Menstrual cycles symptoms and conditions

I took Topamax 50 mg for about 2 months and experienced a change in menstrual bleeding. I wonder if Topamax effects progesterone levels. I had light spotting 5 days before period due for both months. This medication also made me very depressed and angry. I quit taking it about 5 days ago and felt the depression lift on the 2nd day after stopping the medication. This was my 2nd round for Topamax. My first time taking it I worked up to 100mg and lost 15 lbs in just a few weeks. I had no appetite. I also go very sick with a respiratory infection and dry coughing. I had menstrual problems with the first round too but didn't figure out if may be the Topamax until my 2nd round. It did help my migraines significantly. But I'm uncertain how if potentially messes up menstrual cycle. The warnings for the medication says "menstrual problems" but doesn't go into detail. Anyone else have menstrual problems.

I am 26 years old and I've had the Mirena for two years. I ended up getting it because my doctor told me it was so much more convenient than taking the pill and more affordable. In the beginning, I felt okay but after awhile, I started feeling nauseous and sick all the time. Six months ago, I started bleeding for a couple of weeks straight, but I figured that it was due Mirena and the effects of it with menstrual cycles. Just to be safe, I took a pregnancy test and it came out positive and I was planning on going setting an appointment to see my doctor, only to have to rush to the E.R. later that night with killer cramps. I found out I had an ectopic pregnancy (I never had an ectopic pregnancy nor has any of my family members) and had to go in for a laparoscopy. I asked the doctor in the E.R. if Mirena should be removed and he simply replied that there was no need to. I had severe depression for a couple of weeks afterwards. I thought I felt awful with my usual symptoms of Mirena, but then the symptoms got even worse. I began experiencing dizziness, irregular cycles, a total weight gain of 20 pounds (I've never had a weight problem and my diet never changed), and extreme moodiness. After all the things I've experienced and now having to worry that Mirena will only increase my chances of having another ectopic pregnancy, I really look forward to my appointment in getting Mirena removed!

Hi all, I first discovered this site back in May 2009 and posted on 25th June 2009.

I had my Mirena inserted in April 2007 after consultation with my Gyno and being told this is the best option available to me following constant bleeding and pain during menstrual cycles. Also had pollops removed during the same operation (which may have been causing the pain also). I was (like many) led to believe there were NO SIDE EFFECTS!!!! I can only assume we are part of some huge experiment??

I am 43 (soon to be 44 years old) with two adult children (18 and 21 years) and very happily married.

Like many others, my side effects are/WERE mood swings (recent panic attack - very scary!), headaches, abdominal pain, light bleeding for 2 - 3 weeks every month, fatigue and general feeling of unwellness, days of extreme sadness (would not classify it as depression), no interest in anything, almost complete loss of interest in sex, nausea, weight gain. Pre Mireena I had lost 35 kgs (approx 80lbs) with a lot of hard work. My gym regime and diet didnt change but I have still gained 15 kgs.

I use the "were" because I also made the decision to have the Mireena removed and like others was ready for a fight with my doctor.

No need to fight, my doctor listened to everything I said plus informed me she knows exactly what I am talking about because her two sisters had exactly the same problems and had the Mirena removed. Needless to say, THE MIRENA HAS NOW BEEN REMOVED. HOORAY!!!!

It has only been 8 hours so I don't really expect any miracles immediately although it would be nice to wake up and have lost the 15kgs I have gained.

To cut my very long story down, my doctor informed me of some interesting news about the Mirena. I was told at my age (43) to increase Progestron can send the body into Hormone overload, in fact we should be having more Oestrogen instead. The Mirena increases the amount of Progestron in the body, maybe that is part of the problem????

I am feeling so pleased to have the MIRENA OUT, will keep you posted on my progress. So far go good......no signs of bleeding yet.

