Girlfriends symptoms and conditions

i got mirena put in April 1st of 2008, considering removal. At first i bled like crazy, extremely heavy flow for 18-20 days long. They did start to lighten up after about 5 months so I'll say September is when they did. It is now November 2008, so i haven't even had it for a year yet! The periods did lighten up tremendously and last about 5-10 days, however, they are never on schedule. Along with all that i have developed uncontrollable mood swings, SHARP, TIGHT CRAMPING that feels like my uterus has a charlie horse with a rake clawing me to death and a spam sensation that comes and goes around my cervix. Sometimes my body even acts like its pregnant!! One month i was lactating, the next month i had morning sickness and nausea. Plus bloating and gas that is so uncomfortable; all the gas has left me feeling those spasms in my rectum!!! Part of me thinks this is more nerve raking then a pregnancy. i have had more then 2 scares thinking i was pregnant because the way my body was acting. The latest thing is my energy levels are low, and my schedule has changed. I tend to sleep all day and have a mental fog all night to where i am exhausted but sleeping is impossible. MIRENA IS NOT AT ALL WHAT ITS CRACKED UP TO BE LADIES!!! *******

Girls, I thought I was going crazy until I started reading all of these posts on the side effects of Yasmin. I have been off and on different types of pills for 15 years and have NEVER experienced anything like this. My breasts hurt so badly I can't even touch them, I have gained weight, am bloated, EXHAUSTED and so moody and off sex that my husband doesn't know what to think anymore. All of this after only 12 days of this nightmare pill. My doctor and another gyno friend told me to "ride it out" until I finish the pack and go back on Yasminelle (I live in Europe, don't know if it exists in the States), which I was on until last month. I cannot fathom taking this for another 10 days but am also worried about stopping a pill mid-cycle.

I have found all of this so surprising since I am quite healthy and have never experienced side effects from anything before (though it should be said that I have never taken tons of medication since I am rarely sick). I am also really active, always out and about, doing a million things at once and while I get tired like everyone else I am used to long, active days. Since I started this pill I have been going to sleep at 9.30pm and getting up at 7am!!!! And I'm still tired when I wake up!!!!

I have several girlfriends who have been taking Yasmin for years and absolutely love it, so I thought something was really wrong with me. I actually considered taking a pregnancy test though I think it's highly unlikely since I was on another pill last month and had a regular period two weeks ago.

I just can't wait for this all to be OVER. Something is wrong with this pill and my body.

Hi. I just had my mirena placed on Sept. 5th, 2008 (5 days ago). I decided to go with this after just giving birth to my 2nd daughter on July 21st, 2008. All my girlfriends have it and recommended it as well as my ob/gyn. I read and watched a dvd about it and then after being told it's only going to cost me my copay of $27, I said oh yeah--for 5 years worth of bc, you bet! Anyhow, the insertion was quick and painless as I had just ended my period that morning, just had a baby 6 weeks prior, and my ob/gyn numbed my cervix. I only bled for about 5 hours after. After my doc placed the mirena he told me if I wanted to that night I could have sex with my husband and nit have to worry about a secondary form of bc. I was not able to that night due to my 2 children (one is 4 and the other is now 7 weeks), but we did get to the next day. I have actually had an increase in my sex drive since having this iud placed and maybe it is just the simple fact that it is a hassle free form of bc that is 99.9% effective. Lately however, in the last couple days I have been feeling irritable, increased anger, depression (which I already take meds for-but don't seem to help-they always had before for 10yrs), crying spells, a lot of anxiety, heart palpations, hard to get to sleep, severe headaches (not quite migraines), hot flashes, lethargic, and now nausea. If some of these symptoms don't go away, I may have to find another bc/iud that would better suit me (perhaps non-hormonal). I don't know that I would recommend mirena to anyone, but I also would not tell anyone it's horrible. Everyone's body reacts differently to medicines. So, if you have one good luck with it and if you're deciding on one, please read all the side effects and testimonials you can-on any that you choose and don't think it can't happen to you-you just never know! Hope this helps someone!

