Have suffered from symptoms and conditions

I am a 48 y/o Caucasian male and am writing to describe the terrible effects Lipitor had on my health. These side effects gradually worsened over years of use. I did not associate my symptoms with Lipitor use until I depleted my supply for about a week...until my mail order prescription was renewed. I began feeling better after just a few days, but the symptoms recurred when I resumed its use. I questioned this link and discontinued its use after a few weeks to determine if the symptoms would subside, and they did. I then conducted another trial, taking Lipitor for a few weeks. The symptoms appeared once again, so I have stopped taking Lipitor and will not use it again.

My symptoms have been well documented over the years by my physician, who did not indicate a relationship between Lipitor and these side effects. Accordingly, you might understand my surprise when I started reading about Lipitor's significant side effects in recent published news articles.

I have suffered from dizziness, confusion, depression, memory loss, painful joints and muscles and severe prostate pain, and I could not determine a cause for these for years. I have been free of all these symptoms since I stopped taking Lipitor about 6 months ago, except for a few recusing leg pains.

You can't imagine the money I have spent on doctors trying to determine the cause of my ailments, confusion and depression, not to mention money lost due to resulting poor work performance.

As far as I am concerned, Lipitor should be totally discontinued. If it isn't, then the side effects, of which there appear to be many, should be fully documented and disclosed to everyone to whom this medication is prescribed.

I have been taking OMEPROZOLE for around 9 months for Barretts Asophegus reflux.
In general I was beginning to feel I was very ill with symptoms mainly: hot flushes, my face was burning for a few seconds, dizziness, stomach cramps top right mainly, feelings of diareah, and dry mouth.
Has anybody else experienced any of these symptoms... my GP is sending me for a scan on my Gall Bladder, but in my mind all these cramps are associated with Omeprozole... I cannot stop taking it or I get severe pain between my shoulder blades with reflux burning.
Maureen.

I am on my third moth of the Lupron shot! I was basically three choices as to how to take care of my severe Endo and severe Anemia caused by the Edno those three choices were 1. Do nothing and eventually bleed to death.
2. Take Lupron and 3. Have a Hysterectomy! Okay I am 27 years old and bleeding to death from a period is not an option I was even willing to ponder (what idiots for giving me such an option), having a hysterectomy was something I thought about but then after doing much research I decided No and I did research Lupron and although I read horrible things I felt that was really my only option to some hope of relief and I also thought, I am a big girl I can deal! Well I am dealing, I have not experienced a hot flash but I do have night sweats, headaches and feel sick to my stomach on a daily basis! The side effect that I really am suffering from is total hair loss. I mean I have hair on my head but I use to have the thickest hair and get so many compliments on it and now when I brush it, wash it, run my fingers through it or just put it up I literally will have a hand or brush full of hair. My hair was so thick I could not get it into a barette and I would have to use those think hair ties sometimes two hair ties and now I can use a kid hair tie and tye it once! Me and my baby niece who is 16 months old share hair tyes! I have done more research on Lupron since starting it and although I have not experienced many of the side effects listed that you could suffer a red flag went off when I read, it does not cure Endometriosis and there is really no cure, just pain management and so I am at the point where I believe I am going to stop and find alternatives myself and if that means going to GYNO after GYNO then so be it. The side effects I have suffered from are minimal however if the pain is going to return after I stop Lupron then why go through the pain of side effects? This is soley my opinion and I am posting to get it the madness of my chest that I allowed my Doctor the guy I pay take control of my health! I am now taking that control back.

I have been on Topamax for about a month now. I take it b/c I have suffered from migraines since the age of three. I have not had a migraine since, and would normally have one five times a week. As for the side affects, the soda being flat was one that I noticed right away, and I had already done my research, so it was no surprise. Heartbreaking, yes, but expected. The tingling of the extremities is a big one for me, one of which I am slowly getting used to. I could stand to lose a few pounds, but have not seen if the weight loss thing really affects me; I think it really depends on the individual. Thankfully, I have not experienced any of the memory loss or blackouts. No major mood swings. My appetite has stayed the same. I have noticed that I seem to have some bumps on my lower leg that are not bug bites that I am going to ask the doctor about. I am a smoker, and wonder if this somehow could play a part with the Topamax and the bumps. Anyone? Overall, it's been a short time, but I have had amazing results for why I am taking it! I wish everyone well

