Patient person symptoms and conditions

Okay WOW! So interestingly enough, I was out w/ a friend last night and when I mentoned to him that I have Mirena-he pleaded with me to google it and find out the troubles that ppl were having. He said He almost lost his wife because of it(and by lost- I mean death) That got my attention. I told him, I thought I didn't have any problems with my Mirena... I don't even have a period ever-its great! I am truly glad he told me to look, and I am glad I read the other problems women were having. I had symptoms, that I didn't even realize I had; basically blaming it on stress or other things. I have Narcolepsy which is a sleeping disorder, and recently I was diagnosed with Fibromaylgia (s/p?) Anyways I have had my Mirena for a lil over a year; I chose it because I absolutely suck at remembering to take the "pill" everyday and I am a single mom, and I told myself I will not be in this position again with another child. (I know- a lot of "ands"...lol) Well Here is my symptoms that I didn't realize could be related. I had a nervous breakdown at Christmas last year.... I called my dad and told him he needed to go get my daughter because I didn't think she was 'safe' with me, I was balling my eyes out... I was so stressed and full of anxiety and the littlest thing would set me off-AND I knew it wasn't my babys fault, I didn't want her anywhere near me! I went to the doctor and got treated for - you guessed it manic depression/anxiety ( I have had a history of it- but NEVER this bad) She came home after a few days. However, I still get easily irritated, more easily then I should- normally I am a very patient person. I sleep all the time....ALL THE TIME, I suffer from eccessive Fatigue, and nothing I take seems to help. weight gain-yep I got that too... I am the heaviest I have ever been in my life! I weigh more now then I did when I was nine months preg. with my daughter. Bloating.... yep I got Bloating, I don't feel comfortable in any of my clothes- I absolutely hate to wear Jeans anymore, and Yes I do suffer the 'gas' problem too. I was completely embarrassed and thought I was all alone on the fear of making it to the bathroom on time... I am a grown woman of 30 (so I am still kinda young to have any problems like that!) Oh yeah...I do have the Hot flashes, people would tease me and tell me I was too young for that-DUH! I want to enjoy my daughter, she will be 4 years old in march, I want energy to do the simple things, to enjoy life again, I want to feel attractive again.... honestly right now I feel kinda hideous.... So I have two major positive I am facing... no pill to take everyday, and no period!!!! If I go have it removed; what will my cycle be like? will I bleed all the time, will it just last a long time at first and then regulate, I guess I would like to have a heads up on what to expect. then there is one more question... If I remove the Mirena and choose a different IUD; will it have the same side effects? I need a B.C. option that doesn't require me taking a pill everyday, and I already tried the depo-shot that was a bad one for me.... that was like one long, on-going period that never stopped(don't want that-lol) So if Anyone out there has any advice, I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you so much!

I understand what all of you ladies are going through. I myself started taking Femcon a week and a half ago, starting the packet the first day of my period. I haven't been on birth control pills before and I am 26 years old. My breast are extremely swollen and tender and have grown a size in a week, I am having violent mood swings, I have felt suicidal at times, but not enough to actually go through with it (and I certainly wouldn't, I understand that its just the hormones), I am severely constipated, I have only had one headache experience since taking the pills but it wasn't good. I had an extremely sharp pain go through one side of my head and last a while, I had to take three days off from work this week because I was too nauseous, as well as too tired and depressed to get out of bed. I am back at work today barely able to keep my eyes open. I am about to take a nap during my one hour lunch break. This has been a horrible experience for me. I have read the instructions and know that these horrible things will pass. I can't take much more. I am an extremely patient person but these side effects are absolutely ridiculous!!! Good luck to all of you, I feel your pain.

This is so interesting. I have been taking NuvaRing for over a year now, and for about a year I absolutely loved it. Recently, however, things have changed. In Feb. I accidentally left the ring in for one week too long and then put it in one day late... I didn't think much of it, but then in March my period was really light. In April, my breast began to swell and got very tender and I started having headaches and a lot of nausea and I started gaining weight. At the end of the month, my period was just spotting. I, of course, took a pregnancy test, which came out negative. In May and June things have continued to be bad...spotting periods, extreme fatigue, a lot of weight gain, constipation, bloating and pain in my abdomen during sex. I took two more home pregnancy tests and even went to my doctor for a blood test...all negative. Today, my family doctor suggested that it could be my nuvaring. I had no idea! That's why I googled NuvaRing side effects today and found this sight. I've scheduled an appointment with my OBGYN so I can change my BC method. Looking back, I have noticed that I am much more aggressive than I was 1.5 years ago. I used to have great relationships with my students and used to be such a patient person, but over last 1.5 years I have started to get aggravated really easily...I even honk my horn at people. That is really not who I am! So hopefully after I take the NuvaRing out, I'll go back to being myself and feeling healthy.

