Shocks symptoms and conditions

23th
2009
10:36 PM
MIRENA is the worst thing EVER!!!!!!
I got Mirena as my husband and I were lacking in the sexual side of our relationship because we both HATE using condoms.I have a 31/2 year old son and we have decided that for now we are happy and would like if we didn't have anymore children right now so I talked to my doctor about Mirena.
Let me start by saying that my labor 6 hours with NO pain meds was nothing compared to the pain I had when they put it in. Then the bleeding started right away I was bleeding for 8 weeks then had 1 week free and now have been bleeding for about 8 weeks. I had 2 ultrasounds to make sure it was in proper and everything was "fine" my doctor says everyone's body reacts different.
The symptoms I have are Occasional Cramping,
Sever bleeding,
headaches,
irritation in my legs (same symptoms as RLS),
Depression,
no sex drive,
back pain
Weight Gain (17lbs in 2 weeks)
and the weirdest symptom is hard to explain but its the same feeling in my body as if you were to touch a 9volt battery to your tongue! Every now and then I have little shocks and its so annoying. I have had mine in for 17 weeks and I have an appointment in 8 days to have it removed...Back to condoms it is

This is to serve as a personal warning to ANYONE taking
Effexor XR or thinking about taking it.

After my husband and I experienced HORRIBLE withdrawal symptoms within a week from coming off of our medication, and has continued for 4 months now. I feet compelled to inform people about the risks that this drug carries with it.

This drug helped my husband and I immensely while we were on it, but I just wish that I had been more knowledgeable about the risks of going off this medication so abruptly.

I understand that the medical professional that is prescribing you the drug is supposed to inform you that you are not to stop taking the medication abruptly (which is exactly what I was told). IN NO WAY was I told the consequences of NOT taking the medication.

So here are some of the symptoms that I experienced within the first two days (there are many more symptoms that other Effexor XR patients have experienced, but I feel that it is only right to list mine):

• Akathisia - a syndrome characterized by unpleasant sensations of "inner" restlessness that manifests itself with an inability to sit still or remain motionless.
• Ataxia – Loss of the ability to move the body with coordination.
• "Brain Zaps", "Brain Shocks," "Brain Shivers" or "Head Shocks" Descriptions include dizziness, electric shock-like sensations, sweating, nausea, insomnia, tremor, confusion, and vertigo.
• Cold Sweat – The skin is clammy and moist and you feel chilled. This is a reaction to a shock or pain as well as to fear and nervousness.
• Colitis – A condition where the large intestine becomes irritated from the use of the drug.
• Dehydration – An extreme loss of water from the body or the organs of the body as in sickness or not drinking enough fluids.
• Depersonalization - A feeling of watching oneself act, while having no control over a situation. (A sufferer feels that he or she has changed and the world has become less real, vague, dreamlike, or lacking in significance.)
• Diplopia – A condition where a person is looking a one object and instead of normally seeing just the one object he sees two. This is also call double vision.
• Disequilibrium - Dizziness, light-headedness and vertigo with a sense of losing balance.
• Dysarthria – The inability to control the mouth muscles when forming words so the words are not clearly spoken and heard.
• Gastric Irritation – An inflamed and sore stomach.
• Hyperhidrosis – The triggering of an excess of sweat being produced on the soles of the feet and/or the palms.
• Hypoesthesia – A partial loss of sensation or general loss of awareness.
• Influenza-like - Fatigue, lethargy, chills, sweating, headache, weakness and palpitations.
• Insomnia – Not able to fall asleep or sleeping for a shorter time than desired, thus not being able to properly rest and feeling un-refreshed. As a result, a person can become irritable, have difficulty concentrating and feel a lack of energy.
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome – A painful condition where the either the muscles or the nerves of the lower intestines, are not responding normally. This results in an alternating condition of diarrhea followed by constipation, back and forth.
• Mania – Unusually irrational, excessive and/or exaggerated behavior or moods ranging from enthusiasm, sexuality, gaiety, impulsiveness and irritability to violence.
• Mood Swings – An emotional shifting as from a state of happiness to a state of depression for a period of time.
• Night Sweats – With night sweats you become wide awake in the middle of the night shivering and cold and wet with your sheets/pajamas soaked in perspiration making it difficult to go back to sleep.
• Nightmare – Dreams that make you afraid or leave feelings of fear, terror, and upset long after waking up.
• Abnormal Orgasm – Unable to have an orgasm with normal sexual stimulation.
• Pain in Extremity – A painful feeling in the legs, arms, hands, and/or feet.
• Paresthesia - A sensation of tingling, pricking, or numbness of a person’s skin with no apparent long-term physical effect.
• Photopsia – A condition where a person sees lights, sparks, or colors in front of their eyes.
• Pressure of Speech – A condition where the individual cannot voice his ideas fast enough with the pressure of there being not enough time to say it.
• Pyrexia – Fever or the increase in body temperature that is usually a sign of infection.

