Fourth year symptoms and conditions

I was prescribed Lexapro to deal with OCD, at 20 MG's a day. I took it for 3 1/2 years and going into the fourth year I was absolutely done with this medicine. Thinking about it now, I am surprised I stuck with it that long. While it did make me relax with the anxious feelings that were linked to my OCD, it pretty much made me not care about a lot of things. I think I could describe it as I would sort of detach from things I was doing. Also, weight gain was a huge side effect. When I decided to stop taking it, I stopped taking it all together and suffered from awful head aches, dizzy spells, and nausea, but I guess that's what happens after you have been on a medication for that long! It was over in about a week.

Dear reader I write this as a warning and as a way to seek help. I was put on Desogen when I was 23 years old. I was on this drug to control my periods. I suffered all of the side-effects. During my first year on this pill I fractured my foot.

Why mention my foot, because hormones effect our bones as well as everything else. During my second year I lose the hair on the right side on my head. Told this to my Gyn doctor and I was enored. All the while I suffering depression, insomnia, mood swings, weight gaine, and scalp hair loss.

Buy the fourth year on Desogen I changed my doctor. Who later put me on Loestrin. This wasn't any better I was now suffering night sweats along with everything else. While on all these hormones I was also taking high blood pressure medications which only made matters worse.

All in told I have been on hormones for six years. How I stopped was by accident. Meantime I was also taking pain killers for my foot which now had been broken for five years.

After coming off all these hormones my body when though an over haul. First thing was the lost off sexual function, then there was the loss of pubic hair, the shrinkage of my right breast and right buttocks, I had surgary on my left breast to remove a precanerous lump, and now just recently I have notice the shrinkage of my righ arm.

There's alot more to tell. If any doctor comes accross this article please reply. I need all the help I can get.

Hi Everyone,
I am a fourth year medical student and recently I started having horrible panic attacks, I feel like crying all the time and I actually feel depressed. I am a "hypochondriac" generally (I guess it comes with the territory of knowing about different diseases out there), but I have been feeling like I am going crazy. I started Yasmin in November of 2006 and I was fine for a few months. Lately, with stress at school and exams, I started feeling like I've just crumbled. I get anxiety/panic attacks (the latest one was at the movies), horrible heart palpitations, nausea, I am sweating, I can't sleep, I feel this knot in my stomach. It's horrible. I thought it was me cracking under pressure, but I was never like this before I started Yasmin. Recently, I was placed on an antidepressant because everyone assumed it was depression, but after reading this post, I really think it might be the pill. I got off it a week ago, so I hope I will see a difference. Thanks guys!!!

I began using the Nuva Ring four years ago after deciding I was too irresponsible to remember to take The Pill every day. 3 years ago, I started began getting the worst headaches I have ever had in my life, and my sex drive became non-existent. At the time, I decided it was stress-related. I had started school full-time, after taking three years off. In addition to the above side effects I was also slightly emotional and depressed. This continued for three years before I started to notice more changes.

Last December, I realized I had gained 15 lbs. Someone told me they saw it happen over a period of three months. I didn't really notice because I never weigh myself, I have been consistently the same weight for the past 10 years. When my clothes started getting really tight I got on the scale and was shocked. In February, my breasts started swelling to the point that I could not even hug someone without falling over in pain. In addition to this, I was experiencing breakthrough bleeding, which I have never had before. And once again, my sex drive hit the floor.

At the time, I figured it was because I had an impacted wisdom tooth pulled. It started with a tooth infection and then I had it removed, so I was on anti-biotics and pain killers for about 3 weeks. Combined with lack of good nutrition (I could only eat soup and milkshakes), I figured my body was having a hard time adjusting to the change in diet and the sudden surge of medication.

However, this continued the following month, and the one after that, and the one after that...... then I noticed that the breast swelling started about 5-7 days after inserting the Nuva Ring. Followed by that was the breakthrough bleeding. Coincidence? I think not. I then started thinking that maybe all the years of migraines may very well be related to the Nuva Ring.

I decided I was going to consider getting off birth control. I paid a visit to my GYN, and told her about my symptoms. What was her response? "Well, that is so strange, for this to happen 4 years later!" Really? I could have guessed that myself, don't you think? So what was her answer? "You might want to try a different birth control. Have you thought about the patch?" Actually, I'd rather be free of all of this stuff. So I guess what really pissed me off, was that she had no solid answer for me, and just wanted to throw me on something else. Thanks, Doc.

My plan was to continue BC until September, since I am taking a vacation in August and don't want any unpleasant changes in my cycle to ruin my trip. I picked up my new ring on Saturday, and brought it to work with me on Sunday since I had been running late. On the way to work, I get a call from my boyfriend. "Go pick up the New York Post and read the article called Birth Control Killed My Beloved."

So I pick up the paper and read the article. I was in complete shock. These women, young, healthy, and look what happened. I am 24, a smoker, a drinker, and rarely exercise. The only thought going through my head is how lucky I am to be alive and in decent health.

So I made the decision right then and there not to put my ring in. However, still being nervous about my vacation, I thought I would give a call to my GYN to see if she could prescribe me the patch until after my vacation. Before I did this, I googled this event, along with the 37 lawsuits that were filed against Nuva Ring two weeks ago, and found out THEY ARE ALL THE SAME. All of the birth controls. I am now officially off birth control, for the rest of my life. How I could be so oblivious to this, I have no idea.

It is now Monday, the day after I should have started my new cycle. I was hoping to feel like a million dollars, like I have read some women do, but instead I feel like crap. I am extremely moody and have a bad headache. I am hoping I will return to normal soon.

I have one thing to say to all of you: Every woman is different, and every BC is different, but if I were any of you, I would get off whatever you are taking NOW. It's too risky, and who knows what kind of side effects we may have down the road? It's not worth it!