Negative effects symptoms and conditions

Hi, I take Effexor, and have experienced many of the negative effects described here, however, my personal depression was such before I began that for me it was life-saving. During those periods when I've taken breaks from Effexor, withdrawal wasn't pleasant, nor was it quite as bad as some have experienced (I didn't get the brain-freezes or violent impulses). However, I did find an excellent post in another forum about tapering off, so I am cutting and pasting it here. (fyi, if you take 150s rather than 75s -- I take 150s -- you can use a similar schedule to open the capsules and shake a bit out rather than completely eliminating a dose):

In Response To: Re: New to Effexor (Sharon)

I'have been taking Effexor since one year and a half ( I take 225 mg per day). Before taking it, I was so worrying and panic that I could'nt do anything. It took me about 6 months before seeing a change in my mind. Now, I am very happy and I don't worry about everything anymore. It is a very good medication for me, though it decreases libido. I am reducing Effexor since two months this way : first week : after 7 days, I escape one pill (75 mg); then after 6 days, I escape one other pill and then after 5 days, one other, and so on. I wait about 2 weeks before beginning again for another 75 mg. It is the best way to get off of the med because if I try to stop suddenly, its horrible. Its the only disadvantage of this drug. I hope these comments will help you.

Took a few tablets over a few days. Slept excessively. Extremely Mental Grogginess for a few weeks. Went Back to the Doctor & Explained the negative effects. He said, "That feeling of stupidity you had, some people don't come out of it. We don't prescribe it anymore." I feel it took about 6 months to regain sharp memory & mental abilities. I was prescribed Flexeril for cronic muscle ache & spasms. It did ease my back spasms & aches, but not worth it due to the side effects.

I am glad to have read the post below me.

From the majority of posts on this forum, it makes it seem as though Yasmin is an evil poison that the medical community is using to destroy women. I was seriously frightened after reading all the comments. While I do believe all these women about the negative effects of Yasmin, there must be some out there who are pleased with this pill. Everyone's body is different. I have been on it for only 5 days now, so I can't really say anything yet.

I will report back after 3 months or so, unless I have gone bald, blind, insane and bed ridden with head-to-toe pain at that time. I guess that could happen but I really hope it will simply calm my awful menstruation and help my husband and I delay pregnancy while we work on being able to afford to at least take care of ourselves.

I've been on Topamax since just Tuesday, 10/9/07. I find that I get very tired a couple hours after taking it and I have horrible nightmares and very dark thoughts, too. Diet coke tastes so HORRBILE which is bad because I loved my diet cokes, but then again I guess that's good b/c I need to stop drinking them anyway. My worst side effect is that I have horrible mood swings. Is this normal? Is this going to go away over time? Because if not, I'm going to stop taking it now. This is not like me and I am not going to subject my family to this - losing weight is not THAT important to me. Thanks for any help. :(

P. S. I'm taking 25 mg in the morning, afternoon and evening.

My doctor put me on Topamax for migraines, but I can not handle the effects. I just started the 75 mg dose just as I was moving into a new college apartment with new roommates, and I felt like I was going crazy! I couldn't eat anything without feeling completely ill, I was spacing out, and I couldn't remember words.. for three whole days I couldn't remember the word 'tapestry.' I finally had to look it up in the dictionary.. not a good sign for a college student. The worst, though, was the overwhelming sense of panic that was getting worse by the day. I was no longer myself! The last straw was a panic attack, complete with hypernentilating. I have never felt so scared in my life. I actually had to go the ER to get something to calm myself down.

So, I decided to stop taking it. My parents talked to my pharmacist, and she told them that Topamax IS the type of drug you can stop "cold turkey." But after a week, I feel almost as bad as I did when I was on the drug! I still can't eat anything. Also, I wake up hours before my alarm goes off, completely sick at my stomach. I feel panicky and nervous. I have several bouts of diarrhea and this morning I almost didn't make it. I share a bathroom with three (normal!) girls, and it is getting to be embarrasing and annoying. Please, can anyone tell me.. when do the side effects go away?? I want to be a normal 19 year old again!

Just one question I have been on this stuff at the beginning dose for less than a week. My eyes hurt, my head is about to explode, I am sick as a dog, I lost 5 pounds, I can't eat, constipated, can't sleep, can't function, ringing in my ears, and the ADD is unbelievable. I am a medical transcriptionist I kind of need to be able to work, no work, no pay. Topamax is going bye-bye for sure but how long till the side effects go away?

