Signs of depression symptoms and conditions

I have a 15-yr old. She's been taking singulair since she was 7. These are a few of the things that I have noticed over the last year but ignored because I too, as many of you have, thought it was because she a teenager.

1. Stomachache .. she complained all the time. Thought it was nerves because it was usually before she went to a training session or game.
2. Restlessness.
3. Headaches.
4. Moodiness.
5. Tired. Fatigue. Weak. Even after she gets hours and hours of sleep. Figured it was because her schedule is whacked. We've had fights over her not going to bed at a certain time.
6. Menstrual cycle changed last fall followed by acne when as before she was perfectly normal with clear skin. Recently put her on BC because of her hormonal change. Blood tests showed she was normal. We tried it anyway to regulate her periods. Took her off of it after she had her period for 3 weeks straight. Probably won't put her back on BC since taking Singulair might be the problem.
7. Tired all the time. Falls asleep in class.
8. Lost interest in her favorite sport which she rocks at. Thought it was because of a 2-month down time due to an injury.
9. Several times, have seen signs of depression but when confronted she says no she's fine. Depression is probably from being unhappy with her appearance. Being on the pill made this worse.
10. Doesn't want to go to school. Whereas before not a big deal. Most kids don't like school, but lately, she talks about how much she hates it. Usually excited to start the new school year, this year not so much, more like dreading it and her attitude hasn't change about it.
11. We argued last week and it was the first time she screamed at me and told me she hated me. She's never done this before. Her thoughts and moods have been horrible but they come in spurts.

After reading everyone's experiences, I am taking her off Singulair. I know it's not an overnight cure and will take some time, but I just want my little girl back. I find it strange that this all occurred within the last year even though she's been taking Singulair since 7. Do you suppose it's in teenagers and puberty?

Wow, am I ever glad I found this site. I'm taking Bactrim for Pouchitis. I thought surely I was going crazy. Just a few days after starting the meds, I ended up in the emergency room because of a headache so severe and fever I thought I had meningitis....I was treated with a Zpack and sent home with a diagnosis of Sinusitis. I had even told the doctor that I just started Bactrim and she said it shouldn't cause these symptoms. Not long after the episode with headaches and fever, I began having joint aches primarily in my legs, but now it's starting up my back. I called the Dr. that prescribed it today, but plan on stopping it whether he recommends to or not. This is crazy...also noticing signs of depression and fatigue...

I have the worse pain in my right pelvic area, acne like a 16 year, no sex drive whatsoever, and I cant even begin to talk about my weight!! No matter what I do I cant seem to lose it!! I keep thinking I maybe bipolar because my mood changes so drastically in a moments notice. I don't even know who I am anymore. I swear I think I know why the doctors say this is the most effective means of birth control because I have no desire to even have sex with my fiance.

I started yaz 4 months ago. Everything was going great until this past month. I had no side affects, before this. I actually lost weight on Yaz. But this month, i seriously went out of my mind. I was anxious, depressed, and moody. I was so depressed last week that I was thinking of suicide. I cried myself to sleep every night for no reason.

I was at the end of my rope and then I found this site. Thank god I did. I stopped Yaz in the middle of my pack last wed. My doctor agreed it was the best course and I'm not kidding....less than 48 hours later I felt better. I'm happy....have had no signs of depression and feel so much better.

I also started having really bad stomach issues around the 4th month on this drug. I thought it was a virus. But it lasted almost the entire month. I even took a pregnancy test because I was panicking. Low and behold....48 hours off the drug and my stomach was almost fully back to normal. So, I have to say it HAD to be Yaz. There is no other possible explanation. I'm so frustrated because this is the 4th birth control brand I've tried and I've had horror stories on each one. I just feel like there is nothing out there for me....and that's seriously depressing.

This site helped me so much. Thank you for sharing your stories because I wasn't even thinking it could be the YAZ medication until I came here.

I'm a 22 year old student that has been on paxil for three and a half years. Paxil changed my life--my anxiety was absolutely debilitating. But like a lot of you, I'm now facing a new problem: memory loss. I constantly 'misplace' words, forget appointments, and periodically even forget things like my age. My studies have suffered because of it, but again like a lot of you, the withdrawal symptoms and the potential of my anxiety returning is terrifying.

I'm not sure what I can do. I am physically addicted and emotionally dependent on this drug, yet I'm also a young man with a worsening memory and grad school ahead of me.

