Hair loss symptoms and conditions

I have been on yasmin for about 5 years. I loved it to begin with but just recently I have been having horrible side effects that i just realized could be related. I just thought i was a 21 yr old with problems. i am having heart palpitations, hair loss, insomnia, anxiety, vision problems, UTI's, lightheadedness and blackouts, and CHRONIC migraines. I am having about 3 migraines a week! they are disrupting my life. it is weird that i was fine on the meds for so long and they are just now resulting in this. I am stopping the pill as of today and i am going to talk to my doctor about other options. i am thinking about ortho tri cyclin lo. i have to be on a birth control because i have had endometriosis and my doctor said it is less possible to come back if i am on a birth control. she mentioned the shot but i have heard bad stories about that too and i don't think i want to go there.

I have been taking Wellbutrin 300 xl ( i believe - here comes the "Brain Farts" i attribute to Wellbutrin ) for seven years. I can tell you that i have noticed a small very very small amount of hair loss compared to most people but as i read thru these posts it appeared to me that MOST of them stated generic Wellbutrin. I will say i have had more hair than i am comfortable with appearing in my shower and bathroom floor and sink from drying my hair BUT i have NOT had the scary experiences that i have read here. I came to this site because i had to quit taking my Wellbutrin cold turkey because of some changes in the law in my state i have to drive 50 miles away to see my N.P. and because the office i was going to and the one she works in act like they have to send fire signals to each other instead of email and i am out of meds! so i was searching for side effects i could expect until i can get my meds back. i will tell you it is nice to see that i am not alone but i think it sucks that any of us have to decide if taking the medication and side effects are worth it! i also have problems with memory, spelling,speech, following thru with my thoughts much less getting them out of my head and making sense to someone else. did that make sense? ! ? i personally didn't notice any weight loss. my husband says i have the patience of a flea and really dislike " hate" a lot of things. i don't notice this but go back a couple of sentences and you will understand :)
After being here and reading all that i have i am afraid to continue taking this medication so i think i will just let it go and see what happens. i am also taking lamictal and seroquel and xanax and i am pretty sure i would be just as afraid of them if i went and looked them up but i have the choice as i am sure most of you do ...... do you take the meds and deal or go off the meds and well ... die?

stomach pains, hair loss, hand tremors, lethargy

I have been taking the generic version of Wellbutrin, Bupropion, for almost 6 months. It has been the only thing to lift a bit of my chronic depression and anxiety. It gives me enough energy to navigate my day- I am not as tired all the time, nor do I feel so heavy and generally lethargic.

About 2 months ago, my hair started falling out. I have always had extremely thick, shiny hair. I started taking more vitamins to no avail. I couldn't figure it out because I didn't see anything about hair loss on the literature from the pharmacy that comes with my pills. Huge gobs of hair would come out in the shower or anytime I combed it. It got on my clothes, on the floor, on my pillows... It was horrifying! I believe I have lost about half of my hair, no kidding. I don't have any bald spots thank goodness, but that is because I started with so much hair in the first place. But if it keeps going at this rate, I can't imagine not being bald in the near future! Recently my friends have even commented on my thin hair. I try to not comb it unless it is just as the bottom, and even then I am pulling the hair up through the comb, not pulling the comb down through my hair. I wash it as infrequently as possible and even though I desperately need a trim, I will not go to the salon.

Just tonight I found this information and this very informative site. I am so mad though, because I never saw this as a possible side effect in any of the main literature- maybe I just missed it?

What is scary to me is to think about going off this drug...I'm afraid I won't be able to function as well with day to day living. My fatigue, depression, and anxiety are so immobilizing. I am going to try to go to a low dose and see if that helps, as well as continue to take the extra vitamins with biotin.
I really hope that's enough.

I didn't get much help in the past from any other antidepressants (I have tried 4). Almost as bad as the hair loss (although not visible to the entire world) was the total lack of sexual desire and ability to have sexual pleasure with the other drugs. That is part of the reason I loved Wellbutrin: no sexual side effects, a slight decrease in appetite/weight, increased energy and alertness, and a decrease in depression and anxiety (not completely, but the best I have had so far).

The only other side effect I have experienced is irritability and that has recently become worse. I notice I am much terser with my daughter and have less patience in general. I am likely to have angry reactions and at times I find myself feeling confrontational, whereas in the past I have always shied away from confrontation.