hello ladies, i'd like to start off by thanking you all for your posts, i read before i started my first pack of loestrin 24 fe so i could see what i might be expecting with starting the pill. i went to the gyno for the first time back in june, i went due to other health problems. for my whole sophomore year i was sick, all of the time, i'm 16 years old, and school is a very important part of my life right now, but with being sick all the time, i was absent a lot. i was absent on each period, as well. my doctor knew something was up so he ordered a blood test, the test came back and my hemoglobin was very low, he had me take 2 iron pills a day for a month then sent me back for another blood test, after the second blood test my hemoglobin was back up, but my iron was still very low. he asked me questions about my menstrual cycle and i answered, they've always been very bad, really heavy bleeding and clotting for the 5-8 days i was on it, very bad cramping as well, and i was very tired, and dragged out while i was on my period, always ended up getting sick while i was on it as well, so he came to the conclusion that i was anemic because of my menstrual cycles, so he sent me to the gyno. mind you, this was my first time being there and i was terrified! haha, she gave me a pap & pelvic exam, then an ultra sound on my ovaries and uterus to make sure everything was normal before putting me on the pills, she put me on them because of the iron that they have in them and to slow my periods down. i'm starting my third week on my first pack of the pills tomorrow, and i for the last 2 weeks i've been very very irritable, the smallest things make me very angry at any time. and have had some crazy mood swings, one minute i'm laughing and happy, then the next i'm crying because i dropped something. i get bad headaches, and i always feel like i'm going to vomit. i don't have much of an appetite, and when i do try to eat, or after i eat i feel like i'm going to vomit. i've also had some cramping and a couple days of spotting, i've had some hot flashes as well, and my sex drive has slightly increased. i feel awkward saying that, haha. but, i'm not taking them for sexual reasons, just health reasons. and i hope that the pills end up working out for me and those health issues. & i hope they work out for all of you, too. :)

I was injected with Lupron and the shot last for three months. I had the shot in order to stop my periods to increase my blood count for surgery to remove fibroids. The first two weeks, I spent having a very light cycle. I'm 2 1/2 months in and haven't had one since. I have, however, had menstrual cycles and never had them when I had my cycles before Lupron. I have a high tolerance for pain, but I was constantly popping Motrin to deal with the cramps. I experience pressure in my head during the second month, but it has gone away. My sex drive sky rocketed since I've been on the shot, but I have some vaginal dryness. My energy has also decreased since being on the shot and I don't work out like I use to. The three months is almost up so hopefully I can get back to normal once it's over.

I had my Mirena put in August 2006. I got it because I had heavy menstrual cycles. It took about a year before my cycle slowed and then it was still a pretty good cycle. The past few months all I've done is spot. As far as side affects, my blood pressure has gone up and I am now running back and forth to the doctors for rechecks on my blood pressure. I told my husband I thought it was the Mirena. I have also experienced headaches and a lot of anxiety. As far as weight gain, I've gained weight. I workout, lift weights and watch what I eat. I'm beginning to believe the Mirena affects that, too. I am going to have it removed next week. Hopefully my blood pressure returns to normal.

My doctor thinks I might have PCOS, which is why I went in the first place after reading up on the subject. I've always had random periods, and if I miss a couple months, they can last up to a month with heavy bleeding. I thought it might be wise to go get some help in regulating. At 27, I'm tired of 15 years like this. She gave me Loestrin24Fe because when I took birth control in high school for about two weeks, I turned into a raging monster that would have attacked anyone.

I'm on my second week of the pack, and bleeding heavy. I have an opposite schedule than most people (I'm naturally a late night to early morning person and no amount of work changes it) so I take it when I get up in the afternoon (around 5pm). I've been bleeding the same way I bleed when I haven't had a period in four months. This? Is unacceptable. If I wanted unreliability, I'd have just avoided getting an OBGYN in the first place.

Reading the side effects and replies here, I'm also wondering if the weird episode I had last week is related. I woke up dizzy when I went to the bathroom. I remember getting dizzy twice in there at random times, nearly falling against my tub, and then falling in my bedroom, passed out for a couple hours. I also had a severe migraine, like no lights could be on, not even the computer as back lighting so I don't stumble in the dark. I'm lucky that I wasn't concussed, but this is just not okay.

Later today, I'm going to call my doc since I need to call my endocrinologist anyway for sick meds. And I'm stopping the pills today. I got off my bed after takeout last night, to clean up, and noticed this insane amount of blood underneath that bled onto the mattress. No more of this.

