October 12th
2009
5:07 PM
I just started taking this drug three days ago, and I am already having such bad side effects that I don't want to take it anymore. I am only 29, but have a family history of high BP, and went to the doctor last week to find out my bp was 175/90. Since starting the drug, I've been getting dizziness, but last night took the cake. I woke up around 4:30 with horrible nausea. I ran to the bathroom where I fainted while sitting on the toilet lid, wanting nothing more than to vomit. I remember waking up and looking in the mirror, and my face was as white as a sheet, as were my lips. I looked dead, and it scared the hell out of me. As I came to, I suddenly had diarrhea hit me, and once that was over, I felt better. My husband thinks my body is trying to get rid of the drug. In addition to all this, I am having palpitations and feel that my heart is beating too fast. I know that part of this is nerves, because I'm scared of taking this medication, but the fainting and nausea ARE because of the drug. I called my doctor today, and she wants me to come in to get my BP taken again. I am so scared that she won't lower the dose or (better yet) switch me to something else, because my bp always goes up at the doctor's office when I get nervous, every time. Oh, and I also started metformin last week because the doctor tested my blood sugar and it came back 250. Could it be the combination? I don't know. I just know I have only been on this stuff for a few days and already hate it and feel that it's bad for my body! It's very scary.
-- By squareone | Reply | (5) replies | Private Message me
September 2th
2009
3:40 PM
Hi everyone! I just went to the doctor and had my Mirena removed.... My symptoms include NO sex drive, severe acne, sever bacne, terrible mood swings, hurts so bad during sex, gained a lot of weight that is impossible to get rid of, etc etc etc. Anyway, can some please tell me when to expect my period? I have been reading like two days after removal? And also, please let me know what to expect.... I guess it is an extremely long heavy period.... Im scared! Let me know! Thanks everyone!
-- By kathryn1682 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
August 7th
2009
8:40 AM
Has anyone had the itching? The horrible horrible itching like you want to peel your skin off in a not very pleasant area? My doctor started me on NuvaRing last Monday and ever since it's been like my skin is on fire. I took the ring out last Sunday, but am still itching sporadically. It's pretty unbearable. Any ideas on how to handle? Any help would be appreciated.
-- By carrtipp | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
January 12th
2009
8:02 PM
I have been on this for about 5 months. Had breakthrough bleeding here and there and was told it would be okay. One month I had my period so heavy I was bleeding in clots. I was told put my feet up for the weekend. I take it every day at the same time and got my period last Sunday.....not supposed to happen until Wed. ....it is now a week plus one day and I STILL have it...I have the most horrific cramps....and I am middle aged..not some sixteen year old. I don't know what to do, but am thinking of calling again to get off it. I get the feeling the nurses at the dr. office think I'm crazy....and it will work itself out....well in the meantime I'm in agony!
-- By gorf310 | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
January 10th
2009
2:33 PM
I am menopausal. I am 52 years old and was experiencing bleeding every day, thinking my period must be ending soon.. But to my surprise, it didn't. My doctor ruled out endometriosis and cancer, etc. through testing. So she prescribed Femcon. Femcon stopped the bleeding almost immediately. I have been on Femcon for about 8 months. I experience excruciating headaches. Normally, I do not have headaches. Also dizziness and palpitations. Also unexplained weight gain and depression. My skin became sensitive to the sun and I began to experience little dry itchy patches on my back that have not healed. As well, I cannot wear necklaces around my neck as I develop a scratchy rash. I started to rationalize what is better, bleeding or all these side effects. So last Sunday, I finished my pack and I took the last pill. I was wondering if anyone has experienced side effects from the withdrawal of Femcon? I have had a headache most of this week and last night it kicked into high gear and I still have it. I started bleeding slightly again. Just curious if anyone has dealt with side effects after stopping taking it and what the side effects were and for how long did they last?
-- By juliekc1 | Reply | Private Message me
October 22th
2008
5:58 AM
hi everyone, i hope youre all ok
i made the decision to come off Yasmin last Sunday as it was making me so unwell, and so depressed
but i haven't really felt that much better; i still feel constantly nauseous and my period that started when i was on Yasmin seems to never be ending
i also feel extremely depressed and not myself at all
does anyone know how much longer it will last? im guessing its just the hormones trying to get back to normal?
October 19th
2008
1:38 AM
I started using Nuvaring last Sunday, and since then Ive had major cramping pains and it makes me feel like im constipated (which Im not) I called the DR. to see what to do and they told me not to worry an that it could just be from me switching from the pill to the ring, but honestly I just don't feel right and these cramping pains are not something that I want to continue to experience. Im just wandering if anyone else has experienced symptoms like these too?
