Last resort symptoms and conditions

Some of this may be TMI for some, but I believe in not pulling the punches:

I had mine inserted 12/07 when my youngest was 8 weeks old. I had the para-guard (no hormone) previously and loved it, I didn't take into account how poorly I have done with hormonal BC in the past (2 pregnancy's on the pill, 30lbs weight gain in 6 weeks of the patch, constant 'morning sickness' with the shot, etc) all I heard was no more periods....

After doing the HGC diet (as a last resort) I am finally down to the weight I was 2 days before my dd was born. At my peak I was 20lbs more. I want to get pregnant again next spring, but I have at least 35 lbs to loose before even considering it.

I bleed 2-3 weeks out of the month- too light for even the lightest tampons, but still no fun. I have actually developed raw spots from wearing a pad ALL THE TIME since I never know when the bleeding will start.

And, best of all, I hate sex. I have always had a great sex drive (I'm 29 with four kids) but now if my husband even looks like he's thinking about it I snap at him. When I finally give in (maybe once a month!) it hurts horribly for days- two main types: even with copious amounts of lube I am still dry enough that I feel swollen and bruised. On top of that I cramp for a full day - Feels like I've been punched in the stomach repeatedly. And then the bleeding starts.

Also some (relatively mild) acne, constant, but manageable (never a problem before). Including some in the groin area that end up as boils when on a stretch mark. I had never attributed it to my IUD until reading these posts, but had never had them previously.

The only reason I've had it this long is we lost our insurance shortly after the baby was born (DH laid off after 10 years in construction) I am calling my doctor on Monday to find out how much it will cost to have it removed!

I would ( and have) recommend IUD's to all my friends, but if any have ever had a problem with any hormones- para guard it is!!

Hi all, im so glad i found this site as many are too. Im 22 years old and was diagnosed with colitis at 14 and was put on 40 mg of prednisone to combat it. I can honestly say it generated the worst time in my life.. I went back to school and was overwhelmed with massive panic attacks feeling like my heart was gonna rip through my chest. Big moon face etc. I recently have had an attack and was put back on steroids its always my last last resort. I just feel very detached and anxious all the time constantly feel like im lost. I am now in the process of stopping them first day without 1 and I feel as explained. The worst thing is that no one seems to understand the effects, they cant understand why you'd rather be ill than go through with them. its not good for you on the whole. Good health is the unity and prosperity of all aspects; Body Mind Soul. Hope the best to all.

I had the shot for a bad outbreak of eczema. This was a last resort thing. I'm not usually for taking any form of medicine other than natural stuff. The doctor warned that the possible side effects would be muscle spams and high blood sugar. She never mention anything about irregular periods or weaken immune system. I just had my period 15 days before I had the shot and a couple days after the shot I got my period. I few days later I got the stomach flu. While still having my period. Then a week later I had a ear infection. I still have my period. I emailed the dermatologist explaining the symptoms I was having, she informed me that its a side effect of the shot. She failed to mention it before taking the shot. I don't want to take another drug like birth control pills to cure something a drug caused in the first place. I'm now on day 17. My period has never been irregular. I'm a healthy 30yr old. Does anyone know if this goes away on its on? What are things you can do to naturally cure this? I appreciate any advice.

I took lupron for about a year or so back in 1999. I don't remember a lot, just the hot flashes, etc, that I was warned about. I began to have memory problems a little. As the years passed by, it became worse. It is 10 years later and I have no short term memory. I have searched and searched to figure out what is wrong with me. My memory is gone. Its a sad thing, that this shot is still being given.

Hello all - I just wanted to say that when I had Mirena inserted, no one mentioned any negative side-effects. I have several friends who sing its praises - one of the main the reasons I got it. So after the birth of my third and last baby, I had it put in. I was fine for a while, but after about 5-6 months I noticed the greasy skin and acne (even under my arms! Sorry if TMI!), weight gain around my waste and nagging anxiety and depression. I took Tryptophan at night to sleep, or I probably would have had insomnia, but nothing would help the stubborn anxiety/depression. I went to three diff. doctors including an allergist to get everything tested. I was all-good except now I know I'm allergic to dust - who isn't!? So my last resort was to take the Mirena out. I was all prepared for a fight w/ the gyn to have it removed, but she said actually a lot of women have the same complaints?!?! Really wish I'd known this BEFORE I had it put it. It's been five days now and the bleeding has started and I'm pretty tired. Feels like a regular period. I have had glimses of my old self, but am not completely there yet. Hoping to see a full recovery soon. And I too think that just because you're having a great experience with Mirena, doesn't mean it's for everyone and that websites like this one are a joke. Everyone's bodies are different. I just think you just have to weigh your options and be fully informed before you decide.

