Severe itching symptoms and conditions

I have been sick for 7 months! I got the mirena in June of 2008 because I was still breastfeeding and wanted something that wouldnt interfere with that. While on it I bled every single day. I kept reading that it was normal to have spotting for a few months so I stuck with it. I did have vaginal dryness and pain with intercourse. In February 2009, the pain with intercourse got worse and then i could no longer feel the strings. I went to a new GYN and she said she could only see the tiny end of one string and did i want it removed? YES! I was relieved that it wasnt lost inside me! I saw it and it looked intact. I went back to Nuvaring which I had used before I had my 2nd daughter and liked it. March was ok. When I put the new ring in in April I immediately started having vaginal itching. It got progressively worse to where i could not stand it! Went to the GYN and she said it was "the worst yeast infection shes seem". Put me on 2 pills of diflucan. The next day started abdominal pain, fever, and severe itching! She said to take benadryl. By Monday I was VERY ill and went to my family dr. He said I had "clue cells" and diagnosed as Vaginosis but said he thought the nuvaring might be causing toxic shock syndrome. He removed it. I went on Flagyl, Bactrim, and had a rocephin shot. He tested me for every STD. Everything was normal except my elevated WBCs and sed rate. I slowly got better. Then 3 weeks later decided i needed birth control and started loestrin FE. Had sores in my mouth, abdominal pain, nausea, fatigue, hair loss, irregular vaginal bleeding. After 1 month switched to Ortho tricylcin Lo. Had continued abdominal pain and terrible headaches. But also had 9 days of bleeding midcycle and then started having rectal bleeding, bleeding when i brushed my teeth, skin tears around my fingernails. Then a cervical laceration from very regular intercourse. Quit birth control! I was sure it was making me sick. I had a pelvic ultrasound because of the bleeding. They found my uterus is the size of a 12 week pregnancy but dont know why and that I had a functional ovarian cyst. Then started having pelvic pain so bad it hurt to walk or sit down. Went to a new GYN (mine was on maternity leave). She diagnosed PID. Rocephin shot, Azithromax. The pain got better. But dr. called when everything came back negative and wanted a followup. Then she said there wasnt anything wrong except a yeast infection and why wasnt i on birth control? They dont listen!!!! Also said it sounds like something wrong with my immune system so I went to my GP and had a physical. Everything is normal. He thinks all my problems are coming from the GYN stuff but didnt run any labs to check my immune system. 2 weeks later I got a lump in my armpit and they put me on Bactrim. The next week I got a cold and had to use my inhaler 10 times a day and I usually never ever need it. They put me on nebulizer, oral steroids and antibiotics. 2 days later I began having horrible itching, rash on my perineum, and discharge, with the pelvic pain and low grade fevers. Went to my old GYN and she was very concerned. Put me on flagyl and 7 days of diflucan. Then 2 days later went to the er with pelvic pain. CT showed ovarian cyst, went home with vicodin. Next day the pain was so bad i couldnt drive myself to the dr! They scheduled emergency laparoscopy. My right ovary was twice the size of the left and full of blood. I thought that had been the culprit all along. 1 week later i got huge painful lumps with pus exudate on my labia. Dr said it was a skin infection, put me on Bactrim. 1 week later the pelvic pain returned worse than ever before! Worse than the post op pain! Dr said it does present as PID but i have no cause. Put me on 2 weeks of Levaquin and Flagyl and scheduled a biopsy to test for endometritis (chronic inflammation of the endometrium). She said she thought the Mirena IUD might have started all of this. Slowly got better. Biopsy was very painful. Got the results today. Negative. I am again having pelvic pain, itching, discharge, rash on my perineum. I found a specialist at the Houston Medical Center and miraculously got an appointment for next week! Another GYN I talked to said she thought i was having an immune response to the Mirena IUD or an allergy to something in it. I am still very ill! The Dr.s have mentioned a hysterectomy. I cant believe that I am going to lose my uterus and the possibility of any more children at age 28!!!! And I feel like i am slowly dying! I have spent thousands of dollars at this point on tests and copays and medications. Please help me!

