Light at the end of the tunnel symptoms and conditions

Hello I am 40 yrs old and got a lung infection which cause swelling in my lungs so the put me on high doses of prednisone via IV for 21 days in the hospital. The drug saved my life and took it at the same time.

After I got out of hospital i was on 60 mg for 6 weeks the 30mg for 6 weeks then 20mg the 10mg. It has been a living HELL over the last 5 months or so.

I told my DR. i have very bad blurred vision and he said it because the med runs my sugar up but I check my sugar and limit my sugar and it around 100 all the time which is normal soits not sugar. Then he said well them you need to see an eye dr. cuz your eyes are going bad. I begged to differ with him and told him if there was something wrong w my eyes then why is is one day I see fine and the next day all blurred and then back to normal!? it this stupid steroid if you ask me plus on day my right eye is bad and next day my left uggh!

The WORST side effect it the brain fog as yall call it. OMG I feel like im loosing my mind and going crazy. The dr. says hes never heard of such with a wise remark and says you know where your at now right? I know where i am and what I say but I feel like its not really happening. Its like im dreaming it. I feel like Im trapped in my head and I lookout blurry eyes.

Before I was a very confident independent person but now I feel scared all the time i feel hopeless and ive went through 3 girl friends over the summer because of the extreme forward attitude the med gives me. I am not the same person I was. I some time just want to die. I'm extremely tire if i do any exercise at all.

Plus I have all the other typical side effect like the moon face and weight gain. I don't even look the same cuz my eyes have huge bags under them and a double chin I never had.

I feel for all of you because i know what your going through.
I saw one comforting post in here where someone said within 2 weeks of completely getting off the pred. he was his normal self.
I CAN TELL YOU HOW GLAD I WAS TO READ THAT!

Please if you have finished the med and have got back to normal don't forget about this post. Please let us know because we need any hope we can get to keep our chins up and not loose hope and go completely crazy or worse kill ourselves.

I have about 4 more months of this LIVING HELL and I will surely let you all know if it get better. If you have come off of it and are reading this PLEASE let us know if we get back normal at least w the brain fog. I can take all the side effect ok except for the crazy dream zone zombie feeling.

I WOULDN'T WISH THIS KINDA HELL ON THE DEVIL HIM SELF!!
Let's pray for each other that the Lord keep out minds strong until we get off the nightmare drug call Prednisone.

side effects:
brain fog, blurred vision, puffy eyes, depression, confusion, dizzy, moon face, buffalo neck hump neck, hopelessness

LADIES.... PLEASE HELP!!!

I had my Mirena removed 6 weeks ago. Unlike most, I didn't bleed right away. It took me 3 weeks before I bleed and it wasn't heavy. I felt better knowing it was out of me but still was EXTREMELY TIRED, brain fogged, depressed. (The only side effects which have diminished were the irritability, greasy hair/skin, and acne.)

It's now been 6 weeks since it was removed and for the past 2 weeks I've been experiencing horrific anxiety and panic attacks. I'm afraid to leave the house... can't focus. Wake up anxious. Don't want to go anywhere or do anything. I'm also depressed about this. I'm still very very very tired all the time. AND THE MENSTRUAL MIGRAINES ARE STILL HERE.

IS THIS ANXIETY THE "CRASH"??? Can it happen so late? My body seems to be "behind" the norm by about 3 weeks. So really this is about the 2-3 week mark past my first withdrawal bleed.

