Downward spiral symptoms and conditions

Prednisone has messed up my head. I had Bells Palsy (which is paralysis of one half of the face) and can be very scary. I have had some depression before but this stuff made me fall off the face of the earth. I went from someone in control and quite happy to the absolute pits. The depression was quite severe and sudden and I had no ability to stop the downward spiral. It has played havoc with my life. In its defense, it cleared the Bell's Palsy up very quickly but the grief it has caused me through my altered mind state wasn't worth it. Insomnia (eg - no sleep for 6 nights straight) was a trigger and then the mood swings took over and then bang....full blown depression and an inability to focus, work properly or function. I am now on the road to recovery but it has been a pretty turbulent 2 months. Be very careful with this drug....very, very careful.

You know when you have an "a-ha" moment? well I appear to have had one tonight not quite sure why. Had a mirena put in April 2008 due to very heavy periods (changing super plus tampons every 40 minutes for 3 days straight) told that Mirena would be the solution for me. well it did help with the bleeding but have just realized in going through these postings that my increased feelings of depression (have been on Wellbutrin for the last 12 months) feeling like I am sliding into a deep hole, increased weight that despite running aprox 8 hours a week I can not lose a pound, constantly feeling bloated a 300% increase in my migraines leading to a need for prescription migraine meds, and a constant uncomfortable feeling in my perineal area - all seemed to come together to point to one thing tonight. Mirena. I am calling my OB to make an appointment for removal asap. I will take the bleeding over the migraines, depression, weight gain, body image issues, downward spiral any day. Thank you to each and everyone of you for taking the time to contribute to this site. While I recognize that this has been very positive for many individuals, clearly it is not for everyone and that would include me. Wishing all of you that have had a negative experience full return to "normal" and better physical and mental health.

I began taking Atenolol/Tenormin for about 3 months now for Mitral Valve Prolapse. At first I believed it was working at indeed felt a lot better. Up until about 2 to 3 weeks ago I have experienced SWOLLEN ANKLES, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, EXTREME TIREDNESS, SORE MUSCLES, LACK OF ENTHUSIASM. If you are currently taking this, stop now. It is just a downward spiral. I recommend daily walking, healthy diet, and lots of water. My mother did this when she was diagnosed and stopped taking the drugs and it worked wonders.

uuuugh! I am on month 2 of nuvaring. I have been on some b/c pills in the past that made me a little 'crazy' so before I started this one, my husband and I came up with a code word before I started. That way if I was in an emotional downward spiral, if he said the word, I knew it was time to take the nuvaring out and call it quits. I still cry, although my husband says that I seem angry this month instead of weepy, I have noticed that my teeth have been extremely sensitive. Any one else? Also wake up every night covered in sweat? What's up with that?

the pediatrician prescribed singular for my dd when she was 12yrs old for her asthma. she described it as being safe. that same year dd started having problems in school and seemed depressed. I talked to the doctor about it thinking maybe it had something to do with her adhd medication. the doctor thought maybe it was just normal teen behavior and dd trying to adjust. eventually we took dd to a therapist and things seemed to get a little better. then dd started complaining about stomach pains, she talked about strange dreams at night and would wake up in the middle of the night. Then the tantrums started, wild out of control tantrums. she would scream, throw things, destroy things, she talked about wanting to die, how she hated her life. again I went back to the doctor her adhd medication was adjusted and I also got her back into therapy. therapy was helpful but we continued to deal with the wild tantrums. we kept trying to seek help and answers but to no avail. we were beginning to think dd was suffering from a mental illness. the doctor told us to keep an eye on it and the next step would be maybe putting her on more medication. In the meantime dd became anxious, she had an anxiety attack at school, she would get in arguments with her friends and become very irrational, she continued to be angry at home, she destroyed things in her room and punched a hole in the wall. When I would look in her eye she had the look of a wild animal. my doctor began to think it was merely teen rebellion and we needed to get tougher with her. Never did it ever cross my mind that it could be something with singular till I heard about the study on the news then it all clicked. before singular my dd was an above average student who was liked by teachers and students alike. teachers talked about how well behaved she was and she was a leader. she was very active in various activities at school. Now she has become nervous and suffers from anxiety attacks, she has out of control tantrums and anger. her friends frequently avoid her or her calls because she has become so moody and angry. she frequently complains that her stomach hurts and feels like she's going to be sick. she screams and talks about wanting to die and that we don't love her. till today I had considered this drug to be safe and very useful in controlling her asthma but after doing more research i'm beginning to wonder if it's worth the risk.