It is definitely a mixed bag with any of these drugs and very disappointing. Good luck to you all and thanks for sharing. . .

Anyone with hair loss since they started Symbicort?

I am a 51 year old woman and I have been on Lisinopril for about 12 months. At first it was 20mg, then increased to 40mg per day. I started having shortness of breath and decided to cut back to the 20mg after a month or so. I am a nurse so I often adjust meds that I am on. I found this board about two months ago. I am so glad I did! I have BP of about 126/82 on meds. I have just stopped the 20mg two days ago, after developing more chest pain. I have lost all the weight that I needed to and eat a low salt diet now. I already feel better today. Chest pain is almost gone. I see my DR. tomorrow about all of this. I am going to try to stay off all HTN meds if I can! I had so many side effects that I never realized were being caused by this horrible drug. Some of them included: chest pain, shortness of breath, rib pain, extreme hair loss, tingling in all extremities, joint pain, muscle pain, headache, loss of appetite, loss of sex drive, difficulty thinking and comprehension, memory loss. I just wanted to let others know that I also know this drug is very dangerous. I am hopeful that I will continue to feel better as the weeks go by.

I have experienced extreme hair loss. I've been taking 20mg per day since Aug 22, 2009. That is when I went into Peripartum Cardiomyopathy or Congestive Heart failure after childbirth. Fortunately I have not experienced any of the other side effects. I have a cardiologist appointment this Friday and I had planned to discuss this with him. I want to know if the hair will grow back. No one seems to have an answer for that. I'm also taking Coreg (beta blocker).

I have been on fosamax for about three months. All of a sudden I noticed my hair falling out. I had very thick curly hair, and now I fear that it will all go away. I am in a state of panic right now. I am wondering how much hair will I be left with, and will it ever grow back? Can anyone tell me ?
I have stopped the fosamax a week ago, and will never take it again no matter what my doctor says. He is blaming the hair loss on hormones. But I have not had hormones for years. I am 57, had a hysterectomy at 28, took premarin for years, and stopped about 8 years ago. I have also been having pain in my shoulder which now that I read about other people having shoulder pain. could also be from the fosamax. Please tel me what to do about my hair loss! Will it grow back?

I have had two shots of Lupron, as a result I've gained almost 30lbs, had very bad joint pains and little hot flashes. I also experienced hair loss and became moody at times. However, my doctor did warn me that I would gain weight as a result of the shot and that I may experience hot flashes. December 2009 will make one year since my first shot the second shot was in April and I"m just beginning to feel normal again. It is now November 2009

SIX HOURS POST REMOVAL- I had my mirena removed today after 3 years and nearly 3 months. My side effects included headaches, sore breasts, weight gain, nausea, severe hair loss, depression, severe pitting edema of my right foot, cramping, hip pain, exhaustion, severe mood swings, and acne. During the first six months I had constant bleeding, which I had been told to expect. I took regular pills everyday and the bleeding stopped. Then the hair loss started. My hair came out in clumps and was EVERYWHERE. I lost about 15 inches of my hair in spots. I went to the salon and got a fantastic hair cut, I attributed my hair loss to stress. Now I'm not too sure. I also didn't feel like I was myself with the odor that I developed. No matter how many times I showered I felt not regular. Slowly but surely over the past three years I have gained 30 lbs. I worked out to try to get the weight off, I lost nothing and in fact gained weight! The pitting edema of my left foot started in July of 08. I have been tested for everything including diabetes, heart problems, clotting disorders, pregnancy, high blood pressure, kidney problems, and the list goes on to the tune of $6,000. I went to my OB back in the spring and was told if they could find nothing else then they would remove the IUD. In the interim I lost my job and subsequently my insurance. I luckily was able to get coverage again and immediately set an appointment for the removal. Insertion hurt like nothing I have ever experience, removal was quick and almost painless. I also ended up with BV (bacterial vaginosis). I feel and look as though I am about 6 or 7 months pregnant. My belly is actually the same size as it was when my son was born. I weight about 15 lbs more. My breasts were extremely swollen and sore.