I'M SOOOOOOOOO SCARED

Alright, listen. There is a light at the end of the tunnel for those who have found this site. My story was posted on June 20th. I would have to say that I cannot trust any doctors for anything since then. This web site has saved me money from the idiot doctors and my insanity. Really. It is so scary that when you go to the doctor they will never investigate your meds you are taking and will send you through many tests and prescribe you medicine that you don't need. I went through 4 different doctors multiple times that prescribed many different things with no effect to my condition. I went off Lisinopril and went back on Diovan and it took 8 days before I noticed any improvement. During those 8 days I got more depressed because I didn't feel any better. Then my symptoms started going away. My anxiety and coughing started to decrease. By the second week i did not need the help of sleeping pills to knock me out due to the anxiety at night and the gagging and coughing decreased.Since then I am almost back to normal. I still though have some symptoms of coughing, but not that bad. If you found this site and taking Lisinopril, please take note that your doctor is probably wrong. You are not going to die. Get off the da#m med and start living again. It may take longer than me. Don't get discouraged.It may take more than a month or so. Stay strong. I am pissed off and would love to beat the s&it out of the ones that created Lisinopril. I know we are the small % that has the effects, but get it off the market. People are dead from this med and the others are going though Hell......I feel for the ones who have had family members that have died from allergic reactions. I had an undiagnosed throat swelling that took me to the ER. I know what it was now...Take care, stay strong, get off Lisinopril, enjoy the rest of your life...

I am generally classed as an active, happy and positive person, loving life.... but the last 4 months have been a blinking nightmare....
It seems we all pretty much have the same symptoms, horrid shoulder pain, muscle soreness, spasms, feet and generally feeling like "what the??" is where we are all at..horrid thoughts of MS? Motor Neurons, Parkinsons, etc. all sorts of possible sinister problems.
I too have stopped taking Lipitor only a week ago (and I only started back in October 2008 after "arguing with my doctor for many years not wanting to take it...and i didn't even know about the horror side effects, i just thought it was totally unnatural to strip the body of something almost totally,).. within 2 months I started showing signs of chronic neck C5/6/7 and left shoulder. Maybe I had injured myself once before and suffered pinched nerves, but the pain eventually went, but this is not normal or should I say usual...... I have constant buzzing of left thumb/forefinger and hand and my right leg. NEVER NEVER have I suffered from this type of symptom before in my entire 50 years... Even some days when the spasms are at their worst I get an itchy nose and tingling lips. The scariest symptom of a white flash in my left eye convinced me...So fed up with it and after stumbling on all the negative comments and side effects with this drug I made to decision to take control of my own life. It is too uncanny....As I said, it's only a week now free of Lipitor, I have increased my Vitamin C intake and making sure I take a Mega Multivitamin daily too. There is some interesting reading in various websites of Vitamin C vs Statins...

BUT it would really be nice to read any comments of people who have recovered from these rotten symptoms and what sort of time frame it took to get over them. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel for us all. Some indication of Recovery period is probably our greatest "want to know"... and also...when will i be able to enjoy cycling again. Thank you to everyone for the input and may our strength be returned, not only physically but spiritually as well. :-)

