Gi problems symptoms and conditions

Ive had the mirena for 4 months.My doctor thought it would help with my painful,heavy periods,well I been bleeding since and it just getting worse.I want to know if anyone has had stomach issues,like acid reflex,heartburn,gas,or just pain in your stomach.cuz im thinking I have a ulcer or is it this device????Lisa

I have been taking depo for about a year and half now and 3 months ago i started having horrible GI problems. I have gotten to a point where i can't eat or be away form the bathroom for more than 30 mins. i was put in the hospital and ran EVERY test possible for GI problems and every test showed nothing. my internal medicine doctor suggested going off the depo and see if it makes me feel better. so i plan on it but for now i have to let the deo run its course. after reading this website I found out that less than 1% can have the problems i have been having so i plan on going off it. so if you are on the depo shot and are having GI problems then depo may be the problem

Hi ladies,

I'm a 20 year old girl and I've been on Yasmin for just over a year now and it has hands down been the WORST YEAR OF MY LIFE. I started taking it for extreme menstrual cramps that would leave me screaming on the kitchen floor, curled up in a ball begging for the pain to stop. Yasmin fixed that, trust me it was like a miracle, and my acne on my face and back cleared up, another miracle.

Now the bad stuff. The first month was okay, because sometimes it takes time for the hormones to take affect. But I became severely depressed thereafter. It just started happening, crying all the time, hopeless, binge eating, gaining a lot of weight. And on top of that the GI problems, my stomach literally ballooned out to the size of a watermelon, and everything I ate irritated me. But a few months ago I became bulimic in a drastic attempt to get control back of my life, I hadn't even thought of the pill as the culprit up until this point. Keep in mind that I'm young, fit, have a great family, in school, there's no reason for my to be falling so low.
I started seeing a therapist, then a psychiatrist. I was this close to being put on antidepressants. And then something happened, my years worth prescription of Yasmin ran out so my OBGYN told the pharmacy to refill my prescription but with the generic brand, Ocella, that they had available which would only cost me 10 dollars a month with health insurance. Within four days I felt like my old self. Happy. I couldn't believe it. I went to a physician for tests and everything seemed normal, but after explaining to her my severe stomach problems she told me that it seemed like the pill induced me to become lactose intolerant. Wonderful!
So I started the second pack of Ocella a week ago and it all started happening again. The first month was fine again, but my body had caught up by now and even though I've cut dairy out, my stomach has ballooned up again and I have heartburn and indigestion no matter what I eat. Yesterday I felt insanely depressed, I binged, became insanely nauseous and threw up. I didn't leave the couch once. Now I know that it may sound like I need to reevaluate my problems, but I promise you, THIS IS NOT ME. I've realized that Ocella is exactly what it is, the generic version, and hence chemically the same as Yasmin, so the effects will mirror Yasmin's. MY OBGYN told me to finish the pack, and then I can come off them, and I cannot begin to explain how excited I am. I'm done with pills, and I'll find another way to deal with the pain.

Please, if you're taking birth control for something like acne, reconsider, it's not worth it. We are the experimental age. We can't ask our grandmothers what the long terms affects are. But if you must be on it and are feeling badly in any way, switch! You might find something better for you.

I am 20 years old and have been on Yaz for a year now. Before the Yaz I was on OrthoTriCylcen Lo for 3 years and tried a few others that didn't do well for me at other times. My Gyno prescribed me Yaz because I had heavy bleeding and intense pain every time my period comes, and I have been known to be very moody. I have a past medical history of heart problems and GI problems. My Gyno said Yaz could also help the anxiety from those issues. The first month into the Yaz I noticed horrible nausea, I couldn't eat anything, major stomach pain, headaches, very lethargic, back pain, leg pain, and increased anxiety. I went back to my Gyno about a week later because my pain was so bad and my bleeding was heavier and MORE painful. She said to give it a few months so my body can adapt and everything will be better. She then said that my other side effects (like nausea and back pain and anxiety) were unrelated and I needed to see my primary care physician. My mom told me to stop using the Yaz, but I decided I wanted to keep trying it. So no I see my primary physician once a month because I am so "sick." I am on like 10,000 meds to try and help everything. Even he doesn't think it could be the Yaz. There are days where my pain levels are so high that I cannot sleep or get out of bed. I have had blood work, MRIs, Sonograms, Colonoscopys, Ultrasounds, etc.. I am so tired of this. At this point I feel like the doctors think i'm a hypochondriac. I have an apt to see my gyno again (for the 5th time), i'm printing out this page and showing her i'm not crazy!

