Medical insurance symptoms and conditions

I started taking NuvaRing after my son was born, 15 months ago. I loved the relief of not having to take a pill at the same time every day, I had a hard time remembering. I had no problem with the NuvaRing, I loved it! I don't have medical insurance, so i switched to a cheaper option. I had been rapidly losing my sex drive when I was on the NuvaRing, but i had just assumed that it was due to the lack of sleep from having a toddler. Within one week of taking the NuvaRing out, I had regained all of my sex drive. It has been AMAZING. I truly loved the NuvaRing, but this is a side effect that was just not worth the convenience of the NuvaRing.

I am 22 years old and I have never had any children. I do not understand what made the doctor think that this horrible device would fit in my uterus. When I had the Simply Mirena inserted in March 2008, I almost passed out, (since he inserted it wrong once, he had to pull it out right after and do it again). I think of myself as a pretty strong person, but I literally cried out, and I almost fainted while paying my co-pay at the receptionist's desk. My husband had to come pick me up from the doctor's office because I couldn't even walk to my car, but I wish that was the worst of it.

Within one month, I started feeling VERY depressed so my doctor put me on Effexor XR (which started a whole bunch of other problems), but now that I have been off of the Efffexor for a while and I am noticing problems that I had been blaming on the Effexor.

Here are some of my symptoms...

- Weight Gain
- Feeling tired, weak, and depressed.
(To the point that I will sleep for 18 hours if givin the opportunity.)
- Chronicly Dry skin
- Constipation and Diarrhea
(I haven't had a normal BM since I had it inserted.)
- Memory problems
- Cannot concentrate
- ABSOLUTELY NO SEX DRIVE!
(And when I do have it, It hurts for days afterwards.)
- Lower back pain
- Stabbing pains in the uterus
- No menstrual cycle
(I would spot for the first few months, but now it is completely gone.)
- Massive mood swings
- Nausea

Well of course my doctor thought for sure that this was my thyroid, so (without medical insurance), I went and got all my blood work done thinking that I would finally have an answer to my health issues... NOPE!
I received the results today and found out that my thyroid was perfectly fine, no anemia, good blood counts... Nothing.
Now not to say that I am not happy that my thyroid is okay, but I just wanted an explanation for all of this. SO my doctor sends me to see my NEW Ob-Gyn, to have this "Thing" aka Simply Mirena, taken out of my body. After reading all of the problems that the other women have been having, I am CERTAIN that this is the cause of all of these problems.

I would like to thank all of you for opening my eyes to something that was so obvious. I have an appointment to have mine removed next Friday (I'm not as brave as some of you ladies to take it out myself). I will keep you all posted on my progress.

I have to agree with the July 11th comments. This medication should not be on the market. I was on Toprol XL for years and experienced side effects from that. Then my doctor recently changed my medication and put me on Lisinopril. Within days I started to experience dizziness, fatigue, muscle weakness, insomnia, racing heart ( these attacks would last for 30-45 minutes following muscle weakness ), weight gain, and oh my goodness the COUGH. That would start shortly after laying down and I would go on coughing for 2 hours. Between the cough and the insomnia what was the point of sleeping. I have been to the doctor twice complaining of the symptoms and they look at me like I am nuts. The worst part is the racing heart episodes which make me feel like I am having a heart attack. The amazing thing is, after all the tests that have been performed since I started this medication, I am a very healthy person. So why is it the doctors I have seen,who have run all these tests, at the cost of my medical insurance, never thought that maybe it is the side effects of this medication. WHY don't doctors listen more and WHY don't they take the time to inform themselves of these medications before prescribing them. They need to LISTEN more to their patients, after all
we know our bodies better than they do. My blood pressure is 104-63 with a heart rate of 110. I am 53 yrs old and my blood pressure should be between 129-142. Don't you think there should be a red flag some where?
This is where my trust factor is zero. I think the more medication doctors can prescribe the sicker it makes us. I can't speak for all doctors but I have seen 4 doctors and not one of them seemed to be looking out for my best interest. DON'T START THIS MEDICATION. Apparently there have not been enough case studies on Lisinopril. Oh by the way did you know that taking this medication increases your chance of a stroke by 60%. One more side effect. Thank you for this web site.