I instantly felt better after removal. My hip immediately stopped tingling. I have no back pain. It felt almost like a lifting if that makes sense. I am curious to see what the next few weeks will bring and I will definitely keep you all posted.

Hi everyone ~ I am so glad I have found all of you. I have an appt today to have the Mirena placed. I highly considering canceling the appt now. I have read probably 98% bad and only 2% good. can anyone help me decide what I should do? I was having it placed for my heavy, painful menses, the birth control is/was a bonus feature. really? I shouldn't do this eh? someone please respond.

I have just been on Yasmin for a month but had serious doubts from day 1. I have nausea constantly, extreme fatigue (go to bed at 9.30 sleep until 7 am, still knackered), hair loss, listlessness, headaches, incl. a proper migraine attack, blurred vision (just got new specs so should be fine!!!) - in fact very like my 1st trimesters of pregnancy!!! I sooo agree with Shellac above;
"Instead of being "liberated" we, (not the men) become slave to the pill. And then we don't get he freedom or the man. Try organic sex, in the ways God intended, much healthier." I shall go back to using condoms!!!
Jeanette

I am supposed to get it tomorrow...I have issues with mood and anxiety already as well as hair loss due to a thyroid disorder. I am re-thinking it now...

All I can say is OHMYGOD! I had no idea about all these side effects. I had my son April 4th, 09 and had the Mirena placed October 21st. Since then, I have been constantly spotting, I have headaches, and no motivation to exercise. I have been moody and felt overall like blah. I have noticed some joint stiffness and discomfort in my hands as well as muscle tenderness in my legs. I have not experienced any weight gain or loss at this moment, nor have I noticed a change in hair loss...but will definitely be aware of the possibilities. Well I have a appt. for my follow up, I am going to inform my doctor of my side effects as well as yours, and see if this really is the best option for me. The last thing I want is for this to inconvenience my life when I got it just for the opposite...Good luck ladies!

I got my Mirena inserted in Oct 2007 and since then I've had hair loss, horrible acne, PMDD, sore joints, etc. I've had several blood tests done, been on meds for the acne and wondered if I was going crazy. The device is coming out next week and I can't wait to get my life back to normal.

i have been on mirena for 2 yrs and along with everyone else have all the symptoms from hair loss to very serious cramping in the top of my thighs. i know this is a side affect because as soon as i had it put in i have them since and telling the doctor he said child birth could have caused my pains he calls cramps. it almost felt like a hot needle in my thigh and lasted for a little over two weeks. well let me tell you something this is no ordinary cramp it is a burning sensation and does come and go like cramps but it last anywhere from 1 hour to 10 hrs or even longer. these pains are sharp and burn almost like someone is setting your legs on fire. i can't wait till i get to see the doctor again cause this is coming out one way or another.

I've been on Advair for 12 years.I'm 27 years old and fed up with all this medications that doctors prescribe.We are so brainwashed into thinking that we misbehave if we don't see a doctor.Let me tell you what: The majority of the doctors, only know to prescribe medication.They get bonuses from the pharma industries every time they prescribe their "new discovered"medicine.
Advair is supposed to be preventive, what you don't know it's for how long.Exactly!!!.....'cause it's not meant to cure Asthma, it's meant to keep you hooked for the rest of your life.
My worse symptom is a very fast heart beating.I'm a martial artist and every time i exert a fast burst of energy(while i'm sparring for example), my heart goes into pumped up mode.It beats very, very fast and i have to stop because it hurts.Sometimes i keep going no matter what and feel like i'm exercising for two people.When i stop, i breath very deeply for 5 minutes and all of a sudden it stops and beats regularly.
It's not fun, and one more thing: I'm from Argentina and my mom sends me the medicine from there cause it's way cheaper, sometimes i run out(i procrastinate sometimes), i'm left off with no medicine for a few days and boy.....I'm a wreck.The time you stop you go right back to where you started.I've been researching about an alternative to this "S***".I'm afraid 'cause i don't want to feel discomfort with my lungs anymore, but i strongly believe that there should be a natural alternative to all this laboratory drugs and i'm on a mission to find it.

