Irregular cycles symptoms and conditions

Okay...this is amazing, cause I thought I was crazy but now I know all of us are!!!hahah...I had the Mirena put in in early October. I am perimenopausal and my hubby has a vasectomy. The docs encouraged it to help with my menopausal symptoms, primarily irregular cycles and cramping due to not bleeding - they said that was due to low progesterone and the Mirena would work wonders. I had it put in (very very painful - and this from a woman who gave birth, at home, two separate times with nothing but a midwife and some gentle massaging during the birthings!) and never stopped bleeding. Not once! I have gone through two boxes of tampons and three of pads. I have cramping all the time, and low back ache. I noticed that my bras felt really sore and enlarged (so did hubby) and they grew overnight. I gained three pounds and started crying at the time. The final insult: no sex drive. zippo. none at all. I also have terrible vagina odor which is, I know gross to admit, but a very new thing. I think that there are many women who simply cannot tolerate these hormones. Our bodies know what to do and I am going to brave the change without intervention. I went to see doctor today and, of course, she tried to talk me out of removal. She even had the nerve to say that it was good to have in, to protect my uterus, for eventual Hormone replacement therapy -as if I had ever mentioned that as an option? I looked at her and said, "take it out". Now I don' t know if this is imagination, but I swear the cramps have abated in the past several hours. I am still bleeding but feel hope for its ending. I would not recommend this to anyone and to those out there being told its value in managing menopausal symptoms, move on. It is not worth it - the change is change enough!

I'm so glad to find this website. I'm 21 years old and I've been on a dozen different BC's over the past 5 years because of my irregular cycles and PCOS. I switched to Yaz a little over a year ago because the military didn't carry my previous BC (lo-estrin24 which I liked). A few months into it, I started having these weird side effects, but just blew them off because they seemed small and I didn't want my new husband to think he just married a hypochondriac! Plus I see those lawsuit commercials about Yaz every day and I didn't want to be the type of person that freaks out when they see something like that.

The first thing I noticed was nausea on a daily basis. It's not bad enough to where I actually vomit, but enough to where I notice it and it affects my day to day routine. My cycles while being on it have been "normal", as normal as they will get for me.

However, over the past few weeks I have been getting the worst headaches/migraines, bad enough to where you can't function on a day to day basis. I thought they were because we just moved up to Alaska and the weather change was getting to me. (We've been here for almost 2 months) It's been over 3 weeks now and I still get them on a daily basis. The doctor told me they are from stress, but I've been stressed my entire life and have NEVER had a problem with headaches. I've had to resort to taking Excedrin every day (which I KNOW is NOT good for me but I can't function without it). Like others have said, I experience the vaginal dryness, lack of desire, but just assumed it was my body/lifestyle changing and that it was nothing to worry about. I also feel like I'm getting..for lack of a better word..dumber..and I can't remember anything that I did the day before, much less a week or month before. I honestly don't know if I'm any more moody than I was a year ago without asking my husband, and I don't think I actually want to know lol. My mother (who is in the medical field) swears to me that it's the BC causing all of this.

Thank you so much everyone for your postings, I will be scheduling yet another doctor's appt next week and will make sure I'm switched to another BC this time.

I am 26 years old and I've had the Mirena for two years. I ended up getting it because my doctor told me it was so much more convenient than taking the pill and more affordable. In the beginning, I felt okay but after awhile, I started feeling nauseous and sick all the time. Six months ago, I started bleeding for a couple of weeks straight, but I figured that it was due Mirena and the effects of it with menstrual cycles. Just to be safe, I took a pregnancy test and it came out positive and I was planning on going setting an appointment to see my doctor, only to have to rush to the E.R. later that night with killer cramps. I found out I had an ectopic pregnancy (I never had an ectopic pregnancy nor has any of my family members) and had to go in for a laparoscopy. I asked the doctor in the E.R. if Mirena should be removed and he simply replied that there was no need to. I had severe depression for a couple of weeks afterwards. I thought I felt awful with my usual symptoms of Mirena, but then the symptoms got even worse. I began experiencing dizziness, irregular cycles, a total weight gain of 20 pounds (I've never had a weight problem and my diet never changed), and extreme moodiness. After all the things I've experienced and now having to worry that Mirena will only increase my chances of having another ectopic pregnancy, I really look forward to my appointment in getting Mirena removed!