Now some of you may be thinking that I might be overreacting, but I assure you that I am not. Quite the opposite actually, I feel that there are probably more symptoms that I am leaving out.
When I went online to research the symptoms that we had been experiencing, there was little information that I could find. I went onto the website for Wyeth (the company that produces Effexor XR) and the only thing that I could find was, and I quote,

“When people suddenly stop using or quickly lower their daily dose of EFFEXOR XR, discontinuation symptoms may occur. Talk to your doctor before discontinuing or reducing your dose of EFFEXOR XR.”

Wyeth also states that Effexor XR is, and I quote AGAIN,

“ Effexor XR Is Not Addictive. Effexor XR and other antidepressants are not addictive. You cannot become addicted to an antidepressant even if you take it for long-term maintenance therapy. An antidepressant is not a controlled substance like a narcotic or a stimulant.”

I am very sorry Wyeth, but I disagree.

I am 18 years old. I started yaz three months ago. During my first month taking yaz, i had a really bad fever and started getting these electric shock sensations in my head. My heart was racing and I couldn't stop twitching. I was panicking and will skip the long er story but the doctor told me it was anxiety and an allergic reaction to my cough medicine and sent me home with vicodin and atavan. I got better and didn't have that sensation for the next week. However, I was growing increasingly anxious and panicky for no reason at all and would have long crying jags where I couldn't calm myself down. I am usually a very happy person, and I just feel so depressed. The shocks started coming again, along with the twitching and feelings of vertigo. I started thinking that maybe it could be the yaz causing it and went off it mid pack. I went to my doctor for the shocks and she had no clue. I had a mri of my brain and it came back normal. I have been off yaz for two weeks now, and have since seen a neurologist. She put me on an 80mg prednisone pack which she said would stop the shocks but only have me the worst migraine of my life and shaking so bad that I couldn't function or leave my bed for for four days. I went to a new neuro and am on an new migraine medication which seems to be working better as I am up and my headache is better. He seems to think the shocks are a result of yaz. Have any of you had this symptom, and the twitching? I feel like someone has turned an electricity switch in my body and I cant stop moving. I have no clue whats wrong with me and its really scary. The only way I can sleep at night is with ambien, and I cant stop twitching even during the day. If yaz can cause this why can they even sell this awful pill?

I started taking Lisinopril two weeks ago for relief of high blood pressure. Male, 45, 260 lbs, family history of high blood pressure and stroke. After one week I began experiencing intermittent chest pain, tingling and numbness in my left hand, and sensations like shocks in my head.

I spent several sleepless nights feeling for chest pain, feeling my heart race, expecting my heart to explode and wondering if I should go to the ER.