LOL- EVERYONE! I'M SITTING HERE SEARCHING FOR SIDE EFFECTS FOR MIRENA AFTER REMOVAL. I HAD MIRENA FOR 1 1/2 YEARS, AND I REMOVED IT ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO. I HAVE EXTREMELY HEAVY BLEEDING SO I FIGURED I WOULD SEARCH IF IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE REMOVAL. WHEN I HAD MIRENA INSERTED, I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS! THE ONLY SIDE EFFECT I HAD THE ENTIRE TIME WAS EXTREMELY LIGHT PERIODS FOR 2 DAYS, BUT I GOT THE PERIODS EVERY OTHER WEEK! WHEN IT WAS REMOVED, I FELT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! NO PROBLEMS! I WAS IN SHOCK BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO HURT. THE ONLY REASON I DECIDED TO HAVE THE MIRENA REMOVED IS BECAUSE MY HUSBAND AND I PLANNED A TROPICAL VACATION, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO BE BLEEDING ALL THE TIME, SO I FIGURED-GET IT REMOVED AND GET THE DEPO ( I HAD DEPO FOR 9 YEARS AND HAD NO PROBLEMS, AND NEVER GOT MY PERIOD). WELL, HERE'S A FUNNY STORY!! THE REASON THIS VACATION IS IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE I AM CONSTANTLY DEPRESSED, ALWAYS CRYING, EASILY AGGRAVATED, LOST ALL MOTIVATION, LAZY-I STOPPED CLEANING/ COOKING, I DON'T GO OUTSIDE WITH MY LITTLE ONES- MY HUSBAND DOES, ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE. NO SEX!! MY HAIR IS FALLING OUT , EXTREMELY BAD ACNE (RESULTING IN MANY TRIPS TO THE DERM. AND SHORT HAIR CUT), I SOMETIMES FEELS PINS AND NEEDLES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY BODY FOR DAYS! I WENT TO THE DR. AND SHE SAID I WAS EXTREMELY OVERWHELMED, STRESSED AND DEPRESSED! I ALSO HAD A THYROID TEST. MY THYROID IS FINE, AND AS FOR THE MEDS THAT WAS PRESCRIBED FOR DEPRESSION- I NEVER TOOK THEM ( I'M NOT A PILL TAKER-CAN'T REMEMBER!) SO AFTER ALL A TROPICAL VACATION IS JUST WHAT I PROBABLY NEED TO SNAP ME OUT OF WHATEVER MY PROBLEM IS! WELL, AFTER READING THIS , ALL I COULD DO IS LAUGH!! YOU SEE, LOOKING BACK----IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS- I HAVEN'T CRIED, I AM FILLED WITH TREMENDOUS JOY WITH LOTS OF ENERGY. I TOOK MY KIDS TO THE PARK AND FOR LONG WALKS NUMEROUS TIMES. I CLEANED THE ENTIRE HOUSE AND IT'S STILL SPOTLESS, COOKED ALMOST EVERY NIGHT, I HAVEN'T HAD A SISSY FIT, OR FELT SOME TYPE OF ANNOYANCE YET, MY FACE IS CLEARER, MY HAIR HASN'T FALLEN OUT AND GREW LONGER. AND MOST IMPORTANT I LOST 34 POUNDS! ( 174-140). RIGHT NOW AT THIS CURRENT MOMENT I FEEL BETTER THAN EVER! MIRENA BEING THE CULPRIT NEVER ONCE CROSSED MY MIND. I SUMMED UP MY PROBLEMS TO BEING STRESSED FROM MARRIAGE, 3 HIGHLY ACTIVE CHILDREN AND RUNNING A BUSINESS. SO I SIT HERE IN MY GLORY AND CHUCKLE TO MY SELF THINKING ABOUT ALL MY POINTLESS NAGGING & CRYING & BLAH BLAH BLAH. AND I THANK YOU WOMEN FOR OPENING UP AND BEING HONEST BECAUSE I NOW KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG! THANK YOU.

First I want to say, after reading several posts, that it seems a lot of you are taking Topamax without food, which may be causing your "spaciness." My doctor suggested always taking it with food, even though it says with or without food, and I only experienced spaciness the few times I took it at bedtime without food. Once I started taking it with breakfast and dinner, that never happened again.

I am a 48 year old woman, prescribed Topamax in September of 08 for migraine associated vertigo without headaches, with facial numbness. The first thing I noticed was I immediately had headaches, which to me indicated it was dehydrating me as that is the only time I get a "normal" headache. So I knew I had to drink a lot of water. Soon after starting Topamax I developed a dry cough that lasted the entire time I was on the med. I did not relate it to the drug at the time, however. It never even occurred to me. After about two months on the drug I started having trouble breathing with extreme dryness in my airways. I was prescribed an albuterol inhaler which did not help. I was then prescribed a corticosteroid inhaler which also did not help. I thought the trouble breathing was from taking Nadolol which I was prescribed for occasional heart fluttering - the neurologist said this was a normal side effect of Topamax. I stopped taking the Nadolol but the trouble breathing continued. I also had more migraines with vertigo and facial numbness than before I started taking the drug. I hoped it would eventually stop and the drug would kick in to help the vertigo, so I stayed on the drug. I had very minor tingling in my feet, but it was tolerable. I became very stressed out, had trouble sleeping, depression, my face started breaking out in November (and still is), I lost interest in everything that I normally enjoy - reading, photography, following politics in the news (sort of an obsession of mine). In December I was so depressed that for the first time in my 11 year career I started canceling appointments and eventually took three weeks off from work to "re-group." In January the neurologist decided that we would increase the dose from 100 mg to 150 mg for one more month, and if it did not get rid of my migraines with vertigo, we would discontinue the drug. The first day on the increased dose I had a killer headache, and I drank 150 ounces of water before it went away. That night I did not have to go to the bathroom during the night, unheard of for me. That's a lot of water to drink and not have to pee. Within two days of increasing the dose, my cough became much worse, and within three days, the breathing became more difficult. Within five days, I was having trouble speaking because my airways felt so dry. I called the doctor the next morning and he said it was not the drug, but if I wanted to, stop taking it. So I went off it cold turkey, per his instructions. I had rebound migraines every day for a week or two and my heart was pounding, sometimes for three or four hours at a time. Eventually the cough and trouble breathing went away, however, I had to continue drinking lots of water or I would notice that I didn't have to urinate, sometimes not at all. Again, unheard of for me. I saw a cardiologist at the neurologist's urging and they said the heart pounding was just anxiety. I disagree, as did another doctor of mine. We both believe it was withdrawal. I have now found out (by getting copies of my medical records) that the neurologist is now attributing all of my side effects from the Topamax to "somatization." In other words, psychosomatic - not a side effect, but just a way of getting medical attention. I am seeing a few people on this board who have also experienced a dry cough and trouble breathing. Can I have the same side effects as other people and have them still be psychosomatic, even though I had no idea those side effects could occur? I don't think so.

