November 23th
2008
2:56 AM
I am at the end of my first month on this pill. Things seemed fine until 3 days ago when I got a migraine (I never get headaches) and it has lasted for 3 days making it so difficult to look after my children or get the simplest things done. I started looking up side effects and found this site. I realised that this month I had also had thrush, no sex drive at all and seem to be very cold in relation to other people. I suffer from PMDD and this is my second pill in attempt to make the symptoms easier to manage. Without the pill I am over emotional, cry a lot, have severe mood swings and painful and heavy bleeding each month. With this in mind I am still going to come off Yasmin right now. I do not want to mess things up even more. I have been concerned about the ingredients of the pill too - I am a vegan and there is no birth control pills which do not contain lactose or animal ingredients so I think I must go back to the diapham for birth control (condoms are just awful!). it is frightening how easily all these pills are prescribed. I was on dianette when I was 16 to combat the same PMDD and when I came off it five years later didn't have a period for a year at which time I discovered I had an ovarian cyst and a tumor, both of which had to be removed. Was told I probably couldn't have kids but thankfully five years later (five years of trying to conceive) I had our first and then 10 months after that fell pregnant with our second). I can't believe I was stupid enough to go back on any pill but my PMDD is difficult to manage and I was at my wits end but after just a month I know I have to come off it. For good this time. My life is to valuable to me to mess up with this rubbish.
-- By jillforrest | Reply | Private Message me
November 19th
2008
8:20 PM
so happy to have found this site! I have been taking loestrin 24 since mid July, making it almost five months on this medicine. IT IS HORRIBLE. to say the least. for almost a year and a half I was on NuvaRing, which surprisingly I liked, aside from the almost 20 lb weight gain and virtually no sex drive. Who needs birth control if you don't have a sex drive? So anyway, I switched to loestrin 24 in July. BIG MISTAKE. for the first few weeks of this pill I lost all appetite and hardly ate a thing. In the past few months I have been experiencing incredible anxiety, uncontrollable thoughts, and depression. This pill is messing with my head! It almost cost me and my boyfriend of two years our relationship because of the way it makes me crazy. I experience increased heart rate, especially when I wake up and strange leg cramps. I have always been funny, outgoing, and upbeat about life until this pill. This past weekend I was a social recluse and just felt like being alone. I cry over the littlest things and am so irritable when someone says the slightest things. I have been overly mean to my mom, sister and boyfriend over the simplest things. Something is not right with this pill. I thought I was just losing my mind until I read all these other posts. Thank goodness I'm not alone. I had an appt. with my OBGYN today, told her all my symptoms, and she gave me a trial pack of Femcon FE. I am very wary to start them because I have read it has very similar side effects to Loestrin. Has anyone found a good birth control that actually makes them a happy, normal person?! Jeeze, I am ready to swear off hormonal birth control for good! Please let me know if anyone has any experience with switching from Loestrin to Femcon? I just want to be my old, happy self again!
-- By crazy4soup | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
June 27th
2008
4:58 PM
I cannot tell you how relieved I am to have found this site! I have been taking YAZ for just over 4 months. I started it to try to lessen menstrual flow, not for birth control as I already have my tubes tied. I am a former professional athlete and very in-tune with my body. I am currently 43 and had my tubal at 29.
I started having issues fairly early on, but they were gradual, yet intense. Two things showed up - memory loss and extreme mood swings. I started having difficulty remembering the simplest things and would forget parts of conversations had only minutes earlier. Then the mood swings started. I am a very stable person, even around my period. I began having suicidal thoughts for no reason at all. One day fine, the next day wanting to end it all.
I have put on 14# in the 4-month period, visible cellulite now on my thighs. Vaginal dryness, brown gunky, pasty residue after my period (which never actually stopped) and decreased sex drive.
I called the doctor and stopped taking them as of today after finding this site!