I've been on prednisone for nearly 3 years continuously for Ulcerative Colitis. I've been on 60 mgs for quite a while but I am now down to 4 mgs. Once I went below 10 mgs. I started experiencing severe itching on my entire scalp and then upper back, ears and collar bone. I went to a dermatologist but she can't see any reason for the itching. Has anyone else had this side effect while tapering? It's making me crazy!

If none of the other postings tell you to get off of this drug, I certainly hope this one will. I began taking 5 mgs. of Lisinopril after visiting my Physician due to back pain. I have been a runner my whole life and went in because I had pulled my back out. I was very nervous; hence the high blood pressure….I was told by the nurse that I probably had white-coat-hypertension. Anyway, after being scared out of my mind, by this Doctor, I agreed to go on this drug, even though, at 50, I had never taken any other kind of drug in my life….HATE DRUGS! I began having heart palpitations after the first day on this drug, and one month after taking this poison, I began experiencing severe itching on my head, neck, and top of my back. I had just visited my salon and thought it was due to hair dye, which I had never had allergy to before. The itching increased and then I started getting severe cramping of my legs. I called my Dr. and was told to purchase organic shampoo/conditioner/soap, and that the leg cramps were probably Restless Leg Syndrome. He told me it was DEFINITELY NOT from the meds. He told me to let him know if the cramping got worse as there was something else that he could prescribe for it. This itching went on gradually for about 5 months. I purchased ever kind of organic shampoos, etc. with no relief, and the cramping of my legs became unbearable. Then, in April of this year, every thing starting to happen. I began itching all over my body and when I itched, it left big red welts wherever my nails hit. After about a week of this, I began breaking out in hives here and there. Went in to the Dr. and told him that I thought this medicine was doing this. This Dr. assured me again, that this would not be the cause of this and told me to take Benadryl and come back the next day so that he could see if I was any better. The Benadryl helped immensely and upon the next Dr. visit, he told me that I had come down with some sort of allergy and it was NOT due to the medicine. Went home and itched my body raw for the next week. Now the hives had turned into huge welts with water in them and my body began swelling with each new day! I stopped this poison on my own and was told to come back in to the Dr. immediately. I was put on Prednisone and told to take massive doses of Benadryl and this idiot Dr. still insisted that it was not from the Lisinopril….my ankles, arms, etc. now were almost double in size and the itching was unbearable. The seven day pack of Prednisone didn’t do a thing. I will say, though that after three days off this poison, my leg cramping subsided and my heart palpations did as well. I decided to take this in my own hands and went to see another Doctor. The Doctor I had been seeing, I found out, owned the Center where he practiced, and I believe he kept having me come back just to make more money. By now, my entire body had huge sores and pits and scales on my skin….I felt like a leper. I went to a Holistic Dr. and told him my story and he could not stop apologizing for the agony that I had been doing through. He told me this was ridiculous. His nurse asked me if I had ever heard of Johnson Steven’s Syndrome, and told me that she thought I had it. I was immediately sent to a Dermatologist and given steroid shots….which did nothing. My skin was pealing off each and ever day in flakes and I itched so bad I wished I were dead. I underwent skin biopsy’s and blood tests which came back showing that I was overwhelming reacting to some sort of allergy. This Dermatologist, who was excellent and didn’t even charge me due to his concern for what I had been through, sent me to an allergist. My small stature body had now increased 25 lbs due to water retention and sores covering my whole body. I can not put into words the agony I was in. Upon the visit to the Allergist, he recognized immediately what I had. He said he saw this type of thing, (not this bad, however), often due to the Lisinopril. Why didn’t that other QUACK Doctor stop this from the beginning…I believe it all comes down to money! Anyway, after almost 6 months of the hives, sores, etc., I am finally seeing a bit of improvement. My legs and back and back of my arms are permanently scarred…they are poke-a-dotted due to the huge hives and massive sores, and I still itch all night long if I don’t take my Benadryl. Who knows what the Benadryl will have done to me in the long run. Please, please look into this medicine and all other medicines that you take. There are holistic, natural methods of getting your ailments under control. Through my experience, I have encountered the most money-hungry, unprofessional Doctor in the world, but I have also experienced the most considerate well-intentioned Doctors. Please do your homework, and find a Doctor that has your best interest in his sight. Through this ordeal the only thing that sustained me was prayer. I have always been somewhat superficial about my looks, weight, etc. and this truly was an eye-opener. It’s amazing what these medicines can do to you, and don’t you wonder if the Pharmaceutical Companies don’t know all of this and could care less due to their hunger for money?!!!! It’s gotten to be a sad world. God Bless!!