I have a theory that Topamax interferes with hormones which causes a lot of the side effects like lack of concentration, memory loss, anxiety, depression, insomnia, acne, and hair loss - all symptoms of peri-menopause and menopause. Ask any woman in her 40's or 50's if she has these symptoms and most of them will say yes. My face has not been this broken out since high school! My hair is falling out at a rapid rate. I won't even bother mentioning these to the neurologist. He'll just say it's not the drug.

I'm very frustrated and not sure what to do at this point. The neurologist has me taking a supplement called Migrelief now, but I think it takes three months to kick in, so I have no relief at this point.

Has anyone else experienced the trouble breathing with dry cough? I don't believe for a moment that it was psychosomatic.

I am a 25 year old with Factor V Leiden and was told by doctors that the Mirena would be the best birth control for me since I can't take BC pills anymore. I had the Mirena inserted Nov. 2008 and am having it removed next week. I have had a horrible experience with it. My obgyn told me that the chance of experiencing any side effects was rare since the hormone stays in your uterus. The insertion was extremely painful which I expected since I have never had a child. In the past 4 months I have gained 15 pounds despite regular exercising and eating a low calorie diet, I have a constant stinky discharge, acne across my chin and sides of my face, my hair is falling out, I have no energy and am incredibly tired all the time, have been experiencing nightmares, and have sharp cramps that make me double over in pain. I am a newlywed and have never had any psychological issues. Now I am in therapy for anxiety and depression and after reading all the posts, I now am convinced that this is also a side effect of the mirena. I used to have a healthy sex life and now I have no desire to have sex or be touched by my husband with is causing tension in our new marriage. I was trying to stick out the side effects to see if they would go away since I paid so much money ($600) for the mirena. When I spoke with my obgyn about my side effects she said they were not caused by the mirena because the hormone is directly in your uterus. I am so frustrated! I feel like I have been lied to by my doctor. I am hoping that after removal of the mirena I will feel like my old self again!

I am 24yr. old and just had my first child 5mo. ago. At my postpardom check up I had the mirena inserted. My undesirable effects as follows:
Depression
irritability
mood swings
NO SEX DRIVE- absolutely no desire what so ever! Best birth control ever, you don't have sex....
Fatigue-any free time between nursing school, work, husband and baby I want to sleep!!!!
HEADACHE-migraine like-I have a headache almost everyday
Unable to think clearly-lack of focus
~I thought I was suffering from postpardom depression, but after reading the other post I am tempted to think otherwise, and my husband thinks so too. He has been suffering from this also.
If anyone could help with distinguishing between PPD and the side effects please help!
Thank you so much!

