Lifestyle change symptoms and conditions

I have been on Toprol for 6 mos, after switching from the generic metoprolol for 1.5 years. It has made a HUGE difference being on the name brand versus the generic and well worth the extra $$. The generic would cause heart palp, stomach problems etc. I even asked the pharmacist if there was a difference in generic vs name brand and he said yes..same active ingredient but who knows what else they put in there. Blood pressure went from 150/90 to 114/76, but I have also changed my lifestyle to low-salt, walking at least 3x a week, more positive thinking!. Also I have lost weight after getting on this pill @20 pounds but not sure if its because of the lifestyle change or what. The only bad aspects of this pill is the depression it can cause and I do seem a bit anxious sometimes, especially at night. I am 38 y/o with no family history of high bp, currently taking 100mg.

I took one and only one. Around 10 hours after I took the medicine, it felt like someone was pushing hard on my collar bones. I felt like my 35 lb. son was setting on my chest. Breathing was difficult. It continued for about 7 hours, sometimes better, sometimes not. I will not take it again. I guess I just need to work on a lifestyle change; instead of depending on medication.

Hello, I had the Mirena inserted in May 2008 and have just had it removed, August 2009. I do not have any children and was 25 at the time insertion. It was a terribly painful experience. The doctor gave me multiple pain shots inside of my uterus, tremendous cramping, bleeding, etc. and, when she was cutting the strings, accidentally snipped the inside of my vagina. Needless to say, the thought of going through that experience alone was enough to deter me from wanting to have the Mirena removed.

Over the next year, I went through a significant lifestyle change (SF to LA). I attributed many of the symptoms associated with hormones to this shift: weight gain, depression, anxiety, aggression, fatigue, joint pain. I always had some cramping pressure in my uterus and my periods became cramping events that took me out for a few days each month.

In the spring of 2009, I became concerned that these experiences were not just a change in environment. In addition to the Mirena, I have a congenital autoimmune thyroid condition (currently hypo), that I monitor 2-4x a year. I took multiple tests and started exercising and adjusting my diet in an attempt to balance things out. Regardless of the exercise and diet changes, I kept on putting on weight. I have suffered from the flux's of thyroid my entire life, but was flustered by my inability to effect any positive change.

I didn't associate the Mirena to these challenges until I began to do research on the internet. I believe that an IUD may aggravate thyroid and autoimmune symptoms (foreign object in the body). I also think that it is compounding my weight gain tendencies. After a three week late period, terrible joint pain, extreme bloating, cramping, and blister like acne, I went to the doctor today and he removed the IUD without any question. (This is NOT the same doctor who inserted the device). He was extremely supportive and sympathetic. I simply told him that I did not feel well and he suggested the Mirena's removal and did it IMMEDIATELY.

Unlike the insertion, removal was a breeze and I was amazed that my uterus instantly felt relieved. My body has been relaxing since then...a little sporadic cramping, a bit of a headache and nausea, but nothing significant. Emotionally, I feel much more grounded (though I'm sure this will shift ...as always!). For birth control, I am going to be taking Yaz for now, starting immediately. He recommended not having sex for a few days and using a secondary BC method for a month.

I am going to start cleansing my body through increasing my water intake and sweating (exercise and sauna). I am also going to see a homeopathic specialist next week to help with the hormonal shifts. I will check back in and share my Mirena removal experience. Take care, and listen to your body.