I removed my Mirena 10 days ago. I've had it for a little over a year. Within one month of having the IUD inserted I broke out in eczema all over my body. I didn't make the connection until about three weeks ago. I have been to many doctors in the last year, primary care, dermatologists, allergy doctors in order to figure out why I suddenly have eczema. I will report back on my eczema since it has only been 10 days since removal. However I have noticed a huge change in my mood since removal. I would get so angry to the point of rage at my 3 children for the trivial things on a daily basis and now I feel like I am the most patient person. Also, my sex drive has skyrocketed...before I had no interest in sex. Do not use the Mirena it is not worth it.

I had my mirena inserted in November 05 after the birth of my 3rd child, i have never suffered depression or anxiety in my life and have always been a very patient person...... until around the time i had this thing inserted into me. For the last two years i have been moody, grumpy, angry, irritable, depressed and borderline insane, not everyday, but when it starts it hangs around for at least a week at a time. i have thought for the last 2 and a half years that i was just a stressed out mum that couldn't deal with having 3 children.... well not anymore, i never really made the connection with the mirena until i started looking into the side effects last night and came upon this website. I thought the night sweats and hot flushes were premature menopause (I'm 32) and that the migraines were just stress, and the joint pain was arthritis, and the nausea and sore breasts meant that i might be pregnant ( i have taken about 8 home tests in the last 2 years). i thought that the extreme tiredness and extreme fatigue meant that i was anemic, so i take extra iron and am careful to eat well. My husband is miserable, i am a pain to live with, my kids yell at each other because i yell at them it's a never ending cycle...

last night we decided that i would have in removed, i am booked in on the 3rd of June and can't wait to get it out of me. I don't care if i don't lose weight i just want to feel happy again and not feel so bloody exhausted all the time! and gee it would be nice to actually feel like having sex again!!

Right after I take it, I drop to sleep or feel faint if I try to stay awake. It's really scary because I have a 3 yr old at home with me who needs my constant attention. I have started taking it at night. Also I work for a call in crisis center and for the first month on it I just could not force myself to listen ot others troubles. Normally I am a very compassionate and patient person. I was irritable, edgy, and actually began seeing the callers as draining. I love my job and love being a friend to others, all this dried up. I had a severe hormonal reaction after the birth of my daughter and Yasmin was supposed to be the magic cure. How are you supposed to work on this stuff? I have eaten dinner out somewhere rather than cook because I find the kitchen overwhelming. The household chores have gone amiss where before I was very organized and tidy. I just cannot find the energy. Then the fog would wear off in the evenings and I stay up too late. One morning determined to conquor the "drowsies" I drank a water glass heavy duty dark coffee and still literally dropped off in a coma like sleep. I notice they are strong after I eat as well. I am on my second month and reluctant to give it up because I have been suffering with so many other hormonal issues prior to taking it!

Hi everyone -

I'm brand new to this site and I can't tell you how glad I am to have found it!

I'm 41 years old with no history of any serious health problems. In February of last year, I started feeling run-down, depressed, etc. (first time ever). By April, I went to my gynecologist and was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst and put on Yasmin to help it resolve. After the cyst cleared up, I stayed on the Yasmin because I liked how it worked for birth control (never used BCP's before this). At the same time, I was diagnosed hypothyroid. A few months into treatment for both, I started having tachycardia/palpitations/pounding heart, severe depression, anxiety attacks. These were all written off by my docs as related to the hypothyroidism. My doctors and I kept thinking once we had that under control, the symptoms would resolve.

Well, the hypo has been under control for about three months, but the heart and anxiety symptoms continued to get worse.

I decided to dump the Yasmin about 7 weeks ago, because I couldn't figure out what else could be causing all the symptoms. My heart started feeling better in about 3-4 weeks, although the depression and anxiety lingers on (but are both improved).

I am not a very patient person and the idea of "waiting this out" is awful - but your postings have given me a lot of hope that all of this will eventually go away.

