Dots symptoms and conditions

I am a Registered Nurse and feel foolish that I wasn't able to connect the dots sooner. Yasmin's effects for me were insidious thereby slipping under the radar as the culprit responsible for all of the side effects I was experiencing. On Yasmin for 3 years:

- feelings of shortness of breath
- heart palpitations
- horrible anxiety and feelings of panic (not good when you're a nurse in the
ICU)
- insomnia (never had trouble sleeping before)
- varicose veins on my stomach??!!
- strange weight gain around my abdomen I could not lose despite my best
efforts
- ear popping and a feeling of fullness in my head
- constant runny nose requiring new prescriptions for nasal sprays and
allergy pills that did not work
- new abdominal bloating (ultrasound was negative)
- UTI (never had one of those before)
- strange colored periods
- agoraphobia (previously outgoing)
- depressed--lost interest in things I previously enjoyed, moody & angry,
- horrible fatigue (unable to jog anymore without becoming drained for days
- sharp debilitating headaches (CT negative)
- breast pain
- cellulite I've never had before
- and last but not least, compromised circulation to my right arm causing it
to go numb and change in color (Doppler showed partial arterial
obstruction that has since improved since quitting Yasmin)

Quit Yasmin 2 1/2 months ago and everything is resolving itself slowly. A big price to pay for good skin.

I just had the Mirena removed after 2 years with it (finally connected the dots that it was causing all of my health problems). I've had it out for 6 days now, and I feel so sick. Every night, around 5 p.m., it feels like really bad morning sickness or flu (do hormones fluctuate naturally around that time?). I'm a working single mom (recently divorced...scared THAT might not have happened if I weren't so emotionally damaged by the Mirena), and I can't just take it easy and ride it out. When does the nausea stop? I've read that it's taken some people a YEAR to get over the side effects after having Mirena removed. I don't want to feel like this for a year...what can I do besides the nutritional supplements, etc? I need to function! Please help if you have any advice (or at least let me know if you felt this nausea and when it went away.) I appreciate it!

I have been on this med for about 2 years. Until about 2 months ago, I had zero problems and it was great! About 2 months ago I started having SERIOUS issues. I had never had a palpitation or chest pain in my life and then I started having heart palpitations, chest pains, shortness of breath - sometimes it feels like I'm not going to be able to take the next breath. I was in the ER - they said it was my thyroid and gave me synthroid - that made everything worse so they gave me a beta blocker to cover up those symptoms. I quit taking ALL medication! I am not a pill taker and it doesn't make any sense to take a med and try to cover up those side effects/symptoms with the next med and so on. I can't find a good Dr. who will actually listen. I have been on the heart monitor and it found I was having PVC's all the time. I was then referred to a cardiologist - after a one thousand dollar visit with only an EKG he said my heart is fine - go home. I told every Dr. about Yaz - none of them could connect the dots! I thought I connected them....only by chance. I forgot to take my pill for a couple of days in the middle of all of this and stopped when I finally remembered to take one a couple of days later. I thought to myself.....hey - I've felt a little bit better the last couple of days. I was near the end of the pack so I QUIT taking them!! Best decision I ever made! Within 2 weeks my symptoms had pretty much disappeared! I thought I had it solved. I am 43 years old and in really good health. A few days ago my palpitations are back - but they are different this time. Before I had a "normal" heart rate but it felt like my heart was going to thump out of my chest. Now I have that PLUS a racing pulse! Chest pains are a part of daily life. Mornings and nights are the worst but I think it's going on all day - if I'm moving around I just don't notice it as much. These symptoms reappear a few days before I'm supposed to have my first period after quitting Yaz. I'm wondering if it's hormonal or menopause or if this stuff will just stick around for a while. I'm scared! I've read about people dieing and it's traced back to Yaz! I have a 6 year old precious daughter that I kiss good night and pray like heck that I get the next day with her! It's just not fair - I really wish I could find some answers. Anybody out there got any? Thanks.

I have been on NuvaRing for 2 years. At first I thought it was wonderful. But now two years later I am connecting all my health problems back to when i started taking this BC. For two years I have had horrible nausea and digestive problems and weight gain.I also have had horrible mood swings and emotional instability. And worstly I have had horrible sinus problems. In fact I had sinus surgery which did not help. I also got a therapist and started considering seeing a doctor about the digestive problems. But after some research and connected the dots on the time frame of all these sudden health problems.... I am pretty sure it is the BC. I stopped taking it yesterday. I hope I go back to my healthy self from2 yrs ago. Please do not ignore side effects of drugs.