I am a 48 year old female with a-fib. I am not overweight...just started falling apart since now I am menopausal. I've been on Warfarin for 6 weeks. My INR has hardly moved. I'm now on 8 mg and have my INR test on Monday. I started at a 0.9. Now I'm at 1.20 and have been there for three weeks in spite of upping the warfarin. I've not changed my diet except to exclude greens and green tea when I began the therapy. Everything else is consistent.
I just started exercising again a week ago. Something I haven't done in five years since I lost my sister. I bought a Total Gym and enjoy it. It has helped me get some energy back, has helped alleviate some of the mental fog, and has lowered the incidence of anxiety attacks. (I've been getting anxiety lately...since the mental fog and memory lapses...that bothers me since I love to read and write and the mental fog seems to be taking the joy out of it now.) The reason I decided to start strength training again is because of the joint pain I have been experiencing lately. I didn't have it before warfarin. I do now. Only one joint, though. The strength training does help, but every once in awhile, that sharp pain comes back to visit. It's just a little less now.
I plan to tell the doctor that I have begun strength training again. Not just because it's good for me and my heart, but it seems to help with the side effects of menopause and warfarin...without adding another drug like an antidepressant.
Warfarin...I believe is a life saving drug. BUT, I have to do my part too.

BTW, if I didn't have triple thick hair, I would complain about hair loss. Right now, it's a non issue for me. Just saves money at the hair dresser.

Hi everyone. I am so glad i found this website. I am 26 years old and i got my mirena put in October of 2007. A few months after getting it put in i noticed my hair was starting to fall out, i was real moody, hot flashes. So i went to my obgyn and he said it was my hormones so put me on birth control on top of the mirena, don't know what point of that was. But me and my husband were debating whether or not to get it taken out, because i am really bad at taking the pill but after reading everyone's stories on here yall have made up my mind for me. I'd rather get it taken out and see if my symptoms stop. The hair loss has bothered me the most. I went from having a head full of thick hair to having real thin hair, my husband was amazed at how much hair i have lost. When i wash my hair at night it just falls out like nothing, i have a big ball of hair in the tub. I even went and seen a dermatologist and he didn't know what was wrong! Calling my doctor tomorrow to make an appt. to get this taken out!

I'm partial to Mirena. I had it for all 5 years, but still debate as to whether my weight gain, hair loss and joint pain were related. I got it shortly before my boyfriend of 2 years broke up with me, starting drinking a bit more and was in general stressed out. So stress & alcohol equals weight gain. Weight gain (30 lbs in a year) equals joint pain. The hair loss is another story. It might be stress, but I went long periods afterward without stress and I could pull out rat size clumps of hair once every few weeks from my shower drain. I had it removed on October 6th 2009. I immediately started NuvaRing. 3 weeks later, I'm DONE with that. That's another story. Overall, though, I don't think the majority of the side effects were caused by Mirena and the 5 years I had it in were good. I won't get another one, just because I'm still skeptical. I think I'm going to take some time off birth control with hormones. We'll see how it goes. I can't say I'd recommend Mirena due to all of the horror stories I've read. Maybe in a year, if all my symptoms go away, I won't be so wishy washy.

