Iron deficiency symptoms and conditions

Been on Omeprazole for 5 days, no side effects to start with and it does seem to have reduced the burning in my stomach slightly, but just today I feel like I've done a heavy aerobics class, all my muscles ache, which makes me feel even more tired and out of sorts than before.
I am on Omeprazole to treat gastritis which might be what is causing iron deficiency anemia and B12 deficiency I have been diagnosed with. Many of the symptoms listed in other articles I had before I started Omeprazole - perhaps because of deficiencies. e.g. confusion and not being able to concentrate, utter tiredness, dizziness, massive leg cramps, blurred vision, occasional feeling of heavy heart beat, bloating, having to sleep sitting up, waking up far too early and not being able to sleep again, depression for no reason.

All I can say is shortness of breath, pulmonary embolisms and DVT's almost did me in 3 years ago. A week in CCU and a year or more on Coumadin. After a year I needed a blood transfusion because of an iron deficiency. Finally had endometrial ablation procedure and all is well. No periods or side effects. Completely off of meds and after 3 1/2 years I will be finished paying off all of my hospital bills in two more months!

Hello,
I've been on Loestrin for about a week now and so far I cannot pin down any side effects directly related to the pill. I have, in the past, taken orth tri cyclen lo in which I have experienced several of the side effects described in previous posts. So I have empathy for those going through it!

Just some food for thought for those with awful side effects:

From talking to my doctor and doing my own research I know that the pseudo pills (taken about the time you would start you start your cycle) are iron pills. Now, this is great for me because I have an iron deficiency but for those who don't you can actually overdose on iron causing symptoms such as: vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, irritability, drowsiness, unconsciousness, fever,bleeding, blood-clotting abnormalities. Confusion and sluggishness... And the older you are the more likely you are to over dose on Iron. It might not be the pill causing these symptoms but rather too much iron. You may want to google iron overdose and see what you find.
Birth Control Pills are different with different compound make ups. One that works for some will not work for others. I personally don't know if this one works for me yet but I am hoping so! Don't give up though, there's something for you that will work!

Hope this was helpful!

I was on the Yasmin pill for 5 months and suffered severe health problems for 3 years. It almost took my life. I actually heard popping sounds in my head when I first went off of it and on it. My symptoms were digestive, head aches, numb limbs, weakness, tired, severe menstrual bleeding, clots, depression, instability, low immune system, heart palpitation etc. In short I was very sick all of a sudden for no other reason than taking this pill If this has happened to you I advise the following which saved me. You need to do the following. Find a doctor that will take you seriously and understand that your problems started with this pill. My OBGYN resisted it for a long time until I was so sick it scared her. Seek an endocrinologist and neurologist if needed. Make sure your blood work checks the following: Any issues with blood clotting including protein c antigen. Mine was low which left me at risk of a blood clot after this pill. Also the pill can lower and this one more than others your b12 levels in your blood which is very dangerous. Research b12 deficiency and see it the pill did this to you. B12 levels should be no lower than 500. Also have your vitamin D levels checked in your blood. This pill depletes b12, vitamin D, causes clotting, affects the liver and so on. It took me 3 years to fully heal. Once I was on b12 shots, Vitamin D daily and had other blood deficiencies corrected after being on this pill I began to get better, but that took 3 years and I was so sick at one point I could hardly do anything and my heart so affected I almost had a heart attack. My blood pressure was uncontrollable. I am currently involved in a class action suit. You can be a part of it too. Good luck with your health first. I can say I am finally on my way back to health fully. Some have not been so lucky after taking this pill, but it took me personally 3 years to get back to the healthy woman I was before this pill. In the process I also lost a pregnancy due to the severe health problems. Don't lelt anyone tell you it is not this pill. If you know it is, no one knows your body better than you!