I can't believe that after months of searching for an answer to my daughter's health problems I may have found it! My daughter was a healthy, active happy child until recently. She is 17 and started experiencing joint, bone and muscle pain and swelling, unexplained rashes, migraines, tingling in her hands and feet and was diagnosed with neurocardiogenic synchrony (heart rate and bp out of synch) shortly after her first shot (she was 14).

We have been to a rheumatologist for the joint pains, they did blood work and there is a marker for some sort of auto immune disorder, but nothing specific.

I never connected the dots to the shots. In January of this year she started having severe diarrhea, stomach and intestinal pains. She has no energy, the most basic activities wear her out. We ended up at a gastroenterologist looking for a diagnosis (they thought it was Crohn's or lupus). All the tests have come back negative, they said she had gastritis and blew us off. She is on medicine for the intestinal pain, a prescription for an antacid for gastritis and an anti-inflammatory for the joint and bone pain.

She was a straight "A" student up to January and has had to finish her junior year at home. It has been a very stressful experience for all of us.

My 14 year old daughter received her first Guardasil shot in May 2008 second in September and was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in November 2008. The diagnosis was questioned at my daughters Oncologist in conjunction with the shot. I never heard anything else after that. Luckily she is in remission after Chemo and many treatments

I started taking Femcon FE three weeks ago and I am refusing to finish the pack! Since I have taken it I have been experience nausea ( I throw up ever time I eat), moodiness, and weight gain (I eat healthy and work out 6 days a week) and slight depression. I have also noticed a pattern of binge eating and it’s become constant since I have taken this pill. YIKES! I didn't know what was wrong with me until I got on this website and read all these posts! I just want things to go back to normal! Has anyone experienced my specific symptoms?

Has anyone experienced vision problems ? Seeing red and green dots ?

I'm 14 and I had all 3 of my shots. The first one was fine, but the rest left my arm sore for about 4-5 days. But i'm completely done with them. About 3 months I got all 3 of them I have pebble size white dots on my right arm. They are all in different spots of the places of the injection site. They don't hurt but they are bright white spots.

Anyone have room for my wife. I have had enough. She is sometimes pleasant but most of the time a real bitch. She has not connected the dots between the Femcon and her horrible mood swings. Sex was scarce enough but now I have almost forgotten why I liked it so much. PLEASE HELP! If she stopped today how long until I get her back?
(fyi: I am signed in under my wife's account. She will be so proud of me. I hope I survive! Pray for me please.)

Back in July I was experiencing rapid heart beats and shortness of breath. I'm a 43 white female with a high stress job. I went to the doctor expecting him to prescribe a sedative. He hooked me up to an EKG which showed I had a left bundle branch block. He then ordered blood work, chest x-rays, an ultra sound, and a nuclear stress test. All test came back fine, but my stress test showed a heart attack, which apparently is common with the left bundle block. I then wore a 24 hour Holter moniter which indicated tachycardia. That's when the doctor prescribed 50 mg Metoprolol. My BP and heart rate are now almost normal and the shortness of breath has gone away. I still experience a mild heaviness in my chest, but that is only when I allow my self to be stressed. I have gained over 5 pounds in less than 2 months and my dreams are more vivid than usual. One side effect that was listed on my drug info sheet that I haven't read about on this site described a cough, which I have had for over a month. I mentioned the cough to my doctor and he said it was prob post nasal drip so he prescribed 180 mg Fexofenadine and told me to cut the Metoprolol in half so I would be taking 25 mg. The Fexofenadine has helped with sneezing that I have always experienced, but the cough is still there. The cough is not always severe, but it has interrupted my sleep twice and my job once. The last bad coughing episode lasted 90 mins during the night. Has anyone else experienced the coughing side effect of Metoprolol?

I had the mirena inserted on feb of this year. I the kind of person who always thinks positive, well that didn't help with the IUD. I was so excited about not having to worry about the daily pill and so on, 3 mo after the insertion I noticed that my hair was falling in great amounts, I know that hair is supposed to fall daily but this is ridiculous, all I have to do is run my hands through it and bulks fall out. I also have acne problems, something I never experienced before not even as a teen, I always bragged about my complexion, now it's a nightmare, also pain in both of my legs (that's kind of going away) but the worse thing I've discovered are some white dots on my upper back and other areas of my torso, the dots resemble freckles but they are white. I went to see my OB and she thinks that the side effects could be caused by the Mirena, for the dots on my back she sent me to a dermatologist because she is not sure it comes from the Mirena. Bottom line I'm freaking out and I am wondering if this was a terrible mistake and should've stayed with the pill. If anyone is experiencing similar symptoms please post it.