62 yo female. I have been on 20mg Lipitor for a few years and the doctor ignored my complaints of thigh pain when I wake up in the mornings. When last tested my cholesteral level was still higher than she thought acceptable so the dose was increased to 40mg. I lasted on that for about 3 weeks. Unbearable pain all day rather than just in the mornings. I am back on 20mg but only taking one every second day. I am feeling so much better - less pain and much more energy (which I never associated with the meds). I am wondering if anyone else has experienced a problem with urine output. I have had this problem for a few years and after reading doing some internet research last night I am now wondering if that is also a result of taking Lipitor. I am very close to ceasing the Lipitor altogether as I think the cure may be worse than the disease!!

i just started nuva ring 5 days ago and so far i haven't had any of these negative side effects, except for a lot of discharge and a slight smell which makes me feel gross. i'm a little afraid to stay on it just from reading this website! i think i'll finish this month out and see how i'm doing and then decide if i'll be staying on this bc or finding a better alternative! it just seems so weird to me that such a "low dose" bc has such negative effects on the body which is what we're told it's not supposed to do. i don't know, i'll keep posting as i finish this month.

I've been on Yasmin for nearly 5 months now and as of last month, all the major side effects started really kicking in: leg cramps, fatigue, moodiness, weight gain, irritability, depression, foggy thinking, breast enlargement, vaginal infections, etc. So my question is this: If a woman experiences side-effects with one pill, won't she experience them with any and all other pills? I would almost rather just go off of them altogether because I feel like even though the drugs vary from one to another, ultimately they have the same effect: to fill you with hormones to "trick" your body into thinking it's pregnant all the time (no ovulation) so that you won't get pregnant.

Any thoughts?

I am taking Mg plus Protein for magnesium deficiency due to Prograf, a drug for prevention of organ transplant rejection.
I have experienced no negative effects from this, and have been able to maintain adequate magnesium levels since starting this supplement. It has worked where the previous suplements, (generic drugstore type and intravenous) have not worked.
Wholeheartedly recommended to anyone requiring a magnesium supplement.

I'm sorry so many are having negative effects from Yasmin. I guess there's always the possibilities of side effects from any drug taken. I'm here to say that I've had positive effects from it and have never had any complications. I've been on it for over 2 years now. I hope all of you out there who's had negative experiences will find new meds and new hope.

Hi ladies. I weighed 117-118 lbs. when I first started on the nuvaring. Within 7-8 months, I gained about 10 lbs, and have grown 2 breast cup sizes from a 34 A+ to a 34 C+. I have been off the nuvaring since last August because I left them at home since I moved to England. I stopped using all sorts of brith control and my husband does not ejaluate in me.

I now swell every month and gain nearly another cup size. My hands are swollen and my body aches, particualrly my knees and feet. While on the NR, I worked out like a freak, 60 minutes or more of cardio 5-6 days a week and did weights to maintain my muscle mass. My stomach was cut, but I was still gaining weight and no matter what I did, the weight just kept creeping up.

I tried on my wedding dress in April and purchased it. By JUly, I couldn't zip it up because my breasts were so huge. I even got my period early, such as on the day before my wedding! I wasn't supposed to start for another week! I had to get off the NR and I am still experincing negative effects.

My cousin is a PA and recommended that I have my doctor perform these exams on my blood: Estradiol, progesterone, PSH, Free T3, T4, CMP, testosterone, and to have a pelvic ultrasound. I think that contraceptive really screwed me up.

I hope this helps someone out there. I am setting up my appointment with the docotr or nurse tomorrow. This is unhealthy and abnormal for me so I hope to get to the bottom of this soon.

Attention ladies...especially Silke: (re: response to femalepara's post)

This board is for posting individual experiences while using Yasmin. Amongst the hundreds of posts stating negative effects...you throw a fit because someone has a good experience. Even if it has only been "2 weeks" that is her experience. I think most people that are reading are not going to take one person's opinion and run with it...there are plenty of negative effects information on this board to make one seriously consider taking this medication. You're post seemed very harsh and uncalled for...as if you are the ruler of this board. Chill out and let people share....it doesn't discount other peoples experience, clearly many women have suffered greatly on this medication.

"This registry is a place to share positive or negative side effects of using Yasmin."

Ladies,

I have been on Yasmin for several months and have been experiencing a lot of the same negative effects as others here in the group, but I was wondering if anyone has had any lower abdominal pain, almost like menstraul cramps, while taking Yasmin? I just started getting this pain and it's worrying me. Any information would be helpful.