I'm not sure how big of a joke this website can be when there are real women out there having real issues with the Mirena. I feel like some women are very fortunate to have not had these issues. If your body does not react in a negative way to the Mirena then you are very lucky and it is a great form of birth control if you don't have to go through the pain and agony that others have. Women should not blame all illnesses, weight gain, pain, or other symptoms to the Mirena, but if that is the last resort having it removed to see if it could be the cause is a very easy procedure to have done. If it relieves some or all of the symptoms that these women are having then it is a good move. If you haven't felt the pain and fatigue that some of the women on here have then you have not idea what it can do to your life and your body.
I'm glad to hear that some women are doing great on this form of birth control, but I also believe that some women's bodies are rejecting the Mirena and it is causing a lot of problems. Remember to research the good and the bad and always let a doctor help you decide what is best for you. As far as Mirena goes you do not have to take no for an answer. If you want it removed then do so. If it doesn't help you'll know you need to look elsewhere for what is causing your symptoms.

Good luck to all of you.

My mother was prescribed this horrible drug for prevention purposes about a year ago. She has experienced severe hair loss, unexplained cough and sore throat pain, flu-like symptoms with fever, severe headaches. Doctors prescribed sinus medication and hydrocortisone shots in the scalp for hair loss and occasional shoulder pain that was explained by her doctors to be arthritis (at times severe). She was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor and treated with temodar and radiation for brain cancer. Before fosomax, she was a very healthy 63 year woman with no health issues whatsoever. She went for annual physical and was prescribed this medication. In the last few months, her doctors increased dose of Caltrate-D from 600mg a day to 2400mg/day because of cancer treatment. Immediately, she began to experience severe neck and shoulder pain on the left side. In a few weeks, it has spread to both shoulders and upper arms. She is unable to wash lower back, raise arms to comb hair, lift herself up from sitting position, brush her teeth. A few weeks ago, she experienced the sensation of an abscessed tooth. A dentist told her several teeth would need a root canal. She has pain in upper arms that feel like burning fire. She is getting weaker in the arms. Pain is spreading to the hips. I pray this doesn't go any further and will reverse after we stop this dangerous drug. Has anyone shown signs of improvement after stopping this drug? How long did it take to see improvement? What if anything can you do for the pain and sore muscles and joints?

first levaquin pill i took my cheeks turned blazing red and hot, so i stopped, but my family doctor pursueded me to take the rest so i obliged as she took them with no ill effects, now these were prescribed by a ENT doctor, when i told him about side effects his reply was" I'd Never prescribe anything i felt would hurt you", these doctors are oblivious to the side effects some of us do have, not everyone has side effects but if your the unlucky ones its a HUGE side effect, feeling as though your leg muscles have evaporated,( NUEROPHY maybe) struggling to walk, swollen legs and feet, legs so tight you can't even squat down, but the fingers are not swollen, no shoes will fit on my puffy ankle, feet, if you had side effects from levaquin, Stay away from ALL fluoroquinolone antibiotics, drugs in this class,used as a last resort measure, seems the old standbys have taken a back seat, theres some fast talking drug salesmen out there pushing this as SAFE SAFE,, i have found side effects can show up weeks after i quit the drug, so far i think some say takes a long time to get over, other problems can be permanent
even two months after my last levaquin my face neck, get really flushed, im way beyon hotflashes in age.
i to feel i have aged 25 yrs in the past few months all due to levaquin