I am 17, soon to be 18, and have suffered from this horrible pain over my right ovary (basic area) for near 5 years now. I have missed my whole high school years, ended up being home schooled from the pain and graduating early. I FINALLY have a job that I love, but I'm afraid I won't be able to last. I go in to work with pain, get fevers because of either the pain or inflammation. I have had 2 laps, the first one showed nothing (I also, in 8th grade when all this started, had a 5.5cm cyst on my right ovary), the second showed endo on my right ovarian ligament. I have tired almost every birth control out there, and all they do is make me 10 times worse (odd, but true). Now this new doc wants me on Lupron. After all I have read, I'm scared to take it. I'm supposed to take it Friday. The bad thing is, I already have an auto immune glitch (we believe, every problem I have is linked to auto immune), I don't want to be worse. Recently I was on DEPO, which is horrible (seriously, don't take it you gain so much weight and it is so hard to get off, you bleed for like a month or more after you stop... it's awful). Every time I get this pain I bleed 10 min later, badly. I just want this gone, but I don't want any other problems too occur. If anyone has any links that specifically list the side effects of lupron or anything else that might help me, I would love it.

I am 49 years old and have suffered from asthma since I turned 21. I started taking Advair 100/50 in 2000 and have not had an episode since. I have also gained about 50 pounds, lost whatever sleep pattern I had. I find I am pretty emotional but am not sure it can attributed to Advair. I do experience tingling in my hands (pinky and ringfinger only) and am given to bouts of depression and the blues. Last November I tried to switch to Singulair but since I already was developing a cold/congestion it was very ill timed. Had to switch back to Advair after 3 weeks and take some prednisone for a week.
What have you all replaced Advair with when you stopped taking it? I'd really like to know what the alternatives are. Thank you!

i have suffered from Chronic ASthma and Allergies since I was two weeks old and have been on and off Prednisone ever since. The first 6 years of life were in and out of the hospital, recieving ventolin, intal, beclifort, and prednisone treatments. at times I would be on up to 10 meds 5 times a day. My doctor who is still my Doctor today (Im 22) said that they didnt know how i survived. Im assuming it was the above list of meds, my wicked parents and faith. I remember as a kid , my mom would have to crush the prednisone up and put it in jam and i would cry becasue it is honestly the tiniest and wort tasting pill I have ever ingested! I shoul dhave known i was in for trouble.
the thing of it is that by grade 1 I was moonfaced and gained excessive weight in my stomach and back. my brothers were thin and active adn parents the same. but i was a real case, couldnt swim or skate or stay outside too long or go on sleepovers without my "machine" as i called my nebulizer. Frankly it sucked, bu i only say that now, becasue i realize that not everyone had to live this way. up until like teo years ago i just assumed that most people dealt with the same stuff.
anyway, im 22, my legs and arms are ridiculously strong, like we are talking hard. but since im 5'2 on the best of days , my rather large leg muscles make me look even stouter. I have had most fo the symptoms, my hair is a lot thinner, swelling etc, but the worst is the weight in my middle. I CANNOT get rid of it. I feeel like im clogged full of cortisone and steroid byproduct and that it is making weightloss in my middle , nonexistent. this really has affected my emotionally because og course i grew up in a country town and was fat and it scared me for life and now i have trouble being touch by men becasue i feel like they are just feeling my fat. which isnt my damn fault. I wish i had at least had the pleaseure of eating all my favourite foods in order ot become more than 60 pounds overweight. it scares me too because of course fat around the middle is the worse place to have ti and leads to all sorts of lovely things.. and my parents feel so bad becasue i had to go through the mental torture from kids and adults alike but like they say , it was either prednisone or death. i am also now a narcoleptic, and take effexor and alertec for that whcih has its own set of side effects, but none as severe as prednisone. I suppose we all have our crosses to bear though.

