Message boards symptoms and conditions

I am on my first pack of Loestrin 24 Fe. So far I am already having mood swings, some depression, crying for no apparent reason, and spotting. No headaches so far. But I have been on other BC's before and this is not the only one with side effects. Yasmin was the first BC I was on and it did the same thing to me for the first few months. Once my body got used to it, all of my symptoms went away. I am hoping the same will happen with Loestrin. But the important thing to remember is that everyone's body is different and if the BC your on isn't working for you, then talk to your doctor about trying something else. There is no one perfect answer for everyone. I have read many of these message boards about different BC's and this one is the same as the rest. Some do well on it and some don't. Talk to your doctor.

I have been on Singulair longer than I can recall... at least 10 years, maybe longer. My 7 year old son has been on it since he was probably 12 months old. Neither one of us have had any problem reported here. No depression, no sleeplessness (until I weaned him from naps, he slept up to 13 hours a day), no leg cramps, nothing. We are two of the happiest, most well adjusted people you could know. And, best of all, we haven't had any asthma attacks. Bottom line, different drugs react differently in different people. Don't let the post here stop you from trying a medication that for some could mean the difference between life and death depending on how asthmatic they are. As with any drug recommended by your doctor, try it. If you experience adverse reactions, stop it ASAP. It's that simple.

I am so happy to have found these message boards...I thought that I was going crazy until I found out that other people have had similar experiences.

My doctor recently prescribed Loestrin 24fe after I noticed some depression and moodiness symptoms I experienced while taking Yaz.

Two weeks after starting, I experienced this sudden anxiety feeling that would not go away.I have never had any anxiety problems. Knowing that the moodiness was connected to the Yaz last time, I read the info that came with the Loestrin...Sure enough nervousness is listed as a possible side effect of birth control pills.

10 days into the new pack, I decided I just could not take them anymore so I stopped. I just wasn't myself and it was quite frightening. I completely lost my appetite and could barely eat a thing. I lost over 5 pounds in a week, which is totally not like me. I was constantly jittery and had this nervous feeling in my stomach. I was nervous about everything, with no reason to be.

It's been about 5 days and I am finally feeling like myself again. This has been the worst experience, as many other people experienced doctors' offices with nurses who try to tell you must have a problem, it's probably not the pill, and you should go see a therapist, which only makes you feel 10X worse and crazier. The moodiness and depression I felt while on Yaz was bad, but this was so much worse.

In addition to the anxiety, I also experienced terrible headaches on both Loestrin and Yaz.

I know that each pill affects each person differently, but if you are feeling any unusual anxiety, nervousness, or depression, stop taking this pill immediately.

I am so happy to have found these message boards...I thought that I was going crazy until I found out that other people have had similar experiences.

My doctor recently prescribed Loestrin 24fe after I noticed some depression and moodiness symptoms I experienced while taking Yaz.

Two weeks after starting, I experienced this sudden anxiety feeling that would not go away.I have never had any anxiety problems. Knowing that the moodiness was connected to the Yaz last time, I read the info that came with the Loestrin...Sure enough nervousness is listed as a possible side effect of birth control pills.

10 days into the new pack, I decided I just could not take them anymore so I stopped. I just wasn't myself and it was quite frightening. I completely lost my appetite and could barely eat a thing. I lost over 5 pounds in a week, which is totally not like me. I was constantly jittery and had this nervous feeling in my stomach. I was nervous about everything, with no reason to be.

It's been about 5 days and I am finally feeling like myself again. This has been the worst experience, as many other people experienced doctors' offices with nurses who try to tell you must have a problem, it's probably not the pill, and you should go see a therapist, which only makes you feel 10X worse and crazier. The moodiness and depression I felt while on Yaz was bad, but this was so much worse.

In addition to the anxiety, I also experienced terrible headaches on both Loestrin and Yaz.

I know that each pill affects each person differently, but if you are feeling any unusual anxiety, nervousness, or depression, stop taking this pill immediately.

I received all three of the gardesal shots. The first three were painful, but about two weeks after my last shot I developed a golf ball size lump at the injection site. My entire upper arm has been tender to the touch, tingling and numb. I called the doctor who states that is must be something else. I am positive it is from the shot. I will be monitoring the swelling, and if the pain woresens, seek different medical attention. Has any one else experienced this problem??

