Self esteem symptoms and conditions

Hello everyone! I am a 28 yr old male, and I have now been taking this drug for about 1 1/2 yrs. What is so overwhelming to me is that I have been having some of these side effects, but it never occurred to me that they may have been caused by this medication. My side effects are not major, but they do really affect my self esteem and I think have some what depressed me a bit.

None of us have direct physical evidence that this medication is the cause, but I don't think this is a big coincidence. Below are what I believe may be side effects of this medicine:

Unlike before I now feel:

-Anxiety (im always nerves, and was blaming debt for it)
-Decrease in sexual drive (also blaming my financial problems)
-Joints popping all the time (blaming my gaut)
-Bigger forehead because of minor loss of hair (blaming age)
-Problem falling asleep (blaming financial problems)

and again im always scared, even if everything is ok (ive been holding together because on the other hand, since i was born, I have always been a very strong minded person). This is really depressing because two years ago, nothing would be scare me, I mean nothing, I was afraid of nothing. No matter what time it was, or what situation I found myself in, my buddy down south would be ready for action, now when im going to have sex, im all worried hoping that it works!, (dont get me wrong, it works like 90% of the time) but before it would work 200% of the time, i mean i was turned on by a damn broom, and now its not the same. This really *ux!

I have been blaming everything on my financial ruin that I am currently in, but am having second thoughts on what is causing all of this. This site has really opened my eyes and given me a whole new theory and even hope.

I once asked my doctor that if I went home and got on a diet, exercised and did all that was necessary, would he consider taking me off the pill or lowering my dosage and he immediately said NO. I mean he almost didn't even let me finish asking. He told me that If i wanted to go in a pine box to stop taking it. So he scared the crap out of so I have not stopped taking it. I can afford to go to different doctors because i don't have insurance or money to pay for the visit. I wonder if this doctors has advised me based on his financial convenience. I mean is it possible that a doctor may lie? I never thought doctors would lie. Im afraid of just getting off the pill, im afraid that all the doctors are going to tell me not to get off of it. my bp is usually about 130/85 some times up to 140/90.

I would appreciate peoples thoughts on what I should do?

Thanks everyone that takes part in this blog! it is really helpful for people like me that have no money to get advice.

Hope everyone makes the right decision!

Regards!

I have been on Yaz for almost two years - I quit last week. I was put on it after being diagnosed with PMDD and, for the most part, it helped a lot and I thought it was the answer to all my problems. After the first year I was on it though, my symptoms started to return and worsen. I started having severe anxiety issues. It was as if my body couldn't process the stress in my life anymore (which was no more than any other college student with a medium-heavy workload) and its only reaction was to go into full-fledged panic mode. I experienced a steep drop in my self-esteem to the point where I'd sit and look out at everyone else wondering how it was that they could find so many things to be happy about. My life is pretty great - no severe illnesses, functional family, graduated with a degree, great friends, great church - and I couldn't think of any reason to be happy. No one should have to consciously and objectively list things to be happy about and then try to convince themselves that they just forgot about them. I found that I'd rather be alone than be with even my closest friends and family members. It was the sad version of my angry PMDD anti-socialness. Anyway, months of chronic stress and depression led to a panic attack last year that took me nearly two months to recover from (nausea; tingling sensations in my arms, legs and face; lack of appetite; tightness in my chest; trouble sleeping, etc...) and the sensation of detachment that comes with a panic attack has only recently begun to subside. This detached feeling lends itself well to having a cruddy memory. I'll look at pictures from a year ago and not remember what has happened between now and then - it feels as if those pictures are just from the other day or the other week. I don't really remember the semester of my panic attack. My memory feels second-hand, like someone told me about it but I never really lived it myself. I sometimes have moments where I just forget where I am when I'm driving to my sister's house, 15 minutes away. It only takes about a minute to regain my sense of direction and remember what street I'm on - but it's a scary minute! I don't think that all of my experiences were caused or made worse by the pill (I hope not, since when I actually need birth control for birth control purposes I'll have a hard time finding a low enough dosage that doesn't screw me up), but I'm going off of it to see how I feel on my own. I'd rather be mad for a week every month and combat it with more exercise, music and a fleet of vitamin B12 than be sad all the time.

