October 21th
2009
6:47 PM
I have been on 50mg of Topamax for the 2nd time for about 8 months. This time not near as much weight loss but so many more side effects. I have had 3 kidney infections and just found out I have an ovarian cyst which is now being linked to this medication. It keeps the migraines away but I am not sure if the other pain is worth it, has anyone had any luck with other migraine medications? This had been the best for keeping them away but now I am at a loss as to what to do. A little toe and finger tingling I could handle....cyst that make me double over in pain, NOT SO MUCH!
-- By addison72 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
September 28th
2009
2:13 AM
I am so glad I found this website.
After 2 years of being on Yasmin/Ocella, I have realized that my symptoms were entirely from this horrible drug.
Symptoms I experienced on Yasmin/Ocella:
-HEARTBURN! I had to have an endoscopy to determine the damage caused to my esophagus, and was on hard core antacid drugs for months.
-UTIs!! I suffered from a UTI pretty much every time my fiance and I had sex, and my Gyno referred me to a urologist. Mind, I had NEVER suffered from these frequently in any other time in my life.
-Strange heart beats - heart skipped a beat often.
-Anxiety, to the point of dysfunction.
-Back aches, kidney infections.
-Bladder infections.
-Depression - for instance, lying in bed for hours after my alarm went off, not wanting to get up.
-NO sex drive. NONE.
TAKE THIS DRUG OFF THE MARKET.
-- By vintwined | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
June 18th
2009
3:30 PM
Hi all! Was just reading through all your experiences with the Mirena IUD, and let me just tell you, I am so happy I found this site! I had my Mirena IUD inserted about 6 weeks after my son was born (he will be turning one next month). I noticed my world literally falling apart within the first week of having it in. Of course when I talk to my Doc about what I've been going through, she says there is absolutely no link between my symptoms and Mirena. So then tell me why I am reading all your stories and it feels like I am reading my story back to myself? We can't all just be crazy here!!! I mean, some of my symptoms are so dead on with what others have shared, and the only thing in common is that we all have/had the Mirena IUD!! I honestly think people think that Doctors are Gods and that what they say is the word. Don't get me wrong, it takes a lot to be a doctor, and there are many many great ones out there, but in the end, you know your body more than anyone else!! So anyways, going back to the hell I have been dealing with: Within a week of having my Mirena put in, I got a MAJOR kidney infection. I have never had any problems with my kidneys whatsoever. The infection got so bad (I had no idea what it was) that I almost got Sepsis from it, which can be fatal. Since then, I have had 2 more kidney infections, as well as passed a kidney stone (which may or may not be related). Also, within that first week, I went from being a happy, active, energetic human being to being depressed, moody, panicked, weak, lethargic, and EXTREMELY fatigued all the time. I look in the mirror and don't even recognize myself anymore: I can't keep up with my son, the housework, cooking dinner and taking care of my family. I have watched my whole world literally fall apart. My partner and I split over a month ago, and I lost my job. I feel like the most worthless person on the face of the planet. I feel so horrible for my son because I just can't do the things he wants to do. All he wants to do is play, and I just can't do it. I can't be a normal mother to my child because I have no energy at all. I feel tired and weak CONSTANTLY, and just getting out of bed in the morning takes an act of God. I have to nap when my son does, because if I don't, I won't make it through the day. Even when I do get my naps in, they are not energizing naps, they are just to keep my head above water so that I can at least do the bare minimum to take care of my son. This is the complete opposite of the person I once was. I used to love life! I used to run and hike, and treat the world like it was my playground. Now all I do is sleep, and schedule my life around sleeping and just try to get by. The depression and anxiety attacks are new to me too. Some days I am in such fear of the anxiety attacks that I don't even leave the house. I have become a total hermit, and it's not fair to my son at all. I have also experienced pretty significant weight gain, and am still gaining. I have always been very fit, active and petite with an average weight of 110, and now here I am pushing 130! That just is not me!! With my small height of 5'3" it just doesn't look right. No wonder why my husband doesn't want me anymore!! I'm chubby, I sleep all day, I'm depressed, moody, and afraid to get out of the house!! I would do anything to have my life back. I would do anything to have my family back!!! That's why I ended up coming across this site in the first place. Like so many others, I have spent hundreds of dollars going to the doctor, and having all these expensive tests done just trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with me! You name it, and my doctor has tested for it, only to have everything come back looking fine. I can't even begin to tell you how extremely frustrating it is to sit there in my doctor's office feeling the way that I do, and knowing something is definitely not right, only to have her tell me, "You're fine. It's all in your head. Take this anti-depressant and you'll feel better." So, my initial intention was to go online and try to find some tips on how to increase my energy level, and suddenly all these links started popping up about Mirena and chronic fatigue. I started reading your stories on here and it was like a light suddenly went on in my head! And for the first time in almost a year, I felt the relief that I have been literally praying and praying for!! I have already called my doctor's office and made an appointment to have the damn thing taken out next week! I am actually excited for it! I keep thinking: What if this is it? What if this is the reason why I have been feeling so bad? What if they take it out and I become ME again? The me who used to camp and hike and fish and run and hold down a freakin job and play with my kids and take care of my family and have passions and hobbies?!!! What if??? Well, I am going to find out! I will post again and let you ladies know how it goes! If it does turn out that it was the Mirena that caused all this, you bet your booty I'm gonna be the world's biggest advocate on getting that thing pulled off the market!!!
