Extreme weight symptoms and conditions

I was diagnosed 16 years ago with portal vein thrombosis which is a blood clot deep in the liver. Taking Coumadin or warfarin is not an option for me it is a necessity to live. I experienced headaches and depression early on which I did not connect to the drug because of the trauma I had been through. The symptoms have come on over the years and seem to be worsening. I am experiencing severe joint and muscle pain, cramps in my legs and hands, extreme weight gain, severe water retention ( I take 3 kinds of water pills a day), extreme fatigue, insomnia, heart valve problems, memory loss and have recently found out I have developed severe osteoporosis in the last 10 months. I have recently undergone tests for auto immune disease, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis which all came back negative. I am 42 and feel like I'm 72. I keep asking the doctors if these symptoms are related to the long term use of the drug and they say it is unlikely. I currently take pain killers to manage the pain so that I can function daily. I take 5 mg and 7 1/2 mg alternately and keep my INR around 3.0 to 3.2 and am very stable. After reading these postings I am even more convinced it is the drug. Is there anyone out there that has been these drugs as long as I have and if so, what are your side effects?

Ok, I have PCOS and had the Mirena put in 3 months after the birth of my last child in 2004 and thought it was great. No more fluctuations never knowing when or if I was getting a period...I just never had one, have not had one in 5 years years. The strings disappeared several years ago, had an U/S and they said it was still in place. I have had zero libido in that time, terrible mood swings, fluctuating weight and depression, thyroid problems, etc etc, all put down to depression. Well 6 months ago the headaches started, the vertigo... the ensuing DR trips have turned up an abnormal brain MRI and not much else no one has thought to think of the IUD. The MRI shows possible demyelination, vasculitis or sequelae to migraines...these are little white spots in my brain. If I find out these things are caused by this IUD there will be hell to pay. I am due to have it removed at the 5 yr mark in November..... I guess dig it out if they can find the strings. Will be interested to hear comments on this.

I have been on Yasmin now for around 7-8 months and am shocked at the responses that I have heard. Now that I have read into this I have had similar experiences with this pill - I have been on countless contraceptive pills since 15years and am now 25yrs and heard this was one of the best pills advised by my GP but one of the more expensive ones so were reluctant to put me on it!- previous problems, migraines, high blood pressure, weight gain and extreme IBS and spots but this pill apparently would cure this!

I have always had problems with being on the pill as they make my period pains worsen, cramps, extreme IBS however when I am off the pill I don't experience these symptoms - Does anyone experience the same?????

Have been to doctors several times with pains in my abdomen,chest and had to go to hospital to get this checked several times and got scans all normal no problems - i wonder if this pill has anything to do with this?????

Since being on Yasmin have noticed changes such as depression and feelings of extreme loneliness, feeling not so great in myself even thou my fiance tells me every day am gorjus, mood swings, wanting to burst out crying, headaches, extreme tiredness all day every day, and most recently extreme weight gain to my stomach is this normal am healthy eating and started exercising more to help but seems to be getting worse?????

It's really getting me down and am in the middle of planning my wedding and find myself not being excited or getting annoyed but it should be the happiest times planning my wedding. Advice..........????

Extreme weight gain and bleeding that wouldn't stop! I did not sign up for this!!!!!!

i have read a lot of these posts 7 its kinda freaked me out b/c im currently taking loestrin & i jus finished my 1st pack. i have light to heavy spotting everyday. i know most females wil began 2 spot 1st when they are taking a birth control that can decrease your period. i also feel moody & sort of depressed but i feel other things in my life are causing that. my cramps aren't as ad as when im not on bc. my breast are tender to but no acne, acne has never been a problem for me, thank god!lol. ut the only think that really bothers me is the constant spotting! i was on the shot, depo-provera for 2 yrs. straight. u get the shot once every 3 months. i spotted at first for like a month & then it began 2 decrease & my period stopped all together but still had increase breast size, extreme weight gain, cramps(not unbearable ones), & the worst migraines. these are jus typical side effects of birth control. i liked the depo shot cuz i didn't have a period or had 2 remember 2 take a pill everyday but the side effects are probably not worth that bargain. the any birth control especially the shot that stops your period & you take it for years straight can make you sterile i have a cousin who had a few miscarriages b/c of it b/c the shot might not ware of from a month to a year causing sterility. the shot also can cause bone density. im just so fed up w/ irth control b/c they all have a bad side effect. i hope they can invent something w/ way less side effects because the negative out ways the positives with most if not all birth controls but i guess im gonna try loestrin for a while before i give up on it.

