Iron supplements symptoms and conditions

I know that for every woman, the side effects or various medications and hormones are different. I personally had the Mirena IUD inserted a little over 3 years ago on the recommendation of a friend who, at the time, had nothing but positive things to say about it. I went on that recommendation alone, and now wish that I had done more research into the side effects before having one inserted.

The initial insertion was not horrible, but not great either- a pinch at insertion, severe cramping and pain within a few hours, and a dull aching feeling in my abdomen for about a week. After that, though, I couldn't feel the IUD at all.

It was not long after that when I began to experience side effects. Like many of you, I attributed my symptoms to stress and life changes. I figured that my migraines, back pain, fatigue, dizziness, increasing urinary tract infections, and weight gain were a result of a changing metabolism and high-stress job.

When I went to my family physician to have blood work done (because I was declared anemic when trying to give blood), I was told that I wasn't getting enough iron and I went on iron supplements. (The supplements then made me constipated- sorry if that is TMI, but that was a very unwelcome result!) When I took trip after trip to my ob/gyn for antibiotics to treat UTIs, I was told that the UTIs were unrelated to the IUD. When I saw a urologist to have three separate tests done (one for hormone levels, another for uterine function, and yet another to test kidney function), all tests came back within normal range. Even when I went to the ER one Saturday morning, when my back was spasming so badly that I could barely walk or stand, I was told that my back pain was stress-related.

All the while, my friend (the one who recommended the IUD in the first place) was dealing with similar problems- weekly severe migraines, back pain, etc. She was being told the same things by her ob/gyn- none of her symptoms were related to the IUD. Since she and I trusted our doctors completely, we went on about our lives, upped our workout regimens, tried to de-stress as much as possible, took OTC pain meds when it was all too much to bear- and yet for both of us, our symptoms continued.

Then, in July, my husband and I decided to begin trying for a baby. I made my appointment to have the IUD removed (which was a painless process), and it was only then that I began to research the Mirena IUD online. My former ob/gyn had moved, and my new one seemed ill-informed about what to expect once the IUD was removed. I wanted to know how soon I could conceive, and she knew very little about the process- heck, she didn't even know what the hormone was called that she had given me to jump-start my period (it was progestin, by the way- a very common prescription that my paramedic husband knew quite a bit about, but the ob/gyn didn't even know the name of!).

Once I got online and found this site (among many others), I finally began to put two and two together. I am now firmly convinced that my symptoms were directly related to the Mirena IUD. Again, different women are affected in different ways, but I know that for me- nothing good came of messing with Mother Nature like that.

Now that I've had the IUD out for about four months, I feel like a different human being. I did experience the "Mirena Crash," but once that passed, I almost immediately began losing weight, my abdomen was no longer blown up like a balloon, my energy level and sex drive increased, my back pain is now gone, and I haven't had a migraine or UTI since.

I've since switched ob/gyns, but I now have a healthy distrust of anything medically new and experimental. I will never have the Mirena inserted again, and I will definitely research anything and everything regarding my body. Ladies, listen to your bodies- mine was screaming at me loud and clear for over three years, and even though I knew that something was very wrong, I didn't listen. I'm just happy that I "accidentally" figured it out. (Oh, and my friend will be having her IUD removed later this week. She and I now call ourselves the "sister skeptics!")

Hi All, Hope everyone is holding up well. I've been on warfarin for year and a half now and like most of you i find it has changed my life a lot. I'm only 22 and i hate taken warfarin. I have gained weight and feel depressed. The thing that scares me the most is that i was sick at the weekend and i found there was blood in my sick!!! Has this ever happened to anyone before as it scared me a little.

hi all. i had the mirena put in January this year. i also noticed a lot of the side effects that a lot have mentioned, my biggest issue was the hair loss. i went back to the GP who said it had nothing to do with the coil and put it down to stress. it was strange that it happened just a few days after having it inserted! so i had it removed in march. however i have noticed that my hair is still lifeless and falling out. im 26 and shouldn't be losing my hair. please can anybody help in telling me if they had the same experience and how long did it take to stop. im very worried about it. all of you ladies out there think twice before you have this device inserted its more hassle and heartache than whats it worth. if any body can help me please please do.

For me having the Mirena removed just last Thursday was the right decision. I was not using it for birth control but as hormone therapy for heavy, crampy periods. I had it inserted in July 2008 and bled every single day for the entire time, I had it removed last week and now I am bleeding very heavily but hopefully that will stop once all those hormones are out of my body.
While on Mirena I lost all sex drive, I became severely anemic and with that fatigued terribly, and moody, crying at nothing and screaming at my kids or husband for stupid reasons, I felt bloated and gassy and didn't have those problems before.
I am 42 years old and I hate my heavy bleeding in fact I want a hysterectomy, but not sure now what I will do.

