hairdresser noticed a bald spot in the back of my head. I rushed back to my ObGyn and asked her if the Gardasil could be the cause as nothing else had recently changed. She said that she had not heard of this, but she referred me to a dermatologist. I asked him if my hair loss had anything to do with the Gardasil. He replied that I had Alopecia areata and one thing had nothing to do with the other. He advised that I continue with the Gardasil and that he would start treating me for the alopecia. I wish that I would not have listened. I don't know what would have happened if I had stopped then, but I didn't I proceeded with the treatment to the end now over half of my head is bald!!!
I don't know what to do. I keep going back to the dermatologist for treatments for the alopecia, but it just keeps getting worse.
If anyone has had a similar experience and would like to share or has found some other treatments that work, please post a reply.

Melissa

I think the hardest part - for me - was even to concieve the idea that Zyrtec has all of these side effects.

I've been taking Zyrtec on a daily basis for about 90- 110 days a year due to really bad allergies. We live in the NY area which produce alergans most of the year.

After trying almost every antihistamine, Zyrtec seemed at the time as the best drug since it handled the allergy while eliminating the drowsiness almost completely for me. Being happy that I was able to maintain normal life during allergy periods was almost a new concept for me and I was really grateful for finding this drug.

Unfortunately, being almost blinded by the allergy-fighting success, I neglected the attention to the side effects. I guess I'm falling into the unlucky 2%. I had almost every side effect: Irritation, mood swings, gaining weight, dry mouth - just name it.

Recently, my wife did some research because we got to the point where I would fight with her over anything. I can testify that my tolerance level hit the ground. Anyway, she got my attention for her research results which turned a red flag for me. In addition, this year my body seemed to not respond anymore to the drug and doing my own little research revealed that it is very likely that you need to rotate different drugs every few months.

So I decided to get off Zyrtec and switched to Benadryl Allergy which I take every 4-6 hours. Yes, it does make me drowsy for about 15-20 minutes but it works. What's more interesting is, I've been about 10 days off Zyrtec and I am shocked to realize that I'm slowly getting rid of all the side effects associated with Zyrtec.

That being said, I would like to emphasize that this was my own individual experience and it may not be the same for someone else. But it is pretty disappointing for me that i cannot use this drug anymore on a regular basis.

I have been on yaz for about 5 or 6 months now and it was great at first since coming off low estrine, I was havening serious side effects, but starting yaz it was awesome for the first few months now i have huge waves of nausea, constipation, back ache, some headaches, EXTREME mood swings, and depression*, bloating, my breast are always sore, i have gone up a cup size, my boyfriend cant stand to be around me! i have no drive any more, im just tired and my stomach hurts all the time i still have bad cramps, even though i have no acene any more and i have light periods all these problems are making me feel worried that i am pregnant all the time even though i take bc like i should i still don't trust bc so we still wear condoms, so i no that im not. i thought i had everything wrong with me,i have gone to several doc. but they found nothing i have IBS also so suposably my stomach was hurting from that. i know when my IBS has kicked in and thoughts pains were not it. but all these post i keep reading have really brought light to this pill. everyone i know thinks im going crazy and i know i am. i have never complained so much in my life about how bad i feel and its on a daily basis for me now! im going to stop at the end of this month hopefully ill feel ten times better then i have been. i want my old self back!!! im so glad i took the time to find out about my bc and its side effects and all the post i have read about this horrible pill. it feels great knowing im not the only one!

i have been on Lorazepam for almost 7 months now- I've been weaning off for 3 months. i just want to warn everybody and anybody how physically addicting these pills are. not in the sense where u want to abuse them, but in the sense when it wears off your body goes through wicked withdrawal. It also can cause more anxiety! it causes memory loss, mood swings, depression, ADDICTION, extreme fatigue, headaches, feeling like your in a dream, light headedness... and it goes on from there. Never let a doctor say its ok to take this on a daily basis. this medication should only be taken as needed, for example: only when a panic attack is coming on or happening.
I feel very strongly about this subject because many people, including myself, are misinformed. i have been going through hell being on this medication AND its even worse trying to get off of it.

Check out benzos.org

hot flashes, joint pain especially in neck, right shoulder and legs. It is like having flu-like symptoms on a daily basis.

I have read what everyone has said about the side of effects of Singulair. I really thought it was safe as for I researched the side effects and the clinical pharmacology. I also really trust our pulmonologist. My daughter started taking singulair at the age of 3 due to asthma induced pneumonia. She will soon be 4. She also has had terrible nightmares, which I dismissed as night terrors. She also complains at times it hurts to walk and her legs are tired. I thought she was over reacting and just wanted me to carry her....maybe not! I have decided to take her off the medicine today. I don't want to take the chance of her having any type of emotional side effects. It is not worth it for "mild" asthma which hasn't been confirmed, just assumed due to her age.