My son was born March 2007, when he was 8wks old, to much of my surprise I found out that I was pregnant again. Mirena sounded perfect!!!! I had it placed 7 weeks after my 2nd son was born in Jan 2008. I had what I still assume is normal with any type of birth control method, irregular bleeding,cramping,some slight mood swings. That all seems normal to me when you mess with you body like that. Aug 1, 2008 I woke up at4am with awful abdominal pain sooo bad that I turned to my husband and said that I think I have to go to the hospital. I decided that if I could fall back asleep then its probably nothing major. I fell back asleep (or passed out, I don't know) The next morning I was hurting so bad I couldn't lift anything, couldn't stand up straight, felt weak and felt as though I had rocks in my stomach but had an empty feeling at the same time. The pain was all over my abdomen, stabbing, shooting,pinching. I also had pain aroung my belly button and a noticeable discomfort about my pevic bone. Finally I called my husband to come home, went to the hospital, they took blood, cultures, did an exam and did a ctscan. All normal! WHAT!! Aug 11th still having pain and now having MAJOR HOT FLASHES. I find myself getting so hot and irritated that I cant be around the babies because I am afraid I will yell at them. If I get in a little disagreement with my husband it will most likely end with me saying I want a divorce (I noticed another lady with that same problem) Today I had a ultra sound done and it came back what my (new) doctor says is normal. The problem with that is that one of my ovaries is split and is NOW shaped like a horse-shoe. I was pregnant for almost 2yrs straight and had lots of ultrasounds NOT ONE TIME did anyone say anything about a odd ovary. I'm just going to make a educated guess that it wasn't deformed till after the Mirena. Now I am wanting to remove it but feel like I should get every test known to man first to rule out any other possibility. I really don't want to remove it. I am afraid of getting it removed and even more of getting pregnant when I already have two 10 months apart and still in diapers.
My biggest question is wanting to know if hot flashes are related or if I might be having something else going on. Am I the only one with he hot flashes? I have them all day long!!!!!!!!
Also I noticed after reading other post that some other things may be related like, piercing headaches, itchy flaky oily scalp, weight gain, ear drainage, lower back pain, oily skin, increased smoking, in-grown hairs in inner thigh area, joint pain, fatigue, decrease sex drive.

I had my Mirena in for almost 4 years. Never did I connect the dots that my Mirena was causing all my problems. The 1st year not so much but I would bleed A LOT. I would for a month long have a week off then 2 weeks on and so on. It was so annoying. Finally they became normal. I've always been regular. I never stopped having a period. But I got mine taken out about 4 weeks ago and I feel great!!! I have energy again. My vision isn't fuzzy anymore. No more moodiness or bloating. I had so much wrong with me I thought I was going crazy but I'm finally back to being me. So I would advise you if you are having any problems please get it out!!! I can't believe this item is on the market!

I was prescribed Levaquin by my Dr. for a sinus infection. There were 10 pills and I was to take one a day. No one mentioned any of the side effects or drug interactions except to not take antacids within 2 hours of taking the meds. During the coarse of me taking the medication I began having substernal chest pains which I thought was just horrible heart burn, but it got so bad that I woke up screaming multiple nights from the pain. I also started having pain in my ankles, legs and especially my knees. The pain in my knees gets so bad that I think my knee caps are going to shatter when I walk especially when going down the stairs. I didn't know any of the drug interactions and my father in law who is a physical therapist has always advised me to take ibuprofen for muscle and joint pain so that's what I did, but little did I know that was only increasing the effects on my central nervous system. I am also experiencing bouts of nausea, confusion, light headedness, difficulty sleeping, anxiety and I actually thought I was having a mental breakdown.. I was freaking out on my husband and very depressed even having suicidal thoughts. It wasn't until my mother randomly mentioned that she had heard about the FDA issuing the Black Box warning that I connected the dots and had already finished the meds. I called my doctor's office right away and was told that the symptoms I am having are not side effects of the medicine. Maybe the Dr. doesn't listen to the news either.

I never knew I was allergic to PABA till I was 35 years of age. I can remember when I was a child and played outside, my mother would call me in to put sun tan lotion on me. When she did that and I went back outside I would get these red, very itchy dots all over my arms, it almost looked the start of poison ivy. She would yell at me because she said I had sun poising because I waited too long to put lotion on. I did want to put the lotion on because I would break out. I have so many little white scares on my arms from all those years. I went to see my sister in Florida and she told me to put sun tan lotion on before we went to the beach. I told her, I am better off not where any lotion because I break out in to a rash, that almost looks like chickenpoxs and it scares just as bad. She asked me if I was using sun tan lotion with PABA and I said yes, because it was suppose to protect you better. Well she took me to the drug store and we bought PABA free lotion and I have never had a problem since. Why am I allergic to PABA?

