Optic nerves symptoms and conditions

Thank you so much for all your posts guys!! I just googled Mirena side effects today just trying to check ANYTHING that would explain my recent experiences. I sat her bawling while calling my doctor to insist it's removed immediately.

I had it inserted in December after having baby #3 in October. I finally got my girl after 2 boys and a few miscarriages and wasn't certain what to expect. I am only 25 and didn't want something permanent or really any drugs put into me on a consistent basis. When the doctor pushed Mirena I happily said okay! Sounded like a god send. I have extremely high blood pressure and his strong sale point would be that it would remove the need for meds. Liar! My regular doctor flipped out when she found that he had removed me and of course, I went back on meds a few weeks after having it inserted, after 4 readings 200+/110+... amazing he didn't cause me a stroke. That should have been red flag #1 but I figured it was just an error in judgment on his part.

I felt no pain with it going in and didn't cramp at all.. spotted for a few hours then it was over.. My first cycle lasted 2 1/2 weeks and the next started a week later.. All side effects I was warned of so didn't really concern myself.

I started having phantom kicks (uterus contractions) and stabbing labor pains back in February which I figure was it doing its job trying to get my system on track. I had numbness and pain down my left side and would constantly find myself hunched over in pain.. The bleeding had slowed down so much that I was so grateful and just kept popping pain pills like candy hoping it would go away soon.

These last few days have been a flu from hell. Can't leave bed, can't speak, constantly throwing up, loose stools followed by extreme constipation, achy muscle tingling skin.. you name it!! Went to the bathroom earlier and when I wiped, had a small bout of black blood.. Old blood that sometimes you will find at the end of your cycle! I checked the calendar and had indeed finally skipped a cycle.. The cramps and pains have been there as though I was going to start, but no bleeding for a week now.. So apparently to skip a cycle I'm going to be bed ridden with the flu.. I have a 5 year old, a 2 year old and a 7 month old who can't have mommy sick. This has been hell..

I too have experienced
terrible headaches, stomach pains, DEPRESSION, short fused tantrums, sitting and crying for hours on end, no passion for life, numbness of limbs, tingling skin, sinus infections, yeast infections, temporary blindness and now spots in my eyes which aren't regaining vision, 5 months ago I dyed my hair and it came out by the chunks, now that the dye is gone, I'm still losing hair and have bawling spots which I blamed on the dye.. Now I wonder..I also look like I'm about 6 months pregnant and people keep asking.. I HATE IT!! its been devastating to my self esteem. I lost so much weight after my boys so I blamed the weight gain on having a girl.. Now I wonder about that too.. The weight is only about 10 pounds but ALL in my belly..

I wonder so much..

I got about 5 posts into this horrified before I called to insist it will come out.. I have to wait 4 weeks.. but I can't wait to find me again.. I'm gonna just stick with condoms until I get my body back.

Thank you so much for speaking out on this.. I know the doctor is going to insist that it's not to blame.. but I now know better.. Thank you so much for helping me find answers.

I find it very interesting about the possible link between Singulair and visual disturbances. My daughter had been told (about one year after being on Singulair) that she had damage to a nerve in one eye. She had never received any type of head trauma and the Doctor could not figure out how this happened. He told us that eventually her headaches would get so bad that she would have to have her eye removed while they tried to repair the nerve, and then they would replace her eye. I would be interested to hear if there are any other stories similar to this.

Dear Sophie,

YES, I know that "eye problem", too and it's still coming up sometimes (though very seldom!!!), and remember, I've been OFF Yasmin for about 1,5 years now!! Well, it's not as bad and severe as it was around 4 months off it but it comes up some days, especially, when I'm under stress or so.

And another thing: It gets worse around ovulation or shortly before my period (should) start or starts! My mum was telling me, that around the time of your period you naturally feel a bit nervous, even without taking the pill, and so I think it's normal, that this thing with your eyes is "happening". I always called and call it "nervous eyes". That's how it feels. I then can't focus on anything and it feels as if my eyes go their own way, while I'm trying to read something or watch something...

In my research during the last year I found out, that the hypothalamus, the "central" of your hormonal control, is at that point of your brain, where the optic nerves are crossing. That's how I explain the visual problems, that I always had since taking Yasmin!! During taking it I needed new glasses for reading and such nearly every few weeks, because my visual acuity was permanently changing!! One week the glasses were ok, the other week they gave me dizziness and headaches, because they didn't work anymore for me!!

One very important thing: I NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS with my vision BEFORE YASMIN!!!!! That's absolutely sure!!!!

The headache thing:

Well, if you're afraid, that something might be wrong with your brain, you should really go and see a neurologist, perhaps have a MRI done, just to reassure yourself, that there really is nothing (which I really believe!!). I think that could help you to calm down and not worry about a really severe problem any longer. I had that MRI and thousands of other checks done, too, until I and my family doctor could be really sure, that there was nothing else causing my problems!!

I think you now after reading my posts, what I'm thinking about those antidepressant stuff... I took such stuff for only one week, because I really didn't know what else to do, but I got off it as fast as I got on because it was giving me even more problems than before... Everyone is reacting different and I think, if you really can't bare those headaches any longer, you should give it a try. But think twice about it and have some research (google) done, before you perhaps might get even more or other problems caused by that stuff...

You've asked about my period... Well, it really was another hard 2 weeks to get through for me. I really felt very weak and unsure and was afraid, that everyghing might be coming back....... But gladly I was WRONG!! :) I think my body just has its problems getting back used to that hormonal changes and especially the blood loss (and I had very heavy bleedings for about 3 - 4 days). Around one week after my period everything got better and now I'm fit again!! (and I don't have to tell you, how happy I am!!!).

Sophie, stay strong, look at me and keep going on!! You'll be there someday again, too, I swear!! Keep on posting and if there is anything you worry about: ask here in the forum!!!

It's the most valuable thing we have in all that agony, that we keep going each other by sharing our experiences during that Yasmin nightmare!!

God bless you all!!

Silke

Tetracycline is directly affected to a condition known as Idiopathic Intercranial Hypertension or more commonly known as Pseudotumor Cerebri. It is a very rare neurological condition. It causes Cerebral Spinal Fluid to build up on the brain and therefore causes servere headaches and permanent loss of vision due to pressure built up on the optic nerves. I had taken Tetracycline off and on for many years as a treatment of acne and was always told that the headaches that I had were migraines until I was hosptialized and finally diagnosed correctly by a Neurologist who promptly took me off of the medication. After learning all of this I have done much research and I was already in a high-risk category for this condition and Tetracycline is directly listed on every website as a cause of this condition. I SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN PRESCRIBED THIS MEDICATION!!! There are no warnings on the medication to indicate that it causes this condition and my healthcare provider was not aware or she never would have prescribed it to me. Now I live with a VP shunt, blood clots in my brain and constant headaches. What a price to pay to get rid of acne!