Magnesium levels symptoms and conditions

Major hair loss (even my eyelashes have thinned out. Talk about upsetting), nausea, seriously bloated stomach, gassy, bacterial vaginosis (the second in my entire life), 2 week periods, breasts grew a half size so far, foggy headed, vision seems off when I drive (focusing it harder).

I posted some of my side effects last week. Today I got Mirena removed! I was sweating it b/c it hurt bad during the insertion 2 months ago, but it wasn't that bad. Hurt a little but it was quick and easy. They used long tongs to pull it out. I'm bleeding now a little bit but I've been bleeding for 10 days already from being on my 'extended' Mirena period, so I don't care. I'm just glad it's over with. My doctor said I didn't have to explain why I wanted it out. It was my choice. I mentioned again to her anyway the hair loss (probably a third of my hair in just 2 months), and the bloating (I look at least 3 month pregnant and I haven't really gained but like 2 lbs. I think it's from progesterone. Progesterone has to be causing this gas too b/c I had that side effect years ago when I was on progesterone). She said it's all possible side effects and that everyone is different. Some women do well on it and some don't. I'm just bummed b/c I could never have sex anyway b/c of the long periods and the case of BV in between those. These past 2 months have been a big waste of time and energy/worry. I can tell my husband is glad this saga is over with. With 2 young children I need to focus my energy on them and be clear headed. Good luck! I won't recommend this to my friends.

I have severe persistent asthma which is sometimes induced by allergies. I am on Advair, Singulair, Allegra, Veramyst, Protonix, Prednisone, and Duonebs on a daily basis. I can also add in my MDI or my epipen as needed(I have anaphylaxis also, hence the epipen). I am prescribed to use the Duonebs every 6 hours every day no matter what, and I can increase it to every 4 or every 2 hours as needed. Due to the frequent use of Albuterol my potassium and magnesium levels are very low. The potassium level being low causes me to have extremely painful cramps in my calfs and the small of my back and irritability, and the magnesium level being low can then cause my asthma to be even worse. These are the long-term side effects that I have experienced, the short-term side effects include jitters, dizziness, headache, and elevated heart rate (my heart rate almost never raises, and yet after a Duonebs treatment one time my heart rate would jump from 70 to 130 to 70 all in a 10 second period of time). I do not like using Duonebs, and if I had a choice I would not, but it is the only thing that has given me any relief from my asthma. My MDI (Metered Dose Inhaler) side effects are limited to being jittery, and this has been eliminated by using a spacer chamber which my doctor prescribed and was completely free, I just had to pick it up at the pharmacy. The spacer chamber delivers the medicine more efficiently to your lungs instead of allowing some of it to go down the back of your throat into your stomach.

I am taking Mg plus Protein for magnesium deficiency due to Prograf, a drug for prevention of organ transplant rejection.
I have experienced no negative effects from this, and have been able to maintain adequate magnesium levels since starting this supplement. It has worked where the previous suplements, (generic drugstore type and intravenous) have not worked.
Wholeheartedly recommended to anyone requiring a magnesium supplement.

In January I was diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis (giant cell arteritis). I was put on 60 mg prednisone and an array of other meds to help with pain, inflammation, water retention, and stomach problems from everything. I've lost some vision from the TA. I've experienced the weight gain, the moon face, stomach problems, depression, fatigue, muscle weakness, lack of memory and concentration, and generally feel miserable. The brain fog is awful! I don't trust myself doing much of anything these days!

When I was first put on the prednisone it completely took away all my TA and PMR symptoms. I could walk and get up and down again, didn't have the headaches, and didn't hurt all over.
My doctor tried to taper my dosage about 6 weeks ago and all my symptoms returned and increased as I went down on the prednisone. He upped me back to 60. That time the symptoms didn't go away. They lessened but were still there.

He's trying to taper again, and I'm down to 30 mg now and feel worse and worse. My sed rate has been normal, so the doctor thinks it's from the prednisone. Does it mimic all the TA and PMR symptoms? I also am having a lot of hand and feet cramping.

