Intense mood swings symptoms and conditions

Girls! I am so glad I am not the only one!!!!
I had Mirena right after I had my second baby (around March 2007) and I had it for 2 1/2 years. I think I was alright for the first few month (but it is hard to tell as I was quite overwhelmed with baby and toddler care). But the past year 1/2 or so It was clear to me that something was not right. I was feeling really intense mood swings, had no patience, felt angry at times, loosing interest in my job and feeling at lost with my life at times and... NO libido whatsoever!
My OB told me over and over that Mirena was not the problem! But it seemed to me that this had to be the answer. My husband did not encourage me to take any other drug to fight my mood swings and he suggested I just take this off. So, I did it... exactly 5 weeks ago! And I am so much better. My libido is back. I have not felt down. I am enjoying my work. I am loving my children and my husband!!! I am so sorry I did not take it out sooner!
Alright now... the hormones are not crossing to the blood stream... But I had NO periods and of course No ovulation! So why is this so surprising to all of those guys that there may indeed be such side effects!!!
So girls! You are not crazy! Give yourself a chance and take this IUD out!
Good luck.

I've been on Sronyx for three months. The entire first month I spotted everyday and I didn't have a normal period. It caused a lot of breast tenderness and still does occasionally. Though it does decrease my periods, I am having very intense mood swings. I have always been a level headed person but now I find myself getting upset with my boyfriend over stupid things. I have also been crying a lot for no reason at all. Does anyone have any ideas on what I could switch to.

I am 20 and I have been on Loestrin 24 Fe for almost 6 months now. Before that I was on Lybrel for almost a year. I started taking Lybrel because I had always had awful periods to the point where I would sometimes faint from the pain of the cramps and would pretty much couldn't function normally. Lybrel was fine for the first couple of months but I began to spot after 6 months and decided to try a different one. I was put on Loestrin and like other pills I have been on I had intense mood swings, felt more anxious, depressed, and had night sweats for the first 3 months. I had light periods, 2 or less days and then about 3 months ago, I stopped getting a period all together. I have had no spotting and recently I have started to have cramping around the time I should be getting my period, breast tenderness and bloating. These are all symptoms I have had on past BC too. I take my pill every day around the same time and have never missed a day. I like not getting my period but it does concern me a bit because my doctor didn't tell me that I would not get a period at all, he actually warned me that I probably have spotting for a while. Does anyone else not get their period on this pill?

I just started my second pack of Loestrin 24 Fe two days ago. I have not had any nausea, weight gain, unusual acne, loss of libido, or crazy mood swings. I have, however, had non-stop breakthrough bleeding. In the past month, there has only been one day where I was not bleeding. I take it at the same time every morning and have not missed a day. I'm really trying to be patient and give it a couple more months...but it has gotten very annoying. I got on the pill because I recently decided to become sexually active. Having my period 24/7, though, has kept me from actually wanting to start. I was on Ortho (the original) back in high school for regularity, and it made me gain 15 pounds and have intense mood swings. Beyond the btb, I love the lack of weird side effects....has anybody made it past the first 3 months to find more regularity with no side effects?

I knew right off the bat that the NR was making me crazy, but I wanted to see if the side effect would go away. It did not. And things just kept getting worse. I was having some intense mood swings, angry about the most useless things. I would cry in a second. It got to be an issue.
The worst part for me was on the days i would put it in I would get such a bad migraine that all i could do was lay in bed and cry. No pain relievers could help. Also, I run and train for half-marathons and in the last month i have been putting weight on, especially my stomach, even though I have been running up to 3 miles a day.
I am done. today was the end.
Thank you all for your useful posts. It solidified my decision.

