Harder time symptoms and conditions

I am a 39 year old white female in the nursing profession (RN). I was placed on Topamax at the age of 31 for new onset atypical complex seizures that were later diagnosed as migraine induced drop attacks. I took Topamax for 3 years. I took 100mg a day. My family and I had moved to another state and I had to find another Neurologist. During this time I had many side effects from the medication that I blamed on my "condition." To make a very long story short, while taking Topamax, I developed a kidney stone, severe restless leg syndrome, weight loss, feet tingling, blurred vision, mood swings, slurred speech and mental confusion that went into amnesia. I had to relearn how to drive a car, spell, do 2nd grade math, use a computer, etc...
I now have permanent memory loss. I struggle every day with my memory issues. I have learned tricks of how to deal with it but have not been able to recoup any previously lost cognition. After nearly 6 years of being off the medication I doubt I ever will. I feel inadequate and embarrassed with my inability to remember people and things or form normal sentences during a conversation! I know the information is in my head but I can't always pull it forward. Some days are worse than others.
I also have a harder time learning new things. The information just doesn't want to stay "stored" in my brain. (Not a problem patients or doctors want to see in a critical care nurse!)
I hope my experience will save others from suffering the same fate. Use extreme caution taking this medication. It can drastically alter your life.

I have had absolutely NO SIDE EFFECTS from Prozac, it's been a life saver for me! I have taken it for 4 years now, currently 50 mg. I have very bad anxiety and some depression, and it has worked wonders for my anxiety. No weight gain (if anything I've lost weight) about the only thing I noticed at first was I had a harder time falling asleep, but that went away. It may not work for everyone, but I have been on many different meds (Effexor, Paxil, Clomipramine, Xanax) and nothing works without side effects like Prozac.

Hi everyone,

I decided to go online to look for Mirena side effects because I have been having a lot of problems every since I got mine. I felt so relieved when I found this website because I realized I wasn't alone. I've had my Mirena for 3 and half years, and I have experienced almost every single side effect that the other girls on here have. I didn't have any of these symptoms before getting Mirena. After my first child I didn't have any side effects but after my second child I got mirena and this is what happened.

My hair up front on top has gotten very thin and I have always had very thick hair. I have always been a very laid back, friendly, happy person but since I've had the Mirena I've been moody, irritable, depressed, and I have had anxiety attacks. It also seems like I have a harder time feeling satisfied or happy about anything. I've had migraine headaches and joint pain which I never had before.

I'm 5'11 and I had always been extremely thin. I didn't have any problems losing weight after my first child, but since I have gotten Mirena I have gained a lot of weight in my stomach area but nowhere else. It's almost like a swelling or inflammation that won't go down. I've also had the strange feelings in my abdomen of movement that the others had, but I know I'm not pregnant. I've had these feelings for almost 2 years now.

It hurts really bad sometimes when my husband and I have sex, especially if he hits the spot where the Mirena is. My sex drive is completely gone, which seems like a common problem among the others here. I also noticed that fishy smell that the others have talked about that won't go away no matter what products you use or how much you wash. I also have gotten acne on my body which I had never had before in my life. I have some on my arms, face, chest, and back. It's terrible. I also have had the lack of energy so many of you said you had.

Even though there are all these terrible side effects, I think the worst one is that I don't feel like myself anymore. My husband says I don't seem to get excited about anything, and I seem more withdrawn. I have much more social anxiety than I did before, and sometimes I feel like my heart is racing and I can't get it to stop. I would have it taken out right now if i had the money to get my tubes tied. Unfortunately I don't have health insurance so I'm trapped for now.

I have been on Paxil for just over a year. I am on it strictly for PMDD, and I can not use regular hormones so Paxil was the next best thing. I LOVE how much better I feel as far as the PMS symptoms are concerned, but my memory is TERRIBLE! I thought it was just me, I thought maybe I had some sudden memory disorder at 35! I couldn't find anything listed in the side effects having to do with memory loss. Movies are thr worst for me, I can not remember a movie to save my life. I have started a new job that requires recall from a dvd as well as a manual. YIKES! It is hard. I have also experienced a harder time paying attention. Almost like I know someone is talking but I end up tuning them out, like there is a blocker or something. It is really hard to explain. Anyway I am a very healthy, no other medications person. I am POSITIVE Paxil is causing this especially with the time line of it. Now I am scared to death to get off of it as I don't want to experience the withdrawals and I feel so much better than I did before, but the memory loss is awful, so what is the balance?

