Old woman symptoms and conditions

i took lisinopril for 5 months for moderate high bp. stopped taking it 3 weeks ago because of the incredibly intrusive dry cough which often led to vomiting, and the feeling of utter exhaustion and muscle aches. some days i could only take one step at a time. i made stupid mistakes at work and found difficulty in multi-tasking, eventually questioning my ability to continue working. but even after 3 weeks i still cough with distressing frequency, peeing my pants and throwing up--and i'm as stiff, sore and tired as ever. after talking to friends who had experience with lisinopril, i now fear it may take many months to return to normal. having no insurance, it's not always easy to just run to the doc for this and that. i'm going it alone now. i am a 62 year old woman.

I know that for every woman, the side effects or various medications and hormones are different. I personally had the Mirena IUD inserted a little over 3 years ago on the recommendation of a friend who, at the time, had nothing but positive things to say about it. I went on that recommendation alone, and now wish that I had done more research into the side effects before having one inserted.

The initial insertion was not horrible, but not great either- a pinch at insertion, severe cramping and pain within a few hours, and a dull aching feeling in my abdomen for about a week. After that, though, I couldn't feel the IUD at all.

It was not long after that when I began to experience side effects. Like many of you, I attributed my symptoms to stress and life changes. I figured that my migraines, back pain, fatigue, dizziness, increasing urinary tract infections, and weight gain were a result of a changing metabolism and high-stress job.

When I went to my family physician to have blood work done (because I was declared anemic when trying to give blood), I was told that I wasn't getting enough iron and I went on iron supplements. (The supplements then made me constipated- sorry if that is TMI, but that was a very unwelcome result!) When I took trip after trip to my ob/gyn for antibiotics to treat UTIs, I was told that the UTIs were unrelated to the IUD. When I saw a urologist to have three separate tests done (one for hormone levels, another for uterine function, and yet another to test kidney function), all tests came back within normal range. Even when I went to the ER one Saturday morning, when my back was spasming so badly that I could barely walk or stand, I was told that my back pain was stress-related.

All the while, my friend (the one who recommended the IUD in the first place) was dealing with similar problems- weekly severe migraines, back pain, etc. She was being told the same things by her ob/gyn- none of her symptoms were related to the IUD. Since she and I trusted our doctors completely, we went on about our lives, upped our workout regimens, tried to de-stress as much as possible, took OTC pain meds when it was all too much to bear- and yet for both of us, our symptoms continued.

Then, in July, my husband and I decided to begin trying for a baby. I made my appointment to have the IUD removed (which was a painless process), and it was only then that I began to research the Mirena IUD online. My former ob/gyn had moved, and my new one seemed ill-informed about what to expect once the IUD was removed. I wanted to know how soon I could conceive, and she knew very little about the process- heck, she didn't even know what the hormone was called that she had given me to jump-start my period (it was progestin, by the way- a very common prescription that my paramedic husband knew quite a bit about, but the ob/gyn didn't even know the name of!).

Once I got online and found this site (among many others), I finally began to put two and two together. I am now firmly convinced that my symptoms were directly related to the Mirena IUD. Again, different women are affected in different ways, but I know that for me- nothing good came of messing with Mother Nature like that.

Now that I've had the IUD out for about four months, I feel like a different human being. I did experience the "Mirena Crash," but once that passed, I almost immediately began losing weight, my abdomen was no longer blown up like a balloon, my energy level and sex drive increased, my back pain is now gone, and I haven't had a migraine or UTI since.

I've since switched ob/gyns, but I now have a healthy distrust of anything medically new and experimental. I will never have the Mirena inserted again, and I will definitely research anything and everything regarding my body. Ladies, listen to your bodies- mine was screaming at me loud and clear for over three years, and even though I knew that something was very wrong, I didn't listen. I'm just happy that I "accidentally" figured it out. (Oh, and my friend will be having her IUD removed later this week. She and I now call ourselves the "sister skeptics!")