-- By afuller03 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
June 4th
2009
12:57 PM
ovarian cysts, weight gain, bloating, gassiness, hemorrhoids, yeast infections, kidney infections, UTI's, panic attacks, depression,I've had them all. I have gone back to my doctor about 5 times just telling them that "something isn't right" and not one time have they told me to remove the Mirena. I even asked if the Mirena could be the culprit of my problems, and they blew it all off. I talked to my sister yesterday who said she has had some of the same symptoms too. I am calling to get mine removed asap. I cannot handle the constant cycle of pain, yeast infection, finally clearing up, getting to have sex, only to develop another yeast infection within a week. I actually thought these symptoms were in my head! Or worse, maybe I was somehow "allergic" to my husband! This must go.
-- By comel37 | Reply | Private Message me
June 4th
2009
2:10 AM
I got my Mirena June 13th of last year and I loved it but since I got it I have had alot of things change about my body and just me in general and I didn't even think that they could be because of Mirena until tonight. I couldn't sleep and got to thinking that all my problems have started since I got my Mirena inserted so I came and Goodled "Mirena side effects" and found this site. I have almost all the side effects everyone else on here have. I have very bad depression, oily skin, I keep gaining weight, have no desire to have sex, acne, very bad migraines ( I have been to the hospital 6 times in 6 months because of them), I keep kidney infections, I am always cramping, I stay nauseated, I also am always yelling at my husband for no reason but can't control myself, it hurts really bad when I actually do have sex, etc. I am calling my doctor tomorrow and having this thing removed.
-- By barbieshorty05 | Reply | Private Message me
March 5th
2009
1:39 PM
My daughter was on Yasmin for about a year approximately 3 years ago.She constantly felt ill and was always at her regular doctor with excruciating head aches, dizziness, respiratory problems, bladder infections, kidney infections etc etc.A battery of tests including CAT scans etc showed nothing.Then came the manic mood swings, depression, rage and severe panic anxiety attacks which grew worse over time.(We are talking about a former gymnast who lead her team to the State finals in H.S. and used to be cool, calm and collected tumbling on a 4inch wide balance beam 4 feet off the floor!) She finally stopped taking Yasmin after I spoke with a gynecologist I met during mutual sports activities our children shared. He told me to get my daughter off of Yasmin immediately. It took about 6 mos. before she was close to being back to normal. Taking Yasmin caused a number of issues for my daughter - some of which I believe she still deals with today in the aftermath of the effects of this drug. PLEASE if there is a class action lawsuit against these people for putting this out there, she DEFINITELY needs to be a part of it and retrieve some sort of compensation. Thank you!
-- By maxanddarla | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
October 31th
2008
12:26 AM
I was prescribed singulair for asthma 7 years ago in my late 30's. I experieinced mild side-effects first including vivid dreams/nightmares, insomnia mixd wiht bouts of over-sleeping for work, runny nose, etc.
Then I developed a series of kidney infections, increased irritability, lack of concentration and heart palpitations.
Depression set in, along with the obsession of shotting myself in the head, running away to far away places, and risk-taking behavior.
I became difficult to work with and left a good paying job/career and suffered increasing irrational teenage rebellious behavior that i chalked up to a mid life crisis, until the suicidal idealization and late night insomnia and cutting hateful things into my skin with razor blades set in.
Then I left another job and had no health care. In months my outlook improved and problem-solving reason returned. A year later, with new medical insurance, I renewed my prescription, only to find the bad thoughts and gloom returning.