I had my mirena placed in march of 07 for heavy periods. It has been a little over 2 years. I have most of the same side effects as everyone else headaches, Extreme weight gain, fatigue and back pain. I also have not missed a period the whole time on mirena in fact it has not even helped a bit with the heavy bleeding and clotting.

I made an appointment to have my mirena removed on April 29th. I had a regular pap appointment then when it was time to remove the Mirena my Dr. could not find it. I was scheduled for an ultrasound the next day and they were able to find my mirena at the bottom of my uterus near the cervix opening. I was then scheduled tthe next day to try again to remove it. This process was40 minutes of torture and to no avil. Four days later I was back into try once more again nothing I am now scheduled for Surgery on June 1st to have the Mirena removed, do a biopsy to make sure everything is okay and to have the NovaSure procedure done to stop my Periods.

I will post once I have had everything done. This has just been a nightmare!!

After being on YAZ for about 7 months and realizing how it was harmin my mind and body, my doctor told me to stop taking it immediately, even though it was mid-cycle. he put me on Loestrin24fe because "there has been a much higher success rate with a lower dose of estrogen" NOT IN MY CASE!

i started taking it on a Tuesday, it is now the following Monday and i have already experienced:
harsh aches and pains throughout my body, unbelievable mood swings from cryin until my eyes hurt for NO reason to sitting and talking calmly within 5 minutes of each other, once again a complete lack of sex drive which i *just* recovered from with YAZ, not being able to eat yet having extreme weight gain??? my stomach is completely round when i have had a 6pack for my entire adult life and my jeans will not get past my thighs anymore, my skin and hair are oily and i have broken out worse than i did when i was a teenager ...

and the BEST one yet! Severe Panic Attacks during the night to the point where i am terrified to sleep because of waking up hysterical and actually "feeling" my dreams. i woke up from a nap yesterday crying uncontrollably because i was convinced i snapped my spine/neck because i dream it, felt it snap and HEARD it snap in my dream. it is all too real and i am on lack of sleep AND not eating for a few days.

Needless to say, i have stopped taking the pill as of last night. i am hoping to get back to normal in about a week because i clearly cannot function like this. I missed a gorgeous Easter day yesterday because i was having a low grade panic attack ALL day and couldn't eat or even talk to anyone.

i am not going to let another bc pill ruin my life this year. its not worth it but i must ask, where do i go from here? i am concerned about getting an IUD because my body seems to have every side effect possible with any type of birth control but i think the IUD is my only option besides complete abstinence.

I have been on Loestrin 24fe for the past three years. The first two years were great; no period since Dec 06, it's very rare that I have any spotting. Since June 2008, my health has gone down hill. I have had extreme weight gain (20 lbs), retaining fluid, fatigue,terrible migraines, memory has gotten poor, lack of concentration, depression has gotten worse, very very moody and will cry at the least little thing. I have also experience eye floaters and eye twitching. My dr. wants to change my BC to Yaz, but the horror stories are the same. At this point, I really don't know what to do. I have been on BC for 18 yrs total. When I first started taking Loestrin, it was wonderful.....up until last year. I am still taking it, not sure if I should switch to another type or totally go off of BC to give my body a rest.

I'm so glad I found this site. I have an IUD, but I have been talking Femcon FE for about 6 months because I had cysts on my ovaries which were making my life miserable. I have had countless yeast infections; I went to my general practitioner and she gave me antibiotics. They cleared up for about 2 weeks and then returned. When I don't have a yeast infection I still have discharge. I also have gained weight. It's only been about 5 lbs., but it's been all in my stomach. I exercise for 45 minutes every day and eat healthy, but I look like I'm in the early stages of pregnancy. I just finished my pack, and I'm never taking this again.

