Dry hair symptoms and conditions

I have been on lisinopril for many years 10 plus. I have had many side effects that have been previously mentioned; nausea, prominent lump on throat, (gland just under chin), body aches, fatigue, depression, anxiety, memory loss, memory loss sometime sudden, drastic, cognitive problems- concentration-thinking-focus, joint pains, extreme dry hair and scalp, hair loss, on head, brows, lashes, pubic. Hair pain (roots), INSOMNIA, dry skin, cataracts, blurry vision, eye discomfort, pressure in eyes and sinuses, headaches etc. I had no idea it was lisinopril. It is disgusting that dr.s don't tell you about these symptoms. A practitioner told me that dr.s get a more complete list of side effects than the patient insert provided with prescription! I have been suffering and thought I was just sickly or crazy! I am diabetic but will go off this medicine. I want to try alternative holistic approach. I have heard that 6000 iu of vitamin c will help lower cholesterol and rebuild coQ10 naturally. My cholesterol is borderline, but due to diabetes it was recommend to me. Does anyone know of a more holistic approach. I have decided that I am only taking medicine when absolutely necessary-It seems like a scam, in some cases, and the side effects may be worse than the problem the medicine is trying to address.Any thoughts?

I'm a 33 yr old stay at home mom suffering from depression for almost 5 yrs now. I've been taking Wellbutrin for a month and a half now and have noticed that my hair is very oily. I use to have pretty dry hair, but now it looks like I haven't washed my hair in a week! I've also noticed the itchy scalp as well. I don't know what to do anymore. I've been on just about every anti-depressant medication there is, all with some kind of side effect that just seem to be worth taking the meds at all. Is there anything that actually works out there for those of us suffering from this terrible disease???!!!!

I hate lisinopril. I have stomach pains like my bladder is full, coughing, dry hair and its falling out, sweating and tired. At the end of the day I need to take a quick nap and I guess the stomach pain and nausea is terrible. After reading all of this I'm coming off this medication. my bp is not that high nothing I can't control with a little more exercise. I'm so exhausted on lisinopril, it makes it hard to do anything. I'm going back to the hctz. This is ruining my life.

I've posted on here earlier but now I decided to stop taking Loestrin 24fe since I felt I hadn't been taking them correctly last month and could be pregnant. (Not taking them at correct times & doubling up in week 1)

I hadn't found much on the net where other women weren't sure if their symptoms were because they went off birth control or really where pregnant with this particular pill (lots of info on other pills though) I believe now since I took them at different times I caused an hormonal imbalance before I even stopped the pill. So I'll be the guinea pig in case other women are feeling like me.

Symptoms when I took them incorrectly were excessive saliva, sore/shooting pain in breast, back pain, cramping, bloating, headaches, HEAVY fatigue, appetite changes, heavy white or clear discharge, dry hair & skin, and VERY emotional. (like a month of PMS, very b!tchy lol ) Then I had a sweet smelling clear discharge which made me think pregnancy or UTI. (Diabetes not a factor, I know for sure) It was the day before expected period (placebo pill) and a couple times more when I discontinued them.
NOTE: when I took them perfectly in Jan, I had NO period. Confusing but I had no sex so I knew it was my impeccable consistency with taking the pill.
I had one brown spot on Fri. (never happened) and a patch of pink/reddish blood on Sat. (similar to what I am used to on this pill) I stopped taking them on the last placebo pills. (not that it would have harmed the pregnancy if I was with child, but I just wanted to know! I wouldn't mind the "surprise") That Sunday began a headache that I can only try to describe... It was a "burning headache" I looked this up and it's not really well known. My face felt like it was hot with a burning/tingling sensation & pressure! I could've sworn I had a fever but the lovely nurse said my temp was normal and I needed to go to ER ( I think she thought I was crazy?) Any who it was around my face and neck and sometimes a migraine or sinus headache would jump in. Since I thought I was preggo I didn't want to take meds that I had (no Tylenol at that moment) All I had was Midol. I felt so bad I gave in and took it. It relieved my symptoms immediately. The "burning headache" came when I woke up everyday for about 4 days. Then lesser headaches and I bought Tylenol for them. Long story short because of the imbalance (I charted these symptoms) I had intense back pain, SORE nipples, yeast infection, frequent urination (due to yeast infection, it kind of lessened up once I treated it) actually I believe I have a systematic yeast infection because it was on my tongue (going to DR to diagnose this, it causes A LOT of symptoms I've always had) night sweats, heart palpitations, oily face, still emotional, indigestion, dizzy, vivid dreams (crazy symptom I know but hormonal imbalance can do anything to the female body) Idk which could be mainly cause of imbalance... just saying this is not my "norm" (hence the further thought that I was preggo)