I visited my doctor and expressed my concerns. She immediately performed an ECG and verified that my heart was functioning normally and that my blood pressure was down. She also indicated that it's not uncommon for vasoconstrictors like Lisinopril to allow stomach acids to rise in the esophagus. This can cause chest pain and affect nerves leading to the brain and to the arm. She prescribed Zantac 150 twice a day and asked me to call her at home 60 minutes after taking the first pill.

I filled the Zantac prescription (one of the $4 prescriptions you can now get most places) and took one immediately. Ten minutes the chest pain was gone. Twenty minutes later the shocks in my head were gone and my arm went from tingly and numb to just slightly achy. Thirty minutes later all of my symptoms were gone. After an hour I dutifully reported to my doc that she was a genius and on my Christmas gift list.

If you're taking Lisinopril and having chest pain obviously let your doctor know about it. Studies indicate that denial is a serious issue and a contributing cause in heart disease victims. Many of my symptoms were classic for unstable angina, which is scary. However, they are also common stomach acid symptoms for first-time users of a wide variety of high blood pressure medications. It's possible that a simple antacid could relieve your side-effects.

Now my goal is to lose 80 lbs so I can get off this medication completely. Working 90 hours a week (the highlights of which are travel, sitting at desks, and eating) isn't going to cut it any more.

well i went to the e.r. tonight to have a possible blood clot checked out (not related..and it wasn't one) but have felt absolutely crappy since having this IUD put in a week ago today...have almost all the symptoms as mamacass...including headaches, dizziness, and many others... the e.r. .they checked and said it is placed properly...but have had the chest pain, shortness of breath, terrible back pains, profuse sweating, chills...i keep those little heating patches on my lower abdomen and back due to pain (also have little bursts of shocks from abdomen)...i had UTI symptoms...burning when urinating...so i thought i had a UTI...the e.r. ruled that out too...plus they did a chest x-ray..nothing...blood work...nothing wrong there...anxiety ( i don't have a history of that...maybe the hormones released by this thing?) so basically they said all my symptoms are mirena related and to have it removed...i really want to keep it....it's only been one week ...do these things go away?

Wow, this is so scary! My boyfriend, incredibly strong and physically fit was put on the antibiotic for a UTI and has used the antibiotic maybe 5 or 6 times over the past couple years. He noticed severe pain in his feet and went to his family doctor as well as an Orthopedic doctor, neither came to the conclusion that this drug was his problem. We just found all of this information that has answered so many questions as his tendons have been torn in both feet for quite a while now with no explanation. Does anyone know....IS THERE PERMANENT???? He is also having soreness in his biceps as well as in his shoulder area? He just stopped taking the drug and any information would be great! I believe that everyone should get together and sue these drug companies...this shocks me!

I was first diagnosed with depression when i was 18 years old. For 9 years i was on all different types of medication but for a majority of the time i was on Effexor xr. I remember when i missed a dose, just feeling so bad i would just want to go to bed but when i took the next dose it wouldn't take long to get back to normal. My memory has been shocking. So bad that i have trouble remembering what happened when my children were babies. I don't know if this is because of the meds or the depression. My father committed suicide during the time i was on effexor and i just could not grieve. I felt that when i cried i was just forcing it. I just didn't feel many emotions at all. My life took a turn after that and i had so much going on that i either didn't have any trouble coming off it or i just don't remember what it was like.
At the start of this year my life was very full and happy and i was so busy until one day i just felt as though i was going to die. For a week i sat in the emergency department at the hospital certain i was going to die and leave my three children without a mother. I was finally diagnosed with a panic disorder. I didn't care what they did i just wanted them to make it stop.(the way i was feeling) I was put lexapro but had a bad reaction to that so they put me back on effexor xr. I can only say thank god! I have been on it now for almost six months and i have decided to come off it again as i feel my life is back in control. The main side effects i have had this time on this medication have been, a definite decrease in sexual function, deep sleep, vivid dreams and my pupils are dilating differently. I have over the last week decreased my dose from 75mls a day to 37.5. I really don't remember going through all these side effects last time. I was on a much higher dose before too. I have had the worst migraines, i am so tired, my eyes sting, i have what i guess others have described as shocks. When i move my head or blink my eyes it feels like i get a shock in my head. I feel like i am looking through a tunnel sometimes too. Although i had this same feeling when i was first put back on the meds. Yes it is tough coming off it this time but i still don't regret taking it in the first place. Without it i may still be feeling the worst feelings i have ever felt in my life and i wouldn't wish it on anyone. The effects i am getting now are not even a glimpse of what i went through before i started.