Within weeks my doctor and pharmacist warned me about the suicidal side-effects of the drug.
Now that my life is a train wreck, who do I sue?
I cant imagine subjecting a child to this medication.
Please seek alternatives and protect your children.
-- By poisonpillskill | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
October 20th
2008
10:53 PM
Vertigo, weakness, fatigue, exhaustion, aching numbness in arms, numbness in face arms and legs, extreme pressure in head and neck, burning feeling radiating from the base of my neck through shoulder blades to arms, foggy brain, waking up feeling (for no reason) like I have a major hang over, chills, aching feet, weight gain, feeling very fearful of my symptoms because they feel like nothing I have ever experienced.
THESE LAST 4 WEEKS HAVE BEEN HELL!
I had my Mirena inserted on June 30 2008. I experienced mild discomfort for the first 4-6 weeks. The spotting was the worst of it and that was no more than an inconvenience. I was happy with my choice of birth control.
Then this hell began about three months after insertion.
During the last week of September the symptoms listed above started. They were mild at first but by within a week and a half I felt HORRIBLE. I suspected that it may be the Mirena, but at the same time I thought I was dying.
October 1 or 2nd (it is all a blur) I was home by myself when I started feeling the numbness and head pressure coming on again (my symptoms were coming and going, not constant) so I laid down on the couch to get off my feet. All of a sudden I felt like I was losing consciousness. I grabbed the phone and called my husband to get me to the ER. I thought I was dying. A blood clot or something. Once there, they did blood test after blood test, an EKG, urine tests, and basically I was told that there were no major system problems. I know this sounds a like classic anxiety, but I know it is not. I have to say they were very good there and encouraged me to see my family physician (whom I had already been to earlier that week) again.
I called to make an appointment to have the Mirena removed the very next day. My GYN kind of shrugged off what I was going through saying that it was anxiety and asked if I still wanted the thing removed!!! of course I did. Having that thing removed was very empowering. I was feeling so helpless and it was the one thing that I could do to possibly help my situation. The feeling of relief was amazing.
I did see my family physician again who agrees that what I am going though is related to the Mirena. She did ordered a CAT scan (came back negative) just in case.
Post removal (It has been 17 days) I have been slowly getting better. My "episodes" are getting more and more diminished and further apart. I have noticed that I am flooded with exhaustion after each of these "episodes". I also never know when there going to strike making it hard to make plans. My husband has been very supportive through out and was convinced before I was that it was the IUD. He has volunteered to get a vasectomy.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL YOU LADIES.
If you have stumbled across this because you are desperately searching for answers, all I can tell you is that I believe that the Mirena IUD has had devastating effects on many, many women, but hang in there you are not alone and you are not insane. What you are experiencing is very real. Have it removed ASAP!!!!!!!!!!
June 22th
2008
11:28 AM
I was prescribed CIPROFLAXACIN 500 mg 28 tablets twice a day. I developed Achilles tendon on my right leg
while playing volleyball. I am using crutches and off from work with short term disability. This drug did not cure my existing problem
but created new problem. Even when such side effects were known to the Physicians and Pharmacists I was not made aware of this. As a United States of American citizen I am requesting FDA to please ban such drugs
that cause such side effects.
May 27th
2008
10:12 PM
I have been taking Levaquin for sinus infection after Augmentin didn't keep it from coming back. All I can say is that I am completely exhausted. I wonder if it is the drug or something else. No muscle pain. I don't know if I should stop taking it or continue. Tonight I was walking for exercise and couldn't finish because I thought I might faint. My heart was beating and I was shaking. Do you think it is the drug? HELP!
-- By linda1195 | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
May 22th
2008
5:33 AM
I was taking Yasmin until mid 2007 and took a break until 3 months ago. Since starting with Yasmin again I've been feeling very unwell. Constant nausea, sever fatigue, hair loss which I have never experienced before, stomach cramps, no energy, weight loss, kidney infections. I have been to the doctor twice in the last week presenting with these symptoms. I have 5 pills left in my third pack of Yasmin and I'm stopping today. Yasmin should be taken off the market- there must have some change to the manufacturing process since I last took Yasmin last year.