Ladies, it is all true, Mirena is a nightmare, I had it for 3 months and I feel like it destroyed my life, I feel sad, angry, lethargic, no energy to excercise or have sex, I've gain weight, about 10 pounds and of course... I want to sleep all day, I scream to my kids all the time and I have no interest on interacting with my family. I feel disconnected to reality and I do not want to live like that. So I had it removed yesterday and I still feel really bad but I guess it takes time for those hormones to get out from my body..Never listen to doctors without researching. If I had seen this page, I wouldn't have done it. Thanks to other experiences I saw here, I made my decision to remove it, so thanks to all of you for your messages.

Hi,

I started Yasmin generic (ocella) 3 weeks ago. After a few days I developed a headache that feels like constant pressure around my temples, eyebrows and in between nose. It does not go away with pain killers. I have no history of reoccurring headaches and when I have gotten one advil usually takes care of it.

After 2 weeks I decided to stop Ocella to see if that was the reason. I still have the headache a week later. I went to the dr. yesterday and he said it wasn't a sinus headache which I thought it might be. He said it might be a migraine even though it doesn't sound like a typical one. If it doesn't go away this weekend I'll have to get a Cat scan and maybe MRI. Does this sound familiar to anyone who got headaches from Yasmin? My dr. said BCP wouldn't cause a headache but several people on this site described it as a side effect. Input much appreciated.

Thanks!
C.

I am having trouble coming off of YAZ. I am 30 and have been taking YAZ for a year and a half. I've had little to no side effects at all while taking it. I felt great... the best I felt in my life. Little to no moodiness during PMS, very light periods. It was great! I have been off YAZ for a month and a half and I feel like a monster! I have mood swings, anger, and I'm very irritable. It seems that I am experiencing some of the same side effects coming off of YAZ that others are experiencing while on it. .... I am just wondering if anyone else has or had my experience. I'm tempted to go back on it just because I feel terrible being off of it. I would like to try getting pregnant within the year... so I thought getting off of the pill from now would be a good adjustment. Any thoughts? Should I get back on it or "tough" it out? - Laur

I stopped taking Yasmin over a year and half ago as i was getting thoughts of suicide and migraines, i spoke to my doctor who said that i was having an estrogen withdrawal in my 7 day break so she gave me oestrogen tablets to take in between. I don't usually take any kind of tablets, not even for headache so i thought this was stupid. So after a couple of years of taking it (oh and i forgot to say im from England were this drug hasn't been out long, i was used as a guinea pig, first to trial it at my local doctors) i stopped. Then the trouble began two weeks after stopping i got more headaches and started to itch my head on one side. The result was my hair fell out caused by alopecia, caused by body shock from coming off the pill, after that i developed Telogen Efluvium, which is another form of hair loss. I ended up loosing 50% of my hair all over. I had oily skin and severe acne.
So now i am now still recovering, i take Viviscal herbal tablets at £40 a month, to help my hair growth. But all this dosnt help the fact that i am still recovering, i do however see the light at the end of the tunnel and im just going to be patient.
I if could just get some time with the people who make this stuff and also spread the word, DON'T TAKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello Ladies,

I first posted my story in 2005, but check in now and then to remind other poor sufferers.

The first year or so on Yasmin was free of any noticeable side effects then out of no where my whole life changed, I had vertigo, became severely depressed, very anxious, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts...NONE of these symptoms had I ever experienced before in my life...I was always the 'glass half full' girl.

No one knew what was wrong with me, and my family were desperate. One day I found this website and it saved my life. I realized that it was Yasmin that was destroying me. I immediately stopped it (although now am told that finishing the pack would have been optimal)...my depression and panic attacks stopped within days. It was like a dark cloud lifted. Let me be honest though, it was a long road to feel 100%...the first few months my anxiety seemed to get worse before it got better, according to my cycle. The light at the end of the tunnel is that YOU DO GET BETTER. I have been there when you wonder if the 'old you' will ever return....you do.

I recommend you eat a healthy diet, eliminate caffeine and white sugar, and get all your hormone levels checked...including your thyroid and adrenals. This pill is poison and depletes your body of all the necessary vitamins and nutrients, and completely destabilizes your hormonal balances.