Hi - I was on advair for a couple of weeks after a horrible bout of asthmatic bronchitis. I now have this constant pressure under my rib cage that will not go away. I was wondering if any one else has experienced this while on or after stopping advair. Thanks and happy holidays!

Extreme weight gain during the past three years on ambien and ambien cr. Unfortunately this is the only medication that helps with my insomnia; I've tried a bunch of different prescriptions and over the counter sleep meds...

I have had extreme weight gain as well.

I am a 61 year old male and I have COPD with 40% loss in lung function. My allergist started me on Advair 250/50 a couple of years ago. As I was still having trouble with shortness of breath, my internist put me on Spiriva, also. Breathing got easier, but I was experiencing a number of symptoms.

The one that clued me into knowing something in the medicine was bothering me was bright red eyes. Also focus problems and blurry vision. My ophthalmologist found no reason for the eye condition. So I also looked at some other symptoms I had: Severe muscle cramping if any muscle was contracted; severe lower back pain after walking only 5 minutes; hoarseness; loss of voice; Extreme weight gain (55 pound in 1-1/2 years), all in my middle; bloating and tooth/gum problems that were nonexistent 2 years ago; BPH symptoms (poor urine stream, difficulty emptying and many nighttime bathroom visits with normal prostate & PSA tests). E.D.

Whoa! What’s going on here? So I began stopping all my drugs one at a time for one week. Just got to the Advair yesterday and my eyes have already almost returned to white. My hoarseness is almost gone. Was it the power of autosuggestion? Somehow, I don’t think so. This drug works, but one has to balance the side effects with the help it provides. I’m going to try just using my albuterol inhaler and stay off these steroids.

Good luck to you all!

Amber here again - It's been nearly 2 weeks since I've had my Mirena removed. I have stopped sweating as of about 3 days ago. I can even go on an extremely rigorous mt. bike ride, get home and still smell like deodorant. This is unheard of (since Sept 2006). My stomach feels like a deflated balloon. I still weigh more than normal but it's coming off without hardly any effort. Slowly, but surely. I've even been eating Easter candy. Its unreal. Just now I was feeling my back, just in passing kind of massaging my neck and I noticed how unbelievably smooth my back is. No bumps or blackheads, just silky smooth... unreal.
I am so freaking pissed at the medical community I could SPIT. I am documenting all of my symptoms to report to the government website for drug side effects. I can't BELIEVE my doctor (both of them) told me I was nuts for thinking this was all due to Mirena. OH MY GOD I guess it's all just a COINCIDENCE. Give me a break.
I don't trust MD's any farther than I can throw them anymore. I know they have a huge education but they sure are f-ing retarded.

I am still on my anti depressants due to weaning problems so I can't report on the f-cked up mood swings yet... but soon.. I will be back!

I have PCOD and I have been advised to try Yasmin to try and stop ovulating because I get cysts so bad. I switched from ortho to Yasmin about 2 mnts ago, I am on my second pack and just recently, last week, I was rushed to the E.R. My husband had to literally carry me because I could not walk. At the time I was exercising because I have also put on extreme weight very fast, almost 10 lbs since starting this pill. Well the x-rays on my knees did not show I had anything wrong and I was literally bed bound, I am a medical asst so I know my body well and I have had some medical background to know maybe this pill is causing the knee problems, I researched it and found this site among many others. Thank god you ladies shared so others could come away from this before it was yrs as some of you have suffered. Can anyone tell me how long after you stop taking Yasmin do your problems go away, meaning I guess when I can walk again, I am on Celebrex now because of this dam pill.