-- By repo1123 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
June 21th
2008
10:19 AM
My son is 6 years old and he has been on and off Singulair for about 2 years. He was off since last Fall 2007, but was put back on in April 2008 for allergies. He began telling me that he was having "dreams" during the day. He would then tell me these totally bizarre thoughts, "dreams" that he was having. They were very strange and perverted and violent. I asked him why he was saying this stuff and he said, "I just can't help it, they pop into my mind." I thought that he was going through a phase because he was bored. He is in 1/2 day kindergarten and I attributed this to too much television and boredom. I was thinking that someone was feeding him this crazy information (kids on bus, class, etc.) and he was repeating it to me. He was too showing OCD symptoms, afraid if he touched his feet- "is that dirty??" afraid if he touched someone's hand, "is that dirty if I touched Tim's hand?" He would also cry and whine often over the simplest things. I thought this was a phase. Our prescription for Singulair ran out and I did not fill. I started noticing a change over a week's time period. My little boy who was coming to me several times a day with bizarre "dreams" had not mentioned them at all. His compulsive behavior has stopped and so has the whining. I feel lucky that I did not fill the prescription because I would not have even thought it was the singular, since there are no side effects like the one's I mentioned above on the label. I am sick about this!!
-- By mattiak | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
June 10th
2008
10:33 AM
I forgot to mention in my earlier post that I had also taken LEVAQUIN for what was thought to be strep throat a year ago this past April. I was put on LEVAQUIN for 5 days and I was still horribly ill. They decided that I had Influenza and gave me Tamiflu. The Tamiflu seemed to work and clear up the congestion and other flu like symptoms. The bad part was that I was so weak and fatigued that I couldn't even do the simplest things for months later. I also suffered from frequent PVC's and chest tightness. I still get frequent PVC's now and then. I look back on all of the things that happened a year ago and what is going on with me now and I realize that it can't just be a coincidence!
-- By aspergers2 | Reply | Private Message me
May 6th
2008
9:42 PM
I don't know if seeing all these posts help me or scare the crap outta me even more (none the less very helpful), I have no insurance and really want to get my IUD removed. I had it inserted when my daughter was 8 weeks old that was about 11 months ago. I have had nothing but problems, severe cramping, nausea, periods that last a whole month, one month it will be icky brownish discharge with a lil blood here and there, I will stop for about 2 weeks and get it again this time lasting about 3 weeks then i will go about 6 weeks and have it again this time with severe cramping and bleeding for a whole month straight. then i may not have it again for 6 weeks etc... I have really nasty blood clots that look very fleshy. I also have had very thick yellowish stinky discharge everyday i don't have my period ( I have NEVER smelt this bad) I feel like im losing my mind Im so absent minded i forget the simplest things, my arms and legs go numb and tingly, my hair is falling out in clumps, im extremely moody and very impatient. and the tiredness is really starting to bother me, no matter how much i try to stay awake its almost impossible, i literally need to take a nap every 3 hours it seems like just to function...I feel like im falling apart. Has anyone else had a lot of these symptoms? And what should I do about getting it taken out....I don't qualify for Medicaid so I was wondering if i should just go into the hospital the next time the pain gets bad and see if they will remove it any advice will be helpful! And good luck to anyone else going through problems with this IUD.
-- By manda51807 | Reply | (5) replies | Private Message me
January 10th
2008
11:37 AM
I've had my Mirena for about 15 and a half months and I am having it removed today at 2 o'clock. At first I had sharp pains when I would sit down and I felt like the cords were poking me and irritating me. My OB/GYN requires patients to come back one month after having it put in so he can check it and make sure it is still in place. At this visit he also trimmed the cords although he acted like he didn't believe me when I told him that I could feel them poking me when I sat down and that it hurt. At first I didn't notice any bad side effects, but I did have one good one: my periods stopped, but I still had occasional and sporadic spotting. I didn't think to look for any bad side effects because I got the device under the impression that it had no bad side effects. I thought it only had a rare complication of perforating the uterus, but since mine was in place at the one month check, I didn't think about anymore until I started thinking about having another baby recently. I went online to see if I had to have a doctor remove the Mirena or if I could do it myself, and I found out that it's best done by a professional because bad things can happen and then you'd have to go to the doctor anyway. Plus, I didn't want to hurt my chances of having another baby. While online I discovered this whole world of message boards where women were having a lot of the same problems I'd been having in recent months and they all blamed their Mirenas. Some claimed that their problems had gone away since having it removed. I never thought to link my circumstances to the Mirena, but when I saw how many women are having the exact same problems as me I knew that I needed to go ahead and get mine out ASAP. Here is a list of my side effects, and I've found other women have had them as well with Mirena: weight gain, bloated stomach, depression, short temper with husband and daughter, acne, low sex drive, spotting, cramps, constipation, and back pain. There may be more, but I can't remember them all right now. Some of them may not even be related to the device, but I've read of so many women with Mirena who are having or have had the same issues, so I suspect a link between my problems and Mirena. I hope this helps someone out there looking for answers. God Bless!