I was on Benicar for several years with no side effects whatsoever. I'm 42 with borderline high blood pressure and it worked great. I switched to Lisinopril in March/April due to the cost of Benicar and the fact I got laid off the first of the year and no longer have insurance. I discussed this with my Dr. and he recommended Lisinopril due to the cost. He did warn me the cough was a side effect but thought I would try it anyway.

At first everything was fine, but the past month has been a nightmare. Horrible cough, especially at night, the past few weeks I've got next to no sleep. I was sitting here at 1am last night unable to sleep and decided to do a search on Lisinopril side effects and found this forum. Needless to say, my eyes have been opened, as I have experienced a lot of these same side effects since starting the drug, but didn't really put it all together until reading these posts, and it's like looking into a mirror! The cough, the constant muscle pain like I exercised too much, occasion hip and leg pain I didn't have a few months ago, the "fuzzy brain" and listless feelings, I've experienced it all.

As of tonight I am stopping the drug, calling my Dr. and getting lined up for something else. As soon as I get some medical insurance back I'm back on Benicar, until then I'm getting off this stuff. I would rather watch my BP closely than keep coughing up my lungs like I'm currently doing. =)

I started to take Femcon about 3 weeks ago. I haven't stopped bleeding for 3 weeks, my heart feels like its about to explode, I'm nervous can't stop shaking, and my hair is falling out drastically. Instead of gaining weight, I'm losing weight cause I don't have an appetite. I sit in my house all day in darkness..no tv...trying to stay still cause the cramps are killing me. I have pushed away from family and friends. My mother told me that I have a bad attitude...which I didn't think I did but obvious I do. No sex drive and I can't sleep at night. I do not recommend this pill to anyone. I'm going to the doctor on Tuesday and I will get off of it. I don't have medical insurance but at this point I don't care...I just need peace.

WOW!!! I never knew that all my aces and pains were because the mirena. My knees hurt and I didn't know why!! I decided to check the Mirena side effects because i was experiencing a pain in my lower back like if it was my kidneys and i felt so thirsty all the time. I also gain so much weight and i didn't know why. I don't have a medical insurance so Ill try to remove it my self. I just hope i can loss all this weight.

Wow, finding this site was like finding light at the end of the dark tunnel. I was on Nuvaring for 3 months and during those first 3 months don't really recall experiencing any serious side effects besides any normal anxiety or stress from everyday life. But for the most part I was always able to get through anything somewhat difficult and stressful with a clear head. Well I had lost my medical insurance and so I stopped using it for about a month or so. I consulted my gynecologist and asked her to switch me to something else more affordable due to lack of insurance. She was going to prescribe me something like the pill for a 4$ RX from Walmart, but in the meantime gave me 3 samples/3 months worth of Nuvaring. On the first day of my period which was January 14th I put it in. These past two weeks I have been experiencing some serious depression and anxiety. Like most of the other testimonials, I have had serious mood swings, crying for no reason, negative for everything, the littlest task caused me anxiety, everything worried me, and just in general hating life. I couldn't think straight to save my life. I thought I was literally going insane. I was desperate for help, almost to the point of seeking therapy. I was ready for anything I had to go down the toilet. I was probably about to lose my job, my apartment, my car, maybe even the love of my life. FOR NO REASON. I started researching Nuvaring and remembered seeing the ad for the lawsuit. And after seeing this site and another site found some hope. Needless to say I took the ring out ASAP. I pray that this helps anyone feeling like I did, and that soon I will be back to normal.

i have been on aviane/alesse for about a year. i have noticed any side effects really. i took it because i have endometriosis which is heavy irregular, painful and emotional periods. the pharmacy keeps switching me back and forth from aviane to alesse which is suppose to be the generic brand. but lately i have noticed that alesse makes my cramps come back and i lose weight, while aviane makes me gain weight but feel better. i have noticed with both i get angry, but briefly, and its a million times better than when i would faint cuz of the pain, and take so much Tylenol that i wud hallucinate. i recommend anyone sick of trying so many brands of birth control pills, and sick of finding different side effects with each try Chaste- Berry (tree). its natural and amazing, but WARNING..it does increase fertility. but it has really helped. the brand i use is VITEX by lorna handerhaeghe. but if you really want to keep with birth control stay with the same one for least six months if your side effects are not bad. they do go away once your body adjusts. also some side effects may be because you are missing some vitamins that you need. ask to get tested at your doctor or naturalist. you would be surprised. for those that live in dark and dreary winter climates, most of us miss some vitamin D. a lot of us miss calcium which makes it possible to absorb vitamins. you can get your medical insurance to pay for chaste berry if you get a letter from your doctor.i wish you all luck!