I have been on Topamax for 2 1/2 years at 250mg for migraines and have decided to get off because of side effects. I have had all mentioned: mood swings, dehydration, not sweating,tingling, dizziness, loss for words, short term memory loss,numbness, fatigue, GI problems, anorexic weight loss,rage... And this all began from the starting 25mg dose!
The migraines decreased from 24 a month to 12, at best down to 6 or 7, but I seemed to hit a plateau then back to 15.
I saw three different doctors and all wanted to simply increase the Topamax or add another med (Depakote, beta blocker, etc.)
Finally, I found that a problem with my neck may be causing the headaches and treating that has reduced them enough for me to try and get off the Topamax. I still rely on the Relpax to get me through the bad days, but I'm hoping I can get free of the Topamax for good!
I just encourage anyone thinking of starting Topamax to investigate all possible migraine causes before starting!! Topamax doesn't cure the migraine, it only blocks the pain! And the side effects are not worth it if you can find another way to alleviate the problem!

I started taking Doxy 100 mg July 2007 for the first time. At first I didn't link my side effects to the pills but after a break from taking it and started up again I finally out two and two together. First, it upset my stomach BIG time immediately after starting on it. I felt bloated and everything I ate upset my stomach--as the result of this I lost about eight pounds from just not eating anymore. I even went to see a GI doctor about my stomach problems! Who recommended I eat more fiber and get more exercise (I told her about all the meds I was on)! I also got sudden and very severe headaches, but the worst side effect of all is the extreme mood swings I had. I think I was going crazy and this almost ended my marriage...all of a sudden I developed low self esteem, constantly thinking I was worthless, fighting with my husband over the stupidest things and even contemplating suicide during the worst spells. I couldn't figure out why the sudden change- at first I thought it was the tough Chicago winter, since I am originally from a much warmer climate, because by this time I had been on doxy for about five months.
I was prescribed the medication to help clear up moderate acne on my back and my dermatologist gave me the prescription for a year, but never said come see me in a month, two months, etc to see how you;re doing. I am so glad that I stopped taking it in February 2008 --- my moods suddenly got better, I was myself again, I started eating again, my GI problems disappeared...and then...in April I started taking it again because with summer coming up again I wanted my acne to clear up- BIG MISTAKE! Within days of starting again my stomach started being upset all the time regardless of what I ate. After the first month I was feeling depressed again, hating myself and not knowing why--this is when i finally figured it out...and decided to stop...I'd rather have pimples on my back than feel the way this medication make me feel, which is pretty much miserable!

Hi, all. I'm 30 and have been taking Yasmin since Oct. 2006. Yesterday, I finally went to my OB/GYN and asked to take me off it. I can't believe it's taken me so long to realize it was the cause of my many health problems.

Like others have said, I've had many side effects but never connected any of them to Yasmin - until a friend was thinking about using it and told me she'd read it had bad side effects such as mood and GI problems. Once she said this, everything clicked.

Immediately after starting Yasmin, I started gaining weight and had terrible depression. Crying ALL the time. I thought both were because I had started a new job that was very stressful, and I've had struggled with depression my whole life. But this was severe enough that I've had thoughts of suicide and my actions really worried my husband. I asked my doctor to increase my Prozac dosage.

In June 2007, I started having migraines. The first one was so bad that my husband took me to the ER and had me get a CAT scan. It was clear, but the migraines have continued about once a month since then. I've been prescribed Maxalt for when they occur.

Also in 2007, I started having GI problems, especially bloating, cramps, heartburn, gas, and quick-onset diarrhea. The diarrhea got so bad, I'd have to leave parties, work, etc. One day, I didn't make it to the bathroom in time (thankfully, I was at home), was in tears, and my hubby said to see a GI doctor. I got the full workup, including a colonoscopy, which was clear.