My daughter has been on Yasmin for a year and a half - it was prescribed for irregular periods and spotty skin. She is 15 and has had a year of nausea, leg cramps, hair loss, headaches, elevated heart rate,fatigue , irritation,angry outbursts ,dehydration severe moodiness and depression and lately- uncontrolled crying for no reason. She also sees black dots after exercising. She has gone from a happy girl who loved exercise to a grumpy couch potato! The doctor diagnosed it as a viral infection and suspected glandular fever - she missed a lot of school!
Today she had a day from hell - fought with a teacher and cried for hours. She also takes Ritalin as she is ADD- so I thought it was that - I decided to look up Yasmin and am so glad I did! What a great website! She has just taken a multivitamin and mag.phos - NO MORE YASMIN!!! Any advice on what she can use for her skin? and irregular periods?
A million thanks
Caron

My jaw dropped after reading all of these posts. I started on Yasmin 3 weeks ago. I've never really been on BC's before, so I thought that my headaches, numbness and fatigue were just because of school. I finally connected the dots and looked on the internet to see if it was the Yasmin or if i was just crazy. I am so thankful to have found this website. I wish it was in the paper or advertised. Doctors should not even be able to prescribe this drug.

My 17 year old daughter started Singulair last July for Asthma. She is brilliant and scored in the 99% on the ACT college entrance exam. She won 3 scholarships totaling over 60,000 and earned 27 college AP credits while still in high school, volunteering for the Red Cross, singing in choirs, and playing the lead in her high school musical and 3 plays. She was funny, sweet, and had many friends.
She left for college 3 weeks after starting the medication and saying she was breathing better. Her grades were terrible, even though I was able to check to see she went to class every session, as posted online. She became very depressed, withdrawn, staying in her dorm room. She was sleeping up to 20 hours straight without waking up. She didn't call her friends when she came home and only wanted to sleep. She was like a different person. She was so aggressive that she tried to run out in the middle of the night and attacked me when I tried to block her way, to the point I had to call the police. They diagnosed her with new onset major depression and ADD. They started her on Zoloft for 2 months and she got much worse and was removed from Zoloft as a result. She said she was too tired to stay awake even in class. We had a sleep study done for Narcolepsy and it was negative. Until reading these posts, I didn't connect the Singular. Everything I am reading is so familiar, it makes me feel ill. I can't believe I didn't know, I am a nurse. The guilt is horrible. I hope to get my daughter back, but she lost all her scholarships and only managed to pass 16 hours in one entire year of college. I can't afford to send her back without the money she lost. They even put her on a one time only probationary period to ever get Federal or State Financial aids and loans again. Singular had to be to blame. I am simply thankful my daughter is still here, she was very suicidal. My heart breaks for those of you that lost your children to the side effects of the drug. We have to get the word out by each filing a complaint to the FDA, and filling out adverse event forms.
Please don't let Merck get away with this. We need to act, even if your child was one of the lucky ones and is back to normal now.

Recently, I had an experience very similar to pocoloco's experience with Lactaid. The main difference is that pocoloco experience seems to have wained within hours, mine were much more severe and lasted for days.

On a Monday, I took some Lactaid before eating a salad, that had perhaps 2 tablespoons of Ranch dressing. The next morning I awoke with very painful stomach pains. Like pocoloco, I feel I have a high threshold for pain, but throughout the day, I was unable to concentrate on my work because the pain was so severe. I went to my doctor the following day as I had not made a connection between my pains and Lactaid. The doctor had bloodwork done and a sonogram performed. She thought that my pain may have been the result od some gallbladder trouble or a viral infection. She prescribed a strong antibiotic, pain medicine and ulcer medicine to attack it from multiple angles as I am a healthy 32 yr old.

Over the next several days, I was feeling better, but still in discomfort. On that Friday, I took a Lactaid pill with a bowl of cereal for dinner around 7-8 pm. By 11 pm I was vomiting violently and had extreme abdominal pain. Again, because I had feeling better, I thought that perhaps I had a bad reaction to the combination of antibiotics and pain medicine. I vomited over a period of 4 hours, and like pocoloco, was expelling yellow/green liquid (bile?) near the end of the experience (3-4 am).