Hi everyone, I just came upon all this yesterday and can't believe it! I have been thinking I am going crazy and have been going down a shame spiral! I have had the Mirena for about a year after the birth of my twins. When I first got the Mirena I really didn't seem to like it...I had weird bleeding, cramping, headaches but my doctor told me there were really no side effects except for the on and off again bleeding so I didn't think much of it. Soon, I started having heart palpitations and weird panicky feelings when I would be out places which I have never had before. I wrote it all off due to the rough twin pregnancy and moved on. Soon, I really started worrying something was wrong with me because of all these weird things, the headaches and heart palpitations and panicky feelings, also I started feeling foggy like I was walking around feeling out of it and sometimes a little dizzy or something just having weird head feelings. We always had in the back of our minds that it could be the Mirena but never really took action. Just for the past couple of months things have gotten much worse. Those panicky feelings really got worse and combined with anxiety and sad and crazy depression thoughts and feelings. I also have been feeling this weird nervousness.....even in my quietest moments of my day. This is so out of my normal character and I feel like I can't even remember what I used to feel like. I have been to my PCP who gave me medication for anxiety and have had a hard time adjusting because I just can't believe all of this craziness and I just keep thinking is the problem really my IUD? Then my mom came upon this because she just felt that me feeling this way is just to weird and I feel like I relate to all of your stories! I have truly been feeling like I am going crazy...and I have never felt this way before...ever. I called my doctor yesterday to talk with her and I am going to have this removed...although I am a little nervous about the after effects. I just keep thinking a year ago I was fine.. and now look at me...I am on anti-depressants...how did this happen?? I know that I have stress but there is no reason for me to be feeling this way. I would love to hear about anyone else who felt this way and got the IUD removed and how that went. I know that I probably won't feel better right away...but I am hoping with time I can forget all of this and move on.

Back again Oh my am so confused on what to do.. I was taken off this med(LISINOPRIL) at my extreme constant complaint- and put on another--well either I have atypical reactions to all these drugs or am still having side effects from the Lisinopril-- I am taking diavon now-- I feel even worse-- rash is back head hurts so bad I could cry and I am weak all the time.. I could pull every hair that is left on the top of my head right out! I now have that rash around my neck and upper legs- was told before it could be the shingles hey I never had them before,, never.. my nerves are shattered I cry a lot and am hesitant to change again-so I stopped this is day 2 and my headache has subsided
What are we to do I am at wits end.. I know I need something but what today I am at 140/90 going back up,, any suggestions? I started taking Zinc yesterday was told that I am experiencing LOW ZINC LEVELS DUE TO THE LISINOPRIL(HAS ANYONE ELSE BEEN TOLD THIS?)

My arms are hurting very bad and my shoulders are out of joint. I feel awful and have zero energy. I have been off for 10 days now and am still in pain. I bought some fish oil caplets and will go with lifestyle change. I will never never take another statin.

IN RESPONSE TO THE PREVIOUS POST:

STAND UP FOR FELLOW WOMEN

Because this is exactly the type of thing M.D.s will feed you as they're pushing pills. "I used it myself, it worked great for me... it must be something with your lifestyle change... it can't possibly be the hormones!"

Isn't it lovely, how even female doctors can so inadvertently seek to compartmentalize what should be a free-thinking, myriad of personalities and body types?

Here is my reply:

"you: "...I have not gained any weight...of course I diet & exercise about 5 days a week....do those of you who have experienced weight gain exercise regularly?..."

The NuvaRing does not cause weight gain. That's absurd. There's only one way to gain weight (as your self proclaimed fit self must agree) and that is to take in more calories than you burn.

But, the hormones in the NuvaRing, however, DO cause appetite change, and DO cause dizziness associated with these changes if the "food" (for lack of a better word) the hormones causes one to "crave" is not consumed. As you can imagine, this messes with a work out routine.

Which leads me to this, SWEETHEART... I DO exercise regularly. I'm a healthy size 6, 140 lbs, 5' 8" I am 21 years old and graduating from the University of Pittsburgh. I have helped my friends and family with diet and exercise plans since I made the goal to become fit (I was not a healthy weight in high school). I run a mile every week, and work out at the gym every other day with a trainer.