I started taking Lipitor in April 2009 and my Dr prescribed 10 mg per day. As I usually have negative reactions to medications I compromised & agreed to take it every other day. I am a healthy 56 year old woman and the only medication I take is hormone replacement therapy. I am also in pretty good shape physically. At the end of July I herniated two disc's in my lower back, the L6 & L7, after a day of normal yard work. I could not move for two days and experienced the worst pain of my life. At the time I did not make any connection between Lipitor and this event. The recovery was slow and painful. In Sept I also began to experience sharp pains in my thigh. I read the side effects again regarding Lipitor and determined that this drug is most likely the cause. I decided to stop taking the drug and after three to four weeks the thigh muscle pain disappeared and my back pain significant decreased. Just to make sure I was not imaging the whole thing I took Lipitor twice in the past week and my back pain symptoms returned and I experienced the muscle pain in my thigh again. I was so bad it woke me up. After reading more about Lipitor and the effect it is having on my quality of life I am done with this drug. Although it did reduce my cholesterol I will find another way to control the LDL's & HDL's.

I am sitting here in tears reading about the side effects others have had on Lisinopril. I am a 43 yr. old woman who started taking it exactly 1 year ago and about 3 months ago I started coughing at night and feeling like my throat was closing or clogged with mucous. It has just gotten worse and worse and after 2 rounds of antibiotics and various other meds....it's still worse. About a month ago I started having sore ankles out of nowhere. I have been walking like an elderly person as my ankles are so stiff and painful. Until now it had never occurred to me that it could be related to the lisinopril Yesterday my Dr. finally said that the cough is probably the Lisinopril and took me off of it. I didn't believe that this could be true so I decided to look online and these other experiences are what I found. I am just praying that it will go away......I haven't had a solid nights sleep in so long and even my dog won't sleep in my room anymore because my cough keeps waking him up. My 3 year old wakes up every time I have a coughing fit and it is terribly inconvenient during the day too. ....

I was prescribed 7 days of Avelox 400 mg for bronchitis. On my fourth day of taking this medication, I began to suffer from severe abdominal pain, cramps and debilitating diarrhea. These symptoms were so bad that I missed a whole week of work. I was taking each pill with dinner in the evening and then I was up all night back and forth to the bathroom. I took 6 of the 7 pills and then refused to take the last one when it became obvious that Avelox was the cause of these symptoms (the only side effect listed on the bottle was dizziness, which I did not experience). I have now been off Avelox for 2 days and I am still suffering from severe abdominal pain and diarrhea. I am afraid to eat anything because it goes right through me and it is very painful.

I am taking probiotics now to regain the good bacteria in my digestive tract, but I am still in a lot of pain. My sister, who is a physician assistant, told me that it should take from 48 hours to a week for this to flush out of my system. She said that Avelox is an extremely strong antibiotic that she only prescribes for confirmed pneumonia.

I am otherwise a very healthy 42 year-old woman with no allergic reactions to any medications which is why it took me so long to make the connection. I would not recommend this medication to anyone and have told my sister that she should not prescribe it either.

These postings have really helped me. I feel lucky that I did not suffer more severe symptoms.

I am a 51 year old woman and I have been on Lisinopril for about 12 months. At first it was 20mg, then increased to 40mg per day. I started having shortness of breath and decided to cut back to the 20mg after a month or so. I am a nurse so I often adjust meds that I am on. I found this board about two months ago. I am so glad I did! I have BP of about 126/82 on meds. I have just stopped the 20mg two days ago, after developing more chest pain. I have lost all the weight that I needed to and eat a low salt diet now. I already feel better today. Chest pain is almost gone. I see my DR. tomorrow about all of this. I am going to try to stay off all HTN meds if I can! I had so many side effects that I never realized were being caused by this horrible drug. Some of them included: chest pain, shortness of breath, rib pain, extreme hair loss, tingling in all extremities, joint pain, muscle pain, headache, loss of appetite, loss of sex drive, difficulty thinking and comprehension, memory loss. I just wanted to let others know that I also know this drug is very dangerous. I am hopeful that I will continue to feel better as the weeks go by.