Does anyone else have these two illnesses? I would be interested in your experience. I want off these meds! Anyone found an alternative approach that's helped?

God bless!

Hi Guest 39434

My doctor thought I was having kidney problems because she believed I was having trouble with my magnesium levels, but it turns out my magnesium levels are fine and my kidneys are great.
No urinary or bladder "problems", but I did have an increased need to urinate when on Yasmin. Now that I'm off it has gone away.

IPJ

Hi ipj!!

So you've experienced the "logic" of those gods in white with your magnesium levels too.... Here in Germany we have a sentence, that tells exactly how it is: "Two docs, three opinions..."!

I found another part of your post very interisting: You've said, that you went through a normal hormonal change in your late twenties, early thirties... Well, that's exactly where I am now (I'm 32) and my agony started in the age of 27!!! Well, and that was exactly the time where I started the Yasmin. I think that this was the biggest fault in my life, to start that poison and on top in such a "time of my life"...

I hear from many women in my age, who have different "problems" with their health which no one can really explain.... So I found it very interesting that your doc told you, that within that age a normal hormonal change is going on... Somewhat relieving for me!! (I'm going through very hard times again at the moment, 2 years OFF Yasmin!!)...

Something seems to be wrong with my thyroid which on top can bring the sexual hormones out of whack and so on... A really damn circle.... I hope I'll find a solution soon; had an appt. with an endocrinologist last Friday and got another bloodwork (hormones) done. I'll let you all know, when I have the results back...

Bitter RN,
I hope you did get my last 2 posts. They were pulled to the next site of the forum pretty quickly so I don't know if you had caught them... Thank you again for always trying to help!!

Dear ConcernedBoyfriend:
Well, I think everyone of us here can imagine what you and your girlfriend are going through right now... I felt and still feel so sorry for my husband, who had gone through this all with me (and has to do that now, after 2 years OFF Yasmin again...) and still thinks positive and is the only one, who keeps me going sometimes...

So I think the most important thing for your girlfriend is your love and care. First of all, please try to get her to STOP that poison thing immediately!! It makes me so angry to hear, what such young women have to go through because of this "wonder pill" from hell!!!! I think she has the chance to fell better much sooner than many of us here, because she's so young. Please, take the chance!!!

Who cares of a few pimples or oily skin, that's definitely not worth staying your whole life in such a constitution!! The pimples and oily skin and weight gain were my slightest problems within that agony... Some months I didn't care at all about how I might be looking... I just would have been thankful to be able to get out of my house again someday, even if I had a few pimples or such in my face... And before that nightmare I was such a health and look caring person (I've been a singer in a band for 15 years now....).

I hope your girlfriend will come to this site and see, what is doing all that to her and stop that thing asap!!! I wish you both all the best!!

Best wishes to all.

Silke

Hi everyone,

An update for you about my magnesium. I went to a kidney specialist yesterday (my doctor thought I might have kidney issues because my magnesium level was not increasing even with supplements). He was perplexed as to why I was there and basically told me that my magnesium levels were not low enough to be considered for any kidney problem (YAY!!!). He also said that he wasn't convinced that my heart palpitations were caused by my magnesium levels. He asked a little bit about my history and when I told him I was off of Yasmin, he said "GOOD. Find another form of birth control. I won't let my wife take any oral contraceptive". We continued our conversation and I thanked him, expressing how good it was to hear that from a doctor, since most of my friends think I'm paranoid. He repeated the warning to not take oral contraceptives and we ended the visit.

SO, basically I think my heart palpitations have been Yasmin/Orthocyclene related all along. I will wait to see how my body feels in a few months. Also, he said my magnesium levels seemed fine to him and they won't increase with oral supplements because it's very badly obsorbed, and if anything I would get diarrhea instead. (don't want that....)

I'll keep you posted... on the road to better health, I can feel it already! I'm so excited to get that validation from a doctor!

