Googling symptoms and conditions

Folks, I was on this standard diuretic for about 6 years or so. For a very long time, I did not think it was causing any significant side effects (other than having to pee a lot). I was wrong. It gave me type II diabetes.

If you ask MOST doctors and nurses about this, they will deny it strenuously. As one very good PA told me, "diuretics are our first line of defense." An RN just two weeks ago thought I was crazy to blame my diabetes on it.

But it is not my imagination. The ALLHAT study -- which, if you cite, will cause most docs and nurses to shut up right fast -- is one of the most famous studies out there. It was huge, and its authors became strong proponents of diuretics. But the same study found that if you take HCTZ for five years, you have about a 12.6% chance of developing diabetes (versus perhaps a 1 to 2% chance otherwise). I am so angry about this because no one warned me. No one told me this, so I could never make an informed decision about taking this medication. Now I will be fighting diabetes for the rest of my life!

I haven't looked at the insert for HCTZ in a long time, so for all I know they're now finally listing blood sugar issues. But they said nothing when I started in 2002, and no one bothered monitoring by blood sugar either. Even when we finally noticed the glucose readings going up, no one said, "Oh, we should take you off that diuretic."

If you do some googling, you'll discover that there are a (minority) of doctors out there who are also very concerned about this. They argue a lot at forums for doctors. This business about diabetes IS a known side-effect. It's just, as I said, that too few doctors seem to be aware of it, or if they are, seem to feel the need to inform their patients before prescribing it.

Well I have been on Lipitor 80mg for years (family history of high cholesterol) although no hearts attacks/strokes ever been attributed to the h/chol....without sounding like I'm a hypo I have 3 disk out in my lower back & years ago suffered intense back as a result...the pain which seems to be now all over is horrid ...I have been thinking that it was perhaps arthritis & old age (59yrs).....several months ago I mentioned it to doctor he said Lipitor could cause side effects but he'd keep an eye on it....well this morning after googling "Lipitor" iv'e made a decision & that is to get rid of this medication...everything I'm reading sounds just like what I have been experiencing...thanks for the input I think I have come to realize that it is the medication that is causing all my problems.

so about one month ago i had my mirena put in but every since then i have noticed the changes in my mood i am emotional i am angry like sometimes i honestly feel like the excercise sorry if i spelled that wrong you all know what i mean, but my fiance tells me your crazy i think your should see a therapist but after reading other side effects i finally have convinced myself maybe its the mirena,but however my obgyn told me that the mirena did not contain any hormones but the iud did so i went with the mirena and im like what would have been the difference ive gained wait in the last week because i been so emotional i feel sick all the time and fatigue so i hope this is whats causing my crazy episodes and sick feeling i see my doc next Monday and i will half to talk to her something is just not write if any one can reply to my story and let me know if im crazy or is it my mirena thanks ladies .....

I am a 49 year old female who started on 10 gm Lisinopril 2 weeks ago for high blood pressure. I've had a couple instances of light-headedness and headaches, nothing serious, but I have developed a real bad dry cough that I can't control. Sometimes it's bad enough I gag and almost vomit, and am loud enough I can be heard all through the office - very embarrassing. I've gotten up in the middle of the night to leave the bedroom so I won't disturb my husband. Other than the cough I have no complaints and actually feel better now than I did before I started. I read somewhere that iron supplements help the cough and I have started taking these to see if it's true; so far I think the cough is not as bad but still as frequent. It's only been a couple of weeks so I want to keep going for a few weeks longer to see if things get better or worse.

I have Crohn's disease and have been on birth control since before my diagnosis. I use to have flare-ups of the disease every now and then (I was on Mircette). Then last year, I was put on Nortrel and my disease started acting WAY up. I was put on the NuvaRing two months ago and I am having even more flare-ups now. Is there anyone who has a digestive disease and have had their symptoms worsen with the NuvaRing?

I am 16 and have been on Singular since July 9th of this year and the only side effects that has been affecting me that I really notice is the ear infections and headaches. my mom and I think that I might have one right now but have not gotten the chance to make a doctors appointment. The other side effects that I read about while googling it were a sore throat and upper respiratory infections which are both things that I have been fighting since March, which is what lead to me being diagnosed with asthma. In response to the person that was talking about asthmex, I also got put on that the same day and the only side effect that I had from that is a higher blood pressure that usual but it was still in the normal range, caused by the steroid in it.