I had Kenalog shots many years ago, beginning in 1969 for the initial onset of terrible hay fever when I was a senior in high school. It was wonderful at the time because the shot cleared up all hay fever symptoms. I probably had the shot, in the hip, once a year for a couple more years. I did not notice any dimple or change in the skin or muscle at the injection site. I stopped getting the shot because I didn't have any medical insurance. Then around 1993, with medical insurance restored, I decided to have a Kenalog shot again when hay fever symptoms kicked in (August). The hay fever symptoms were relieved, but to my surprise, my leg and feet muscles were cramping terribly off and on all day for several weeks. My legs have been very sore to touch now for many years and I wonder if it is a result of the shot. My understanding is the Kenalog medicine is in an oil base and is stored in the fat tissues of the body or the liver for slow release over a period of a few weeks. As with everyone else who has listed here, any potential side effects or instructions to be on the look-out for side effects was not communicated or initiated by my physician.

I'm 23 years old, and a mother of 2 children under 2. I had my Mirena placed in September 2008. Since the placement, i have had extreme bleeding and clotting for 20 days straight in the beginning. my doctor said that was normal and that it would subside, which it did, but i was still having the abnormal bleeding throughout. That wasn't a concern for me, it started with the strange pains that i would get, it felt as if something sharp was poking my insides, my boyfriend also would feel it during intercourse, and at times it would be so painful for him we had to stop. That has ruined our sex life. Just recently i have developed lower back pains and didn't know where it was coming from, i thought maybe because I'm constantly picking up my 7 month son who weighs as much as his sister who is 2. But then the depression started kicking in. I feel so lost. I cry out of no where, and I'm always tired, and have no motivation, or desire to care. I feel like everything is falling down around me, and i have no control over it. I snap out of no where with anger. I'm a stay at home mother, and i feel trapped every day. i love my kids, but lately i feel like I've lost who i am, and it's effecting my relationship with my children, not only that but with their father. i feel myself distancing myself from him. I don't really have anyone to talk to about anything, and sometimes i just wanna run away from everything in my life. i used to be such a fun person, always laughing and happy, but now i feel like I'm not me, like I've changed completely. i thought i was loosing my mind until i thought maybe this is all a side effect from Mirena? My doctor did not warn me of this so i wasn't sure until i found this website. I can't believe everyone is experiencing the same thing! as of now i don't have medical insurance, and i want this thing removed! I'm in the process of getting insurance so i just hope that i can cope with this a little longer, because i feel like I'm gonna lose myself entirely

I was prescribed singulair for asthma 7 years ago in my late 30's. I experieinced mild side-effects first including vivid dreams/nightmares, insomnia mixd wiht bouts of over-sleeping for work, runny nose, etc.

Then I developed a series of kidney infections, increased irritability, lack of concentration and heart palpitations.

Depression set in, along with the obsession of shotting myself in the head, running away to far away places, and risk-taking behavior.

I became difficult to work with and left a good paying job/career and suffered increasing irrational teenage rebellious behavior that i chalked up to a mid life crisis, until the suicidal idealization and late night insomnia and cutting hateful things into my skin with razor blades set in.

Then I left another job and had no health care. In months my outlook improved and problem-solving reason returned. A year later, with new medical insurance, I renewed my prescription, only to find the bad thoughts and gloom returning.

Within weeks my doctor and pharmacist warned me about the suicidal side-effects of the drug.

Now that my life is a train wreck, who do I sue?

I cant imagine subjecting a child to this medication.

Please seek alternatives and protect your children.

I am astounded that this study of old data is being used to reinforce the message that Singulair is not connected to depression / suicide. The study is disputed by the fact that those suffering from the life threatening and incurable "Mental Illness Side Effect" see a complete return to normalcy within 7-10 days off the drug.