First of all, why are you even on the "side effects" page if you're so happy with the product? There are ongoing investigations as we speak concerning NuvaRing related stroke and death, and incident reports are on the rise. I have always been a stickler for healthy sex lives, hormonal birth control that works in conjunction with a woman's body, and safe sex practices. Let me just give you my two cents: I assure you, I am as in touch with my body as I am in touch with my inner self. And I will not hesitate to let you know... that I KNOW when something's off. NuvaRing was great for me for a while (we're talking a good 8 months... how long have you had yours?)... but then it took over my life. I am not young and naive, I am not unfit or unhealthy, I don't smoke or mess with drugs and rarely drink, I am a not mentally unstable, nor do I have any unmentioned medical conditions. I'm glad that the NuvaRing works for you, but to begin a post so cheeky as to assume that those of us who have posted here are unnecessarily blaming hormones for our own unhealthy lifestyles is infuriating. You think everyone here hasn't considered that it may be "something else"? Something eating at us?

you: "ALL birth control effects everyone differently. I'm not saying this for everyone, but sometimes a lot of people like to blame certain actions & physical changes on something & maybe this is the case...for some people. I've been on the pill before & I always got off it b/c of weight gain....well, it was b/c I wasn't eating properly or exercising. I liked to blame my mood swings on the pill as well, but once I thought about it, I still had those before & after taking the pill."

The above paragraph you have written may have redeemed the post, were it not for your still underhanded tone in relation to the "healthy lifestyle" aspect or - as it seems - "theme" of your post. And, yes, I too know and understand depression and anxiety as it has personally affected me through its looming presence in and around immediate family members. Hormones can affect seratonin reuptake and such and do very much affect the mood in many instances.

So, if you are so certain that "some" of the women here blame their sorry unexercised asses on hormones, I will return the favor and say that perhaps it may be a good idea for YOU to look into cases of depression and anxiety as you are so SURE that the nervous system of your brain has not in any way been affected by hormones.

Thank you for placing the women here in such a pigeon hole! This is so easily a perfect example of something I'd hoped our society would work on... All of us are built differently, of different ages and gene pools... how can one expect a mass-produced commercial drug to work "as directed" to a world of unknowns?

It might be a good idea to examine your female conscience. But, I suppose that might be hard to do from the point of view of the interior of your ass."

For the last two months I have been on 5mg of Lisinopril. I have always felt that I was a person with anxiety/depression symptoms. I have experienced some different feelings since I began taking this med about 2 months ago. My biggest concern is heart palpitations or irregular heart beat. I also have had skipped heart beats with loss of breath. I also seem to have more chest discomfort. I recently had a angiogram with installation of one stint. No heart damage or heart attack diagnosed. I can not blame all these symptoms on the drug but the skipped heart beats and chest discomfort were non-existent prior to taking the med and they continue even after my procedures. With my PCD's permission I have removed myself of this drug. Any thoughts on this?

Hi, I've just had my Mirena taken out ( thank Heavens) and can now get my life back. The only good thing was no periods for five years. The hormones gradually ran through my system and all the side effects crept up on me.
My allergies got MUCH worse.
My skin thinned.
I felt three thousand years old , ALL the time.
It stripped a goodly amount of calcium from my body, my teeth started crumbling.
( after two months post removal, my bone and teeth density has improved out the site! WITHOUT supplements My dentist and doctor are now a lot happier)
I had NO sex drive at all.
My weight crept up with NO lifestyle change, 30 kilos! - I have lost on average half a kilo a week since removal. NO diet change, NO activity change.
I've always had slight hormonal acne on my face and nowhere else... with Mirena I had it all up my formerly crystal clear back and diarriere, bust and even scalp.
Lots of other minor crap.
Please, if you have sensitivities to the pill and other hormone treatments, DO NOT go here. I thought I was just aging rapidly- bull dust! I'm just glad that my husband gave me all the support I needed to bring this tragedy to my doctor and Gynie's attention. For so, long I thought it was just me.
Now I'm having my tubes clipped. Hormonal interference just doesn't work for me

