Extreme mood swings symptoms and conditions

I am 22 and was on ortho tri cyclen off and on for 5 years. I really had no issues with that, and only started taking yaz because my doctor gave me some free sample packs. I was interested in shorter periods. Now after taking yaz I am desperate to start taking my old pills again. My symptoms include:
weight gain
extreme mood swings (to my husband, I'm sorry)
extreme depression
feelings of worthlessness
extremely strange cravings (I will eat maple syrup right from the bottle or eat half a pizza)
tiredness
headaches
absolutely no sex drive

The good news is that my face is very clear. But personally clear skin is not worth being so mean to everyone in my life. I really do not forsee myself continuing use of yaz.

I had a mirena put in November 2004 and just had a replacement put in two weeks ago since my 5 years would soon be up...I noticed the last 2 years that I've gained 20 lbs for no apparent reason, even when exercising, I have lower back pain that keeps me up during the night and I feel bloated all the time - I also have had extreme mood swings that I cannot explain and I'm depressed for no reason at all - my 2nd mirena has been in 2 weeks now and my breasts are so sore - I've had a headache too - the hair loss has not been extreme, but my hair has thinned. I'm contemplating having it removed since I don't feel myself at all...

I would really appreciate any feedback for my question which is HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE BEFORE I FEEL NORMAL AGAIN after having Mirena removed... I had it removed around 4 months ago and my periods are sort of back to normal and i thought after i got my period back (well i presumed) that the hormones or whatever it is in the mirena would have gone... BUT.... I still don't feel my old self.. I have had massive skin problems since the Mirena was inserted and even though it is out i still have massive skin problems... The doctors refuse to believe that its from the Mirena and have tested me for EVERYTHING but surprise... They don't know what is wrong with me... My skin flares up before I am due and lasts the whole week that i have my period... I am just wondering how long it can take for this thing to get completely out of my system ..

I am a 26 yr old mother of 2. I have been taking Loestrin 24 fe for a year now. I love it. Its been the best BCP for me so far. I have previously been on Ortho-tri-cycline, and the Nuvaring. On ortho I had extreme mood swings, and hated everyone and everything around me. I really thought my husband was going to leave me because of it. After that I tried the Nuvaring. I liked it at frost but after about 3 months I had a horrible heavy period that lasted nearly 3 weeks. Now I am on Loestrin, and I feel like myself again. My periods are light and short, my mood is great, and I've actually lost weight on this BCP (that has never happened to me before). It has been more expensive especially since my insurance does not pay for any type of BC ( I work for a catholic organization). But my doctor has been kind enough to provide me with samples when needed. He also just informed me about the 24 dollar program, which I plan to use as well.

This is the biggest relief. I am sure you can all relate finding this website. I started using the nuvaring back in February and the side effects started soon after, I just haven't tied it to the birth control until now. The first month I started using it I was planning to move from my home in boise to Orlando Florida to live with my boyfriend.. which is very stressful so needless to say my high anxiety stress irritability and anger all seemed to be pointing to the stress of moving from my home although it is what i wanted it was still scary. I have been here in Florida for 3 months now and still experience the same things adding one to the mix as living with your boyfriend should spark an instant sex drive when you haven't been living in the same city for a year. NOPE no sex drive at all. Maybe once in a blue moon i get in the mood but i literally have to talk myself into it which is pathetic. There are times when i am laying next to him and i have to tell myself if he wants i should go along with it. but though of sex just drives me away. Also the depression is unbearable I am a very happy goofy person and it is a struggle to keep my temper in check or to try and work up motivation to leave bed. I am constantly tired and have no drive to accomplish anything anymore which is out of my character.
Headaches I have always had and migraines i have had before the nuvaring about once a week now i have migraines at least 3 times a week and a headache every day in between. My breasts have been extremely sore so much that i thought maybe i was pregnant in combination with my extreme mood swings. I have thick hair and i shed a lot never thought that it may be due to the birth control. I am getting somewhat angry that this is the way we all have to find out. It is frustrating to feel like a crazy person and wonder what happened to the person i use to be. I have not experience any weight gain fortunately, but since have no motivation i am not in the shape i once was because i have no desire to go to the gym.
The itching sensation i didn't realize as a symptom before reading others stories. Now it is so clear how aggravating. One month my cramps were so bad and a couple of months in a row i felt so nauseous that i would get sick. One time i was driving to a friends house when all of the sudden i knew i was going to be sick and ended up vomiting all over myself... so embarrassing and i couldn't figure out what happened. Tomorrow morning im calling my doctor to see what we can do. This is my last day with the Nuvaring Thank god for this site and thanks to you all sharing your stories it brought me peace of mind knowing ill be myself again soon.

