Hind sight symptoms and conditions

I was prescribed 7 Levaquin (3- 750mg and 4- 500mg) on Friday December 12th 2008 for an ear infection. I was to take the 3- 750mg ones for the next 3 days and then start on the last 4- 500mg. The next evening Saturday, I started to get sharp pains in my left calf. I thought it was a charley horse and started limping around with pain. During the night I felt as if I was lying on golf balls and could not get comfortable.

The next morning the pain in the calf included soreness in the left hip area. I took an over-the-counter pain pill and went on my business. I also took the second 750mg Levaquin Saturday morning. Later that afternoon my right calf starting hurting with sharp pain as I walked around the house. This was really weird. The pain was exactly in the same area as the left side.

On Sunday morning (December 14th 2008) I took the 3rd 750mg Levaquin. That evening I started to put two and two together and had some thoughts the medication (Levaquin) was causing these side effects. I told my wife that I was going call my doctor on Monday (December 15th 2008) and let him know how much pain I was in. At this time I could hardly walk. I was walking with much pain and felt like I was walking like the Apes in the movie called “Planet of the Apes”.

I was now on the 500mg Levaquin. I took this pill Monday as scheduled. I called my doctors office Monday morning and talked to the lady that answered his phone. I explained my condition. She had me describe my symptoms twice. She told me she would give my message to my doctor. I did not receive a return that same day.

Tuesday morning I took the next 500mg Levaquin as scheduled required. Later that day I received a call from a lady at my doctor’s office. She told me that the doctor was going to phone in an additional prescription and where did I want it phoned to. I asked her what the doctor said about the additional 2- 500mg Levaquin pills I had left. Did he want me to stop taking them? She told me he didn’t say and he made no comment on my side effects.

My wife called the Pharmacist later Tuesday afternoon and the prescription was not there or not ready.

Wednesday morning I took the 2nd to last 500mg Levaquin dose as scheduled. Later that morning my wife called the Pharmacist and my new prescription was ready. We went and picked up the new medication that afternoon.

At this time I only had one more dose of the 500mg Levaquin and seeing-how the doctor didn’t tell me to stop taking the remaining last couple of pills I took it on Thursday morning to finish out the prescription.

I’ve been off Levaquin for about 3 days now. It’s now Sunday December 20, 2008 and many of my joints and muscles are in distress. I walk with much pain. I can hardly life my arm above my shoulders. Even my hands hurt when I try to make a fist. I hope this drug starts to wear off soon.

Along with my other medical problems, I have been starting to have thoughts of how unimportant I am. How I could become a burden to my family. My depression has gotten worse and thoughts of suicide have flashed into my mind. Those thoughts give me chills because I love my wife and know how much that would hurt her. I love life but I don’t want to get to the point that I can’t take care of myself. God must give me the courage to do what I have to do. I don’t know why I’m writing down the above information. This is so personal. This can’t be happing to me. It just doesn’t seem possible. I feel the pain in each of my joints in my hands as I type. It is as though I was not myself. I look at my hands and it seems as if I was in someone else’s body. I’m sure this is side effects of the Levaquin and should subside soon. Merry Christmas Everyone.

I was prescribed Pravachol after experiencing a reaction to Zocor. In hind sight, this was probably the worst thing my doctor could have done to me. Only weeks on the Pravachol I began to experience lower back and hip pain. I blamed it on my mattress! Then one morning I went to roll over in the bed and pain shot through me up to my head. My hips were frozen the pain was unbearable. I cried and my husband got some old crutches from the garage. I needed help getting to and from the bathroom. He left for work and left me with the heating pad and Ibuprofen. I realized that this was extremely similar to the knee and leg pain I'd experienced on Zocor only to a much more significant degree and much more painful. I immediately stopped the Pravachol and a week later began to see improvement. Within two to three weeks I recovered to a degree of functionality. My doctor actually pushed me to try the Pravocol again! I got a new doctor instead. Turns out my cholesterol isn't even that bad!! I'm furious for the long term damage done to me and furious at a system that would put people through this knowing what it does!

