Going through the motions symptoms and conditions

I'm experiencing positive effects. I have been more alert, confident, attentive, and worry less. I seem to be living life instead of just going through the motions. I'm having fun happy dreams and wake up in a good mood. This has never happened. I'm taking on more projects at work and enjoy more playtime with my sons. I'm 33 years old and have been on Chantix for over a month. I still smoke less than 5 cigarettes a day but feel I could go with out those.

I got the Mirena in Jan 2008. My periods were lasting 2 weeks long (light) every 2 weeks. I had EXTREME fatigue and actually had to go in to take a pregnancy test because my last period came late and I had ALL the effects of pregnancy (had 1 in 2006). I had nausea so bad I actually had to miss work because I felt the urge to be sick, but I couldn't get sick. I had it removed on July 7th, 2008 and felt a difference as soon as I left my doctors office, but now I'm faced with another dilemma. I may be pregnant again! My period never came after I had it removed and have the feeling of being pregnant. My doctor finally told me that my body thought it was pregnant and is going through the motions. I have to wait 2 weeks before I will know if I am or not! I NEVER SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE MIRENA AND DO NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE ELSE DOES EITHER! I have a hard time remembering to take a pill everyday, but that is much better than the side effects of this thing. I agree with a previous posting, IT IS EVIL!!!!

The nausea is tolerable, generally short-lived as long as I eat prior to taking the Chantix and drink plenty of water.

I have a sense of...fogginess....detachment, while at the same time, seem to sense clear hidden messages in the way people look at me, in what they're saying to each other, and to me. Yep, it's probably paranoia.

The nightmares are horrible. I dream specifics about deaths of loved ones, in horrible detail. I also awaken at least once a night gasping in terror, unable to get a breath.

The thoughts of suicide are strangely comforting and don't seem wrong at all. I'm depressed, but comforted knowing that I can end it if I really want to. Bizarre and I know it on some level at least.

I'm bruising easily this time. I mean REALLY easily. A small bump results in a hard, raised, dark bruise.

I developed a rash on my stomach that's been there for 3 days but seems to be clearing today.

This is my 2nd time taking Chantix and I'm 3 weeks in. I had the same symptoms last time and expected them this time. I'm smoke free but plan to continue with the Chantix as long as possible. The urge to give in and have one cigarette is too strong post Chantix. I tell myself everyday that the thoughts are NOT me, and that I can let them come and not act on them because it's the drug, not me.

i feel no emotions while taking effexor. no anxiety, mind you, (which is what i was using it for---GAD.) so no anxiety is good, but is it good to not feel any sorrow, empathy, joy or happiness??? I feel like i am just going through the motions of life, not really living it. but if i don't take even 1 dose, the anxirty comes back. (but the other emotions come back too) i cry more if i miss a dose, and that used to worry me into thinking i am depressed....BUT it is normal to cry when you feel sorrow or empathy. and maybe the tears have to come flowing out as a form of release, because they were withheld for so long by the effexor. other possible side effects could be: insomnia; headaches, clenching teeth, biting cheek and tongue a lot, constipation and weight gain. (hard to know if these are side effects of effexor, or symptoms of fibromyalgia).

Like most posts, I am happy that I found this site. I have been on one form of birth control or another for 11 years (16-27). I have been on the NuvaRing for almost 3 years. Loved the convenience and short periods! Didn't like the weird smelling discharge, but it seemed a small price to pay. Almost a year ago, I suddenly lost my sex drive and motivation, both of which were strong presences in my life. I attributed this decline to moving to a new area that lacked all of the things that I enjoyed. I forced my motivation back into gear, but I was just going through the motions. I tried to do the same with sex, and it worked during the off week of the ring. Still, I didn't attribute my symptoms to the ring. I lived with this until last month, when I started getting nosebleeds and the last bit of my sex drive left. The discharge was so bad I embarrassed myself. I was disgusted with any sort of sexual touch, although clothed-cuddling was fine. My mood declined and I actually thought I should go to a professional for depression. Finally, I called a friend crying about how horrible my life was, and how miserable i was and blah, blah, blah. She mentioned that it could be birth control. Since I had been on b/c for so long, and the ring for three years, I thought there was no way that these symptoms would just appear out of the blue. but i was desperate and didn't put the ring back in this month. i have been without the ring for a little over a week now, and I'm already noticing some differences. I don't have to force myself to get motivated, I am not as moody, i can think clearly without getting distracted easily and I'm not as hungry anymore. sex drive is still non-existent, but I'm no longer disgusted by the thought of sex. The discharge has vanished. I do have to mention that I did have some "withdrawal" symptoms. My breasts became so tender that I didn't want to wear a shirt or even move. I had some generalized cramping in my abdominal region for a couple of days that was pretty intense.