I have been on Loestrin 24 for about 3 weeks. I have experienced extreme mood swings. I am usually a very happy person and lately everything has been driving me crazy!! I have been spotting for the entire 3 weeks. I feel dizzy and lightheaded at times. My acne has increased. I have NO energy and NO sexual desire. I'm not sure to try to stick it out for another couple of months or try a new one. However, I have to be on some kind of birth control to help my endometriosis. Anybody else have these issues?

I saw your post on your experience on Mirena...I too am a user and have horror stories. Everything from extreme mood swings, pelvic pain, lack of desire for sex, excessive discharge, hair loss, tired all the time, body aches and the list goes on! All that I can tell you is that I truly felt that I was losing my mind, relationship or a standard sense of normalcy. While approaching what I believed to be the start of a long break up between my sons father and I, I decided to try one last thing. I had already tried a lot of nonsense to try and combat Mirena's horrible side effects, of which none were working...I made an appointment to have Mirena removed. OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im back! I feel like me! I have a desire to have sex again (all within a matter of hours) my mood is steady and only altered by significant events and rightfully so! Please try removing Mirena, start by trying to regain yourself, and all it will take is about 4 minutes to actually remove it. There is also an IUD that has no hormones (Pregnancy hormone only) in it, with only one true potential side effect, Pelvic Inflammation. Figure out your options but if your going through this much with Mirena (plus dealing with a baby is enough!) maybe its a sign that your body just isn't taking to it very well! Seek relief and regain yourself!

It's nice to know that I'm not alone..

I got Mirena in November 08, and since then I've developed a plethora of unpleasant side-effects. Initially, I couldn't put them all together. As I'd had a fainting spell and some restless legs a few months prior to getting Mirena, I've been concerned that all of my symptoms were stemming from a nutritional deficiency like folate or b12 anemia. Nothing seemed to quite fit exactly right though, and I take vitamins regularly, so I was perplexed until last night. After googling "tingly feet" and "heartbeat" I stumbled onto one of these forums.

I have felt like a crazy person all of this year, and I am now quite certain that it's from Mirena. Feeling foolish that I didn't see this sooner.. but I guess I we perceive what we want to, and I was happy to have easy birth control.

I've NEVER had heart palpitations, this kind of foggy-headedness, anxiety like this, unexplainable nausea, tingling in my feet, or depression before. My dizziness and fatigue alone had me fearing for my health, and my extreme mood swings had me fearing for my life.

I'm getting this removed as soon as possible.
Clearly I could've done my pre-Mirena research better, but the pamphlet and pep-talk I was given did not mention everything that I've been going through. I'm a little pissed, to be honest.. but mainly relieved.

I think I'm going back to the Nuvaring.. I'd rather bleed than be a dysfunctional, ill, zombie-person.

This is my third month using nuvaring. At first i thought it was great. My period came 3 days after removing the ring, lasted for 2 days and was very light. I haven't experienced the lack of sex drive, hair loss or headaches mentioned in previous posts, but i have definitely had the extreme mood swings and just recently began breaking out in hives.