I had my demon mirena inserted in July 2004 after the birth of my son. Since then my life has been one nightmare after another. I have had body/muscle aches, swelling in ankles and hands. Slight fever all the time, skin rashes, dizziness, depression, my hair texture changed, insomnia, and night sweats. I was so tired I couldn't even do normal daily activities. My mood swings were so severe I began to think I was bipolar. I have been to about 15 different doctors over the past 4 years and I have been diagnosed with everything from Rheumatoid Arthritis to Lupus to Graves Disease and after finding this blog and others I know realize it's my Mirena! I called my doctor and am having it removed ASAP! She agreed that is was more than likely the mirena that has been ruining my life for the past 4 years. I didn't equate my symptoms with the mirena because they didn't start until about 7 months after I had it inserted. It was SO not worth it. I would have MUCH rather had another child than to go through all this misery for four years. I can not wait to get this thing out of my body.

It seems that this subject has been extensively documented, but just wanted to confirm that I believe this drug is very dangerous. We JUST put our 5-1/2 year old daughter on it one week ago. She has NEVER had any issues sleeping, is most often in a great mood, and has been protected beyond belief by my wife from negative imagery, TV, etc. The last week was unbelievable. Night terrors every night, with the most vivid and negative imagery when asked to describe the content of her dreams. Things that I would have thought she must have gotten from watching a Stephen King movie. Given the lack of fitful sleep could have been a contribute, but her mood all week was very downtrodden. Hard to say a 5 year old can be depressed, but I would have to say she was, very sullen, moody, despondent to affection.

I can positively say this was a blind test. We didn't really read the label on the medicine until yesterday, so we were not looking into things that weren't there, nor were we focusing in on the sleep issues. We took her off yesterday, and hopefully I will be able to report that the night terrors that I am 95% positive must have come from this drug will abate.

I hear because the chewable format is new, this drug is really being pushed. I hope this drug is pulled instead of being promoted. Buyer beware, especially administering to kids. I can't imagine if our daughter had been a little younger and not able to express herself to the level she can at 5.

Eureka! My unexplained weight gain (10 lbs), moodiness, fatigue, acne, excessive white discharge, recurrent yeast infections, and clumpy periods are no longer such an enigma. I previously had some horrendous side effects from Depo Provera, to include severe depression, suicidal thoughts, and hair loss; I thought NuvaRing would work great for me due to the low dose of hormones. At first, the ring was fantastic....didn't have to remember to take a pill everyday and no downward spiral of depression. The first symptom I noticed was the excessive discharge and the clumpy periods. Next was the moodiness, anxiety, and bouts of crying during every week 3 (that the bf has patiently put up with!). I have been trying to ignore the fact that my jeans don't fit, I have turned into a TV watching zombie, and I have a burning sensation associated with my 2nd yeast infection in 3 months (ugh!!!!). I wish I would have found this website earlier; it would have helped me put two and two together, acknowledge the side effects, and quit the Ring much earlier (not 11 months later!). Yes, each woman's body reacts differently to hormonal birth control, but if you have undesirable side effects from the Pill or Depo, you'll most likely get them from the Ring plus a few fun extra ones:) The upside to this product: it is incredibly convenient and my small breasts filled out. So not worth it to me!!!!!

I have been on Levoxyl for about 9 years and have felt awful. I have had weight loss, dry hair, thinning hair,dry skin, muscle aches, migraines and the list goes on. I just got out of the hospital Monday after 4 days of testing of my heart and lungs. I was admitted for racing heart. The doctor's conclusion was anxiety! They said that Levoxyl has nothing to do with my rapid heart rate. The endocrinologist prescribed taking levoxyl .050 on day and .075 the next also a beta blocker, Xanax and Zoloft. I can not take any of these meds b/c they make it almost worse. I KNOW it is not Anxiety and it from the Levoxyl but what do I do?? I am a mess right now can not be in this condition with four young kids and a husband. None of the doctors would say it was the Levoxyl and instead prescribed more and told me to check up with blood work in 6 weeks. I took the .050 yesterday around noon and by 7:30pm my heart rate picked up again and continued until 4:30 this morning. I can not sleep more then 2 hours at a time and wakeup feeling like I am crawling out of my skin. PLEASE let me know of any solutions.