I am a paraplegic and have experienced severe nerve pain in my legs and feet since my spinal cord was severed in 2002. After going through a stringent pain management program,(two months of evaluation, psychological testing, spinal cord stimulation, nerve blocks, etc), my Pain MGT Physician at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, began prescribing me Lyrica. Lyrica was just beginning to be prescribed by physicians. We gradually ramped my dosage to achieve the most pain relief for me. After experiencing excruciating nerve pain for three years, Lyrica was a miracle working medication to me. Finally, finally, I had found some relief in the burning, squeezing, and exploding shocks in my legs and feet. I take 600mg, 5 times a day. After every four hours, I can feel it wearing off and the same screaming pain comes racing back. Nerve pain is so difficult to control. I can't say that I am completely pain free, but at least it is a manageable animal.

I was on Paxil for 9yrs, but have been off it now for 8yrs. It was prescribed by my family Dr for extreme PMS. At the time, it was a new drug just on the market, and there were no boards like this to describe any side effects.
After I was on it for several years, I tried to come off it. But the side effects were so bad, every time I tried, I decided to stay on it. I realized I couldn't stay on it any longer when it was affecting everything in my life. Paxil was making me so exhausted I was sleeping up to 20 hours a day. It almost ruined my life. Because I couldn't get to work, I lost my job and was out of work for 2 years while I was trying to come off Paxil. Of course my Dr refused to believe I was going through withdrawl, because he said Paxil was not addictive. We all know now that is incorrect. I had to slowly wean myself off it 1/4 of a tablet at a time over several month, and I still had horrible, very scarry withdrawl symptoms. I suffered from vertigo, tremors, tingling throughout my body, numbness in my hands, feet and legs, brain shocks, vomiting, dizziness, slurred speach, memory loss, heart palpitations and the hallucinations were the worst. I became easily aggitated by everything, unable to stand up without losing my balance. I was seeing floating black waves across my vision when my eyes were open. I can say it was hell, and I wouldn't want anyone else to suffer through it. I'm writing this to warn others that if you are on it for a long time, and then come of it, some of the withdrawl effects never go away. So be very careful how long you stay on it. To this day, 8yrs later, I still get numbness and tingling in my legs and feet. I still get brain shocks every so often. I still get short-term memory loss. The worst part is Paxil ruined my digestive system. Before I was on it I had no problems, now there are only certain foods I can eat. Paxil effects the serotonin levels in your brain, but it also effects the serotonin levels in your stomach and intestines. I went through several thousand dollars worth of health tests only to discover it was caused by all my years on Paxil. So please be careful and only stay on this drug as long as need be. It may have a negative affect on the rest of your life.

I am on 10 mg. of paxil and have been on it for about 4-5 years. I would like to come off but am worried about all these crazy withdrawal symptoms everyone talks about. I have gone as many as 3 nights without takiing any and never experienced "jolts", maybe a little jittery and confused. I am thinking about doing 7.5 mg. for about a month, then go down to 5 for a month, then 2.5 for a month.

I hear all these stories and wonder if the people who have all these bad withdrawls were on high does and if they weaned themselves off.

PLEASE HELP.

Thanks.

numbness in hands, sometimes sooo bad it hurts and wakes me up in the middle of the night. Anyone else have this expierence?