I was prescribed Levaquin 500 mg daily for a persistent sinus infection
thirteen days ago. I am rarely worried about taking a drug my doctor prescribed but after reading the precautions and side effects I was concerned. I decided to wait until I checked with some doctor friends of mine who said not to worry because if even one person in a million has a problem they must post it. Now I'm so sorry I listened to them. My hands
are so swollen and feel prickly and painful. They have been like this for the last three hours, which is the reason I went online for information about this drug. Now I realize why my legs have been so painful and why it's so hard to use my legs to squt down and then stand. For days now I have
had trouble with my legs hurting as I go up and down the stairs in my house (lots of stairs!). I am very fit, 110 lb., take yoga and have a extremely active lifestyle so I knew something was odd but kept
thinking it would go away. I try not to be a whiner! I also had (have) sweating and itching (even behind my knees), back pain and neck pain. Last night I only slept 3 hours and felt anxiety so I just got up and started working. I finally had the time and tons of snow here to go sking but I just felt too weak to go! No wonder I felt (feel) depressed!!!!
UNLESS YOU ARE GOING TO DIE WITHOUT THIS DRUG DON'T
TAKE IT! I can't believe this is used as a out patient medicine, I would
think it would be used as a last resort before death in a hospital!
Jamesville, NY S.

This drug does an OK job, however, the side effects are almost unbearable.

As a person who rarely gets sick (mild cold a day out of the year), the last time I took antibiotics was as a child -- the pink stuff that needs refrigeration.

After acquiring a strange bacterial infection in my chest/lungs, the doctor prescribed Avelox for one week. This happened down in Mexico, where nobody discusses side effects. The packaging had absolutely no warning/information, a pack of gum literally gives you more details.

From day one, there was an incredible feeling of anxiety (like being jacked up on 50 cups of coffee), panic attacks, extremely rapid heart rate, shallow breath, depression, despair, severe paranoia, zero appetite, pain in my stomach, blurry vision, insatiably dry mouth that no amount of fluids would satisfy, insomnia, an out of body feeling, dizziness, and fairly vivid hallucinations of geometric shapes and insects.

In other words, pure hell. I'd take the drug before bed to try and avoid the side effects, which would subside after around 12 hours. The interaction from Avelox was about ten times worse than the actual illness.

After a week, my symptoms had mostly cleared up, but the doctor switched me to five days on Cedax which is as harmless as Tylenol and completely resolved the issue.

I'd recommend you stay away from Avelox unless it's a last resort. Although it works great for the majority of people without incident, the side effects are VERY real. This stuff is dangerous.

I am on my third month of Yaz, and I honestly don't know what to make of it. I has cleared up my acne for the most part, however, I still get new breakouts (which is obviously frustrating). It has helped with my cramps and backaches when I'm on my period, although I don't start until my 3rd placebo and I finally finish my period around halfway through my next week. Something that does trouble me though is that I have been feeling emotionally drained, constantly cranky, and just plain sad. A couple of days ago, I was in a really good mood, woke up the next morning, and felt like crying the entire day. Ever since, I've been in this low-down mood that I would do anything to snap out of. I hate it! I want to be back to my easy-going self...but I don't want to risk getting off of the pill and having my acne come back (which was the reason I started Yaz). I've tried everything else for my acne, and Yaz has worked the best. If I have to go off of it though, I'm afraid of the last resort: Accutane (not because of the birth defect risk, since I am not sexually active at this time, but because I have heard that it can give you chronic joint pain...something I honestly don't want). Anyways, I guess for now I'll just continue Yaz and see if I start feeling any happier...I can't be in a bad mood forever (right?).

Thanks to everyone's posts, I've realized I'm not going crazy after all. I recently opened up to my husband that I was considering doing something I thought I'd never do..and that was get prescription meds to help my depression and uncontrollable anger. This was almost a last resort for me. I have always been very strong headed but I came to a point when I admitted to myself that I was almost in a danger zone, mentally. I was constantly Dr. ***** with my 3 beautiful children and the poor dog wasn't safe either! I had about 10 different excuses for why I had changed but never considered Mirena to be a contributing factor until my husband brought it up. He said he realized I was different when he came back from deployment and that is when I had it put in! His comments led me to this website and I'm surprised to see how many others are dealing with the same thing I was. I now have an appointment to get it out and I'm looking forward to not having severe mood swings, depression, anxiety, terrible fatigue (after reading others comments about fatigue: I realized my desire, energy, and discipline to run/exercise went to "Zero" shortly after I had it inserted around May 2008) migraines, occ. heart palpitations, etc.