I've bought preg test (neg), UTI test (neg), yeast infection meds but I will go to the DR to get checked out. (I'm currently not able to go) My period is due in a week (I'm a very regular person, when i came off Jolessa, generic Seasonale, I had 3 months of 28 day cycles until I started Loestrin for 7 months) Hopefully this will be the same. Don't know which BC I'll try next but Loestrin isn't that bad if you take it correctly! (I did have nausea EVERY month whether I took it correctly or not... read previous post) I take prenatal vitamins now (Idk I think I read somewhere any vitamin/mineral helps with withdrawal symptoms? Nonetheless they're good for you) I believe I might have already ovulated (cramping, CM changes) so to the women who want to know how soon they might return to "norm" cycle, low dose BC might not be so bad if you want to jump back into cycles? (Still waiting on period so don't quote me. Or as with some you can do one w/o the other. ie, period, but not ovulate. vice versa.)

Sorry so long but I hope this helps anyone who was frantically searching the net for answers! I will update once this is over...

24 yrs old, 3 kids
MY SYMPTOMS: Stabbing pains in butt & sides, BAD cramps, WORSE crotch drop, spotting, light frequent periods, normal but slightly longer periods, constant dull headache that won't go away, mood swings (extremely irritable toward my kids), hot flashes (I don't really know what those are but I'm assuming that's what it is), tiredness, ACNE, little discharge, yellowish discharge w/ odor, when I hadn't spotted for a while we got brave & my husband noted a "sour" taste that was never there before, "sweet scent" & normal discharge absent, some lack of libido, pain w/ deep penetration & me on top positions (WHY?), lower back pain (recently worse), uneasy emotional feeling, pressure & bloating in abdomen, slight weight gain, pain & cramping after sex, feeling that something is "stuck" in my uterus (that might just be in my head. :) ), food cravings, increased appetite & thirst.
MY STORY or most of it:
I AM SO EXCITED to have found this website! Of course I feel so bad for all the women who have had such nightmares to live with, but I thank you for sharing! Now I know it's not "just me". I had mirena placed in Dec '07 (bout 2 mos after having my 3rd baby. Placement didn't really hurt, it felt like a pap smear. Well after having a baby naturally I thought how bad could it be? Right away I started having these sharp stabbing pains (u're supposed to have cramps for a few days) but I thought it was weird because the pains were like in my butt. It hurt more when I sat down. I continued to have pretty bad cramps, enough for me to take something which I never like to do. I was scared about the cramps not letting up so I called the nurse & she said that it was normal. ALSO I couldn't feel the strings, had my husband check (his fingers are longer & w/out long nails) & he couldn't feel them either.. When I went back to have the strings trimmed my ob said that they are just even w/ my uterus."they'll probably just have to go into your uterus a little bit when they remove it," she said. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I have been scared about that this whole time. So it's been about a yr & 1/2 now since insertion & my husband has never felt the strings. I breastfed my son for 11 mos & he SUDDENLY weaned himself. During those first 11 I never had a period or even spotting (after the initial bleeding was over). A few months before I stopped nursing I started getting acne pretty bad, enough to order PRO-Activ. But this acne is not how it was as a teen, It's not in the T-zone, but on the sides of my face (cheeks) and mostly on my forehead.I didn't understand why the proactiv wasn't working because it worked miracles for me as a teen, but now I know. So after CRYING because of my baby's rejecting my sore, engorged boobs for a few days I started bleeding. I couldn't understand WHY I was sooooo upset over my baby stopping nursing. I've heard that it is natural to feel like that because of the close bond that is there and I think that is true. But now