Reminder symptoms and conditions

I switched to Yasmin one month ago. I have terrible problems with ovarian cysts, cramps, back pain and mood swings all relating to my cycle/hormones. Before i was on Portia for a year and wasn't at all happy with it. I suppose I didn't realize how different bc's are from one another. Well, my gyno suggested Yasmin to help with all these. Because as soon as I go off the pill for my week of menstruation the stabbing pains in my abdomen start. (Literally the next morning after not taking the first reminder pill) She thinks it would be best to skip periods all together.

I have noticed being tired around the same time of day every day. I have always had motion sickness while reading so that remains. Overall I am happy with Yasmin but I will definitely look out for any side effects after reading these posts. Thanks you so much everyone for sharing! If I begin to have any of these unusual symptoms I'll know right away that it is the Yasmin.

I'm so glad I'm not alone. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in July 2008, so I was placed on really strong medication the cut the effect of my current BC to 50%. So I decided to have the Mirena placed. It was placed Jan. 2009. A few weeks later, I experienced tenderness and swelling in both my breast. I went to see my GYN and she said it was normal and it should subside soon, but she sent me for an UltraSound to make sure. The results showed that my milk ducts were dilated. (And I was not Pregnant) A few months later I was experiencing severe depression, mood swings,bloating, facial acne, cramps, but the worst one of them all was the itching in my breast. Not to mention the 25 lb weight gain and my breast doubled in size. I would eat at any given time and had cravings. I felt like I was pregnant all the time. When I mentioned the itching to my doctor, she said I needed to see a dermatologist. I saw one the same day, and he also said he thinks it's the hormones in the Mirena. So I had it removed today. I hope everything goes back to normal.....

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.

I am a generally active and fairly healthy 77 yr old who had been taking 10 mg of Lipitor for over 12 years with no obvious adverse effects. Recently I started having pain in my right leg, severe enough to wake me at night. This was followed by a significant weakness in both legs, and for a while, accompanied by a lightheartedness. The doctor had me take a series of lumbar and leg x-rays which didn't show much of significance. He wrote a prescription for physical therapy, which I did not follow.
I did internet research on my own which made me aware that Lipitor could be the cause, in spite of the fact that I had tolerating the drug for so many years. I told the Doctor of my suspicions and we agree to stop the Lipitor for at least 6 weeks to see. A few days later, all my symptoms were gone. So be cautious, adverse effects from Lipitor can occur anytime.

Just a reminder to everyone that the upper norm. for BP taken in a clinic is 195/95 and at home, 135/90. Be aware of 'white coat effect'. Everyone gets stressed out in those situations and it's far better to monitor yourself at home. Think far too many people are being given these drugs when their BP is perfectly normal.

Okay, I'm 17 and have been taking Loestrin 24 Fe since early February.. This is my first birth control, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect.. but so far I can't recall any serious mood swings or crazy depression.. however, I am on my 4th pack or so and for the first time, I have yet to get my period and I am on the 3rd day of my 'reminder' pill.. My boyfriend and I use protection and I have heard that this missed period is a common side effect, but in the mean-time, I'm still going nuts! I'm just a nervous wreck and don't know if I should be.. Is it normal to miss my period this early since I've only been using Loestrin for 4 months??

I feel somewhat reassured that it's a possibility that my memory loss is a side effect of lamictal. I was diagnosed with BP I and the medication has done wonders. I still get very depressed sometimes, but not as severe as it was without the med. I experience(d) rapid-cycling which I was told is less common for this disorder.
My short-term memory is horrible. Sometimes have trouble remembering conversations and even things that happened a short time ago. For example, I recently played a few games of pool with my son and on our way home, I couldn't recall whether or not I won any of the 3 games. It's pretty embarrassing and scary when someone "catches" you or notices that you have completely blanked. I have to write things down if I want to discuss them with my therapist, because I won't remember what my issues were within the last week or two. Sometimes, when someone asks me if I remember something, I act like I do, because I probably should remember it. Again, I feel like an idiot because I don't. At work, it's not too much of a problem, because I insist that everyone sends me a reminder email, so I have a task list to work from instead of recalling things from memory. I also get completely lost in my train of thought during conversations. I tend to go off in tangents and completely forget what point I was trying to make.
I also have trouble focusing and my mind is always because obsessing over some thought, usually something negative. I feel like I waste a lot of time doing unproductive thinking. I'm not sure if this is a symptom of the disorder of not.

