Downside symptoms and conditions

I had Mirena inserted in February 2006. It was not a pleasant experience to have it installed, but I have never regretted the choice. The only downside that I have noticed is that before the IUD I had very short regular periods and now I have two 3 day light periods per month.

Male 28. Was diagnosed a couple of months ago with Ulcerative Colitis and was prescribed Prednisone. A large dose to start with then tampered off for 4 weeks. The first week I felt great, better than great, fantastic. The only downside was difficulty sleeping. The following 3 weeks, without any exaggeration have been among the worst I have ever experienced. I think the lack of sleep finally caught up with me, so I was constantly tired and generically felt depressed, also knee ache, eye pain, inability to think clearly (quite a problem when you are an Engineer), lacked energy or strength – and the Acne. Never before have I had Acne like this, and I used to suffer quite bad during my teens. Its just so aggressive, every few hours there seems to be new ones appearing. It seems to occur when ever I step down the dose. I think having this bad skin has really added to my depression over the last few weeks, it has been especially difficult considering I have been in the process of starting a new job. To top all of that my UC seems to be worst than ever! I’m worried that when I go back to see the Doctor next week he is going to put me on some equally-annoying medication or maybe another course of Prednisone if I’m lucky.

Does anyone know of some natural alternatives that are good for UC, very reluctant to put anymore man-made chemicals into my body.

I'm on week 3 of 150 mg of Wellbutrin.I switched to it from Effexor, which caused me to gain 40 pounds.The first week on Wellb I noticed increased energy, trouble staying asleep at night, mood improvement. Now in week 3, the sleep has improved, I've managed to quit smoking (works great for this), and I lost 5 pounds. On the downside, frequent urination, some stomach issues, mild headachey feeling, sensitivity to light, feeling overheated sometimes, and some return of depressive symptoms after initial burst of energy and motivation. What scares me the most though is reading about all the reports of hair loss on here. I have fine hair to begin with ad there is no way I can endure this side effect. So far I haven't noticed that effect, but I'm considering ditching this drug if that is a serous risk. From reading all the reports I'm wondering if there are more reports of hair loss from people on 300 mg or more than from people on 150 mg??

I have been on lamictal for about 7 months. I was not happy with the side effects I was experiencing (no sleep, bad motor skills, brain working slow) plus I was still having fits of rage and suicidal thoughts. I finally had enough and last week told my doctor that I wanted to get off to see if I felt any difference, because I pretty much felt the same on the 200mg than before I started. I'm slowly being weened off and now I am down to 100mg. So far I have not been getting up in the middle of the night as much and actually slept a total of 7 hours and only woke up once in the middle of the night for like 2 minutes versus the waking up every 1 to 2 hours and sometimes not being able to go back to sleep at all. My conversation ability has been returning and I'm not so nervous to talk and lose my train of thought or try to search for the right word. I've been dealing with a difficult situation in my life and I actually feel like I'm handling it better now than when I was on the full dosage . The only downside so far which is probably withdrawal is that I'm extra sleepy and I've been having to take 2 hour naps during the but I have a feeling that will go away. Besides my body might be making up for lost time from the 3-4 hours of sleep I was getting. I'm looking forward to being off of it soon.

I was on the Nuvaring for about 9 months before I decided to go off it. At first it was great, but around the 3rd month I noticed that whenever I would put in my new ring I would feel extremely nauseous for the next day or two (as the hormones kicked in, I'm guessing). Then the longer I used it, I was VERY emotional and would cry all the time. I was constantly getting upset - which was terrible because I had gone on birth control b/c I was getting married. The last two months I was on it I also had terrible insomnia, and that was the last straw. Me and my husband couldn't take my moods anymore, the poor guy...
I'm 5'1" and about 100lbs, and i think that had a lot to do with it. The Nuvaring is one dosage for everyone, and I think being a smaller person had a worst effect on me. The plus for the ring, I have to say, was that my periods were barely there. They were very light when they came & I knew exactly when to expect them. But it's not worth it!!

I can't believe I didn't find this sooner! I was on the Nuvaring for about 4 years and just last month traded it in for the Mirena.