I'm a 70 year old woman, I have taken this drug for 3 1/2 yrs. I was prescribed Spironolactone 25mg for high blood pressure of 140/80. After researching the side effects I chose to stop taking this drug 2 days ago. First off, it's a potassium sparing diuretic and one isn't supposed to eat foods high in potassium, like fruits and vegetables a contradiction to what is needed for both high cholesterol and high blood pressure, does this makes sense no it doesn't. Also I was taking a potassium supplement, maybe I'm lucky to still be alive?
I don't think Dr.'s read about side effects or what one isn't supposed to eat or take along with the drugs they prescribe. They only look at what the drug is supposed to do, then prescribe it to thousands of patients their, victims. This is probably why they're considered, "Practicing Physicians!"
This drug is known to cancer. This drug is known to cause muscle pains. This drug has caused me to go Bald on the top of my head. This drug plays with ones hormonal balance, it can help make someone grow hair, or lose it. This drug should not be prescribed for simple high blood pressure, it is a very dangerous drug!
I have huge rashes on my ankle and now my hands, they say it's eczema or drug induced atopic dermatitis.
Please do yourself a favor and research the many side effects and cancer causing of this drug. If you're taking simply to lower your blood pressure find a safer drug and try to stop taking this one particular diuretic and use supplements and foods to lower it if you can.
I'm taking this and Lipitor which I stopped one week ago and this one two days ago thank God, I thought I was going to be a cripple for the rest of me life from the toxic side effects, all drug induced.

I am a 70 year old woman, I have been on 20mg Lipitor for high cholesterol, 200 total and 25mg of Spironolactone for a not so high blood pressure, for 3 1/2 yrs. Oh, my God, the Spironolactone is a potassium sparing diuretic that is very dangerous and has many uses I didn't know about or the terrible side effects, it causes breast cancer. It's also used to treat women who have an over growth of hairiness, or on a higher dose to treat hair loss and I've gone bald on the top of my head! Plus all of the good foods we're supposed to eat for high cholesterol, fruit & veggies one isn't to eat on this drug, because of lot's of potassium, what a huge contradiction. And muscle pains, and rashes, (eczema, atopic dermatitis) that I've suffered from both.
Anyway, Lipitor, had know idea about the side effects until I looked it up on the internet and read these posts on here.
I stopped taking Lipitor last week and Spironolactone 2 days ago.
I had cholesterol test last week too and saw my dr. Wednesday. He said it was okay that I stopped the Lipitor, but not the other one, why not the other one worse then Lipitor and why am I on this strong drug, geez.
The pain and burning started in my hip for no reason, then my ankles with eczema which started soon after Lipitor, then my fingers, numbness, can't pick things up, tingling, burning. Then my feet, yes, just like all of you I have these same problems. This is not just coincidental, this is from the drug Lipitor. I get severe joint cramps in my legs, feet and fingers.
For now on before I take any drug I've prescribed I will thoroughly check for side effects and not take it if they're seriously impairing like Lipitor. I feel like a cripple and older then I should feel, I almost just felt like why live anymore if this is how it's going to be.
Since I've stopped Lipitor I feel a little better, I read that it causes permanent muscle and nerve damage though, oh I hope not, I can barely walk anymore or get up out of my chair. This is all drug induced toxicity of my system. Thanks so much everyone who posted for sharing and enlightening all of us who are suffering from this drug and others.
It should be banned along with Baycol, (a statin) which was banned a few months ago because of these same side effects. With the studies that it only helps maybe to prevent heart attack, well I'd rather be able to walk again and hopefully all this will go away, the rash, etc.

