Irregular menstrual periods symptoms and conditions

Almost forgot here is the truth :
The side effects are : ******

SERIOUS side effect such as:
• severe cramps or pelvic pain;
• extreme dizziness, feeling like you might pass out;
• heavy or ongoing vaginal bleeding, vaginal sores, vaginal discharge that is watery, foul-smelling discharge, or otherwise unusual;
• severe pain in your side or lower stomach;
• pale skin, weakness, easy bruising or bleeding;
• fever, chills, or other signs of infection;
• pain during sexual intercourse;
• sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body;
• sudden or severe headache, confusion, problems with vision, sensitivity to light;
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or
• signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

LESS SERIOUS side effects may include:
• irregular menstrual periods, changes in bleeding patterns or flow;
• breakthrough bleeding, or heavier menstrual bleeding during the first few weeks after device insertion;
• back pain;
• headache, nervousness, mild dizziness;
• nausea, vomiting, bloating;
• breast tenderness or pain;
• weight gain, acne, changes in hair growth;
• mood changes, loss of interest in sex;
• mild itching, skin rash; or
• puffiness in your face, hands, ankles, or feet.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur.

Drug Interactions

http://www.drugs.com/ppa/levonorgestrel.html

Laboratory Test Interactions
Endocrine tests may be affected. Sex hormone-binding globulin concentrations may be decreased; thyroxine concentrations may be slightly decreased and triiodothyronine uptake may be increased.
Adverse Reactions
Cardiovascular
Syncope, bradycardia, hypertension (intrauterine system).
CNS
Headache; nervousness; dizziness; decreased libido (intrauterine system).
Dermatologic
Dermatitis; acne; hirsutism; hypertrichosis; scalp hair loss; pain, itching, or infection near implant site.
GI
Nausea; change in appetite; abdominal discomfort.
Genitourinary
Prolonged, irregular, frequent, or scanty bleeding; spotting; amenorrhea; cervicitis; leukorrhea; vaginitis.
Metabolic
Weight gain.
Respiratory
Upper respiratory tract infection, sinusitis (intrauterine system).
Miscellaneous
Adnexal enlargement; mastalgia; breast discharge; implant removal difficulty; musculoskeletal pain.
Bleeding irregularities
Most women can expect variation in menstrual bleeding patterns.
Delayed follicular atresia
Follicle may grow beyond usual size and may resemble ovarian cyst.
Ectopic pregnancies
Have occurred, although relationship to drug is not established.
Intrauterine pregnancy
Risk of septic abortion, miscarriage, sepsis, premature labor, and premature delivery may be increased with the intrauterine system.
Ocular lesions
Retinal thrombosis has occurred with oral contraceptives; consider possibility in levonorgestrel users.
Perforation
Perforation of the uterus and cervix by the intrauterine system may occur.
Thromboembolic disorders
Remove capsules if thrombophlebitis or thromboembolic disease occurs. Consider removal in patients immobilized for prolonged periods.
Valvular/Congenital heart disease
Patients with certain types of valvular or congenital heart disease and surgically constructed systemic-pulmonary shunts are at increased risk of infective endocarditis, and use of the intrauterine system may represent a potential source of septic emboli.

YEP ! It's in there !

Irregular menstrual periods, muscle cramps in pelvic region, lower abdominal pain, vaginal dryness, vaginal discharge, vaginal odor, frequent urination, pain with sexual intercourse, breast tenderness, no libido, weight gain, fatigue, acne, skin bumps, dry skin, change in skin texture, headache, migraine, depressed mood, anxiety, and mood swings.

I had my Mirena IDU inserted in October of 2007. It was "the best thing ever", at the time. I initially bled for 5 months, just a light bleeding, but bleeding non the less. The discharge has never went away. During and even after the bleeding stopped- I started having an odor. I had NEVER had an odor of any kind down there before. I failed to realize that my skin issues that started a month after insertion were related, as well as the headaches. My husband was in Korea when I got the Mirena, so it wasn't until he came home on leave that I realized the pain with intercourse, vaginal dryness, and breast tenderness. The acne, no libido, depression, anxiety, mood swings, weight gain, and fatigue started about 4 months ago. Today I woke up with horrible cramping. I will have a mild cramp about once a month for a second, but none so sever as today. In doing my research I have found that all of the problems that I have been having are linked to the IUD. Granted, it could just be a big coincidence. I'm still calling the hospital on Monday morning and making an appointment to get it removed. That's if my pain doesn't go away and I make it to the ER first. I'll keep you ladies updated on my "recovery". Good luck!