I've been taking Yaz for about a year and a half. I also take lexapro to help even out extreme mood swings I would get (2 weeks before my period). For a while, probably the first year, I just felt more tired, which I thought was because of the lexapro. In the past 6 months though, I have been getting a stomach flu type illness every month, 3 days after I start my new pack of pills. I also have a very sensitive stomach and get sick easily. I recently lost 5 pounds (from 125 to 120) without making any lifestyle changes. Also, this year I've had low iron levels, and noticed my stools are black from time to time. I went to the doctor today to have my blood checked and also submitted stool samples. Could this all be from Yaz? I have been getting the flu (or flu like illness) way too much this year, and my boyfriend never catches it from me. I am worried about going off the medication because the yaz and lexapro have really controlled my mood swings, and my skin gets much worse without birth control. I'm just worried something more serious is going on here. I am 26 and a healthy eater, so I don't understand all the stomach problems! Does anyone else have these issues? Especially after starting a pack of pills (I feel fine the week of my period)...

My 90 year old, very mentally sound, grandmother was admitted to the hospital 2 days ago after complaining of severe pain in her back. While in the emergency room, after being diagnosed with a pinched nerve, her blood pressure rose and the staff doctor decided to admit her and put her on this horrible drug! He started her out with 100mg 2 times a day. My grandmother went from her usual calm perfectly sane self to a combative, babbling, lunatic within 6 hours of her first dose! It scared my aunt so bad that she started calling everyone to come say goodbye while there was still a chance that grandma would recognize us! I just knew that there was no way my completely lucid grandmother could go into dementia overnight so I told her to find out if the doctors had administered a new medication since they admitted her. They had and it was toprol XL. The stupid doctor tried to tell us that her behavior was related to a very low dose of prednisone that she taking for 2 years. We immediately demanded that the toprol be stopped and within 8 hours she started to return to us. She had spastic tremors, severe dementia, hallucinations, shallow breathing, agitation(went from laughing to combative in the space of 10 minutes!), dehydration, very frequent urination, extreme mood swings, brain fog/confusion, eyesight and hearing loss, her tongue swelled up, and her eyes were rolling back. It has been 36 hours since her last 100 mg dose and she is still fading in and out. We pulled her out of the hospital and brought her home today where the side effects have decreased but continue none the less. Since 11 this morning she has had bouts of not recognizing her own home and asking us to do things like take things out of the oven that she said she put in it, which of course she had not. I am praying to God that this medicine does not leave permanent damage. My grandmother is an unusual case for mental soundness at her age and it would be so unfair for that to be stolen away from her because of some stupid medicine that she was not only forced to take but over dosed with as well! DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICINE WITHOUT RESEARCHING IT THOROUGHLY!

First of all, a big thanks to all of you who have shared your experiences. I am a biochemist, with a background in pharmaceutical research...I chose the Mirena IUD after careful consideration of it's active ingredient, Levonorgestrel. The side effect profile seemed pretty acceptable...until I started to experience nearly ALL of them...I am 33 years old and had the Mirena IUD placed in October of 2008 after the birth of my second child in June of 2008. The initial reaction was to be expected...cramping, a little spotting etc...nothing to be alarmed about. I still have yet to have a period (which I really don't miss so no problem there) I never gave a second thought to this until now...for the past month or so (coinciding with the weening process, since I have been nursing the entire time, I believe the side effects were not as noticeable) I have been experiencing the following (that may or may not be related to Mirena as my OBGYN has so adamantly pointed out, but after reviewing your posts I'm willing to bet they're connected) and are in order of occurrence: Major, but temporary, hair loss after 2 months or so; Major respiratory infection lingering over a month with difficulty breathing, tightness and pain in the chest at around 6 mos; And in the past month, several instances of motion-like sickness/ nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, major impatience/ mood swings, loss of appetite (pregnancy-like symptoms...yep, I was thinking man I'd be pretty pissed if I was that 0.01% pregnant statistic), and as of this past weekend, my first aurora migraine with tunnel vision and serious nausea and vomiting, to the point where I went to Urgent Care...who referred me to the ER...who wants to perform a battery of tests including a head CT. I have an appointment with a trusted GP tomorrow to discuss possible root causes...but it is to coincidental that so many women are experiencing these same symptoms! I am certainly leaning towards having this removed. CAN THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE HAD THIS REMOVED PLEASE RESPOND IF YOUR SYMPTOMS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED OR WERE RESOLVED!!! THANK YOU!
These side effects seem to go well beyond a 5% rate of incidence according to all of you who have reported. I will investigate further and keep everyone posted. As someone who is highly experienced in the pharmaceutical industry, you bet your a$$ I'm going to get to the bottom of this! Good luck ladies!