Wow - I'm so glad I found this site. I am 43 years old and had a PE last August in both lungs - every test imaginable has been done and still no idea why I got the PE. I should be on Warfarin for the rest of my life but I can't stand it much longer. I have headaches every day, cold sweats, dizziness, can't remember things, can't concentrate at work and the WEIGHT GAIN! My doctor just tells me to eat healthier but watch those leafy greens! I get no support at all from her. She also put me on Cipralex for depression and I'm now considering going off both medications and seeing a Naturopath. I'm sick of feeling like I'm 80.
L.

I had Mirena inserted about 6 months ago and I am getting it out next week! The convenience of the IUC does not outweigh the side effects in my opinion. First of all it was extremely painful when it was inserted! I almost fainted walking out of Kaiser and layed curled up in bed for the rest of the day. Then I spotted for 3 months straight. I have also experienced acne ever since it was placed and I have never had breakouts this bad in my entire life and I'm 24. I also feel moody and bloated, and this is strange but I started lactating. The doctor said this could be a side effect from Mirena. The product should have been studied more before being released to the public. In my opinion it is not safe. I'm upset that many side effects are not listed about the product and after reading the message boards I am afraid of what else might be happening that I might not be aware of. If I would have known about all of these side effects I would have stuck with birth control pills. I read about miscarriages occurring after Mirena had been taken out and I really hope that's not true because I have no kids of my own and would like to someday. I would not advise to get Mirena. Please save yourself the misery and choose another form of birth control.

I have had the Mirena for 3 months now and absolutely love it. I have had no problems whatsoever. I read these kinds of message boards before hand and was a little worried, but after talking to a doctor and understanding that it is really only a handful of women that experience these bad things, I went ahead with it. I had a little bleeding for about 3 or 4 days, which is normal, and that's it. It depends on the woman and her sensitivity to the product and the way her body reacts. Also on the doctor who's inserting the Mirena, their experience with them. My periods are getting lighter and no cramping! It's been a great decision for us.

I've been taking Adderall XR 30mg per day for two years. I've gained 20 pounds and feel terrible. My doctor keeps telling me he doesn't know why I'm gaining weight. That is making me feel even worse!!! Can anyone tell me what's going on??? I also take Wellburtin & Lexapro. Before I took any of these medications, I asked the doctor if I could gain weight from them. He told me that these particular drugs do not cause weight gain. The thing that's so frustrating is, I was put on these drugs for anxiety and depression (results of an abusive marriage). How can I begin to feel better about myself if I'm gaining lots of weight? That just kills it for me. Can anyone out there offer some advice? My doctor won't even let me take an appetite suppressant. I take Adderall in the A.M. If I want, I can go right back to bed and sleep again. I also get hunger pains about 2 hours later!!! Help!!

I am having strong cramps this past week and I've had my Mirena in for almost 2 months. Wish I had seen these message boards before hand. My doctor did tell me it would take between 3-4 months for everything to settle down. Don't think I want to wait that long. Now I found out yesterday that I have an ovarian cyst...something that I didn't have 2 months ago. It really is an evil little device, isn't it? Too all of you that are having positive experiences...I wish it was me!

Hi I am a doctor practicing in Harley Street.

I would first like to point out how useful these message boards are. Many of these side effects such as depression were clearly NOT picked up in drug trials/testing. This is because of the very nature of the side effect, in the way that it may go unnoticed to a degree or not feel like a typical side effect one would receive from acne treatment.

However, this said i have heard of such side effects previous to this forum. Just recently i had an appointment with a young boy of 15 who reported his own noticeable mood changes after 2 months of using the drug.

I would strongly recommend any current users to visit their GP to discuss alternate options as not accepting depression as a side effect can lead to disastrous consequences.

Please get in touch if you have any more concerns - ******

Dr Mohinder F.

hello all, i've been reading your stories and feel i need to write mine too. i started taking Yasmin about 4 months ago. and i really do not know what to think. i haven't put any weigh on or got acne (which were my worries) and my periods got very light and completely pain-free. i did have constant but mild headaches (which i never have) and my sex drive has gone down (never had any problem before). more importantly, emotionally i am feeling terrible. i cry non-stop and i feel totally unstable. I am going through a lot of changes in my life (change career, country, new relationship, etc) so i thought i could be just that i am feeling stressed. but i think this is more than that. my anxiety has rocketed, I never felt like this before, I have racing thoughts almost constantly, panic attacks, and something that i think it's called 'depersonalization' - has anyone got anything like this? it feels like you're looking from outside yourself, if that makes any sense...not nice at all.
as I have a tendency to feel anxious anyway I really don't know whether the pill is causing this or not, but i feel i am going mad. as i read the postings i became more worried that it might be Yasmin
i went to the doctor who suggested to carry on for a few more months to see if the symptoms go away. i followed his advice (as those days i was feeling surprisingly well, and was optimistic about it) but i am still very concerned.
also, has anyone had a really bad depression/anxiety attack when taking antibiotics + yasmin? i could have killed myself that day. felt better when i stopped taking the antibiotics.
again, is it my mind...? or is it Yasmin...?
any comments would be really great

