February 17th
2009
1:20 AM
have to agree with Mrsbarrett's post right below mine...I have been a lurker on this board for the past couple of months and thank God for it or who knows how crazy i'd be right now!! Here is a list of my side effects and pertinent information:
DOI: October 2008
Side effects were gradual and most evident around the Christmas Holidays:
Dizziness
Weird eye/vision disturbance where i'd lose focus for a moment and then be okay.
Constant spotting of "old blood" nothing much but did require pantiliners 24/7
Anxiety
Hypertension (more than ever, like when I was pregnant, 150-170s/100)
Panic Attacks
Face Dryness
ZERO SEX DRIVE
No "natural" lubrication, but who cares when you have no drive, are spotting all the time, and it hurts to have sex
Vaginal Odor
Mood Swings
Depression
FATIGUE to the point of wanting to stay in bed despite having to care for my 7.5 year old.
Chest pains (kept thinking maybe I had heart trouble, had cardiac workup that came up PERFECT and bloodwork was perfect, Thyroid test was perfect)
Nausea (morning sickness type, would get slightly better in evening but not so much)
IBS symptoms (diarrhea)
DOR: January 23, 2009
2 days later heavy bleeding for a couple of days.....had somewhat of a "crash" the first week where I was still not better. By the 2nd week post removal I was still nauseated in the morning but improved in the late afternoon and got energy boost in late afternoon.By the 3rd week I was totally back to normal!!!!! (well what's normal for crazy me! hahahahha)
My husband came with me to the doc, and she had no problem with removal. I went back for a follow up this past Friday and she saw how normal I am and that I have lost several pounds as well. She realizes I am extremely sensitive to hormone changes but says i'm the only one that she has seen like that. (how many have problems that don't think it is the Mirena...that's what I want to know???)
Anyway, that's my story and i'm sticking to it!!! If anyone would like to chat or share please let me know. I will also add that I have a Masters in Physician Assistant Studies (just not practicing since becoming a SAHM) and so I looked up tons of information to figure out what was wrong with me, I really am thankful to have found this site....medical mumbo jumbo is NOTHING when you have your body telling you something and all you fine ladies......Thanks again!
~G
October 28th
2008
12:05 AM
i have been on prednisone for 5 years off and on and he moon face is there the hair loss the weight i really want to come off it so bad the asthma is a big issue in my life i wish they would come out with a better drug for us asthma patients the withdrawals i have been going through are the hair loss i use to have long thick beautiful hair thin face smaller body i am hoping some day i will get it all back
hopeful
October 15th
2008
6:09 PM
I had my 2nd child in June '08 and had Mirena placed on 8-8-08 with no discomfort or problems of any kind. I had already heard great things about it from two co-workers who LOVE theirs. This past weekend I finally started poking around on the computer because of my husband's constant complaints of the "whiskers" poking the head of his penis when we have sex. Lo and behold, I find this page and am BLOWN AWAY. I felt so relieved. I have never been one to have headaches, nausea, back pain or low sex drive. I had been attributing those things to a combination of being significantly overweight, having two babies under the age of 19 months and being on Prednisone (for rheumatoid arthritis). I also have been experiencing a lot of fatigue, night sweats/hot flashes, weight gain, swollen breasts, dizziness, swollen hands/feet, and crazy mood swings. I know that all of these symptoms can probably be explained away as being due to the prednisone, my weight, my life right now (two babies and working full-time) and any number of other things, but there are so many women who have Mirena who are reporting the EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS. I can't just be a coincidence. So anyway, I went to my doc today to have it removed and he, of course, told me that he doesn't believe that any of my symptoms are due to Mirena. I had it removed anyway, but he did tell me something I didn't know: the tiny amount of hormone is delivered locally, as opposed to oral contraceptives' systemic delivery in a larger amount. Go figure. In any case, I am disappointed and have mixed feelings, but I cannot wait to see if my sex drive returns and my lower back pain subsides. I also want control of my moods, weight and breasts again! We discussed the Essure, but I'm just not sure I'm ready to put something foreign in my body again right now. I don't want anymore kids (I'm 40 and have two already), but the options for 98%+ are limited. Everything seems to have a drawback. Oh well. I'll just be glad to see if the symptoms were related to Mirena. If not, I'll get it put back in.
-- By wendygirl68 | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
March 6th
2008
11:27 AM
As I read through these posts, I had mixed feelings between thinking they were a little too whiny (please, no offense) to too many memories sweeping back in.