My girlfriend has been taking Quasense for 6 weeks now. She went on it because her period was all whacked out. The first couple of days I noticed the Extreme Mood swings, and Severe Nausea in the morning. The Nausea went away after a week or so. She complained of being dizzy is uncomfortable with the acne she is getting and weight she has gained. She is getting depressed and feeling tired all the time. We are busy people always doing something, But she just doesn't have the energy anymore. As the weeks went by her moods are getting worse and she is having extreme stomach cramps and began spotting. Which shouldn't be happening for another two months. This Pill sucks. I'm tired of seeing her in so much discomfort.

I am having mine removed next month. I've had it since October 2007. The Dr. made it seem like it was the best damn invention ever! I've had depression, sever anxiety (I am on Lexapro), low sex drive, EXTREME fatigue, extreme mood swings, about a 30 lb weight gain, the "butterfly" feeling in my stomach, minor hair loss, sleeplessness. i cannot WAIT to get this thing out of me! I feel so bad for my husband and kids, having to live with me since 2007 being like this!

I was recently diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and was hospitalized in March 2008 for pancreatitis - a reaction I had to Asacol. A week later I was discharged then went back to the hospital a day later for a severe flare-up. There, they started me on antibiotics and prednisone through an IV. When I left the hospital I started taking 40mg. The initial side affects were severe sweaty palms, racing heartbeat and dizziness. Within 2 weeks I started experiencing insomnia, acne, hair loss, extreme mood swings, depression, anxiety, and was OCD on top of the sweating to where the skin on my palms was starting to peel. It suddenly got out of control fast. I became suicidal - nearly attempted suicide twice. I was paranoid, had severe lack of concentration to the point that I felt cognitively delayed, couldn't do anything on my own, lacked emotion, and felt that I WAS crazy. Luckily my family was very supportive. During the second suicidal attempt they begged me to stay at a psychiatric hospital. I did and was there for about three days. A week later I was finally completely tapered off prednisone. Within 2 weeks I was completely normal and back to myself. My three months of hell was finally over. I tell myself I will never take prednisone ever again but the truth is it might be the only thing down the line that can save my life. I hate this drug and I don't recommend anyone take it unless it's the last option you have.

I was prescribed Dexpak for sudden severe pain in my back. The pain was gone the third day but the side effects of this drug are so horrible that I will never take it again. Besides the common steroid side effect of sleeplessness, on day 4 I started noticing vision problems, cloudiness of my eyes. On day 5 my taste was gone and my tongue felt like I had burned it with hot liquid. The tongue also started blistering. Then my legs started swelling so bad that my socks left about a 1" rim above my ankles. On day 8 I was done with this drug. 2 hours sleep per night, extreme mood swings, depression, heavy acid reflux and stomach pain, constant and excessive urination and incontinence, the skin on my hands extremely dry and cracking and the worst, my tongue and gums so swollen and painful that I could hardly eat right and decided to taper off early. I went 2 more days 2 - 1 and 1 - 1, then I quit. First steroid free day I awoke with a massive candida albicans outbreak under my breast about the size of a dinner plate. By the evening my knees were abnormally swollen and painful and I was scared to fall asleep because my heart was pounding like a hammer. Next day I was hardly able to get out of the bed. My hands were looking worse and I developed very painful bumps on the skin of my skalp. The slightest stroke of the hair brush hurt. All my leg joints were hurting, my face and eyes were swollen, I had pressure behind my eyes and sensitivity to light, and a debilitating headache. I felt so bad, that I thought I would die. Went to the doctor that evening just to hear that all these are side effects (which I was not told when starting this drug) and was released with Lasix for the excessive fluid and Candida medication and the order to have my eyes checked. I have taken steroids before but never ever experienced such serious side effects. Wished I had never started this and had rather dealt with the back pain then going through this cruel ordeal!

