Pharmacuetical companies symptoms and conditions

I just started my second months on Yaz. My doctor prescribed it due to ovarian cysts. I have not used BCP for almost 10 years. I have now had my period for 8 days. Prior to Yaz I had a period for about 3-4 days, heavy with some bad cramps but then it was over. This is light bleeding but the consistency is like paste and it seems non-stop and its just a pain in the butt. Its effecting my sex life.

On the upside - milder cramps, PMS week was better, less tender breasts, less water retention. So far my sex drive is undiminished. If that is effected, I'll stop taking them. The pharmaceutical companies can go push rope. 10 years ago my doctor swore my decreased libido was all in my head. I quit the BCP and guess what? I was like a kid again. Yes, BCPs are convenient but not at the cost of enjoying sex.

I discovered this site last Wednesday morning - without taking the time to list all of the grief I felt reading through the pediatric postings, I will briefly note my 4 year old daughter has been on Singulair for 2 years now. What I now realize is all the behavior issues, night screaming, etc. are so easily dismissed as stages of a toddler. She has suffered (as well as our family) every symptom and behavior listed by parents on this site with the exception of leg cramps.

Our entire family can see the dramatic results since taking her last pill last Tuesday night. The melt downs and tantrums are all but over, she even commented "hey, I listened right away" on the second day without Singulair. She is still having night terrors - I call them that because they are in no way a dream or nightmare, but rather agonizing moments that break our hearts to hear. I hope those will soon go away as well so her sleep pattern results in a restful night.

Am I angry that we have all suffered for 2 years only to find we have been basically poisoning her? Am I angry that for the 2 years her dad and I have sunk pretty low, feeling inadequate as a parent to teach and discipline our child? Am I angry that after 20 years of marriage, raising a great 16 year old in the midst of all this, we were to the point of the ADD, bipolar, etc. theory that would have been misdiagnosed? Heck no, we are all so thankful to have come across this site and are so giddy and excited to be happy again.

What I am angry about is this - when I called our pediatrician last Wednesday and relayed what I had seen on the Merck website for side effects added in recent months she had not heard this information and asked where I saw it. At that point I had not seen this site. I asked her how is it the well dressed pharmaceutical reps come in with doughnuts, exotic trips, etc. to market a drug with "ABC" treatments and "XYZ" side effects, continue to market the drug and never update the doctors when original selling points are altered - ie; new side effects.

The FDA website is troubling for two reasons: Merck is in charge of their own investigation regarding recent complaints and the FDA expects this to take 9 months. Gee, who gets to investigate themself? Secondly, in February the site notes the FDA and Merck are trying to find the best way to communicate the concerns being investigated to prescribes and patients. HELLO - we live in a world of real time, instant communication methods, two examples being the United States Postal Service and an internet connection.

Today is April 30 - a full two months after "trying to decide how to pass this information on" and my doctor, nor my pharmacist have received any information. Apparantly since we missed the story and coverage on Dateline we are out of luck.

I plan to start from ground zero to get our voices heard to change the way, or the law if you will, to implement an immediate communication link between the FDA and prescribes when an investigation such as this has been initiated. I realize Singulair has most likely benefited more humans than it has destroyed while on the drug and the FDA would have to clearly not communicate "panic". However, when a drug is used for pediatric treatments we need information quickly to assess on behalf of our children. In my case, since my daughter had been on the drug since 2 years old, I do not know what her "normal behavior" should be as that is the age they start to develop and show personality. Additionally, when enclosed prescribing information is updated with a prescription -MARK IT IN RED, "UPDATED INFORMATION". I read every ounce of information that accompanies a new prescription for any family member. I would NOT, however read the information every 30 days for an ongoing, long term prescription over the course of 2 years.

I am looking for anyone that may have started contact with a congressional representative or otherwise to change the communication to our doctors. Please note - I am in no way interested in any legal action regarding Singulair and our nightmare. We are moving forward and do not wish to live the nightmare one moment more. I simply want to see our doctors and pharmacists have vital information as it happens.