if all of these symptoms were caused by the NuvaRing, what am I supposed to do now? Pills made my breasts extremely tender all of the time. condoms are okay, but I'm anxious that they might break. and since I haven't given birth, the doctor isn't eager to put me on the IUD. and when am I going to get my sex drive back?

I had a chronic cough which got worse and developped into bronchitis. My doctor gave me 10 days of 500 mg levaquin. Ten days later I went back, still coughing, even though the bronchitis was a bit better. He gave me another prescription for 7 days of levaquin with a refill.
A week or so into this routine, my legs started to hurt a lot. I thought I was just out of shape and needed to get back to the gym and do some stretching exercises. I could barely climb the stairs to the gym, but I must say that after working with the trainer and stretching a lot (and it hurt a lot) I was able to walk easier and the pain lifted quite a bit. . . for a while.
I also have developped total diarrhea, which made sense to me; because I was trying to kill bad bacteria in my system which I thought was causing the bronchitis.
Fortunately, last week I decided to go to another doctor because I wasn't getting better and I felt my old doctor was just overwhelmed by the health care system and was just going through the motions. This doctor, an ENT doctor, immediately diagnosed me with LPRD (acid reflux which goes all the way to the vocal chords, resulting in cough, tightness in the throat, etc.) I know he's right because I have felt the acid reflux thing at night when I have eaten late and had a couple of glasses of wine with dinner.
Tomorrow I'm heading to a gastro doc to attack the diarrhea, but I wondered if the leg pain had anything to do with the levaquin, since it came about after a week or so on the stuff. and lo and behold found all these postings which have now scared whatever shit I have left out of me!
I'm off to get some magnesium, as someone suggested and would appreciate any other tips anyone might have. My only tip is that stretching out your legs and butt muscles, does temporarily help a bit.

Thank all of you for your candor. I too had been on anti-depressants for the past 3 years. I finally said enough is enough, each med had different side effects.I had lost interest in my "life" didn't want to exercise, work or really do much of anything...unless I "had to" & was becoming quite the actress going through the motions...this was NOT the ME I had known for 30+ YEARS & will not BE ME. I have the blurred vision, confusion, forgetfulness to name a few of the side effects. It has been 1 year since my divorce (reason I started it)... I no longer felt "situationally depressed" and assumed the unusual feelings I was experiencing was due to the drug and that I needed to get off of it to get my life back. So I stopped Effexor cold turkey.After two weeks & unusal side effects I got on line to see what other experienced. I too have experienced the vivid dreams / nightmares, where I literally felt as though I was "drugged". I have the cotton mouth, when tired "spaced out", mood swings, tiredness, night sweats, flu like symptoms, my appetite has increased, I had no sex drive on Effexor, 2 weeks off and it is coming back at least I'm thinking about it....I can identify with most of what I've read others have experienced on some level.

Bottom line...if I had it to do all over again. I would NOT take any anti-depressants, I suppose I was depressed divorcing & I should have been it is a major change in ones life. In hindsight I should have let my mind and body go through whatever the "natural process" was to be... because the experience going on, waiting to feel "normalcy" (which neve happened) and coming off has been awful. My point of view, there is no "magic" pill that is going to make us get up and go like the TV commercials portray. Life is difficult & I will survive without a "pill", I definately feel better over all getting the Effexor out of my system ...I'm hopeful the side effects will be short lived.