Painful periods symptoms and conditions

Hi all i have been taking Yasmin for about 3 years now and am so glad i have now discovered this site. Initially Yasmin worked well for me but in the last 2 years or so i suffered the anxiety, panic attacks and depression(which i was then given Zoloft to treat) and decreasing eyesight and weight gain, diarrhea, bloating i never thought it could be related to Yasmin! i have tried to come off it but experienced the most terribly painful periods. i recently went to a naturopath and was given herb tablets(vitex agnus-catus)
to stabilize my hormones whilst coming off the pill. I urge other women to really think about the side effects before taking YASMIN and ask questions if you have any of these symptoms.i hope i get back to normality once ive stopped this pill and hope everyone else does too!

I was put on birth control when I was 21 years old and I started with Estrostep FE for irregular and very painful periods. 9 years later, after complaining of unusually light periods and horrible hot flashes I was switched to Yasmin to see if that would make a difference. I was fine with the Yasmin for about 6 months but then I came down with what I thought might have been a stomach virus. I was fine until June of that year when I came down with what seemed to be another stomach virus. I found this odd as I had not had a stomach virus since I was eight years old, but I seemed to have contracted two within six months of each other 22 years later. By the time July hit, I was experiencing these "stomach viruses" just about every other day. I would have horrible acid indigestion and the sensation of needing to vomit (but I never would) which would send me running for the bathroom for hours at a time just in case I did. For over a year I sought the advice of doctors and had been theoretically diagnosed with the following: stress (always the first one), acid reflux disease, IBS, and gastroparesis. I have gone through an endoscopy, gastric emptying scan, colonoscopy, two ultrasounds, two CT scans and an MRI. Drug wise I have been put on Prevacid, Compazine, Zofran, Zegerid, Imipramine, Reglan, Levsid, and Erythromycin. I now am buried in medical bills and the whole thing has caused me to miss a month of work without pay. I also was struggling to eat and, at one point, had dropped 25 pounds which is very frightening for someone with my tiny frame. The mental anguish was unbearable and I was actually at the point of welcoming a diagnosis of cancer just because it would have been answer. The idea to stop taking the Yasmin actually came from a fifteen minute conversation during a birthday party with an obstetrician. Within two weeks of stopping I was absolutely fine. I gained all of the weight back in record time and am once again a person who rarely ever needs stomach aids (in three months I've only taken two tums). Stopping the Yasmin made absolute sense because the nausea episodes would only occur between 9am and 2pm (weird, just like morning sickness) and my thyroid levels were all over the place. One blood test would show them as normal and another would show them as sky-high. I questioned my ob-gyn why she said my blood tests were normal when my thyroid levels were actually twice the normal level. She merely shrugged it off as being "normal because of the Yasmin". No wonder I never felt well! I've been off Yasmin for three months now. I've only gotten one light period that lasted for three days. It was over a month ago and it took almost two months to happen after stopping the Yasmin. I don't know if I'm sterile because I have heard cases of girls becoming infertile after long-term use of the pill (any kind). I am definitely interested in joining a class action lawsuit because I don't feel I should be the one stuck with all of these bills. Has anything been officially started yet?

hi, please can someone help me :-(
I'm 17 and this is my first time on any pill, I was on mefenamic acid to deal with painful periods but had to stop after I used them incorrectly.
I started Yasmin 6 days ago, and since my period stopped I have had constant pain in the left side of my back, headaches, am very tired and constantly feel like I'm about to be sick.
Is this normal? My parents don't seem to understand how much it's affecting me and I can't keep missing school.

I started Femcon 6 months ago after being dissatisfied with Loestrin 24 Fe. This pill has both pros and cons. My periods are lighter now (my reason for starting BC pills was because of heavy and painful periods). There is less cramping with Femcon as well but my periods lasts even longer now than before starting the pill. Last month I bleed for 16 days straight! Since this was the only time I bled for so long I decided to give the pill a few more months. I actually like the fact that since starting this pill my acne has cleared up completely and my mood is much better than before starting the pill (No mood swings around the time of period!) Another con though is that my sex drive as decreased and vaginal mucous has this weird thickness to it and it makes sex kind of uncomfortable! I never had such problems prior to starting Femcon Fe. I may be searching for a different pill or other options soon.