-- By dillonb2 | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
April 21th
2008
4:51 PM
I have recently been diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease and my dr. put me on 50mcg of Synthroid...I haven't really noticed a lot of the normal symptoms that everyone else has except the memory loss. Oh and one other very disturbing side-effect...FREQUENT URINATION! I never had this problem before I started taking this drug that I can recall and I've been tested a gazillion times for kidney infections and UTI's and they've all come back normal! This is so frustrating...please tell me I'm not alone! If anyone else has experienced this please reply asap....I need to know I'm not crazy.
-- By megneb | Reply | Private Message me
February 9th
2008
10:56 PM
This site is like a moth to a flame for me.
I took my damned ring out a week & a half ago after finding this site & reading so many testimonies & side effects I could have written myself that it wasn't even funny. This makes me so mad that a freaking pharmaceutical product could make so many women this sick without being recalled. And what the heck is wrong with all the doctors not being able to tell any of us what was causing all these problems?
In the fifteen months I was on NuvaRing I have seen every type of doctor you can imagine. Including TWO neurosurgeons who wanted to do TWO different types of surgery on me. BOTH docs sent me for MRI's of my pelvic region/lower back & KNEW I was on NuvaRing. I mean, I know it was CLEARLY right there in the middle of both the results of those MRI's!
So why did it take me finally figuring it out by using GOOGLE?
I've had chronic lower back pain (diagnosed degenerative disc disease in JUNE), severe pelvic pain & cramping (diagnosed pelvic inflammatory in JANUARY), UTI's turning into kidney infections that were so bad I went to the emergency room in APRIL, another UTI & kidney infection in JANUARY, not being able to sit or stand for more than a few minutes without severe pain, leg pains & weakness that two neurosurgeons couldn't figure out WHY they were happening, anxiety, depression, terrible temper, severe fatigue, headaches, stinging painful feeling in my vagina, high blood pressure (that has to be treated with expensive blood pressure meds now) etc etc etc.
I can't believe my husband has stuck around through all of this. When they say the first year of marriage is tough, they weren't joking around huh? The person that said that must have used the NuvaRing their first year of marriage too.
Please, if you are thinking of using this product or are leery to stop it - JUST TAKE THE THING OUT! and DON'T USE THIS PRODUCT! It's just not worth it to feel this bad for convenience sake. Not even slightly.
PS - For those of you who want to say something like "Oh it works for me. You just had a bad reaction."...
That's like saying just because some people don't get cancer from cigarettes that they are still a good product.
-- By tigerheartedrebel | Reply | Private Message me
April 23th
2007
6:01 AM
I had a Kenalog injection last December to get some allergy relief. I have now missed 3 periods and had to take Adoxa (doxycyclin) for bad acne. I asked the Dr. if the shot would be safe since I had one the prior September and he said yes. I really wish I had known this could happen to me. Anyone else out there had anything similar happen?
-- By mindyswa | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
March 6th
2006
7:17 PM
Hi there. I started levaquin again today because i am having bronchial pnemonia. I have 250, 500, and 750 mg stocked at home, because i have taken this medication a LOT this last year for chronic kidney infections due to kidney stones that keep popping up.
For me, levaquin works great, with NO side effects on any type of dosage, except for the occasional tiredness. I am 23 years old. I would just like to say that i believe the benefits outweight the risks in the case of this drug, unless you are have horrible reactions such as rashes, losing hearing and sight etc which have been described. For the eye sight problem, if i was you i would SERIOUSLY find out if levaquin is really the cause for that, it doesnt make much sense how a drug designed to kill bacteria could actually interfere with cornea and eye functions, seems like there might be a possibility of some underlying and unrelated problem with the eye but seriously i wouldnt know. Just wanted to say that for me, this anti biotic has been a life saver, right now i just took me dose about an hour ago so i wont see any improvements soon but i feel like crap. My chest hurts, i cant stop coughing, fever etc i really hope this will lower my fever. I cant find any cough medicine at the store that is helping me i dont know how i will sleep tonight. =(
-- By angela1082 | Reply | Private Message me
January 11th
2004
9:52 AM
Was on Yasmin for about 1 1/2 years, I have suffered from leg & foot cramps, pains in chest & arms, pins and needles in arms, headaches, detoritating vision, nausea, breathlessness, tiredness and kidney infections (caused by the diuretic in it), weight gain, constipation and heavy periods, thought I was becoming serioulsy ill, felt like 70 instead of 30. The only positive thing about this pill was that I didn't get pregenant.
Am off it now about a month and all symptons are just gone.