When i was 13 i was put on paxil for major depression. I stayed on it till i was about 17 after a downward spiral of depression that lead to a suicide attempt. After that the doctors decided that Paxil wasn't benefiting me anymore and decided to take me off of it, cold turkey. At that time i was on 40mg.
I started getting zapping headaches, muscle spasms, i was sensitive to light, my body ached, i had hot flashes, pretty much anything over stimulated me... i was irritated with just hearing anyone talk, i was completely out of touch with anything around me and i didn't feel like i was real.. I basically shut myself in my room for over a month getting over paxil. My family was afraid i was planning suicide.
After that, it's made me afraid to take any of my prescribed antidepressants, but i just cannot go through that again. At the time they put me on it, there was nothing that said that it was addictive, i was even told that there was no proof that it was addictive.
Also, I still experience the headache zaps to this day, and im 22 now, and i never had those type of headaches before paxil. I really think my mental illness is a lot worse from paxil. I have depersonalization disorder now, my short-term memory's crap, im more uncoordinated, im a lot more depressed and social phobic.. i know part of it could be from not taking any meds at all.. but i know that paxils really screwed me up, and i would have been a lot better not taking it at all. I just wish they would have warned me before putting me on it, or warning me before taking me off.

what a life saver this site has been. I have been on the NuvaRing for about 6 months. It worked fine the first month but since then I have noticed a downward spiral of my health. My doctor sold me on the easiness of the product. It had gotten so bad that I spent every night on WEB MD trying to self diagnose my self. I had myself convinced that I had diabetes (I am a healthy 30yr old who does not smoke or drink) when I stumbled onto this website. I took my nuva out on Sunday and have seen an upswing of my mood. my yeast infection has went away, I have dropped 8 pounds and the rash under my breasts have finally starting to fade. I have seen so many women on the internet that have died from complications from the nuva. I am so grateful that we all can post our stories and warn other women! Thank you to all you brave women who posted your stories before. you saved lives.

Im 17, nuvaring was suggested to me as my first form of contraception. Since then (6 months now) it has been a downward spiral into depression, suicidal thoughts and actions, clingy, agoraphobic,extreme panic attacks, being miserable, crying every day, being completely immobilized, no sex drive, pain during and after sex. I was tested for STi's etc... nothing. Told my doctor, who forwarded me on to a gyno... nothing. Complained of panic attacks (asked if they could be related to nuvaring to which she scoffed)... sent me to a psychiatrist. Psychiatrist... nothing. I thought i'd end up dead or in a looney bin.

Found this website! Bingo! Time of use and symptoms correlates perfectly. My god, i am so angry, i feel like ive lost 6months of my life. No hormones for me ever again... IUD time.

I am currently a junior in college and I have had severe allergies my whole life. Last summer my doctor prescribed Singulair and I really liked it as an allergy medicine (except for pollen). As a person, I am usually optimistic, happy go lucky, and always trying to make people laugh. I am also an avid learner, and I love school. I usually never miss class...well that was until last fall. I would get up everyday for my 930 class and take a shower and then for some reason just go back to bed. As Christmas approached- I failed my first class, got pneumonia, went on probation for my honor fraternity in which I was an officer, and was close to losing my academic scholarship. I changed my major to something easier in order to bring my grades back up this spring. I was actually excited about my new classes but then the semester started. Same routine- get up, take a shower, sleep and cry all day. I have lost most of friends due to my antisocial habits, gained 45 pounds to become 180 lbs on my 5'1 frame (borderline morbid obese). My parents and lifelong friends were worried I was going to commit suicide due to my downward spiral. My mother and doctor didn't want me to go on antidepressants in fear i would gain more weight. So they decided to change my ADD medicine which helped but not a lot. Then the suicidal effects of Singulair hit the news. I stopped taking it and within a week (spring break) I was back to my normal self like nothing ever happened. Except something did happen- I lost a huge part of me that is going to take awhile to get back. I was so convinced that I was causing the depression on myself and that I was crazy. Now the end of my school semester is wrapping up and I have a lot of catching up to do. There are times out of habit that I still act antisocial (which is completely uncharacteristic of me), but I'm hoping that will fade and I can get back to truly being myself. It's just so scary for me to think that there are unsuspecting prescription drugs that can cause so much pain. If I didn't have my family and true friends supporting me all year and sticking with me through all this, I know for a fact that I wouldn't be here today..

I've been on Lisinopril/HCTZ about 2 months, and am losing lots of long hairs. Will my body adjust to the medication and grow new hair? Does anyone know if total baldness will result? (82 year old female) My blood pressure is now excellent!