Wow. I am not even close to being done reading everyone's comments on Loestrin, and I am already EXTREMELY P.O'ed and at the same time relieved, at the fact that I found this page. I am 18 years old, and I started on Tri-Cyclin Lo when I was 15. I loved it, and never had any problems with it what-so-ever. It even helped with my acne problems. But a few months ago, my insurance decided to stop covering birth control, so my OBGYN decided to put me on Loestrin 24 Fe, because with the card you only have to pay 24 tops a month. But anyway, I now realize that all of the hell that has been happening in the past 3-4 months is due to Loestrin Fe. And after reading all of your comments I am POSITIVE! My Boyfriend and me have been fighting all of the time, and I have just been getting upset for no reason. I thought that it was because things between my boyfriend and me just aren't the same, and that maybe we are just growing apart.. but after reading all of your comments, and taking some time to think about it... IT HAS TO BE THE B.C! Before I started this pill we got along all the time... And also, my sex drive has plummeted so fast and drastically, to the point where my sex drive is NON EXISTENT. It has been hurting our relationship on top of my mood swings, because our sex life is also NONEXISTENT.. and we live together! I used to want to have sex all of the time.. and I haven't honestly wanted to have sex (not even once!) for the past few months...since I started Loestrin!!! Additionally, my face has been breaking out before periods excruciatingly bad. It has seriously hurt my self esteem. I have always had some issues with acne, but it has gotten ridiculous. I even bought an expensive acne kit that is supposed to be number one in the country, and it still keeps getting worse! .. And lastly I have been putting on a lot of weight, even though I have been eating the same.. also hurting my self esteem. Today, my bf and I finally came to the conclusion that "hmmm.. it most definitely might be the birth control." ..so I decided to come online and check out the side effects. AND BOOM! I see tons and tons and tons of comments from Women of all ages with the same, horrifying side effects. I am going to stop this birth control immediately. If my insurance won't cover anything else, and I can't afford any others, I will just deal with my cramps and longer periods. I never thought I would say this in a million years, but I would RATHER deal with the horrible cramps and long periods, than have to deal with the bull s*** that Loestrin has put me through. If anyone has anymore insight, message me or reply! Thanks.

my name is Brittany and i have had my mirena since around February 2009 and at first i had some severe pain for a few days and bleeding non-stop for about three months.. but other than that for the first two months I had no problems or complaints! i thought it was the best idea any could have thought of! But i was so wrong..the constant UTI's and Yeast infections are unbearable! I have never had a yeast infection or this many UTI's in my life! I have a feeling it is due to the mirena! I'm completely uncomfortable all the time and can't wait for it to get removed! I would never recommend this to anyone!!! yea i didn't get pregnant, but i'd rather have 20 kids then be in the uncomfort that i am in! Also, I am now on zoloft and an anti-anxiety med! i have never had any of these problems before this and im hoping they will all go away! plus the oily skin and acne!! omg!! i had the most perfect skin and now i can't even walk out of the house without make-up on! Mirena is not for me!

My daughter had a kenalog shot for itching on May 2009. The doctor never mentioned any side effects to her. Now she has a huge indentation in her left buttock. She is only 18 yrs old and she is scare and afflicted because the dent is getting larger and disfiguring that part of her body. I read enough complains. There must be an action lawsuit against the company distributing, selling and benefiting from this drug. Some doctors also should be liable for neglecting to release the accurate potential damage (as it is known) cause by this drug. It is causing mental pain and anguish due to the disfigurement that it leaves and also constant concern about the growing destruction of the muscle cells.Enough damage have been done. Who will pay to correct the damage? ******

When I had my last son, my obgyn did not inform me any negative side effects. I had previously used the copper T, and although I still got my period, mine aren't that bad, but still, my Ob-gyn assured my the progesterone in the Mirena would be limited to that area. Well 3 years later and I have had headaches, never got my libido back (which is hard on a marriage), and have gain about 30 pounds(with no change in diet or activity) from my 6 week post delivery check-up. I only have short spotting with Mirena, but would trade for a monthly period in a heartbeat if I could go back to my post pregnancy weight of 116 and get libido back. It was not until my check-up last week that I was informed it could affect libido. I'm 5'2", so 30+ pounds really shows, my mother and mother-in-law, both had made comments about "hoping I wasn't pregnant again. Its also caused a loss of self esteem and depression over all this. If my insurance will cover it I plan to go back to my old, 10-year copper IUD.