I'm a 20 year old female, 125 lbs, exercise everyday, and eat very well. I recently had an the mirena IUD put in after a year on depo provera. I cramped for about a week after insertion and then started to have pain on the left side near my pubic bone. I also was having nausea, blurry vision, difficultly focusing my eyes, dizziness, severe chest pains, and a pin prick sensation along with hot flashes all over my body. After finding this site, I called my doctor who didn't believe that the mirena was causing this, even though many of these are listed as severe side effects. I'm a 20 year old woman! Why would i suddenly develop some disease that made me feel this way? Despite her claims that the mirena wasn't responsible, the chest pains were unbearable and the uterine pain was shooting down my legs. I demanded to have it out. One day later the uterine pain was significantly better and my vision was back to normal. I still have slight chest pains but they have diminished appropriately. the hormone in mirena has a half life of about a day and a half so in two days it should be completely out of my system and the chest pains should subside. To conclude, if you are having these side effects and have no other conditions, try getting the mirena removed. It fixed me completely.

I am 51 year old woman and have been on Lisinopril 5mg and Bendroflumethiazide 2.5mg for many years now, about 8 (not sure). I got the dry cough to start with and then it vanished, to be replaced with a productive cough. I get, at any time, but thankfully not all the time, a constant need t clear my throat and a wheezing in my breath. I am producing copious amounts of mucus and this is what sets it off. It most often happens after eating or after I have been sedentary for a long time so I get it a lot when in bed. I cough until it all clears away but sometimes I am sick, or I cough myself dizzy and come over all peculiar. It is not a listed side effect but I never had this before. My hair has suddenly thinned, hairdresser told me he has notice a big change in my hair (am menopausal but not through it yet, I suppose my age and meo could be cause of thinning hair). I suffer from terrible stiffness in my feet. Sometimes I can hardly walk as my legs and feet as so fatigued. I will limp upstairs one at a time. Other days I can s[rint up! No regular pattern but I have started using a walking stick often as one ankle is very weak and can give way. Could it be the Lisinopril? I had three day bout of my taste buds going haywire about four years ago but it righted itself. Now I have it again, only not quite so bad. I can taste tea and coffee and savory foodstuff mostly as normal but sweet things either are tasteless or bitter. I don't know if I should go doctors or not. Does anyone else get this constant hacking cough due to excess mucus suddenly being produced. Tenalady are making too much money out of me due to this, lol!

I took my 2nd Avelox pill at 10am this morning, by lunch time I felt very jittery and anxious, and had isolated tingling in my left hand and foot. Tonight I had severe abdominal pain and then the subsequent emptying of the bowels (ok, that's gross!). I am a healthy 39-year old woman who has never had any side effects from medication. This was prescribed for a sinus infection. Thank you all for your posts about your experience with this horrible stuff. I feel better knowing that I'm not going crazy. Unfortunately, because this is a once-a-day pill, this stuff is still in my system. For those of you who are posting on this site saying you've had no side effects and this medicine worked great, you probably work for Bayer in their PR department....if not and you really did not have any side effects, this site is for those of us who HAVE had side effects.

ive taken all three Vaccine for the Gardasil. Yes I'am losing my hair. I take beyond excellent good care of my hair, its my favorite body part, at 4"11 my hair reaches my bottom. I never dye, over heat, add chemicals, but since this shot my hair is no longer on my head, its in the shower drain. What am i too do? continue to let my hair fall out? its not growing back. Nioxin is expensive and my life is in risk if i don't take the shot.
Something should be done about this.
- C. S.