I am thinking that the mirena made it much worse because when I stopped nursing my first baby when she was about the same age, I didn't even care. I wanted to stop. So it is hard to remember if I had a real period or not that first month (I soon started writing down my bleeding days so that I could keep track.) But I know that after that I would have a LIGHT period for about 7-8 days which is long for me, then in a few days I would spot for 2 - 3 days, then maybe a week later I would have another light period for about 6 days. It's hard to remember exactly, but I have it written down somewhere and it was about like that for 3 mos. Then in December I had 2 light, long periods with one normal (finally!) and spotting in between. I remember trying to shop the day before Christmas Eve with THE WORST cramps & "crotch drop" I have ever had, only to SPOT the next day. In January I had a normal period (a bit shorter but with spotting for 2 days after) then a week later spotting for 4 days, followed by a light period. I've had mild achy -like cramping pretty much constantly since I stopped nursing. I think I just kind of got used to it. I find this cramping weird because with my pre-mirena periods I didn't really have cramps, just "crotch drop" for the first 2 days. The thing that drew me to look up side effects w/ mirena was the weight gain. I am pretty pissed off because I was down to 125 lbs from nursing (pre-preg weight 130 lbs) and I haven't weighed myself (I don't have a scale for some reason) but I CAN TELL that I have put on a few lbs, maybe 5 - 10 in the past few mos. PLUS there is the bloating and this uncomfortable pressure in my abdomen. I seem to only be fatter in my belly, which has always been pretty flat about a yr after each baby's birth.I would like to gain some in my boobs. I'm barely an A cup - after breastfeeding and saggy! But that hasn't happened. So I was wondering how long does this spotting, cramping, weight gain go on? For the whole 5 yrs? I went to the official mirena site which gives a few study numbers (Whatever the heck those mean). The site is supposed to allow u to log in & chat w/ new mirena users like yourself but I tried that & it didn't work. So then I found a site with like 400 posts from women whose lives were so messed up from merena, but its newest post was from 3 mos ago and most were from 4 or more yrs ago. I wish I had found that site before I got mirena. I didn't really research before getting it. I just trusted my ob & saw the poster on the wall, and read the little misleading pamphlet. Then I googled "Mirena bad side effects" and found this site. After reading these posts I know I am going to have my mirena removed. I'd do it myself but can't find the strings. I wonder what exactly they will have to do to get it out? I said I would give it 6 mos (after stopping breastfeeding) for my body to adjust or whatever and the end of Feb will be 6 mos. I don't want to live w/ these symptoms for 3 more yrs and I am afraid that worse things will happen, Anyway what is the point of having birth control if u don't really need it because u're always bleeding? My symptoms are not severely bad but they are there and are not worth it. I want to feel like me again.

MEMORY LOSS, acne, mood swings, fuzzy mind, dizziness, dry hair, low sex drive, insomnia, depression, feeling like a baby was kicking inside my belly.

I had Mirena put in February 2008 and it is now one year later. I have had such extreme memory loss for several months now that I was really starting to feel like I was losing my mind. I am only 32 and have the memory of an 85 year old. My mind was so fuzzy I almost couldn't function some days. I attributed it to lack of sleep because I've also had a lot of insomnia over the past few months. I started drinking more and more coffee to wake my mind up and get rid of the fuzzy feeling, it seemed to help but certainly attributed to my insomnia so it was a vicious cycle. After reading all the other posts, I am getting it taken out ASAP. I also experienced the dry hair, acne, mood swings and low sex drive. I really hope I get my mind back once it's gone!