I only had my mirena for four days. I had it put in last Friday as the wonder cure for heavy, long and painful periods and I was very excited that my life was about to change for the better. (I do not need it for contraception as my husband has had a vasectomy). The moment I came off the gynae's table I had terrible lower back pain and immediate abdominal cramping. It hadn't helped that the strings had been left too long and the one that wasn't hanging out (!) was stabbing me internally. That was soon rectified early on Saturday morning after a sleepless night of severe cramping when the emergency clinic trimmed the strings for me. I felt immediately better as I was more mobile, but during the day I became aware of an odd, occasional, but familiar pain in my hands and feet. This developed into a constant pain (with occasional shooting pains) over the next few days. I had had these pains during both my pregnancies and they had been diagnosed then as carpal and tarsal tunnel syndrome. I also developed the severe "fanny ache" where it feels like your pelvic bone is going to split in two (another reminder of pregnant days) and sends shooting pains down the thighs. I had a permanent headache - sometimes manageable, sometimes unbearable (bear in mind that the whole time I was dosed to the max with nurofen too!). I was incredibly thirsty all the time, drinking gallons and gallons of water, I had a metallic taste in my mouth (same as when pregnant) and my saliva had become very thick. I think it was this that made me feel as if I had something stuck in my throat. I had bouts of nausea that were similar to morning sickness only more unpredictable than my pregnancy sickness - things like the dishwasher powder was OK but walking past the butchers was not! My boobs grew but were not tender, my waistline grew too - probably as a result of all the extra fluid that I was taking on. I felt thoroughly miserable - although whether that was just because I was feeling like crap dealing with all of that or whether it was a hormonal thing, I don't know. I did eat more but I do that when I'm miserable anyway! I went to see my GP Tuesday morning - he was very understanding and agreed with me that the phantom pregnancy symptoms were due to my body's response to the hormone. When I mentioned that my bleeding had changed and seemed to have become quite watery, he took a swab to check for infection (I don't think that there is/was one - results due later in the week). He suggested that I wait for the results to come back before making a decision. I thought about that for about an hour and took myself to the FPC and asked for it to be taken out. The doctor I spoke to there was unsympathetic, repeated all the side effects that are listed on the leaflet and steadfastly refused to acknowledge any of the ones I was telling him about. He said that the bleeding and the sore breasts would all settle down with time. I explained again that I was geared up to bleed for the next six months if that's what it took - that wasn't the issue, my breasts weren't sore and it was my pregnancy symptoms that were alarming me. He reluctantly agreed to remove it (in fact he was, in my opinion, extremely rude and dismissive once I had asked him), and spent the next few minutes banging on about what contraception I should now use. I referred him to my notes as I got off the table to dress. As quickly as it had come with its insertion, my lower back pain disappeared with its removal. I was astonished. The doctor didn't believe me. 24 hours later, I am still cramping and am still slightly swollen, still bleeding the watery blood but I have no hesitation that I have done the right thing for me in having it removed. My head is in the right place again and I will never complain about my periods again....

I had Mirena inserted in January 07 and for the first few months things were ok. I came across this site about 6 weeks ago after I'd been experiencing cramps, lower back pain and constant bloating for about 2 months. After reading other womens' symptoms I recognized a few I was feeling myself, such as feeling tired all the time and aching joints, extremely painful breasts, also I lost interest in the most basic everyday things. I have gained 15-20lbs in the last 18 months and nothing I did would shift it. Well I decided to have it removed and it was taken out a couple of days ago. It's a good job I have a strong personality as the doctor did his best to convince me I was making a mistake (I had it inserted to help with painful periods) and basically said on your head be it. I'd rather have a painful few days each month than all the symptoms I had all the time. Well I am now having a really heavy period, with pains to match, which I'm hoping will calm soon. I must admit I'm not feeling very different but I feel better in the knowledge I have control over my own body instead of that little plastic contraption. If I gain or lose weight, it's down to my own actions. I'll post again in a couple of weeks to let you know how it's going. All I can say is that it's your body and the decisions are ultimately yours, don't let doctors bully you and you should go ahead and take control. Best of luck to anyone who is thinking of having it removed.