My Mom was prescribed Levofloxacin ( AKA Levaquin) by her retarded doc for a mild cold and a sore throat.
After taking 2 tablets of 500mg each my mom is down is severe pain all over her body! she has joint pains, neck pain, arms, palms shes got severe pain all over her body!
She also has severe itching on the palms and her arms as well..
Headaches,
Things aren't looking good.

She in real pain! She tells me she just wants the pain to stop and that she was better off with the cold and sore throat.

She has stopped taking Levaquin.

Anyone got anyway to help her? something?? She is asleep now but tmr Im going to ask her to drink some kefir..

Thanks

Below is my original post from 7 months ago i am still waiting for most off these side effects to improve especially my memory which is still terrible and also the tinnitus ...the aches and pains are slightly better but that depends on the day only the severe itching is better but i still have the fatigue in the mornings ..

I am a 52Yr old male and was diagnosed with T2 Diabetes 2 1/2 yrs ago ....The doctor prescribed me simvastatin a few month later 20mg once a day all had been fine till about 6 months ago when I developed tinnitus and started feeling very tired...My concentration started to lapse especially when driving as i found i couldn't remember driving down a stretches of the road etc ie passing speed cameras etc ...my memory also seems to have slowed down and i have problems recalling recent conversations or things i have done etc...just recently i have been getting severe itching on the soles of my feet almost becoming painful i have pains /aches all over and now especially have pain in my left arm right knee and fingers...when i get up in the mornings i feel like i have run a marathon the day before as i ache especially my neck and shoulders...needless to say i have now stopped taking the tablets after reading this forum and i am seeing my doctor next week initially i put all this down to getting older ... S.

I have been taking Bupropion XL 150mg ("generic" Wellbutrin) once a day as a mood stabilizer everyday for exactly 2 weeks. I suddenly developed severe itching in random different areas on my body. My lower scalp, palms of my hands, and ankles were the first areas that itched but did not have any obvious marks on the skin as to what was causing it. About 3 hours later it became progressively worse and started showing tiny red raised areas in the previously stated places on my body and started to spread to my neck, wrists, mid-chest below my breasts, behind my knees, and upper thighs near the front panty lines, but even worse on my lower back.

I was becoming a bit scared and annoyed by the constant itching and the hives that were forming in those areas. I had never in my life had hives before. The bottoms of my feet were so itchy but they did not have any hives on them, they just itched! I took 2 benadryl and tried to sleep but woke up quite a bit during the night because of itching.

By morning, the hives were worse and especially on the back of my neck where it was swollen and red and I could not even bend my head back. My face was slightly swollen and my eyes were puffy as well. My right palm was so swollen and painful and I could not make a fist.

I called my doctor but he was on vacation, so I had to talk to a message service he had set up in his absence!
I went to the emergency walk-in care center near my home and was evaluated by a physician who concluded that all this was actually due to the Wellbutrin which I myself found hard to believe and wanted to deny it in my mind. He ordered me to stop taking it and prescribed all sorts of drugs to counteract the hives and itching.