WOW! I was prescribed Yasmin after seeing a new doctor, believe it or not, it was prescribed to try to treat my iron deficiency anemia. He believes that having extremely heavy menstrual cycles is the cause of my anemia and said that the Yasmin will help that. Now mind you, i don't have ANY gyn type problems, no fibroids, no cramping, endometriosis, etc. So now, after reading all of your posts, it really seems wrong to have prescribed me this medication. I don't like taking medicines, usually treat things with herbs and such so I have been very apprehensive.

Today was the day I was supposed to start taking it, and I just didn't feel right about it, so I decided to research it on the internet. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to those of you who have taken the time to care enough about other women you don't even know to post your side effects. I AM NOT TAKING THIS CRAZY PILL!!!

I have four young sons, a wonderful husband and my life's purpose is to help other women as a inspirational speaker. I have way too much to loose by taking a chance on this pill. Ridiculous!!!!

I am sooo glad I prayed about this before just following the doctors instructions. Because I did, I didn't feel comfortable and I researched it online. GOD IS SO GOOD! TRY CHRIST!!

I am on Femcon FE and am not too sure what to think of it. My boobs got bigger, which yes they hurt constantly, but bigger boobs is worth it to me. haha But other then that, i originally got put on this for my iron deficiency and the fact that i could not swallow a pill. I went on birth control to help regulate my period, because there was no schedule to mine. I have been on Femcon for 4 months now, and still cannot regulate my period. It comes during the 3 week of white pills and it's not even blood. It's gross brownish/red and not to mention it makes me itch. And i never got cramps before and now the 2nd day of my period is almost unbearable. Also, since its not even regulating my period correctly i worry if it's even working as "birth control".
I wanna change but i don't know what to even change to. I don't want my boobs to shrink back, but I guess if i must i will. lol

I have had 1 remicade infusion so far for ulcerative colitis. The next day a bunch of spots appeared on my lower legs. There were 30-40 of them, small, roundish, purple/dark red. They looked like blood spots under the skin.
It wasn't a rash and they didn't itch or hurt. My doc had no explanation, and I haven't heard of anyone else having this reaction. They checked my blood for a clotting problem and didn't find anything. The spots faded away over a week or so. My next infusion is in 2 days, so we'll see if they reappear.
I have also been experiencing a weird kind of insomnia where I am so physically antsy I CANNOT keep lying still, I have to shake my body or kick my legs or something. I read up on restless legs syndrome and the symptoms sure sound like what I am experiencing. I don't know if it's connected to the Remicade - I read that iron deficiency can also cause it and I am anemic due to the UC. But since Remicade can disturb the central nervous syndrome, it seems possible. Anyone else experience RLS with Remicade?

I am 42, no children, never pregnant.
I had Mirena inserted about 7 months ago.

I thought I finally found THE REMEDY against heavy periods and condom use.

Since then I've had practically constant spotting. My period (heavy, as usual) followed by spotting. The first couple of months continuous blood loss, the last 2 months it was 3 weeks of bleeding (1st week heavy), only 1 week not.

Because of all the blood loss, there is no doubt I have am low on ferritin, thus and suffering from an iron deficiency. I am tired and lack energy. There is no drive to take any action whatsoever. Could be lack of iron, could be Mirena...

I wear contact lenses and had a left EYE that showed bubbles, the surface wasn't flat anymore. My eye was irritating. Not suspecting/thinking of any relation to Mirena, I went to see 3 different ophthalmologists, 5 visits in total. I took every kind of medicine you can imagine against viral and bacterial infections (as heavy as Prednisolone) etc. They only made things worse. None of the ophthalmologists actually found the origin of my "bubbles". Finally, triggered by the fact that my eye problems started at about the same time as I had my Mirena inserted, I started to do some research on the internet and found a website describing scientific research on mice that stated that sex hormones influence the surface of the eye... All of a sudden all became crystal clear to me....

My THROAT is sore. Like having acid reflux. I went to see my doctor, had and echo done, went to see an ENT-specialist to looked into my throat with a camera. No one found anything special (except a red throat). I am practically sure that this phenomenon has to do with Mirena as well as I also have this problem since I have Mirena (and not ever before...).