Hi everyone.Ive been on Yasmin now for 10months due to really bad heavy painful periods.I wasn't at all happy about going on it as i have tried different ones in the past and gained a lot of weight, but as this was my last chance in trying something to stop the bad periods or get pregnant as I wasn't in the right place to do that I had to give in and try it.I was told that I wouldn't gain that much weight,just a couple of pounds.But i have put so much weight on.About a stone in weight.And i work out 3/5days a week.And it doesn't matter how hard I try I cant seem to shift the weight which is really upsetting.I decided today that i would do some research on it as i know somethings not right with my body.My boobs have grown so much bigger and are so very much painful.My legs are swollen,my calf muscles really hurt when i exercise.As I use to be a dancer I have always had good legs muscles and ive always exercises so I knew it wasn't because of that.I became very moody,tired,insomnia,dizzy,head aches which I hardly ever got before and very snappish.I didn't want 2 do anything.I became very depressed about my body and life in general.Crying all the time.My doctor put me on anti-depressants and even though ive chilled out a lot more,everything else remains the same.You just know your own body,and ive known for sometime that taking this pill wasn't doing me any good.It may have stopped the painful heavy periods but at what cost!!! To have even more problems then you had before.I was reashured by my doctor who may I add was a gynecologist for 18years,told me it was the best one and hardly any side effects.Yeah right what a frigging joke.Im so unhappy about my self,and my life.Oh and you guest it,no sex drive.This pill has to be taken off the market.They haven't a clue how bad this is and what effect and long term damages its doing to us women.As im going to see my G.P tomorrow im going to be taken off it.Im so happy I found this web site.I thought I was going mad,and had a weird body.I just hope that when I do come off it that I don't go back to the bad heavy painful periods as it got to the point that i was on the floor and couldn't get up I was in that much pain that I couldn't take it anymore.I think thats why i have stayed on it for so long as im afraid of going threw all that pain again.So if anybody else out there reading this knows if theres any other way to stop it from happening again without taking the pill or having the injection or coil put in, please write back to me and let me know.
Samantha Blake from Blackpool.aged 24.

Wow, reading all of this has got me kind of scared. I've been taking Ortho-Tri-Cyclin-Low for almost 3 years, my doctor put me on it, to help with my extremely painful periods, and it worked like a charm. I wasn't sexually active, so I never really worried much about taking it at the same time each day. Other the last several months my life has gotten pretty busy, and its become extremely hard to remember taking the pill each day. I started having sex with my boyfriend earlier this month, we've been using condoms, but they are uncomfortable for both of us, and we don't really want to use them (we were both virgins before this, so we're not worried about STDs). So Friday I went to see my doctor and she suggested Nuvaring, and gave me 5 months worth of samples to try.

I was supposed to have my period this week, I actually quit taking the pill last Tuesday or Wednesday (today is Sunday) because I kept forgetting. So my doctor told me to go ahead and have my period then put the first ring in next week. After reading the information packet and on the nuvaring website I decided to put the ring in last night (Saturday night), and skip my period this month.

I had a headache last night, and its still here (though not quite as bad) today. Today I also started having spotting and mild cramps.

The headache could be from me just getting over the flu (I had that Friday & Saturday), and being tired from the flu. And I'm sure the spotting is probably normal, considering I was supposed to start my period in the next few days, and I've only had the ring in for about 12 hours.

I'm going to be on the look out for side effects though. I sure hope it works for me, because I really am horrible about remembering the pill.