My own personal story, like many others, was a complete and total nightmare for my family over many years. In short, I went from a 10 year successful career as an art director with tremendous responsibility at a top international arts museum, to 2 years of full-time disability unable to leave my home with crippling anxiety/panic/depression. I was very lucky to have a loving wife and supportive doctors intervene before I took my own life.

The last few years is a blur of toxiPharmacological hell. A frustrating long string of tests, medications and treatments were attempted without any success... much to the consternation of my care givers. Not one of the dozens of doctors that I saw raised any question about the 10mg of Singuliar they knew I was taking daily.

Financial ruin, forced me off medical insurance. So I stopped all the psychoactive medications and came full circle back to suicidal ideation with more determination. A few months later, in March of 08' I could no longer pay out of pocket for may asthma medication Singulair and was surprised to find the mental illness begin to lift. A few days later the stories broke on the wire that this drug was perhaps connected with the unfortunate suicide of Cody and other teens. A week or so later, I felt myself again after many lost years.

Merck may have quietly updated the patient info several times over that period, but they made no attempt (still haven't) to reach out to prescribing doctors and pharmacists to let them know about potential issues. It seems that Montelukast interacts differently in individuals, and while it may be beneficial for many folks it is criminally dangerous not to increase the awareness of the side effects.

My General Practitioner pointed out that the original Montelukast study was quite large as these things go, but considering that it is prescribed to millions of people it is truly an irresponsibly small fraction sampled over a short period of time. Adding insult is the fact that these studies are conducted by the very company that seeks to benefit from positive findings.

The ALA has done a terrible disservice to the people the ought to represent. Downplaying the verifiable risks of suicide by recycling old data is completely and totally heartbreaking. I am ashamed to say that since I've been off the drug, I have been so preoccupied with trying to rebuild my life that I haven't been as forthcoming an advocate for the issues associated with Singlair. Misbelieving that others would take up the charge of spreading awareness and information so that new patients and their families would at least know the risks and be ever watchful.

Since that no longer seems the case, I offer myself and my well documented medical experiences with this drug, to anyone trying to get the message out. The media will pounce on the ALA study, giving many families a false sense of security.

Be well.

I found this site as I want to read on the side effect of this Kenalog which was injected to my face by the doctor to reduce the size of two liquid cists (apparently only one injections). After the injection, I had my period which is only 15 days after my last period, which never happened to me as my cycle is always longer than 30 days and is very regular. Per the doctor, I thought the "cist" would be gone in few days. It did not and instead, I experienced rashes on my entire body and after one week, my ankle and knee was swollen and it was rather painful and I can hardly walk around for two days. Together with the swollen on the leg, the injection on my face is also swollen up and my face looked really in bad shape. I went back to the doctor and I was given one week of antibiotics to drain away the "infection".
Since the cist is still on my face and it really bother me as it is red and very itchy, though my face is not that swollen / puffy anymore. I came back and see the doctor again to have him cheked up on my face. He just gave me one month of antibiotic. I have no idea that having that injection would cause me so much troubles.
It is now more than a month after the injection, my face has a hole as that was injected with kenalog and the other cis on the face is still there. The worse thing is that the cist is is getting very itchy and it was not so before the injection. I am still patiently taking the antibiotic and promised to comeback and see the doctor after one month.
I still having pain on my join and reading your comments, I realized the pain is definitely associated with Kenalog.
I'd love to hear more from you on how things turn out. Thank you.

I was on the Depo shot for a while then my hair started falling out! I switched to Desogen and now i have absolutely no sex drive what so ever. I mean when I say no sex drive I mean NONE. When me and my boyfriend so have sex it's like it hurts so bad. Then I have this constant discharge all the time. I Don't know what to do. I would love to come off of it and see a regular doctor but I don't have medical insurance. I hate all hormonal birth control methods..