Posting my experience again.

You are not alone and your children are NOT hypochondriacs (something tells me small children don't even know what that means).

My 5 year old son was diagnosed with mild asthma and put on Singulair. Within a few months he began having uncontrollable fits of rage, displayed self-loathing behavior, had night terrors, and was inconsolable during these episodes. He became very destructive and was a danger to himself and our family. He even talked about killing himself and would say things like "I don't want to be in this life anymore" and "I want to kill myself". He would threaten my wife and his siblings and told them he wanted to kill them. It was a truly terrifying experience. Our pediatrician was clueless to these side affects and recommended we have our child go through a psychological evaluation. I knew this was not my child's normal behavior so I searched the internet for Singulair side effects and found some message boards where parents just like me were telling their stories of their children's aggressive behavior. I immediately took my son off the drug and within a couple weeks he was back to his normal self. He told us that he no longer has "that feeling inside of him". Five year old children don't even know what suicide is and to see my son talk like this was extremely frightening. He is a sweet, intelligent, loving boy who had never exhibited behavior like this until he went on Singulair. We have not seen this behavior after taking him off the drug. Please use your best judgment and connect the dots for yourselves.

READ THIS:
I'm posting this again for the sanity of the concerned parents on this board to let you know you're not alone:

My 5 year old son was diagnosed with mild asthma and put on Singulair. Within a few months he began having uncontrollable fits of rage, displayed self-loathing behavior, had night terrors, and was inconsolable during these episodes. He became very destructive and was a danger to himself and our family. He even talked about killing himself and would say things like "I don''t want to be in this life anymore" and "I want to kill myself". He would threaten my wife and his siblings and told them he wanted to kill them. It was a truly terrifying experience. Our pediatrician was clueless to these side affects and recommended we have our child go through a psychological evaluation. I knew this was not my child''s normal behavior so I searched the internet for Singulair side affects and found some message boards where parents just like myself were telling their stories of their children''s aggressive behavior. I immediately took my son off the drug and within a couple days he was back to his normal self. He told us that he no longer has "that feeling inside of him". Five year old children don''t even know what suicide is and to see my son talk like this was extremely frightening. He is a sweet, intelligent, loving boy who had never exhibited behavior like this until he went on Singulair. We have not seen this behavior after taking him off the drug.

My 5 year old son was diagnosed with mild asthma and put on Singulair. Within a few months he began having uncontrollable fits of rage, displayed self-loathing behavior, had night terrors, and was inconsolable during these episodes. He became very destructive and was a danger to himself and our family. He even talked about killing himself and would say things like "I don''t want to be in this life anymore" and "I want to kill myself". He would threaten my wife and his siblings and told them he wanted to kill them. It was a truly terrifying experience. Our pediatrician was clueless to these side affects and recommended we have our child go through a psychological evaluation. I knew this was not my child''s normal behavior so I searched the internet for Singulair side affects and found some message boards where parents just like myself were telling their stories of their children''s aggressive behavior. I immediately took my son off the drug and within a couple days he was back to his normal self. He told us that he no longer has "that feeling inside of him". Five year old children don''t even know what suicide is and to see my son talk like this was extremely frightening. He is a sweet, intelligent, loving boy who had never exhibited behavior like this until he went on Singulair. We have not seen this behavior after taking him off the drug.