I can relate to many of these experiences. Started out in my 20's with very irregular cycles, went to my first gyn after a miscarriage - the emergency room dr referred me to a dr that was at a fertility clinic. I had no idea why until I was actual a little more "awake" I was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries. I went through at least 6 or 7 different birth control pills, depo provera shot, nuvaring, then back on another birth control pill. finally we started doing the continuous suppression as I was bleeding at least a little bit every single day... for 2 years. I would still have my full blown period every 4 weeks or so, which also included a monster migraine on day one of the menstruation. Not only was my life being altered but I was starting to get anemic. Finally after a month of the continuous suppression my bleeding stopped. As did the menstrual migraines. I continued this way for 4 years. Didn't have a single period or migraine, life was wonderful.. or so it seemed. I have been over weight for most of my adult life. Finally decided to do something about it. I joined the gym with a friend and started losing weight. I dropped 55 pounds until... the dreaded bleeding, pain and hormones got out of control. I started bleeding every single day again. Finally made an appointment with my dr. She stated that when you lose weight it releases estrogen out of your fat cells. Gee, I thought losing weight was supposed to make you feel better!! I went on with it for a while thinking it would stop eventually and it just HAD to get better. In fact, things got worse. I started having horrible abdominal pain, eventually it got to be daily. To the point where I could not stretch or even hyper extend my right leg backwards. My abdomen felt like something had a rubber band tied to it from the inside. My dr said that she suspected endometriosis. However, due to my anemia... we had to wait. So back on the iron pills and wait wait wait. Finally, October 15th I went in for my lap. Sure enough, stage 4 endo, huge cysts on both ovaries. My endo had gone all over the place and attached itself to anything it could. Including folding my bladder in half! Good grief. I thought that I was just getting the weak bladder from getting older (I am 35 by the way). For the next couple of weeks after my surgery I felt pretty good. Finally pain free (still a little bleeding but not much). But, the end of December rolls around and here it is, back with all its fury. The pain is again horrible, my migraines are back, my energy is dwindling. The good life was short lived. My doctor suggested a series of Lupron shots. One shot a month for 6 months. My first shot in January (took me a little bit of time to decide if I wanted to do it) finally bit the bullet and got the shot. First few days, fine, no problem, no relief either but no life altering experience. Then one morning I woke up and realized I was not in pain. It was a strange feeling actually. But the time I got the second shot, no more bleeding, no more pain... However, the hot flashes, night sweats and the emotions came on. Holy cow. Drama drama drama. I could find any reason on the planet to argue, with anyone. Thank god I have a very understanding family and an even more wonderful partner. I think he has the patience of a saint. I still don't know how he puts up with me. If I am not trying to find some reason to pick a fight then I am crying like a baby... for hours and hours. These hormones are so out of control. I honestly don't know what is worse, the pain or feeling like the world is going to end in the next 2 minutes if I don't get this spill picked up.. I literally cried for 2 hours Saturday because my cat knocked a stupid bottle of car wax off a shelf in the back room. Good lord, I had the most horrible feelings coming over me and just could not stop crying. I bought a new bed 2 weeks ago and let me tell you. If I am not on one of my 13 hour sleep fests then I am laying in it crying and feeling sorry for myself. Or the even better part of indegestion or my favorite part.. gas. I honestly don't know if I can go on like this. I made an appointment to see my doctorr this Friday to determine what she thinks will happen if I don't complete the other 3 shots. just give me back the pain if you have to!

I have been on Kariva (generic for Mircette) birth control for about 6 years now, I started when I was a junior in high school because of all the symptoms associated with irregular cycles. For the first 3 years I believed it was a miracle drug because my ability to focus increased, my cramps were few and far between, and I felt less moody. BUT...increasingly now over the past couple years it seems like the pill is losing it's effects. I also started having horrible migraines at least once a month, sometimes twice...and my doctor was not sure why, so she decided to cut me off from the birth control "just in case" and within a couple weeks I became very emotional, had cramps, and had trouble focusing in my college classes. I went back to my doctor and she put me right back on the pill...but it seems like ever since that happened, I haven't fully gotten back to the state I was in before the migraines started. After seeing this thread, I am wondering if withdrawal may be the cause of how my body and mind felt after going off the birth control...maybe if I had held out longer, those symptoms would have died off. OR, maybe the birth control dosage needs to be increased, but I'm worried that could make things worse or increase dependency later on.

Does anyone have advice about what would be the best course of action? My doctor seems smart, but I feel like no one really knows the answer to fixing "myself", to feeling at least sane again...and I really need these migraines to go away because they are getting worse and becoming very hard to handle emotionally, and physically...and financially.

I posted on here several months back. I got the Mirena taken out at the beginning of January after having it in for about 6 months. At first I loved it because I didn't connect all the symptoms I was having to the Mirena since my obgyn reassured me that there were no side effects with Mirena. I had many symptoms including severe insomnia, weight gain (about 40 lbs in 6 months), acne, facial hair, sharp cramps, back pain, just to name a few! After moving and getting a new dr I was able to convince her I needed it taken out. I lost 15 lbs in the first 10 days of having it out without trying (now I'm actually trying to get the rest off) and started sleeping better about 4-6 weeks later.

Anyway...now my problem is that I am not getting my period and I'm not ovulating. I had my period about 2 days after I got it taken out but haven't had another one since. My husband and I were so excited that first month of not having my period because we thought we were pregnant. MANY pregnancy and ovulation tests later we are worried we may never get pregnant. I am wondering if anyone else has had problems conceiving after getting Mirena taken out. Or if you were able to conceive, did it take a long time?