I had Mirena put in after I my second baby. The doctor who seemed concerned because I was literally pregnant for two years in a row said I aught to use a form of birth control that would allow me to get on with my life without another pregnancy. I thought she was right since having two babies back to back really did a number on me. I gained like 45 to 60 pounds on my pregnancy. And right after my second baby, I had mirena put it. It's been four years and since then, and things have been really bad. I have major depression, I am very moody, and I feel lazy. I feel so tired and over weight. After attempting to loose weight with a combination of diet and exercise I realized that it's not working, Mirena is keeping from actually loosing weight and more than this it has contributed to my weight gain. Fatigue is also a factor, there are days I struggle to get out of bed. I'm only 27 and I feel so old, and fragile. The problem is I got Mirena put in when I had medical insurance, a year after my husband lost his great job. Now he works two jobs and still no medical insurance. What am I going to do since I have been wanting to be this removed. Anyway I am still glad that I found this website and read about others. And I noticed we SO MUCH IN COMMON......I'm not alone!

I was prescribed 500 mg, twice a day for 5 days for a UTI. Immediate side effects were insomnia, restlessness and feeling sick to my stomach when taken without food - but I didn't really think twice about it. Approx 2 days after my first dose I woke up, was making coffee and got a sharp, VERY painful feeling in my abdomen. Ran into the bathroom and was shocked to see blood in the toilet, along with what appeared to be mucous. The pain went away and I just didn't feel "good" the rest of the day. Went to the bathroom twice with nothing until it happened once again. I went from thinking I had hemorrhoids, cysts, diverticulitis, etc. and almost went to the emergency room until we read the insert that came with my prescription. All of these were clearly listed in it. I stopped taking immediately and it has not happened since. I feel back to normal.

I am a healthy and active 26 year old who couldn't believe this happened. I am now taking Florastore (a probiotic you can buy behind the counter at any pharmacy) and eating Activia yogurt. Wish I had seen this message board before I began taking Cipro.

My Mirena Removal....
So i posted here a few weeks ago after I found this site. I had EVERY side effect listed and was so freaked out that i immediately made an appointment for removal.
For those of you reading and wondering what the removal is like..
Well, NOTHING like the insertion. I was so so nervous and it was over before we actually started. The DR was surprised that i was back in his office to have this removed. He then proceeded to do an ultrasound to be sure it was placed properly before removal. And yes, all was OK on the position of it. I explained to him my reasons and he looked at me like he had never heard this before. I honestly can not imagine with all the women he sees that NONE of them have complained. But...as I was getting dressed afterwards, I took a good look in his office. There was Mirena literature ALL over the place. In fact, that was the ONLY thing he was advertising. Not to mention...they made me pay up front with the insertion back in Nivember...billed my insurance and I still have yet to receive my reimbursement. Oh yeah, and that...they charge more than the actual Mirena costs, then they bill your insurance for the price they know they will pay and the DR then makes about $150 profit. Nice.
Ok, back to my side effects post Mirena. The removal was not painful at all. I did spot for about a week- nothing too heavy but it was clotty and def there.
A couple of days after the removal it felt like I was coming out of my skin something terrible. I figured this was my body adjusting to the lack of hormones. I also had some headaches.
It has now been 2 weeks and the spotting has disappeared. I also can see the bloating of my stomach is starting to go away. It looked like I was about 4 mos preggo while I was on it. I also have an increased sex drive. And sleep-- well let me tell you, I have not slept this good in a very long time. I am actually sleeping more than 6 hours now and the night sweats have also discontinued.
I can't believe EVERY time I come to this site and look up Mirena ALL the people that have posted their experience as being negative. Yet, the DR looks at me like I am crazy! I have been seeing him for years and I have never complained about something like this. I really am so happy that I have it out and wish I would have done my research on this prior to insertion (which was one of the most painful things ever!)
So..for those of you out there that are either contemplating having it inserted...I say NO WAY. And for those of you out there that are nervous about the removal or not sure..I SAY YES, DO IT! For our bodies to be reacting this way, it is clear to me that it should not be inside of us. Listen to your bodies...they really do speak to you and let you know when something is not right. Forget about the DR saying it is safe or he has not heard of any of these side effects...YOU be the judge.
Good luck! And I promise it gets better once you get that lil' demon out!
Mona

My 10-year old son was prescribed Advair in Nov 07, along with Singular for his asthma. Soon after taking Advair I noticed a change in his behavior, very moody, quick to anger and was unable to concentrate on tasks. His was having trouble with his grades at school, he went from being a A student to getting C's and D's and even one F on his schoolwork. He also was having trouble walking and could not even run without tripping, he also developed a shaking in his left arm, and he was unable to use his left arm at all, just like he had lost all strength in it. He had the symptoms of someone suffering from a mild stroke. After realizing these stomymns were not going to go away on their own, we took him to a peditriction and they ran blood tests and scheduled a MRI for him.