For those of you who had the Mirena removed, how long did it take to stop bleeding afterwards? This is draining every last ounce of energy for me and I am taking iron supplements.

What sucks is the cost of this, Even with insurance I ended up paying a lot out of pocket to get this thing and then all the Dr. visits due to bleeding and side affects in the 4 months it was in and now the removal of it. I am wondering if there is any way that we can get a Class action lawsuit against Bayer for this horrible thing they are trying to sell to women.
I know there are some out there who have not suffered all these horrible side effects at least not yet or that they are aware of, but I truly believe that there is nothing good about this IUD and those of us and there are a lot of us who have suffered with this should be reimbursed or compensated for the pain and loss of parts of our lives and expenses with this. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?

Oh my goodness.....my daughter, age 17, had her first injection in June 2008, started losing her hair w/in a month. We thought it was form straightening, some high lightening etc. She had blood work done which showed she was anemic...strange, as 2yrs prior her blood work was stellar, and she had not changed her diet, or physical activity. She increased her iron and protein intake (along w/ supplements).....three months later, and after her second injection, iron was still anemic....worse actually, and her hair loss significant.I found this website last night....and I am floored......I called MERCK today and spoke to a representative wh o was not aware of the hair loss issue, but said that in their case studies, Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia was a side effect.....which leads to hair loss itself.....so I am researching now what to do next.....anyone else have this issue??????

my 12 year old daughter received 2 shots and we noticed a bald spot on the back of her head. A couple weeks later, it is getting worse, she now has at least 3 bald spots. She has very fine hair and is trying really hard to hide the bald spots, 2 in the front of her scalp. I know this is a result of the Gardasil shot. She will not be getting the 3rd shot. All of the doctors recommend this shot. Its only been out on the market a few short years, and i believe more research is needed. My daughter is to the point of tears every morning trying to fix her hair to cover up the bald spots. A dermatologist has diagnosed her with alopecia areata. There are new spots appearing all the time and I am worried that she will lose all of her hair.

I had Mirena inserted April 28/2008 and just had it removed in the hospital September 13/2008. Within the four months I had it in place I developed cysts and fibroids in my breasts, depression, headache, joint pain, back pain, 'Unexplained' swelling and extreme irritation in the vaginal region, weight gain (with no appetite), and had little to no energy or interest in sex. I was recommended Mirena by my OB/GYN because of my heavy periods, cramping , history of endometriosis and presently adenomyosis. As many others have duly noted it did nothing but make the periods worse with next to no break in between ( I was lucky if I had a couple days). Because of this I'm now on prescription strength Iron supplements. My OB/GYN suggested one more treatment with another method "Ablation" before we go ahead with the hysterectomy.

I have been taking these pills on and off for about 6 months now...I just recently started taking them every morning while I have my breakfast and I have experienced severe nausea-one minute i'm ok and then the next i feel like i need to trow up right away...and then after it subsides, i get some gas pains and then i burp and i am ok...the thing is that if i take it during my dinner like i used to when i started, i don't experience these side effects...Can some please tell me why this is so? Thank you for allowing me to post this!!!

I am 34 and started taking loestrin 24 at the advice of my doctor cause I have really heavy periods and a lot of breakthrough bleeding mostly due to fibroids which has made me quite anemic. I was hoping this would help. I started Loestrin 24 about 16 days ago. On the ninth day I started breakthrough bleeding and it hasn't stopped! I feel like it's become a full fledged period! I just hope the bleeding stops soon. I have pretty bad cramps and backaches. I've been popping many advil. Also, my breasts are tender and they're definitely bigger (I liked my boobs the way they were!). As far as mood, the first week was fine, but I was pretty lethargic and depressed the second week. Starting the third week yesterday, my mood has been much better. It sounds like people have had success after the 3 month waiting. Me, I'm willing to duke it out for another month for the almost-nothing periods. But 2 more months of this I don't think I can handle. I'll let you know what happens

I am having problems with bleeding off and on throughout the month after having my regular period. I have also developed a black stool that I think is connected to the pill use. I don't know if it has something to do with the Iron in the pills (I know taking iron supplements tend to cause a black stool). Also I developed vaginal dryness during the first two weeks of use but since then it has returned to normal. So if anyone is experiencing anything like this due to taking this pill please post.