****KENALOG CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT****
Need a list of people that want to join Kenalog class action lawsuit A.S.A.P Please email me with name,state and all side effects. Include if you were treated for the side effects from a Doctor and/or hospitalized.
******

I have only been on Aviane for a week and a half. Within the first couple days, I noticed some bloating, which annoyed me, but which I thought would eventually go away. It didn't. In fact, it keeps getting worse. My routine is the same; yoga each morning for an hour, plenty of walking, a healthy diet. But I have gained at least 10 or 12 pounds in this short period of time, and each day seem to balloon. On top of it, I am nauseated every day, as soon as I sit still for a moment. I've also had a noticeably reduced sex drive, anxiety, and have been easily provoked into feelings of anger and depression, so much that I've often taken myself out of the situation mentally, noticed my ridiculousness, and felt out of control in preventing my responses! I think it's not only affecting my relationship, but absolutely affecting my sense of self-control and self-esteem. I can't deal with this, and after reading most of these posts and learning that I'm not alone, I realize it doesn't necessarily get better, and often gets worse. Everyone is different, of course, but I think this brand, and maybe even method, is having a very negative impact on my life. Thank you all for sharing your experiences. It's been a huge help. I'm going to look into other methods and am looking forward to feeling like myself again!

I almost want to cry right now.
I had my mirena put in after my first child at my 6 week visit.
I don't even recognize myself anymore, I'm so moody and snappy I have to take an antidepressant every day so I don't go loco. I really just thought I had PPD. I have been WORKING MY TAIL off in the gym and hard core dieting and I CAN NOT loose weight. Which of course has killed self esteem and my sex drive. Sex HURTS so much anyway I was just trying to get through it every time.
I can't believe this little terrorist in my body has cause all of this.

I thought the mirena was so awesome because i didn't get ANY periods after the first 3-4 months. And i couldn't get pregnant again by accident.

But all of these HORRIBLE side effects are totally not worth it.

I feel like i had a light bulb moment when i stumbled upon this site. Thank God for you ladies sharing your experiences. I'm so sorry to those who have been so severely effected by this thing. I made my appointment for Monday to have it removed. I want it OUT OUT OUT!!

I started taking Singulair 6 months ago. My allergies even with medication and immunotherapy were becoming unmanageable. My larynx would swell up and close my throat and make breathing difficult. I had trouble breathing at night laying down to sleep, my voice was hoarse most of the time. Within 2 days after starting Singulair, those symptoms totally disappeared. I thought it was the answer I had been looking for. I've had a lot real problems in the past few months with crying and sadness, but with my Mom in hospice with Alzheimer for 14 years, and my father breaking both hips last year, my mother-in-law with vascular dementia, and an insulin defendant diabetic, and losing my job due to outsourcing, and other stressors in my life, but II thought my sadness was all of this stress. Counseling wasn't really helping and I've got a new counselor now. In the past couple of months, my mental state has become more and more fragile; I have times that I wish I could go to sleep and wake up in a couple of months or just go somewhere and be left alone. I am angered easily; I have always been happy and easy-going. I cry daily and don't get out much, and I'm afraid of the unknown now. I feel like my self-esteem is in the toilet.

Tonight I have stopped the Singulair. I'm afraid because I know the allergy problems will return, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to manage them somehow. I have 'a lot on my plate' right now, but at least if I stop the Singulair and I feel better mentally I'll know it was the drug and not my life.

I used it for once month....No sex drive. I did not want to be with my husband. My vagina was extremely dry all the time. I did not think about sex at all, and I hated it! My self esteem was zapped out from the lack of sex I was having.