-- By apesbutterfly | Reply | Private Message me
October 12th
2008
10:41 AM
Last Sunday I attended the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) walkathon in St. Paul, Mn. I was able to hand out hundreds of flyers to survivors of suicide and people in the mental health community. Of the hundreds of flyers that I handed out only two people had ever heard of the link between Singulair and these various side effects that we have all noticed. I received some wonderful responses and many people offered to make copies of the flyers and hand them out to everyone that they know. Several people worked in the mental health community and in pediatric offices and they were going to tell all of their coworkers about Singulair.
I also had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Paula Clayton. She is the National Medical Director for AFSP. She said that they are aware of the concerns with Singulair and their organization is going to Washington this spring to express concerns about Singulair and several other medications that are linked to depression and suicide. She also stated that if everyone could write letters to their local representatives that it would really help to raise awareness.
August 25th
2008
2:02 AM
I just started the Nuvaring last Sunday and have been having some strange symptoms that I did not know that could have been associated with the NR, until now.
Since I've been using it, I have noticed that I'm bloated (but I dismissed it as possible water retention), mild cramping, and HORRIFIC sex!
I noticed this last night after having sex for the first time after inserting the ring. Upon insertion, my vagina burned horrifically. I told him it burned and he asked me if he should stop, but I felt bad and let him finish. The sex was miserable! Painful and burning! Then afterwords, holy crap! My vagina felt like it was on fire! I went to go pee and it hurt like a son of a bitch. Then this morning, my vagina itched like there was no tomorrow!! I had to shower and frigging give it a major scrub down! Not to mention, having to put hydrocortisone and vagisil on it!
Also, I've experienced some pretty nasty depression. Before reading this, I thought I was just depressed cuz Im going through a hard time right now, but its strange cuz I've been going through a hard time for a few months now, and haven't felt like this! I have been known to have depression in the past though, but since I've been going to the gym, its helped. But all of a sudden, the gym doesn't work anymore! I feel hopeless, I'm sensitive and crying for everything, I feel miserable with low self-esteem and self worth. I wanna sleep all the time and I'm just pissed off at the world. I'm worried about how far this depression may take me!
Not to mention, now, I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, but I have noticed hard bumps on myself. 2 in the back of my head, and one on the side of my neck. What the hell are these? Cuz these just appeared out of no where! The two on my head are painful to touch and the one on my neck is painless. Could these be swollen lymph nodes?
Oh, and I'm also thirsty all the time! I cant stop drinking water!
Now, this is all the stuff I have been experiencing so far, but after reading all these other testimonials, I'm afraid to start my period or even remove the damn thing! I thought this thing was supposed to be awesome! It sucks ass!! I think I may end up going back to the pill...I've never had crazy side effects like this before!
July 21th
2008
11:03 AM
Wow, i am so intrigued that i found this website. I just started taking femcon FE. I just started my brown pills yesterday. I just had a baby girl in May. The past few weeks have been horrible for me and now im wondering if it has to do with this pill. I had what i thought was food poisoning about 2 weeks ago. Horrible throwing up and diarrhea which i still have up to this very day. Then last Sunday I began to start feeling very itchy in the vaginal area, which i still have. i bought an otc treatment for yeast infections but i have never had one b4 so it said not to use it. Now im gonna have to go back to the doctor to get checked out.
-- By wyldirishrose12 | Reply | Private Message me
July 3th
2008
10:17 PM
I am a 56 y/o female who started on Fosamax last Sunday. I have a dx of osteopenia. I followed the directions of taking pill with full glass of water and remained upright for 30 minutes before having anything to eat. I was fine on Sunday but on Monday I woke with SEVERE bone pain! My whole rib cage, back, knees and heels were hurting so bad. It felt like I had pain in every bone in my body. I could not take in a full deap breath as my rib cage was hurting so bad. I could not bend or turn without terrible pain. My energy level was zero. I immediately called my doctor who told me to hold the Fosamax (ya think?) and ordered Vit D lab levels. Apparently when you Vit D levels are off (don't know if too high or too low) you can suffer this bone pain. I am awaiting the results. The pain is better today and I was told it takes 5 days to get out of your system. I only wish I had done my homework and found this site before taking this poison. I have to say I'm a registered nurse and know that ALL medications have side effects and everyone responds to meds differently. Some side effects subside as your body gets use to it and some can experience severe allergic reactions. But it's important to weigh the risk vs the benefit. I would rather deal with osteopenia in another way. So my search begins for alternatives to Fosamax for good bone health. Has anyone had good results with other supplements/meds?
-- By ldyjanern | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
June 30th
2008
8:52 PM
My wife started taking Reglan last year one week before she committed suicide at the age of 57. She had never been diagnosed in her life as depressed, but obviously she was at the end. Two years previous she had a hysterectomy as part of treatment for uterin cancer. Five months previous to her suicide she got sick and after many weeks was diagnosed with acid reflux. She was given Nexium for this, but continued to suffer from the reflux. I believe somewhere in this time she became depressed though she continued to deny it right up to the day she took her own life. I really do not know if the Reglan or the Nexium was behind her suicide, but I believe it is quite possible. I should be mad as hell about this, but for now I just can not get beyond the grief. I am putting this out here just to say you may want to be very careful with Reglan!!!