I came upon this site while trying to search about people's experiences with sex while using the ring, because I'm kinda nervous that it will be uncomfortable for my boyfriend and/or I. So if any of you have any input with that, please reply to this. Thank you

When I was on this pill, I was just hungry all of the time! All I wanted to was eat. I've pretty much been on every pill there is to be on. I've suffered from dysmenorrhea (painful periods) and menorrhagia since I began menstruating at 11. I was stick skinny back then, 5'6 weighing at 106 pounds and I was athletic, but after taking the pill to shorten my periods, I started gaining weight. That was 15 years ago. I have been on Yaz, Yasmin, Loestrin, Depo (this is the worst!) and some others that I cannot even remember

I had mirena inserted July 23, 08. I have not stopped bleeding yet! I have phoned the doctor and was told it is just my body adjusting to it. I have had to take ibuprofen practically everyday and use a heating pad for cramps quite often. I am willing to touhg it out if it is going to get better but after reading the posts here I am getting very concerned. It seems like I am losing hair, it is not noticeable but I find it in the tub drain. And that scares the crap out of me.
I was prescribed mirena because of my periods, very heavy bleeding, clots and very bad cramps. I am seriously considering having this god awful thing taken out. Has anyone found the cure for terrible, painful periods?

I had my Mirena device inserted in June 2008. It is now September (3 months later) & I am experiencing a few of the side effects as other users here have indicated.

Insertion was extremely painful & I had to rest in the doctor's office for about 45 min before I could go home. Really painful periods. Month 1 lasted over 2 weeks. I had to get pain pills from doctor because the cramps were so bad & were waking me up at night. The headaches started about a month or so ago, thought it was allergies but now I'm not so sure. My throat has been tightening with the headaches & no one has mentioned this particular side effect. One person mentioned dry throat. I feel as if I cannot swallow.

I definitely have stomach bloating, but no hair loss or decreased sex drive. I do have discharge everyday, not much but it is smelly & embarrassing. Sometimes I wear tampons a few days after my period has disappeared because I can smell myself. The guy I am dating won't go down on me, because we both know something is up. I was never this way before. Now the headaches are scaring me & so is this site.

I have been on Loestrin24 since March 2008 and have been hospitalized once, in the emergency room once and suffering since. About two weeks after I started taking Loestrin24 in March 2008, I had what they thought was a TIA or, a "mini-stroke" and was put in the hospital. I was seeing a rainbow-like aura, had a splitting headache (for only about 30 minutes), became extremely confused, my blood pressure jumped up to 168/93 (stage 2 hypertension) and I couldn't speak for a few hours. Of course, they hospitalized me, ran all kinds of tests and found there to be no medical reason for a mini-stroke and the neurologist cleared me so, I was sent home with no mention of the fact that it could be the Loestrin24 that was causing it and, yes, my husband did tell them I was taking it. Two months later, I was back in the emergency room with the same symptoms. However, this time I recognized the symptoms as the same ones I'd had before and we immediately headed to the hospital. I was not hospitalized this time and the ER doctor said it was a migraine (there's a migraine that causes stroke-like symptoms) and that it's possible it could be the Loestrin24. Well, I'm taking the birth control pill because I have incredibly painful periods and was trying to be able to live a normal life. Without the birth control pill, I literally have to plan my life around my periods. So, not wanting to believe it was the Loestrin24, I continued to take it because, I hadn't had a period since I started taking it. That, alone, was worth it for me. But, last night while watching TV with my husband, the worst symptom hit me. It was like someone took a sledge hammer and slammed me in the forehead with it! I was wracked with such pain in my head that my hands flew to my forehead and I was screaming/crying. My head hurt so badly that I was would not have been surprised if I was actually bleeding from my eyes and ears. This morning, I'm still having the ringing in my ears and I could sleep for hours. I have contacted both my ob/gyn and my family physician and both of them said to stop taking it immediately.

Also, like I've read in several postings here, my sex drive is completely gone. And, when I do give in to my husband and have sex, my heart feels like I'm going to have a heart attack. The sudden splitting headache has actually come on during sex, too!

I certainly do not want to go back to the debilitating pain of my periods but, I can't live like this, either!