After the smelly fishy vaginal odor, I felt like it was the end of the world for me. I was like how can an odor come out of my vagina smelling that bad, oh my god. I had to walk around with a rag to wash up after urinating every five minutes. I had mirena put in twice. The first insertion was fine; only I got pregnant on it. Could you imagine 99.9%. I was the.1% who got pregnant. I look like a whale now. I have dark circles under my eyes and a whole bunch of pimple. I gain so much weight; that i started taking xenical. The xenical does ot work. I took my IUD out on friday,so hopefully the xenical and work out good work now. This IUD is so dangerous that I think it should be banned. I wanted to hurt other people if i would be able to get away with it. I forget simple things. How is life after removal,what can I expect when will I be normal again. I want to have a pleasant odor down there, so I can have my self esteem back

I am so glad I found this site, as well, by typing in Mirena causing acne. I workout regularly and at first, didn't have any noticeable weight gain. Really, I am still within my 10lb roller coaster but have also went from 135 to about 148 and it will not go down no matter what I do! And the acne! I too have been using proactiv to no avail when it worked fine before. I cry when I look in the mirror, the scarring and the huge pimples are embarrassing and hideous! They're not normal either, having like 2 heads per bump and I am now breaking out on my back, which I didn't ever do. I haven't had any other side effects, it's actually made me nicer than I was when I was on the pill for 10 years. I have enjoyed the periodlessness, but at what cost? My self esteem is plummeting and I am going to get it removed tomorrow. I first thought it was Hydroxycut side effects but it has been too long and it didn't take me longer than perhaps a year to realize this is the only thing I have changed in my lifestyle. On to the removal! And to any woman who's doctor will not remove it, YOU ARE PAYING THEM! They have no right to tell you that you must keep a voluntary form of contraception inserted! Change doctors for crying out loud! If your doctor is trying to run, or ruin, your life you have a choice!

Hello all,
After reading all of these testimonials I suddenly feel more sane. I tried the Nuva Ring for one month and within the first week noticed a dramatic shift in my emotional stability. I had a panic attack and was unable to stop crying for hours. For weeks afterwards I felt not like myself all day, and was having one to two panic attacks a day. Also, I no longer had those little brilliant moments of happiness when I know that I'm entirely me. I really like myself, and usually have self-esteem but some how I forgot who I was, and forgot how to get back to that place. When I removed the ring after three weeks (as instructed) I decided to never put it back in. Within a few days I felt more like myself. I even had some glimmering "me" moments. Regardless, since then I still am much more anxious. I have trouble sleeping, an inability to relax, tension in my jaw, depression, and (worst of all) panic attacks. I can't shake this fear that something terrible is about to happen... but I know that it is just anxiety because my symptoms keep changing. One day I think that I'm hypoglycemic, and the next day I'm afraid that I had a seizure in my sleep. It all boils down to general anxiety, and panic attacks which ALL started when I began the NuvaRing. I have been off the Ring for one month now and I really want my life back. I have had my period post ring, and I'm sure the hormonal levels are just falling back into check- but I really need some reassurance from someone who understands. Could any of you (or all of you! the more the better!) please let me know how long it took your anxiety/depression symptoms to subside????? Please. I really need some hope that this will get better, because the hopelessness is part of the depression.

Thanks,
A.

I've been on nuvaring for four months now. I've been raving about it to my friends and only recently started to realize that maybe it isn't as great as I'd thought. Here's the thing... I have gained weight, lost my sex drive (which at 20 years old is terrifying), felt my self-esteem fall through the floor, and feel stress/sadness weigh on me even on days that I am truly enjoying myself. (Oh and excuse the ick-factor but I've now also have discharge everyday which is seriously annoying and frustrating!) I've been attributing all of this to my lifestyle of being stressed out in college, not knowing who I am, worrying about my relationship... I've felt so much self-loathing and disappointment in myself, feeling like I am failing myself and my boyfriend. The thing is that I'm not one to blame things like this on medications, and I don't think that there's any way of truly knowing if the changes I've felt have been due to the ring or just my life as a whole. I've tried every other birth control and hated it so now I'm conflicted if I should stop taking it or not. I'm way too paranoid to just trust condoms... so I don't know. Take it for what you will - in many ways it has been a great form of birth control (no babies, right?) but if these changes I've felt ARE due to the ring, then I would NOT recommend it.