I am glad to see this site.

I love the NuvaRing. All in all, it has been great. It took a few months to get over headaches and nausea, but I finally did.

The problem, however, just started last Monday. I switched to a 28 day in, 7 day out schedule. On day 21 (my former removal day), I started spotting. Then it progressed to heavy bleeding. It is now day 6, and I haven't stopped. I am due to remove the ring tomorrow for a 7 day break, and I hope I won't bleed then, too. I am so weak and tired; I've been taking iron supplements to help with the blood loss and anemia. I hope my cycle balances out, and this doesn't happen again! It's been frightening.

The only side effects I have noticed are moodiness and low iron levels. My mood changes constantly, and a Hallmark commercial is enough to make me cry. I don't feel depressed, and most of the time I am fine. My fiance and I get into arguments all the time over trivial things, and until now, I didn't want to blame it on hormones, but after reading others' posts, I definitely think Yasmin is the cause for it. I never used to be this sensitive over every little thing.

Regarding iron levels: Pre-Yasmin, my iron count was alway high. I regularly give blood, and had never had a problem until recently, and I have been told twice in the last few months that my iron count is too low to donate. I thought that it was because I wasn't getting enough iron-rich foods, and have even taked iron supplements occasionally to help with fatigue (I can't go to late movies anymore b/c I will fall asleep in the theater), but nothing seems to help.

I am getting married in May, and I am afraid if I go off of Yasmin now, it will mess with the regularity of my cycle, and I would rather not be on my period on my wedding day and on my honeymoon. I don't know if it would be better to wait it out (I have been planning on getting off birth control all together once we're married). Any advice?

My 7 1/2 mth old daughter was prescribed Omnicef for an ear infection. She has been on another Cephalasporin based drug before but with this one she has had episodes of vomiting (approx 1 1/2 hr after receiving the medication) as well as bright orange/red loose stools. After doing some reading it says that the red stools can sometimes be caused by a reaction with iron supplements - the same that she has in her formula but I'm more concerned over the diarrhea mainly because both my husband and I are working full-time and I can't take her to child care with the diarrhea but we can't afford to stay home for the 10 day course. Of course Lizzy is receiving the medicaiton once daily and although I haven't spoken to her Dr. yet (I'm calling tomorrow( I'm wondering if we should split the dose into twice daily. Otherwise she still seems happy and bright. Eating okay and interacting normally. I guess I'll see what the doctor says tomorrow

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

Dear worried,
Hi. I am writing to you because you sound like my wonderful caring mother, I too have had a horrible experience with yasmin. However, I am 33 yrs old. I took birth control pills for 14 yrs. with no side effects have been through 2 pregnancies and restarted the pill with no problems. I have always, and my mother would tell you this, always been a Happy go lucky person...until I started to take Yasmin Sept. of last year. I switched from ortho novum to Yasmin because the ob I went to see thought it would help with some stomach problems I was complaining about (turns out I had low Iron and just needed some Iron supplements) but I had already started taking the Yasmin.. so I stayed on them. Let me tell you this... I am a registered nurse, have been for 14 years, I was self confident, self assured and always self reliant.. until I took Yasmin. I started to get panick attacks, which I NEVER ever suffered from my entire life. I became depressed, moody, insecure, and scared to death, these symptoms were only things I had read about out of a text book, I thought I knew what depression was from nursing school books, boy I had NO idea how bad it could be. I really thought I was going crazy. It took me three months on that pill to finally realize it was the pill! I only stumbled upon this realization because I ran into another aquaintance who had a bad experience with Yasmin, and had friends who also had bad experiences with Yasmin. She described the same symptoms I and your daughter have experienced.

Being a nurse, I have dove head first into literature and books on hormones. I have also spent Lots of money on tests and doctors visits, many of whom tried to put me on anti-depressants. But I would not take them, because I KNEW my body. I knew I was NOT depressed with life in general. I KNEW that the Yasmin and all of its horrible side effects was what was making me depressed and anti depressants would not help my underlying problem. Dont get me wrong, lots of women on this website get some relief from them, and if that works for them thats great, but I stuck it out, and it took a while but finally the depression lifted and I began to feel more like my normal self. I know your wondering how long?