I had my mirena fitted in 2000 when I was 40 years old. I have suffered with psoriasis since that time and only recently realized that maybe this could be linked to the hormone. I have spoken to my GP who insists that there could be no link and that it is purely co-incidental, however he can offer no other advise as to the cause of the psoriasis, so how does he know. I have tried all sorts of remedies to alleviate the psoriasis with no luck. I am now practically convinced that the mirena is the cause and am considering having it removed asap. I have also experienced palpitations for the last two years and have had all the tests and have been told I am fine. I also suffer from IBS. Has anyone else experienced similar?

I am 18 years old and have been taking Loestrin 24 for about 7 months now. I started taking the pill because I was sexually active and was having extremely long and painful periods. The first few months of the pill were fine, I had some minor bloating. However, I was happy with the pill for the most part. The little acne I had cleared up and my periods were almost non-existent (12 hours of a light brown spotting at most).

Now, for the past three months I have been struggling with depression and anxiety. I could not figure out what was happening to me because I had never had emotional problems like this before. Given, I am prone to depression (both my mother and father have been diagnosed). Nevertheless, I am starting to wonder if the hormones in Loestrin 24 have triggered my depression symptoms and made them worse since they were NEVER a problem until I went on this pill. Previously, I was on Ortho Tricyclen Lo and did not have any emotional side effects whatsoever.

Also, I am pretty much fed up with this pill after today. A few days ago, I suddenly began having chest pains and a numbness/tingling on my left side (arms, legs, face). Feeling nervous, I went to the doctor today. They gave me an EKG which was normal (thank goodness). However, they have ordered me an MRI for tomorrow to see if I have suffered from a stroke! My doctor said that he thinks that then numbness pain is more likely caused my depression/anxiety. Depression and anxiety that I think were caused by this pill.

I can't stand these pills and I refuse to finish this pack. Enough is enough already! Has anybody else suffered symptoms similar to these and if so, what was your outcome?

I am on my first month of taking this pill. I am on the last brown pills I only have two brown pills left and no period, despite the fact that I am sexually active I just do not think I am preg. we use condoms EVERY time and also pull out while using condoms so i just don't see it... also i feel like I have gained about 3 pounds nothing huge, but enough to make me feel like a fatty. I just switched to this pill after 4 months on yaz, but I had spotting and long painful periods on that. The gyn gave me a month of femconFE and then prescribed me ovcon 35 and said it's the same but some of you ladies said it's not so I am only hoping for something different. I feel very sore and headaches and I cry much more than I used to. I am normally not the type of person to cry but i just have been getting too emotional over nothing, I am definitely thinking it's this pill so i will be on Ovcon 35 in 2 days I am hoping for something better.

I went on the NuvaRing because it would regulate my hormones- I have IBS and get sick a few days before my period. The NR was great for keeping my IBS at bay. However, I gained over 15 pounds while on it. I had not changed my eating habits or activity level. The only thing I could associate to the massive weight gain, enlarged, swollen, and sore breasts was the ring. Even after hiring a personal trainer, eating healthier, and working out multiple times a week, I couldn't lose weight. I finally decided to take the ring out. After two weeks of being "ring free", people can see a difference in my weight- and I haven't gone to the gym to work out in over 3 weeks. Now I have to suffer through painful periods and digestive problems because I can't bare the weight gain that comes with the ring. If anyone knows of another form of BC that does not cause weight gain, please let me know.

Wow..i wished i could have found this web site a long time ago...however i probably still would have had it done. I had my inserted 4 days ago. It was a little painful when it was getting put in and i have been having cramps ever since. My doc gave me pain med. to last me up to 3 months (cant remember to take them or any other pill thats why i got on Mirena to begin with!) because she said women have painful periods but after a few months it goes away. The only thing i noticed was light brown jelly like discharge. yeah, gross. Its weird that i have something inside of me but thats it. I'm worried now that ill have the same complications as everyone else on this site! But trust me..ill let you know! My husband and i did have sex last night and it was a little painful, but i haven't done that position in a long time but i dont know. ill find out if it hurts again tonight. (just to see since i have no interest in sex since i had my baby 4 months ago...poor hubby) And i noticed i LOST 2 pounds in one day...but ill post again in about a week to update. boy i am worried now!