Guest 38149-

good for you! We are delighted needless to say. If you haven't checked out the UK forum-see the link in emails below-highly recommend you do so. Sarah/flowerbabies set this up and its grown alot.

Yes-I did experience trouble sleeping and suspect it was from low magnesium levels/elevated potassium levels-now after 2 months on a 1200/1200 calcium/magnesium supplement by Rainbow Light-with enzymes that aid digestion-has mostly subsided.

J

I want to thank all of you for posting your experiences with Yasmin/Yaz!! I am going to the Dr. for my annual female physical and was going to request with Yaz or Loestrin 24 to help with my perimenopausal symptoms. There is no way in HE** that I will take Yaz after what I've read here.

I am wondering if those of you who have low magnesium levels are having trouble with insomnia?

Hi everyone!

Here is the update I promised. As you know, I'm off Yasmin for a month now and had to go get my magnesium levels checked. I was found to have a reading of 1.8 in December, I took 800 mg of Mag. Oxide for 3 weeks and it went to 1.9. I then started taking 400 mg and my latest reading was 1.7!!! Shocking. My doctor is concerned and sending me to a kidney specialist to see if I have a rare condition that doesn't allow me to absorb magnesium. My BP continues to be controlled through medication. It will not normalize until I get this magnesium problem under control.
I told my doctor I was off Yasmin and she was fine with it. I wonder if the diuretic in Yasmin has caused this? I wonder if it's still in my system?
I'll keep you posted.

37068

Go get blood work done and have everything checked... especially your magnesium. I was having really bad palpitations and it turns out my magnesium was dangerously low (magnesium is an important mineral for your muscles, regulates heart rhythm). You may be depleting your body of minerals because of the diuretic in Yasmin, but go get your blood work done to make sure that's what is going on. I don't know what effexor is.

I am no longer on Yasmin and have an appointment next week for my magnesium levels. BTW- I feel great, I take a magnesium oxide tablet every morning for now.

If you are experiencing palpitations, chest pain, see your Doctor or go to ER immediately. Have your potassium levels checked promptly to ensure that you have not developed Hyperkalemia (excess potassium) in your blood which is likely and happened to me becuase of the potassium sparing diuretic in Yasmin*. Hyperkalemia can be lethal and is extremely dangerous and a risk taking Yasmin.

Erykah-I haven't seen anyone whose tried/used St. john's Wort but would recommend instead having your hormone levels and your adrenal function tested? Oftentimes, after Yasmin, becuase of the diuretic flushing that occurs (constant peeing/urinating) it throws off our electrolyte and mineral balances in addition to that it suppresses our adrenal glands. I have found success with B vitamins (A B stress tab) or a whole food/bio-available Vitamin*. The whole food and bioavailability part is really important-because it is what makes it more accessible/useable by your body. Also-take a calcium and magnesium supplement if you find you are low on magnesium which is one of the minerals Yasmin's diuretic depletes*. I'm taking one that is equivalent ratios: 1:1-1000 of each because minerals compete with one another so taking a calcium that is higher will not give you the benefit of the magnesium. Low magnesium levels effects the health of all the muscles in our bodies-including the heat and if oftentimes what causes the murmurs/palps.

I have had the bronchial problems while on yasmin and while on ortho-cyclene. I never related the two.. I still think it's allergies because it started when I moved to NC, and it only happens in the fall/winter.

My experience with yasmin I thought was great until I started to put two and two together. I didn't have the mood swings and my skin looked great. But when I realized my magnesium levels dropped causing my heart palpitations and ridiculous need to pee ALL the time, as well as my blood pressure going through the roof... I joined this forum and now I'm off Yasmin. My husband very supportive of my decision.

One thing I will say, I'm so grateful I listened to my body and went in for a check-up because I felt "funny". I know I would have had a stroke- my BP was 160/120. Now with medication it's normal. Hopefully with time I can get off BP as well, that's my goal.

