Midst symptoms and conditions

The only majorly unwanted side-effect I have experienced on Yaz is hair loss. I have been on Yasmin and Yaz, off and on for about 4 years. In the midst, I have tried other birth control pills or gone without, and have noticed a significant hair loss that starts within my first 2 weeks on Yaz. Its to the point where I am shedding overly excessively and it is very very noticeable.

i had the most painful and frightening episode last night. thank god for the internet....the zocor stops today....after only a week or so of low dose....severe leg ,inner thigh muscle cramps and then last night...i must speak frankly,at the end of normal sexual relations, my climax spasm transitioned into a groin and lower stomach cramp that made me roll off the bed in pain and confusion,never have i felt such horrible mind numbing pain....took about ten minutes for spasm to release,still awful sore this morning....it's oatmeal and more swimming for me...just the memory of the pain and helplessness in the midst of it make me nauseous.

Yasmin basically ruined my life for the 6 months I was on it. I was 22 when I first started taking it, and for the first 4 months on it everything was great, then suddenly I started having extreme panic attacks - laying in bed shaking uncontrollably, my chest so tight that I felt like someone was sitting on me. Every other hour I felt like either crying or screaming or pulling my hair out. I started questioning everything in my life, including the great relationship I was in at the time. I was absolutely miserable to my boyfriend - either mean or crying for no reason. I had to miss work because I couldn't get out of bed because I couldn't stop crying in the morning. If I did go to work - I would have to run to the bathroom to cry. Eventually I ended up seeing a doctor and going on antidepressants. That didn't help either. Finally, I decided to take myself off of everything and just try to pull my life back together. It took about 4 months to get back to being myself. Needless to say, the boyfriend couldn't stick this one out, and quite frankly I don't blame him. Just a few days ago, I tried going on Yasmin again, thinking maybe it was just circumstantial last time - graduating college, new job etc. Literally, on day TWO of taking the pill, I felt all the symptoms come rushing back. I stopped the pill yesterday and feel pretty much normal again. PLEASE don't take this pill, and let anyone you know that's on it know how much this pill can ruin your life.

Wow! I cant believe other women have had these same symptoms, I started the NuvaRing about three months ago after I lost a baby very early in gestation, I swore I would never have to go through that again, so my doctor put me on the NR and I couldn't tell If I was still hormonal from the pregnancy or if it was the ring, But Im a wreck! Im so mean and hateful to my husband pretty much mean to everyone, I feel like this big mean lady walking around, and thats not me not at all I have crazy dreams, horrible anxiety, panic attacks and PMS from HELL. I have never been on birth control before so I have nothing to compare it to. But after reading this.Im really considering taking it out so I can be myself again.

I discovered this site last Wednesday morning - without taking the time to list all of the grief I felt reading through the pediatric postings, I will briefly note my 4 year old daughter has been on Singulair for 2 years now. What I now realize is all the behavior issues, night screaming, etc. are so easily dismissed as stages of a toddler. She has suffered (as well as our family) every symptom and behavior listed by parents on this site with the exception of leg cramps.

Our entire family can see the dramatic results since taking her last pill last Tuesday night. The melt downs and tantrums are all but over, she even commented "hey, I listened right away" on the second day without Singulair. She is still having night terrors - I call them that because they are in no way a dream or nightmare, but rather agonizing moments that break our hearts to hear. I hope those will soon go away as well so her sleep pattern results in a restful night.

Am I angry that we have all suffered for 2 years only to find we have been basically poisoning her? Am I angry that for the 2 years her dad and I have sunk pretty low, feeling inadequate as a parent to teach and discipline our child? Am I angry that after 20 years of marriage, raising a great 16 year old in the midst of all this, we were to the point of the ADD, bipolar, etc. theory that would have been misdiagnosed? Heck no, we are all so thankful to have come across this site and are so giddy and excited to be happy again.

What I am angry about is this - when I called our pediatrician last Wednesday and relayed what I had seen on the Merck website for side effects added in recent months she had not heard this information and asked where I saw it. At that point I had not seen this site. I asked her how is it the well dressed pharmaceutical reps come in with doughnuts, exotic trips, etc. to market a drug with "ABC" treatments and "XYZ" side effects, continue to market the drug and never update the doctors when original selling points are altered - ie; new side effects.

The FDA website is troubling for two reasons: Merck is in charge of their own investigation regarding recent complaints and the FDA expects this to take 9 months. Gee, who gets to investigate themself? Secondly, in February the site notes the FDA and Merck are trying to find the best way to communicate the concerns being investigated to prescribes and patients. HELLO - we live in a world of real time, instant communication methods, two examples being the United States Postal Service and an internet connection.