I have all kinds of strange pains in my MUSCLES and JOINTS, especially in the lower BACK (which is hurting a lot like a hernia - I never have had back pains in that area before) but also my elbow and fingers and thumb. Sometimes my right leg is just paralyzed for a 10 secs and I am hardly able to raise my foot to walk. I feel like an old woman.

I feel SWOLLEN in my stomach, sometimes have slight pains or a weird feeling. I have the impression I can feel the IUD, especially at some movements.

I've had very sore BREASTS for some time (weeks in a row), but that's over now.

I sometimes suffer on and off from CONSTIPATION, which is very unusual (especially with my healthy diet (practically vegetarian, regularly organic food, lots of whole-wheat items, fruits and vegetables).

I always had some ACNE but it has gotten significantly worse.

I SWEAT at night and more easily during the day, something I never used to.

I lack sex drive and for the first time in my life I experienced intimate dryness. This is the best birth control I've ever experienced, because I have no LIBIDO at all...

Overall I am not feeling good / active / in good physical shape with my normal energy/drive. Also my MOOD has not been so optimistic as usual.

I am definitively going to have this Mirena taken out. Toooo many problems with this type of "birth control". It coasted me a lot of money and time, months of health problems. Back to condoms again. Something I am not looking forward to... but I do look forward in getting my libido back...

The thing that really makes me angry is that it is still is up to the women to stuff themselves with hormones. Why, in the last 40 years or so that the birth control pill exists (and I've taken it for 15 years or so, bloating me and killing my libido...), medicine never has come up with birth control for men???
I've had it with hormones. No more for me. I eagerly pass my turn is to the other 50% of the population. Let the male gender be suffering from lack of libido for some time (so women can make fun of them faking a headache...) and the rest of the side-effects of hormones. Women have enough problems with their period already... There's no justice in the way nature has arranged things and (male) scientists have only made thing worse.

Hi,

You name it, I had it. Fatigue, Headaches, Racing heart, palpitations, chest pain, naseau, sleeplessness, melasma. This is the second time this has happened to me. The first time was in 2003 on Ovcon. My gyn then put me on Aviane, a generic brand with lower hormone levels. A year later I went to and endocronolic specialist, who decided to put me on Yasmine, not sure why, but like so many people, I did as I was told (blind trust). I just this month reached the climax of my symptoms and decided to see a doctor. Just as someone else posted, the first thing they said was ANXIETY. They said I have been on Yasmine to long to just now start feeling side effects. I gave a rundown of everything I was feeling and they sent me for blood work.

Results are I am enemic. I have an iron deficiency. This I knew from my younger years. What I am curious about, is whether or not Yasmine has an effect on the level of iron in your blood. Can it worsen your enemia?

chronic iron deficiency,fatigue,depression,lymphocyte depression,chronic muscle pain,chronic yeast infections and i am mad as hell

Dear Jasmine, (later on something for "foggyhead", too!!)

that heavy chest feeling have posted the most women I've met hiere within the last 2 years!! Seems to be a very common (side-)effect of that pill.

But as I also posted here earlier the heavy feeling CAN be caused for example by an iron deficiency (which also can be caused by the diuretic effect of Yasmin on top of your monthly bleeding!!). Also breathlessness, changing of your finger nails, weakness, tiredness, and so on can also be symptoms for it. Very important: The iron deficiency CAN cause anemia, but even if you don't already have anemia the iron deficiency may cause the above mentioned symptoms.

So I think it would be a good idea to get your iron levels checked and especially the "Ferritin" (hope it's called so in English, too). It shows the situation of the iron storage in your body. Try to google a bit over "iron deficiency" and the symptoms, I bet you'll find yours... Just a thought, which perhaps might be the solution and I think it's worth a try!!

Jasmine, I remember one lady here, Sherry, whom had gotten pregnant shortly after stopping Yasmin. She also had very severe side effects and posted a lot here. I wonder how she might be doing today... But you see there is hope to get pregnant even after this nightmare.