I was sexually active for two years using nothing but condoms about half the time, and the other half cycle planning and withdrawal, and never had so much as a scare. However, upon going to college I started Ortho Tri-Cyclen. I had lost about 15 lbs the summer prior and was down to 150, and in my first year of school I gained about 20... leaving me at 170, heavier than I had ever been. I know the 'freshman 15' is a real phenomenon, but my residence hall had really healthy food and I went to a school where we walked/rode bikes everywhere so the weight gain was really random. I also started experiencing intense mood swings, and a lot of lethargy... just a general unwillingness to get out of bed/off the couch and do things... for no real reason. About this time I noticed a drop in my sex drive. I switched to Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo with no improvement, then I switched to the Depo Provera shot. On that I skyrocketed to 195 lbs, and my sex drive pretty much ceased to exist. Wanting to avoid hormones altogether I asked for an IUD, explaining my dislike of hormonal side-effects to my doctor. I got one, faced the frightening $1000 medical bill and luckily insurance covered all but like $30... but then I went home and looked up the name of what I had received... Mirena... only to find out that I was STILL getting hormones through this thing. I was really angry that my doctor heard IUD and instantly thought 'mirena' instead of actually listening to my explanation that I desired something without hormones. After three months of not taking off any weight despite lots of exercising (I have always been one to respond well to exercise) and not gaining any libido back whatsoever I removed the Mirena myself. I was just kind of feeling the strings and it tugged kind of a little loose... and that made me paranoid it wasn't in right so I just took it out entirely. I went for three months without any hormonal birth control and when my libido started to return and when I had taken off about 5 lbs my doc recommended nuvaring. I got a sample and tried it, but my weight loss plateaued and my desire for sex waned again, and my lethargy returned.... so I finally said that's it, took it out and swore off hormones once and for all, it sucks but I have a partner willing to use condoms so we just have to resign ourselves to that until we have kids and I get my tubes tied. Or he gets a vasectomy.. either one.

Also, last year I had some SERIOUS heartburn. I thought I was having a heart attack the first time because I have never had heartburn in my life. After taking Zantac150 (or whatever the max strength is) for a couple weeks and facing the fact that I may never be able to drink coffee again, it subsided and has not returned since. I can drink as much coffee as I want :) I only just now realized that happened the same month I had the Nuvaring in.... wow.

A year later I am back down to 173 lbs and the weight is coming off easily with running 2 miles once a week, that's about it. My libido is back 100% and as long as I eat healthy (fresh food) I have tons of energy. I don't restrict my food intake, I just try to switch out 'healthy' for 'unhealthy'. I've seen several friends gain 50lbs or more on Depo-Provera, and I had a friend almost attempt suicide on Yaz. I can't believe hormonal birth control is being touted as so normal. I have another friend, upon declining birth control, whose MD told her to get on prenatal vitamins! It is very possible to not get pregnant using just condoms, cycle planning and withdrawal... you just need willpower... and maybe lube.

Shame on me... I had read similar reviews when I was prescribed NuvaRing a year ago, and thought "Side effects vary among women", but the general consensus seems to be that WE are the majority, not the "occasional" exception.

I have been experiencing many of the same disastrous effects of the Ring for the past 12 months I have been on it. Depression, ZERO SEX DRIVE, headaches, intense mood swings that lead to physical aggression, frequent (nearly daily) uncontrollable crying, anxiety, more vaginal discharge, pain after sex (on the rare occasion that it DOES happen) and overall a poor outlook on life. It's ruining my relationship with a wonderful man, who (bless his heart) is nearly at the end of his rope dealing with me and all the tribulations listed above.

To those of you who thought you were crazy, BEFORE you blame yourself, consider that the Ring may be a contributing factor.

The gynecologist examined me and refused to insert a copper IUD because he said my uterus was too small. After I got dressed, he handed me a FREE SAMPLE of NuvaRing. I said : "But I don't want to use hormonal bc." He said : "This has less hormones and doesn't go through the liver." Well I guessed that was a GOOD thing, which he wanted me to believe of course. The mood swings, serious anxiety, irritability (I would go as far as to say, anger and impulse control problems) and burning vaginal pain during sex seriously affected my relationship with my boyfriend. We may even be broken up now and I blame it partly on NuvaRing and other hormonal bc I took after my 2 months on NuvaRing. I am so sad that I had to go through all that! I wonder how many gifts the doctors get for giving us the prescriptions of bc. Anyone interested in non hormonal bc? There is the cervical cap in many varieties and sizes. It doesn't affect sexual spontaneity because you can insert it several hours before sex and you can have intercourse several times with it on. You can even keep it in for up to 3 days.