Hi y'all... (actually i'm from England but i like the sound of that first line)...
Well, i've been reading quite a lot of these reviews, after being made to feel like 'the only one' to have suffered from the fancy new yasmin pill, and what claims the manufacturers make!! It's almost like a wonder drug and according to them it's supposed to solve all the female problems connected with BC pills... like depression, weight gain, anxiety, PMS, headaches etc etc... the only trouble is, i found it CAUSED all those problems in me and within a very short space of time. I've only been on it for ten days but i can't stand to take anymore...I've never felt so shit ...(can you hear the 'irritability' for starters'..?!) and I've never felt so TIRED in all my life, and that's saying something, cos i'm a nurse and i can get pretty bloody tired in my job sometimes...also i feel totally 'weird' and i'm battling mood swings and depression like i've never had before. Friends have even remarked that my 'personality' seems to have altered, from 'stable and positive' to 'erratic and melancholy'...and as far as sex is concerned, forget it, i have no sex-drive whatsoever. Other effects i have suffered are constant nausea, painful wind, ringing in the ears, extreme changes in body temperature from hot to really cold, itchy skin and painful twinges all over my body!! I hasten to add, these haven't been all at once, but everyday i suffer from atleast two or three of these symptoms, to quite a noticeable degree. Today i threw the remaining pills away and was glad to chuck them out with the rest of the rubbish; these pills have caused my thinking to be so 'screwy' that now i seriously believe that getting pregnant isn't as bad as all this!!!
Best of luck to anyone brave enough to try out this new pill, after all these negative reports on this site, think to yourself is it worth it?!!

I started taking Lisinopril in October of last year and at first I thought it was great. It reduced my blood pressure significantly and stopped my migraines and stopped my ankles and hands swelling. However, in January of this year I started to experience very painful, itchy swollen eyelids and a general feeling of itichiness all over my face and neck. As I have suffered from eczema on and off for years, though never on my face, I put it down to that. The itching and redness does respond to steroid creams and antihistamines a little and it clears up for a while, but then is back with a vengance a few days later. It's very embarrassing and I have to stop wearing make-up when it's bad. I've only just realised after six months of this that it could be the Lisinopril. I've also had a bit of a dry cough but not enough to really bother me. However, whilst making breakfast one morning this week I nearly fainted so now after reading everyone's experiences on this website I really think I need to visit my doctor and have my medication changed. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this site - it's really helped me to know about the side effects of Lisinopril.

Well I finished my first month of Yasmin and things are starting to improve. I almost quit it half way through.
I did experience break through bleeding, bloating in the beginning, cramps, backaches, increase in appetite and extreme breast soreness and an increase in breast size. My first period was very light (3 days) with minimal cramps. The bloating went away, along with the backaches. My breasts are still sore and enlarged and I am hoping and praying that they go back to normal after the three months. I have to admit that my skin is much clearer, I am 31 and have suffered from mild adult onset acne for about 6 years. I have gained a few pounds but I believe that this is my body adjusting to the hormones and I will lose it soon. My appetite has increased but I make sure that I eat very small meals more frequently and I drink a lot of water.
Remember, hormones mimic pregnancy, so weight gain and breast soreness isn't unusual.
My advice is to give Yasmin at least 3 months for your body to adjust. All BC's have side effects. Yasmin is promising and the fact that it helps with clear skin is a bonus. Just hang in there!

hi kate,
just reading your post and i am shocked your doctor would consider puting you on yasmin. Because any bcp will thicken your blood surely it cannot be safe for you given you suffer from mitral valve prolapse.
please reconsider your choices. and certainly do not take yasmin or yaz.
i dont think either of them are good.
So many women here have suffered from anxiety and other problems from those pills. Is there another choice for you to help with the cysts.
Maybe if you log onto flowerbabies new site one of the women on there might know or have experience with this.
The link is posted below.

If i could just stop one more woman from starting on ths pill l i would be happy.
I hate to think of any body else suffering the way i did.
Research your choices first kate.
Good luck.
muph70

hello again ladies!
i have been doing my monthly research again ( i do it every month when my symptoms seem to get worse again!) this month i have found the answer to the irritating dry eyes that many of us have suffered from and also the blurred vision and the problems wearing our contacts. the answer is to do with the antiandrogen in this pill,apparently it affects the fatty acids that protect the eyes,tear ducts etc. it casues a great depletion in our stores.this can happen naturally but only usually when a woman reaches her menopause and her levels of testosterone fall. So that would also explain the loss of sex drive that a lot of women experience as well as the hair loss,testosterone is being inhibited,this can lead to low mood,no sex drive and many of the other symptoms we all have. sorry if that all sounds a little all over the place but my memory is so bad i will forget what i have read!