Thank God for all of you who started this!!! It's been 2-weeks and right away I noticed a change in my body and my mood/emotions. I have been exhausted, I slept for 11 hours last night, I usually am a non-stop type of person. Every time I stand up I feel like I am going to pass out, I get light headed and I see little black dots. I have already started to gain weight that I just thought was water weight from the non-stop bleeding I have had. I have all the classic signs of depression, the dramatic mood swings, the unexplained crying, the feelings of self-pity, anxiety, and I don't ever get depressed. This morning I got fed up and I am so happy to have found out that I'm not crazy and I am just reacting to the Mirena. Everyone I talked to said that they did not react and it was not like the pill as far as emotions. I reacted worse than the pill and it was a painful experience. The Dr.'s pitch to advise me of Mirena was great and if this product does work for you, wonderful (I mean how great was it to hear NO MORE PERIODS) but for those of us that it did not work for I am thankful to have come across this site.

I am 34 years old. I am a pharmacy tech. I have asthma and allergies. I have taken singulair pretty much every day since it came out on the market. I've had asthma since i was about 10 years old. I took theophylline as a kid. Steriods on and off especially during times when my allergies are bad. I still use Advair during the fall and spring. Every drug has a side effect. However breathing is pretty good damn thing. Do I have days when I feel low? Yeah. Do I sometimes have nightmares? Yup. Are "natural" products the answer. Not always. The fish oil that some of the posters are touting can also cause GI problems. Some of the natural products contain herbs and other plant derivatives that can be harmful for a child that suffers from allergies. Not proactively treating asthma can be deadly. Some of the parents are suggesting steriods as the answer - those can cause weight gain, growth suppression and can lead to a worsening of asthma.

Singulair has never made me feel like I've wanted to kill myself. I was more depressed and angry as kid when my asthma did not allow me to partipate in normal childhood things. I was sad and hated life when I couldn't keep up with friends at recces because I was having trouble breathing. You have to outweigh the costs with the benefits. I am more irritable when I have asthma flareup then I am on a normal day. For me, I choose to breathe. And singulair has been helping me for almost a decade.

I'm not saying the medication isn't causing these symptoms but maybe there is an underlying cause to your child's depression.

Any drug has a side effect. But without medical research and the medications that come with them - people would still be dying of simple diseases and we wouldn't have vaccinations. As a society, as a whole, we are a culture that looks to someone else to fix things and then blames the people who try to fix it. We need to stop being the "hot McDonald's coffee'" society.

My 14 year old daughter takes Lisinopril. She has a heart disease. I believe it helps her with blood pressure. I just found this site and just started to read into this medicine. My daughter has the constant cough which I never related to this medicine before now. She has a lot of signs of depression, not sure if that's due to this medicine (as some have said) or her age. Anyone know a young teen on this medicine?

I am a 31 year old mother of a beautiful 13 month old daughter. From the age of 15 to age 23 I was on a birth control pill (I do not remember which one...I think it was Ortho Tri-Cyclen.). When I decided to stop taking the pill at age 23, I noticed a HUGE change in my personality. I felt much better/happier and had an increased sex drive. Going forward, I decided not to take hormones if I could help it.

Prior to the birth of my daughter, we tried the diaphram with spermicide and I had a reaction to the spermicide. My boyfriend would lose his erection any time we tried condoms. I did try the NuvaRing (hormones) and HATED that; it made me feel like my head was going to explode. I ended up pregnant, had my daughter and, after the birth of my daughter, tried the copper IUD. My body rejected that and it was a bad experience. I felt like I had no other choice, but to try the birth control pill again. I approached it with a positive attitude and was hopeful.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH LOESTRIN 24:

Dear women and concerned spouses,

Today is the sixth day I have been on Loestrin 24. I started taking YAZ and had diarrhea so bad that I had to switch after day two of taking the YAZ product. On day three, I started Loestrin 24 and (like I said previously) have been on it for almost a week. I went from being energetic, happy and sensual to the polar opposite.

The signs of depression and anxiety were almost immediate, but I was trying to give it a chance. It is not worth it to me any longer, as I have been upset with my boyfriend and crying almost every day. You might think it is coincidence, but it is not. I know my body and my mind; this behavior is not me. I have not been reacting rationally and I have been extremely emotional. I am an emotional person to some degree, but this is REDICULOUS. I have a constant feeling of irrational fear in our relationship and severe anxiety. I am aware enough to recognize that these feelings are not natural and that something is wrong and the problem is NOT with me.