I am writing this only about 9 hours after seeing the emergency physician and have had some rest and taken my prescribed medicines, Medrol ( a steroid-type drug) to treat the swelling, Hydroxyz hcl for the itching, Allegra for allergy, and Zantac for the side effects (stomach pain) of all these drugs I now have to take for a while!
The swelling has gone down a bit and itching has subsided somewhat. In conclusion I must note, that it was the pharmacy's decision to substitute the Wellbutrin my doctor had prescribed with a "generic" version (bupropion) that is still so new to the market and is still undergoing studies on human subjects. We are the guinea pigs and did not even know it.

I took my first 500mg Niaspan ER at about 1130 after eating an apple. At 0115 I woke up and my body from head to toe was on fire internally. I got up out of bed went to the bathroom looked in the mirror. It looked like I had a bad sunburn from head to toe plus my face,arms, hands upper torso were swollen. I do not recall any increase in my heartbeat. I went to the ER and by the the time the doctor came around I was some better. I did experience severe itching and cold chills for a while. I did not know about the aspirin for help. Am awaiting further directions from my cardiologist. I have never experienced anything like this before.

hives, redness and severe itching on hands, fingers, and forearms. Pain in shoulder which I can only describe as feeling like I slept on it wrong. Nerve-like pain in lower legs/shins (not muscular) which comes and goes and is not associated with movement or exercise - sort of like if you had a back problem, but intermittent.

I have been on Mirena since Feb of 2008, around mid April -May I started itching and have not been able to figure out why or what is causing it. Have been to doctors tried all different OTC medication, lotions, etc. and nothing helps. My Allergist questioned the Mirena but don't know much about it has anyone had problems with severe itching or no of anyone.

I was prescribed Bactrim by an ER doctor after seeing them to have a procedure done to drain an infection underneath my fingernail. I completed my medication without having any known side effects. (however I was itching a lot underneath my feet, but I didn't realize it was a side effect at the time). The day after I finished the medicine I developed flu like symptoms. I had chills, hot flashes,fever, my whole body was aching. Even my eyes hurt! I stayed home from work for two days, expecting to come down with the flu then surprisingly on day 3 all of the flu symptoms left. Then I developed sever itching all over my body. I tried lotions, bath soaks, anti-itch creams. But it just won't seem to go away. I have also developed a yeast infection. The bottom of my feet itch like crazy and are red. This is my 4th day off the medication and my 3rd day of severe itching. I am wondering how long these symptoms will last. I am glad I found this site because I was really wondering what was going on with that "flu" symptom thing. I will never use Bactrim again!!

I was prescribed Avelox for a sinus infection and bronchitis after relapsing twice following treatment with amoxicillin and Levaquin. The doctor had provided me with 12 sample packets and advised me to take (1) 400 mg tablet each day for 12 days. He then wrote me a prescription for another 14 day supply and advised me to wait to fill the prescription until I determined if I could tolerate the drug. That statement should have been a red flag for me, but, I didn't think twice about it.

I proceeded to take the Avelox for 9 days before the side effects kicked in. The first thing that I noticed was itchy skin. I didn't associate the itching with an reaction to Avelox right away because it was mild itching. By the 10th day, the itching was very severe all over my body. I took Benadryl and went to bed. When I woke up, my face had swelled up, my eyes were practically swollen shut, I had a rash on my entire body from head to toe but most noticeable on the upper half of my body. The itching was unbearable and my body kept going between chills with extreme shaking and teeth chattering to profusely sweating. At this point, I finally associated my symptoms with a reaction.

I stopped taking Avelox 5 days ago. It took two days and a bottle of Benadryl before the rash and swelling subsided. The severe itching also subsided after two days. However, I still have mild itching and some swelling. I've also had two severe migraines in this 5 day period along with fatigue and an upset stomach. I've also continued to experience chills and profuse sweating.

This is a wicked antibiotic. I would strongly advise against it. I've never experienced anything like this before. It's scary.