don't forget to come and say hello in the new forum (click the link in my previous listing for the address.

sarah

To all women who have suffered from Yasmin,

I stopped taking that pill early July 06 after taking it for 4 years. Before I stopped I was suffering from:
- anxiety, irritability, irrationality (nearly split up with boyfriend)
- ear problems (damaged eardrums, constant ear blocage (none of the ephedrine medication worked)
- Severe muscle cramps (feet and calves)
- Pains in my right shoulder and arm
- Regular faintings (I found myself a few times in ER/ none of the tests they did show any abnormalities)
- Pain in my lower stomach
- Complete lack of energy
- No enthusiasm about what I used to enjoy doing
- Felt sick everytime I did some hiking (going up a hill for ex)
- Heart palpitations especially in the mornings when getting up
- Shortness of breath
- Swollen and aching gums (even the dentist thought they were strange and could not understand why as I had a perfect mouth hygiene)

At the time, I did not think at all about Yasmin as a poison, but slowly I realised I was sick because of it. Everytime I took it I felt disgusted like my body was saying: 'ENOUGH, I HAD ENOUGH OF THIS STOP IT!!'
I stopped early July 06 and since then slowly, I am becoming myself again. I suffered when I stopped especially of muscle weakness and ear problems but after 7 months off it, the muscles are becoming strong again (I have been doing light excercises since I stopped the pill) and my ears start to feel normal again.

The only new thing at the moment is that I gained 2kgs (about 4lb) in weight only around my tummy !!
Has anybody out there got the same problem? Is this normal ?
Does the weight go down once your body has completely recovered? How long does it take?

Thank you for your comments. I simply want to add :
IF YOU TAKE YASMIN AND FEEL BAD STOP IT NOW ! YOU WILL FEEL WORSE FOR A WHILE AFTER STOPPING IT BUT YOU WILL RECOVER SOONER OR LATER!! IT IS JUST A MATTER OF PATIENCE

I am 19 yrs old. I am have 2 surgeries to cauterize my endo. My doctor recommends I take the lupron shot. Im not so concerned with the pelivc pain with enod, its tolerable. Im most concerned with infertility. I am so young, and having to choose between going into menopause and not having children is not something i thought i would have to do. I have suffered from severe depression for 6 yrs, and i finally have it under control. Im terryfied that taking the shot it going to make me depressed again. Any words of advice?

I have heart palpitations and was shocked back into sinus rhythmn via a cardio-vert procedure. I have been in regular rhythmn for over a year. However during this time my moods have become excessively black, my sleep has been irregular, and I can nod off at a moment's notice. During this time I have had lapses in short term memory and have suffered from bouts of bad judgement which I have never suffered from before in my life.

My cardio suggests keeping me on these but I feel I must get off of the medication. I have been off for up to three days and have found that my outlook and vitality has improved greatly.

I started taking Yasmin about three years ago. I was so excited when my periods became shorter, more regular and less intense in pain as well as being able to see my skin clear. Then at about the end of year one beginning of year two the side effects began. Since taking Yasmin I have gained a whopping 30 lbs! It has also taken me almost a year to try and loose 16 lbs of that total weight gain. I have suffered from anxiety, severe depression, extreme anger and paranoia. It was bad enough that my regular physician prescribed Wellbutrin and Xanax. My sex drive has also plummetted to the point of non-existence making me feel horrible not being able to feel close to my fiance. There have also been problems with my vision meaning it takes me a good two minutes with lots of blinking to get a grip on my sight. Migraines have also been severe and frequent. I had a week of nothing but migraines one for every single day. I have to say since taking Yasmin I have been far from my normal self, up to the point of calling off my upcoming wedding! Thankfully I had a brief moment of normal thought and realized that it was a huge mistake. It has been agreed by all parties involved that as soon as I get a doctors appointment I will switch to some other form of BC and destroy my Yasmin pills. Those who are considering taking Yasmin STAY AWAY!!!