-- By bobbycurtin | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
May 30th
2008
9:52 PM
I just came out of the ER 3 days ago and I believe that my side effects are from the Reglan that was given through the IV for nausea that I was experiencing. I was very tired when I came home and very dizzy. This was on a Tuesday. The next day (Wed.) I could not get out of bed because I was still very dizzy. I spent the entire day in bed sleeping. When I tried to walk I felt like I was walking sideways. On Thursday I was feeling a bit better and not dizzy anymore but very tired. I also have been having panic attack symptoms that just will not go away. I tried to drive my car and could not do it. My arms also feel very heavy and weak. Today is Friday and I am able to drive my car, but I still feel weak and tired. My arms are also still tingly and heavy. I am also still experiencing panic attack symptoms which are driving me crazy. I can not wait until I feel normal again because I did not have any of these symptoms when I went into the ER, so I truly believe the medicine is causing this. I will write back and update - hopefully I am back to normal again.
-- By butterflygirl | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
April 2th
2008
5:38 PM
I can hardly believe what I have read on this board. It is my son's story repeated over and over again and the sad fact is that I never put 2 and 2 together until I saw the news stories last week. My son has been on Singulair for years (he is now 7 years old) along with other drugs for asthma. We recently started taking him to a therapist because of his extreme unhappiness, violent temper tantrums, bad nightmares, many tics, and overall negative attitude. I took him off the singulair 5 days ago and cannot believe the results so far. My son is not affectionate in any way, does not even like a simple pat on the back, no hugs or kisses for sure. Two days ago he came over and gave me a kiss and a hug out of the clear blue. I cannot express enough what this meant to me. I have 3 other children that can't get enough of hugs and kisses, but coming from my 7 year old it just brought me to tears. The hugs have continued and he even told me that he loved me. The therapist had me convinced that he had a sensory deprivation disorder... until now. I cannot believe that until now I have not heard anything metioned in the news and that the medical professionals are so quick to dismiss claims against Singulair.
I am so thankful that I have found this website and for all of the people that have taken the time to include their experiences as it is evidence that there are serious problems when it comes to prescribing Singulair to children. I cannot help but to be saddened when I think of all the years I have lost to this with my son. All the time spent in frustration and tears over what I thought were serious behavior issues on his part. Not to say that I never expect any negative behavior out of a child, but certainly not like I have had to endure in the last years. The last few days have been amazing...I pray it continues. Shame on Merck for not being forthcoming and only keeping their bottom line in mind.
January 27th
2008
12:28 PM
I've been having breathing issues since last Sunday (so for one week now) and ended up in the emergency room yesterday because I was hyperventilating so bad at work, I nearly fainted. My lips, hands and feet were tingling. On the way to the hospital my hands, feet and lips became numb. Then my muscles started to cramp and I lost the feeling in my hands (at this point, I was struggling to hold it together and not cry, so I was having some anxiety as well). At the hospital, I had my lungs x-rayed, blood work, urine tested, and an ekg---all normal. They gave me some Ativan and said it was probably anxiety. I still couldn't breathe. I was anxious because I haven't been able to breathe properly for a week and no one has an answer for me! When I talk, I get winded. If I have to move around and talk at the same time, I am gasping for air. If you read the information sheet on Topamax, it can cause something called "metabolic acidosis" which can be quite dangerous. My blood work came back normal. You can have the pH of your blood tested to see if this is the case. If your pH is too low, then the you may be experiencing this. Read your Topamax literature. For me, I decided to take myself down to 50 mg from 75mg anyway, just to be on the safe side and hopefully, I'll here from my headache doctor tomorrow and will follow up with my internist on my own. It's very scary. Please be careful. Good luck to everyone. Oh, yes, and if I forget that I wrote this, it's the Topamax! :)
-- By amylf | Reply | Private Message me
January 4th
2008
1:23 PM
I have been using the ring since Jan 2007 with no problems, the worst part has been putting it in and taking it out. But since May 2007 I have been having problems with my hair breaking and thinning, my hair dresser thinks it is stress or hormones. Last month I cut my hair very short and I am still experiencing breakage. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced problems with their hair.
-- By msdee | Reply | (6) replies | Private Message me
June 17th
2007
9:53 AM
I am a 34 year old and have been taking Yaz for almost a year.
I had some minor side effects until this past month when everything came apart at the seams. I do not know if yaz is the culprit - but the number of women with the EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS as me listed here SCARES THE HELL OUT OF ME.