My daughter was prescribed Singulair in the spring and it worked wonders.Since her allergies and asthma don't bother her in the summer I took her off for those few months.Since she has been back on the last few months I notice once and awhile an aggression/depression behavior.I thought immediately that it was Singulair causing this but it wasn't everyday it happened.I believe that activity,schedule,and even food in combination with this medicine that was cause this rare effect.It's no news to parents that all of these things can change a persons attitude and behavior.I also believe that Singulair may just make people more sensitive to their true self as my daughter has always been paranoid and has lacked self esteem.I think that it is trial and error as with any medicine.Try it and it may or may not work for you.Taking it off the market would be a disgrace as it has saved many lives.

My daughter has been losing her hair (see previous post) and had a full blood workup done, testing for thyroid problems..etc. EVERYTHING came back normal, and her hair is still falling out. She has had 2 of the 3 shots and will NOT have the 3rd. Although I do see re-growth, I do not and will not allow the 3rd shot. I have sent my report to the FDA and will be calling Merck next. This is ridiculous and my heart breaks every time I look at my beautiful little girl. She started high school this year and had to get her hair cut differently just to cover her baldness. Self esteem is shot... and there's nothing that can be done here???? Everyone (including lawyers) seem to turn the other cheek... how sad.

I was searching for a site with the side effects of Singulair for my son who is 10 and has been taking Singulair since he was 2. It was a life-saving drug for him and his life has been wonderful since then (as far as asthma goes). He is a very athletic boy who plays every sport he can and he is still a little overweight with cellulite and love handles. I had heard that maybe it might be the Singulair so I decided to check it out. Little did I know about all of these other side effects. He's been taking it for so long that I assumed his depressed personality was just the way he was. He has also had such horrific nightmares and he's convinced he has a ghost in his room that shakes his bed that I was really starting to consider that maybe he might. His brother sleeps in the same room and does not have any of these experiences (also on Singulair). I am SHOCKED! I only read about 20 entries but I'm going to read more. Has anyone had the weight gain problem? Thank you for anything you can share.

Several years ago I saw a doctor at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics in Iowa City, IA and was diagnosed with a chronic disease. Although most researchers and scientists will tell you lifestyle and dietary changes are essential when diagnosed with a chronic disease, my doctor, Dr. Anne L., told me they don't matter. In the spirit of "Do no harm," dietary and lifestyle changes are often the first things doctors recommend their patients change.

Instead of harmless lifestyle changes, I was put me on a lot of dangerous prescription drugs. One of those dangerous drugs was prednisone.

It didn't help my disease, but its side effects have been devastating and debilitating. And these side effects are particularly annoying because I was told this was a drug that didn't have side effects. (And when I learned about the side effects, I wanted to stop using it, but my doctor told me I'd die if I did. So I had to keep using it. Once you're on prednisone, you can't stop taking it abruptly. It really can kill you. So before you take it, you need to be informed. If you later found out its a drug you don't want to take, you can't just stop.)

But this is what I really wanted to say.

Look, prednisone's a bad drug, and most doctors don't prescribe it so casually anymore, but under the care of a good MD, its effects can be managed. Most docs will tell you right away when you go on prednisone about the side effects that most people are concerned about, like weight gain and acne. The fact is, those things actually matter not just superficially, not just for self-esteem, but in terms of people's overall health and even for managing the chronic disease for which prednisone is likely prescribed. If one becomes depressed, this not only affects one's overall general health, but for many chronic diseases, it can cause the disease itself to relapse. And because prednisone itself carries a risk of depression, managing such side effects, side effects that are likely to make a patient become depressed, is paramount.

Certainly most doctors will readily prescribe either topical acne treatments oral antibiotics for cystic acne which prednisone often induces. For the weight gain itself, ignoring the chronic disease for which prednisone is probably being prescribed, doctors often recommend a different diet to the patient.

My point is just that prednisone isn't as evil when you have an average or mediocre doctor.

Now, on the other hand, prednisone really is a bad drug to begin with. So under the care of a bad doctor, it's almost inevitable that you're going to experience permanent side effects and yes, under such incompetent care, this drug could easily ruin your life. That's what happened with me.

So make sure you have a good or at least mediocre doctor if you're using this drug.