I started taking Yasmin in March of 2005. For the last year, I have suffered from the side effects of Yasmin but didn't realize it until last month. I was becoming upset with EVERYONE. If someone looked at me wrong I would burst out into tears. I think it has affected my eyesight also. I had 20/20 vision before I started the pills, now I have to wear glasses to see anything more than 5 ft in front of me. I have had no motivation to do anything and I have gone through some serious depression spells. I have decided to stop taking the pills after I finish my last pack. I wish I would have realized the effects the pills were having on me sooner because I am sure I have upset quite a few close people to me including my family and my boyfriend. I would yell at everyone when they didn't do anything wrong. I do not recommend taking these pills and I feel very sorry for anyone who has gone through the same things as I have.

I have suffered from severe hayfever since 1968 when I was 21 and most people and many medical people don't realise how distressing and debilitating it can be. I was prescribed Kenalog when antihistamines failed to work and I have had an annual injection every year since then, with no apparent side effects. Kenalog relieves symptoms by about 90% and is the only treatment which makes life bearable during June (UK). My own doctor now works only 2 days a week and from obtaining the Kenalog yesterday I now have to stay indoors for 5 days before I can have it injected because no other doctors in the Practice are willing to give it. I need to ask him next week what will happen when he retires!

I have suffered from Fibromyalgia for over 12 years so muscle pain, fatigue and memory loss is a way of life. It concerns me that some of the increased pain and fatigue could be related to Zocor. I have been on it approx on year. The new thing I am experiencing is knots, cysts, tumors what ever they are are showing up all over my body. I have one in the muscle of my left shoulder and have experienced extreme pain with limited use. Has anyone else experience this happening to them? Taking Zocor is the only thing that I have done differently in the last year. Going to the Doctor about all of this in 3 days. Thanks Debbie

I took Yasmin for a number of years with no side effects, actually with beneficial side effects, of making my periods more manageable (the pills helped reduce hot flashes, nausea and cramps). Then I tried to go off by transitioning onto a lower dose pill, but had some side effects, and went back on the Yasmin after 2 months. Now, it's been AWFUL. I figured I'd give it a month for my body to readjust, but I don't think that's going to happen. I have suffered from: morning-sickness type nausea every day (for 5 weeks) except during the last week of my last cycle, when I wasn't on the pills, diahrrhea, which only probiotics reduced (still a problem, but not as bad), exhaustion, achy legs and back, and shooting pains in my abdomen. Also the dry mouth that others have mentioned has been bad.
I don't know why it would work so well for so long and not work now! Has anyone else had this happen to them while switching back and forth? I also have a high breast cancer risk, and even though all the studies say there's no link between oral contraceptives and breast cancer, I have wondered - how can I take estrogen, which feeds breast cancer, without it increasing my risk?
Heidi

I am 24 years old and have suffered from Irritable Bowel Disease for 22 years. I have taken prednisone 4 times in my life, but I always had to take high dosages for a very long period of time and then the weaning period lasted for months. In 2004 I had such a bad flare-up of Crohn's that I almost didn't make it. So I say Prednisone is my necessary EVIL.
I gained 40 pounds and was a MONSTER with my mood swings. The lasting side effects have been hard for me to handle.
The Prednisone cut off blood to some of my bones which now are dead and very painful as a result. I am having major knee surgery in a week and a half because of this (which is called Avascular Necrosis). I have AVN in both of my ankles, both knees, and most likely in both wrists. I will most likely need a Total Knee Replacement, but because I'm so young my doctors are trying every other type of treatment first (otherwise I would probably end up in a wheelchair by my 50s) I am in constant pain. I had never even heard of this as a side-effect until 2004 and after I was already on a high dose for a month.
I also have cataracts from taking steriods.
I feel MUCH older than I am. I have battled a disease for 22 years but the side effects of Prednisone are harder for me to deal with.
Although prednisone essentially saved my life, I wish I would have been more informed of ALL the possible side effects.

i have suffered from severe leg and feet pains getting progressively worse the pain kept me awake every night and i had great difficulty walking and even buying shoes was a nightmare because they all hurt.my doctor gave me all kinds of anti inflamitory and other types of drugs for pain, all to no avail. I have been taking lipitor for a few years. Last year somebody mentioned to me about leg pain from lipitor but i did not take much notice.Two weeks ago I just remembered about it and decided to stop taking them and see what happened, after a couple of days my legs have certainly improved I still have pain but nothing like it was and i have not had a sleepless night since stopping the tablets. I am still afraid to believe that this improvement is permanent so I decided to try the internet for information about these drugs and I am absolutely flabbergasted to find that other people are suffering in the same way as myself. Now i think I may have found the answer to my problem and I wonder will the pains improve more or will I be left with some permanent damage as I still have quite a lot of pain although not near as bad as before.