Commenting on the post earlier today. I decided to look into the Norplant (see below for more details) Now i found that development of my Mirena was done in part by the maker of the Norplant? Which has been pulled in the US and the UK after 50,000 people filed a class action suit (which was settle out of court)

Development and studies of the Mirena Coil began in the 1970s. Schering Health distributes Mirena outside the United States, while Berlex distributes it inside the United States. Both companies have worked with the Population Council, a that has worked with other contraceptive manufacturers (including Wyeth, maker of Norplant).
Mirena was first marketed commercially in Finland in 1990, but not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration until 2000. It is intended to initially release 20 micrograms of levonorgestral per day and may be used for five years. Sound familiar?
Norplant is a form of birth control was first approved in 1983 in Finland. The original Norplant consisted of a set of six small (2.4 mm x 34 mm) silicone capsules, each filled with 36 mg of levonorgestrel (a progestin used in many birth control pills) implanted subdermally in the upper arm and effective for five years. The original (6 capsule) Norplant's production has been phased out; USAID's contract ran until December 2006.
The original (6 capsule) Norplant was approved by the FDA in 1990 and marketed in the United States in 1991 by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Norplant distribution in the United States ended in 2002; limited supplies still remained in the U.S. until 2004. Norplant was withdrawn from the UK market in 1999.
Side effects
After three months of using Norplant, women will need to schedule a follow-up appointment to monitor blood pressure and discuss any concerns. Side effects may include irregular menstrual periods for the first approximately three months, including periods lasting longer than normal, bleeding or spotting between periods, heavy bleeding, or going with no period for the mentioned period of time. Common side effects include weight gain, nervousness, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, mastalgia, dizziness, dermatitis/rash, hirsutism, scalp-hair loss, headache, depression, and acne. Sometimes, pain, itching or infection at the site of the implant will occur. Ovarian cysts may also occur, but usually do not require treatment, although they can cause pain even if benign.
Norplant discontinued in the United States
By 1996, more than 50,000 women had filed lawsuits, including 70 class actions, against Wyeth and/or its subsidiaries, or doctors who prescribed Norplant. Wyeth never lost a Norplant lawsuit.
On August 26, 1999, after winning 3 jury verdicts, 20 pretrial summary judgments and the dismissal of 14,000 claims, Wyeth offered out-of-court cash settlements of $1,500 each to about 36,000 women who contended that they had not been adequately warned about possible side effects of Norplant such as irregular menstrual bleeding, headaches, nausea and depression. Wyeth said that most of the plaintiffs experienced routine side effects described in Norplant's labeling information. About 32,000 women accepted the out-of-court $1,500 settlements.
At least they warned the user of these side effects and the no longer offer Norplant in the US

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 really think that the FDA needs to re-write the standard list of side-effects and precautions of prednisone. From what I've seen here, the listed rare side-effects are not rare at all!!
It never ceases to amaze me how much goes unreported to our government agencies.

Prednisone side-effects;

Most Frequent:
Hypersecretory Conditions, Increased Appetite, Infection, Insomnia, Nervousness

Less Frequent:
Cushing's Syndrome, Diabetes Mellitus, Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage, Irregular Menstrual Periods, Osteoporosis

Rare:
Abdominal Swelling, Abnormal Hepatic Function Tests, Acne Vulgaris, Acute Pancreatitis, Allergic Dermatitis, Allergic Reactions, Anaphylaxis, Benign Intracranial Hypertension, Body Fluid Retention, Bradycardia, Cardiac Arrest, Cardiac Arrhythmias, Cataracts, Cholesterol Embolism, Chronic Heart Failure, Delirium, Depression, Dizziness, Dyspnea, Ecchymosis, Edema, Erythema, Esophageal Ulcer, Euphoria, Excitement, Fainting, False Sense of Well-Being, Flushing, Fractures, Glaucoma, Glycosuria, Hallucinations, Headache, Hepatomegaly, Hiccups, Hirsutism, Hyperhidrosis, Hypertension, Impaired Cognition, Lipodystrophy, Malaise, Mood Changes, Muscle Weakness, Myopathy, Nausea, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Night Sweats, Ocular Hypertension, Paranoid Disorder, Paresthesia, Peptic Ulcer, Personality Disorders, Petechiae, Psychiatric Disturbance, Pulmonary Edema, Skin Rash, Skin Scaling, Skin Striae, Tachycardia, Tendon Rupture, Thromboembolic Disorder, Thrombophlebitis, Tonic Clonic Seizure, Urticaria, Vasculitis, Vertigo, Visual Disturbances, Weight Gain, Wound