Wow! I cant believe other women have had these same symptoms, I started the NuvaRing about three months ago after I lost a baby very early in gestation, I swore I would never have to go through that again, so my doctor put me on the NR and I couldn't tell If I was still hormonal from the pregnancy or if it was the ring, But Im a wreck! Im so mean and hateful to my husband pretty much mean to everyone, I feel like this big mean lady walking around, and thats not me not at all I have crazy dreams, horrible anxiety, panic attacks and PMS from HELL. I have never been on birth control before so I have nothing to compare it to. But after reading this.Im really considering taking it out so I can be myself again.

I had Mirena inserted after the birth of my 2nd daughter - November 07. Things were going ok (at least that was what I thought) until about two months ago. I really did not think about the Mirena much. Maybe that was because my sex drive has been soooo gone that I have only used the benefit of the Mirena about 3 times. The problems I guess really started when my period disappeared. That happened 3 months after I got in inserted. I thought that was going to be great because my periods usually last 7 days from start to fully finished. But with this thing, I did not bleed but I definitely was still having a period. Bach aches, mood swings, headaches, bloating, etc. I started to think something was really wrong when I got a headache that lasted about a week, and I don't normally get headaches that last longer than a few hours. I could not figure out what was wrong with me. I even went to the emergency room to have them tell me that there was nothing wrong and it was probably just stress. I started to think that maybe it is the Mirena. I started doing searches on the adverse side effects of the Mirena and thank God I found you guys. I have most of the symptoms described here and other Mirena side effect pages. I will be having this awful thing removed in about two weeks. I don't know what my husband and I are going to do about birth control. We both do not want anymore kids but I am only 28 and do not want to have my tubes tied.
Headaches
Joint Pains
Low Back Pain
Mood Swings
No Sex Drive
Massive weight Gain (I have not lost any of my baby weight plus i put on a few more pounds)
Breasts Double in Size
Fatigue
Dizziness
Depression (low self-esteem)
My feet have even grown (probably because of the weight gain)

This is by far the worst pill I have ever taken. Before Yaz I was on Nordette, Ortho Tri cyclen and Alesse. I saw the commercials and got sucked into trying this pill. All I can say is proceed with caution. I ended up taking this pill for the unhappiness 8 months of my entire life. I had problems with other pills causing weight gain (Nordette, Ortho Tri cyclen) or acne (Alesse). However, those symptoms are mild compared to what Yaz inflicted on me.

I have always been described as happy go lucky and Yaz gave me extreme moodiness, panic attacks about my future and life, and major depression. I did have the best skin of my life and lost about 5 lbs but I was an emotional MESS! I would cry at the drop of a hat and find fault in everyone and everything. This symptom didn't start right away but each month I was on Yaz got worse. My friends coined my "alter ego" "she devil." I almost felt possessed at times on this pill. I finally realized it was the pill and not life causing these problems when 3 of my girlfriends had the same problems and got off and the problems went away.

Prior to having this experience I thought people tried to blame too much on the pill but my experience showed me just how much these can mess with your body. I switched back to Alesse 5 days ago and it's like I am a different person--even my skeptical boyfriend noticed the change. As for the acne, I am going to go to a dermatologist to address that. I will be happy to have a few zits as opposed to being a crazy woman.

Proceed with caution on this pill and watch your moods carefully. Just because you've been on it for a few months doesn't mean you're safe. The majority of my emotional disorder started about 5 months in. I do have some girlfriends that like this but most have found it to bring out "she devil".

okay so I am new the B.C and I was taking Alesse for about 3-4 months and once i started on the fourth month I started to get terrible nightmares and they never seemed to go away, first I thought it was because I was stress but the thing was I wasn't stressed I just started going out with my boyfriend and my family life is not bad, so I didn't understand it till I told one of my girlfriends in class and sje told me that there was some bad stuff about Alesse, so I was going to switch. But yesterday my pharmacist dropped off my pills and it wasn't Alesse it was Aviane and I was like what ... but I took it anyways because I have really bad cramps that come with my period and such so I took it for the first time this morning with out knowing what it was about. My doctor didn't even tell me about it. so I decided to go look on the internet to see what it was about... and now I don't know I mean I have a bad enough time with my normal period let along it getting worse because of this pill. I really don't want that to happen to me, like I am only 16 so i don't worry about the sex drive stuff but mood swings I don't want that to screw up my new relationship with a great guy.
So if any one can tell me the straight facts and help me out because I don't know if I want to go to my doctor and ask her to switch me before i even get to the end of the pack.... so please any help would be great.