I am 63 years old, going through radiation for breast cancer. My doctor recommended a bone density test and the results were that I was starting to loss bone density. After reading the negative effects of this medication, I will not take it. Also, I had a heart attack five years ago and the side effect of this medication is chest pain. I think the doctors have no clue to the effects of this medication. I was also reading the literature on the mild side effects of this medication, to me this would cause you the discomfort and you are told not to call the doctor for this. It isn't the doctor who is going through this mild side effect. Another thing are these side effect permanent or temporary? Thank you for letting me voice my opinion.

my daughter is 5 years old. she was recently put on 5 mill of singulair. i couldnt figure out what was wrong or what had changed her moods so abrumptly. i had spoken with her school counseler and her teachers to see if anything unusual was happening in school because she totally refused and cried unconsolably when it was time to go. she had attended pre school in the previous year so school was not new to her. she began kindergarten this year at the same school without much of a fuss besides the usual kindergarten jitters. she came down with a pretty bad cold and allergy attack, so her doctor prescribed singulair and advert instead of just claritin. every since she started this medicine, she hasnt slept well, and it seems the small things that made her apprehensive before have magnified by 100. im very upset that parents arent better informed about the side effects that COULD happen while their children are taking the meds that they themselves prescribed. if i had not taken the time to read the papers associated with the meds given at the drugstore, i would not have known why my little girl was feeling the way she is. although these information papers barely touch on the side effects, i took it upon myself to call the pharmacist to get further information. i explained the symptoms my daughter was going through and i was utterly shocked and furious to hear her confirm eveything i was saying was a definate side effect of singulair. please parents, get ALL of the information on this drug before administering it to your child...some may not have any negative effects, but you need to know all of the possibilities that can occur.

Negative effects-Extreme dry mouth, dry eyes, vaginal dryness.

Positive-good night sleep, bipolar mood swings stable.

On an 8-week taper down from 80mg for ulcerative colitis. Lost 30 pounds from UC and was bedridden, miserable, and fully dehydrated for about 3 weeks before hospitalization. I was very worried about taking Prednisone due to past reactions (primarily insomnia and associated extreme emotional distress). My UC responded immediately to the Prednisone, and I went from 20+ daily bowel movements to 2-3 in a matter of 3 days. I'm now 2 weeks in to the taper, taking 30mg and feeling completely refreshed.

Definitely having some negative reactions. I've been taking Ambien nightly for 2 weeks, permitting 6-8 hours of restless sleep, waking every 15-30 minutes. The first time I took predinose, I did not take any sleep aids. I did not sleep for over 3 days and extremely sporadically for the following 2 weeks, with frequent auditory hallucinations.(So 6-8 hours of restless sleep is fine by me). My face is very bloated, acne breaking out worse than ever, insatiable hunger(gaining my weight back too quickly), muscle weakness-spasms-cramping, abnormally pulse/blood pressure, and fatigue/unnatural energy. Had severe dizziness and headrushes for the first 3-4 days before tapering to 40 mg.

All in all, I'm very thankful for the results. I feel considerable relief. My apartment is spotless, I have heightened concentration and motivation. Hopefully the negative effects will dissipate by the end of my dosage, and I won't be too far overweight.

Had 60 mls. of kenalog injected into painful scar tissue on my lower abdomen. I was not told of any side effects by my doctor, he said he had never heard of side effects from kenalog. At first I saw alot of what appeared to be brusing around the scar. Then the tissue all around the scar began to shrink away, I was left with a large hole in my stomach. I went back to my doctor this month, feb. 2005. He said he had never seen that happen to anyone before. I asked him how it could be fixed, he said he would cut out the damage tissue and repair the hole. I went back to have the procedure done last week, I wish I had not let that doctor touch me again. He did not cut out all the damaged tissue and now the incision looks horrible. I feel like a freak. I also ended up in the emergency room the night of the surgery because the doctor did not close the incision completely. I am going to go to a lawyer to find out what I can do. He should not be allowed to treat his patients this way. The day of the surgery he told me that he had talked with other doctors about my case and none of them had ever heard of any side effects from kenalog. He even said he talked to a doctor from Harvard medical school. It appears to me he is a liar. After reading the letters posted on this website I feel sorry that most of the letters were about the negative effects of kenalog. I believe we had the right to know about side effects before we were injected.

Guest #8165 states: "I have been reading your site with interest and am rather astonished at the level of hostility to this drug."

The only "hostility" you see is from individuals, such as myself, who were healthy but after taking Lipitor now have muscle problems in various parts of their body, and in my case, tininitus in the left ear. Granted, the relationship between Lipitor and these problems are, at this time, anecdotal, but that does not mean they are not true. There are entirely to many people who, after taking Lipitor, started experiencing these problems, and after stopping started improving.

You state that you have not had any negative effects. So what. That does not mean that everyone else is a liar. There are some people who smoke all their lives and die of old age. I suppose in your world that means that smoking is harmless.

