New lease on life symptoms and conditions

I was first given Singulair at the age of 21. At which time, I quit a job in which I have yet (at 28) to match its income. My doctor continued to give me samples as I could not afford the medication. During this time, I was very depressed, contemplated suicide often and was given a serious of antidepressants-non of which helped. For one reason or another, I stopped taking everything. At which time, it seemed I had a new lease on life. I went back to college, finished my degree, and got a job in decorating. My asthma began acting up again, and again I took singulair and again had to be given antidepressants. I wound up quiting that job too and worked a serious of low paying jobs. Again, I quit, and again found the urge to "live" again. I never connected the two, until this past week. I was given singulair again by another doctor on Wednesday. Thursday I had nightmares, Friday I spent the day crying, Saturday night I began to think of leaving my husband (I also did that ALL the other times I took the drug and we've been together 14 years-I love him). Today is Sunday, I normally go to bed around 12 or 1 a.m., but I am making myself stay awake and have all day. This drug has ruined a large part of my life, please, if anyone notices even a little depression with this drug, Stop!!!! It is not in your head, it is this drug!!!!

I was prescribed Yasmin for contraceptive purposes and for help with painful periods as a result of endometriosis. I was originally prescribed Dianette and I had a very severe reaction to it and became very ill as a result. It took nearly two months to recover after many doctor and specialist visits plus medication to right the problems caused. Needless to say, that was a really nightmarish experience.

After the problems I had with Dianette, I was then prescibed Yasmin, as I mentioned above. Initially, it seemed like a wonder drug, firstly because of my horrible experience with Dianette and secondly because it transformed my life after suffering from excrutiating periods and severe PMS since the age of 11. It really gave me a new lease on life by having dramatically reducing PMS, painful periods and making my periods much lighter, although it has not reduced the amount of time I have a period for which is one week.

However, although I cannot knock the benefits it has provided in regards to my problematic periods, it has had unwanted side effects, some that actually took over 6 months to crop up. At the beginning, all I experienced was very sore breasts and although it felt like it would never go away, it did after about 4 months.

The other problem that came up was an insane weight gain for no apparent reason other then taking Yasmin. Until taking Yasmin, I had a very stable weight for many, many years - really since I was a teenager. I have always been very, very careful with what I eat and exercise to keep myself healthy and trim. Although nothing else changed other then taking Yasmin, (in other words I ate the same and exercized the same) I gained about 30 pounds in the space of about 6 months, much to my shock and horror. I have reduced my food intake dramatically since the weight gain but the strangest thing is that it makes no difference whatsoever. My husband and I are constantly amazed at how much I have done to try to battle it with no luck. It is so depressing.

The other thing I noticed is that I consistantly put on and losing 7 pounds of water weight from morning to night every single day which is really weird to me. In other words, in the morning I am always 7 pounds lighter then I am in the evening. I went to my GP to ask him if I should be worried and he said it's not dangerous to have such dramatic water retention but it's as a result of side effects from Yasmin. I also went to him because I have been suffering from depression, anxiety and general weepiness since going on Yasmin. He said he wants to see if it goes away on it's on when I come off Yasmin in a month, otherwise he'll prescribe some sort of antidepressants to help me.

Finally, the other side effect I discovered is that Yasmin is a contraceptive in ways that I never imagined. In otherwords, my sex drive is totally dead and gone. This kicked in about 6 months or so after being on Yasmin. It is the strangest thing as I always had a very healthy libido, and yet now I never have any desire or any thoughts about sex at all, and this has been the case consistantly for the last 6 months.

I have a very good friend who got married and went on Yasmin the same time as I did and we recently discussed our experiences on Yasmin and discovered we have been suffering from many of the same side effects. She has even put on the same amount of weight as I have despite not changing anything in her lifestyle. Needless to say, I will be coming off of Yasmin when I finish the pack I am on as I am fed up with the side effects and my husband and I decided it's a good opportunity to try for a family.

I am a heart patient (dilated cardiomyopathy) who did a long breast cancer walk since my bi-ventricular pacer gave me a new lease on life. However, I wound up with infections in my toes and blisters all over my feet so the foot dr. prescribed levaquin, after discussing with my PCP. After a week, I could not get out of bed, I felt dizzy whenever I stood up, and could not (and cannot) even do the simplest of things. No motor movement ability. I am completely bedridden. I have not had any appetite and am getting extremely thin. I also had severe pains in my kidneys during the night and had to lay in the fetal position most of the night on several occasions. I stopped taking the levaquin 3 days ago but have yet to feel relief. My heart doctors ran a long string of tests on me and all lab work came out negative, which means it had to be the levaquin causing all of these things. I stopped taking the levaquin but still feel constantly nauseous and no appetite. It is the most horrible feeling I can remember having. I feel like a vegetable and am scared after reading the above comments that these side effects may not dissipate any time soon.