Hmm symptoms and conditions

I started taking Toprol XL seven years ago to control palpitations. Side effects I have experienced include loss of hair, coldness in my hands and feet, probably due to the lower blood pressure, and, believe it or not, palpitations. I am somewhat, but not entirely, certain that the palpitations that I originally suffered from were from poor exercise, stress and a bad diet. The new palpitations I get are from squatting, reclining in certain positions, raising my legs up in a certain way which I attribute to side effects from this drug. I am trying to cut down on this drug, but it is hard. My heart has grown accustomed to it and it acts up whenever the dosage is reduced, no matter how slowly I do it. I want to get it down to 12.5 mg. I take about 18-19 mg now (I cut the 25mg in half and take one of the halves and cut it in half again). Some things about this drug: take it consistently, e.g., same time with same amount of food. It will give you some harmless, but scary, palps if you do not keep a regular pattern. Indeed, I can usually tell when a palp is Toprol-induced. Another thing is to be wary of doctors who have you double or quadruple a dosage at one time. Years ago my doctor told me to go from 12.5 to 50 mg after I complained of some palps that I now know were Toprol related. I thought he was nuts because my pulse was already way down due to this drug. I envisioned myself fainting. being a bad patient, I upped it to 25 instead. Later, after looking at a Holter monitor readout, the doctor calls me and says lower my dose to 25 because my overnight pulse was getting to a point that if I took anymore Toprol the pulse would be dangerously low. I never told him I did not listen to him. But I have to say I have not suffered all of the side effects listed on this site such as depression. The drug was and has been effective in controlling the palps that were driving me crazy. My palps were very bothersome and this drug gave me peace of mind. But, looking back, I think I could have brought about the same results with a healthier lifestyle. I am very cautious about taking myself completely off of it entirely and will do that with the guidance of a doctor, not the one mentioned above of course. But they are hard to find. Most of them will tell you beta blockers are the greatest and if you take dosages as low as mine there are no problems whatsoever.

I had been off Yasmine for almost 3 months and am feeling way better. I started Yasmine in Jan.2006. All was well for 3 mos, then I noticed over that summer my periods were heavier and longer and very clotty. Brown to black to start. And they lasted like 6-8 days!! Then in Aug 06 i had a migraine for 3 days! Then Sept. and again in Oct. Also, I started suffering panic attacks, i would get dizzy and frantic and my heart would race, I was moody and depressed and ended up on anti deppressants and antixiolitcs. My hands would tingle like i wasnt getting blood pumped there. I saw a psych doctor & she said it wasnt the pill I explained that this all heightened during my second week of active pills. Nope not that. My gyn said so too. I swore to him that I thought that this pill was giving me too much hormone and effecting my whole balance and equilibrium of my body... well i started a diary and found I was gettin a migraine the Thursday before my period and the migraine was gone Sunday on my start day. And My panic attacks and anxiety did get worse after 9 days of my new pack. And there was no reason or extra extra stressors at that time happening. It was incapacitating! I had to call in sick, missed college classes and then this pass April 07 lost my job from calling out once a month. At any rate I requested from my GYN to take me off the Yasmine. That was the middle of My . I have iregular periods again but NO MIGRAINES, NO OVER EATING, NO CRAMPS, and my flow is way lighter and not as long. In addition, I no longer suffer from full blown panic attacks, just some extra jitteriness here and there like hmm when i should, during a normal crisis. I had an awful experience with this pill, and would not wish it's side effects on my worst enemy!

Ive been on NR for 2wks and the only side effects that Ive had are the following. This weird odor, which I thought was from my period. But now I have no period and the smell is there. Hmm? I dont think I have an infection and I tried cleaning everyday with a mild soap down there and nothing. The other thing that I have noticed is the fact of depression. But not really depression more like Im to sensitive. I think everything is wrong and I want to cry all the time.

Hello Gang,

I have never felt so sick in my entire life. I started taking Yasmin two months ago (I only went through two packs of pills). I have felt like I am going to die every day of this last month. I have had severe migraine headaches, body aches, chest tightness, dizziness, SEVERE anxiety and EXTREME fatigue. My sex drive has packed up and gone, I have terrible vaginal dryness and I am never hungry. I used to work out every day but now find that the very thought of lifting weights puts me to sleep. The strangest part is how the "illness" kind of comes in waves, I'll be fine all morning and then I'm freaking out/sick all night. I have panic attacks and I'll start crying for no reason. Sometimes I lay in bed and worry that I have cancer or a tumor or all types of various diseases. My boyfriend has been extremely patient throughout the whole thing but I feel terrible because we hardly have a chance to get romantic because I'm constantly sick or simply worrying that I might get sick later on. I actually just had four vials of blood taken yesterday to make sure that I'm doing okay. They also gave me chest xrays due to the chest tightness. The thing that really bugs me is that aside from being frustrating, confusing and scary, it is proving to be quite costly since I now have to pay for my doctor's visits and doctor's expenses. I just switched over to Loestrin two days ago so I'm hoping that will help get me back on track. Until then, I'm just gonna have to hope that this stuff gets out of my body and that the feeling of looming death vanishes. I'm all for going to the news or Oprah or maybe dateline nbc. Women should know what they're getting themselves into because it seems obvious that if doctor's are prescribing this to us, they must have no idea what they're doing. And that thought is equally as terrifying as the constant sickness.