And as far as dietary and lifestyle changes, I've been able to manage my disease solely with dietary and lifestyle changes. So I didn't need prednisone in the first place. Regardless, I would never take this drug again and I would not recommend anyone else take it unless you have exhausted every other possible option, unless you know you're doctor is competent, unless you know about the risks and side effects and what to do when they occur.

I never would've taken if I knew about the side effects. It's really quite stupid to use this drug as a first-line treatment, which is how it was used in my case. It should only be used as a last resort, if at all.

If I had never taken prednisone, I would be perfectly healthy today. My chronic disease itself doesn't influence my daily life at all anymore. But every single day the side effects of prednisone are evident and debilitating and will be for the rest of my life.

I have been on nuvaring for about a year now. I am 23 and have used probably 4 diff types of BC. All of them start out great, including nuvaring. I loved it at first and did not have any bad side effects until about a month or two ago. I have had zero energy, a definite decrease in pleasure from life, i have no desire to even leave my house and when i do the smallest task becomes exhausting. I just feel apathetic towards everything. Nuvaring has also KILLED my sex drive. I don't even think about it, i have no desire ever, and it hurts when my bf and i try to have sex. The scariest part for me is that it has also taken away any desire to be touched at all by him. Even when he tried to cuddle me i would push him away. It also changed my feelings about him, i started to think i didn't like him anymore. Other side effects include: breast tenderness and swelling, irritability, moodiness, decrease in self esteem, change in self image, random vague lower abdominal pains, vaginal burning, swelling and discomfort. I took out the ring 3 days ago, i am done with it for good. Already i feel so much better! I feel lighter and happier, and i can already feel my sex drive coming back! I also am done with hormonal BC and am going to get a diaphragm, if that doesn't work than it is back to a copper iud for me!

hi all. thanks for writing your comments here. it has helped me today, another HORRIBLE day of prednisone hell. i have been seriously ill for 8 months been told ever other week I'm likely going to die from lung disease (i'm 35) and after a painful lung biopsy have been told my lung problems are almost all reversible... after a year on high dose prednisone. i was on 40mg a day for a month a while back and was so out of control from rage and crying and insomnia and panic/suicidality, ravenous appetite, that they lowered me to 30. then after biopsy they said i should be on 100mg to cure me, we settled at 60mg. it's been 24 days. The moon face started about one week in. i've gained 8 lbs. i am an emotional wreck. i have at least one rage filled attack per day where i am screaming and want to kill somebody or destroy something. some days i am so filled with hopelessness and worry i just want to die. my body changes (after just losing 30 lbs and being a work out fanatic my shortness of breath makes it impossible to walk up 2 flights of stairs without resting) face changes, acne, excess body hair (oh my god please make it stop i'm like a chia pet and i'm so afraid it is going to get worse) double chin, puffy eyes and cheeks, absolutely uncontrollable emotions and mood swings, inability to be logical or reasonable. i don't want to leave the house, i'm panicked and scared all the time. i never sleep. ambian gives me minimal relief (just started taking it) i feel like i'm losing everything, except my lung functioning is returning and i'm not going to die from this illness (they assure me THIS week) i understand light at the end of the tunnel, but living like this is unbearable most days, almost impossible the rest of the time. am i alone with the severity of this? or are all the others like me too busy hiding the sharps and crying in a corner to write on this board? thanks for listening :)

figures, forgot to mention what HELPS. no eating after 8 (7pm is better) no salt, no sugar, exercise, even just a walk every day, anything physical, i walk like a grandma on the treadmill but i still do it, sometimes it is the only thing that stops my crying. no alcohol, support and understanding from loved ones, it's not you, its the drugs. good luck.
figures, forgot to mention what HELPS. no eating after 8 (7pm is better) no salt, no sugar, exercise, even just a walk every day, anything physical, i walk like a grandma on the treadmill but i still do it, sometimes it is the only thing that stops my crying. no alcohol, support and understanding from loved ones, it's not you, its the drugs. good luck.

Thank goodness for this sight. If you are thinking you're crazy and can't figure out what's wrong while you're on Nuva, scroll down, you will feel like you're getting a big hug!