In 2008, I started having Restless Legs Syndrome and extreme fatigue. It'd get tingles/pain in my calves when watching TV, in movies, on airplanes, and when asleep. I would sleep 12 hours and still be exhausted. I'd go to bed at 7 or 8 p.m. Finally, I had a sleep study in March 2008 and was diagnosed with RLS and was prescribed Klonopin.

This spring, I've had terrible sinus problems and headaches. I've had allergies before, but never this bad. My Allegra isn't working anymore. I have incredible post-nasal drip and sneezing. Go through Kleenex like crazy. My doctor prescribed Nasonex.

And finally, since Oct. 2006, I've gained about 60 pounds while on Yasmin. I chalked it up to stress from a new job and planning a wedding. Yes, I gained weight WHILE I was engaged. In the time between buying my wedding dress and my wedding, I gained so much weight that my dress had to be let out. I thought it was because of stress, not exercising and a poor diet - but now I realize it shouldn't have caused me to gain THAT much weight. I've continued to gain weight since I've been married.

Now that I put this all together, I realize I am on THREE NEW MEDICATIONS, increased my Prozac, had a colonoscopy, a sleep study, and a CAT scan, and gained 60 pounds ALL since I started Yasmin.

And aside from the medical problems and prescriptions, my lifestyle has changed and I use many over-the-counter drugs. Of course, I'm overweight. I use antacids about 5X a week for heartburn, simethicone about 3X a week for gas, Advil about 2X a week for headaches, sleep all the time, have unusually strong depression, still have diarrhea, and have terrible sinus/runny nose constantly.

I feel so stupid that I never connected the dots. And I realize as I'm typing this that I sound like a hypochondriac because of all my drugs and doctor visits! Most of all, I'm outraged, and truthfully, very sad, that I got married at a very heavy weight because of Yasmin.

I'll post again in a couple of weeks to let you know how I'm feeling off Yasmin. I pray it's much better. Thanks for this forum to share our experiences.

-Katie

I am a 54 year old male who has a chronic a-fib. My cholesterol was a wee bit high so my now retired MD put me on Zetia, which just about killed me- constant stomach pains and associated GI problems-we all can guess. So I went to see my cardiologist- he took me off Zetia and put me on Lipitor. It dropped my cholesterol levels significantly but the side effects are horrendous. My new MD was gooing to look into it because I was on 80 mg a day- but never did and never lowered the dose-229 is not all that high to warrant 80 mg a day.
I am now experiencing severe pain in my right rib-cage area, making sleep an event every night. Also have severe leg cramps the size of golf balls constanlty at night while sleeping. Pain in both elbows, and in the right foot, which when I can sleep wakes me up with a severe pounding pain. I am also experiencing severe neck and shoulder pain and am generally fatigued all the time- So I quit taking the stuff as of today on my own, I am seeing my MD in two week and I want to see what the difference is pain wise being off of the med for two weeks. I have always been a strong physical guy, played football all the way through college and am in pretty good shape for my age, but this stuff is killing me!! Hope this helps someone else also-Thanks for listening-John in Napa, CA.

I am a 33 year old female with two children. I was diagnosed with Endometriosis in Sept 2001, two months after my wedding. My doctor treated the best he could without hurting my chances of having children. After my family was finished he suggested Lupron. We had several meetings and much material before I deceied to take Lupron. I had a choice try the shot or have a hysterectomy. I choose the shot. I had a sever fall right before taking the shot and had major concusion. So when I went to the doctor with problem the lupron shot was over look and things going on blamed on my fall. However 11 months later I have found out different. I started Lupron in Oct 2006 and had hot flashes and some mood swings but it was well worth it not to be in pain 24/7 with the endo. However I was having headaches and joint pain but it was blamed on my fall.
I had memory problem at work that keep me from doing my job properly however it was blamed on my fall. I am sure the fall had something to do with it but I know the Lupron did also. Now 11 months later I am learning different.
I have a microadmea in my pitubitary gland, 3mm tumor. It is not cancer. However I have learned my shot is to blame. Granted this is in 1% of patients who take the drug. I have had major memory problems, depression, anxitoy, nervousness, hot flashes, cold sweats, major headaches, joint pain, general pain, hair loss, insomia, heart paputations, tacardia, lack of skin tanning, mood swings, endmea, tingling in hands and feet, gi problems, brusing easily, and many more things.
The lupron did what it said it would about my endo pain. It went away.
Now because of what was learning about my reactions to the drug and add back therpy my doctor took me off everything. It is horrible. It can take a long time for the side effect to go away from taking the drug but you have side effects from getting off the drugs too. I am getting a double dose and feel as though I am loosing my mind. My 4 year old asked me something three or four time and the last time she asked mom you need to do something with your head and get it together I am tired of telling you the same thing over. I hate my family is sufferieng. I will hae a hysterectomy in late Oct or early Nov, I am just waiting for the meds to get out where my system will be clear.
I am ready for my life to be back to normal. I am hoping the memory problems and pain will clear up soon however from my readings it could take some time. I want to be able to take care of my family again and know I did it well.