I have hypothyroid. Have been taking Synthroid for about a year, 0.075MG a day. Had my levels checked 3 times since on the meds and still have never gotten to normal, but a lot closer. I have gained 20 pounds that I can't get rid of, which for me, is crazy. I have never had a problem dropping weight, and for the past month or so, I have started losing my hair. Not just losing it, but the texture and everything has changed. No matter what I do it looks dry and flat, and even when I condition it and also use a leave in conditioner, it still knots up and tangles. I have NEVER had a problem with tangles. It's coming out in handfuls. Im not taking any other meds, so I imagine it has to be the Synthroid. My problem is..What else can I take? I mean, I have Hypothyroid, so I can,t just leave it untreated, But I have no wish to be fat and bald either. Please...anyone know of others meds without these side effects?

I recently started taking topamax for migraines. After increasing my dose to 75 mg twice a day, I am almost migraine free. However, my hair is extremely oily and having to wash it with a clarifying shampoo twice a day. Nothing else has changed other than my this medication so I am assuming it is a side effect of the Topamax. Has anybody else experienced this?

I've been taking Yaz for the past 5, almost 6 months. I was struggling with PMDD symptoms. There were times when, for a week or more, I would become incredibly depressed, full of rage and anger, I craved anything within chomping distance, and felt like the ugliest human being in the world. My periods were so painful, and I would bleed so much, that all of this just began to control my life. I was literally planning my life around this time during each month. The YAZ has really made a difference in helping solve a lot of these problems, but now I've new problems.

My husband and I have always been very sexually active. We try to make time for sex during the week if we can squeeze it in (we work different shifts), but whether we do or not, we always make up for it a lot on the weekends. However, now, I find myself with no interest. I even encourage him to just skip the foreplay and get down to the deed so I can get it over with. I dry up halfway through, become frustrated if he loses his erection (usually due to my personal lack of interest. I can't imagine that's very arousing. lol) because that just means we will have to work harder to get through this ordeal, and I don't want him kissing on me or doing much of anything to me while we are in the act. It's really damaging our relationship. We are 30 and 31 years old...way too young for this nonsense. I dare say I've even thought a time or two, "Why can't he just have an affair like every other husband and leave me alone?" Yeah, I don't mean that at all, but it's crossed my mind.

That's my biggest issue with it, well, that and the monthly cost. The other side affects I had were dry mouth, dry hair (?? - not sure if this is directly related), lower abdominal pain, mild weight gain, and a rash that broke out on my lower legs and left forearm. These are the CONS so far. I'll list my pro's, too, just to be fair.

PROS" Periods, while still very painful, last about 2 to 2.5 days. The painful part only the first day. The food cravings usually only a couple of days instead of a week or more. Mood swings, if any, are not as severe and are shorter in duration. I feel like a normal woman just having normal PMS mood swings now instead of mood swings you see in those crazy women on those Lifetime for Women movies or something. lol I also suffer from migraines, and these pills don't seem to have affected them one way or another. This is actually good enough for me because usually BCPs have caused them to worsen over time.

So there you have it. It's my own long, personal experience with YAZ.

I have had Mirena since March 08, didn't hurt but did cramp. I bled for 2 weeks, and have every month since, like a normal period and then spotting. I just started getting acne on my back and chest and forehead...did not realize why it would not go away, I have always had dry hair, now it is getting oily, same as my face. I also have gained about 5 lbs. I'm not so sure this was what I thought it would be. If it hasn't changed by dec(next pap,) I am done!

Hi Ladies,
I am 31 with 3 beautiful children. I have had the mirena since July 2007. I now have a thyroid disorder called Hashimoto's thyroids. No personal or family history of any type of thyroid diseases. I am having mine removed in 4 days. Of course my family practice MD claims there is absolutely no connection between the mirena and my new onset of thyroid disorder. Just FYI for all of you ladies out there, the symptoms most commonly reported by a majority of you, take a look at the symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Symptoms of Hypothyroidism

Fatigue
Weakness
Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
Coarse, dry hair
Dry, rough pale skin
Hair loss
Cold intolerance (can't tolerate the cold like those around you)
Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
Constipation
Depression
Irritability
Memory loss
Abnormal menstrual cycles
Decreased libido