At first, I was thrilled to find the Ring as I have a very hard time taking pills because I've always had a sensitive stomach. The patch was messy and sticky so I was excited to find the ring. For the first couple of years, the only problem I had was keeping it in place (it would continuously fall out) so I just got used to having to push it back into place every time I used the restroom. Every. Single. Time. But it was worth it because it made my periods much, much lighter and more manageable (i usually am down for the count for a few days). I also did the ring continuously without taking a week off because I still had some pretty terrible periods.

About two years ago, I started gaining weight uncontrollably, became very depressed, lethargic and achey. One day I came down with a terrible case of bronchitis and was put on a heavy duty round of antibiotics and steroids. After, I started having terrible heartburn and IBS symptoms which lead me to a gastroenterologist. Every test imaginable was performed, but nothing was found. I was told I had a nervous stomach. Unsatisfied, I got some bloodwork done and had abnormal blood glucose levels. My diabetic husband gave me a glucometer and I realized my blood sugars were totally out of range. I ended up at an Endocrinologist and all tests came back normal. I was also referred to a Rheumatologist for my achy body and joints. I found a list of symptoms of hypothyroidism and was convinced this is what I have, so I was put on a very low dose of Synthroid. At the same time, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and put on a whole mess of anti-inflammatories and pain killers.

Unsatisfied with my diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and totally unwilling to admit this is something I have to live with for the rest of my life, I began working with a nutritionist who has helped me get off all the medications (except Synthroid). But still, I hadn't slept through the night in years (getting up 3-4 times a night to use the bathroom), I was terribly achy, irritable, nauseous, constipated and still gaining weight.

Recently, my insurance changed and I decided to get the Mirena. Within a few weeks, most symptoms have drastically improved, my family notices a major change. I actually slept through the night last week, only 3 weeks after using the Ring for the last time. I haven't lost any weight yet, but the fact that I even CAN exercise is monumental. More than anything, I'm thrilled at the prospect that everything was caused by the Ring, the one constant no matter what I tried, and maybe I won't have to live with Fibromyalgia for the rest of my life.

I can't say with total certainty that the NuvaRing caused all my problems, but it is absolutely astounding that all of us are experiencing the same terrible symptoms and none of our doctors have bothered to think that it could be the Ring. I'm angry about this. Why don't they know about these side effects??

Yes these side effects are listed in the package, but they're the same side effects from pretty much every medication... and I don't know about all of you but this thing came damn near close to ruining my life. I couldn't work, sleep, eat, exercise, clean my house, etc. etc. It's no heart attack or stroke, but definitely life altering.

I think health care providers need to be alerted to these symptoms and the possibility that the Nuvaring could be causing it all. It would have saved me thousands of dollars in medical bills and despair. Patients should be warned that the side effects are very real and can be debilitating. I'm almost sorry I found this so late (after I already got rid of it!) but I'm glad I found it nonetheless.

Good luck to all of you!

I just had the mirena inserted for the second time. I have had it for five years and have not noticed any side affects. I have barely had a period. Libido has been up and down but I think it is more a result of being a busy tired mom. Had my old one removed and my new one put in today, no more uncomfortable than a pap smear. I feel kinda yucky since, minor cramps, and a little bleeding. I m not at all worried. It is easy birth control, but of course there is a downside too. It cant be good having a foreign object in your body. Good luck to everyone!

I LOVE the nuvaring. i have been on it for a year before my husband and i took it out to get pregnant. It took me three month to conceive after we took it out. I never once had a bad side effect. i tried it because the pills did horrible things to me. My sex drive was the same(wanting it every night) and i only gained about 3# but hey i say that was because Christmas time rolled around.
the only downside is that sometimes it would come out after sex. then all you have to do is put it back in. not to big a deal. I recommend it to everyone. i am going back on it again after have my second baby who is now three months old. yeah got pregnant with her while i was on the pills taking them perfectly. hey no more kids for me the nuvaring works.