Each month you will be closer to complete healing. I stress that everyone is different and you may not take as long as me to recover, but take heart if it is taking longer than you expected.

This is a temporary state of mind. It is not the real you.

Take care xx

Hi
Again just like many of you ladies out there i am so glad i came across this website. I have been taking Yasmin for the last 2.5yrs. I used to have very think long hair, and was always complimented on it. recently my hair has thinned out, and falls out everytime i comb or wash it. I have reecntly started to experience numbness in the tips of my toes, i have just in the past few days experienced knee joint pains. Last year i had very bad chest pains, and i never thought it would be the pill, but i have been complianing to my family about breathing difficulties too. I do feel nauseous most of the time, and i feel tired all the time, i fall asleep anywhere. I am a pretty healthy individual. I have suffered headaches, reduction of vision, pain just under my ribs near the lungs, especially when i wake up in the mornings, i suffer hot flushes, again like others mostly at night... I used to be a pretty calm person, but now looking back i have had my moments of rage !
Thank God i came across this website because luckily im on my 7day break at the moment, and will probably not take them again ! and try lady comp just like another lady has .... hope this helps

Oh My Gosh - as I sit here with abdominal cramps typing my experience - I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I started taking Lisinopril in late April 2008. On May 2 I had severe abdominal cramps and massive vomiting for 8 hours. Finally got myself to ER after I sent my family on to our vacation (I joined 2 days later). The ER attributed it to food poisoning. Lo and behold, I had another "attack" on May 9th. Back to ER I went (my husband witnessed my attack and insisted I go). They took X-rays and MRI - found intestinal inflammation but didn't know why. My internest send me to gastro dr. Third attack hit on June 5th and gastro doctor sent me to major hospital ER. They, too, did MRI & blood work. Looked at gall bladder, pancreas, stomach, intestines, etc. They found intestinal inflammation. Gastro Dr. took more blood and did more test (CT, MRI, Colonoscopy, Endoscopy). He couldn't find anything so he sent me to rheumatologist. She did add'l blood work and genetic testing. She though I had an auto-immune disorder - like Mediterranean Familial Fever! Please...! But all her tests came back negative. She too had no answers, only treatment for symptoms - Colchicine and Prednisone. Yuk. After having my 8th debilitating attack yesterday (since May), I've had enough. I went to the Web and found this wonderful site - along with some others with helpful info. I don't have confirmation that the lisinopril is causing this - but it sure sounds like it. I am a 49 yr old female and I've had no "life changing" events in my life (except for this nastiness) and have been on no other meds. I find it interesting that out of all the doctors I've seen - and all knew of the lisinopril - that none suspected this as a side effect.

hi all. thanks for writing your comments here. it has helped me today, another HORRIBLE day of prednisone hell. i have been seriously ill for 8 months been told ever other week I'm likely going to die from lung disease (i'm 35) and after a painful lung biopsy have been told my lung problems are almost all reversible... after a year on high dose prednisone. i was on 40mg a day for a month a while back and was so out of control from rage and crying and insomnia and panic/suicidality, ravenous appetite, that they lowered me to 30. then after biopsy they said i should be on 100mg to cure me, we settled at 60mg. it's been 24 days. The moon face started about one week in. i've gained 8 lbs. i am an emotional wreck. i have at least one rage filled attack per day where i am screaming and want to kill somebody or destroy something. some days i am so filled with hopelessness and worry i just want to die. my body changes (after just losing 30 lbs and being a work out fanatic my shortness of breath makes it impossible to walk up 2 flights of stairs without resting) face changes, acne, excess body hair (oh my god please make it stop i'm like a chia pet and i'm so afraid it is going to get worse) double chin, puffy eyes and cheeks, absolutely uncontrollable emotions and mood swings, inability to be logical or reasonable. i don't want to leave the house, i'm panicked and scared all the time. i never sleep. ambian gives me minimal relief (just started taking it) i feel like i'm losing everything, except my lung functioning is returning and i'm not going to die from this illness (they assure me THIS week) i understand light at the end of the tunnel, but living like this is unbearable most days, almost impossible the rest of the time. am i alone with the severity of this? or are all the others like me too busy hiding the sharps and crying in a corner to write on this board? thanks for listening :)