I have taken cipro before with no obvious problems and am now starting on it again for 2 weeks (1pill a day). This drug is one of a few that people who are allergic to penicillin and sulfa drugs can take to kill bacteria that penicillin normally does. This is considered a 'last resort' drug for us also. I've had a sinus infection as a complication from a dental surgery that refuses to go away for long enough for my mouth to heal - since July 10 (it is now 19Dec). I was prescribed Avelox for the first time yesterday which led me to this website while trying to find pricing info. $168 for 12 pills? at a Walmart? absurd. So I had the doc switched to cipro. They want me to try this 'type' of drug since the others haven't been able to completely eliminate the infection. I will keep in mind everyone here's side effects but I definitely have plans to do a heavy duty DETOX the minute my mouth is healed and I am off the drugs whether I have problems or not. I concur with the constipation though, all antibiotics seem to give me that problem while taking them. Another good reason to do a detox.

My now 17 year old daughter was prescribed Yaz back on 7/12/07. Since then she has had an extreme problem with constipation. She has been to the doctors several times, and is now seeing a gastrointestinal specialist because she can only have a bowel movement if she takes a laxative. The pediatric doctor had her on miralax from April to October trying to get this problem under control. It has not worked. We are seeing the specialist and they are running her through a battery of tests, which will now possible include a colonoscopy (at 17 !!!!). She has been extremely moody and aggravated - which I attributed to her age of course. She is no longer extremely athletic, she doesn't really do a lot. She is not the same person, definitely is a homebody now - never going out hardly with friends,etc. She has also had a 20 pound weight gain and for a tiny girl, this has had a huge effect on her. I have watched all of this, and never really thought about the yaz connection until today when a friend sent me this email with a link to this site:
******

that is when I got scared thinking maybe her problems were all caused by yaz. of course her acne cleared up, but her periods are still irregular and spotty. has anyone else experienced the bowel problems???

I have just bought a pack of Yasmin for birth control and heavy periods but haven't taken any yet, nor have i ever tried BC pills before. I suffer from severe migraines daily it ruins everything i do and my GP's have been completely useless they don't even ask me any symptoms about my headaches and refused to let me see a specialist. The only thing he did was tell me I need to go on painkillers indefinitely which does not appeal to me at all.
I am now wondering if i should take Yasmin or not after reading all these bad reviews especially concerning migraines. Has anyone with constant migraine found a way to help them? Please let me know as im desperate to know what it feels like to not have a migraine.

I don't know what is wrong with you people but its like you can't handle anything. I had the mirena put in November last year and yeah ok i had cramping for the first month or so and yeah i had spotting. But unlike some of you fools i knew what the side effects were i read what came in the package which means i knew what to expect before i got it put in. And yeah there are loads of possible side effects but if you read everything and know what could happen you shouldn't complain if something does happen. Not everyone who has the mirena has these things and for people who are considering it i would recommend trying it and after 3 months if it doesn't feel good then get it removed. That especially goes to people that have just had a baby... i mean really in the first 3 months after having a baby who is really seriously interested in sex right away. The reason i am here was to see if there was more information about them now because UNFORTUNATELY i had to have mine removed for an operation. I had a cyst on my fallopian tube which was not mirena related. In fact almost all women get them when they are menstruating but they go away. Unfortunately with me they don't go away and this is the 2nd cyst to be removed in 3 years. I am planning on getting a second mirena inserted next week. Because frankly i find it ideal. And yeah i may have had mood swings on occasion while i had it but come on think about it what woman doesn't have mood swings. So sure you can blame everything on the Mirena but for the most part besides then for the people where the mirena got stuck or moved during the time you had it... its all in your head. And like i said before i would recommend the mirena and if after 3 or 4 months it doesn't suit you then go for something else... but don't dismiss it because some people have too much time on their hands and like to spend it whining over everything on the net. Remember with the Mirena you have a 50/50 chance of having symptoms or not. Take that risk before taking the risk of going on the pill and forgetting to take it or going on depo provera and putting on 20 pounds.