Let me just say that with all the reading and information I have gathered this is my best guess..
There are many different bcp, and some have more androgenic (male hormone effects) and some have more estrogen effects. There are many different types of women with different body chemistrys for example lets take
Curvy type-full breasts, no facial or body hair, more body fat (Has more estrogen in her chemistry)
Althletic type-althletic build, more muscular build,prone to facial hair, has some body hair (Has more testosterone/androgens in her chemistry)
We all have estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in our chemistry, but based on the woman own personal chemistry, each of our bodies seems to be different in how much we make and which is more dominant.
So if you give an athletic type person, much like I was, an estrogen based pill, which is what Yasmin is, then it only makes sense that you are going to feel bad. Because this is nowhere near your bodies normal. When I was on the ortho novum, a more androgenic pill, I never felt any of the HORRIBLE symptoms I felt on Yasmin. And guess what, on the yasmin, my breasts grew larger and my facial and body hair dissappeared. It sounds like a good thing but its not, I also lost muscle mass, got itchy dry skin, dry hair, wrinkles, and soo much more I could go on and on.
The thing that seems to be the trend with me and the others on this website is that for some of the girls you get immediate relief when stopping the yasmin, for some as well as myself, you get relief and then it goes down hill again, especially the week before and sometimes on your period and this will cycle month after month and it is a process that takes several months. If this happens she will get discouraged and depressed again, some of the symptoms will come and go, but keep reminding her she will feel better.
My hope is that because your daughter is so young and producing so many hormones right now, her hormonal balance will get right back on track quickly. For those of us in our 30's and up I believe it takes much longer because we do not produce as much of the hormones, including the "mother" hormones like DHEA which converts into testosterone and progesterone, because we make less and less of this hormone as we enter our late 20's and early thirties and age. This may explain why it takes some of us so long to feel better and others feel better right away.
It may also have to do with how long you have been on it, but Im not sure.
Another thing, and Im sorry to write a book, but I have also learned that bcp work by first bottoming out ALL of your natural hormones and then replacing them with synthetic ones (the pill). When you go off the pill, as in my case, your hormones I believe bottom out again and then your body has to replace them again. This can be more difficult for an aging woman.
One more interesting side note:
Testosterone is responsible for a whole lot very important things in your body. Sex drive being one of the main ones but it is so much more than that. If you read any book on testosterone, Suzanne Somers The sexy years is a good one you will find that it is so important for all of your body organs, the mind, and even in aging. I know that I feel a hundred years old when mine is low and only when it starts to go up did I start to feel like my old self.
Also, they have found that testosterone which is suppressed during pregnancy, sometimes does not come back up after birth in some women. Some women need a boost to get it back up and I wonder if this is what brings on post partum depression. The bcp can do the same thing after being on it a while the body may forget how to make it.
I think anyone still having side effects after stopping the pill should get their hormones tested and see if they are low or high in something. Keep in mind that hormones are about balance. Once your hormones are completely balanced again you will probably start to feel better.

So I think your daughter feels better because she stopped the Yasmin and I would not go on any bcp for a few months and then see how she feels (keep taking the vitamins and eating well and lots of water) she may even be able to quit the lexapro. I would definitely suspect the pill if the depression started when she started taking bcp (whatever type) Probably due to hormonal imbalance which she will probably get from any pill. There are other options out there besides bcp. I hear marena (sp?) is an implant in the uterus that releases progesterone (to block pregnancy) but the hormone does not circulate the blood system. She might want to check out other options with her OB.
Anyway feel free to write back. I hope this helps some of the other women on this site as well. We are all just trying to understand what is going on with our bodies. And please ladies, all these "weird" symptoms you keep writing about and asking do you think this can be related to the pill? I think YES. To all of them. Because knowing what I have read about hormones and how important and intricate the balance achieves in our bodies to maintain our health and sense of well being, then yes messing with this balance can wreak havoc of all kinds. Each body is responding in its own different way and it is going to take time to get back on track.
And YES mood swings are a BIG part of it. The hormones seem to go up and down. Not a steady climb as this can be discouraging at times!
I wish you all the best and keep your heads up. It will get better.
Last but not least the Yasmin is the only bcp that has dsrp in it (the diuretic part of the pill) I cant quite put my finger on it but I feel this "unique" part of this pill may be the part of the problems we all experience. Im sure its why some of the girls on this site have to urinate a lot as that is what a diuretic does. I would not recommend this pill to anyone.

I took Tegretol for years to stabilize mood swings; diagnosis was schizoaffective, but probably that was due to side effects of antidepressants. I had never had any mania until prescribed antidepressants for depression and bulimia.