I've been on WB (generic) for about 3 weeks to quit smoking which I have. I am taking it at night with Xanax. I didn't know I was having side effects until I started feeling strange. I was dizzy at first, but thought I was just sick. I was also a little headachy. Today I was in the grocery pushing a cart and kept getting shocks in my left hand. I took my hand off the cart and it went away. My major complaint right now is feeling very depressed and hopeless, want to cry but ccan't seem to. Also feeling like I could lose control. If I go off this drug will I start smoking again?

I have been on wellbutrin 75mg twice a day for about 2 weeks, the only thing I dont like is the shocks I feel little shocks sometimes for about 20 minutes after i take it, i was taking lexapro for about a year and it helped for my depression butthe side effects were horrible no sex drive and I gained about 20 pounds, so 3 weeks ago my dr switched me from lexapro to wellbutrin so hopefully this works with out all the bad side effects, my dr said wellbutrin shouldnt put weight on me....hope not

I have been on Paxil for about 5 mo. Then it was discovered that I was miss diagnosed, I wonder how many people have heard that. It is very strange coming off Paxil. My side affects were the same but a little different. I am 34 and my sex drive went through the roof I mean from 1x a mo. to about 10-15. So I dont think that affects everyone. I had no appetite at all lost some weight down to 100. I went from 12.5 to 25mg in 5 mo. I feel better a little emotional and the brain shocks are scary at 1st but then when I learned about everyone had I feel better and they are kind of fun now. 3 more pills and I am done, and ready to take on side effects of my next medication.

I too have experience weight gain with difficulty losing the weight. I am on 200 mg of Toprol XL daily for recurrent ventricular tachycardia. It does not seem to be working as I still have the rhythm and get shocks from my defibrillator. I have also experience nightmares. I have not had any joint pain though.

Not sure if the side effects are a cause of weaning coming off of Effexor or beginning Wellbutrin XR 300 mg.

I have been feeling quite dizzy and light headed, also very on edge for the past week. And I guess the best way to desribe it would be small shocks inside my hide. Like someone or something is pounding inside my skull. I weaned off of Effexor completely a week ago and started on the Wellbutrin XR 300 mg.

Anyone else experiencing similar symptons?

Cyn

Took Lamictal for about a month and a half for depression, starting June 206. Did help flatten out & stabilze mood. Started with small 25mg dosages and ramped up. By the time I got to 175mg, for some unknown reason, I started to get bad "pins/needles/elctric shock-type" pains in hands & feet, then progressed to arms, legs & trunk areas, with some body twitches and deep, inner aches. Symptoms started in mid August 2006 and still remaining today, mid November 2006. Fearing these symptoms will never cease has me under alot of anxiety. Hard to get to sleep at night. Has made life very difficult to manage. Has anyone else experienced these side effects? Was not taking any other med at the time.

I just started taking the Yasmin pill for 2 weeks now and the things is I though that it was just me and not the pill. But the dizziness, itchiness, blarred vision and the sensitive stomach aches including the vomiting and a whole lot more made me visit the web to read up more on the pill. As this was the only thing that I've changed in the last 2 weeks. I came across this site and it shocked me. The reason is that I now know for a fact that it is because of the pill. Everything I read here is what I feel. So I AM STOPPING AND WILL NOT CONTINUE FURTHER. What shocks me even more is that the doctors claim that this is such a "good" pill to take. Don't they know. Why do the prescribe it then.

Thanks for the site - It think I will be "normal" again.

I have been reading a lot about some of the side-effects of coming off paxil. My girlfriend is attempting to do the same right now. Her withdrawal seems to be in line with some of the worse descriptions that I find on the net, and she is starting to question her ability to successfully come off the drug. I support her either way - on or off - but she really wants to come off for at least long enough to evaluate if she actually needs it any more (she has been on it for 7+ years).