In the meantime, when the stomymns did first start he even told me that he did not feel like himself, so I immediatly took him off the Advair and Singular. He did go back to taking the Singular again,with the doctors ok. He had been on that the year before without any side effects, so I knew it was not causing the problems he was having.

He went off the Advair at the end of Nov. so he was basically only taking Advair for about 2 weeks. He had a scheduled MRI the first of January. Right before his MRI, we noticed that he was improving; his walk was getting better, he didnt get frustrated so easily, his grades were improving and he was beginning to use his left arm again. He was able to open bottles, no longer dropping things, was running again and was just back to his old self. We went ahead and did the MRI, just for a piece of mind, and everything came back fine. It is late March now and you would never of knew what he had went through. But it did take almost 2 months before the Advair was completely out of his system and all the side effects had stopped.

I would never recommend anyone taking Advair, if I would have left my son on that who knows what kind of permanent damage it could have caused. I am glad he was old enough to tell me that he was not feeling right and I went with my mother's intuition and took him of Advair then. I know have my bright, happy and physically fit son back. Stay away from Advair..

This is only the 3rd day I'm taking Singulair. Tonight when I got home I quickly did a search for Singulair side effects. Here is what I had been feeling.

1) Extreme deep neuromuscular pain in my neck and shoulders and extreme pulling muscle tension along the length of my spine.

2) Thoughts of paranoia.

3) Extreme irritability

4) Heart palpitations

5) General feeling of malaise

6) Feeling that there is some toxic substance in my body ...

It is the Singulair!

7) Very very bad case of indigestion and upset stomach

I am a 25 year old woman with so many inhalent allergies that every allergist I've seen is surprised by it. I just got medical insurance that allowed me to start seeing an allergist and taking prescriptions again. I was put on Zyrtec, Astelin, and Singulair.
For the first time in my life, I am agry all of the time (rage-like), but then I swing back to being normal. I can't explain it. I also experience hypersensitive skin that sometimes feels like it's burning and even developed a terrible rash at first. I have the same troubles sleeping at night and feeling tired during the day no matter what time I take the medicine.
My doctor does not believe this could be caused by the medication, but there are no other explanations, and these reports of side effects are the only things that make me feel like I am not insane.

Have been on Zoloft for two years now. Taking 50mg daily. Recently I tried quiting cold turkey due to being fatigued all the time. Also because I was getting frustrated when every time I would get a prescription filled, they would give me 100mg pills that I would have to cut up.So in reality, I wasn't taking exactly 50mg every day. What a joke these insurance companies are to allow that. I also was able to get a 90 day prescription fill and now it has changed to 1 refill every 30 days due to my medical insurance changeing their policy on refills.What a mistake it was to quit cold turkey. After the 5th day of not taking zoloft I became a basket case. I started getting these brain zaps every so often, (feeling very numb at times). I have no choice now but to stay on this drug. Its like night and day when I don't take zoloft for more than a few days. I know now that I will be on this drug for the rest of my life. The down side for me is fatigue and decreased sexual desire but the pros heavily outweigh the cons. I will try decreasing my dosage from 50mg to 25mg daily to see if this will help my fatigue problem. Has anyone tried doing this? I truely believe that Zoloft has saved my marriage.

i was given a 10-day regimen of 250mg Levaquin for a pesky respiratory infection with fever. Day2, infection cleared up and fever gone, feeling better. Day4 (today) my feet have swelled up with lump-like mounds on the sole, very similar to 2 adverse allergic reactions to e-mycin anti-biotics some years ago (except reactions occurred day 1.)

This site is scary (what with all the bad reports.) But with my medical insurance dropped, i think i will tuff it out a few more days, despite some other incidental discomforts that may well just be anxiety. Wish me luck!! - Jay (PS thanks for the site)