i am a healthy 21 year old and i really have not had any major problems, as someone said in one of their posts the good outweighs the bad, at least for me. My fiance and I are very sexually active and thanks to Nuvaring we are even more because we don't have to worry about condoms, or any other Birth control. One things i have noticed is that when i am suppose to get my period i get extremely moody and lash out at anything. i know that it happens because of the NR, but i also know when it's coming and how to try to normalize my mood. I was also instructed to use NR differently than most by my gyno. I'm not suppose to take it out until the 1st of the month and right after taking it out i out another in. the reason for this is so that i never get my period. this is done because of my really bad menstrual cycles to the point where i can not get out of bed for a whole week. i have been through a lot worse with my period so to me the NR is a walk in the park. For the first week i had it on i started to feel all the symptoms of a pregnancy (nausea, ovary pain, tiered, moody, emotional, crying) but i was told that is normal and it happens with all birth control. it did go away after about 1 month. with any medication there are side effects and sometimes the side effects are worth the pain and sometimes they aren't. i have not had anything close to some of the things i have read on here. i have never had a UTI with the NR even though that was a mina concern of mine. i have been getting those since i was 4 years old and i'm extremely susceptible to them. as far as acne i have never had such clear skin. not one pimple for a whole year. it's great.... i believe all this great fortune i have had is because of the way that i was instructed to use...

i still love it and hope that i don't get any other side effects now because i have been using it for a year only. hope everyone who is on it stays safe also.

I am 35 years old and recently have had a string of ovarian cysts, which did not disappear at the end of my regular menstrual cycle. After three menstrual cycles and continued cysts, my gynecologist recommended I go on birth control to rid myself of the cysts. As I had tried Loestrin in the past and disliked it, she thought I might appreciate a low estrogen solution and not a pill. She recommended the NuvaRing.

I started taking it 7 days ago. By the 4th day, I felt I had a yeast infection. By the 5th day, I was in such pain I could no longer walk. I felt itching inside and out, as well as incredible burning. My vagina is so swollen, I cannot wipe myself with toilet paper or dry myself with a towel after showering. I took it out on the 7th day and almost within 2 hours I felt the burning stop. The following day the swelling started to lessen. I can walk now, but the itching and inflammation may take some more time to go away. It is clear with my sudden improvement that the NuvaRing was the culprit.

If you experience burning, itching and swollen privates- STOP taking it!

I was so amazed to see so many people having the same side effects as I am. I thought I was just stressed out from working full time, being a full tine student in college and a single mother of a 3 year old. I have not had this much acne on my face since I was in high school and I am 28 years old. I have gained so much weight that most of my old clothes don't fit anymore and I don't have the money to buy new clothes. My mirena was inserted in May 2008. After reading these blogs, I think I will get it taken out, but I would hate to get back on the birth control pill and I had a bad experience with Nuvaring too. I read in a magazine that what Mirena does is make the uterus uninhabitable for the fertilized egg to grow, so this means we are pregnant every month and pass the fertilized egg out with our menstrual cycles.

I was on Yaz for 4 months. I didn't notice the terrible side effects of that unitl I sat and realized that my being anxious, worried and sad all the time was due to that stupid pill. I had no sex drive and my work outs were harder and harder to go to all the time.....so, I called my doctor and asked to be switched to something with less hormones. They suggested Nuvaring as it has less hormones than the pills we hear of. Well, I put it in last night....but after reading all these posts,,...took it out this morning....soooo, 55 bucks down the drain but sounds way worth it!!!! I'm only on them to help with endometriosis....who the hell needs no sex drive, weight gain, depression, headaches, vaginal dryness, constant worry and being tired to name a few side effects to supposedly help with our cycles???? I'll go back to painful perioids and being me. Good luck to you guys out there,,,,, Cheri

WOW! I was prescribed Yasmin after seeing a new doctor, believe it or not, it was prescribed to try to treat my iron deficiency anemia. He believes that having extremely heavy menstrual cycles is the cause of my anemia and said that the Yasmin will help that. Now mind you, i don't have ANY gyn type problems, no fibroids, no cramping, endometriosis, etc. So now, after reading all of your posts, it really seems wrong to have prescribed me this medication. I don't like taking medicines, usually treat things with herbs and such so I have been very apprehensive.

Today was the day I was supposed to start taking it, and I just didn't feel right about it, so I decided to research it on the internet. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to those of you who have taken the time to care enough about other women you don't even know to post your side effects. I AM NOT TAKING THIS CRAZY PILL!!!

I have four young sons, a wonderful husband and my life's purpose is to help other women as a inspirational speaker. I have way too much to loose by taking a chance on this pill. Ridiculous!!!!

I am sooo glad I prayed about this before just following the doctors instructions. Because I did, I didn't feel comfortable and I researched it online. GOD IS SO GOOD! TRY CHRIST!!