I am a 52Yr old male and was diagnosed with T2 Diabetes 2 1/2 yrs ago ....The doctor prescribed me simvastin a few month later 20mg once a day all had been fine till about 6 months ago when I developed tinnitus and started feeling very tired...My concentration started to lapse especially when driving as i found i couldn't remember driving down a stretches of the road etc ie passing speed cameras etc ...my memory also seems to have slowed down and i have problems recalling recent conversations or things i have done etc...just recently i have been getting severe itching on the soles of my feet almost becoming painful i have pains /aches all over and now especially have pain in my left arm right knee and fingers...when i get up in the mornings i feel like i have run a marathon the day before as i ache especially my neck and shoulders...needless to say i have now stopped taking the tablets after reading this forum and i am seeing my doctor next week initially i put all this down to getting older ...
Steve

I just finished a 10 day (4xday) prescription of Flagyl (250 mg) prescribed by my Gastro doctor for treatment of (SIBO) Severe Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. Two days after finishing Flagyl I broke out in hives all over my body and my upper eyelids were very swollen. Now my dermatologist has me on Zyrtec and Prednisone. Has anyone broken out with hives and had swollen eyes from taking Flagyl?

After usual injection for eye examination there was subcutaneous
blood leakage in a patch about 1 square inch on my right arm
showing red color from the blood and a central yellow region.
There was severe itching in this area. I take plavix and aspirin.
Have others had this reaction?
Roy B.

Here is my Mirena Story.

I was 6 weeks post partum....I had mirena inserted...it was very painful and I was not warned about that.
About a week later I noticed yellowing in the whites of my eyes which I thought could be coming from a iron def. since I just gave birth. So I made sure I was eating well and taking vitamins. I also had severe itching at night especially on my ankles and legs. Oh and sex drive was gone. It was fine the 6 weeks after birth but as soon as mirena was in it was gone!!! I went to the doctor about a month after insertion and asked to have it removed, of course my doc said it couldn't be iud causing my problems...come back in a month...So I did....within this month I started having severe anxiety, insomnia and panic attacks, to the point were I actually thought I was loosing my mind. Of course again the doc told me that it wasn't iud and prescribed me an antidepressant which I reluctantly excepted. I'm not depressed...my life was perfect before mirena!!! I finally went back for the third time and decided I wasn't leaving until somebody took this thing out of me!

Here is a list of other side effects that I had/still have!!

acne
migraines
extreme lower back pain
numbness and tingling in hands and feet
vision problems
fogginess
An ADHD type feeling
inability to focus or concentrate
extreme fatigue
feeling of throat closing up
heart racing and palpitations
night sweats
sinusitus
dizziness and light headiness
headache

The problem here is that the doctors don't even know how extreme these side effects can be and they keep telling us that it's not the mirena. PLEASE trust your instinct.....I wanted to trust my doctor but I knew in my heart what was causing my problems...I am only 1 week post mirena and I am still having a lot of my problems but I can tell a difference. DON'T LET IT GET OUT OF HAND....TAKE IT OUT!!!!

DON'T GET MIRENA...IT MAY WORK WELL FOR SOME...BUT IN MY OPINION IT IS NOT WORTH THE CHANCE THAT THESE HORRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS COULD HAPPEN.....HAD I BEEN INFORMED PROPERLY I WOULD HAVE NEVER HAD MIRENA INSERTED!!

Good Luck Ladies!!