I started using loestrin 24 fe last week for the first time (first bcp ever). Its was the day after my period finished, everything started off fine. Now I'm into the 2nd week of the first trial pack. At first on Monday I started spotting now its Thursday and I am wearing a tampon. I called the doctor, they said its normal to spot. But is this normal?? Somebody please help me

I am 22 years old have been taking birth control for five years now and have used three different brands. The first one that I was on was too low of a dose and after six months my body became used to it and my periods became irregular. After that, I took Yaz for a while and loved it but once I switched insurance companies, it was $60 a pack. I then went on to Loestrin 24. I have been taking it for a little over a year now. I have not noticed weight gain or an increased appetite but have had many other problems with it. There have been months where I miss my period entirely and then have a very heavy period or two separate periods in the next month. As well, I think it has made my skin worse and my PMS a great deal more noticeable.
I often have unbearable cramping for two days prior to and on the first day of my period. Sometimes I have a "period" that lasts about 6 hours and is not more than just brown spotting on the Saturday before I am to start a new pack.
Currently, I have missed my period the last two months and have had to continuously purchase and take pregnancy tests to be sure that I am not pregnant. My breasts/nipples are swollen and extremely sensitive and painful. I will be purchasing a pregnancy test today because I am unsure of what is going on.
Suggestions for women looking to go on birth control: try other brands of the pill prior to Loestrin 24. Yes, it does give "shorter and lighter" periods...but often causes missed periods. I know that we all hate those days during the month where we feel like absolute crap and do not want to leave the house because of our periods...but (at least for me, a 22 year old student) I would much rather have that monthly reminder than to spend more money on pregnancy tests each month than I do on my birth control.

I GOT MY MIRENA OUT TODAY:
I posted for the first time about 2 weeks ago when I found this site and made the connection that ALL those symptoms I had were from the Mirena.
It didn't hurt at all. My NEW doctor listened to what I had to say and she didn't argue, she popped that thing right out before I knew she did it. (I was there for my annual pap and she did not even charge me). I had told her all about it and all about these posts. I started gushing blood immediately! I asked her about that and she felt that it must have nicked my cervix on the way out but no, its a LOT of blood that just wont stop and there are a lot of clots with it. But I feel fine. Don't feel any different....yet. It was so worth it. I felt mental relief when it was OUT of my body. Now that I know it will actually work, I am starting my diet and exercise tomorrow to get this extra 20 off. I don't expect to see immediate results as I feel strongly that it will take quite a few months for my body to re adjust and for the hormones to level out again. Until that happens, Im sure I wont see a whole lot of change of any symptoms so I will be patient but diligent. I have warned my family that things might get a whole lot uglier before they get better due to the possible hormone crash. Having this taken it is akin to discontinuing depression meds cold turkey. There is no gradual decrease. It is just suddenly gone and that can really really mess with your body! Good luck to everyone. I will re-post periodically when I see changes. Just a reminder, I had mine in for 15 months.

I have been on Budeprion for about 5 weeks. I was prescribed it to help me quit smoking. The first 2 weeks I was smoking the same amount. About 3 weeks into it I started smoking less. Then all of a sudden, I just quit. Today has been 3 weeks without cigerarettes and I feel great.
However....I have been dealing with major nausea almost every day of my life for the past 5 weeks. And I only take one pill in the morning. For whatever reason, late in the afternoon til the evening the nausea hits. Some days are worse than others. Most days it causes me to have dry heaving. I have never thrown up, but I feel like at any minute I could. Eating doesn't help. But I am not going to stop taking it because of it. I seriously feel the positives of this drug out way the negatives. I just think of the nausea as a reminder of how smoking has messed up my life. My only worry is what will happen once I go off the drug. I am praying that my will power to not smoke will keep me off cigarettes.

I'm 45 I had the mirena inserted 5 1/2 years ago for heavy and painful periods that made me acutely anemic. I had the second Mirena 10 months ago. Until i read this site and others like it I thought I was going mad. Only advantage for me has been super light periods. Have had weight gain round stomach, thighs and butt and cannot shift it despite doubling exercise and halving food intake. Have constant headaches and reccurrant sinus infections and memory/concentration problems, water retention nearly all month long and feel depressed most of the time. also oily skin libido is non existent! also joint pains and insomnia. Doctor said it was menopause but tests came back negative. Have an appointment next week to have it removed. A bit anxious about how heavy periods will be as they were pretty awful before but can't handle these side effects. Any one else my age whose had mirena removed how long before periods back to normal?

Update to my previous blog...I stopped taking Jolivette on Sunday, September 7th after having begun bleeding (again). I had enough of this and was wondering if Jolivette was the cause. By Tuesday evening my bleeding had stopped. I was sick and tired of spending more time "having a period" than not having one. I thought it was supposed to help make my periods lighter, and perhaps it did (but only slightly), except when you bleed constantly for many consecutive days, who can tell? I did exactly as instructed and took my pill regularly, at the same time each day. I even set the alarm clock on my cell phone as a reminder. Jolivette didn't work for me so I will be looking into other options.