My "minor" sude effects were the following:
* No period for 5 months
* No sex drive (was not the case before taking Yaz)
* Panic attacks / anxiety (no history fo this. My doc has now put me on Zoloft.)
* Bloating / weight gain
* Brown blotches (like age spots) on one side of my face
This is NOTHING compared to the last month of my life. Basically my life has sucked for the last month. Roughly a month ago my symptoms started with a red rash on the left side of my face and pain in my left ear that led to a migraine that has not gone away at all. (The pain level goes between a 5 and 10, but never lower than a 5.) The rash went away in 2 days, but my ear still hurts today (a month later).
My vertigo began roughly 5 days after the onset of my rash and ear pain and has been non-stop since. I've taken phenergan, valium, etc. - but they are not working. I get spinning/dizzy every time my head moves (up, down, left, right) and with up and down eye movement. It seems like my migraine pain intensifies when my vertigo hits me. If I lie completely still - I have no vertigo - but my migraine is still there. To make matters worse, I have become very disoriented, like I am in a fog all of the time. I am only 34 years old and feel like I am losing my mind. I cannot remember simple words at times and have a tough time completing sentences.
All of these symptoms coincide exactly to the day I began a new packet of the birth control pill called YAZ (Yasmin). I had taken this brand of pill for a year, and though it has worked (not pregnant) I have had some minor side effects up until the last month. The biggest side effect is that I have not had any period at all for the last 5 months. I have also had anxiety (no past history) and have no sex drive (not my normal self.) I stopped taking the pill about a week ago - after reading literally thousands of people with the same side effects I am experiencing on a website called medications.com (My neurologist also told me to stop taking it.)
I am NOT having ringing in my ears or loss of hearing. I mention this because I know other ailments have these as symptoms.
I have already been seen by my dentist, physical therapist, ENT, 2 neurologists and a gyn. So far - they are not helping. I have even been hospitalized for 5 days and all they really did was try and dope me up to sleep and had me take a very potent anti-migraine drug called DHE that must be administered over a 36 hour period via IV. Guess what? It did not work.
The most scary thing is that even though I get severe vertigo any time I move my head (even to the point of waking me up while I sleep) - NOT A SINGLE DOCTOR EVEN MENTIONED I MIGHT HAVE BPPV ( BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO) and they did not test for it at all. They were all interested in treating my month-long migraine with anti-migraine drugs. They all swore up and down that my vertigo was related to my migraine. They also said my fogginess was because I was "tired and sick" and many migraine sufferers are that way.
After my husband and I searched the internet and found dozens of websites, we are pretty much convinced that I have BPPV. We are going to get in front of a vestibular specialist ASAP.
So you know, I have been through a CT scan, two different MRIs, basic blood work on my white cell counts, thyroid levels, potassium, etc.
They have ruled out a sinus infection, brain tumor, pituitary tumor, stroke, blood clots, etc. They have simply treated me with anti-migraine medication - and it has been worthless. I have taken Topomax, Frova and DHE (the drug mentioned above) and my migraine is still there. These drugs have not helped one bit. My neurologist swore that the DHE would do the trick. Guess what? He was wrong.
I discharged myself from the hospital yesterday and am now at home.
I just want my normal life back. I cannot drive, work, take care of my family, etc.
My two biggest questions are:
DOES ANYONE KNOW IF BPPV CAN CAUSE MY MIGRAINE? The reason I ask is that the doctors all think that the migraine is causing my vertigo. All along they have been treating my migraine (with zero success) and have been giving me valium and antivert to simply mask my vertigo (no success there either.) No one has tried to really diagnose and treat my vertigo. Is it possible if I get my vertigo fixed my migraines will disappear?
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL PILLLS CAUSING BPPV? I saw woman after woman on medications.com have the same symptoms of vertigo, migraines and brain fog while taking the birth control pill Yasmin. I also know that my avalanche of symptoms eerily coincided with my first pill from a new pack. If they are related, I am most interested in what to do to get my hormones back on track in an effort to stop my vertigo.
This is all driving me crazy. A month ago I was absolutely normal. Now I am 100% disabled. I just want my life back.
Please help!
-- By chrissy34 | Reply | (27) replies | Private Message me
NuvaRing (4) Loestrin 24 Fe (3) Reglan (2) Singulair (2) Femcon FE (2) Yasmin (2) Lisinopril (1) Fosamax (1) Topamax (1) Morphine Sulfate (1) Mirena (1)
October 13th
2009
9:28 AM
Wow, after reading everyone else's side effects, I feel a little bit more normal. I just started the pack last Sunday, and the past couple of days I have been very emotional, angry, and crying for no reason. Also, my boobs are so swollen and sore! It's incredibly painful. I couldn't sleep last night, but I don't know if this is due to the pill or not. The doctor just put my on it to regulate my period, do you guys have any suggestions for different birth control that won't destroy my body?!?!
-- By stephanied | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me