Any of these sound familiar??? All of my labs including my thyroid (TSH) levels came back normal. Except one. PTO, the test for thyroid antibodies. My immune system is literally attacking my thyroid. Thyroid levels under 3.0 are looked at for many women with infertility and miscarriage. Mine was 2.44, which is within normal range, but I am also on the verge of hypothyroidism. 3 weeks ago I noticed a lump on the left side of my thyroid, I just found the infertility information late last night, and that's how I wound up here. Mirena is doing its job, but it is also messing with your metabolism. Just because your thyroid levels are within normal range does not necessarily mean you are not having thyroid issues or it may be early enough where your levels are not "concerning" yet. No connection between thyroid and Mirena, huh???? Good Luck to all of you.

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.

I have been on Warfarin since the end of Aug. 2007 when I had my mitral valve replaced with a mechanical valve. I will be on it for the rest of my life. My doctor.'s all assured me there were no side effects other than the bleeding risks. I now know this is not true. The side effects I am dealing with make me sometimes wish I had chosen a tissue (pig) valve, even though I would be guaranteed another heart surgery within ten years. I am 39 years old and a mother of two young kids. Since being on Warfarin I have experienced various body aches that come on suddenly but don't stay long; extreme hot and cold; itchy hands and feet; dry hair and hair loss; seeing "spots" usually followed by a headache; very thirsty; ongoing bowel troubles, possibly developed colitis; but the worst side effect for me is the fatigue and depression. I feel like I traded in my old self for my mechanical valve. Like I said, I'd have to have a tissue valve replaced eventually, and as bad as heart surgery is, I'd rather have 10 happy years w/out Warfarin than this struggle I deal with almost everyday. My brother is a surgeon and even he buys into the "no side effects" b.s. I work out as much as I can, which used to make me feel great, now I feel like it helps me get by but not the positive effect it used to have on me mentally.

I have pain in my left hip flexor when taking Lipitor. I was on 40mg/day and went on a daily walk with my wife after her back surgery. My left hip flexor would cramp. Sometimes it would cramp so bad, I had to quit walking and catch a ride home.

I had a month holiday off of Lipitor and could run after a week with no pain.

I started back on 10mg/day and the pain has returned, but not as bad.

I did an experiment- Laying flat on my back, I could lift my left leg one foot off of the floor. I stopped the Lipitor for seven days and could lift my left leg two feet off of the floor.
Can anyone help me?

dry hair and skin. thinning hair.

I have a hair thinning problem on just the top of my head. Also my hair has gotten very dry and brittle breaking off when I comb or brush my hair or even run my hands through my hair. It has become "frizz city".

I am not the type of person that would ever post my feelings on any board or such. But I just felt compelled to write about my experience on Yamine. I was on Yasmine for about a year and it has been the worst year of my life. During this time, I got married and had a lot of happy things happen but I could not feel any happiness at all. My mind was so clouded that I could not think straight. I would cry 10 if not more times a day. I started experiencing panic attacks and terrible pain in my chest and left arm. I can't even believe that my husband married me after what I have been putting him through. He was the one who suggested I go off the pill, which I did about 4 weeks ago. Well, there is hope because the cloud has finally lifted and I have not had a panic attack for at least 3 weeks. I still have some sad moments but compared to how I was, this is nothing. My legs are still very dry and I never had dry hair. I still have to get up and go to the bathroom at least 3 times a night, I am hoping that will improve soon but I am beginning to think that it damaged something and that won't improve. I am now just using condoms and I don't think I could ever trust another drug again. I have noticed some weight gain now that I am off but it is more like being swollen and bloated. This is my first time in my life that I have been on birth control and I am 37 and this is the first time in my life that I have had any of these syptoms. I always got moody right before my period and the stupidest commerical could make me teary eyed but that was the extend of my depression before the pill. So I know that it was Yasmin that did this to me. I am not angry at anyone, I was the one that did this to myself but if I was still on that pill....I would be very angry and not even know why. Thank you to all of you that have written in, just reading your posts have made me feel a great deal better. The whole reason I looked for them today was because I had a feeling that something was wrong with Yasmin but now I am 100% sure.