HI - I had my Mirena removed yesterday. I had it inserted on Valentines Day 2006 - so 2 and a half years. A week after having it inserted I woke up one morning sweating and shaking like a mad woman....also starting Vomiting and then fainted. I went to my OB/Gyn and he told me that I had a virus and it was nothing to do with the mirena...Hmmm???? In hindsight (yes I know hind sight is 20/20) I have to say I am sure that I didn't have a virus - I think it was some kind of shock reaction to the Mirena - 12 weeks after having it put in I threw my boyfriend out - he just started getting on my nerves!!!....and every month or so I have been getting a severe dry swollen throat they have been getting progressively worse over the past 2 years - once again my doctor told me it was nothing to do with the Mirena, but that I had reflux...or allergies....The reflux medication that I took for a year nearly stopped my natural stomach acid production - so I swelled up (was it the reflux medication or the Mirena?? or Both?) About a year ago I stopped the reflux meds and concentrated on Allergies....at first it seemed to help - I think it was wishful thinking - last month my throat was so dry I could hardly swallow....as I said yesterday I had the thing removed - today my tongue is tingling strangely, but I have a feeling that it is actually trying to go back to normal....here's hoping!!!!
One more thing - I started exercising in Dec 2007....have lost about 5 kgs but for the amount of work I have done, it is nothing. I really hope that now that it is out, I will start to show something for the fitness regime I have been on the past 9 months.
I'm scared of the crash that will probably come on Saturday or Sunday - I started taking 5HTP last week in preparation - I hope it helps.

Hello-

I took Yasmin for a 1.5 years. I am now 2 years post Yasmin. In hind-sight, had I known what I would live through both while taking Yasmin as well as the 2 years following, I would never have taken it in the first place.

I am going to summarize some of those side effects below:

For the first 1.25 years, it seemed like I was living in an dream. I was that spaced out all the time. No affect, if you will. I felt like a zombie.

Exhaustion/Fatigue:
I became lethargic all the time. Previously, being very athletic, I had no energy at all. A walk made me yearn for a nap. 2 years post Yasmin, I am still trying to recover and bring back all the muscle tone I lost. Reading through alot of possible side effects, ataxia (muscle atrophy/loss) was one of them I suspect could be linked to becoming dehydrated.

Painful plugged eardrums:
Every morning after i would take Yasmin, my ears would have this "popping sensation" much like what it feels like when you are on an airplane and the pressure changes. Over time, my ears became quite painful like I had alot of pressure built up in them. I later learned from a Hearing Doctor that it could well have been the potassium sparing diuretic as the inner ears are composed of potassium/sodium and the diuretic could offset its balance. This doctor also told me that in their field they have known forever that artificial/synthetic hormones are toxic to the inner ears. No other doctor I saw coming off of Yasmin knew this...

Melasma:
I developed brown spots on my forehead, beneath my eyebrows and on both cheeks within starting Yasmin in the first month.

Constant Urination:
I urinated every 15 minutes for 1.5 years straight that I was on Yasmin. Learned later about the potassium sparing diuretic in it a little too late. My blood tests showed I was dehydrated and was deficient in Folic Acid and Vitamin B12. Both 2 common deficiencies seen with artificial/synthetic hormone use.

Chest Pain:
1.25 years into taking Yasmin, at the onset of menses, I developed this pressure in my chest and sharp stabbing pains. The next month, again at the onset of menses, the pressure occurred again, this time spreading across my chest. I went to see a Doctor at that point who discounted that Yasmin could be involved at all. (Not sure why a member of the medical community would say that given I have since read a number of articles that suggest that Yasmin and Yaz both run a higher risk for clots/pulmonary embolisms then other birth control pills). Regardless, I had a chest x-ray to ensure my heart was not enlarged and had an EKG which just showed an abnormally slow heartbeat-Sinus Bradycardia. It was recommended at that time that I have a ECG (echo-cardiogram). Tests start at $5000 each and I did not have coverage for this kind of test.

I went off of Yasmin now, almost 2 years ago. Going off I spent the last 2 years getting sick every month at the onset of menses with severe bronchitis, chest pain that still occurs at menses (I have since learned can also be brought on by low levels of oestrogen and progersterone at menses) and gained 30 lbs.

Blood tests showed I was depleted of Vitamin D, B and Folic Acid, dehydrated and also had elevated potassium (a possible risk with Yasmin's potassium sparing diuretic.

I would encourage everyone to google anti-mineralocortoid (diasperonone) and anti-androgenic effects (Spironolactone)

These are both acting ingredients in Yasmin.

This has been the toughest couple of years in my lifetime. Initially it seemed like a great pill. My skin cleared up, I lost weight and my periods were only 3 days long. On that note, it took a whole year and half for my periods to go back to 5 days from 3 days long so again, doctors telling me that Yasmin would not and could not be affecting my body after stopping, just went to show it took that long for my own body to start re-producing its own natural hormones.

Through all of this, I have met amazing women and other survivors who have offered enormous support. I would suggest to any of you that find your way here to trust yourself and your body first and foremost to what anyone else may discount or try and remedy with anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications. There are a host of amazing authors out there as well who enlightened me enormously on the role of hormones in our bodies, and ultimately, their balance to our overall health and immune function:

Dr. Lee and Dr. Hotze. They both have websites and books which are wonderful. I would also suggest googling Yasmin Survivors online, which will take you to another resource/forum of women who are sharing side effects and healing and survival techniques coming off of Yasmin. The site is: ******