I HAVE BEEN ON THE LAMICTAL FOR 5 MONTHS NOW( FOR MINOR BI POLAR EPISODE). AT FIRST I FELT A LITTLE "SPACEY" AS I HAVE INCREASED MY DOSAGE EACH TIME I NOTICED VERY PAINFUL MENSTRUAL CRAMPS, WORSE PMS, EXTRA LONG MENSTRUATION CYCLE, JOINT PAIN IN THE HIP, FORGETTING EVERYTHING( LOSS OF SHORT TERM MEMORY), AND EXTREME TIREDNESS IN THE DAY AND NOT SLEEPING AT NIGHT. I HAD BEEN ON 75MG A DAY ( 2 IN AM, 1 IN PM) AND THEN UPPED MY DOSE TO 100MG(2 IN AM, 2 IN PM). THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE WORSENING, ESPECIALLY THE JOINT PAIN. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED PANIC ATTACKS AND IRRITABLENESS THAT I HADN'T HAD BEFORE. WORST OF ALL, IS THAT I HAVE GAINED ABOUT 27 LBS WHILE TAKING THIS MED. HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS? PLEASE REPLY TO TELL ME THE BEST REMEDY.

I thought Yasmin was great. I took it for about 3 years. I had light periods, no pain, no weight gain. I wanted to try Yaz, though, because I can get quite emotional before my period. I've been on it for about 5 months now and have had painful periods, headaches before my period, breakouts on my face, and weight gain. So I am switching back to the Yasmin. I think everyone reacts differently and pills aren't for everyone so you just have to shop around and try different ones before you find the one that's right for you. I took Ortho-Novum in my late teens, early-20's and I gained weight from that, too.

I've been yasmin for about 1 1/2 years now (I'm 21). Going to the doctor tomorrow to see if I can switch to something else. I feel horrible. I used to be pretty happy, pretty active. For the past 4 months I've been depressed. anxious, paranoid, upset, and it just keeps getting worse and worse. At first maybe I thought I was just having mental stress. But I feel bad for my boyfriend now. I've been very down and hard on myself, and I just can't stop. I thought I would be able to control it, but it doesn't work that way. I know it's yasmin because it was something that finally clicked. I also noticed that my hair as thinned out a lot in the past year.

I've used 3 different kinds of birth control, and my advice is--STICK WITH IT! :) Any hormonal birth control is going to give you some side effects, and they're going to be different for everyone. That's why there are so many different kinds we can try. But you have to give it time! Never switch types of hormonal birth control if you've been on it less than 3 or 4 months, unless of course you've got the dangerous side effects that are really rare (like heart attack, blood clots, severe depression, etc.). Hormones are really complicated, and it TAKES TIME for your body to get used to them.

Have you been on Aviane less than 3 months and you've got: breast tenderness, increase in acne, weight gain, decrease in sex drive, headaches, nausea, mild depression, mood swings, irritability, breakthrough bleeding, cramps, increased appetite, problems with your contacts, etc.? Welcome to the club. :) I PROMISE that most (if not all) of these will go away by the time you're on your third or fourth period, and you get so used to the ones that are left that they don't really even impact your life anymore. If after 3-4 months you've still got side effects that are really impacting your lifestyle, that's when you need to go to your doctor and talk about other options. It really is a trial and error kind of thing, but you have to be patient! Birth control isn't like popping a pill when you've got a headache--it's a commitment, something you have to really stick with if you want the benefits (like no babies!). Pay attention to what your body needs, of course, but if you're going to take hormonal birth control, you kind of have to pay a price for a few months first.

But hey, birth control really is great. It's so much easier than trying to worry about condoms or diaphragms or other kinds of barrier birth control (can you say "kills the moment?"). And there are good side effects, too--shorter, lighter, less painful periods (over time), etc.

Good luck! Stick with it!