I started to take Yasmin on vacation with a friend. I was excited to get all the benefits that it advertised. A few days after taking Yasmin I had the worst mood swings! I was an entirely different person and would snap at my friend over the slightest things. I literally cried while watching the movie Three Men and a Baby--a movie I've seen many times before and never felt emotional over this cheesy movie! Once I realized it was all due to Yasmin, I stoped taking it and within 2 days was myself again. I never even finished the pack of pills and wouldn't ever try it again.

i have rheumatoid arthritis but came off meds to try for a baby. i was given a shot (80mg) of Kenalog to keep me going. i feel the nurse was negligent because she never told me any side effects apart from flushing and palpitations. unfortunately i have had really irregular cycles, excessive bleeding and have stopped ovulating. not great when we want to try for a baby! i have also lost 10 pounds in weight in a month. i just had an appointment with my acupuncturist who has also made me realize something else: i had some shots directly in to several joints over a period of a few years. my left wrist has now collapsed and i need a replacement. coincidence? i am def taking this further, please anybody in the U.K make your concerns known to the yellow card system which is the gov regulating board for medicines.

WOW! I guess I will consider myself one of the lucky ones after reading all of these side effects posted here. Let me first say that I have tried many inhalers -- serevent, flovent, ventolin etc etc -- and the asthma kept getting worse. Then my doctor suggested Advair. I've been taking it for several years now. I knew that all medications have side effects and I read through the list carefully. The medicine was a Godsend! It helped me so much that I would have recommended it to most anyone. Recently, however, I've started having the occasional heart palpitations and recurring sinus infections. I'm beginning to wonder if it is time to move on to another drug. I'm in my early 30s and have been trying to conceive for a few years to no avail. I recently read that Advair can cause irregular cycles and now wonder if it is playing a part in my fertility struggles. Only other symptoms I have are tooth sensitivity and occasional leg cramps -- however, these existed prior to starting Advair; they might have become more prevalent but I don't believe Advair caused them.
I'd like to hear from anyone who is currently trying Asmanex...that might be my next drug.

I took Yasmin for 2 years and about 6 months after starting Yasmin I started getting migraines at least 3 x per week and sometimes 5 x per week (before not even really getting many normal headaches). I thought it might be my birth control and saw my OB who referred me to a Neurologist who put me on a medicine for migraines. About another 5 months later I noticed I had a small bald spot in my hair line. Saw a Dermatologist who diagnosed it is alopecia. I immediately stopped Yasmin and migraine meds and decided to get an IUD (GREAT CHOICE!) My migraines stopped almost immediately, however my hair loss continues to progress. I now have 3 additionally bald spots on my head and areas on my scalp that are very thin. I feel great otherwise, no headaches, no depression (other than losing my hair), no anxiety, appetite is normal. I'm so desperate to find someone else that has had this specific problem as no one believes the hair loss is connected to Yasmin. I just pray after awhile the hair will grow back. Please if anyone has experienced this same situation please post what might have helped you get through it and if it does ease up! One more thing - I have scalp pain, like burning on the front and top and back part of my scalp, wide spread, not only in the bald areas.

I posted a question to anyone who used Tri-Sprintec before, but now it's been several months & I'd like to let everyone else know how it's worked for me! Tri-Sprintec has been the best birth control I've ever taken. I have been on other birth controls over the years, and up to this point Yasmin was good but I still had some side effects. I've just started my fourth month on Tri-Sprintec, and I feel more like myself again. I don't have any crazy mood swings, my skin has cleared up, my periods are regular again & my appetite has gone back to normal. I recommend Tri-Sprintec to anyone who is looking for an affordable & reliable birth control (it's offered at the Wal-Mart pharmacy for $9 a month if you don't have insurance.)

I switched my birth control from the pill to nuvaring a little over five months ago. I am a graduate student/research assistant and have been in a great relationship for 3 years. I know myself and I know my body, SOMETHING WAS SEVERELY WRONG. I knew there was something happening inside me. I have been off nuvaring for almost two weeks and I feel significantly better. These were my symptoms:

PHYSICAL:
-severe leg pains
-pains in my arms
-chest pains
-shortness of breath
-headaches
-blurred vision
-weight gain
-rapid heart beat

EMOTIONAL:
-depression
-anxiety
-feeling of hopelessness
-easily discouraged
-rapid mood swings
-withdrawl from talking to people
-feeling like a burden to others
-paranoia

I had never felt like this before, and I thought I was going crazy. I could not explain what was happening. If you feel any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor immediately! Physical symtoms could be signs of blood clots, which can result in death. And even more painful were the emotional side effects. If you are feeling any thing like this please talk to someone or even email me! Nothing will happen if you take the ring out early, but definitely consult a doctor. If you do take the ring out, please be safe and use a condom. You are not alone! Everyone's body is different and sometimes we need to listen to what our bodies are trying to tell us.