Since posting my side effects with the Mirena a lil' while ago! I've read all of Oct. 07 entries of side effects and I am realizing that i have more... I am dealing with a strange discharge, heavier hair loss (since I was already having it postpartum), weight gain & bloating, and a downward spiral on my already improved postpartum depression.
I will be having this THING removed tomorrow... I already spoke to my Dr. over the weekend, who told me that I was obviously having a severe reaction to the chemicals in the Mirena... I feel like my skin is going to come off! If i don't scratch it off, first!!!
I feel there's a MAJOR Big Pharm/Medical Industry cover up going on... And not just with the Mirena, but with Most MEDS... EVERYBODY, Beware of PHARMACEUTICALS...!!!
Sylvia

I have been on Synthroid for about a year. I had high blood pressure and the doctor did a number of tests and found a thyroid deficiency. I started with 75 mcg and was moved up to 100 mcg.

I have gained weight in the last year - at least 15-20 lbs. It is all in the stomach. I look like I'm pregnant. It is very hard to get rid of! I am exercising my tail off, and giving up snacks, sweets, etc, and it's not going away.

I also never had problems sleeping but I do now. I'm glad I found this discussion group, because I see many others have had weight gain problems.

I had been on lisinopril for 3 yrs until a couple of weeks ago. I was taking 10mg in addition to 25mg atenolol(which I have been on for 10yrs). Although I did not notice any serious side effects when I first started on it, it ended up seriously affecting my quality of life. My energy level, which has always been very high, was gradually reduced over the course of the last 3 yrs to a level so low that it was exhausting just to get through the day. I had undergone extensive lab workups to try to figure out what was wrong. I would also have episodes of severe muscle weakness and aches that kept me confined to bed. I was tested for every disease known to man. All came back negative. On top of this, for the first time in my life, I was becoming very depressed and unable to cope with the least little thing to the point where my family became concerned. I also suffered several serious anaphylactic allergic reactions involving serious stomach pains, plummeting blood pressure, pounding heart rate, faintness, swelling of my extremities and shock. I was referred to a specialist and after 4 wks of bloodwork and skin testing, I was incredibly allergic to NOTHING. But I have to carry an epi pen at all times since I don't know when or why a reaction will reoccur. All of this time, I never ever suspected lisinopril as a problem. It was not until one day I was particularly tired and lightheaded and found out that my BP and pulse were way too low (90/50), so I did not take my lisinopril that night (or since then) but only my atenolol. The next day I felt better and within a couple of days incredibly better. My doc has agreed that lisinopril is a problem for me and increased my dose of atenolol to 50mg, which takes care of my BP just fine. Now my energy is returning, my depression has lifted, and I can actually look forward to each day instead of just trying to get through it. I feel like my spark for life is coming back. Like others, I was in a downward spiral and wondered if this is what happens when you turn 50 and if I would ever feel good again. I knew nothing of this website during all of this and wish I had found it long ago. Maybe, just maybe, I would not feel like I missed the last 3yrs of my life.

Hello Yasmin users, PLEASE HELP WITH ANY ADVICE:

I was concerned about weight gain with BCP
(Ortho Tri Cyclin made me gain too much weight 30pds in under 1 yr)
my OBGYN recomended Yasmin, she said it had the opposite effect. I have been on this pill for about 2 years. One of the first and biggest side effect I noticed right away was rapid weight loss - I was not doing anything different with my exersize regimine or eating.
Also in the beggining and worsened, after staring YASMIN:
Depression, which I went to see my doctor about twice and she said it would go away. - and third, like a downward spiral getting worse and worse now above all is no libido. I have been complaining about this and she said loss of libido is normal with ALL BCP and if she switched me it would make no difference. I am frustraed with her responses to my issues.

IS THIS TRUE? Are they all the same??????

I also get a lot of headaches on this pill and I never hardly ever got a headache before. My eyes sometimes twitches too, which is weird. It seems like if I don't take the pill the same time every day and I wait until later - then I get headache or nausea.

I also noticed I feel better when I am on the placebo pills and are on my period, and actually feel kind of "in the mood" for alck of better terms.

I am willing to take a pill with weight gain side effects!! - if I can have my sex drive back!!!!!