The first time I went on Wellbutrin, I had a really bad reaction to it. I had insomnia, horrible tremors, apathy, I felt like I was walking around in a cloud. I went on to try other medications. Now I'm taking a combination of Prozac and Wellbutrin and it seems to be working. My depression is under control. I don't have the apathy or zombie feeling anymore, but I do still have the tremors, though they aren't as bad. I get some mild insomnia, but taking it in the morning helped with that, and lately I've found that a little bit of coffee in the morning (not too much, don't need to be MORE shaky) helps with a lot of my side effects. I do have the confusion and concentration issues too. It hasn't caused any severe problems, it only seems to really happen in casual conversation, where I'll completely forget what I wanted to say. It's annoying, but way better than depression, and not severe enough for me to stop.
To those people who are telling others to stay away from this drug, or any drug for that matter, don't forget that there is a reason there are so many different kinds of anti-depressants. Everybody's body chemistry is different, so their gonna react in different ways. Also, the people who don't have issues with side effects rarely go looking for sites like this....
Just something to think about.

I was on toprol-xl for almost 8 years without many problems. i also take isosorbide mononitrate.A few months back I was switched to the generic version (metoprolol succinate er by sandoz) now i have many problems.First I have to say I am disabled with severe COPD. Although I do not feel depressed I have a lot of symptoms of depression. Remember I had no symptoms what so ever until switched by Walgreen's or HMO or Doctor to the generic version. Not sure what to do I have a doctor that does not truly listen,plus he did not want me on toprol xl to begin with. Even though it was good for me. Good luck people!

I had Mirena for almost 2 years now... I loved it at first . I Thought it was the best contraceptive ever...About a year or so I started feeling some weird pain...Abdominal pain, Pain in my legs, Skin probleme , Pelvic, sever burping, stomach bloating and later I've being haing some severe chest pain! I went to the emergency room...Everything were ok they said. I never thought it was Mirena. I feel so bad , so weird . I even think sometimes that I'm going to die! Those feelings are weird believe me...I have all the Bodies pain in this world. I'm so scared. My hubby think i'm exagerating but I 'm not . I don't feel good! I wanted to have an appointment and have a general check up...And I just found this posting googling!
I'm kind of relief to see that Mirena might be the cause of these feelings...I will have it removed ASAP. I hope it does not cause any severe damage in my body . I hope I will be Ok . I 'm so scared because I have this going on for so long . ...

I just happened to find this site while googling for possible causes of my wife's low libido (should've said NO LIBIDO)... It all starts to make sense now... She had Mirena inserted about a year ago and I can say that our sex life is just "non-existing" ever since; we've been married for 10 years and I know I cannot pretend to live on a daily honeymoon but... come on!!!!! ...
I was also really worried about the most horrible "cramps" she's had in the past months (about once or twice a month) and according to the last CT scan an ovarian cyst is to blame but I wouldn't be surprised if Mirena is the real cause of it.
Ladies, if not for you do it for your husbands. PLEASE DON'T GO WITH MIRENA

I have been taking Yasmin for almost 2 weeks and already I'm noticing major side effects. Both good and bad. I have lost a little bit of weight and my breasts have gotten a little bigger. But those positives don't outweigh the negatives. I had one day of horrible naseua but that didn't last long. My skin has been a little pimple-prone but I'm not sure if that's due to the pill. I have had some spotting, but I know that that is normal and something I can live with temporarily. The MAJOR thing is I have never been prone to getting depressed or being emotionally unstable, but ever since I've been taking this pill I am constantly insecure and crying over absolutely nothing. I am sensitive to everything. I never used to be like this at all. I mean, I am human and I will have my downtimes, but this is too noticibly different. After googling the side effects and seeing depression as the first thing to pop up, I know that this must be the reason for my sudden mood changes. Even if they are temporary, I am not taking the chance. I am going off of this pill as soon as possible. Has anyone else experienced these problems after being on the pill for a short time? I'm wondering how long it takes to get back to 'normal'.

