Internet reading symptoms and conditions

Hi all,
I have spent the last 2 days on the Internet reading about Mirena; as a matter of fact, I had mine removed 2 days ago. For the last 10 months, my life has been horrible. I had the Mirena inserted in November of 2007, I was also coming out of a divorce, so I (and my doctor) was attributing my extreme depression, anxiety attacks to it. I started noticing that my hair was falling out and it just kept getting worse and worse. I went to see my doctor again and she said I had anemia (I was having very heavy periods and bleeding through my periods). Doctor said anemia causes hair loss. I went through different tests, saw a dermatologist, I always mentioned I had the Mirena, but no one seem to relate that to anything. I actually went on the Mirena site a couple of times, but the side effects listed there were very mild so I discarded the thought that the Mirena was causing my depression and my hair loss. There is no mention whatsoever about hair loss. Months went by, I kept seeing different doctors since my hair loss was getting worse and worse, my once beautiful, thick hair had become extremely thin, I have two holes on my scalp. I continued to bleed heavy and my ob/gyn said to give it some more time. My life was a complete mess, going to work was a struggle, dealing with my kids was a struggle, some days I would just lay in bed and cried for hours, I started to believe that my life had no purpose or reason. I was truly in agony, I am sure those of you who have gone through this know exactly what I mean. Anyway, I can't believe in all this months it never occurred to me to google mirena and hair loss....or mirena and suicidal thoughts, etc., etc. I thank you all for sharing your stories and I hope we can figure out a way to let all of those mirena users out there suffering that the answer to their agony is simply to have the Mirena removed. I look forward to my new life, new hair. It has been 2 days and I don't know if it is a state of mind, but I feel so much better already.
Thx
Jessica M.

I'm now 43, and I've had bad allergy symptoms since about age 17. Perennial symptoms and nearly daily headaches and facial pressure and bad throat drainage. Also, every time I got a cold, I'd get a cough that would not go away for months.

Finally, a few years ago, a new family doctor suggested I try Advair for that cough. Wow. Cough gone in days. Wow. That seemed invaluable to me.

But, I do notice thick mucus in my throat now, and I can't seem to clear it, at times. My voice is affected and diminished, it seems.

I'm not sure that any other side effects are occurring for me. However, after my wife saw a commercial about death risks associated with Advair(naturally the commercial was from a law firm), I decided to do some internet reading. I am curious about the possible heart effects. I had a mitro-valve prolapse in my teens, and am not sure I should be taking medications that can alter your heart rhythms.

I think I'll call my doctor and see what other options I have. I am intrigued by the idea I read below, from April of 2008, about reducing dosage to once a day, or every other day, or once a week, or down from 250 to 100, or all of the above. If it still controls my cough, that's may be all I need.

I've never had bad asthma. Just bad allergies, that have led me to this.
So, I just might try a reduction plan.

The cough started about 5 days after taking the medication. Also have a runny nose and dull ache in kidney area. The doctor wanted to double the medication and I refused after a week of doubling, as it increased all the above side effects. He got angry, but still has me on it. Said he had never had a patient having problems with this med. He also said stay away from the internet reading all the negative info.

Thank God I took the initiative to find this web site! As a Registered Respiratory Therapist, I can say I am absolutely floored by the entries I have read! The following will make some absolutely gasp with fright because of the age, but my 4 year old was started on advair 2 months ago. He has exercised-induced asthma and we needed some maintenance therapy started so he could "play" with his friends at preschool. Just this past week, he has now become hoarse. I couldn't understand where the problem was coming from because he had no fever nor runny nose, etc. Well, just so happened that this morning, he ran out of the diskus. Now, this afternoon, the hoarseness is slowly going away! That's the end of Advair, I just hope we can find a solution. Looks like it is back to the old trusty albuterol inhaler. Please parents, don't start your children on this medication! Funny thing is, I was very hesitant about this medication to start with and actually got on the internet reading all the information I could about it before administering it. As I go back into my practice ( I now instruct), I will definitely share all the stories I have read with physicians, students, and fellow co-workers in the medical field. THANKS to all who entered a comment, you may have just saved my precious son's life!