Silke-
So glad to hear from you. I am just interested to know because I had lab tests done (blood) as well and mine came back "normal" low normal so I ordered a saliva test online for a hormone profile because I read that saliva tests are more accurate than blood tests for hormones and my labs came back that my testosterone is way low as well as some of my other hormones which were too low for a woman my age. ( By the way I have been off the yasmin since the end of Nov. 2005) So now I am looking into bio Identical hormone replacement, which is a natural hormone much like the hormones our bodies make already NOT the synthetic junk in BCP's. I think in my case that the yasmin supressed my androgens and testosterone which are the male hormones, guess what these hormones are responsible for? skin elasticity, mood, sleep balance, cholesterol levels, muscle integrity... among other things...hmm sound familiar? a lot of things we and other people on this site are complaining about. I am still looking into finding a good doctor for the BIH replacement but you can read up on this on www.salivatest.com click on 24 HOUR HORMONE HOTLINE on the bottom paragraph of the second box on the left hand side of your screen, then on the next screen scroll down to 630 ANDROGENS: Testosterone and DHEA listen to what the hormones are responsible for. 627 All about Hormones is very informative as well, actually if you click on a lot of the numbers there you can learn a lot, as well as about saliva testing and BIHR. You can order a saliva test by clicking on the home page you started out on, at the very top it says order test kit. I ordered HORMONE PROFILE I. That measures your estridiol, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, and cortisol levels in the am. This will give you a basic idea of where your hormones are at. I would be curious to see where your levels really are as well. Let me know what you think. Bitter RN-

43 yr. woman on second try with Zocor. The first time was 6 years ago, and I thought the muscle and hip pain was a side effect from another medication that I was taking. Recently, I've been taking Zocor for 6 weeks and the muscle pain and deep bone aches along with the severe fatigue have been unrelenting. It's not worth such a change in my quality of life and I'll be researching for other alternatives. PS. When I first told my doctor about the symptoms, he said it wasn't the Zocor and that is was in my head. I found that depression is also a side effect of statins. Hmm, my research has consistently directed me to information that tells me it's not in my head. Needless to say, I'm frustrated.

My wife was put on Lithium about 2 years ago for only about 6 months and frankly I saw no improvement or change.
We were assured that any decrease in thyroid activity would only be temporary however despite never having any thyroid problems before she was started on 25 micrograms of thyroxine to compensate for lack of thyroid activity.It is now up to 100 micrograms with no anticipation of any improvement.
Although there seems to be no evidence of it causing permenant damage I wish now that she had never been started on it.

Hi -- I've been posting on this site for awhile, but I had to switch my user name for some reason, it used to be HoovieDoo. Anyway, I am so frustrated with this pill! It's been almost 7 months (next week) that I've been taking it. And the last period that I had was so horrible I thought I was really going to pass out. Right now I'm supposed to be on my period but it's not here! And, I've had a vaginal infection all month, thanks to Yasmin, so I haven't had intercourse = not pregnant.

What really irritates me is that my mom went to her Gyno, and her gyno's nurse practioner is who I see -- but she went to her Gyno with some questions and concerns I had, all he did was tell her all of my side effects were stress related and gave her another, DIFFERENT kind of pill to 'try' for me. I am so frustrated by this it's not even cool. I've tried to have a positive attitude this whole time because I don't want this pill to get the best of me. I'm not sure what to do because my body is, unfortunately, used to Yasmin now, and I don't particularly want to change again. Her gyno also told her he doesn't advise IUD's for women who haven't had children :( hmm... I'm just frustrated.

As for the ladies that are dealing with weight gain after getting off the pill -- I am afraid of the same thing happening to me, as I did not gain, but lose weight while taking Yasmin, I'm not losing anymore, it has leveled off. However, as words of encouragement, it is probably just the change in horomones or it could be water weight, remember that it is a diretic, so now you're body is retaining the water that was once lost -- which will cause 5-10lb weight gain on some days. I don't know, but I know what its like to gain weight quickly and in unwanted places! This happened with me and Alesse & Levlite & Aviane.

Sorry for all the complaining. I needed to get it off my chest and I know my boyfriend, friends, and mom are tired of hearing me complain about how frustrated I am :) I guess it doesn't seem as bad typing. Feel free to email me and we'll chat about all of this crazy mess {******}

Have a good one ~ Aaron

hmm i just typed in some sympthoms and it took me here and behold I AM taking this medication and furthur other sympthoms are here you all have mentioned..
I'm gona talk to the Dr. soon. Thanks!
Susanne

Oh and also! The first two weeks really are the worst. If you're out there and freaked out because the Zoloft makes you more panicky than you were to begin with, it will decrease and go away with time! The first day I took Zoloft I had continuous yawns and I felt drugged, like the world was a haze. I don't know that the haze thing has ever really gone away though - or maybe it comes back if you miss a lot of doses like I did last week..hmm. Anyhow. Second day, I was pacing around my house and office. I felt an intense need to move - again, super weird since I'm being treated for GAD. But, as I said, those intense side effects do go away. Even the sexual ones diminish with time. The ones that I've noted that stay are the lethargy, haze, and the dreams. Good luck!!