I am a healthy 38 year old woman. I started using the Nuvaring about 2 years ago. Ever since I have had a drastic decrease in my libido...and by drastic I mean virtually no desire to have sex at all. I've also had frequent headaches that last for days at times, leg cramps, depression, and I've gained almost 15 lbs that will not budge no matter what I do. I work out five or six days a week with absolutely no decrease in weight or increase in muscle tone. I am so glad I found this site!! I've been thinking that something is wrong with me and I've been really down on myself. The lack of sex drive has been very difficult for my fiance'. He can't help but take it personally that I NEVER want to have sex. This has been a tremendous eye opener for me. I'm going home tonight to take this thing out and I'm never going back on hormonal birth control again! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to share their experiences!

I am a 34 year old woman in Texas.My daughter got sick at School and so it spread and we all got it.I have a problem with my spit glands backing up.I don't know the medical term,anyway.I went to my ear nose and throat specialist and he said I had fluid in my ears and had a bad sinus infection so he prescribed me Avelox.This is my fourth day on it.I have noticed every since I started taking it I have a nasty taste in my mouth.My mouth is dry most of the time.But it seemed i felt a little better.I was on the computer talking to my Mother and BAM! Immediately my lymph nodes are very swollen,My neck,there is a huge bump on the right side of my neck,A bump where my wind pipe,I am dizzy,I was trying to write down everything and I kept misspelling everything,It feels at times I am out of my body if that makes any since,The pain is like someone beat the crap out of me and I am bruised all over randomly on different parts of my Body,I keep getting what feels like vibrations in my hands,My eyes at times feel like they are going out and in really fast,I still have extreme whizzing even after using the inhaler,When I cough you can hear stuff in there but it will not come out,I feel like I can't catch my breath,My back feels bruised at my shoulder blades..If I would have seen this site before I took Avalox I would have never taken them.
I feel like we are all just experiments to see what the drug does to different people.There's gotta be something we can do about this.This is not right.We need answers like,What are the long term effects.????
Now I am tired I feel like it has made me so tired but I am to afraid to go to sleep in fear that I won't wake up.I have 3 kids and I am not ready to die.I am suppose to be going to a pep rally tomorrow at my Kids School but instead I will have to spend my time in a Hospital.This is B.S.
I am so happy I found this web site.I thought it was just me.About a year and a half ago they found a mass in my lymph node and the doctor said after I get better he will set me up with another ct scan to see if it has gotten any bigger.It is 2 x the size since I was at the doctor's 4 days ago.This is ridiculous!
Thank You,A.

I am a 44 year old woman and recently went to the ER for depression. I have lost both parents recently recently and have a very ill biological mother and Gramma. I thought I would be admitted for psych. Instead a Physicians Assistant prescribed me Paxil and sent me home. I have very little memory of the following week, but I did get arrested for drinking and driving with my son in my car. I don't remember doing either. I have had episodes of memory loss, sweating so badly I was akin to a human fountain, shivering uncontrollably, dropping things, total confusion and sleepwalking. My doctor says none of these are side effects. I have since quit taking it, and other than my legal problems life has returned to normal. I think the depression was better than what I went through for those 8 - 9 days.

I am a 51 year old woman and have been taking Lisinopril for 8 months. I have a total lack of sex drive now and have felt sad and depressed often. I also have trouble going to sleep and staying asleep. I had severe dermatitis (rash on trunk and back) about four weeks ago that required medicine to clear up. I thought it might be my bra, but now, after reading a few posts, I'm thinking it's the Lisinopril, too. Shortly after the rash my thick hair started thinning quickly. I, too, am afraid to step into the shower, as so much hair comes out it clogs the drain. It feels and looks very thin now. I have not added any new routines or products to my life to be causing these symptoms, except the Lisinopril. I went through menopause at age 43, I plan to visit with my Dr. next week about switching meds.