Tegretol: any time dose was changed, I would have headaches. Fierce headaches. If I tried to increase dose too fast, the result was sedation to the point of acting like I was drunk(staggering and grogginess.) I thought the Tegretol was stabilizing my moods for some time, but still had mood swings and irritability. Was put on SSDI during the time I took it, since I became unable to hold a job. My behavior was sometimes very illogical and inappropriate on this medication.
Also, was always either anemic or on the verge of anemia due to the effects of the Tegretol. This was while taking iron supplements.
I did not gain much weight (5 pounds?) but only because I dieted and exercised a LOT.
My dr found it hard to believe Tegretol gave me headaches, and told me that Tegretol is given to prevent trigeminal nerve pain etc., but the headaches decreased dramatically when I went off the med.

After talking to my gyn about Seasonale & Yasmin, last Sunday I went on Seasonale. The Dr. prescribed it for my heavy periods & anemia. He said even with the mega iron supplements (ugh) I've been taking, my body can never catch up. One period every 3 months sounded great to me.

The first pill brought a mild all-day headache - no big deal. With the second pill the headache turned into a 3 a.m. screamer with nausea to boot. When I called simply to ask which pain med was best, the Dr. didn't even call back - just had his nurse tell me to pick up Yasmin samples. So much for Seasonale - the nurse said she didn't know any patient who has stayed on it and she wondered why he still prescribes it. Guess what - I paid $150 for that 3-day headache - Seasonale is not covered by my insurance.

After reading this page I dread trying the Yasmin! This is not just a few unhappy women. I can't believe how many people post & how often. Yasmin works great for at least one person I know, but after the instant reaction to Seasonale and seeing your stories I can't risk screwing up my life/body/head.

Good luck to you all. Thank you for sharing. What next for the anemia? I don't know but I requested an ultrasound. What fun it is, being a girl...

-Grateful in SoCal

I accidentally happened across this Website... I was looking for an anti-depressant medication that would help me to, not hinder me from losing weight.

My jaw hit the floor when I began reading the entries. Almost everyone one of them described me to a "T". I am still in shock and almost speechless... You better believe that I will be visiting with my doctor ASAP about getting off of Yasmin.

I was on Estrostep FE, prior to this, because I have to take some form of BC due to PCOS. I was on the Estrostep FE because it has iron pills during the "inactive" phase and helps you to not become anemic during your periods. When Yasmin showed up on the scene, my OB/GYN (who I trust very much) wanted to switch me to Yasmin, because as most other doctors have been - she was fooled by the drug companies into believing this would be the best thing for me.

Granted, at first, it worked miracles. Acne cleared up, I felt a lot better, etc. I have been on this medication for a while now and about a year ago I began to experience severe anxiety and panick attacks (so much so, that I missed work and had chest pains). Of course, it's all in your head, so I was put on Lexapro - which has halped quite a bit, but I also began taking a daily vitamin/mineral, calcium & iron supplements.

I have also become anemic, even though I am taking all these supplements and depiste my best efforts to lose weight, I cannot seem to. I have also experience the ravenous hunger, that some of you have mentioned - which I am sure does not help the weight issue. Not too mention the extreme fatigue and body aches so bad, that they have done multiple blood tests & were even going to send me to a rhuematologist. The aches and pains make it very difficult, if not impossible to exercise, which only exhaserbates the weight issue.

I have become morbidly obese, which I am not blaming on the Yasmin - but after reading all of this, I believe that it definitely has contributed. Like I said, I will be seeing my doctor Thursday and I will be taking copies of these entries as well as this web address to her. Thank you all so much for sharing your stories, I believe it may have saved my life and maybe many others'. I am also going to look into what it takes to get a lawsuit started, with my attorney. I will let you all know what I find out. Thanks again!

I was on Cipro quite often in the early 90's for UTI's. I developed tinniuts that was so bad that I had to get 2 hearing aids. *was told I had "permanent nerve damage" Never attributed it to the drug, and it was presumed that I had hereditary hearing loss "starting with me" (no other hearing problems in my family). In 2000 I had surgery and had lost a lot of blood from internal bleeding and was put on Iron supplements, at the same time I was back on Cipro for a UTI. Since that time it took me 2 years of searching to find out why I have the following problems: Joint pain in my hands and feet. Plantar faciitis in both feet. Tremors in hands, fingers, and toes. Muscle tremors all over my body on occasions. Burning eyes, and hot flashes - then extreme intolerance to cold (I am age 34). Circulation issues (ie.. limbs feeling deadened at nighttime in bed). Difficulty walking - balance worsening. And, "foggy brain" difficulty concentrating, or finding the right word on many occasions.
I was told by my new hollistic doctor that I had a CNS disorder called Dysautonomia. This is also hereditary, and "starting with me".