The first day I took Loestrin 24, I had the shakes and felt very cold. Anxiety accomodated these physical effects. The second day of taking the YAZ product, I noticed a cramp in my right leg. By the time I was into my second day of Loestrin 24, I felt an aching in both my legs and lower back pain...both of which have NOT gone away. My periond stopped by the second day on YAZ, but started again with the first pill of Loestrin 24. This may be due to a change in pills, but it has not stopped since.

If you or someone you know is experiencing sadness and unusual behavior, or even a relapse in depression, the birth control pill may have something to do with it. I have been doing quite a bit of research on all birth control pills and the effects of depression that they have on women. I am speaking from experience and, so far, Loestrin 24 has been the worst at causing me symptoms of fear, depression, anxiety and just an overall helpless feeling. These leg cramps have me fearing blood clots, as well. Some of the other women on here have noted these leg and back pains, as well.

If I could find a non-hormonal solution to birth control (other than abstinence) I would use it.

Some women do fine on the pill and, obviously, some do not. I say, "Give it a try!", but listen to your body and that little voice in your head telling you that something might be wrong...it is usually right.

My 12 year old was on Singulair from age 4 to 10. We too thought it was a life saving drug. The doctor then put my youngest son on it for allergy cough etc. That is when all hell broke loose. He immediately had signs of depression, anxiety, anger, nightmares, ocd and facial ticks. We took both boys of this drug and I will never use it again.

I've told every doctor that we visit about this and they have basically said they haven't heard this as a symptom. When I told his immunologist this was a symptom he said that if I'm telling him it's a symptom then they aren't going to dispute it. His lack of surprise led me to believe that this wasn't the first time he heard this. This is the same doctor that put my 12 year old on this drug as part of a study through U of M. (At the time, the drug wasn't available for 4 year old)

I would strongly caution anyone about the use of this drug and I wish I had done more research. My son has been off it for 2 years and still has
lingering effects.

i have a son who is 2 years old and suffers from asthma. we have been prescribed the singular 4mg tablet, when i read the possible and common side affects i started wondering if it was really going to benefit him.. now that i have read most of these posts i'm really starting to think it would be best to not try him on them.
if anyone has any helpful advice PLEASE reply back to me

This is so scary!! I was just looking up "my son says he hates himself" on google, because I was concerned, as I deal with depression and wanted to find out if a little boy saying this (6 yo) is normal or if it may be signs of depression. Weirdly this link for singular came up.
My son DOES take singular for his asthma and has been taking it for about a year on and off. I have tried to take him off because I hate feeling like a pill pusher, but then his asthma flairs up again. So I put him back on it.
But today he has just been whining and crying (he is still crying and screaming for me loudly now!) and I began to get VERY concerned that my son was exhibiting signs of depression. If this is true, we may need to file a lawsuit against the drug companies as there are too many similarities and coincidences with this singulair. It wasn't even a THOUGHT or consideration that the medicine could have been causing this. I just thought that he was growing up and just goind through stages. Now I feel stuck because I don't know whether I should take him off and risk his asthma flaring up, or keep him on and risk his depression gene flaring up. This is VERY scary....

Hi everyone! I am a 20yr old female who went to the ER with a seriously infected bug bite that had a red streak leaving the bite. The ER doctor told me it was a staph infection and I was very lucky to have come in when I did. He gave me Bactrim for 10days, twice a day. First things first BACTRIM DID heal my staph infection beautifully! BUT On day 8 around my P.M. pill I realized that my thighs were COVERED in a red rash that didn't itch and did not have any kind of bump to it.. In panic because of what I had just gone through with having a staph infection I ran to my mother who looked online and we found this site.. I agree with ALL of you who say this drug should be taken off the market and also before I take any drug ever again I will be looking at this site and to people like you who apparently care more than the doctors do. On day 8 I NOT ONLY had the rash (which by day 9.. today has spread everywhere but my face and hands pretty much, developed some bump and itch) I have the worst stiff neck and swollen glands!!! Behind my eyes KILLS to look in any direction or strong light.. I am always tired and have weak arms and legs... Tomorrow is my last day on the pill and Wed I will be seeing my regular doc for a routine check up... Note as well that yes I have been able to sleep but since the very first night on Bactrim I have been having very weird and very realistic dreams!.. I'm sorry if this is scattered in thought but I just want to put out there what I have as well to help just like most of you helped me.. and saved me from a complete panic attack.. also watch for signs of depression.. I used to take pills for depression and scary enough my mother since I have been on Bactrim has been saying shes seeing signs of my depression returning.... DRINK TONS OF WATER & SLEEP AS MUCH AS YOU CAN... If you are on the last few days of the medicine stick it out and bitch like hell to your doctors.. maybe if enough of us to we can get this crazp off the market