@foggyhead:

Well, I think you meant "Virginia", not Laura. Virginia had been off Yasmin for 15 mos now. But I think you didn't read the whole post.... First she was telling, that she physically is doing completely fine! And as I can say, I'm doing nearly the same way as Virginia now, I've been off Yasmin for about 17 months. And I hope you NOW read further:

Yes, there are still some problems, and YES, they come up every month around the same time, BUT: I (and I guess Virginia, too) am definitely NOT in the same stadium as I was a year or longer ago! I'm back working, singing, gardening, going out and the list goes on.

What I try to say is, that you might (and I don't say WILL!!) still have some problems after such a long time, but they're definitely not as they were shortly after getting off Yasmin. And I also met so many women here, who didn't have ANY problems after such a long time. Not every woman is the same. Every body is different.

So please don't loose hope! Hang in there and you will be better, I swear!!

Virginia, I remember your name somehow, I think we have already met here, too, a few months ago. One question: Do you have a normal cycle back? Are your problems somehow rising around ovulation and shortly before your period starts or even within it??

Best wishes!

Silke

Kim,

I didn't know that you also are a vegetarian!! That's another mark for the fact, that you're assessed to be iron deficient (iron is mostly contained in meat!)!

Don't know if you already did, what I suggested (googling about iron deficiency). The Ferritin is the more important parameter than your iron level in your blood because the Ferritin shows the condition of your storage!! And if your storage of iron is still low you can have the symptoms you now are having.

And if you put this together with the side effects of Yasmin, you're DEFINITELY still suffering from, it is no miracle, that you're feeling so low now!!

Are you still taking the iron supplements every day?? Kim, I really hope that you believe me, how important that is for your situation!!!

The problem with the dopamin and serotonin is clearly a thing, which can be caused by bcp. You have to know that those two are also hormones!! And so it's simply clear, that, if your whole hormonal equilibrium is out of whack, the serotonin and dopamin might be also!!!

This is why time can help us all. Your body is able to get everything back in balance, if only he gets enough time for that difficult thing!!!

You didn't write anything, if you already had tried the Valerian (sorry, sometimes I still get the feeling that you're not reading really everything we all are writing here)!??

To the lady, who took Yasmin only 3 months:

You should be thankful, that your symptoms have come up that early. I know it sounds weird, but I think getting the side effects only after 2 years without noticing and taking that poison another 3 years has really damaged my body worse than if I only had taken Yasmin about 3 months. This can protect you from much more and worse symptoms than you are having now!!

Sarah:

I forgot to mention, that I also during my worst time lost about 20 pounds in only 4 weeks because I couldn't eat anything!! And I felt the same as you wrote: I would have been rather fat and healthy than slim and ill and not able to leave my house and having to go through all this nightmare... I totally understand, what you mean!!

But as this was the same for me, I really think that your weight will also get back to normal if you give it enough time. With the excercising I also agree with you! I still haven't been that fit again, as I was before that all. But, ok, 5 years of Yasmin were definitely too long and I know that I'll have to be much more patient than others and give it much more time to get back to where it was than others..... Hope I'll stand it further on...

But being able to sing again helps me very much. Although there always is some insecurity and anxiety in me, because I'm always afraid of getting as weak as I was during the last two months and that everything could break down again, what I' ve built me up now... (ok, although the weakness (thanks god) has gotten better again).

So ladies, just lets try to look forward and perhaps some day forget that nightmare (ok, I don't believe myself what I'm saying, don't know if I ever can forget, what I've been going through....).

One thing for those who have been only a few months on Yasmin: Please be careful and if you have the slightest doubt or the slightest symptom: GET OFF IT IMMEDIATELY!! You have the chance to avoid so many harm and sorrow!!!

Best wishes
Silke

I recently had a kenalog injection in my buttock for hayfever. I have very serious hayfever, and nose sprays do not work for me. It worked very effectively for a 2 weeks, but has now worn off completely. The steroid has given me unusually heavy periods lasting for over a month at a time and i now have a serious iron deficiency which has caused aneamia due to the blood loss.