I have been taking Lisinopril 10mg every morning for about 1 1/2 months. I have been developing many different side effects, but primarily they consist of muscle cramps (painful!) in the legs/calves, numbness of feet with pain when walking, severe itching (it feels almost like ants walking all over my body), and horrible belching and flatulence. I did not connect it to the Lisinopril until I had ruled out all the other medications I have been taking and then coming across a web site that outlined the symptoms I have been experiencing. Why the symptoms occurred gradually and not all at the same time is bewildering, but it is definitely an allergic reaction of some type. I have discontinued the medication as of today and will call my Dr. in the morning and discuss (Yeah, like he'll really come to the phone!) The constellation of symptoms only highlights the strong and potentially life-threatening symptoms that could have occurred. A major anaphylactic reaction could have led to difficulty breathing, atrial fibrillation and probably death. The doctors who prescribe medications are not always aware of the potential harm that could result from the side effects of the meds they prescribe. It is vitally important that we report all symptoms to our doctors and/or pharmacists, nurses, etc. This drug may need to be further investigated. (An FDA approved drug which results in severe side effects can be pulled from the market and doctors told not to prescribe it while a further investigation is completed. Reading the previous posts, it is apparent that many individuals are having similar problems.
The itching is the WORST!!
My advice to anyone having even the slightest symptoms or if you are experiencing more severe reactions to report this to anyone who will listen. If your individual MD finds nothing wrong, invite him/her to imagine how devastating the symptoms can be and literally demand discontinuation of the drug and a prescription for a safer, effective drug.
The advertising campaigns for the drug companies constitute a very massive push to prescribe any and/or all of the meds brought to the marketplace with little regard for those of us who are suffering. This must not be allowed to continue. The unfortunate aspect of discontinuing this med is that the high blood pressure I currently have was fairly controlled by the Lisinopril, but the side effects are impossible and either a new med will be prescribed by my doctor (if he won't listen and/or try to understand, it is time to find a more enlightened physician!) Our fates rest on the combined efforts of all of us to bring the dangers of this med to the forefront. Our hypertension may not be controlled for a few days (until a doctor can prescribe a new one), but the alternative of continuing the med and ignoring or making light of the side effects is far worse.!

Well I'm glad I'm not alone...I was given the generic brand for Bactrim for a Staph infection and I took the first pill this morning. Just before lunch I began to feel quite dizzy and even after eating, I still felt dizzy and out of sorts. I came home and went straight to bed. Has anyone experience dizziness w/ Bactrim or its relative generics? I also have diabetes and my levels were a lot lower than what I'm used to. Needless to say, I called my Dr and they are giving me something else.

any one experiencing severe itching to the point they cannot sleep? At first the doctor thought I had a staff infection-i work in sports medicine so their easier to pick up. When I was back two months later after taking my antibiotics he didn't know what was causing it. My husband hasn't caught it either and it's supposed to be highly contagious. I've spent many nights trying to figure out this itching-so bad I can't not scratch. The only thing I can think of is the IUD. Also have gained weight and can't loose it although I have ate and exercised tons better than ever before!

yaz is horrible.
I recently had a baby 5 months ago, and my obgyn gave me yaz to start taking 2 weeks after she was born. so i did........
I thought I had serious post partum depression or something. I was getting severe headaches EVERYDAY, i was always nauseous, irritable, horrible mood swings (actually thought i was bipolar or something) i was also gaining a lot of weight even though ive been working out like crazy and eating healthy since the day i gave birth. right now i currently weigh only 6 pounds less than when i delivered.....thanks to yaz.
I was also having severe itching spells, chest pain, difficulty breathing for no reason, constant headaches, always sick to my stomach, sleep issues (i would either have to sleep for more than 12 hours to feel rested, or i would be almost on a euphoric *high* with only 2 hours of sleep and function better than ever) and numbness is my arms and legs.
I took this for about 4 months before i finally just realized not to long ago, that all my symptoms date back to around the time i started taking this.

DO NOT TAKE THIS

Hi all! I just began taking YAZ two weeks ago and things were fine up until two days ago. I started experiencing itching on several parts of my boy an last night, realized I had hives on my waist at my back, near my underarms and have serious itching all over the rest of my body including the palms of my hands. Please, please, please if anyone reads this an has had similar side effects, please let me know. Furthermore, I did not take the pill last night as I knew this could be the only thing causing these issues. Does anyone know the reprecution of stopping the pill mid month? Please let me know and thanks for your help!

My mom had fluorescein injection for retinal photography yesterday and in 5 min after injection she experienced flushing, dizziness, shaking, severe itching, trouble breathing and than pass out. Heart rate dropped to 20 and we end up in ER. Her BP was 200. She got IV fluids, and something for nausea . For the following 5 hours was in recovery in the ER with vomiting, severe nausea,shaking. Terrible experience and think twice before doing this injection!