I was a size two before Yaz, my appetite increased and I went to a size 12. I had no idea what was going on, I was always hungry and irritable. If my boyfriend left for work I would cry or if I didn't get my way I would throw temper tantrums. I would feel extreme nausea and migraines. I totally disregarded this, because it did make my period lighter. When I am not on birth control I have severe cramps and nausea. It is just something you have to ask yourself. cramps for a week, or extreme weight gain with the risk of heart disease and such. I took it for 5mos. and then I quit. my breast size went down 3 cup sizes and my weight is going back to normal without any physical activity. I feel happier, I have more energy, and I am not as hungry anymore.

PLEASE READ BEFORE TAKING LUPRON DEPOT:
Hey there, I just thought I would add my experiences with the drug for everyone. I am a 25 year old with stage IV endo. I have already done a Laparoscopy and removed some of my endo. Started the Lupron on a six month treatment. My doctor said I would probably lose my period in a couple of months... well, I was due for my period two weeks after first shot and I didn't get it. I didn't have a period from then on.

This drug is great for only one thing: pain removal. It's been great for this aspect. I was in SO much pain that it was unbearable, but the Lupron Depot shots REALLY helped with this. No pain whatsoever.

HOWEVER:
Side effects: Wow...these are extreme!

WEIGHT GAIN:
Now, I am a very healthy person. I was a college cheerleader and in shape. I eat well and exercise very regularly. This did not help one bit after taking the shots! Within six months I have put on 30 pounds!!! And this is even though I am still exercising more than ever and eating amazingly! It just doesn't seem to matter.

HOT FLASHES:
My hot flashes are severe. I carry a fan with me everywhere I go--and use it all the time. They can come on me so sudden. Sometimes they are based on emotions (e.g. if I get nervous or excited or sad...they come on really strong).

NIGHT SWEATS:
Um, yeah...it's gross. I keep a fan on my face, the window open, barely any clothes on, no covers...and I still sweat!!!!!

INSOMNIA:
I have not had too many good night sleeps since I started the shots. I will say though that as long as I am kept cool through the night then I have a better chance of sleeping well

NAUSEA:
It's strange, but I never get nauseous...not even from motion sickness, but I have been starting on the last shot of the treatment. It was so bad that I would throw up!

One last thing, I tend to have a messed up equilibrium a bit. Seriously, I find myself walking crooked all the time!

On a whole the best I can say is that this drug makes you feel like it's not really your body. I kind of feel like my body has the flu or something.....it just feels weird and strange all the time. You can tell your body is all screwed up.

Other than that I haven't had anything else.

This drug is GREAT for pain removal and it's also nice to not deal with a period for a while, but the other side effects are so horrible that I would rather deal with the pain.

I just pray that the weight I gained will come off after the estrogen returns to my body....

I had my Mirena IUD put in about February 2006 after I had my second daughter. A friend told me how nice it was to just put it in and forget it since I had a hard time remembering to take the pill, and the patch was awful for me. Not even a month after getting my IUD in I started experiencing a lot of problems. Stomach pains all of the time, extreme weight gain, above and beyond what I had gained and lost from the pregnancy. I visited my regular doctor many times in the search to find what was wrong, and also visited the ER a few times and after many tests, ultrasounds, and blood work, they couldn't find a thing wrong with me. The most they've ever found is a little low potassium, which I solved with a banana. Not too long after that, I started experiencing leg and back cramps and my legs, arms, feet all started going numb on a regular basis. Now, all this time later- I will wake up in the middle of the night with my arms and legs having no feeling at all, not even be able to move my body. I have again, seen my doctor over 100 hundred times since February 2006, complaining of pains and everything else that I've experienced- for check ups and tests, and have gotten nowhere. My doctor has claimed that my IUD would not be a cause. I have also seen my OB-GYN and had him check my IUD, but the first time I went to visit him about it, he couldn't find my IUD and I had to get an ultrasound done to find the IUD, after the ultrasound - they told me it was right inside my uterus and there were no problems. Both of my doctors have denied that the IUD could cause problems like this and I am sick of it. I decided to get my IUD out because my husband and I are going to try for our third child. I didn't think to look up anything on the IUD until I looked up information about removing it and what the process included. That is when I found this site. I am having my IUD out on Sept 5th and hope that my problems will stop and go away. I will keep you all posted as to whether or not I can actually have another baby, and whether or not my problems go away.