Our son started taking Singulair when he was 2 for severe allergic rhinitis and cough variant asthma (in addition to Zyrtec, which didn’t control all of his symptoms). He is 5 now. For the last three years, he has been an increasingly violent, difficult, defiant, argumentative, volatile child who has intense mood swings--one minute he’s laughing uncontrollably, the next he’s weeping over nothing. His doctor and therapist recommended that we see a psychiatrist to have him evaluated for bipolar disorder, which used to be unknown in children. Because he has such chronic sleep problems, the doctor also suggested we take him off Singulair (and increase his Zyrtec dose) to see if it improved his sleep issues. Within a week, he was sleeping much better and was a calmer, happier, gentler boy. He suddenly could take “no” for an answer without flipping out and trying to hurt me. We thought that we were just in an unusual, calm window that would shift either to mania or intense sadness or both, any minute. We also thought that his behavior change might be due to sleeping better. We were enjoying the rare reprieve. Over the last weekend, his springtime allergies really flared up. We gave him Singulair on Monday and by noon, he was completely out of control. I had to strap him into his car seat at one point to keep him from hurting either me or himself. It finally occurred to me that Singulair might be causing his “bipolar” disorder. Of course, we stopped the Singulair. After two days he was a new boy. Yesterday, I Googled “Singulair bipolar children” and got a few hits. I am stunned to read how similar other families’ experiences have been to ours and I feel sick that we gave this drug to our child for three years.

I was on Effexor XR for more than three years. Just calling these symptoms "side effects" doesn't seem powerful enough. The saddest thing is, these are normal, will most likely happen to you, and are for the most part, unpleasant. Consider the following before starting this medication, and if you're on it, listen to what your body is telling you.

Side effects-

Favorite foods.- Forget about 'em. Chances are anything and everything will make you want to vomit. After awhile you won't want to even eat just because it's easier.

Sleep- Everybody likes sleep right? Of course,when you can get it. Should you manage to avoid and/or get past the insomnia, sickness, and dizzy feeling, you'll be visited by nightmares. Vivid, horrible, put the movies to shame kind of nightmares.

Hair- That's right folks, a rare, but noted side effect is hair loss. Head, eyebrows, everywhere. Don't worry it grows back in patches with the help of special shampoo.

Withdraws- Heaven forbid you miss a dose. You'll get to experience your disorder in a whole new way. Too tired to be awake and too shaky to be asleep. Intense migraines accompanied by sickness. (Not just the normal "Hey I feel kinda woozy." sick. The " I can't stand or sit down, I feel like I need to throw up constantly." kinda sick. Shakes get more intense, mood swings are pushing insanity, and paranoia is through the roof.

Paranoia- This is a side effect you get to experience during both regular dosing and withdraws. The walls are closing in, everyone is out to get you, suddenly something you did wrong when you were four comes back to haunt you, and the worst part being.....might as well be real.

Shakes and Brain Tremors- You know that tingling feeling when your foots falls asleep? Imagine that in the middle of your brain. Now, try to focus, read (anything), watch TV, ha ha you can't without it leading to a headache. Holding a pencil used to be such a mundane task, now it's like holding on to a tattoo gun. Squiggle pen drawing anyone?

Memory Loss- We all forget things. Did I lock the door? Where did I put my keys? Try forgetting where you just were, where you work, the phone number of anyone that can help. Effexor XR can cause confusion and effect your short term memory.