Between Saturday and Tuesday, I was still in discomfort, but was 90% better by Tuesday. I decided on Mexican food for dinner. I took a Lactaid pill and had some Queso with chips for an appetizer. By 11 pm, I was vomiting more violently than the first time and had a strong bitter taste associated. I finished vomiting around 5 am this time and the following day was still nauseated and in very strong discomfort from stomach pains. This was all it took to finally connect the dots and realize that the effects were the result of Lactaid, not a viral infection or stomach flu.

I would say my experience was very similar to pocoloco's, except that my stomach pains lasted over several days and my vomiting was over 4-5 hours as opposed to his 1-2 hour experiences.

I was put on Prednisonsone for Uveitis, inflammation of the eye. He started me on 20mg at 9 pills a day, then each week it was lowered to 6 pills then now i'm on 3 pills and then next week it will be 1 1/2 pill and i'll be off. I got the puffy face, my feet swelled, everytime i hate my stomach bloated and hurt, my face and neck turns red, i stayed hungry although i fought the temptation of eating for not wanting to gain a lot of weight, which I don't think I've gained any. But now I wake up in the middle of the night and severe knee pain, it feels like my knees they are in some kind of device that is crushing my bones they hurt so bad. i caught a bad cough and it's been around now for about 2 weeks and won't go away, i told the nurse about it and she says, i probably just got what everyone else has gotten, just a bad cough, well what's if it's some kind of infection? I look like a chipmunk, my face is so puffy. When i get off these prednisone in another week I WON'T BE going back on them, no matter what the case. I'm in more pain being on them and have more side effects while on them than the problem i was having with uveitis. I think some co workers thank I'm over reacting, but they're not here they don't see all the pain and frustration i'm going through while on this drug. The leg pain just started this weekend and i Know i can't deal with waking up everynight like this in severe pain. Everyone just makes me feel like i'm over reactin and it's nice to know that somebody out there is going through the same thing. Any comments will be great.

I was on Lamictal for 4 years and after the first year I suddenly started having all kinds of teeth and gum problems for no discernible reason. But since Lamictal has the possible side effect of "sores or blisters on the inside of the mouth" I wondered if it could be related.

I did a Google search and am coming up with no experts yet, but lots and lots of posts connecting anticonvulsant meds, particularly Lamictal, Topamax, Neurontin, and Depakote, with dental problems. Dilantin is well known for causing gum disease and breaking down tooth enamel, loosening of teeth, and even breaking down of jawbone tissue.

I don't think the experts have connected the dots yet, but is anyone else having this problem?

I have been on Topamax for 4 months and so far the migraines I have suffered for 40 years are gone. Great Some side effects like can't stand carbonated drinks. Reaction time is a little slower. I stress out a little more then I used to. I get really tired at the end of the day. I used to be a night owl but now love my sleep. Question to you all. Any one had problems with their teeth? Such as pain, fillings falling out? Let me know.

Posting my experience again.

You are not alone and your children are NOT hypochondriacs (something tells me small children don't even know what that means).

My 5 year old son was diagnosed with mild asthma and put on Singulair. Within a few months he began having uncontrollable fits of rage, displayed self-loathing behavior, had night terrors, and was inconsolable during these episodes. He became very destructive and was a danger to himself and our family. He even talked about killing himself and would say things like "I don't want to be in this life anymore" and "I want to kill myself". He would threaten my wife and his siblings and told them he wanted to kill them. It was a truly terrifying experience. Our pediatrician was clueless to these side affects and recommended we have our child go through a psychological evaluation. I knew this was not my child's normal behavior so I searched the internet for Singulair side effects and found some message boards where parents just like me were telling their stories of their children's aggressive behavior. I immediately took my son off the drug and within a couple weeks he was back to his normal self. He told us that he no longer has "that feeling inside of him". Five year old children don't even know what suicide is and to see my son talk like this was extremely frightening. He is a sweet, intelligent, loving boy who had never exhibited behavior like this until he went on Singulair. We have not seen this behavior after taking him off the drug. Please use your best judgment and connect the dots for yourselves.

I have been off Linsinopril since for over three weeks. Went off Wellbutrin at the same time - cold turkey. I know - bad idea. But guess what - I didn't have Any adverse reactions to going off these meds. As a matter of fact, I feel Much Better. Lisinopril caused the symptoms of depression. I don't need Wellbutrin when I'm not taking Lisinopril. I had to find this out myself, tho. Doctors don't seem to want to connect the dots. If the drug company didn't tell them this could happen, then who are we to know better?!