extreme weight gain... has anyone else experienced this?

i had the coil fitted feb.28,2006. since then i have expierienced horrible pelvic pain,extreme weight gain,bloating,nausea,stomach pains,acne on chest and back,severe back pain, leg pain and cold all the time,cold feet,dry eyes,anxiety,major loss of hair, no sex drive,bad mood swings,no period, no energy,im tired all the time with horrible depression, sore breasts ,horrible headaches,blurred vision,bad discharge, terrible acne, and horrible cramps. this iud is a terrible device and isnt meant for most women. the only good thing about the iud is that you wont get pregnant. i am making an appointment to have it removed. it has almost ruined my relationship with my fiancee of ten years. horrible little thing. wouldnt recommend it to anyone.i have to take nerve meds bcause of this iud.do not recommend.

I have been on prednisone for just over a week at 40 mg for Crohn's Disease. I have been experiencing constant body tremors, exhaustion, restlessness, the inability to focus, depression to the point of being suidical, mood swings, muscle aches and pains, extra stomach pain (not from the Crohn's), as well as the usual side effects, like enlarged appetite. I am only 16, and when I was 10 or so, I was on Prednisone at 60 mg a day for about 6 months with out these side effects. When I was younger, I only experienced the "moon-face", "buffalo-hump" (a small lump that often forms on the back of the neck), extreme weight gain (50 pounds in a month or two), and extreme stretch marks.

I have been on and off of prednisone for the last 3 years- very high doses starting at 120 mg a day- the side effects are nightmarish- extreme weight gain, rashes, infections, moon face, mood swings- if there is a side effect i have had it. The good news is though the side effects are temporary and eventually the weight does come off. I have idiopathic anaphylaxis- also with known allergies to medicines, food and the enviroment. As much as I hate being on the drug- it has saved my life everytime- have faith things will get better- just surround yourself with a good support team-

I began using Advair in April of 2005 & now on Aug. 11th, 2006 I have gained a whopping 49 pounds. I have always been slightly overweight but now I am obese. I have paid close attention to my dietary habits & none have changed. My doctor even put me on a diet pill to see if this will help me & said she would check out the extreme weight gain warning I had in my packet from my pharmacist

My first time of taking Geodon was 20mg in the AM and I literally did not think I would make it through the day at work. I could barely keep my eyes open, my speech was slurred and I felt totally drunk! I decided it was better to take at nightime but I think I took it too late the first few times and was literally falling asleep at the wheel on the way to work. Thank God I am also on Adderall, a stimulant. Anyways, I finally realized that I must take this med at 8:30 PM (on work nights) and by 11 PM I can't keep my eyes open but I don't feel as tired in the morning and can function. I am now on 40mg for about 2 weeks now but feel very anxious by the afternoon...it feels kind of like I'm worried about something or waiting for something to happen but I don't know what. I can't stand this feeling but I talk to my Doc tomorrow. I hope it goes away. I tried Abilify but the side effects for that left me feel like something was crawling in my own skin and I couldn't sit still. That was probably the worse feeling ever. I just hope the anxiety with Geodon goes away in time because I feel out of options for meds. I've read that alot of the other Bi-polar meds side effects include extreme weight gain and I used to have an eating disorder and am afraid of that!

I am left literally with my mouth hanging all the way to the floor, after reading these posts. I started taking Yasmin in January of 2006 from the advise of a doctor after having to terminate a pregnancy due to medical problems. Since I've been on Yasmin I have had severe depression, extreme weight gain, suicidal thoughts, fatigue, and I just can't seem to concentrate on anything. I've also noticed I'm super emotional and moody and my appetite seems to have increase to alarming levels. I am literally afraid that this may have caused damage to my body. Can anybody else tell me if when they get their period while on Yasmin they get a lot of clots? I look forward to hearing from anybody who is going through the same ordeal.