Thank you to all for sharing your experiences - I truly believe it is changing lives and making a difference. I am personally telling everyone I know about what is happening with our child and all of yours. Andy by the way, by telling one of my long time friends our amazing discovery, she realized she had been suffering from depression for some time and chalked it up to various things going on in her life. She had her last Singulair last week and feels tremendous! So keep the word going!

I have been reading all of the other posts and as parents all of feel guilty because we allowed our children to be placed on a medication that probably caused many problems that has led to each of our children being diagnosed and labeled with other issues (my son, autism spectrum disorder). Now that all of know whats going on. Now it's time to make these pharmacuetical companies pay for what they put our children through as well as what they put us parents through. Granted it may have been only a week or so that we've all taken our children off of the meds, but I have seen such a difference in my son, now I do not believe he is autistic. So he now is labeled as such and this can be detrimental to his future, thanks to Singular. Those who agree, email me at gcruz30@hotmail.com place in subject: Singular

I have been on here for 6 months now. Please read the rest of my postings. My son is now 5 and doing great! I have my child back. He has been off Singulair since October 07. It took a few days to see little improvement. It took a month to make strides. And now we are almost home. Thank God. I too until I found this website was so distraught. My son had every test in world, comes from about as stable as you can get happy loving catholic home. We eat healthy organic foods and I am a medical professional to top it off. So for anyone to get on here and questions a parents "parenting" or to call them ignorant for not stating their complaints until now is simply a moron! I see the side effects first hand this has had on children. I too was unaware of the problem myself until my son became the victim at only the innocent age of 4. Merck knows what is going on. There needs to be a class action lawsuit. I am so proud of Kate whose son became the victim of Merck who took his innocent life. She went beyond blogging and took it to media. Imagine if all of us became motivated enough to realize the drug company used and abused our children or selves. Write oprah, bill o riley, merck the fda, everyone. Everyone I come in contact with I warn them. I email everyone I know and urge them to forward it and so on. The one god given duty that we were given was to protect our children. WE NEED TO DO THAT!! I am so proud of the parents who are speaking out and realizing their kid is not a pyscho. Kudos to you!! I am holding Merck responsible for this traumatic event it caused my entire family let alone my four year old son. They owe us big time, not just for the medical bills that endowed for all the tests, doctor visit, and psychiatric visits. But also for our mental anguish!! Be active and we will make progress!!!

My 17 yr old was put on Yaz for PMS and acne. The PMS and acne got better, but after 4-5 mnths she was having anxiety so severe she could not go to school. Her gyn denied it could be the Yaz, so I took her to a family physician (woman) who agreed it could be the Yaz! The gyns lie, they are in bed with the pharmacuetical companies. If you suspect this pill is making you sick, go off!

Post your symptoms since stopping Yasmin!!!

Hey everyone it's Kay21 here and I just wanted to post my 3 month off Yasmin update. Because stopping the pill is a hard decision, I figured we should all post are updates here to help/support those who are planning to stop or who have recently stopped Yasmin.

I have been off of Yasmin since April 17. As some of you already know, I was experiencing horrible side effects while on Yasmin for 3 years (particularly stomach problems, vaginal dryness, muscle cramps, increased blood pressure and heart rate and anxiety).

The first 1 month off of Yasmin was okay. In fact, I felt the best I had ever felt in a while. My blood pressure and heart rate decreased and the migraines and muscle cramps went away. But when I hit the 2 month (8 week) mark, I felt HORRIBLE. I was severely depressed and anxious. I was crying all the time and felt a severe sense of DOOM! The physical symptoms also started to become problematic. The acne increased and I started growing more facial hair. The worse symptom, however, was that I started losing a ton of hair. I would lose stray hairs all day (probably about 200 a day). Since I have hit the three month mark, the hair loss has gotten MUCH WORSE! Now I am losing CLUMPS of hair all day. I have seen several doctors about this. Some say it's because of stress and a few (a derm, GYN and endo) say that hiar loss is common after stopping bcp. I have already loss about 1/3 of my hair.

I am also really concerned, because I have not had a period since April 22. So my doctor has put me on provera for 10 days to induce a period.

For those who have stopped Yasmin, what have your symptoms been (i.e. increased acne, weight gain, anxiety, etc.). Has anyone experienced hair loss? How long did it take to get a period???

Thanks...