Emotional impact symptoms and conditions

I am upset because neither the Pharmacist or my Doctor were any help. I thought I was going crazy. I have been on this med. for 6 or 7 weeks of which have been absolute misery. I have experienced numbness and tingling in my finger tips, headaches, yellowing of my skin, severe nausea but never throwing up, unable to eat and yet gaining weight, severe dizziness and nearly passing out, fatigue, pain in my legs when I exert myself (climbing stairs to my bedroom), unable to stay asleep at night, leg cramps, stomach pains, anxiety!!, depression, grouchy, extreme bleeding with my monthly cycle (my normal cycle is 3 to 5 days this cycle lasted 3 weeks and counting), coldness, heart palpitations, chest pains, wheezing and deep dry hacking cough. I just felt like I was going to die also thought it could possibly be menopause, low blood pressure (90/60). Because BP was low I took 1/2 the dosage day before yesterday (5mg). Yesterday I stopped taking it altogether and I was able to eat (yeah!!!!) with only minor nausea. Today my legs are not hurting as bad going up and down the stairs and my bleeding has really slowed down. I don't have a headache but I am still coughing and am having the problem with the numbness and tingling in my fingertips. I see dramatic improvement. I believe if my husband had not researched the side effects of this drug online, it would have killed me. Also he thinks that women should not take this drug because of the emotional impact on the husband! Also I am so angry that his happened to me in full sight of the medical professionals !@!@!@ I will be posting this message on as many medical sites that will take it.

I am reading this thread and will, as a male, caution everyone about the possible effects of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo. I am 41, have been married 19 years and have two children. I believe I occasionally suffer from bouts of mild depression which I have treated through therapy (about every 18 to 24 months). My wife had been on OT Lo for a long time until 6 months ago when she finally went off about 6 months after I had a vasectomy.

I cannot do justice to the transformation, at least from my perspective, that resulted after about 30 days of being off OT Lo. Sex drive went from very low to higher than anything I have ever seen. Call me a typical male if you want, but I can tell you the emotional impact of feeling like your wife really wants to be with you versus having almost no interest in sex.

Also, the way she approached problems changed dramatically. Therefore, the way I participated in those problems was able to change. No more highly emotional responses that were very difficult for me to understand while managing my own emotions and our level of conflict. The way way we were able to resolve problems became a partnership, not me bending to emotions I suspected neither she nor I could control.

Biggest problem: Irregeular periods. So, she goes back on the OT Lo and 1 week later we have a huge meltdown because she thinks I am ignoring her and the kids while away on a business trip. I am not for a minute going to tell you I am perfect, but this is precisely the type of issue that hurt our marriage for 18 years (in part because I am not great at handling emotional issues like this, particularly when I don't believe they are true) and went totally away during the 5 months she was OT Lo-free.

Kicker: She doesn't recognize how much differently she is processing her emotions and I have not found a way to address the issue without going through another major emotional battle that historically wouldn't have worked anyway.

Sidenote: I never wanted to get a vas. until I read an article that referenced depression as a possible side-effect of the Pill. I was willing to do anything to help change the emotional equation of our marriage because I didn't know how long I could last managing my bouts of depression in our environment.

So, probably not everyone had or will have the same effects. But please make sure you are paying attention to yourself, your level of happiness and how you handle things. FWIW.

I am 20 years old I have had an irregular period since I first got it at 12 and extremely bad problems with cramps, so my doctor prescribed Ortho Tri Cyclen .. I think its great .. I have mood swings here and there causing me to get a little more emotional then usual at times and my breasts have become a lot bigger but other than that its great