figures, forgot to mention what HELPS. no eating after 8 (7pm is better) no salt, no sugar, exercise, even just a walk every day, anything physical, i walk like a grandma on the treadmill but i still do it, sometimes it is the only thing that stops my crying. no alcohol, support and understanding from loved ones, it's not you, its the drugs. good luck.
figures, forgot to mention what HELPS. no eating after 8 (7pm is better) no salt, no sugar, exercise, even just a walk every day, anything physical, i walk like a grandma on the treadmill but i still do it, sometimes it is the only thing that stops my crying. no alcohol, support and understanding from loved ones, it's not you, its the drugs. good luck.

Ambien CR is the only prescription that will allow me to sleep in a hotel, but it is a double edged sword. After about 2 days of using I get migraine headaches. Last week we took our family vacation and I took it for 7 nights in a row. Our timing of our vacation was bad because the day after we got back my husband went out of town (another thing that causes me not to sleep). For the last 4 nights I have taken 1mg of Lunesta. The headaches presisit but I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Tonight I am back to what works best for me Melatonin

For me extended use of Ambien CR causes Migraines. It has time and time again. I know it will happen and in extreme cases (vacation, death in the family) I will choose getting sleep over having the migraine.

Occasional 1 time use of Ambien CR does not cause me to have a migraine the following day.

I have been weaning off for about a month now. I was on 75mg a day for about two years. I have learned you can pull apart your capsules and lower your dose that way. I think I have about two more doses. I am going through withdrawals right now, but It is not as intense as when I tried cold turkey. Mostly I feel like I have a really bad hangover. Brain zaps, shakes, weakness. I think it is bull @#%$ that doctors can hand this stuff out like candy without letting people know what they are in for. I am grateful because it did help through a time I needed it, but this is horrible. To all of you going through this, hang in there. There has to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

WOW!!! I am glad I came across this website. I have twin boys that will be 7 this month. One has been on Singulair for about 3 years for allergy induced asthma and my other son has been on it for 9 months for allergies. I am taking them both off of it today. The son that is taking the medicine for 3 years has become increasingly angry and gets upset over small things. Over Memorial weekend, he lost a game he was playing on the wii and exploded. He was banging his head and then started to hit me. NEVER in my life have I seen him attack anyone. A few days later he threw rocks at his friend because he wanted the wagon. Over the past 3 years I have noticed some change in him and just took it as growing pains. He has always been a strong will child. However, over the past 3 years he has gotten worse and since he has physically attacked me and his friend, I have decided to send him to counseling. Now I firmly believe it is the Singulair.

My other son has been on it since August. He started to have anxiety within a month of taking it. His behavior has been stressed, depressed and not wanting to play with other kids. He was biting his nails to a nub, licking his hands, not talking to anyone at school and rubbing his head. I have also noticed he does like to look at the person he is talking too. Of course I thought the worse and thought he was being molested. I went to his Teacher and she has worked very hard with him, but he is still a loner. If you knew him before, he played with everyone and enjoyed life. I was told by his Ped. that he had anxiety and to have him see a shrink.

I am hoping that after taking them both off this medicine, I will see improvement.

I am so happy to be reading these posts. I am finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel for my mood swings and extreme anxiety. I was put on Yasmin after my daughter was born in 05 and last year switched to Yaz thinking it would help. After all, the ads say it reduces PMDD symptoms and that's what I thought I had. I am no better. My husband is about to leave me because as he says he does not know what wife he is coming home to. I cry at the drop of a hat and am all around miserable.
I don't see my doctor until September and was going to wait until then to switch but now after reading all of this I am going to call tomorrow and try to get a new prescription. I can't remember what I was on before getting pregnant but I want it back. I don't remember EVER feeling this out of control in my life.