I have posted a couple of times previously about negative side effects, i.e. migraines, weight gain, acne, chin hair, eczema, lower back pain, no sex drive...and the list could go on. As a mature 36 year old woman I have educated myself over the past couple of years and can really only attribute all these issues to having the Mirena inserted 4 months after the birth of my daughter 3 years ago. Although at this time my doctors will not openly acknowledge these side effects, I am confident that one day they will. I encourage women to report adverse side effects to the FDA. It onlt takes a minute or two. Who knows, it may be the hormones or it may be the silicone plastic? It has to be something. It should also be acknowledged that some women, my very best friend for one, have had wonderful experiences with the Mirena. I really think it may just depend on the woman and her own body. I am having mine removed tomorrow after researching all of this for about 8 months. All I can say is, thank goodness. I am also scheduled for the Essure(permanent birth control). Food for thought for the older women in the group. Whatever each of you decide, realize you are not alone and you do not have to continue to feel the way you do if you believe that the Mirena could be making you feel so bad. Take care.

I have had terrible hair loss while taking Wellbutrin - the generic version Bropupion. My hair loss started only 4-5 weeks after I started taking the med. Only today I made the connection and after googling Wellbutrin and hair loss I found this and other sites all saying how many, many people have had this same problem I am nearly hysterical. The hair loss has been dramatic and terrible. I can see bald patches on my scalp. I am a 48 year old woman. The tragedy is that I have had no benefit at all for taking this drug other than weight loss.
I had other side effects like dry mouth, palpitations, hostile feelings, tremors.
I am going off it TODAY.

I posted a couple of days ago about the hair loss I've experienced with Welbutrin and I have since went out and bought the GMC Ultra Nourish Hair since it's been recommended from those on this site. I also stopped the Wellbutrin last week (by slowly winging myself off) and I've actually lost MORE hair. It's all over the place when I shower and style and I have bald spots on my scalp (it's thinning evenly)...which is sad for a 29 year old woman (or for any of us experiencing this). I was hoping to hear back from anyone who has had this experience and stopped Wellbutrin. How long did it take for the hair loss to stop and for the hair to grow back? Will it grow back? It's so upsetting to shower and style my hair anymore because I lose so much.

Also, I wondered if anyone used any shampoo that helped? I did go to a Dermatologist and she said that I had Dermatitis and prescribed a shampoo which isn't working at all. I honestly think it's the Wellbutrin.

Any help or advice would be very much appreciated! Thanks so much.

I posted a couple of days ago about the hair loss I've experienced with Welbutrin and I have since went out and bought the GMC Ultra Nourish Hair since it's been recommended from those on this site. I also stopped the Wellbutrin last week (by slowly winging myself off) and I've actually lost MORE hair. It's all over the place when I shower and style and I have bald spots on my scalp (it's thinning evenly)...which is sad for a 29 year old woman (or for any of us experiencing this). I was hoping to hear back from anyone who has had this experience and stopped Wellbutrin. How long did it take for the hair loss to stop and for the hair to grow back? Will it grow back? It's so upsetting to shower and style my hair anymore because I lose so much.

Also, I wondered if anyone used any shampoo that helped? I did go to a Dermatologist and she said that I had Dermatitis and prescribed a shampoo which isn't working at all. I honestly think it's the Wellbutrin.

Any help or advice would be very much appreciated! Thanks so much.

34 year old woman with UTI. I was placed on Macrobid and this is my hird day taking it. I was feeling sooo bad that i started doing searches and found this site and Im happy I did I thought I was crazy. extreme nausea (feels like morning sickness) the thought of any food makes me ill, headaches, sharp stomach pains, extreme fatigue, I generally feel like I have a terrible flu without a fever. I have never had symptoms like this before while taking an antibiotic. I feel so drained that I've been taking 3-4 hour naps during the day. Will call doctor to change prescription. I would rather suffer with the UTI than this!!!

i am a 32 year old woman who has had mirena for about 7 months now. i have bled every day since the insertion with the exception of 10 days. i had decided to use mirena in an attempt to minimize my period and instead i live with it every single day. i also have really bad stabbing cramps that have never ceased. they come and go very sporadically and are enough to have me stop in my tracks and nearly fall over. additionally, the insertion was awful! i would never suggest that anyone goes through that pain. what i am only now putting together is the lack of sex drive. my poor husband has been very patient but i've been very upset with my lack of sex drive and it is hurting our relationship. unfortunately he won't go for a vasectomy so i'm going to have to go back on the pill but i have definitely now decided to have the mirena removed. thank you all for sharing.