I have been on the NuvaRing for just about a month now - I'm due to take it out tomorrow in order to have my period. I haven't had any horrible side effects that I've read about here, but I have had brown discharge. No pain, but brown discharge, sometimes pink...Is this normal? I was just at the OBGYN and she said everything was normal, but I haven't heard anything about brown discharge. The only problem with this is that it's ruining my panties! :)

I'm a physician. Usually Kenalog injections can be avoided and oral steroids used like prednisone. The local dimpling effect may occur if the injection is too shallow, actually there is a temporary "disolving" of the subcutaneous tissue, the muscle and joints are not damaged. It is usually viewed as a "cosmetic" adverse effect. The Kenalog injections was primarily designed for joint injection and the kenalog or similar depo form stays active in the joint for a few weeks. All steroid medications can cause irritability and this is usually temporary for a few days. Steroids can cause muscle weakness- this is usually associated with high doses for prolonged use like being on prednisone for 3 or 4 months. Steroids can have an adverse effect on menstruation, but this is usually associated with chronic use. The most serious problems with the steroids result in bone weakness(osteoporosis) and serious damage to joints like the back and hip. Steroids can also result in weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure and cataract formation. I don't think Kenalog is any different than other steroids such as Medrol or Prednisone in terms of the side effect profile. These are dangerous medications that can also be very helpful in saving lives and diminishing pain.

I regularly chart my basal body temperature as a way of tracking my menstrual cycles. Prior to starting Neurontin, my cycles were very regular, though I had an abnormally short luteal phase. I've been taking Neurontin for a month now: 300 mg 3 times daily. Now my basal body temps change drastically from day to day instead of following the regular rise and fall pattern of my cycle, and my period is 4 days late so far. Have any other women experienced similar side effects?

my partner went on nuvaring about two and a half weeks ago. since then she has become severely depressed and lethargic. we had chalked it up to unhappiness at work and some emotional disappointments with her family, but after reading this we have become convinced that the nr is a major part of the issue. she just took it out and we hope that tomorrow she will wake up and notice a difference. also, although she does suffer from migraines, they were more or less under control until the past week. she has had headaches everyday and has had to take imitrex for them. she has been nauseous and has also had problems sleeping. she also cries alot. she is not normally a depressed person. in fact, she is normally really positive. this is a horrible drug. does anyone know of a good option for regulating menstrual cycles? she is not on this for bc, just to regulate her cycle. any advice is welcomed. thanks.

Flowerbabies-

Posted to the site you created as well to see if others would like to weigh in on this:

lowerbabies-

so heres is what I wonder. If the chest pain we are both experiencing is in fact due to the loss of magnesium as part of taking this pill, than how many other women that are experiencing that are having direct heart damage and being told that instead, to cover it up, that it is anxiety and stress? I mean seriously? Afterall, if magnesium prevents the heart muscles from spasming-and Yasmin causes a deficiency in magnesium ......then what, I am wondering is the link to the week before our menstrual cycles that this chest pain shows up?

There is an article in Health magazine I read called A Woman's Heart. Basically cites/talks about the fact that the public nor most doctors are taking the time to understand the single largest killer of women in America-Betsy Berne was the example they provided and that often women do not take themselves and doctors do not take women seriously enough. She ignores her chest pain for a week. Then is encouraged to see an internist who detects a murmur. This is true in my case as well...., then they did an electrocardiogram, and a chest Xray to discover that her heart was enlarged. An transeophageal echocardiogram (a more invasive test) that required she undergo open heart immediately.

This article goes on to state how many women are often not taken seriously who complain of chest pain and are often misdiagnosed with panic attacks while what's actually occuring is a misfunctioning valve between the left ventricle and atrium-with severe leakage and improper blood flow. Ordinary MVP is nothing to worrry about . They say it effects between 5 and 20 percent of population-mostly women.

In this article she also mentions that classic symptoms for women are: chronic fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, abdominal pain, dizziness, and swollen feet. Also advises that for women, who have smaller arteries than men, when they have a heart attack there is usually no plaque in their arteries-a heart attack is when one of the vessels occludes-and they're more prone to artery spasms.

Other symptoms/warning signs: uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, or pain in the chest that last more than a few minutes, or pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck and arms. Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating or nausea. Unexplained anxiety or weakness, palpitations, cold sweat, paleness. Shortness of breath, chronic fatigue, jaw pain. Isn't this alot of what many women are describing experiencing?