I am 20 years old and have been on Zoloft for 2 1/2 months. I totally agree with other posts in that I have had terrible lethargy and been sleeping 12 hours a night, when I am normally sleeping 7. I have also noted the foggy feeling, which makes me think I'm sleepy even though as I said previously I sleep like 12 hours a night. It does interfere with my ability to concentrate and sometimes I get concerned while driving that I will fall asleep or not be able to continue focusing. I really hate the dreams - I feel like they interfere with my ability to get good sleep, maybe they affect the REM or something, heck if I know. I also note incredible sexual side effects, however, they seem to be subsiding with time - and I hope that trend continues. What I am most concerned about is the hopelessness feeling. I have NEVER prior to Zoloft considered suicide or self-harm, however, in the past month I have begun feeling hopeless and worthless. I can't really explain why that would be because I really felt that I was improving on Zoloft. Thus, I can only conclude that it's possible hopelessness is a serious side-effect of Zoloft, one that some of us may not be able to deal with. I am going to a new doctor next week and hopefully he won't change me up too much. Oh and - seriously amplifies the effect of alcohol. So if you're a drinker and just beginning Zoloft, watch out! I lost control of my legs the first time I drank while on Zoloft, and I didn't even have much to drink. Again, I really fear that Zoloft, when treating patients with GAD or Panic Disorders may cause symptoms of depression (lethargy, hopelessness) and then we'll end up treating two illnesses, one of which is truly just a side effect of Zoloft. Hmm.. if anyone has any suggestions, pleast let me know! Thank you! And really, good luck. I believe this medication rocks for a lot of people - you've just got to figure what side effects you're willing to deal with, since most SSRIs give the dreams too.

hmm.

ok.

not good.

I have been taking microgynon for 2 months - during which time i have put on weight and a week before each period would have eaten a pint of worms to not feel as depressed as i did.

coupling this i put on stacks - (hey it may stop you getting pregnant but it just make you look and feel 6 months pregnant!)

i had heard that Jasmin would help prevent this due to it's lower doses, so would help not only the side effects like the screaming banshee rearing her head, but would also help reduce weight and help with clearing the skin.....

so you guys - have just ruined my big exciting venture into taking this 'miracle' pill...

soooooo....... whats the deal huh?
we all want the same thing, the same results, what IS the best bloody pill to take???
damn things - i hate the whole package of it all... it's not like our bodies are REALLY going to accept anything is it - it's un-natural, and it does'nt seem fair we have to go through so much s**t either.

if anyone knows of a good one - speak - and quick!

peace & love to every single one of you x

Hmm... but for me the ethex brand guaifenex perscribed to me has been like speed, i forst got it on a wednesday night took 2, which was recomended by my doctor, and i didnt sleep or eat a full meal until friday night when i didnt take the second dose of medication, and also drank a little that night. During those few days however i did continue taking my medicine, but sometimes not 2 twice a day. Basicaly i felt like i was on some amphetamine or speed for about 2 days straight. However i did not find the experience to be of any nuicance. But now about 4 days after starting the medicine, i have a rash on my hands and feet and the symptoms comply with hand foot and mouth disease, but actualy i think this is the real sickness i was prescribed to guaifinexe for, since the doctor never gave me an actual name for the virus

WOW!! i'm surprised to hear so many bad things about yasmin.

i've just started my 6th month with it and feel pretty good. fortunately, i don't share many of the side effects that many of you have posted here (knock on wood). the only ones i can say i have, which are not that strong, are dryness and itchiness with my vagina, a loss in sex drive, and moodiness. the discomfort with my vagina is much less now than when i first started, and because i'm consciously aware of my moodiness and loss in sex drive, i can act consciously about it. hMm.. does that make sense?

before i went on the pill (this is the 2nd one that i have tried; i only stayed with the last one for 2 months), my periods were super heavy and lasted a week. my last period was the shortest ever, at just 4 days and was totally manageable.

i deplore the idea of having to take pills on a pretty daily basis, but the patch isn't an option where i live and in my lifestyle of always being in the water. all i can say is, so far, so good.

hmm..This is going to sound bad but I took Meprozine for fun one day dunno if it has a self life or what, but it was 2 years old and I took 4 the day after I keep tweaking (twitching) and having tremors please email me to tell me if Meprozine did this. -Thanks

I am wondering if any one (male) has heard of or experienced enlarged breast tissue while taking risperadal.

Hmm Docter gave me 2mg to start tonight...I sure hope I dont have chest tightness...that will scare the heck out of me...Doc said this would help with my fibromyalgia and tight muscles around shoulder neck area.