I have had this evil thing in since Sept. 2007. I have experienced extreme mood swings and the cramps have kept me from being able to go to work on a couple of occasions. Enough is enough and I went to the doctor today to have it removed. It couldn't be done because they cut the strings too short. Now I get to go to the hospital where yet another doctor can try to remove it. Using Mirena has been a horrible experience and I hope that once it is removed I will be myself again.

UGGG!!!! You all have helped clear up my confusion. I had my mirena put in July 2008. I didn't seem to have any adverse effects...at least not anything big enough to question the mirena. I had acne and a little weight gain, and then my knees started hurting. Then over the last month I started getting this stomach!!! It's huge!! I look 6 months pregnant. I also noticed that I was getting a lot of headaches, and extreme mood swings. Then it got harder and harder for me to read the TV from the couch. I was wondering last night if I should go get my eyes checked. I also find myself wondering who has taken over my body. I get all angry and mean!! I can't believe the stuff that comes out of my mouth, and my husband is looking at me like I've lost my mind. I feel thirsty all the time, and I have dry skin and chapped lips a lot. I've also experienced constipation, chest pain, pain in my right breast, extreme abdominal pain, like when you ovulate. After I got it in I bled for a month straight and I haven't bled since...not one period. I thought it was a perk, but now I feel so strange. It's like an out of body experience. I also struggle to find energy for anything, I'm tired all the time. I feel like I'm falling apart. I had to pay for the mirena out of pocket because it was the beginning of the fiscal year for our insurance, and so I(because of the expense) decided I should leave it in. I appreciate your comments, no amount of money is worth what I'm experiencing!

I have been taking FEMCON FE for about 3 weeks now. I feel very nauseous lately at night and I have noticed extreme mood swings as well as an increase in appetite.I attribute these side effects to this being a new substance that my body has not yet gotten used to. I was on Ortho-Tricyclen for 10 years. But after reading all of the other post, makes me think I should go back to Ortho.

I started taking this medication at the end of October for birth control because I thought it couldn't hurt to be taking something just in case. Immediately I began noticing changes in my mood. I was always short fused, had little patience with people, was easily frustrated and got emotional over the smallest things.I was sick to my stomach and had a hard time going to sleep. I stopped taking the pill after I completed all the white pills. I never took the brown pills because I had had it with the extreme mood swings and I figured I would start my period anyways. It has been almost three weeks and I have not gotten my period! I am seriously beginning to worry. Has anyone else been in my situation and stopped taking the medicine without getting their periods?

I have been on this pill for almost two years. After a pregnancy mishap on my last pill the doctor put me on this as it is more effective at preventing pregnancy in women who weigh more than 170 lbs. Well I have gained about 25 lbs on it over the past 2 years and can not lose it. I am constantly crampy and crabby and just overly emotional with extreme mood swings. I have not gotten a period in over a year and the doctor doesn't seem to think that is a problem. I too take multiple preg tests just to be sure. I am going to be going off this pill.

Well I don't know where to begin, I have been on this pill for almost a full year now. Before I started the pill I have very regular periods and starting with the first month on it I had issues. I began the pill to help control my cramps that made me feel like I was going to die and to help control my mood swings. Well I don't have the cramps anymore and my mood swings are about 50 times worse than they ever were before. Since starting this pill I feel like I'm bipolar and if I'm not having extreme mood swings I feel like I'm a zombie, I don't really care about anything and I don't want to do anything. And as for the sex drive, it is no where to be seen. Most days I don't even want my boyfriend to touch me. Another thing about this pill is it makes me feel extremely paranoid. For the first few month I had two periods a month and now most the time I don't have one at all (both these are frustrating). I'm also loosing my hair which has always been THICK since I was young. If you are on this pill have start have these side effects don't wait for a year, like me, go ahead and stop taking it.