I received four injections of kenalog into the spiny processes in my lower back on May 26th 2005. On waking from the procedure, my heart rate quickened, my blood pressure fell drastically, my oxygen saturation in my blood fell to 84%, and I was in and out of consciousness. Two hours later, I began vomiting, developed a migraine, and began having heart palpitations. I was admitted to the emergency department the following morning where I was diagnosed with UNCONTROLLED ATRIAL FIBRILLATION and had to be cardioverted twice to get my heart working correctly. I was on betablockers for my heart for 2 months and am fine today. Like other posters, I also had erratic and extended menstrual cycles for about 3 months post injection. At the time, I was a 32 year old, healthy female with no history of cardiac problems.

I get yeast infections a few days before I start my period. Sometimes every couple months, once in a while two months in a row. Most of the time they are very mild & always go away on their own. Sometimes I dont have any symptoms at all. The only way I knew I had one one time was because it was detected during a pap smear. I never had any symptoms. But if I do get one, its always in the first few days before I start my period at the end of my menstrual cycle. I've read that this could be a side effect of BCP & also many women do sometimes get mild yeast infections at the end of their menstrual cycles. I'm wondering if there is a different BCP that I can try. Other than that, I have no other complaints.

thanks, gina

Hi! I am so happy that I found this website. I was on Advair 500 for over a year and had almost every side effect listed here. After reading the postings, I went to the doctor and demanded that he put me on another asthma medicine. He put me on Asmanex and I've been feeling absolutely wonderful for the past 3 months. Coming off the Advair was scary for me. I had tingling lips, fingers, and skin on my back for almost a week. I also had to use my albuterol every 4 hours during the same week. But other than that my list of symptoms quickly disappeared. Since then, I've only had to use my albuterol a handful of times, mainly on a humid day or when working in my basement or brushing my dogs. I had experienced so many side effects while on Advair that I started to feel depressed. When I asked my doctor's about the side effects, they told me that they weren't from my medications. Advair had caused me to have a constant cough, numerous episodes of bronchitis, hoarseness almost one week every month, severe asthma attacks, constant thrush and other throat infections. I also had my blood pressure up 20-30 points on average, which caused me to constantly feel anxious. I was extremely moody and snapped at my kids and husband very easily. I had trouble sleeping and night sweats. Since I couldn't sleep I was constantly tired. One of the worse effects was joint pain and muscle cramps. My hands and feet would cramp up like I had severe arthritis. Sometimes I cramped so bad that couldn't hold a fork or toothbrush. My legs would cramp so badly it would make me cry. My back ached and I got severe stomach cramps. I had horrible menstrual cycles which lasted for over a week. My elbows hurt so bad that I couldn't carry a bag through the mall. I also lost all interest in sexual relations. I also had jitters. My hands would tremble even when I wasn't holding anything. I also lost my appetite. Food didn't taste or smell the same so it didn't appeal to me. I had to force myself to eat. To say the least, I felt like I was falling apart. Within a few days of going off of the Advair I felt like a new person. I was pleasant to be around and had hope for the future. I am feeling great. My husband and kids are so happy to have the real me back. I strongly encourage everyone to try Asmanex and go off Advair. It's really made a difference in my life.

I have a deep indentation in the right gluteal muscle which appeared approximately 6 months after getting a Kenalog injection. I also experienced irregular, shorter menstrual cycles for those 6 months.

One more thing....are any females on Lisinopril experiencing any variations in their menstrual cycles? Since I have been on this medication, I have also experienced this problem

I too am glad to find this posting. I started taking yasmin to control heavy menstrual cycles. Everything went well until I got to the inert pills in the first pack. I took the pills at night just before going to bed. About two hours after taking the third inert pill I woke up thinking I was having a heart attack!
I called my Ob/Gyn, He referred me to the emergency room.
I have gone through three weeks of thinking I was falling apart. Panic attacks, shortness of breath, acid reflux, heart racing, spacey(can't remember things, feeling really strange)
headaches. nausea, flu like weakness and pain, pain in the neck, chest and left arm. I have been off the pill for three weeks and the symptoms are subsiding but I'm still having problems. My OB still thinks it's all in my head. Sorry, after reading about all the others experiencing the same things, I'm convinced it's the Yasmin.