So far i've been on it for 2 months. I can't really say much on it. The first month i took it, i didn't have a period. Which can be a lil scary if that happens when you're switching pills. But I did brown a lil on the last day of the reminder pills. This month hasn't been too bad no weight gain at all, but the only thing is my period came 10 days early, but its not really heavy and the cramps are really light. I'm just happy there aren't crazy psycho lady mood swings like when i was on ortho-tri cyclen lo. Nonetheless i don't have anything bad too say about this pill.

I have been on loestrin for 2 months now. For the past month I have been an emotional wreck, and for the passed week I have had anxiety, heartburn and stomach cramps just below my ribcage. My lower back is killing me and my stomach is spasming. I just took my last birth control pill this morning and start the reminder pills tomorrow. I totally don't feel myself. I haven't got my period since i've been on it. My doctor put me on it because I was bleeding abnormally heavy for me two weeks after my period. I really want to not start a new pack, but i'm nervous that i will bleed heavily again. the anxiety is causing me no to sleep.................I hate this pill

I have been on Micardis for years and have had no side effects at all. Ran in two marathons and worked out daily. Now I have been on Lisinopril-HCTZ 20 MG. and have not been able to work out without feeling dizzy, seating and cannot remember the last time I got a good nights sleep due to persistent coughing. The best moment was today finding this website and reading everyone elses comments. I plan to flush my remaining pills down the toilet and paying full price for Micardis since my insurance company will not pay.
This has to be thek worst pill available! If I knew today what I knew when this pill was first prescribed I would have never taken it. Hopefully it will not take long to get this out of my system and I can get my life back.

I was prescribed Adderall 30mg tablets 3X's daily. Right from the beginning I found that the Adderall caused a very very annoying agitation to my throat. The only way I know how to describe the sensation is that it feels almost like I have phlemgm stuck in my throat,it causes me to almost continuously cough and gag so that I can clear my throat,but, nothing ever comes up!?? I'm wondering, could the Adderall be causing minor swelling or inflammation causing my throat to feel this way. If so, does anyone know of anything that would counteract this reaction?? I would hate to have to discontinue this medication as it helps me so much as far as staying focused. If anyone has any idea as to what I could do to make this bad reaction go away or to at least make it subside somewhat, I would be so grateful!!!!

I am now finishing my first package of Jolessa. I'm taking the reminder pills as of now, but so far I haven't had any problems whatsoever with this product. I have tried several different forms of bc, such as the shot: that ballooned me and made me huge. When I took Othro (both types), they increased my migraines incredibly to where I was seeing a headache specialist who then pulled me off. I am very surprised to see that so many people are having so many issues with jolessa, especially seeing as how I always have some type of side effect from BC. So sorry everyone has had bad experiences with it.

I am posting an email address for people that have stopped dispensing this drug and see the symptoms of the side effects disappear.Please tell all who have seen a change in their child or loved one to email this woman.I met with Dr.Sarah Sellers and other members from the FDA in Washington DC she is in charge of Safety Review in the office of Surveillance and Epidemiology.This is critical in the investigation into SINGULAIR .Everyone wants to help and this is how to begin.The email is sarah.sellers@fda.hhs.gov Our Congresswoman has requested the TV advertisement for SINGULAIR to be changed,they are stating mild side effects and that is not known to be true at this time.I am reaching out to all of you who have posted and that know anyone who has ,to please do this along with filing on ******.We have to work within the guidelines of the system,this will certainly help the investigation to be more accurate.My husband and I are in this to help all the families that have suffered so greatly,take this opportunity to help also.Thank You in advance Kate and David M.

Hello all, the first bc pill i took was fencom fe. I don't recommend this to anyone seeing as it put me into such horrible depression. So my doctor switched me to Loestrin fe. My period cycle has been amazing. m on my 4th month and i get my periods for only 2 and a half days and always during the brown pills. My issue now however is that i have been experiencing something like a kidney infection for about 2 months now. I had a test done and they said it was a SLIGHT infection but recently during my 4 reminder pills i noticed it got better! I started a new pack this week and its getting bad again(waking up in the middle of the night to use the toilet, if i have to go then i have to go THEN, constantly having to go). Is anybody else experiencing this? I can't figure it out. The only other horrible side effect im having is hunger! Im never full. Thanks so much!!

I have been on Lyrica for almost 2 years for nerve damage and fibro. I have gained approx. 60 pounds since starting it and now have arthritis in my back. I finally took myself off because the side effects outweighed the benefits. I ha a hard time concentrating at work, dizziness, severe weight gain, bloating and frequent urination. I also have IC (bladder condition), so the frequent urination was also killing me.