I was thinking about taking YAZ just for the PMS symptoms I am having. I am bipolar and on lamictal but I am not at a high enough dose to where it will help me with PMS symptoms which are as worse as what is described below. I love my lamictal so I will go up to a higher dose before I try YAZ. I have and IUD so it is not for bc. Just for you to try if you are taking this for PMDD. My gyn prescribed 25mg of zoloft one week before your period starts and during your period. This worked great. I was calm, I didn't overeat, I felt normal. The downside is when you stop taking it you experience withdrawal which for felt just like PMS.
So thanks for the postings they helped me decide to try other things first.

there are some positives with Zyprexa. I took it briefly to treat Schizoaffective disorder, which is half schizophrenia half bipolar disorder.

Zypexa helped me sleep. After years and years of sleep disorder, I actually slept so well and used to wake up feeling invigorated. However, often it would be difficult to get out of bed. Not great if you're trying to work and run your own business.

The downside of Zyprexa is the weight gain. I was always careful about what I ate, but I could not control eating whilst on Zyprexa. I'd literally eat a full meal in the evening and then go out for a pizza afterwards. My weight gain was 30%.

I have just turned 30 and like many of you have tried all sorts of different types of contraception, most of which have caused some sort of reaction but i was told that the Mirena would be best as so low in hormones and would help reduce the heavy bleeding that started with the implant.

For 3 years everything was fine, i then started to get spots around my jaw line and back which I've never suffered with before, bloated, tired, pilled on the pounds....not surprisingly though as i was always craving food, really nasty stomach and back aches, i started bleeding all over the place with no rhyme or reason. I went to the doctor as I thought there was something wrong and it took quite a time for me to put it all together but the doctor just thought i was being over dramatic. To put my mind at rest he sent me for a scan which showed up lots of adhesions from where i had my son.

I came home and looked the Mirena up....why i never did this before i have no idea and now am so mad with myself as i could have got this sorted out months ago...hence to say i was back down the Doctors that day to get it removed. Its only been 5 days now and i have the flu but i feel a million times better...i'm bleeding still but thats it to be expected, at least its helping to get rid of any of the hormones which are left in there. The more i read i can see that i have many other "problems" the same as many other ladies, my husband said its like i had PMT but i never believed him.

Thank you to this site as if i hadn't of read all your comments i would still be suffering. The only downside is that it looks like we will be having to use condoms (latex free which are not nice due to an allergy) till we have finished having kids. I do feel sorry for my husband but i think I've gone through enough over the last 10 years with pill, injection, implant and the coil. Roll on the male pill i say!

I have been on LoEstrin24 for over a year and a half. For the first year, I had no side effects. After starting a very competitive graduate program this fall, I began having panic attacks, anxiety, hot flashes and am sweating constantly during the first week of a new pill pack. I believe that the stress have exacerbated the potential side effects of the pills and only now am I seeing the downside of this method. I was previously on Depo Provera for 7 years and then tried the patch for 1 year (HATED it). I've found that controlling my stress levels has helped but not completely ameliorated the side effects. Also, as an FYI for those who are worried about the brownish discharge - I still have it after 18 months on this pill.

I'm really scared now!!!

I've been on BC for about five months now but I've been incredibly "hormonal" as you girls can relate...except an extreme. So crazy. crying, no reason.

so i said...maybe the NuvaRing. my friends on it...I'll try it. i put it in and immediately inside my vagina started to feel irritated.

I don't want anything related to depression/weight gain/etc because i already have that shit going on.

I'm also worried to completely change personalities. Witch could be a good thing.

DOES ANYONE! have anything good to say about this thing?

I have been on Estratest for a couple of years and feel like a new person. I have more interest in sex and my energy level is much higher. The downside is that I have gained weight. I was on Estratest half strength in the beginning and that did not seem to make a difference so I went to full strength. I had a hysterectomy last spring and have gained even more weight around my midsection. I am 43 and not terribly overweight at 145 lbs but I feel I am losing ground quickly. I could eat anything I wanted without gaining weight when I was younger but now my bad habits are beginning to tell on me. I have considered switching back to half strength Estratest to see if that would help with the weight gain.