Other what seems to be common side effects: Along with the rash, swollen glands, stiff neck (mostly on the right side), fever, chills, always tired and weak, EXTENDED period.. sorry ladies!, funny stomach feeling where it doesn't hurt but it does not feel good, starving or nauseated by the idea of food, gass (gross), and the funny dreams. This stuff is HORRIBLE and I cannot wait for day 10 to be over and done with so I can get back to normal.. Good luck to everyone else!... Also I have to pee a ton!!!

I'm very very VERY sorry to all of those who lost loved ones because of a medicine.. that should never happen and I truly am so sorry.

My husband had a day fuzzy thinking and memory loss That scared me more then I can explain. With years of Joint pains back pains, loss of patiences and sometimes showing signs of depression for unknown reasons. He has a lot weakness in his arms and legs,he is tired more then ever. I thought he was just being lazy. constant fatigue and the shakes real bad. His knees pop in and out sometimes.
He difficulty with short-term memory and when we tell him things he did or said he has a hard time believing it. Also through the night he has to 'go' more often then ever. I always wondered where it came from.
Lipitor has almost destroyed our life in ways that we hope to be able to overcome in time. This is the only medicine he took so it has to be the BLAME.

I have been on Singulair for nine years and I thank Merck for discovering and manufacturing it. I also thank my doctor for prescribing it to me. I have my life back! I had asthma so bad I was on high dose inhaled steroids and Albuterol. I had a nebulizer on my kitchen table and a drawer full of Albuterol in my refrigerator. Like clock work I would wake up wheezing and gasping for air and have to administer myself a treatment at 4 am every morning. I would try to exercise and I would wheeze and cough. I then went on Singulair and my nebulizer has been in the basement for at least 9 years, I have the drawer back in my refrigerator too. I exercise now and even ran my first race last summer without needing an inhaler. Thank God for Singulair. I am not going to die from my asthma.

There are so few choices to treat asthma and allergies and all the medications have problems like an FDA black box warning for increased death on Salmeterol(I stopped taking that) which is in Advair and emotional disturbances with steroids and increased suicide risk with Zyrtec which is now over the counter.

I do feel sorry for Cody's parents. It must be tragic to lose a child. My heart does go out to them. However looking rationally at this story, there seems to be a whole side missing. The news story did not mention anything about Cody's past history on the news. Did he ever have signs of depression? Was there an interview with his doctor? Was he having problems with friends at school? Was he into any drugs or adolescent games? Teenage boys also have the highest rate of suicide, medicines aside.

With all due respect, I never saw any of Cody’s friends or teachers be interviewed. Maybe this did happen and I missed this but I watched the news cast videos. Could there be more to this story that is purposefully being edited out or just not asked?

I never believe the media fully. They are very irresponsible and inaccurate at times.
If you read the product information of any drug including aspirin you would never want to take it. The truth is that many times the benefits of drugs out weigh the risks. I know I will keep taking my Singulair because I do not want to die of asthma sucking on inhalers like my mother did.

Wow, this last few months have been a revelation. My big guy (now nearly 7) was diagnosed with Asthma at 18 months or so. He has been on singulair for as long as we can remember, and then since November 07 on Flovent too. He was such a happy baby, just the cutest thing, but as he grew older he got more emotional. A little high strung, quick temper, and some signs of depression. His eating habits were awful, which we thought were due to him having allergies to some foods. We have noticed mood swings and depression, but it would pass. Leg cramps were a common complaint which we brushed off.

Then for some reason we thought it would be a good idea to put him on Flovent too in the winter, well it really went downhill from there. Violent anger, depression, wanting to die, wanting to kill himself, wouldn't eat at all. You name it, he had it. My wife and I were at our wits end, but we didn't think it was the medicine, never entered our minds, and my wife is a paediatric RN too. I sent an e-mail to a psychiatrist friend of mine desperate for help. Well while I was writing it I saw there was a pattern and the sudden slide began the same time he started Flovent. I researched it on the web and OMG the horror, the other parents could have been talking about my boy.

I took him off immediately, co-incidentally his Doc had failed to renew his Singulair scrip the month before so he hadn't been taking it for a month. Well within 24 hours we saw a difference, by the end of the week I cried as I had my boy back. Never thought about Singulair as really we thought it was the Flovent. However after seeing the news today, and having seen a little guy get less and less happy over the years, we realize that the singulair was also affecting him, and then the combo just ripped him apart.