Mirena (4) Yasmin (4) Levaquin (3) NuvaRing (2) Singulair (1) Topamax (1) Kenalog (1) Ranitidine Hydrochloride (1) Synthroid (1) Cipro (1)
October 29th
2009
5:57 PM
I used NuvaRing for 1 year and 5 months before I threw in the towel. At first it was great. No weight gain, no change in my cycles, no problem during intercourse, everything was perfect... a great alternative to a pill. Until I started taking NuvaRing in 2008 I had not been on any birth control. The last time I was on anything was in 2000 after the birth of my only daughter. In 2000 I used Depo Provera (spelling?) and had horrible side effects from that. I had extreme hair loss & the worst mood swings you could imagine. I knew that his time around I didn't want the Depo shot & I can't remember to take a pill everyday. I struggle to take a full round of antibiotics without accidentally forgetting a dose. After talking to my Gyno in 08 I decided to try NuvaR. After getting my 6 mo. checkup with my doctor we decided to keep me on it since I was pleased with the results. So months went by, still no problem. Then one afternoon I started getting a pain in my left side that was the worst achey/uncomfortable nagging pain I had ever felt. I started to keep a log of when my pain would come & how long it lasted before it finally subsided. After a few weeks I began looking through the internet to find out more of my anatomy & try to come up with an idea of what was causing my strange pain. As it turns out the pain was in the same area as my spleen & a little piece of the liver comes across to the left side as well. I knew that this was not a kidney issue since I am prone to kidney infections at least 3 times a year. I know kidney pain & this was not it. My boyfriend started complaining about how I was always complaining about not feeling well. When we started dating in July of 08 I was somewhat outgoing, always going here or there for any get together-friends from work, daughters cheer stuff, jazz shows, beach etc. He was tired of me being tired. That is when we started wondering if I had anemia. The spleen pain could have been explained by that. Or maybe it was my gall blader we thought. I started looking for signs & symptoms but nothing was obvious. I just dealt with the pain in my side and wondered too if I was developing a stomach ulcer. Then one day my shins started hurting for no apparent reason. Then it was the forearm bones. I literally hurt inside my bones. The shins were the most painful of all. It hurt to walk, I couldn't get comfortable sitting, lying, standing, sleeping & I was at my whitts end. After talking about it with my boyfriend he said that I needed to go ahead & make an appointment because my quality of life has been reduced to zilch. I was always uncomfortable with pain or aches or moody. I went to see my doctor. Of course when I went I had a UTI, as usual-nothing abnormal about that. I told him about all my pain so we ran some tests. He did some blood work & saw that my white blood cells were through the roof. We decided to culture my urine specimen & a few days later we found I had a MRSA staff UTI. Typically you get these if you are catheterized but I fell into the unlucky 5% that just get it w/o any reason. (In the back of my mind I still wonder if NuvaRing had anything to do with it.) So, I took all the antibiotics making sure not to miss a dose. 14 days later at a check up I still had a little bit of bacteria in my urine & we ran more blood tests. My white count was even higher. Now my doctor takes my bone pain & side pain more seriously. The infection was getting better but my body was fighting something else or was it? He decided to check my kidneys by ultrasound to make sure there were no cycts. They also did a full abdominal ultrasound to look at the spleen & liver for enlargement. No enlargement but possibly a little kidney stone. Then I had an appointment with an infectious disease/internal medicine Dr. He made sure my infection was gone. I told him about all my weird pain & he ran a lot of blood work. White count still high, did a lap stain to look for leukosytes for leukemia, all was clear. So, after a week, off for a CT I went to check on the stone. Of course no stone on CT. Finally my boyfriend said hey, don't put a ring in this month & see if that's the problem. Sure enough after spending soooo much on all the tests after I took it out I was back to my old self in about a months time. I still had a pain in my side once in a while for the first 2-3 months but I have been completely symptom free now for 4 mos! The only worry I have now is that I started gaining weight after I stopped taking it. I have gained 20 lbs (some of that is because I got lazy & lethargic for so long) and my hair is beginning to come out more often in clumps again. I have an area thinning in my eyebrow & my nails are breaking more easily. I think I need to go get my thyroid checked. Yet again, I can't help but wonder- was it caused by the NuvaRing? Have I damaged myself thanks to what was supposed to be a great easy alternative to a pill? I guess we'll see how it goes. Never again will I use it, nor will I recommend it to anyone. Oh, and my love life is great again, I go places & do things again now. It's amazing how far I spiraled down before we realized it was preventable. DON'T USE THE RING!
-- By amysheartnsoul | Reply | Private Message me