areas that help would be awesome in is
what pill to go to if I do switch
what are the main side effects
what is the best thing to do if I do get these side effects

I am so relieved that I'm not crazy! I started using NuvaRing after rave reviews from my girlfriends. I loved the patch but thought their was no harm in trying something different. After 2 weeks I've thrown in the hat after reading all of your side effects. I have been so depressed! I couldn't imagine wanting to have sex ( we are newlyweds so this is weird!). I had terrible bloating and cramping. I really thought it might have been what I was eating. After really cleaning up my diet I thought something was up. Thanks so all your postings! Hopefully I will get back to the spunky girl I was 2 weeks ago!

26 years old/on YASMIN for one year.

I'm sorry you've all experienced so many negative side effects on YASMIN. Everybody is different and it's important to find the pill that's right for you. Ten years ago I tried the BC that comes in the form of a shot in the behind once every three months, and it made to throw-up and gain weight after just one dose. I never took another dose, but it was a year before my body went back to normal. So i know what it's like to have your body disagree with BC.

After ten years I decided to go on the pill again, and I was extremely nervous. I even had a couple different prescriptions filled and then backed out of taking them. Finally, one year ago, I started taking YASMIN. I experienced ZERO NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS. And I immediately felt better than I had in years. I have always had severe anxiety and have been hospitalized for panic attacks and heart palpitations. My last panic attack was on the second day of taking YASMIN, and I have been anxiety free for a year. Okay, well.. I do get anxious sometimes; life can be stressful. But i don't feel like my hearts going to explode, and I don't get dizzy, shaky, nauseous, or any of those other terrible sensations.

I have had many other positive effects:
My periods are lighter. I only have cramps every couple of cycles which are very mild (before I needed a hot pad and some pain meds). But the biggest change for me has been my mood. I am finally happy. I feel like a normal person for the first time, and EVERYONE notices a difference in the way I look and behave.

I'm not telling anyone to take YASMIN. And if i had even one of the terrible side effects some of you have mentioned I would have stopped the pill before finishing the first pack. I just thought you might like to know that if you do find a pill that's right for you, it can greatly improve your life and overall happiness. Be smart, do research, and most importantly- LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!
.

My Girlfriends' Dr. suggested she get this shot. After reading everything I've read I'm not sure if this is the correct thing for her do to(She asked me to research it for her)... Heres the situation, She was in a pretty bad car wreck at the end of March and a mild wreck at the end of June she has been taking skelaxin for theinjuries to her back and shoulders. She was at Doc. today for a follow up and her neck and upperback was extremely swollen. She has irregular periods already possibly from other medication and doesnt take birth control anymore. Shes slighty overwheight and takes xanax and Effexir(SP?) with the meds shes already on and everything else is there any thing positive about this? We would like to have kids in the future and I'm worried that this shot could have all kinds of adverse affects on her now and down the road....Any suggestions on what she needs to do? The Dr. made it sounds like a cure-all but now I'm not so sure...

Thanks

My girlfriend was on Yasmin for two months and this pill has changed our lives drastically. She has been off now for 2.5 months but still experiences the side effects...i.e. anxiety, depression, mood swings, and panic attacks. She was not this way before Yasmin. I love my girlfriend very much and I am sticking by her because she means the world to me and I am nothing without her. To all you women out there that have been on Yasmin, I feel your pain because I see what my girlfriend goes through. To all you boyfriends/husbands, it's hard, I know what you're going through. The pill that our girlfriends/wives took is a terrible poison. I do see some improvement as time goes on, but it takes a while. Be patient.