Here is my story... I was on Yasmin for a few years, a few years ago, from ages 18-21. I am now 26. I'd always been active and in shape, no major health problems. At 19, I started to get weird leg pains, tingling and numbness. It got much much worse. Long story short, I had two herniated discs in my lower back which was causing pinched nerves. I had steroid injections localized to my herniations. At this point my adrenal gland stopped working, my face swelled up like a balloon and I lost a ton of weight. Eventually, I had surgery on my back, but went to specialist after specialist to figure out what was going on with my non functioning adrenal gland. We figured that somehow the steroids had gotten into my bloodstream, which doctor after doctor told me was next to impossible. They were ready to do a write up in a medical research journal about my case. Eventually my 3rd Endocronologist (sp?) FINALLY told me to get off Yasmin. Somehow, this small bit of information was missed. My adrenal gland eventually kicked back into shape, my bloating went away and I finally and slow got healthy again.
So... coming back to Yasmin. After reading this site and continuing research on the effects of an influx of potassium, all of my symptoms lead straight to this source. The potassium increase caused the face swelling, muscle spasms, possibly even the nerve weakness (Only speculating, could have caused the herniation.) , from what multiple web sites state.
I must say that this is all speculation; however, light bulbs have just gone off in my head.
I was considering getting back on Yasmin because I now live in Thailand and they offer this pill. I have been on the NuvaRing and I love it, but I cannot find it here. If Yasmin was the cause of what happened to my body or not, I will not take my chances. Most of the symptoms listed by other women are effects of increased potassium. Please research this fact to become more informed about what is happening with your body. It helped me. I hope my story will in effect, help someone else.
And, I'd love to hear if anyone else had something similarly severe...
December 24th
2007
11:33 AM
I have mixed feelings about Advair. Quick history-at 30 I was dx with Asthma, at 32-COPD. I went on Advair after the COPD dx. Primarily-it certainly helped my breathing-gloriously. I have since gone on and off Advair periodically. Before last year (Pneumonia)-I had not been on the Advair for more than four months. BUT the Pneumonia combined with the COPD reduced my lung capacity by 25%. I allowed my Dr. to prescribe it indefinitely. However within a year I had gained thirty pounds. I started reading more, and found out that the AMA recommends only a six month duration of Advair therapy. My asthma symptoms had worsened over the last three months of that therapy. My untrained hypothesis is that if you exceed the recommended six month treatment-you will suffer the above outlined side affects. I simply quit it. Granted, my asthma symptoms increased for about three weeks-so I kept my handy little inhaler nearby, and gave myself one month to see if the asthma symptoms would decrease. They did. The long term-I have now been off of the Advair for nine months, and I rarely use my inhaler (knock on wood). The long term benefits of the extended Advair use has been a decreased problem with SOB- yes upon exertion(that is one of the symptoms of COPD), it is still present, but I can usually ride that out with patience, and rest. In conclusion-I would not hesitate to go back on the Advair upon my next COPD exacerbation, but I will absolutely stay within the six month suggested period. And, this time I will eat a lot of lo cal foods. Smile. It is always nice when people with chronic illness can smile over their disease. This has been my experience over the last five years that I have been introduced to Advair. One more suggestion-see if you can get your doctor to try you on the 250/50 before jumping right on the 500. The 500 is noted to have the side affect of increased SOB, and Asthma attacks-more often than the 250. One more note-although your doctor might forget to mention this-Advair is a steroid- and, steroids are known to cause weight gain. What can be done to reduce this affect-I do not know-Prednisone will do it too,now a combination of the two-which I have, of course, utilized a half dozen times or so in the last five years of my dx- is almost a guaranteed weight gain. If you manage to find out how to avoid that particular side affect-please let me know, and suggesting a vigorous work out to a patient with COPD in a bit insensitive, but if you have any other plausible ideas-I am anxious to hear them.
-- By mirismith21865 | Reply | Private Message me
August 3th
2007
9:58 PM
I have been using the NuvaRing for anout 6 months now also and I feel sick to my stomach A LOT! I have little faint-dizzy spells and I feel bloated one day and the next I don't. I have some sharp paind in my stomach every now and then, but it is about 5 times a day. I have had MANY mixed feelings about the birth control method and think that I am about to switch.
-- By nuvaringuser | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
Mirena (3) NuvaRing (1) PredniSONE (1) Advair Diskus (1) Yasmin (1)
April 29th
2009
2:06 PM
Never had any problems with my mirena and i'm very surprised to read all the above complaints. I guess i'm a lucky one of the bunch. I had Mirena inserted in November of 2006 and still going strong. My hair is beautiful, I did gain some weight, but I like it i've always been skinny! I can't imagine having all those negative side affects. I also experienced mild acne at times, but who doesn't? Best wishes to you all and hopefully things workout.
-- By adrenya | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me