PLEASE DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THERE IS ANOTHER PILL THAT I CAN LOOK INTO?
HOW ABOUT ORTHO EVRA??????????
Sincererly, Sick of YASMIN
JAS

I was on Yasmin for 5 years. Ages 20-25. During that time, i had bed-soaking night sweats and hot flashes. I also had ulcerative colitis- a pre-existing condition which was exacerbated by this poison.
In June, after nearly 5 years, my hair started to fall out. That was it for me. I went into an extreme downward spiral of depression. Not to be vain, but I was devastated. In August 2005, exactly 5 years to the month, I stopped taking it.
I completely lost my appetite and cried for a week. Since then I have felt MUCH better but am SOOOOO hungry and have gained about 6-10 pounds. My hair is finally starting to grow back!! And i'm just generally calmer. No more sweating either. HOWEVER, i never had a zit in my entire LIFE until going off of Yasmin. I dont even know what to do with them.
I've only gotten my period twice in the 6 months since going off of Yasmin and both times, my cramps were not as bad as when I was on it. How ironic.
I plan to have bloodwork done soon just to make sure everything is ok but was told by my doctor that it can take a year for the pill to be completely out of your system.
Please let me know if anyone is having similar experiences. Anyone been off for longer than 6 months?
And why do women have to be the guinea pigs for drug companies to experiment on? I'm sure they did a lot more tests for the side effects of viagra before they would allow a man to take it.

Just diagnosed with ADD (without hyperactivity) and I am a 42 yr old male, married (8 yrs) with a 2 yr old daughter. Past problems and behavior fell under the "classic" AAD category and have been struggling to be functional my entire life. Just started taking Adderal 15 Mmg (twice daily) and the have experienced the following: DAY 1- fast HR, dry mouth, heighten hearing, sensitivity to touch (sexual), slight euphoric feelings and was not able to sleep that night. Day 2 - much better except for cotton mouth taste (Smoothies!) and loss of appetite - slept fine, not as intense. Day 3 - feeling pretty normal except much more focused and clear. Mind does not flit from thought to thought. It seems to place you "in the moment". I am not too interested in taking this long-term, but something was needed as I was in a downward spiral and headed for doom. I am 5'11'' and 190 lbs. I train as a triathlete and am quite able to workout and function with this medication so far. I have never taken a been addicted to anything or have taken Med's before so this is all new. If it's for your, child take precautions that this is the right path. If it were my daughter, I would certainly try all the alternatives I could before medicating, but speaking from experience - I know that this is something that has to be managed and confronted as ADD is a very real thing and not something that they will "grow out of". Most of all, give them your love and patience.

Coming off WB SR after 2.5 yrs. Started on prozac for depress, anxiety, PTSD. "stopped" working. Tapered off that & supplemented with Lexapro. "didn't work" so added WB SR, 300 mgs. I didnt split up taking 300 into 3-100s because I kept forgetting a dose, so my doc said better to take all at once than forget & mess up the chemicals all the time. I liked the caffeine effect. No hair loss, some headaches throughout, muscle twitches, shakiness, dizziness. At first didnt affect sleep; I took it at night, then I had to take it during the day cuz it was beginning to keep me up at night. When I missed a dose, Id enter a huge emotioanl rollarcoaster. When I skipped the Lexapro, no effect. SO, 2 mos ago I tapered off Lexapro. Expected w/d affects, but there were none. Now if I take the WB hours after I normally do cuz I forgot to take it earlier, there is no emotional roller coaster effect. Oh yeah-I started smoking & gaining weight since starting all these ADs. Now I am tapering off the WB. I feel OK and dont want this medication crutch anymore. My rape, & subsequent drop-out of college, which started my downward spiral are in the past now. Ive been in therapy for years and am very close with my therapists. I am getting more active in & support from my church as I get rid of my "crutches". I am quitting smoking at the same rate I reduce the WB. Tried to look up w/d symtoms for WB but this is the only place google came up with with actual information. I am grateful to you guys. Ive been off WB for 2 days maybe at this point and am completely exhausted and can sleep all day & all night. Today is the first day Ive been awake much of the morning. As another person mmentioned, my apetite is voracious-I am not feeling full until Ive had the equivalent of two meals, per mealtime! Sure hope this goes away, I'm at the heaviest Ive ever been. Also, all at once my allergy meds seem to have completely stopped working? Yesterday I sneezed every 5 min and nose ran and my nose is just rubbed raw. Today the allergies haev calmed down. Don't kniow what all thats about...Ive been walking the dog each morning, whom I got to help me feel happier, and he does. I started an online business to try to reduce the stresses of working outside of the home. It has its own stresses! But at least I have comforting things nearby...I would not recommend taking Ad drugs without therapy.