I am 27 and have been on the NuvaRing for coming on 8 months and everything has changed. At first I had severe migraines with nausea, a day after starting, that kept going and still occur. They will last all day long and I can take 8 of my migraine medicine and nothing will help. The headaches ruin days, make work difficult, and ruin weekends.

Second: I gained weight around my middle, so perceptibly, I thought I was pregnant. The bloat and gas is constant, I'm always popping Gas-X extra strength but the gas doesn't quit. It was funny at first (yes, I'm immature) but now I'm so uncomfortable, and my pants are tight around the middle but nowhere else. Boo!

Third: ANXIETY. I've been the most relaxed, calm person until I started on NuvaRing, and now I have a prescription for Valium just to keep me from having nervous butterflies all day. The anxiety goes hand in hand with depression, which sucks because I got engaged literally 2 weeks after starting NuvaRing and am always nervous, anxious and sad, and I'm so in love with my fiance but our home life is strained! I sometimes wonder if it's cold feet, but I know it's not. Which leads me to:

Fourth: NO SEX DRIVE. Gone. Dead. Zilch. Zero. I have been the horniest person I know my whole life. I love sex. But I am almost scared of it now. I have no desire to have sex, recoil when my fiance touches me, and get butterflies when I think he's going to try to have sex with me. I sleep as far away as possible, never masturbate anymore, never feel sexy and the idea of sex just doesn't even pop into my head. So unlike me. This causes anxiety, too.

Fifth: Yeast infections and pain during sex. I've never had either of these before. I'm extremely hygienic, and my underwear are constantly filled with discharge. So gross and painful.

I'm going off of it in 5 days and I cannot wait!

My 54-year-old fit, social, successful husband was put on Singulair in January for newly diagnosed asthma. He developed a depression with anxiety, irrational fears, avoidance, mood swings and even one episode of suicidal thoughts out of nowhere. He saw a psychiatrist and a therapist, tried medications, yoga, a vacation, meditation, breathing exercises - everything! But he kept getting worse.

The day he was throwing patio furniture then sobbing uncontrollably was the day he realized he couldn't work in his condition. He negotiated a 60-day leave without pay. Even that didn't help. It was crazy. How could a man who managed hundreds of employees and a major health service system for 20 years suddenly be so paralyzed with fear that he couldn't walk down a beach or go into a Walgreen’s?

We found this site May 26th. He stopped the Singulair immediately. It has been 10 days and he is already 80-90% back to normal. Thank God.

Partly I am writing because it is so hard to read of parents' guilt that they "should have known" etc. Look, unlike a child, my husband is mature and very verbal; he is also a psychiatrist (!) with a capacity for self-examination and a language to describe his inner experience. And me, I'm a psychologist (!) trained in understanding people and I know him very well. And yet with all that training and skill and consultation and treatment, WE STILL COULDN’T FIGURE THIS OUT! So please, don't make yourself feel any worse with guilt. This is awful and tragic enough already.

I would add that the onset of mood and behavioral problems is so insidious that it is hard to connect the problems to the Singulair. Also, I suspect that children and adolescents are at greater risk because of their immature emotional developmental level. An adult l suspect may need some genetic or personal predisposition to mood disturbance, or stress, or both, to trigger these side effects. My husband had a depression episode 30 years ago and had recent traumas that certainly could have triggered the depression. But how treatment resistant that depression was, and those strange paralyzing fears and extreme anxiety – all that I blame squarely on the Singulair.

I have made a report to the FDA. I urge you to do the same.

Wow! So glad and sad to find other sufferers. I wish our doctors would listen to us and take us seriously! Why are they stuck on forcing Synthroid on us? At this point, I think I'd rather not take any Synthroid. I stumbled upon this site while looking for something I might take to counteract the effects of Synthroid. I had to halve my 112 mg pills because of the side effects: frequents headaches, bloating, weight gain, irritability and anxiety, dry mucus membranes (eyes, nose, throat, etc.), allergies, muscle fatigue, achy joints. Of course, my doctor is slowly upping the dosage again, because my TSH is chronically high, but I feel like sh*t, physically and mentally. I used to feel so much more normal and like myself before I was diagnosed and "forced" to take Synthroid.