I am a 41 year old nurse who has been put on Yasmin a few days ago for terrible cramps and PMS problems by a doctor from a world reknowned teaching hospital. My periods cause me to lose 3 days from terrible cramps and a couple of days from the PMS (depression beforehand). I was so excited to hear about this pill that I began taking it on day 1 of my period. I am prescribed to take it 30 days monthly, to stop my periods completely. I am on this site because the past day and a half has been a virtual gas brigade! I have not stopped diarrhea and gas that closely mimics colon problems. I am glad I found this site.
I must keep in mind that NO MATTER what BCP I take I will experience side effects, that is inevitable. I too will be more influenced by the words of the other women who are experiencing negative effects. I want to be positive about things because I have come to the end of the road in terms of solutions for my dysmennorrhea which is just getting worse as the years go by. I want to believe that this may be my solution. If after 3 months trial I am still experiencing this nasty gas and diarrhea and leg cramps I will certainly discontinue use and move on to some other option.
Thank you all for your input and remember sometimes the power of suggestion is not a good thing.

Hi, ladies,
I made a post back in May about some negative side effects I came to attribute to Yasmin, including sleeplessness, fatigue, anxiety, you name it. I even started going to a therapist. The lines got blurred--could this be the BC pill? Or is this just me? Well in May I decided to go off Yasmin and BC pills completely to find out just that, and it was the greatest decision. It took a few months until I felt back to normal, but I am a much happier, calmer me and I would not put myself through that again. Sure there are drawbacks to not being on the pill, but sanity and happiness are worth it, and I am happy to report that I have both. I'm not sure if another pill would have the same negative effects or if this was just Yasmin's doings, but I didn't want to risk it. These are artificial hormones that we are putting into our bodies daily....no wonder there are physical, emotional and psychological effects for some women!
If it's worth it for you, more power to you! I'm only 25 years old and its hard to imagine never being on BC again, especially when I get married, but that's the direction I'm headed! It's a decision each woman has to make...weighing benefits with tradeoffs.
Best of luck and feel better!

My son who will be 11 in 4 days has been on Advair 250 for his asthma since he was 6. He is always complaining that he doesn't feel well but since he has so many different symptoms that he is usuallly ignored. Everything from sore stomachs, sore arms, legs, back and headaches all the time. Also he has a few sores over his body and has had a few of them removed to see what they were but everything came back negative. The main thing we notice about him is his anger and how upset he gets over little things. My son is also on ventolin several times a week and singulair everyday.

Just to give some perspective - I'm 35 and have been on Lupron for a month now, for fibroids. I, too, was petrified after reading about all of the side effects. I know that some women have horrible problems from lupron, and I really feel for all of you who suffer from it. But it's important to remember that usually, the only people who will post in forums like this are those that have horrible problems - the ones who do fine on the drug rarely, if ever, post anything. So it's easy to get a skewed picture.

After one month, the only side effect I've seen is a few mild hot flashes, mostly at night. A couple of times in the night, I'll have to pull the blankets off, then I go back to sleep. No big deal in my case. Otherwise, nothing - no weight gain, no excessive tiredness, no unusual moodiness, nothing. I'm hoping the next 2 months will be the same - and I think they will be.

I don't want to downplay the negative effects some people have had - I know they're real. But not everyone suffers from them, and I wanted to post for people who are considering starting Lupron, so that they can see it's not all bad.

I noticed nervousness upon first starting, which I was worried about since I also have anxiety with depression, but this nervousness dissapated after a week or two into the drug.

However, one almost indefinately needs to take ritalin with another drug, such as Wellbutrin or Prozac or etc., in order to derive maximum benefits from. Also because I think Ritalin tends to make one too much of something; such as too nervous, stimulated, or angry depending on the individual, and needs to be offset by another drug, especially so or maybe this is only true if there is a disorder in the brain in the first place. I find this is true in myself and need to supplement it with several other meds in order to harness the benefits from Ritalin.

It would be nice if Ritalin came packaged with a med that offsets its negative effects, kind of like how shampoo and conditioner all in one is sometimes packaged in one bottle.

However, the medication is a good one, and has enabled me to function in life. It's wonderful when I'm at work on time or 10 minutes early every day. I love ironing my clothes in the morning for a change and not feeling "lazy", which never was even the case.

I'm no longer described as "spacey" or "stupid" or ditsy like I'd been by many other peers in the past. Now I feel at times intelligent and at least capable and competent or on par with others.

What price can you pay to achieve this?

Highly recommended for sufferers of ADD with or without hyperactivity.