hi there!!

i have been on yasmin for about a year now.
i took my last pill on the 17th april 2006 and am now on my periods.
i have decided to stop taking it because i have had the following symptoms;-
- nausea
- no sex drive
- mood swings
- numbness and tingling in the body
- severe anxiety
- depressive thoughts
- lack of interest in everything
- pain in the upper back leading to the back of neck and head
- ears and nose get really cold
- feeling like im going mad
- scared of something but dont know what
- severe migraines
- PANICK ATTACKS
- alternating diarhea and constipation
- stomach pains

i was ok on it at first had abit of NAUSEA but i thought it was worth putting up with it if it got rid of my acne (as i have polysistic ovaries) and it did.

the last couple of months have been hell i have suffered from severe panick attacks and migraines everyday i have been so so scared.

i have had bad upper back pain which goes to the back of my head and neck and effects my eyes, they hurt sooooo bad, DOES ANYONE ELSE SUFFER FROM THIS SYMPTOM PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

i have stopped taking yasmin its my 6th day of it and i feel better but not properly

IS IT YASMIN CAUSING THESE PROBLEMS?

IF SO, HOW LONG BEFORE I FEEL NORMAL AGAIN?

PLEASE HELP ANYBODY I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SCARED IM GOIN CRAZY!!!

THANKS

SOPHIE

UPDATE

I stopped taking Yasmin April 2005 after being on it for 3 years. The my dehydration levels are just abut normal but it took 8 months to get there. The other symptoms went away after 6 months. Thank G-d I am back to normal.

This is my original post while I was taking it. I cant believe I wrote it! If you have horrible side effects they will go eventually when you stop taking it.

""I have been taking yasmin for over 3 years. I suffered from painc attacks and anxiety about 10 years ago, I thought it was beacuse I was in a stressful relationship, but looking back I was on the pill so maybe that has something to do with it!

Anyway the first 2 years on yasmin was fine, the only side effects I had were spotting and leaky nipples(what the hell!).

During that time I had occasional anxiety, frequent asthma, mood swings, depression, insecurity, lost my social skills, became extremely sensitive, no sex drive, fatigue and constant dehydration. I had no idea that any of the above could be side effects. My doc told me there were no side effects, but thats not what it says on the leaflet

Anyway the last couple of months I have has the worst anxiety, panic attaacks, severy dehydration which can lead to a migraine, zero tolerance to salt, severe social phobia, weight gain, sever mood swings, have fallen out with half my family, inability to concentrate, blurred vision, fuzzy head feeling, no motivation to do anything, don't go out and don't know what the hell his going on!

I have 2 wondeful kids and an amazing husband. I stopped yasmin 2 days ago for good. I feel poisoned. I had no idea yasmin was a diuretic and thats why I have suffered from dehydration.

This is the wierd thing, yasmin was fine for 3 years then all my side effects became much worse in one go. I just want my life back. ""

It scares me to think that I was taking something that could mess me up so bad. I use the diaphragm now which can be a little inconvenient but at least my hormones are normal.

After reading about the side effects posted I am certain its not just me suffering from side effects from yasmin. I can relate to alot of other peoples side effects they have suffered. I have been on Yasmin for about 1 year now. I have always had really thick and really curly hair untill i started taking this pill, it started with Dianette, my hair went really thin and i hardely had any curls left. so i came off that pill and was switched to another pill, my hair got back to normal but i suffered terrible migraines, so my doctor switched me to yasmin. I have not suffered any weight gain but i have suffered from hair loss, and depression. I can get really low on this pill, another undesired side effects i am now suffering from it is a low sex drive. I have decided to get off this pill and switch to the mini pill. My doctor has pescribed me to Cerazette. I am afraid to go on to this pill after reading about the side effects, about hair loss. If anyone has experience in taking Cerazette please could you let me know.