Obviously every pill is going to have different side effects for different people. I'm sure this pill could work fine for some people. But I don't like the effect it has had on me.

I have a seve4e bronchial infection and was prescribed Levaquin 750 mg once a day for 5 days. Tomorrow will be my fifth day although I will not be taking it. When I started the medication I was beginning to feel better although I still had a really bad cough. I was also put on an inhaler.
I woke up today and felt like I have been hit with a truck. I can't hold anything in my hands, my kneew and ankles feel like someone took a bat to them and I have spent all day trying to figure out why I felt worse overall and now why I was feeling this horrible pain that is practially crimpling me.
I found this site when I googled "sever bronchial infection and joint pain".
I'm calling my dr tomorrow but I'm scared. Will this be permanent. I already have 2 herniated discs in my back and now I can't even walk or get up from a seated position.
I have a 1 year old I cannot even hold and have ot have someone help me take care of.
I hope this goes away and soon. The pain is close to unbearable.

Maybe it was just a one-in-a-million thing, but I will never, ever touch this medication again. My 2-year-old son tolerates other meds very well with no problems but when we gave him this, he freaked out like he were on an acid trip at a Grateful Dead show. I checked and double-checked the dosage and gave him 2.5 mL (he weighs about 36 pounds), which was the correct amount. He grabbed at invisible floaters, beat wildly at his arms and legs because "there were bugs all over him," and screamed and pointed at things he imagined were trying to get him. I cannot recommend this drug to any young child based on my experience. I hope that his reaction was just a rare aberration but regardless, we'll never touch the stuff again.

Hi.. I have been researching birth control pills for a while now, as I knew I wanted to take them for acne and irregular periods. The doc gave me yasmin so I narrowed my googling and got a bit of a scare, after all the discussions I've read it almost seems now that it has a life of it's own.. it is a "DEMON PILL" that "RUINS LIVES" and it's "NOT WORTH IT" .................. but as someone who has never been on birth control at all before I'm trying not to be convinced that it will do nothing but make my problems worse, and I think I'd like to put it out there that you only hear the negative in places like this and all potential side effects ARE already listed right in the package. Everyone is different.. so I'll continue to try to read comments by girls who have been on it for as long as me.. So far it's only been a week, but already some girls describe horrific side effects of which I've experienced NONE. Maybe it's mind over matter lol I'm quite determined to have this work for me. Anyway just saying to anyone like me who is reading these.. if it's been prescribed to you don't be afraid to try it just because it didn't work out for someone else, NOT saying horrible side effects don't happen, it's very clear that they do.. but don't let the negative convince you so easily that all of a sudden it's all yasmin's fault that your life sucks.. try believing it might make it better!

Doctor prescribed, but wanted to check side effects before taking it, am glad I have! Anyone else that's a smoker with mild hypertension (140/90) taking this med? Now I'm afraid of taking it because I already have a problem with coughing and post nasal drip, choking sensation, near vomiting. Also am on Celexa 60 mg for depression and anxiety and certainly don't want to take something that's going to increase my anxiety! Any others taking Lisinopril and Celexa?

Thank God for googling. I'm not alone. It's great if Lisinopril is working for you, but as I can read by the posts I'm not nuts. The cough, oh the cough. Worse is when it comes and I'm at church. My wife and I are cantors and nothings worse when I would get that dry "got a feather in my throat" cough. Like everyone else my BP was riding above normal 150/90-95 and the Lisinopril brought it down to 115/70, but I quit a week ago and feel like normalcy is coming back into my life. BTW I was on 10mg dose for a little over a year and was just dumb to think that a BP med could cause all the side effects that I was experiencing: cough, mucus, numb extremities (mostly sleeping at night but enough to wake me up hence poor sleep), fatigue. Has anyone felt moody? I think this drug has made me very moody but that can probably be attributed to the lack of sleep. I hope the dark circles around my eyes disipate now that I'm sleeping better. Good luck to all!