Hi! I was on I had chronic daily migraines for about seven years I am now thirty. I have tried everything in the book. I was on Elavil and became headache free for about five years and went off of it an was fine for about two. the cam back and nothing has worked since not even the Elavil. I took Topamax for about three weeks 25mg. a day and my husband thought I was insane!! I could not eat because my stomach was so nauseas and i developed severe depression. Al thought I was almost immediately headache free. But my husband and I could not handle it. Nothing worked for the next year so I am back on it. I have been on it for a month. I am relatively headache free. I am at 75mg twice a day. Lost weight not depressed but extremely nauseas so we will see. Good luck to those our there. I feel your pain and connection. If you have a similar experience and information on the Longevity of Topamax side effect that would me great. Happy holidays!

It works wonders for my migraines if you take it at the first sign. The downside is that it makes you VERY SLEEPY. However, I would rather have that then the headache. There were only a few times it did not work but I caught the migraine too late..Imitrex (SR) made me nauseous.

I had been taking Advair 100/50 for a few years, with little downside until about 6 weeks ago when my asthma became considerably worse. After using albuterol 3-4 times a day, in addition to the Advair, I was getting no relief and a lot of heartburn. I contacted my PCP, who upped my Advair doseage to 250/50. This stuff is awful! I've only been using it for 3 days and I'm stopping it immediately. Every time I use it, I get this flushing sensation throughout my head and cheeks. I've also developed this awful odor, primarily on my hands of all places.

I have been off Yasmin for almost 2 weeks and the panic attacks are gone!!! I feel much better. I decided not to use another form of birth control "with hormones" until my hormones are balanced! The only thing is I am having HORRIBLE headaches, the muscles in my legs and arms are still aching and my mood swings are still there. I hope this ends SOON!! Right now I am taking vitamin B complex to see if that helps any.

Just one question I have been on this stuff at the beginning dose for less than a week. My eyes hurt, my head is about to explode, I am sick as a dog, I lost 5 pounds, I can't eat, constipated, can't sleep, can't function, ringing in my ears, and the ADD is unbelievable. I am a medical transcriptionist I kind of need to be able to work, no work, no pay. Topamax is going bye-bye for sure but how long till the side effects go away?

Topamax is w/out a doubt the WORST drug I've ever been on. It made me brain dead. I couldn't find a job on Topamax. I would be in interviews and would space out and couldnt' answer questions. People looked at me like I was crazy. I felt like I had Alzheimer's at 38, especially when my neuro prescribed Exelon, the drug for Alzheimer's to counteract the cognitive side effects. As I said, couldn't find a job, had no insurance. My topa-lovin' neuro was giving it to me and getting me on the patient=ass program through Johnson/Johnson, the maker's of TM. She didn't want to help me get on another anticonvulsant PA program. Finally, I had to charge another med on my credit card because I couldn't take this toxic gunk in my body anymore. The decay of my mind has escalated to the point that I don't know if I will ever be back to myself again. BEWARE of this drug. I haven't even covered the eye pain, insomnia, headaches, leg cramps (i can go on).

I've been on Yasmin for about 5 months now. I experience everything everyone else has stated. I experienced nausea, migraines, all the bad side effects for 2 months straight before they subsided. I still get migraines a week before my period and they continue till the new packet starts. I think my body is rejecting these hormones and when the hormones are reduced during my period, the migraines start. While on the plus side....no weight gain at all and shorter days for my period....the MAJOR downside for me is that my hair has begun to fall out and I'm not just talking about the normal loss. I thought since my hair is really dark, I was just seeing it more than usual but there is a definite loss and I can feel areas where the hair is thinner. I had super thick hair and it's getting thinner and thinner. I have contacted my dr and want off of this. I am birth control to regulate cysts that keep forming on my ovaries but I'm starting to think that pain is worth enduring when I have all of these problems.