Hi Ladies,
Same here. A week and 3 days post-removal. I feel a little better except for my period coming back. It started on Monday and stopped on Thursday. It was ok. nothing major. Then started up with full force again on Saturday night to Sunday morning. It is very clotty and very painful.It has taken a toll on my body. I was in bed all day Sunday. I don't feel like I have been run over by a train as before with the Mirena in place, BUT I feel the PMS raging. I have felt lightheaded and weak from so much clotting, but knowing that this too shall pass is such a great feeling! I see the light at the end of the tunnel, but my only worry is that my body will take a while to get back to normal. I have read other threads on other sites that say after 2-3 months, it all gets back to normal. maybe it depends on how long it was inside? I just wish it would disappear altogether. That IUD is awful! I still cant believe I suffered so much without putting it all together. They make you believe wholeheartedly that it is not the Mirena causing symptoms. Then how else could a normal, healthy woman begin to deteriorate so much?
I was again surprised to see one or two comments about how they feel like an 80 year old woman. That was my favorite line before I found this website. It was quite shocking. It felt like I was listening to myself speak! No joke. I would be asked how I was feeling today and I would respond with sincerity that I was feeling like I was 85 years old.
What bothers me the most is that I was a newlywed throughout this whole time. My marriage suffered and I thought it was me and that I had a bad attitude. I thought that I was just so tired and nobody understood me. Don't ask me how but my husband had a feeling it was the Mirena the whole time. I could not believe it! I am sure many of you feel cheated out of a year, two years or more of a good life and a good marriage because of this. It is frustrating to look back and see how it all played out. To think that now I am "recuperating" and getting "back to normal". We should not have been going through that in the first place and we should not be recuperating from anything. Our bodies can get back to normal, but it's that emotional roller coaster that stays with you. To me, it's lost time that as a newlywed forming a new family, I could have enjoyed with my husband and daughter being my loving self and not a mean, raving hormonal lunatic like I was. Yes, I still feel really bad about it all. Mirena is a nightmare. I am blessed to have a wonderful sweet and beautiful 4 year old and such a patient, loving husband. They both kept after me, loving me, even if I was turning into Oscar the Grouch.
Don't give up, ladies. Hang in there!

It's been 7 days and I feel WONDERFUL!! I am my regular happy self, I am done bleeding, I am not bloated anymore...I actually feel and look good in my clothes again...my boyfriend said he sees the difference and that my hour glass shape is back! I know I haven't lost any weight yet, but wow, what a difference already! My acne is clearing up dramatically!! My patience has returned and I just feel a world of difference!!!

I was afraid it would take me a long time to begin to return to normal but I think wanting it so badly and thinking positive has helped with my progress. There is an amazing light at the end of the tunnel just keep your eye on it!

I have been off YAZ now for almost a month.
I still have anxiety, but nowhere near as bad.
Did you know YAZ can cause upper repertory infections? I had 2 at one time. I thought it was just the cold season. And if Getting a PAP once a year isn't bad enough, YAZ can cause your test fail. in other words you have to have another. YUP! All from the YAZ most of this is on their site and on the listed warnings and side effects. For me YAZ meant Anxiety I stopped taking it one week into my 6th month. I feel a bit better everyday.
I just hate to think that I got put on Zoloft and Xanax because of my BCP
and now I have to battle getting off the pills to feel like me again. I have done a lot of research and talked to a lot of people. Its not just YAZ its many other birth controls. well... there are always condoms.

Thanks to all the people who have taken time to post their experience with Lipitor side affects. I am 78 years old and have had both knees replaced within the past two years. My recovery has been great from that surgery. I have taken 10 mg zocor for years as an assist in cholesterol control with no known side affects. However, my doctor thought my 115 LDL level was too high so he put me on 40 mg Lipitor. My cholesterol level LDL went down alright to 72; however, almost immediately after starting with this medication, I started getting stinging, burning, tingling sensations in my feet and soreness in my shoulders. Although my doctor insists that the Lipitor cannot be the problem. After a couple of weeks of those symptoms I have stopped taking Lipitor. The comments on this web site were critical in my decision. After two weeks off the stuff, I periodically feel better but then the sensations return in spades. I hope time will improve things. Does anyone have experience with improvements over time?