She has had dizziness, nausea, and reported "shocks inside her brain" for the past 3 weeks while reducing her dose. Last weekend we went away, and she forgot her medication. In the past, we would have resolved the situation, but since she is in the process of reducing her dose (she went from 30->20->10) and was feeling OK, she decided to go from 10->0. At the end of 3 days, she is crashing hard!! Very distraught, emotional, slurred speach. Really having a rough time. She has gone back to 5 mg, which seems to have helped the physical symptoms a bit, but that is only 1 day after being off for 3. We will see... the emotional/self-questioning is the toughest part right now.

I think it would be good if I could pass along a "success" story... so many people have shared their problems online, which goes a long ways toward her feeling like she is not "going crazy". However, most people don't follow through when they get through it. I think she needs to hear that it is not all just trouble, and that there is an end to it (if, in fact, there is).

Just for the record... her doctor told her that she would be fine to reduce her dose to 0 over the course of 7 days... it was her own research that lead to her decision to try to do it over the course of 30 days instead. I can't imagine how she would have gotten through it if she had been so naive as to have followed his instructions!

Thanks for sharing...

Hi everyone-
It has been a few months since I posted so I thought I would give you an update. I am YASMIN-FREE for 6 months now. My period is somewhat regular, 29-31 days, with it getting off to a very slow start then 2 days heavy and 1-2 days light. But, during my period (and often during ovulation as well) I have terrible trembling throughout my body sporatically during the 5-7 days it lasts. But, the brain-shocks have totally stopped, thank GOD!!! My Blood pressure is slowly coming down as well. No more 170/100 or 150/90 anymore. I also take fish oil and flaxseed which I think helps with the BP.
I have stopped taking the Xanax but I am still taking 37.5 (lowest possible) dose of Effexor once per day. I will be weaning off of it by Christmas accoriding to my doc.
This has been so hard for me and dealing with the side effects of Yasmin. I appreciate this forum in knowing that I am not alone, unfortunately. My husband and kids see such a difference in me now that I am off of that poison. It caused a total chemical imbalance and I am just starting to see the extreme side effects subsiding. It has taken 6 months. So, be patient ladies.
As always, I encourage all of you who had side effects (especially bad ones) to CALL Berlex and/or the FDA and REPORT IT! Their toll free number is on line.
Stay well ladies.
Hang in there and keep posting.
SILKE - how is everything? I am sorry that I lost touch for a few months!

i take 200mg of trazodone at bed time they put me to sleep and keep me sleep i'm tired when i get up in the morng .but during the day i loose my balence and the only way i can discibe it is i get brain shocks.

It shocks me to read all of the issues with this drug. I have only been taking it for two days and it is the best thing I have ever taken (so far). My acne, which I have had since I was 12 and now I am 30, is gone; I have completely shed all of my depression and I feel like a whole different person. My husband loves it! The only side effects that I have noticed that are negative, again I have only been taking it for two days, is sleeplessness and occational headaches. I am able to concentrate, and stay awake in class/at work. I was perscribed this med because I have an allergy to something and broke out into hives. I will only be on the med for five days, but I like the fact that I feel alive.

I went on Paxil CR (12.5 mg) because of constant panic attacks that lasted for about 1 month. I was so anxious for this period of time that I rapidly started losing weight, broke out in hives and eventually couldn't trust myself to function normally in common situations (i.e. work, driving, etc.). I was on it for 1 year and noticed a significant difference within 2 weeks. The panic attacks stopped, I returned to my normal weight and remained there, and I had an overall feeling of contentment. I went off of it 2 months ago because it was making me feel too content and I was starting to make bad choices (some anxiety is a good thing). I just want all of you to know that it can be used as a tool to help you get back on track, it should never be the solution. I had a few side effects coming off of it (dizziness, feeling electric-like shocks), but have not had any panic attacks or unusual anxiety. It sounds as if a lot of the side effects listed here could be a symptom of anxiety itself. If you make changes to your lifestyle, and are confident in your decision, you can leave Paxil behind.