After reading many of your experiences, I feel the urge to tell my story. I got my Mirena put in back in June 2007. My doctor had been encouraging me to try Mirena because I was having such problems with my periods while on the pill and I had tried different types and brands and nothing seemed to be helping me. So, finally after about 2 years of her telling me to try it, I did. Since I have not had children, she said I needed to have it put in while on my period so that my cervix was more open. I called her on the first day of my next period and got it put in. It was very painful to be inserted, and the horrible cramps lasted about 48 hours, but then went away. My period also got worse during that time, but then completely stopped two days later. I didn't get my period again until two weeks ago, which stunned to me. My doctor had said that I may have spotting the first couple months, but then that would stop and I would no longer get my period. Since it has been 6 months since I've had it, I thought it was very odd for me to suddenly be getting my period again. Along with the actual menstruation, I got the cramps, headache, bloating and everything else wonderful that comes along with a full blown period. I only had menstruation for 3 days (the shortest period of my life) but the cramps have continued constantly for the last 2 weeks. I decided I should look up the side effects of Mirena to make sure it wasn't abnormal. I got the same information from their website as I did from the pamphlet I'm sure we all got from our doctor - saying that only a very small percent of woman have any side effects at all. So, I thought I was making things up. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized all the things that have changed for me since I got it put in. That's when I stumbled across this site and found I'm not the only one and I'm not imagining all these things! I gained 30 lbs in the first 3 months - I blamed it on stress because we had just put our house on the market, however I had never in my life gained THAT much weight in such a short period of time. I am now over 200 lbs and I'm only 5'3". I have been desperately trying to take the weight off, but it won't budge and I'm only continuing to gain more. It is getting to the point where my weight is starting to cause other health concerns. Also, I have not had a single good night of sleep since I've had Mirena. I again blamed it on stress (but to be honest, I've lived through much more stressful times in my life without the tremendous weight gain and insomnia). After several weeks of trying OTC sleep aids, I went to my doctor and she gave me a 10 day supply of Ambien. The first 2-3 nights it helped, but then that also stopped working and I was back to sleepless nights. I found there is an herbal supplement that helps me sleep, but it only works for a few hours at a time, which obviously is better than nothing. I have also had cramps on and off throughout the last 6 months, sometimes they are very sharp stabbing pains that make me buckle over in two. I have also realized that I may be having depression - I don't feel suicidal, but I get very down very easily and stay that way for much longer than I ever have. I have actually had such horrible down days that I've called my husband at work crying and begged him to come home. I have never in my life done that until Mirena. I'm sure that I have more symptoms, but I have been able to persuade myself that they are "normal" or explained them away otherwise. I think that Mirena and the OBGYNs must be in cahoots. I was not warned about any of these problems - I was only given the small pamphlet and told it was so wonderful. I think there are a lot of other women out there experiencing all these side effects but their doctors are telling them it's normal or blaming it on something else. And they aren't realizing it is Mirena that is causing all these problems! I have an appointment for next Tuesday to get mine taken out and I cannot wait! I am finally going to be able to sleep again!

I took lipitor for almost two years (42). Started having a pain in my upper thigh as if someone was turning a screw driver into my leg. The pain progressed into my right hip that felt like someone was trying to "unscrew" my hip out of the socket. The pain progressed down my leg - i.e. sciatica pain. The pain got so bad that I could not sleep at night and if I did fall asleep the pain would be so bad I would wake up crying.
I went to my regular doctor and an orthopedic doctor. Had xrays, ct, and mri's. Blood work for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, etc. No bad results. I asked my physician if the Lipitor could cause it - "no" was the answer. My prescription for lipitor ran out and I was off of it for three months. I noticed significant relief in the above mentioned symptoms but still did not relate it back to the lipitor until I had a new prescription refilled and within a week I was "crying" in pain again. I immediately stopped the lipitor and within a few more months all the pains were gone. It still took me a while to get "comfortable" in bed to sleep - the pain had obviously affected me psychologically as well and I was still afraid that I would wake up in pain.
I do sometimes feel the pain in my right hip if I sit for extended periods of time but nothing like the above. I am an RN. I have told the above story to several physicians at the hospital and they always react like they don't believe it.