I take my Niaspan at bedtime, having taken an 81 mg. asprin tablet about a half hour prior. I stil will awaken sometimes about 4-5 hours later and, well, if you're googling niacin flush, you know the rest. Then, because I HAVE to scratch, even though it's not exactly an itch, my skin then feels raw. After about a half hour I will typically get up and walk to the kitchen on the cold tile floors in bare feet and drink something cold - just a few sips and get some damp paper towels to blot whatever burns the most. This seems to help some. At least, I usually then go to sleep, but maybe after a half hour to 45 minutes, the flush was about to remediate itself anyway. Who knows!

hi ipj.
whilst googling yasmin and all the symptoms etc i came across quite a few references to the fact that bcp's in general can lower magnesium but i think yasmin has a higher impact on the magnesium levels due to it's diuretic effect so it probably is the yasmin that is affecting how much magnesium you are absorbing. along with all your other side effects it may be just as well to come off it. The fda has stated that yasmin is no better or safer than any other pill on the market the medical profession are just really pushing it for some reason...... back in the 60's and 70's there was a new wonder drug that was pushed to all the pregnant women as it stopped morning sickness...thalidamide....... i am sure you know the outcome of that story.just because a new drug is great for some it does not mean it is good for the masses. chat to your doctor about a pill that does not contain the diuretic that yasmin has.dehydration could make your symptoms worse so stay hydrated,drink as much water as you can.
please feel free to visit the new forum that is being set up. the link is below in my previous post.

kind regards and the best of luck with whatever you decide.
sarah

Kim,

I didn't know that you also are a vegetarian!! That's another mark for the fact, that you're assessed to be iron deficient (iron is mostly contained in meat!)!

Don't know if you already did, what I suggested (googling about iron deficiency). The Ferritin is the more important parameter than your iron level in your blood because the Ferritin shows the condition of your storage!! And if your storage of iron is still low you can have the symptoms you now are having.

And if you put this together with the side effects of Yasmin, you're DEFINITELY still suffering from, it is no miracle, that you're feeling so low now!!

Are you still taking the iron supplements every day?? Kim, I really hope that you believe me, how important that is for your situation!!!

The problem with the dopamin and serotonin is clearly a thing, which can be caused by bcp. You have to know that those two are also hormones!! And so it's simply clear, that, if your whole hormonal equilibrium is out of whack, the serotonin and dopamin might be also!!!

This is why time can help us all. Your body is able to get everything back in balance, if only he gets enough time for that difficult thing!!!

You didn't write anything, if you already had tried the Valerian (sorry, sometimes I still get the feeling that you're not reading really everything we all are writing here)!??

To the lady, who took Yasmin only 3 months:

You should be thankful, that your symptoms have come up that early. I know it sounds weird, but I think getting the side effects only after 2 years without noticing and taking that poison another 3 years has really damaged my body worse than if I only had taken Yasmin about 3 months. This can protect you from much more and worse symptoms than you are having now!!

Sarah:

I forgot to mention, that I also during my worst time lost about 20 pounds in only 4 weeks because I couldn't eat anything!! And I felt the same as you wrote: I would have been rather fat and healthy than slim and ill and not able to leave my house and having to go through all this nightmare... I totally understand, what you mean!!

But as this was the same for me, I really think that your weight will also get back to normal if you give it enough time. With the excercising I also agree with you! I still haven't been that fit again, as I was before that all. But, ok, 5 years of Yasmin were definitely too long and I know that I'll have to be much more patient than others and give it much more time to get back to where it was than others..... Hope I'll stand it further on...

But being able to sing again helps me very much. Although there always is some insecurity and anxiety in me, because I'm always afraid of getting as weak as I was during the last two months and that everything could break down again, what I' ve built me up now... (ok, although the weakness (thanks god) has gotten better again).

So ladies, just lets try to look forward and perhaps some day forget that nightmare (ok, I don't believe myself what I'm saying, don't know if I ever can forget, what I've been going through....).

One thing for those who have been only a few months on Yasmin: Please be careful and if you have the slightest doubt or the slightest symptom: GET OFF IT IMMEDIATELY!! You have the chance to avoid so many harm and sorrow!!!

Best wishes
Silke

Hi all,
just reading the posts about acne. I suffered from this too after stopping the yasmin. I got spots around the side of my face and when my period was due they appeared around my jaw line.