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2003, have been treated with Asacol ever since, and was in remission for nearly 5 years. I flared in December of 2007, and had my first experience with prednisone; I was on 40 mg/day for nearly 6 months. I gained 35 pounds, got the moon face, double-chin, tummy fat, muscle aches, extreme mood swings, excruciating headaches, night sweats, and UNCONTROLLABLE hunger. I, too, noticed the sensitive teeth, and now I feel like my enamel is really thin...almost see-through. Anyway, I've been off prednisone for about 5 months. The moon face went away for the most part, but my cheeks still seem a little chubbier than before, and my double-chin is a lot smaller, but still there. I've lost about half the weight, but only after joining weight watchers and working out 6 days a week. I feel like I can't lose any more weight to save my life. Does anyone have any suggestions? I never struggled with weight prior to taking this stupid drug. I'd appreciate any input.

Well, I definitely would not ever recommend this pill....even to my worst enemy!! Yesterday was my last pill!! I have had extreme mood swings (crying for no reason), cramps, nausea, spotting & anxiety! I have been spotting for the past 2 days with today having it turn into an actual full blown period. I have read so many negative side effects from taking this bcp and most of the ones I've been reading are so similar to my story! I hope this helps with your decision to either discontinue the use of this brand of bcp or to switch to a different brand. For me, I was on Estrostep when I was 15yrs old to regulate my periods and would definitely recommend it. I would have tried this one again, but I couldn't remember it until yesterday when I was researching my side effects. Anyways, good luck to all of you! As for me, I am totally staying away from the pill in general! I figure, my body can just do it's thing and hopefully my cycles will straighten out on it's own.

After reading the comments posted here I was rather alarmed to say the least. I've never heard of this site before, but I'm really glad that I'm doing some research for my not have book project, otherwise I would not have stumbled across this site.
I had been prescribed Yasmin by my GP at the time, I remember asking about any side effects and was simply told nothing out of the ordinary to worry about. Now that I think back to that appointment what an absolute idiot I feel. I had been taking Yasmin for 5-6 months. I started noticing that something wasn't quite right coming into the third month.

I was experiencing being extremely insecure, suicidal thoughts, crying for no particular reason, extreme mood swings, irritable, anxiety, depression. head aches, socially withdrawn, lack of interest in sports and keeping fit, weight gain, lack of interest in life and violent behavioral outburst.

I had under gone several blood and urine test only to be told that everything was normal, and that I need a holiday - I was just stressed out. My poor Boyfriend, the crap that I would dump on him became unbearable. I couldn't help myself, I had no control over what was happening to me. I started to loathe my work environment and the work colleagues.

It was until my boyfriend and I had an all mighty king disagreement of all disagreements with me venting like Mt Versuvies and physically attacked one of my best friends that I had convinced myself there and then that I was having a nervous breakdown. My boyfriend and I where we were working decided to leave and for me to get medical attention once and for all. We both knew that something was wrong with me big time, but had no idea that this little pill would prove to be so deadly. That day was Monday the 1st of Sept. The day we decided that enough was enough and seek out medical attention.
First I got rid of my usual GP and found a much better switched on intoned female GP. My mother had first planted the suggestion in my head after hearing what I was experiencing. She said to me I think you have been poisoned and I want you to take along all the medication including women's multi vitamins along to your new GP and show her.

On consulting my new GP she too asked what the matter was, I therefore relayed my symptoms again and showed her all my medications and bingo she simply said it's the Yasmin pill that you have been taking that has been causing you all this grief. Just like that, but to be on the safe side she sends me off to more tests and she's right. So what to do about the poison in my body. I undertook a drastic change in lifestyle and dietary intake. Made a commitment with myself no working away in the bush until I have detoxed the toxic chemicals out of my body. Total vegetarian, fruit and vegetable juices 3 times a day, over 2 litres of water, 2 Tblspn castor oil and 2 Tblspn of olive oil daily. Colonic hydrotherapy every second day followed my endermologie sessions also - 3 a week. Daily yoga stretches, reading self help literature and researching this horrid pill. Oh course this isn't for everyone and can be quite costly - but now Sunday the 28th I glowing with improved health and well being. I above mentioned side effects have have most like magic disappeared from within.
The hardest thing accepting that I was doing this to myself and not knowing that I was poisoning myself. I hope everyone else out there that has been experiencing the same horrible side effects can find a solution to getting themselves back on track and finding that they will sparkle again if not brighter.
By MissFreeSpirit