My daughter was taking Yaz as a predecessor to going on Acutane for acne. After a couple months began having severe nausea and vomiting which we thought was due to the Acutane (it is known to have potentially powerful side effects) so we took her off of that treatment. The nausea and vomitting increased to the extent that she had MRI, sonogram, and ultimately colonoscopy and endoscopy to determine if there was cancer, etc. All tests were totally clean...so doctors said it must be in her head. She was also having significant mood swings and almost a paranoia. That is when I sat down and tracked back to as early as I could the initial slight nausea symptoms occurred. Determine it started at the same time as this BCP. Looked up the message boards and was horrified to see what young women were going through. I immediately told her to stop taking the drug. Within one week, my daughter could eat again and her spirits were lifted. Nice to have her back after thousands of dollars in medical tests. Very frustrating that the doctors, who knew her prescriptions, did not see the potential. Because of this and another prescription issue, I will severely consider whether I or anyone in my family will use the 'latest and greatest' drug. Will ask for what has been tried and true.

Ladies I just wanted to let you know that I just got off the phone with BAYER regarding the Mirena. To file a complaint it is advised that you call this number (toll-free) 1-888-84-BAYER (1-888-842-2937) for the Adverse Department. Please, please call to file a complaint so that they have to send it to the FDA and we can get this ball rolling for a recall since they never listed the horrible side effects that we have had to endure.Make sure you keep documentations of what has happened to you and take pictures as well just in case a lawyers office takes on this case.Please reply to this email so that I know that we are on the same wave-length.

I came across this site when looking for information on Mirena lawsuits. I feel I should be part of one. I don't care about the money- just about getting this device off the market. Here's my story:

I had the Mirena inserted in April 2006 (eight weeks post birth of my first child). At insertion I had the usual pain. Nothing compared to birth! Within a week I was experiencing painful intercourse, foul odor, and stabbing pains in my stomach. I had lost a lot of baby weight by this time, but now that I look back, I really didn't lose much since. I worked hard just to stay at the same weight. I also developed a rash all over my body, which I later had diagnosed from a dermatologist as some sort of skin disease, usually caused by an allergic reaction- bad news- once you get it, you have it for life.

After several rounds of varying degrees of antibiotics (I was nursing at the time and for one round had to pump and dump), my doctors felt the infections were gone and I was okay. Soon though, I'm back in the office still complaining of these stabbing abdomen pains, painful intercourse, etc. My doctor tells me it's not the Mirena, it's something else. He convinces me to keep it in, after I asked to have it removed. (I'm the one who spent the money here, right?!) Now I have gone through PID diagnoses, you're in menopause diagnoses (I'm 24 at the time). They check to make sure the IUD is in place, and it is, so they basically write me off as crazy.

My next step is to go to my primary care and ask him if the stabbing pain could be something else- I do that and he sends me to a gastro doctor. I end up with a colonoscopy and endoscopy which reveal nothing wrong. After a few more months of pain, I go to a new GYN. This one says, let's do a new ultrasound and get the thing out. But unfortunately, I had to have shoulder surgery before he could schedule- so I'm out of it for a few months (and pain medicated so not feeling the pain down there).

In January 2008, I finally have the time to schedule to get the IUD removed. I get it out and it's not painful at all and I don't even bleed. I start menstruating normally again (hadn't had a period most of the time I had the IUD in). A few weeks later I start hemmoraging. I get an ultrasound. I have a mass on my uterus. I have surgery to get it removed. Biopsy comes back. It's benign (praise God). But, it's inflammatory tissue, cause from the IUD. More money down the drain and more time and mentally draining. Basically, the IUD got so infected that the tissue formed around it and attached to my uterus. YUCK.

Now I'm not one for lawsuits, but if ever there was a product that shouldn't be on the market- I'm going with the Mirena IUD. Every girlfriend I have that has had it, has had it removed within the first year (save my mother- but she had that old IUD in her for over 20 years-another yuck).

It's a money making machine for doctors and the drug company. And it's a super-pain. I'm feeling so much better and I'm losing weight again! Now if I could get rid of this rash! (Not likely!)