I used NuvaRing for 1 year and 5 months before I threw in the towel. At first it was great. No weight gain, no change in my cycles, no problem during intercourse, everything was perfect... a great alternative to a pill. Until I started taking NuvaRing in 2008 I had not been on any birth control. The last time I was on anything was in 2000 after the birth of my only daughter. In 2000 I used Depo Provera (spelling?) and had horrible side effects from that. I had extreme hair loss & the worst mood swings you could imagine. I knew that his time around I didn't want the Depo shot & I can't remember to take a pill everyday. I struggle to take a full round of antibiotics without accidentally forgetting a dose. After talking to my Gyno in 08 I decided to try NuvaR. After getting my 6 mo. checkup with my doctor we decided to keep me on it since I was pleased with the results. So months went by, still no problem. Then one afternoon I started getting a pain in my left side that was the worst achey/uncomfortable nagging pain I had ever felt. I started to keep a log of when my pain would come & how long it lasted before it finally subsided. After a few weeks I began looking through the internet to find out more of my anatomy & try to come up with an idea of what was causing my strange pain. As it turns out the pain was in the same area as my spleen & a little piece of the liver comes across to the left side as well. I knew that this was not a kidney issue since I am prone to kidney infections at least 3 times a year. I know kidney pain & this was not it. My boyfriend started complaining about how I was always complaining about not feeling well. When we started dating in July of 08 I was somewhat outgoing, always going here or there for any get together-friends from work, daughters cheer stuff, jazz shows, beach etc. He was tired of me being tired. That is when we started wondering if I had anemia. The spleen pain could have been explained by that. Or maybe it was my gall blader we thought. I started looking for signs & symptoms but nothing was obvious. I just dealt with the pain in my side and wondered too if I was developing a stomach ulcer. Then one day my shins started hurting for no apparent reason. Then it was the forearm bones. I literally hurt inside my bones. The shins were the most painful of all. It hurt to walk, I couldn't get comfortable sitting, lying, standing, sleeping & I was at my whitts end. After talking about it with my boyfriend he said that I needed to go ahead & make an appointment because my quality of life has been reduced to zilch. I was always uncomfortable with pain or aches or moody. I went to see my doctor. Of course when I went I had a UTI, as usual-nothing abnormal about that. I told him about all my pain so we ran some tests. He did some blood work & saw that my white blood cells were through the roof. We decided to culture my urine specimen & a few days later we found I had a MRSA staff UTI. Typically you get these if you are catheterized but I fell into the unlucky 5% that just get it w/o any reason. (In the back of my mind I still wonder if NuvaRing had anything to do with it.) So, I took all the antibiotics making sure not to miss a dose. 14 days later at a check up I still had a little bit of bacteria in my urine & we ran more blood tests. My white count was even higher. Now my doctor takes my bone pain & side pain more seriously. The infection was getting better but my body was fighting something else or was it? He decided to check my kidneys by ultrasound to make sure there were no cycts. They also did a full abdominal ultrasound to look at the spleen & liver for enlargement. No enlargement but possibly a little kidney stone. Then I had an appointment with an infectious disease/internal medicine Dr. He made sure my infection was gone. I told him about all my weird pain & he ran a lot of blood work. White count still high, did a lap stain to look for leukosytes for leukemia, all was clear. So, after a week, off for a CT I went to check on the stone. Of course no stone on CT. Finally my boyfriend said hey, don't put a ring in this month & see if that's the problem. Sure enough after spending soooo much on all the tests after I took it out I was back to my old self in about a months time. I still had a pain in my side once in a while for the first 2-3 months but I have been completely symptom free now for 4 mos! The only worry I have now is that I started gaining weight after I stopped taking it. I have gained 20 lbs (some of that is because I got lazy & lethargic for so long) and my hair is beginning to come out more often in clumps again. I have an area thinning in my eyebrow & my nails are breaking more easily. I think I need to go get my thyroid checked. Yet again, I can't help but wonder- was it caused by the NuvaRing? Have I damaged myself thanks to what was supposed to be a great easy alternative to a pill? I guess we'll see how it goes. Never again will I use it, nor will I recommend it to anyone. Oh, and my love life is great again, I go places & do things again now. It's amazing how far I spiraled down before we realized it was preventable. DON'T USE THE RING!

I have had Mirena for over a year now. I have been battling hair loss thinking it was from stress. My Dr. put me on Prozac and recommended that I even use Rogaine. Never once did they lead me to believe it could be from the Mirena!! I felt like I was losing my mind. Bouts of rage, constant hair loss, acne, weight gain. I am meeting with my OBGYN on the 11th to discuss removal. I am hoping these side effects subside rather quickly. I just don't know if the hair will return

I have had Mirena for a little over a year now. I thought the hair loss was just from stress in my life so I have been on Prozac and using Rogaine to help with the hair loss - with no luck. Now after reading all of these posts, it makes sense that it is from the Mirena. I have had to horrific mood swings and bouts of rage, hair loss, weight gain and acne. I am scheduled to see my OBGYN for removal on the 11th. I am hoping that the hair loss will at least stop. My stress is from worrying about my hair loss, so I might even be able to come off the prozac and live a normal life. Please post if you have had your removed and the side effects subsided. Thanks!

Googled Wellbutrin and hair loss and arrived here. I am female, 54, taking 250 mg per day for about a year now. Just recently, my hairdresser noticed two large bald patches at the top of my head - NO hair! I wonder if the symptom affects more people than the pharmacuticals admit?

I sure hope it grows back! Good luck to all of you.