I am currently taking levaquin for a sinus and double inner ear infection, i have also taken this antibiotic before,i am 35 years old. I think this drug works wonderfully and tell the doctor this drug works the best for me.i have noticed a harder time falling asleep if i take it too late in the evening and some mild stomach cramping if i do not eat at least 2 hours prior to taking it.i also take it with a full glass of water.some of the side affects listed in this blog that people are describing are normal if you read your insert that comes with the medication.And if you follow the directions and eat and drink with a full glass of water the side effects are not as severe.Unless you are allergic to the drug,i do not find it bothersome knowing i will not be taking it forever and it is just temporary that i will be having a hard time falling asleep.i do eventually fall asleep.My suggestion while taking this medication if you are in reasonably good health,is to read the directions about eating and drinking plenty of water and don't panic,that just makes things worse.

I had cortisone shots in my feet yesterday and all day I have been very irritable. I am getting frustrated and angry over the stupid little accidents or things my kids do everyday. I know it is wrong to yell but I just feel so pissed off. Could this be a side effect? I had the shots about 2 months ago and I don't remember if I had this experience then or not. I can't say that I did or I would have questioned it then. I am also suffering a terrible headache and my throat feels sore (could be all that yelling). Also having a harder time concentrating.

I've had my Mirena out for a week now and I'm very irritable and tired! I do feel relieved to have it out thought b/c all the bleeding, cramping, cysts and weight gain had been enough! I was wondering if anyone else has had the Mirena out and if you could email me and tell me what to expect for the next couple of weeks that would be great!! ******
Good luck to everyone!

So glad to have found this site - but too late! Another night without sleep - sitting up writing this is helping with my sickness - seems worse when I am lying down. Not good at all. Know the doctors thought it would help but this is like no other period problem I have ever experienced. I usually get the whole thing headaches, mood swings, nausea, now I have all these things all the time! I have only had it in for 10 days and once the period started I just felt like I wanted the Mirena out of me even though I had no idea that I was feeling unwell. Seems like a big coincidence that I should be like this! I am not going mad but it feels like I could do if I don't get a decent night's sleep!

I am going to try and get it removed tomorrow because that might be one way of reversing how I feel because I have never felt so bad in 10 years of PMS. I am a 44 year old woman. Keep up the blog because we need to be there for each other - wish me luck I am crying whilst I am typing this.

Another disgruntled user.

Almost a full week since removal. Day 2 was the start of my period. Day 3 and four were really heavy, with day 4 including clotting as well as soaking through tampons, pads, and clothing! (Rather funny for a product that is supposed to prevent pregnancy and stops your period by not allowing your uterine lining to build up???) Yet all of us who have this removed have experienced these really heavy periods??? However, by day 5...things had improved. The period pretty much tapered off and it was the first morning I woke up and noticed my face visibly clearer from the acne. Still some present, but an obvious improvement. No weight loss still, and no decrease in my belly appearance or bloating yet. For some reason I'm having harder time shedding that...but we have all experienced varying symptoms, and I can only assume that our results after removal may be similar, but will also vary person to person. So I wait patiently for my weight loss and bloating to decrease. In the meantime, day 6 I awoke and finally noticed the emotions tapering off as well. I did not feel like I wanted to cry, even after stepping on the scale and realizing I'm still having no weight loss. I feel happy and a little more focused coming into work this morning. Not feeling as overwhelmed or emotional. So things are getting there for me, just a little more slowly than for some others.

The support I have found here with all of you has helped me through all of this in more ways than you may know. Thank you for everyone who posts on here! You mean the world to me!
~Keryn

Headaches??? Really i have been getting headaches recently
I hate the new HFA inhalers
I have been a chronic user of the old inhalers for years and i never complained, I actually really liked them. I have been on a ventilator 3x and I am only 24 years old. The most recent hospitalization was the worst. I have been found to have an under productive heart. They did exploratory lung surgery and also gave me a chest tube and took numerous lung samples. I honestly believe that this was due to the new inhalers. Whenever I take the new inhalers I feel slightly better (not much) approx. 1/3 of the the way the old ones made me feel. I feel slightly better after about 15 minutes, but as soon as I take it I actually have a harder time breathing and it just SUCKS!!!