I'll keep you all posted on my magnesium I have an appointment in Feb.

IPJ

Hi IPJ!!

Well, thank you so much for your post!! It's another peace of hope for me and I think for many others also. Here in Germany the health system is not very comfortable these days so you sometimes really have to "fight" to get any kind of bloodwork done because everything seems to "expensive" to the docs...

So I didn't get my magnesium levels checked, yet, they always just did the "normal bloodwork" and simply don't know how my magnesium levels are. I always just felt the symptoms of magnesium deficiency (muscle problems, racing heart and palpitations, muscle hurting and so on...) and expected that the Yasmin and its diuretic had caused a magnesium deficiency (as I read from so many sites!!) in my body, too.

I'll have another bloodwork on Friday (had an appt. with my fam.doc yesterday and told him about my again upcoming symptoms), hopefully he'll find something.....

I wish you all the best IPJ and keep us posted!!

Silke

36426-

When you advise that low magnesium levels where what caused your irregular heart beats how did you confirm that? with test and then a supplement?

I am curious because I have this too as well as pain and read in more recent posts that Yasmin can flush out/create low levels on Magnesium-and that low levels of magnesium can cause the irregular heartbeat. a long time ago as well a doc told me that low progesterone which I had could also cause it?

If you did take take a supplement how much did you take and did it go away? Have you had the chest pains too?

hi ipj.
whilst googling yasmin and all the symptoms etc i came across quite a few references to the fact that bcp's in general can lower magnesium but i think yasmin has a higher impact on the magnesium levels due to it's diuretic effect so it probably is the yasmin that is affecting how much magnesium you are absorbing. along with all your other side effects it may be just as well to come off it. The fda has stated that yasmin is no better or safer than any other pill on the market the medical profession are just really pushing it for some reason...... back in the 60's and 70's there was a new wonder drug that was pushed to all the pregnant women as it stopped morning sickness...thalidamide....... i am sure you know the outcome of that story.just because a new drug is great for some it does not mean it is good for the masses. chat to your doctor about a pill that does not contain the diuretic that yasmin has.dehydration could make your symptoms worse so stay hydrated,drink as much water as you can.
please feel free to visit the new forum that is being set up. the link is below in my previous post.

kind regards and the best of luck with whatever you decide.
sarah

Hello All,

Some recent posts have asked about experiences/symptoms post (i.e. after getting off) Yasmin. Well, it has now been 7 and a half months for me, and it has taken this entire time for me to feel 'mentally' well again. Each month DOES get better, but it is a very slow process and will get worse around ovulation and before your period. You will have good days and bad days, and often feel like you're taking three steps forward and 2 steps back. Thankfully my good days are becoming more and more often than my bad days. In these last few months I have experienced horrible, terrifying irrational, obsessive thoughts, anxiety and panic attacks. I stress, this has gotten better.....but it has been a very long journey back to sanity.

I had been happily on Yasmin for over a year, until almost overnight I suffered from severe anxiety, panic attacks, depression, suicidal thoughts and accelerated heart rate. I have no predisposition to these symptoms, having NEVER experienced any of them in my life (very happy, outgoing, positive person before Yasmin). After fearing I had a late onset of mental illness, I began seeing a therapist and lived in complete fear. Then I was blessed by above to find this website and realise Yasmin had been the poison ruining my life. I stopped Yasmin at the end of January this year. As I say, it has been a long hard road back to sanity, and I have my family and friends to thank for their never ending support....especially when my irrationality made no sense to them (or me!).

I recommend women getting off Yasmin to see a doctor that specilaises in womens health to do a full blood test to look at your hormone, potassium and magnesium levels. Yasmin stuffs these all up. Natural hormone therapy can assist in re-balancing these issues. I am only doing that now, and wish I'd done it earlier....the benefit of now being able to 'think straight'.

I now have so many reasons to smile again. Prayers for all those getting off Yasmin. It is NOT worth the destruction. Find another form of contraception.