Has anyone on Lisinopril experienced upper GI problems such as Achalasia, trouble eating, reflux, or getting food 'stuck' in the esophagus?
My wife has lost 50 lbs in a year due to inability to eat from what was initially diagnosed as Achalasia (rare disease that affects the operation of the muscles in the esophagus and/or lower esophageal sphincter at the top of the stomach). However, Botox injections in the LES provided little relief which is not typical for Achalasia patients. She tests negative for Barrett's Syndrome and any form of Connective Tissue Disease (or arthritis).
My MD recently put me on Lisinopril (another horror story); while I was researching the drug, I noticed that it could cause muscle weakness. My wife backtracked the date that she was put on Lisinopril and it coincided with the onset of her GI problems. While monitoring her BP several times a day, she has cut back to 1/2 dose and has shown a marked improvement in the last 10 days. (It is too early to say with certainty that Lisinopril is causing the GI problems.)
Has anyone experienced similar problems?

Resumed taking 81 mg of aspirin as recommended by the Dr after a minor MI three years ago. Just realized that the same symptoms I had with shortness of breath and weakness I had experienced then until I stopped at the time after a year on the aspirin because I was tired of the bruising and upper GI problems and vision disturbance, the aspirin is probably the culprit of my extreme shortness of breath also! I ran out of or forgot to load my weekly vitamin containers with the aspirin I started using just two days ago and have experienced much relief from the extreme breathlessness! I am going to conduct an experiment and go back on the aspirin in a couple of days to see if my hunch is right, I think this may be an answer to prayer for me as I was on the verge several times of calling my Dr the last few days it was so severe.

Update after stopping Singulair. I stopped taking the drug on March 7th due to sleep disturbances (vivid dreams), depression (constant impending doom and thoughts of death), gastrointestinal disturbance - diarrhea, cramping on lower left side, general IBS symptoms. Following discontinuance, the depression has lessened, not currently to the point where I am the same person as I was (never suffered depression). Sleep has returned to normal, but find days when I become very tired after 5 hours and still go to bed early. This is not every day, some days cannot sleep, others are easy. GI problems became moreso after stopping. Went to the doctor who is doing a colonoscopy next week, I am overdue but the cramping, indigestion and roving abdominal pain bacame worse the first week following cessation and are now subsiding.

I wish I were one of the majority who could take this drug, but unfortunatly am not. Hopefully all negative side effects will be gone in the next few weeks, just hard to believe it did so much to me.

Hi guest 37939,

I wanted to let you know that a lot of the women including me have also had positive effects while on Yasmin.

The problem lies when one gets OFF of Yasmin. I got off of Yasmin 9 months ago with so much misery and illness. GI problems, thyroid problems, anxiety attacks, etc....

I am thinking that while on Yasmin my body enjoyed the estrogenic like environment that Yasmin induced. However, after totally stopping Yasmin, my body refused to cooperate and revert back to it's more testeronic environment.