i have been on NR for about 3 years, I did gain 20 pounds in the begining recently lost the wieght after a breakup and not eating. I tend to get depressed any how, so i didn't think the ring has caused it. I have noticed I do get PMS a two weeks before i take the ring out for my peroid, but i think that is because, my natural cycle kicks in and I may swtch the timing to see if it helps. i would be very interested in hearing more from long time users. I was reading these because I have Absolutly No Sex Drive, and I was wondering if the Nuva Ring has caused this. I know I should want sex, but I never have any desire, and the thought of sex stresses me out!, Although when i do finally have sex I do find it enjoyable, but not like it should be, and I definetly have a harder time getting lubricated. I have a new guy in my life and just wish that I had one ounce of desire to have sex!
Now that i have read these comments, i have noticed i do get some other side effects, like chest pain and thigh cramps, and headaches, but nothing i couldn't handle. Doesn't every birth control method have some screwed up side effects?
I am seriodly considering getting of the Nuva Ring just because i really would like a sex drive, but I don't know what else to use, except tuble ligation

> 1. Flushed red face
> 2. Swollen, puffy cheeks/face
> 3. Puffy flushed hands/arms/chest
> 4. Swollen fingers and hands
> 5. Jittery
> 6. Nervous
> 7. Hungry all the time (way more than normal)
> 8. Sad/general feeling of depression
> 9. Don't like people much these days (feel like "snapping" at people)
> 10. Feeling "alien" - like nothing feels like "me" anymore
> 11. Climbing the walls/ anxiety
> 12. Hard to concentrate
> 13. Nasal passages constantly dripping
> 14. Varicose vein sore to touch the skin (this is apparently because the veins and arteries swell and are closer to the surface)
> 15. Back of right knee sore to touch the skin (apparently related to the vericose vein)
> 16. Sweating at night (waking up wet and having to change clothes multiple
> times)
> 17. Sweating and cold spells at odd times during the day and night
> 18. Heart racing (over 100 beats per minute at rest day and night)
> 19. Back of neck/head sore to the touch
> 20. General feeling of being uncomfortable all the time
> 21. Some insomnia - yet falling into coma-like sleep in evenings

Number 13 was the only one my doctor couldn't attribute directly to Prednisone.

Today I can add another to my list of side effects. My feet and ankles have swollen up huge.

A girl in the store yesterday said I looked very tired and unwell. People at work notice lots of the symptoms.

All this because of an acute asthma attack caused by other people smoking.

I've reduce the dosage by 5mg today and yesterday down from 50mg to 45mg and today I'm having a harder time breathing. Where does this all end?

It's all very depressing indeed.

I was on Estrostep for two years - my first experience on the pill. It was very uneventful, though my periods were light - in one case so light it never showed up. This led to a pregnancy scare.

The real reason why I wanted to switch to something else was because I wanted larger breasts (I can't even fill most A-cup bras), and I thought a pill that was consistent with the estrogen would fill the bill. But I told the gynecologist I was feeling more depressed on Estrostep. Note that I told her I am clinically depressed and am taking Lexapro. She gave me Yasmin.

What happened? I since I've started taking it, I've had a very hard time getting out of bed. I work a night job, so it technically shouldn't be a big deal, but I have lots of things I need to do before I go to work in the afternoon (including exercise to help me manage my depression... needless to say I haven't been working out lately). And even after I have my 9-10 hours of sleep, I still feel tired and fatigued. I also have had a harder time keeping my attention. I chalked these up to my depression and the onset of colder weather, then I realized I didn't feel THIS bad on Estrostep!

My anxiety also has increased at times. I had an embarassing outburst in public in front of my boyfriend, set off by a very trivial matter. My periods are thick and heavy, requiring frequent tampon changes. I cramp more (I had no cramps on Estrostep), and I even feel bloated! My acne worsened.

And - as it would turn out - my breasts did not grow larger.

I'm amazed at how commonly prescribed this pill is (and how relatively few people take Estrostep). I don't know if I'm going to switch back or try something new, but my Yasmin days should soon be over.

Hi, everyone! I was wondering if anyone was put on the pill for pelvic congestion. Last September my doctor put me on Yasmin because of the diuretic effect and low weight gain. The moment I started Yasmin my knees began to ache. They continue to ache to this day. Also, I have exprienced a lot of tingling in my left arm and on the side of my face. Although I didn't know it might be the pill until I saw this site! I'm not sexually active, but I have noticed a significant decrease in sex drive. Recently I have experienced shortness of breath, too. I take the pill at night, and have noticed that I have a harder time waking up in the morning. After reading this site, I think I'm gonna switch my pill. On a good note, my skin has cleared up significantly. Thanks, and best of luck to you all!