I was prescribed Topamax several years ago and stopped because of the forgetfulness and trouble concentrating. The words I was thinking were not what was coming out of my mouth! I started to think I was losing it! I've been seeing a different doctor now who has suggested that I try it again (for migraines) and I guess I just didn't remember how bad it was, so I agreed to try it again, starting out at 25mg daily for the first week, then up to 50mg for the second week. As soon as I increased the dosage to 50mg, I developed a severe itching on the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet that just won't stop! I stopped taking the medicine two days ago, and I'm still waiting for it to go away (although it has improved slightly since stopping). There are other alternatives...just make sure each of you listen to your bodies and don't let doctors talk you into something that makes you feel bad. Only you know how you feel!

I am experiencing a tremendous amount of hair lost. I take 1000 mg of Niaspan with an aspirin at night. In addition, I have begun to have headaches, severe itching, and difficulty sleeping.

I have been taking it for two weeks. The first week I noticed severe itching lasting 30 minutes or more within 3 hours of taking the 50 mg pill. I also had headaches, insomnia, nightmares, ringing in my ears and short term memory loss. I thought these symptoms would decrease when my body adjusted to the medication. After taking it for one week, my blood pressure did not go down, but increased. I called my doctor's office to let them know. I should have reported these side effects at that time, but since I just talked to the nurse on the phone, I didn't mention them. The nurse told me the doctor wanted me to double my dose since it was not decreasing my blood pressure. I then began having swelling of the hands, feet, ankles & lower legs, joint pain, increased thirst, dry lips and mouth, shortness of breath in addition to the original side effects. The only thing that stopped was the itching. I am going to call my doctor's office Tuesday (we are in the middle of a 3-day weekend/holiday) and report all of this.

I had the Mirena IUD inserted on October 10th. I had it switched from the copper IUD because I was spotting dark brown blood prior to my period, so my gyno recommended the switch. I spotted for the rest of the day, then stopped for two days, then began what I would call my period, since I was due for it later that week anyway. I am still bleeding, but I'd like to believe I'm nearing the end, since it seems to be lightening up. I expected my period to be fairly long after insertion.

The day after insertion, I experienced severe itching and swelling down there, and decided that I must have a yeast infection, but both symptoms are listed as side effects on the sheet I got from my pharmacy. I treated the infection, but still itch from time to time... I'm wondering if it's the hormones in the IUD.

On the weekend of October 19th, I lost my appetite, my sex drive, all sense of sexual pleasure and my ability to acheive orgasm. I ate three meals all weekend long, and only because I felt that I should eat, not because I was hungry. Sexually, I felt friction and not much else. Upon trying to climax 4 seperate times over the course of the weekend, I failed at all 4 attempts and all I got from my efforts was sore muscles, frustration and tears from being so upset by it. I have never experienced problems with sex or climaxing in the 14 years I've been with my husband. However, a couple of days before insertion, we had had sex and it was fabulous, as always. I climax every time we have sex, so it's been very upsetting.

I weighed myself today, just out of curiosity, and since the insertion, I've lost 7 lbs. I'm not dieting, not exercising, not even trying to lose any weight.

Upon calling my gyno and discussing my symptoms with her assistant, I was told that it couldn't be the Mirena, because the amount of hormones in it are so minute that they wouldn't affect anything outside of the uterus. I was told that something else in my life must be causing my sexual problems. !!! I don't think so! The IUD is the only thing that has changed in the past 2 weeks! And how do you explain a sudden loss of 7 lbs??? She didn't want to say it straight out, but she was trying to tell me it was all in my head.

I've had sex again since my failed attempts, and it's getting better, as is my appetite, so I'm hoping that my body is simply adjusting to the new IUD and getting used to the hormones. I have not been on any medication or hormones in the past two years, as I've been pregnant and then breastfeeding, so it might be quite a shock to my system.

If my inability to acheive climax continues, I am going ot have the IUD removed and have another copper IUD put in. My sex life isn't worth this.