My son is almost 5 now and has severe food and inhalant allergies, along with sever asthma. When he was 3 he was hospitalized for 4 days because of his asthma. I have been warned that only 1% of asthmatics will ever be hospitalized, so I've made sure he stays on all his meds. He has been on Singular ever since he was 15 months old. At first it was a God send. Everyday was a constant challenged, fussy, icthy red eyes, constant flow of mucous and wheezing. I would have to pin him down 6 times a day with the inhaler, but when Singular came "poof" it was like magic. He was on Singular when he was hospitalized and is now on 3 meds; Zrytec, Singular and Q-var all given to him everyday. Lately we have had some major issues come up for him. I think I have the next J. D. living with me. NO FOR REAL. My next step is a shrink. You might think I'm mean for saying it, but I don't know how else to describe it. When I was driving he asked for some gum, because I wouldn't let him pick out his own piece, he got out of his car seat and started hitting me over and over again, pulled my hair and tried to "break my arm" as he put it. I had to pull over and I couldn't get him to calm down he kept slapping me in the face and kicking me not only was I embarrassed, but it hurt, I was crying. I have finally come here trying to see if other children, who are on Singular, have had similar episodes. He is a very good boy most of the time and aggression is a hit and miss. I don't know what to do.

Let me just tell you how much I feel better after reading this. I swear I thought I was losing it. My husband was the one that pinpointed my overnight changes started in July/August. I suffered from extreme hemorrhaging and my doctor prescribed Nuvaring as a last resort before opting for minor surgery (Novasure). I HATE IT! I snap at everything. I cry for everything. I can't sleep at night, nightmares and my mind just won't stop going, going, going. I could sleep all day and still feel tired. I'm a stress case, both at home and at work. The severe cramping that makes me want to roll into a ball. I'm a wreck. My poor kids are stuck at home because I don't feel like changing out of my pajamas. My sex drive is virtually non-existent. Trying to explain what's happening to your husband who doesn't understand at all what i'm going through is difficult and I feel so bad for him having to deal with me. I'm 29 years old and have tried my fair share of birth control but NEVER have I experienced the side effects that Nuvaring has given me. And the gross discharge, not smelly, but definitely nasty. I haven't experienced the nausea but I'm calling my doctor to get me off this crap. Right now the option for surgery doesn't sound half as bad as this.

I have been feeling most of these symptoms for a while but thought it was just in my head or that I was going through early menopause but I am only 38.
Immediately I gained weight in my stomach area which made me mad but I dealt with it. I have have really long periods where I used to have a 3 day period. Now I have anxiety and mood swings where I just feel like being mean. I hate how I am to my husband, mom and kids. I feel like I can't concentrate and I can't remember a conversation that I had 2 days ago. I really feel like I was deceived of all these bad side effects. I just called to have this bitch removed and the nurse said she has never heard of any bad side effects. I guess I am one of the unlucky ones. I also exercise and diet constantly and can't seem to lose the extra weight I put on. It's so frustrating when I try so hard.Now I am a little nervous about getting it taken out. I plan on taking a xanex b.c it hurt so bad when I had it put in! I also am a little nervous about what birth control to use next. I don't want to deal with hormones again. It's not worth it. Also the sex drive is very low for me. I really wish I would have seen this blog ahead of time. I would NEVER of had the mirena inserted and I wouldn't have wasted a year and a half of my life on being miserable!! I'm getting this removed 9am on Friday!!

I first read notes on this site in February 08 when our Doctor prescribed Singulair. My 7 year old daughter is a silent asthmatic which prompted me to push past the side effect warnings written here and give it a go. Rach had strong side effects for the first two weeks & then seemed to settle, so I persevered with it. The drug didn't seem to have no effect on her asthma flare ups but the doctors didn't believe me and encouraged me to keep going. After 6mths I called it quits and took her off it. She's now back to her normal self. No longer emotional, her school work picked up immensely, no more nightmares or unexplained body aches. She does still have tummy aches but they are subsiding. She's been off singulair for 3 months now. Every doctor and pharmacy I spoke to denied the side effects and promoted the product. To anyone researching this drug, do your little one a favour and don't use Singulair unless it is a last resort. There are so many other alternatives out there.