We had filled the Singulair but thankfully were holding off until we saw a pulmonologist and allergist this next few weeks. We will now not be putting him back on it at all. We removed his bedding, got rid of our cats (labs came back highly allergic to them) and tonight after being outside running around in the 40 F air, he went to bed breathing fine. He still is a little emotional, still a little difficult to feed, but we can negotiate, he listens to reason (as much as a 6 yr old will), and more importantly is happy and chatty again.

I am 26 y.o. This is my first package of Loestrin Fe, and the very first "pill" that I take. During my third week on the pill I have been suffering sharp signs of depression. It's not required a lot to make me cry and cannot stop for hours. Obviously this interfere with the way I feel about things and people. I am afraid it will damage professional relations, since I have seen already effects in the personal ones. There is a breast cancer history in my family, so I don't want to play with hormones and will remain on this pill as much as I can bare it. But if I see the psychological side effects don't go away, it'll mean bye-bye to the pill.
Thanks for all your testimonies -really helpful-

I had my Mirena inserted on Dec 5th at which point I was 6 wks postpartum. The insertion wasn't that bad. I expected it to be a lot worse as my Dr. told me it would be. I had slight cramping a few days later. I spotted for 15 days with mild cramps that are still ongoing. They last about 2 minutes or so. I have noticed that I feel much more "spacey." I will give it time to adjust before I make another rash decision to have it removed. I have read all the problems posted on here and it does scare me. I have not noticed any signs of depression, nausea, or headache. I am experiencing insomnia, but I have a new born. I listen for him while sleeping and have not gotten back to a normal sleep routine. I apologize for all of you who have had such a terrible time with this form of birth control. I thought I had done my research and now find that there is so many more negatives. I am willing to make a few sacrifices for a worry free sex life. I don't feel that the Mirena has altered my sex drive or my sex life; my kids on the other hand have and do. For those of you who are wondering whether it's right for you, you have to decide for yourself. Is it worth it? I think it is. I may not feel that way three years from now, but seriously I don't plan to keep it in that long anyway. I will probably be planning child # 3. I have noticed that it seems to be great for most women for the first few years and worsens over time. So maybe my method to this Mirena madness may prove to be fruitful.

i am a 37 female. i have been taking aviane for the past 3 months. i have the lap band also. since i have been taking the pill, i have had crazy mood swings. Mad and angry all the time. I have this constant desire to "go off" on everyone. Any and everything makes me angry. I have been very moody. I have wanted to stay off to myself and not be bothered by anyone at all- signs of depression. tired ALL the time. no energy.
Aviane has greatly increased my appetite. I have gained 4 pounds and feel so bloated all month long. beforehand, i was losing weight drastically. i should not be gaining weight at all. I asked my surgeaon was it okay to take aviane. he stated that it would cause drastic water retention. i hate that feeling and my clothes do not fit the same.
I usually get my period at the start of the last red week. I am scheduled to start a whole week later. no spotting. so i guess that is a good thing. I have decided after reading all the postings tonight and added research.. i am not taking the aviane anymore. the best bc for me was the IUD. a few cramps initially, no wieght gain and NO mood swings. it was great, but insurance failed to pay100% for IUD.

I have been on Desogen for 6 years, within the past 4 months i was switched to Apri. I just now realized that maybe all of these emotional problems i have been having are from this pill. i was somewhat depressed in highschool when i started taking it. so i have figured that this whole time i am just a depressed person. i went off antidepressants cuz i didn't like how i felt and now that i am 22 and i still have this crying all the time crap (that i thought i had mostly just inherited from my mother even tho my sister doesn't have it) i get some days even weeks were i am sad depressed. i always over analyze things which i have heard could be a symptom. So now i am doing all this reseach and i found that in the Side effects of desogen that it says "stop taking this medicine and consult a doctor if you experience any signs of depression (sleep problems, mood changes, etc..) WTF!! can i say that seriously i can't believe it.. and now i am just waiting for my doc to call me back. i dont know if i should quit completely or switch. in a way i would like to quit because i want to know who i am.. what i am normally like! its been 6 years!!! o my goodness phamecuticals are evil!

My four year old daughter has been taking Zyrtec for six months. We've had severe emotional outbursts, signs of depression, and aggression to the point were we were strongly considering a psychologist.