I would like to suggest that everyone spend a few minutes reporting their side effects to the FDA. If you go to www.FDA.GOV, there is a section where you can report adverse reactions yourself - without having to convince your doctor to do it for you. Under the section "Let Us Hear From You", there's an option to "Report a Problem with a Product". It takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. If enough people file complaints, they'll have to do SOMETHING, won't they? ;-) And just the act of "ratting out the makers of Yasmin" is very satisfying....

Good luck to everyone!

Julie

I have been taking Effexor for around 2 to 3 years for depression. I am currenty taking two 150 mg at night, though I was told to take one in the morning and one at night... I found it easier to take them both at night. The only side effect I am sure comes from the Effexor is the reduction in my libido (and I am female). Effexor is the only anti-depressant I have been on, and I think I got extremely lucky in that I found the one that works for me on the first try. I also see a psycho-therapist, and between the two, I feel I have managed to get a better hold on my life. I am a thirty-five year old mom (married, and with a seven-year-old daughter) and I have "almost" nothing but praise for Effexor.

HOWEVER, I do know that the withdrawal side effects are terrible... I have missed it for up to three days when I went out of town and forgot my medication. I can usually miss one day and the side effects will most likely just be a bad headache, and maybe a little nautious. But when I missed three doses:

Missing one dose at night: I had a headache the following day.
After missing two doses: The headache became worse, I would occasionally get dizzy spellls, and I started getting very emotional - swaying between sad and cranky.
After missing third dose: The headache became worse still, and was aggravated by light - I wanted to just keep my eyes closed. I felt dizzy and nautious - nautious to the point I couldn't tell if I was going to throw-up (never did).
Oh... and I should add that the dreams while I was off the medication were incredible... like watching movies... so detailed and complex. I usually don't remember my dreams... but these I could recall... not in perfect detail... but they were amazing.

After I got back home and took my dose that night: I missed three days of work while being back on the medication. I was nautious, had a terrible headache, wanted to just stay in bed, I was no longer ultra sensitive emotional-wise - but I was ultra-pissed-off. I became very angry that I was on a medication that was addictive after having been told it was "not addictive". I was angry that I have never had an addiction before, but now suddenly I was addicted to a prescribed drug. I don't smoke, I only drink a couple of alcholic drinks in a month (socially), no canabis (pot... is that an out-dated term? ... everyone here says canabis), or any other illegal or legal addictive drugs... the only other drugs I take are allergy (Clarinex) and birth control (Nuva Ring), neither of which are addictive.

That whole experience was months ago, and now that I have had time to calm down and get a clear perspective on the situation... I wouldn't stop taking Effexor for just being addictive... and YES... it is addictive... I don't give a rat's ass what any "expert" says about it. If you can't stop taking something without your body freaking out... then IT IS ADDICTIVE.

I don't know that I will ever be able to stop the medication. I go back and forth as to how I feel about this. At times it bothers me being so dependant on a medication... but on the other-hand, I'm dependant on the allergy medication, and that doesn't bother me, so why should I let being dependant on an anti-depressant bother me? Who cares what everybody else thinks, right? - - Boy, that's loaded...

Effexor has helped me tremendously. My thoughts about death are very infrequent. I don't feel like crawling into a hole and disappearing all the time. I have found "my voice" with the help of this drug and my therapist to voice my opinions more often to help me from not feeling so trapped and helpless in situations. It does cut down on emotional sensations... I don't feel overwhelming sad at all the terrible things I hear on the news. And I don't cry at sappy commercials and movies any more (Thank you!). For the first time, I feel much more in control of my feelings and my life.

So, I can understand the anger in a lot of these postings, but I would like to add, that I don't think the people who have benefited from Effexor are posting here. They have no reason to be looking for this site. I found this site when I had been angry over finding out it was habit-forming. I believe Effexor has probably helped a lot of people - and it isn't an "evil" drug... it's just a drug. For some, it just isn't the right drug.

I should add, that I'm on here today because I've recently started experiencing night sweats, but I wasn't sure if it was a side effect of Effexor or not. I hope that it is a side effect of Effexor and not a symptom of menopause... cripes... I'm only 35! The first site that popped up after searching under "Nightsweats" was about nightweats being a symptom of perimenopause or menopause... ugh!

But if I have to weigh the benefits I have experienced using Effexor, with the downfalls: addictive, sexual side-effects, and maybe night sweats... I still am of the mind that it is a good drug for me.

I wish all of you luck in finding what helps you most to be happy with your life.