I'm 23 and I got prescribed Yasmin because I have PCOS, where I only got my period every 3-9 months (very irregular) where I suffered severe period pain and my period would go for about 8 days. The doctor thought regulating my period would decrease the pain, which it did. My period is around 3-4 days, very light and no pain since starting Yasmin. But I have had migraines weekly, constant headaches, usually starting with my vision going blurry and seeing flashing white light. I also lost my appetite for the first month, but have gained weight. I was going to the gym and exercising everyday and now I have no motivation to exercise at all, but feel bloated ALL the time. I have had trouble sleeping since taking it. I suffered from depression and anxiety attacks about 2 years ago, but since taking Yasmin I have been feeling very depressed and had several anxiety attacks, although the anxiety has only started after being on it for 4 months. After having another migraine this week and having to leave work for teh second time in 2 weeks, I decided I was going to stop taking it. (I had also had 3 anxiety attacks this week) since stopping I have instantly felt relaxed, no anxiety, and I no longer feel depressed.

After suffering all of this for 4 months, 8 day periods and 4 days of being in pain doesn't seem so bad. The depression and Anxiety is the scaries part as I haven't experienced it for so long, and don't want to!

Does anyone know how long it takes to be fully out of your system? I just want to get back to normal weight, moods, energy levels etc as soon as possible!

My view on YAZ is simple. It sucks! This is by far, the worst birth control I have ever taken! My side effects ranged from fair, to mild to uncontrollable. At first, everything seemed ok. My periods did not get any shorter, and they didn't get any lighter. Over time, that changed. However, its still not normal. I always tend to start my period 2 days AFTER I start my new pill pack (after the "reminder pills.") I gained 24 pounds on the pill in a year, so I've been working out hard core for the past three months and lost 5 pounds. Its horrible! I also reported to my doctor that I had a HUGE decrease in sex drive. My husband and I now have sex once a month...IF he is lucky! I also at times feel like I hate the world and everyone in it. I become very depressed, and I start to think about how crappy my life really is. Granted, I'm not in the greatest job in the world...not even a good one. But I was fine at it before I started taking YAZ. -I've been written up because of a supposed "attitude" I had while starting YAZ. I also am experiencing bad cramps before I start my period along with Diarrhea. I've recently noticed that my vision is starting to "blur" and I feel like I'm going cross eyed when I talk to someone and look them in the eye. I am hugely dissatisfied, and DON'T recommend taking this BCP to anyone.

In order to counter some of the very negative postings regarding side effects of NuvaRing, I'd like to share my experience.

I had at, at one time or another, tried many different birth control options, all of which gave me terrible side effects. All variations of The Pill left me depressed, with heavy cramps and acne. The Depo-Provera shot made me gain a lot of weight and suffer through continuous spotting and cramping. The patch made me consistently nauseated.

NuvaRing has been the only method of birth control that has given absolutely no negative side effects! I have used it for over 2 years and I love it. My acne has cleared, my periods are shorter and lighter. I have not felt an ounce of depression or decreased sexual appetite, and my boyfriend doesn't feel it at all.

I post this only as a reminder that BIRTH CONTROL AFFECTS EVERYONE DIFFERENTLY. I would hate for anyone to read these postings and be frightened away from trying a medication that could be as helpful to them as it has been to me.

Many of those who experienced severe depression on this message board also mentioned having been depressed and treated for depression before using NuvaRing, which to me indicates a clear connection between having an already existing mental condition and the increased occurrence of depression with the medication.

Again, I have been using NuvaRing for over 2 years and have not experienced any of the side effects listed here. The only way to know for sure how you will benefit or not from a medication is to try it for yourself.

When I first stated the pill I was experiencing weird eating habits. I would feel incredibly hungry, but when I attempted to eat I could only eat about 3 bites. I had no appetite until the late afternoon when the hunger would strike. Along with this, I'd wake up with nausea, and sometimes would vomit. That lasted about two weeks in.

About a week into starting the pill I started to have a bit of spotting for about two and a half weeks. I didn't know that that was normal, so I went to the hospital. Come to find out that I had developed bacterial vaginosis.
That's caused from having un-protected sex, however having un-protected sex was nothing new when starting the pill. Perhaps the pill could have some effect.

I am now on the un-active pills of my very first pack and things are normal. Tonight was my first time taking the placebos, so I wont know how they go. I stopped spotting about two weeks ago. However, is it okay to not take the active pills every night on the exact hour? Sometimes I forget, leaving about a 3 hour max delay every once in awhile? For example, I've arranged to take them every night at 10:00 P.M, and one night I forgot and took it at about 1:30 A.M. I mean, is that little bit of time going to have a significant interruption with the pills process?