Hello, ladies. I took Yasmin for one year and sudenly many things made sense as I read your experiences. My side effects happened gradually, but worsened a lot this last month. They are:
-joint aches (my doctor said I had fibromyalgia!)
-no sex drive
-leg cramps
-vaginal dryness, which gives you pain when you're having sex
-hair loss, dry hair
-a "beautiful" brown spot above my lip, like a moustache (wasted a fortune with peelings and lotions)
-decreased respiratory capacity
I sing opera, which requires a lot of energy and breathing capacity, and I had a hard time trying to figure out what was happening to my voice. It even changed in tone quality, to worse.
I've been off the pill for 6 days and I've already noticed some nice changes in my voice, but I'm experiencing bad cramps and a weird anxiety. Guess it is my body trying to desintoxicate from all this mess!

Have been taking Lisinopril, Atenolol and hydrochlorthiazide for about two years with disastrous side effects, including chest tightness, dry cough, dry hair, alopecia areata, depression, for which I was prescribed Paxil and then Zoloft, which only exacerbated my alopecia! There has got to be a safe alternative for controlling blood pressure other than this horrid Beta Blocker and ACE Inhibitor.

I was prescibed it in the form of periostat, for Rosacea. It has worked very well at reducing it by about eighty percent. I use it with Rosac cream a sulphur based cream. The antibiotic has blown me up with water weight and I have experienced terrible moods, depression and dry hair also ringing in the ears...I am counting the days till I am finished with this horrible medication it also makes me feel "out of it" and strange.

I'm glad I found this site. Now I have a clue as to why I have been so tired and depressed. I have only been taking 10mg of lisinopril for two weeks and my bp has been running 138/63 to 120/81. Not too high as far as I was concerned. My doctor scolded me for taking St Johns Wort, but even an increased dosage has not helped this bout of depression. After she scolded me and I read up on it, it appears that her major concern was that it was over the counter and she couldn't get a piece of the pie for prescribing another med. I don't like to take meds and the only rx I've taken in the last 30 yrs has been synthroid for 2 years. I consider myself healthy, have never been overweight and exercise regularly. I actually came here to check about dry hair, since that is my major issue right now. I'll be on the lookout for the other side effects listed on this site. Has anyone else noticed dry dead looking hair?

Brittel dry hair that falls out easily

These side effect stories seem scary, but I have heard the same stories about any birth control pill discussed on the Net'.

Birth control pills are a very tricky issue, and I think most women experience physical changes of some sort while on them. As one poster wisely pointed out, people who are LESS satisfied are liekly to be MORE vocal about it.

I started Yasmin after doing a lot of research, and being sick of feeling like a wacko on LoEstrin Fe 1/20. I was on the LoEstrin for almost two years and it made me:

a) lose my sex drive entirely
b) experience vaginal dryness
c) lose my period altogether
d) bloat me up with water weight
e) made my cellulite look a lot worse
f) made me moody as all get-out
g) the only "normal" days of my life occured about 2 days into my 7 off days
h) have difficulty losing weight
i) experience unyielding acne around the mouth and chin
j) experience dry hair when I always used to have thick healthy hair

Sound familiar?

Bottom line is that birth control pills are by their nature EVIL, but they are our best hope unless we want an IUD or surgery. The whole birth control issue stinks, which frustrates me to no end. I think right now Yasmin is taking a beating because it is VERY popular and more people are talking about it.

I will try to remember to keep posting here to report my future experiences on Yasmin.

Oh, and btw, I had higher blood pressure from LoEstrin, which has less estrogen than Yasmin. My blood pressure was always normal, shooting up to 120/80 when nervous. Now I'm lucky to get 120/80 at any time. I work out doing vigorous cardio 4-5 times per week for 50 minutes at a time. I'm a vegetarian, health nut, pilates-loving California fruit, LOL. I'm a non-smoker, non-drinker.

I'm convinced that for many of us, the pill is just plain wrong.

Dry hair