I've had my Mirena for about 15 and a half months and I am having it removed today at 2 o'clock. At first I had sharp pains when I would sit down and I felt like the cords were poking me and irritating me. My OB/GYN requires patients to come back one month after having it put in so he can check it and make sure it is still in place. At this visit he also trimmed the cords although he acted like he didn't believe me when I told him that I could feel them poking me when I sat down and that it hurt. At first I didn't notice any bad side effects, but I did have one good one: my periods stopped, but I still had occasional and sporadic spotting. I didn't think to look for any bad side effects because I got the device under the impression that it had no bad side effects. I thought it only had a rare complication of perforating the uterus, but since mine was in place at the one month check, I didn't think about anymore until I started thinking about having another baby recently. I went online to see if I had to have a doctor remove the Mirena or if I could do it myself, and I found out that it's best done by a professional because bad things can happen and then you'd have to go to the doctor anyway. Plus, I didn't want to hurt my chances of having another baby. While online I discovered this whole world of message boards where women were having a lot of the same problems I'd been having in recent months and they all blamed their Mirenas. Some claimed that their problems had gone away since having it removed. I never thought to link my circumstances to the Mirena, but when I saw how many women are having the exact same problems as me I knew that I needed to go ahead and get mine out ASAP. Here is a list of my side effects, and I've found other women have had them as well with Mirena: weight gain, bloated stomach, depression, short temper with husband and daughter, acne, low sex drive, spotting, cramps, constipation, and back pain. There may be more, but I can't remember them all right now. Some of them may not even be related to the device, but I've read of so many women with Mirena who are having or have had the same issues, so I suspect a link between my problems and Mirena. I hope this helps someone out there looking for answers. God Bless!

I'm glad I came on this site.. My GYN gave me Femcon FE because he saw that I have a cyst on my left ovary. I hard horror stories about birth controls, like weight gain, acne, and nausea.. I am afraid of all three of those.
He told me to start taking them over the weekend and I asked him will there be any side effect and he told me that I would like the pill.. I just gave him a look and said I will be doing some research on this pill and if I read any stories about bad side effect I will not be taking them.
So thanks guys for your comments...
I WILL NOT BE TAKING THIS PILL..
I'll just wait for the cyst to disappear on it's own.

i think this website is fake. you guys didnt have these side-effects! i mean, i took it 30 minutes to an hour ago all it did was make my legs give out and i feel A LITTLE dizzy. that's it. don't be dramatic people! i think the same guy wrote ALL these entries

I have been taking Toprol for about a year for elevated heart rate. It slowed down my heart allright, and my metabolism slowed down with it! I've gained 20 lbs in a year! I joined Weight Watchers 9 weeks ago expecting to lose about 10 lbs by now. I keep a food journal, eat per the program and exercise 5 times a week. I have lost NOTHING. It is very depressing when you do everything that you're supposed to to lose weight and nothing happens. I am going to discuss other alternatives with my physician.

Its funny because I always thought all my symptoms were just 'me'. But now I am highly doubting this. I was on some heavy birth control quite a few years back and it led to severe panic attacks. So I was switched to yasmin, which seemed to help, and I had the most clear skin I've ever had and no break through bleeding, but I was quite emotional on it. After reading everything on these message boards a few months ago, it really got me worried that Yasmin was contributing to my side effects (oh and 0 sex drive by the way too), so I was switched to lessina/alesse. I am in my second pack, second week, and I am feeling like I am losing my mind. I have half my sex drive back, more acne, and more panic. I am worried I will never find a good balance with any pill. Anyone actually have a good experience with a pill, any recommendations? I wouldn't recommend these two, but everyone reacts differently. Please, any recommendations at all??

I started Yasmin 6 days ago after having my Mirena IUD removed for excessive bleeding. From day 1 I did not feel right and each day was worse. I experienced constant dizziness, mental cloudiness, fatigue, irritation, and hearing problems. Today, a half an hour after taking Yasmin for the 6th day I went numb allover, was unable to walk, and my hands twisted and stiffened. Fortunatly my Husband was home and rushed me to the hospital where I was stabilized and later releases. Many tests were run in the hospital and nothing was found to be abnormal. Needless to say, I'm throwing these away and intent to write to as many of these message boards as possible.

Actually I'm thinking about going on celexa and I was wondering if anyone has heard of "Lexapro"...it's like celexa only it's been said to cause less side effects. Either way, I want some advice from anyone who is on either of these or has tried either one. My story is this: I'm 24 years old, I am the mother of a 17 month old baby and I have 2 step-kids. My husband's ex-wife is a nightmare and I am totally depressed just with life in general. I weigh 110 pounds and will FREAK out if I gain any weight because I've just always enjoyed being thin. I read an article on celexa and it basically said that only a small percentage of the people on it had significant weight gain...so maybe that small percentage of people are the ones who come on these message boards. I keep reading all these horror stories for all these different meds and I've concluded that the people seeking answers for their problems come on this web-site and read these side effect profiles...not the people who are happily getting on with their lives because their medication is working. So if there is actually someone who reads this who has something encouraging to say, please speak up! Thanx a bunch, R.N.