So wishing you luck that you do not suffer when you too one day decide to get off Yasmin. Whatever you do, do not get off midpack as that is the absolute worse thing to do.

hi jillybean. good luck with the diet i hope it goes well for you. i have tried the 5-htp as i heard it could be beneficial for depression/anxiety. I only took it for a few days as i have IBS and it gave me 4 days worth of stomach cramps and diarreah, i also found that if i took it at night it gave me really vivid dreams. bad effects aside i did feel calmer taking it but it was just no good for me as i have a sensitive tummy. i only add this as i know a lot of us run out and buy anything in the hope that it will help (i know i have spent a fortune on herbal supplements in the last year!) i'm not saying don't try it but on some web sites it does not recommend it if you have a history of bowel or GI problems,i only found this out after i starting getting stomach cramps! for those of you taking low dose anti-depressants it could be worth trying if you want to get off the prescription meds.there have been some really good reports about 5-htp working just as well as some AD's.
(no not take this whilst taking anti-depressants,it may be worth checking with your health care provider to make sure you are ok to take it and that it will not interact with any other meds you may be on.)

keep fighting the good fight ladies and remember what doesn't kill us makes us stronger!

I had been on Yasmin for 1 yr/1.5 yrs. I just stopped taking it about 3 weeks ago due to horrible side effects. In the first 3 months I had the dizziness, mental confusion, vertigo,etc. I told my OB and she just said to take it at a different time of day. I did and seemed to be ok.

However, then the next set of side effects came into play! The horrible GI problems! I'm talking about the severe nausea (like motion sickness that just doesn't go away no matter what you eat or how many antacids you take), bloating, horrible abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and the smell of food makes you sick. I went to a GI specialist and had the whole series done, barium upper GI series, ultrasound, HIDA scan (my gallbladder was only functioning at 24%!), and a gastric endoscopy. They diagnosed me with esophagitis and gastritis due to the lesions/ulcers in my throat and stomach. I've been on Nexium for over 2 months and was still having problems. My GI specialist was great and told me that she was not convinced that it was my gallbladder causing all of the problems. I could tell that she was racking her brain trying to figure this all out!! Nothing was making sense.

That's when I started doing my own research. This is the only medication that I take! I thankfully came across this site and saw the responses of other women who had my symptoms and worse. I stopped Yasmin the next day and switched back to Loestrin. I had switched to Yasmin due to insurance and the recommendation of my OB.

I have been getting better every day but have to get Vit B12 shots once a month and now have too much potassium in my system (hyperkalemia). I drink a ton of water each day especially when it is "a bad day" and I'm on a low potassium diet. Each day I get stronger and am able to exercise (not just get through the day!) and feel more like myself, young 34, active, sexy and happy to be alive! My heart goes out to all of you and hope that you are all getting better and getting the help that you need to get better.
Well wishes to all!
B

I wanted to give you an update. I wrote on this forum about a year ago. I have been off yasmine for 15 months, it has taken this long to be just about totally back to normal. I am 48 years old, still menstruating, but yasmine had hit me in a particuarly bad way.

In that, I mean, after two years of being on the pill it triggered Inflammatory bowel disease, IBS, terrible GI problems, and worst of all panic attacks and anxiety. At first, getting off of yasmine made it all worse, for about 3 months, but then gradually it began to get better each month.

But it has taken all of these 15 months for me to finally report a very normal menstrual cycle, normal PMS, bad periods (but that is welcome, it tells me everything is like it as before), a normal sex drive, and normal gastro intestinal function. The only thing that still lingers is anxiety in the couple of days preceeding ovulation and a few days preceeding my period. This anxiety is worse than it was in my pre-yasmine days, but nothing compared to how it was when I was on the pill.

All I can say, is for those of you that have stopped taking it, be patient. Eventually you too will feel back to your old selves. For those of you who are still taking it, be wary of any odd symptoms, especially anxiety and GI symptoms. I have filed a report with the FDA, as I believe this is a very dangerous drug that was approved too soon, and all of us have been guinea pigs for the pharmaceutical industry. Good luck to all the other recovering victims. If you are off it, you will eventally be OK>

Major headaches, anxiety/depression (to where I had to see a therapist), very dizzy and blurred vision and inability to concentrate, stomach bloating and GI problems. No cramps (yet)! I just finished my first cycle of Yasmin after being off BCP for 6 months (was on Allese). I had heard that Yasmin was so great hence the reason I tried it. I have never experienced these neuropsychological symptoms before and was convinced I was going crazy until I saw this website. I thought I would just give the Yasmin another month to see if my body would adapt. I also have really watery, excessive discharge during intercourse?? What's that about? Does anyone share that symptom? email: amberae_n@yahoo.com