I have been taking this drug for a few weeks and it is horrible. My Doctor gave it to me to improve my painful periods, however, it has only made my daily life worse! After two weeks on the pill I thought I was going crazy, as I suffered from many of the side effects other women have described on this site. I was anxious, nervous, paranoid, shaky, moody, had severe headaches, felt constantly nauseous, had elevated blood pressure, and got easily depressed. I have stopped the pill, but the side effects have yet to cease (hopefully they will soon). I do not recommend this pill, as it has only made my life much more difficult. I will be switching back to the ortho evra patch as it had very few side effects... .

I've also experienced many of the same side effects. I was on NuvaRing for 3 years and on the pill for 5 years before that. For me I found the changes very subtle. My sex drive was not effected right away, but it just kept getting lower and lower. I was doing grad school so I was getting more and more stressed and thought that that had something to do with it, so I ignored it. I was also much more anxious, depressed, short tempered, unmotivated, fatigued and oh, did I mention depressed! I honestly thought it was all due to the stress I was experiencing in grad school, but I did feel like something may be up. A lot of my symptoms were similar to hypothyroidism (oh yeah, I also gained 30 lbs after switching from the pill to NuvaRing) so I got tested, but my thyroid was fine. I had heard about the increased risk of blood clots for the patch, so I wanted to find out if the risk was also heightened for NuvaRing, so I googled a bit and came across some other sites like this one and saw how similar other peoples situations were to mine. I went off it 3 weeks ago (after only having a new ring in for one week) and I got a really long and heavy period right away. Since then I've been having mild cramps until today where they are the worst I've ever had. On the bright side, everyone has noticed how much happier I am - I really feel like my old self again. I haven't been depressed or stressed since I've been off NuvaRing!! It's so awesome. We've switched to non-hormonal contraceptive methods - I wanted to give my body a break and I may be trying for babies in the next year. Anyway - for those of you considering going off - TRY IT!! It can't hurt (except maybe for some cramping :D) If you don't start to feel better you can always go back on. It has made a huge difference in my life. I too was considering suicide at 26 when I'm normally a really happy person. My mom has also noticed that my moods are much more stable - apparently I was going a bit bipolar before!

I am a divorced mother of 5 minor children and I had my Mirena inserted 5.5 years ago due to heavy and painful periods. The thing stopped my periods, stopped the pain and made feel a free person again without worrying about staining my cloths and having to take days off.
I had the most wonderful 5 years physiology wise. My body responded great but.........my mood swings.....oyvei.
When it was due to come out, last August, the doc could not find the string, he poked, and poked and poked. Two docs tried to find it, to no avail. So they scheduled me to do an outpatient removal with the help of an anesthesiologist who would put me under for the few minutes it would take,
I was franctic.
As a last resort, I decided to wait, passed the due date, to see if my periods would return and get my cervix a bit softer or expel the string, or whatever was left of it after 5 years. I did and we tried again, the doctor said he would poke around a bit and it may hurt. He poked for 30 seconds and said 'here is that sucker!!' and he pulled it out. No pain, nothing.
I feel so happy now that I don't have a strange thing inside of me, but I am concerned about side effects post removal. So far, it's been a week and nothing other than a small bleeding that is fading away and a tad of a somewhat recurrent backache.
Should I expect side effects as days go by?

I've only been on Lamictal for about 3 weeks now. I started taking it the day after Christmas. I take 25MG twice a day, with .5MG of Klonopin 3 times a day. I have been diagnosed as Bi Polar II, with very deep bouts of depression and suicidal thoughts. So far the Lamictal has been working for me. I have noticed that if I don't take it in the morning when I am supposed to, I let little things get to me. But as soon as I remember to take it, I feel better in a short amount of time; but that could also be the Klonopin. Anyway, the only side-effect I've noticed so far is that I started my period a week and a half early, and I have been on it for 2 1/2 weeks now. And it keeps getting heavier and that is very annoying.

Are any other females having period issues? Or is it just me? I can't find any other sides that list heavy bleeding or early periods as a side-effect.