I'm 28 years old woman...
I was prescribed Ulcerative Colitis 5 years ago. I have been on prednisone 4 or 5 times since then for periods of three to four months experiencing the typical symptoms and side effects. I had a new flare up and 2 weeks ago my doctor prescribe prednisone again, but this time he told me to take 40 mg a day for 7 days and then stop it, TOTALLY.
He said that it was safe and even better than the old strategy of reducing the dosage slowly over a 2-3 months period, so I accepted.
I've never felt so bad in my life, not even when I was a moody teenager.
These days I have felt so miserable, so depressed...I am an optimistic person, really positive and easygoing but these last three days I have changed completely: anguish, anxiety, panic, alienation, it's like living in someonelse's body,...
Yesterday morning I couldn't go to work, I just sat for breakfast and start crying in front of my boyfriend in a desperate way...I spent two hours crying because I couldn't establish a connection between my body and me, I felt that I was trapped in a strange body...
The funny thing is that my doctor doesn't really acknowledge these sensations, he thinks that the emotional distress is due to sth else and not prednisone!
Apart from that, my bones, muscles and joints hurt terribly...

If you feel depressed, prepare herbal tea. It cleans your body and your sprit. Good options are mint and lemon zest, orange zest and chamomile

I have been on and off advair for the past few years and yes, it does seem to take the wheezes away....it was prescribed to me as a result of what was diagnosed as a GERD symptom altho I didn't feel breathless, just wheezy. The wheeze did go away, but I have also suffered hair loss, which my GP brushes off as menopause which does not make me happy. So having read all the preceding posts I think I shall ease off the Advair and see how I am without it (GERD seems better controlled with diet changes), and switch to Flovent I think it is...the old inhaled steroid. I did ask for that and was given the prescription. I didn't find these asthma like symptoms bad enough to warrant a strong drug like Advair - I think it would be fantastic for severe asthma that needs it. Wonder if the other inhaled steroids affect hair too? Just praying it all comes back! Nothing worse than getting old AND losing your hair as a woman!!! I see some regrowth so fingers crossed.

I decided to google "nuvaring side effects" after putting two and two together today...

Due to some complications, I switched from OrthoTriCyclen Lo to NuvaRing about 5 months ago. Having been on OrthLo for so many years (about 4, and Ortho regular for about 5 years), my uterline lining was shedding, which in turn caused bleeding in between my periods. I had heard good things about NR, so I asked about switching to that. First month seemed good... then I started noticing changes in my body and emotional state of mind.
Started with nausea, then I ran the gamut - headaches, back pain, fatigue, mood swings, LOSS OF SEX DRIVE & WEIGHT LOSS (the worst two).

Being that I am generally a pretty stable 27 year old woman, all of these little things stood out but I couldn't figure out what was going on. The weight gain got me good... I gained about 8 lbs - which is A LOT for me. I work out 6 days a week and have a very healthy diet - nothing had changed except my birth control, i.e. the ring. I even started up'ing my cardio 30 more minutes a day to get back to normal, but to no avail. Traumatizing. And the no yearning for sex thing is horrible too... my poor fiance.

While there is no way to tell for sure that NR is the cause of all these side effects, it only seems rationale. It would be too much of a coincidence that so many of us women have these neg effects - all similar.

After reading most of these reviews, I got on the phone and called my gyno. Plan is to stay off everything for one full period (plus the withdrawal period), then to switch back to an oral contraceptive. Just have to use condoms in the meantime - small price to pay to avoid all the nasty sides effects.

NR has already been removed. Thank you all for sharing... this made me want to share, as well.