Oct. 9,2008. I was given Avelox Monday Oct 6,2008 from my family Dr for a sinus infection . I went home & took the prescribed dose of 1, 400 mg tablet, and15 minutes later I felt a burning sensation coming from my toes to my face , I was having problems breathing , I suffer from asthma when I have any kind of sinus or cold type illness. ,I thought that was what was happening,but the inhaler did not help,, I couldn't stand up ,I couldn't sit up , I couldn't talk , I went into seizures,& started puking . I honestly thought I was dying , I couldn't even call 911 , thank God for memory call, my mother called 911 as I was home alone with my 5 year old granddaughter .
I was so incoherent ,I couldn't tell the EM"s what happened, all I could get out was anti.. The EM's thought I was either overdosed or having cardiac arrest . In the ER,the doctor's gave me all the anti allergens ,and I started coming out of it. I was soaked w/ sweat from the burning, I couldn't
speak right, it was if I had a stroke . My legs and body hurt so bad, I never experienced this much pain . 4 days latter I still am not alright . My entire body was red , I was so afraid to take even an Advil the next day . Then I heard the ER Dr. told my husband they're having a lot of problems w/ this Avelox! I asked an attorney if this is a suit and he said not unless it becomes a class suit! How on earth did the FDA approve this stuff ???
I would tell everyone ,this stuff is not worth the risk ! I came close to dying over a sinus infection ! DO NOT USE THIS AVELOX !

I went to my primary doctor last Wednesday. He gave me samples for a 5 day regime of Avelox to treat a head/chest cold. Well, the cold does seem a little better, but, I would have never traded that to the side effects I am experiencing now! I took my first daily dose of Avelox last Wednesday. On Friday I thought I had dry skin. By Sunday I was itching so bad that it was almost unbearable. My eyelids are itching, burning and swollen, my forehead looks sunburned from the itching and scratching, my chest, stomach, back and thighs feel tingly and are itching NONSTOP. I am taking an antihistamine, but it doesn't seem to be helping much. I hope this goes away. I cannot imagine what this drug does to people that have allergies and sensitivities to medications. I have never experienced an adverse reaction to medications before this. I would never recommend this drug to anyone.

THIS IS A HORRIBLE DANGEROUS DRUG!!!!!
Doctors prescribed this to my mother for 5 years!!!! Because of it's devastating side effects it is FDA approved for short term 4-12 weeks and only as a last resort. And NEVER for Parkinson's patients. It is unclear if Reglan caused the Parkinson's like symptoms or if she had it prior. Either way the doctor was so wrong to prescribe this medication to her. She is completely disabled can't walk or even get out of a chair had a auto accident and falls one time a metal frame fell on her head causing a hospital visit another time she fell into cactus! I was horrified to learn that no one caught this error. Not one doctor or the drug store told my parents REGLAN could cause her to end up using a walker and unable to function even the simplest daily tasks and that these symptoms could be permanent.

I had one injection of Kenalog to treat anal itching. Doctor did not know how to treat it and used Kenalog as her last resort. It did not make any difference. Eventually another doctor diagnosed me with Herpes Cold Sore and treated me with Valtrex.
However, Kenalog messed up my menstrual cycle so badly and I haven't had ovulation for the last three months. What's upsetting is that my doctor knew that I was trying to get pregnant and did not inform me of such side effects. When I called the doctor later and told her what happened, she sounded very surprised and said that she had never heard of such a thing.
Doctors need to be better informed about side effects before recommending any medicine to their patients. And the lesson learned for me is to not trust doctors any more, always do research beforehand. Oh well, hopefully the ovulation will come back soon, it has been way too hard emotionally to deal with the overall situation.
Hope it's helpful.

Hi,

I just had Mirena placed this past Thursday. The pain of insertion was unbearable. I was dizzy for a few hours afterward, and had such bad cramps I ended up in the ER later that night, doubled over in pain. They did a CAT scan, and some pain meds, and sent me on my way.
I know it's only been a few days, but the pain is intolerable. I have PCOS, and tried this as a last resort. I'm going to have them remove it on Monday (I know she'll try to talk me into hanging in there, but sometimes you have to advocate for yourself.)

My gyn told me my body is rejecting this foreign object, causing the bad cramps and sharp pains. Also, my "V" is really swollen. This is NOT worth it.