Today is April 30 - a full two months after "trying to decide how to pass this information on" and my doctor, nor my pharmacist have received any information. Apparantly since we missed the story and coverage on Dateline we are out of luck.

I plan to start from ground zero to get our voices heard to change the way, or the law if you will, to implement an immediate communication link between the FDA and prescribes when an investigation such as this has been initiated. I realize Singulair has most likely benefited more humans than it has destroyed while on the drug and the FDA would have to clearly not communicate "panic". However, when a drug is used for pediatric treatments we need information quickly to assess on behalf of our children. In my case, since my daughter had been on the drug since 2 years old, I do not know what her "normal behavior" should be as that is the age they start to develop and show personality. Additionally, when enclosed prescribing information is updated with a prescription -MARK IT IN RED, "UPDATED INFORMATION". I read every ounce of information that accompanies a new prescription for any family member. I would NOT, however read the information every 30 days for an ongoing, long term prescription over the course of 2 years.

I am looking for anyone that may have started contact with a congressional representative or otherwise to change the communication to our doctors. Please note - I am in no way interested in any legal action regarding Singulair and our nightmare. We are moving forward and do not wish to live the nightmare one moment more. I simply want to see our doctors and pharmacists have vital information as it happens.

Thank you to all for sharing your experiences - I truly believe it is changing lives and making a difference. I am personally telling everyone I know about what is happening with our child and all of yours. Andy by the way, by telling one of my long time friends our amazing discovery, she realized she had been suffering from depression for some time and chalked it up to various things going on in her life. She had her last Singulair last week and feels tremendous! So keep the word going!

Concerned Citizen; I just went to Singulair.com and the website is quite good. Any practitioner would know to look at the product PI which is right there and the pharmacokinetics section tells you how it works. Put your glasses on.

For the first time since my doctor perscribed Lupron for me, it has been terrible. The heavy bleeding, the anemia, the hair loss, the aches and pains, the headaches. I never had this problem in times past when I've used this before and it did not affect me to this magnitude. I have a history of endometriosis and fibroids, with 7 "lap scopes" and a myomectomy. I cannot explain why I've had such a terrible time with the injection this time.

I posted a few reports on this site a few months ago and just thought to let you know how I feel after 10 months off Jasmin: well I feel great and back to my old self again.
Do not despair Ladies, if you want to go off Yasmin, please do it. Here is an account of what happened to me when I went off Yasmin:

1/ finished my last pill and waited for my periods.
First 2 months: periods came regularly/ SYMPTOMS OF VERTIGO AND GENERAL UNWELL FEELING WENT.

2/3rd and 4th months: horrible muscle pains with cramps, and very sore upper right arm: I went to see a physio who advised that I should carry on (even if I could hardly walk) walking once a day (10mns) and swimming for 20mns a week, and he also gave me a 'theraband' (elastic band) to exercise slowly my right arm. Although it gave me pain, I persisted and I did the swimming once a week and the walking once a day.
EAR CONGESTION : no improvement /
HEART MURMUR AND PALPITATIONS / no improvement

5th and 6th months: pains in my calves stopped but muscles were still weak, I carried on walking and swimming
EAR CONGESTION: SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT
HEART MURMUR AND PALPITATIONS/ NEARLY GONE

7th and 8th months: I started to gain more strenght and more stamina in my regular exercises.
EAR CONGESTION: NEARLY GONE
HEART MURMUR AND PALPITATION / GONE

9th and 10th months: BACK TO MY REAL STRENGHT AND I MANAGED TO CARRY A HEAVY RUCKSACK ON A WALKING HOLIDAY IN ANDALUCIA / Since I came back I've been really energetic! full of good humour and in an excellent mood.
I still do my regular exercises to keep my muscles in good shape.

So ladies, please do not despair, it will happen to you also!
And since I went off Yasmin, I have decided to leave my body alone and will never put it under drugs anymore.
Also, I have not seen one doctor since the end of June last year !! SO YASMIN IS THE CAUSE OF ALL YOUR TROUBLES AND PAINS.

BEST OF LUCK (DO NOT BE AFRAID OF SUFFERING AFTER YASMIN!)
Sylvia

Guest, #36376-

I did go from 2.5 years of Yasmin, to one month of Yaz to the last 3 months of Orthocept and did NOT experience all the terrible anxiety and such alof of poor other women did. So, in my case, I'd reccommend it. I'm only now completely off for this last month and so far so good so it could be very helpful but as you know, each woman's body is different. you could give it a try...

I wish you well and please ignore all these terrible personlized/emotional responses from other women. We are all trying to help one another and in the midst of so much suffering it really is quite embarrassing.