I am taking Topomax for migraines. I always start everything at a really LOW dose since I have a lot of probs with side effects. Started at 15 mg and went right away to 30mg (15mg twice daily) the second week because I was dying from headaches. The other antidepressants prescribed for constant daily headache prevention all of a sudden weren't working. I didn't want to take my abortive med for migraines every day (Amerge) so I was curious if Topomax might help my daily headache pain. Possibly my daily headaches had become migraines... so hard to tell one from the other anymore. I teach exercise for a living and so much of my headache pain is exercise induced. I found that while on topomax, all of a sudden 2 Advil would take away a headache I would get after exercising which never happened before. I would take two Advil before doing some of my hardest exercise to prevent a headache and for the most part that worked too... and that never worked before. I had tried all kinds of NSAID's before and after exercise at the advice of my neurologist to no avail. I did have one diffuse headache yesterday that might have been a true migraine and I took Amerge because Advil didn't help. I have been on the 30 mg two week now. But, now the downside. Since on the 30mg I feel like my chest is heavy a lot of time when I do water exercise... I am exhausted a lot doing my usual routines... I feel edgy, can't sleep well at night. I HAVE to have a two hour nap after teaching in the morning or I can't function mentally or physically. I sleep well for that nap time. Seems like I have thermoregulation problems. I teach water exercise and if the water is a little cold it bothers me and it never used to. Then in the pool awhile I feel hot. Same when I sleep.. I need a lot of covers, then I throw them off. Then they are on again. No I am not menopausal yet. My brain is hazy on topomax as well. I take bellydance lessons and sometimes I realize I can't remember what my teacher just told me. Now people reading this, don't think that just because this happens to me, it will happen to you. I know people who LOVE topomax with zero side effects. They don't tend to write in to posting boards. Also, sometimes side effects go away. Be patient if you want to give topomax a shot. I am thinking I am going to go back to 15 mg again... and see how I tolerate that. Because I teach exercise, the hardest thing is to feel the heaviness in the chest and the lack of ambition. This is not me. It is great not to have the headache pain, but I don't know if this is the drug for me. I was excited about the "losing weight " side effect , and I could see how skinny people who lose their appetite easily might be affected, but it takes a lot to stop me from eating LOL darn! I did read in another chat some poor chap had sinisitis for months and took TONS of antibiotics before finding out Topomax gives sinisitis type side effects in a small amount of people. So if you get sinisitis, don't take antibiotics before checking out if topomax is the culprit.

My heart goes out to every person out there trying to find the magic bullet for their headache, siezures, whatever... ADVICE.. .start with SMALL doses... you may be able to get used to side effects if you work up slowly in ALL drugs. In many drugs that didn't come in small doses, I took out 3/4 of what was inside just to get a mini dose. Ask your doc if you can mix one capsule or one pounded up tab of your med with juice and store it in the referigerator. You can drink say 1/8 cup a day of the juice to get 1/8 of a capsule. It is a lot easier than chopping up a tab into eighths. Also ask your doc about childrens doses that come in liquids with droppers. Topomax makes taking smaller doses easy with the sprinkles.. you are encouraged to open the capsule and sprinkle as little as you want on food. Good luck all. L.

I have just recently started taking methadose, I was invovled in a motor vehicle accident in 1999. I experience severe pain everyday not always intolerable but sometimes excruciating pain and have suffered for years, until I went to a Pain Clinic that was a godscend to me. I can finally be halfway normal and do things I've only dreamed of and has helped me emoitionally as well, I am not so despressed. The only downside is that I become very constipated and have gained weight especially in the abdominal area. I'm not complaining because I am finally not suffering in pain or suicidal I feel great. But I am concerned that my abdominal area will continue to grow, I work out and do not over eat nor eat a lot of sweets any suggestions I'd appreciate it !

I have been experiencing hoarseness. loss of voice as well as severe low back ache, hip ache anxiety and severe cramps in my calves at night. I have been going to back therapy the past month not making the connection to Advair and thinking it was more of my on going back problems. I stopped taking Advair 5 five days ago and many of the side effects either have gone away or have been subsiding noticeably. I thought this was a coincidence until today I began to read this forum and am really convinced at this point that the Advair has been playing a large role in my physical woes. On the downside, my asthma has become worse but I intend to ask my Dr. for a script for Asmanex when he returns to town....

been on avonex since noc 2001. tried high-dose OTC NSAIDS. now am on 500mg x 2 NAPRELAN CR (TIME RELEASE BUFFERED NAME BRAND NAPRELAN) 2 hours before shot and 8 hours after. zero side effects this is the prescription brand brand time releASED BUFFERED form of naproxen. downside $2.00/pill (with insurance)