I experienced these symptoms for years. It was no picnic.Effexor XR was prescribed to me for depression and mood stabilization. Wondering why I stayed on it so long? It worked. Helped my depression, no more mood swings. I was told the side effects would go away or become less as the drug build up in my system. Yeah, I'm still trying to choke that one down. They didn't stop. Granted, not all of them got worse, but guess what.....When you feel sick physically for so long, you start to, GET DEPRESSED.

There is no reason why anyone should feel both physically and mentally ill. It's life draining, literally. This is not a bashing session. There are the people out there that take Effexor XR no problem. If you're one of them, stick with it. This is your medicinal savor, but if not, GET OFF Effexor XR and keep looking. There are other medications, with less or no side effects. You might have to go through a few, it might be worth it.

Parents, if you adolescent is complaining of any of the drugs more intense side effects, please listen. Effexor XR still isn't "recommended" for anyone under 18. The drug can have serious long term effects in adulthood, even after discontinuation.

Hello,

I read about how YAZ birth control pill affects the body and psych and I am now scared. This is my 2nd day of YAZ (I've never been on birth control pills ever and I am 27 years old), it's all new to me but after reading all these negative posts about Yaz I don't know what to do. Before the birth control pills, I was depressed, annoying, serious weight problems - 210 lbs :~~((, low energy, low libido, always tired, terrible migraines every 2nd day, ridiculously increased appetite and excessive hunger, hair where it shouldn't be, menstrual blood clots, excessive cramping etc
I have all these problems for 3 years now and now that the family doc. put me on YAZ birth control pill I am even more scared - mainly of more weight gain, it would be a tragedy for me, I am fat enough already and what's worse I can't lose the weight, exercise doesn't help, diet doesn't help, NOTHING. Will YAZ birth control pill worsen my already tragic condition? I just don't know what to do and what to believe ... I appreciate any advice or help you can give me ... Thank You to all!

I was born without a thyroid gland so I can't compare the way I feel now to the way I would've felt with a thyroid. I've been on Synthroid my entire life (22 years), and I'm up to 112 mcg now. I am very skinny (5'5", 104 lbs) and feel constantly fatigued no matter how many hours I sleep, what I eat, and how much exercise I get. I periodically get pain in my hip joints, heart palpitations, and intense mood swings. My thoughts race but I have very little physical energy. I feel restless and gloomy almost all the time for absolutely no good reason. My doctor tells me I'm depressed but I honestly have no reason to be depressed and I wish she would see it as a symptom instead of a diagnosis. I graduated from a good college, I've got a job I like, I have friends, I enjoy life and my hobbies, yet I feel overwhelmingly sad. This does not seem like depression to me.

I find that after I do aerobics I get a tightness in my chest, which makes me worry about my heart, but again my doctor doesn't seem to think this is cause for concern. I have been irritable/fatigued for YEARS and I suspect I'll feel this way for the rest of my life. The worst of it started when I hit 16 years old and started the 112 mcg. My tests are always normal and it frustrates me that my doctor disregards my symptoms. I've tried other doctors, but they always send me away with my 'normal' test results. Can anybody help?

I have been taking eltroxin for several years and i have intense mood swings, that often result in aggression. Is this a common side effect of this drug?

I have had most of the same side effects as what is written here...and some that I did not realize could be effects of the ring...such as...intense hangover after only a few drinks.

I am not sure if anyone else has used the ring, stopped, and then started again, but that is what I have done and am noticing diffences in my side effects.

From my first use (around 6-7 months) I didnt really have any mood swings, but my period symptoms were dramatically intesified. Swollen breasts, intense cramps, and a large hunger. Then after stopping use (around 2 months) and starting again, the intense period symptoms are all but GONE and have now been replaced with weight gain and mood swings. INTENSE MOOD SWINGS. I like the ring, the convienece and the ability to skip a period every now and then, but is there something else i could possibly take to avoid the mood swings? they are becoming a little too much for me...and my boyfriend!

Intense mood swings