I went to a dermatologist who prescribed me an antibiotic called tetralysal 300 and a gel called isotrexin. The gel is a milder form of Retin A. I cannot use retin A at all because it is a cream and it clogs my pores.I also have been using the skincare system called proactive. The best system i have ever used. You can order it online at proactive.com. My acne completely cleared up in about 8 weeks.

It is a very good combination. I had tried every other cream and lotion but they did not work. Or if they did not for long. My dermatologist told me that hormonal acne is one of the hardest to clear up but was confident that the treatment would work.

Flowerbabies about spironolactone.
It is recommended as a treatment for acne because it is an anti-androgen. I took it for about 6 weeks. I had to have blood tests regularly because it sometimes affects the liver. I started to feel very dizzy and tired. My doctor phoned me one day and told me to stop taking it immediately because of the blood test results. It had raised a level of something or other in my blood that was very dangerous. It probably doesnt affect everybody that way but be careful if you do start on it.

Because of all the problems yasmin caused me in the past few years i have done a lot of googling and asked a lot of questions. One thing i found out from my dermatologist was that hormonal acne is usually the result of low progesterone. That was the reason i was referred to a fertility specialist. After months of tracking my cycle to find out when i was definitely ovulating i then had my hormone levels measured at the correct times.
And as i wrote about last week i do have low levels of progesterone and estradiol which will be treated by hcg injections.

So maybe for any body here who is suffering from hormonal acne that is the way to go.

A gp will read results differently. To a gp and a fertility expert blood results have different meanings. My gp told me my results were normal but when i spoke to my fertility doctor he told me thay were very low.
So maybe it is best to go with the decision of the person who knows best.

I hope this is some help to those of you who are suffering from hormonal acne. It is very distressing and can make pms worse because of the anxiety it causes all by itself.
I think this post is very long and will take up almost an entire screen. Just thought i would share what i have learned over the last few months.
Good luck to all of you

Murph70

THANK YOU guest 31854, that was a very helpful response to many women on this site!

Silke
BitterRN here. OMG! you have been stressed! I think you need to slow down! I think we dont realize the stess that adds up in our lives. But your body needs rest right now so that it can keep up with hormonal demands. I think you understand. I think you were taking good care of your body and when you started to feel better, you started to do too much:) This is a common response though, I am guilty of the same thing. Remember you need your tank to be full before your body wont feel the effects of increased stress and activity in day to day life, and it sounds like yours is a busy one!
YES! I think it would be beneficial for you to get your hormones checked still, if you find the right doctor I think you may find you will be feeling better much faster. Try googling or yahoo bioidentical doctors in (whereever you live), or sometimes they are listed under anti-aging doctors. But if you do end up going to your gynecologist again when they test your hormones again, ask for a copy of the last report and get a copy of the report they do again so that you can compare the results to the last. This will give you an idea of which hormones have come up and which have not.
Last thing also a long time ago I gave you this website which has lots of hormone teaching on it. I think you would find it very informative... salivatest.com... look under hormones 101.
Ok Silke, take care, and remember to eat right, REST, and take time out for yourself! OK. I take a B complex vitamin with vit. C in it for stress ( I think you said you were taking these vitamins as well.) Drink lots of water and little to no caffeine ( caffeine stresses the adrenal glands) but I think you are already doing this too. Oh and also Silke I was reading back one of your earlier posts you said your face was swollen and a neighbor asked if you were taking a medication because you looked hormonal, I experienced this too especially on my face, it would feel swollen and almost like I had a sunburn and mushy too!
Well take care and keep in touch,
BitterRN

I have been taking Advair 500 and 250 for three years. During that time I thought I separated my shoulder or did some type of injury. I was x-rayed and given a cortisone shot. The pain was relieved for about 2 months. I have a high tolerance so I decided to live with it. Next, my hips were so painful that I could barely walk. I was x-rayed. The doctor said I had inflamation, but not arthritis. Then my wrists were painful. I thought carpal tunnel syndrom from typing... so I was mindful of my time on the computer. Now, for about half a year I have experienced severe pain in my left elbow. This is so bad I sometimes can not even lift a glass of water. I thought I must have some weird type of migrating arthritis... or just Advairitis!!! So here I am "Googling" my symptoms only to learn that it is possibly from the Advair. Carol