-- By melathome | Reply | (56) replies | Private Message me
January 4th
2005
7:40 AM
I've been taking 30mg of XL for about 2 years. This is an increase of 150mg for about a year prior. Memory loss is the worst! I often go to do something and before I actually do it a minute later, forget what it was I was going to do. I have a very hard time concentrating. I have a job where I have to be mentally fit, and have been going crazy because I haven't been able to concentrate enough to figure out the simplest things. I am losing hair bad, but not sure if I can attribute it to Wellbutrin. I sweat constantly. I wake up in a puddle of sweat and have to turn my pillow repeatedly during the night to find a dry patch. I also sem to urinate a lot more than anyone else. I am up 1 or 2 times every night to use the bathroom. As for keeping me out of depression, it's worked well, but seems to be diminishing. I am feeling more and more depressed lately. My work and relationships are suffering due to my forgetfulness and I am irritable, mostly due to being upset with myself for not being able to concentrate and figure out what should be simple tasks.
I have not found a lot of information about these symptoms online except for this site. Only little blurbs here and there. After reading this, I think it's time to quit and try something else. Does anyone know if the hair grows back and memory comes back or do they just not get any worse after stopping???
-- By csuttman | Reply | Private Message me
June 14th
2004
3:15 PM
Started ambien because of chronic insomnia and restless leg syndrome. My doctor found I was anemic and said this causes restless leg syndrome and I also have fibromyalgia. Ambien gave me relief. However, over time I began noticing things that concerned me. I have always been very sharp. Mentally sharp. Great memory. Very business oriented, etc... But that all started to fade away. I was on ambien about 10 months. I was having huge problems with my memory. My mind was no longer sharp. I would forget the simplest things like my phone number and then feel a moment of panic before I'd remember it. Also noticed I didn't remember many things that happened the night before. I felt I was making mistakes that were very out of character for me. My hair got very thin. Seemed like a lot fell out daily and every time I washed and dried. I was scared I was going bald. I kept wondering if the ambien was causing hair loss but couldn't find any info on it. I was having a lot of stomach troubles, every single day, multiple times a day. I went off the ambien to see if it would help me get my mind clear again and see if my hair stopped falling out. I notice that without it I have the same insomnia I had before. The same twitching legs. So it's hard to go without it. Yet I have been off of it for 11 days now because I can tell a huge difference in my mind. The memory seems to be much better. I haven't had any ibs since I stopped taking the ambien which was a huge and pleasant surprise to me. I had no idea the ambien was contributing to that, but apparently it was. Last night was hard because I slept none. I don't know which is worse, the conditions I have without the ambien, or taking the ambien which creates different issues...
-- By caalal | Reply | Private Message me
February 13th
2004
9:53 AM
I am 28 year old female with diabetes. My doc put me on lipitor as a preventive for my heart, as well as I do have slightly high cholestorol. Within a week of srating the med I developed body aches like the worst flu you could imagine. Th pain then became intense in my right arm, but the triage nurse at my dr's told me it was the flu and would last a few days, but I couldn't handle it and went to the ER, where they said it must be a virus (fever of 102) and sent me home. The majority of the aches went away, but my right arm remained a throbbing pain. I then developed a bronchial virus, and the pain let up afor a few weeks, then all over, joints and muscles. Somedays I would cry all day- no narcotics seem to help enough to make it worth takeing them. Finally, a month after starting the lipitor, my doc took me off, "just in case" it was that. well, the first 2 days were better, then all the weakness, fatigue, and aches came back. I could barely climb a set of stairs, I'd be out of breath and my muscles would cramp like I'd run 5 miles. I could no longer sleep at night, 2-3 hours max...finally was admitted to the hospital where a zillion tests were done and nothing found to give a diagnosis, though mitochondrial myopathy was mentioned, as well as mitochondrial encephalytus. I can barely handle a day of a few errands, and have been out of work for months. Sometimes I think my brain is fried, cuz I can't remember the simplest things, or I forget where I am or where I'm going. Thank God I have wonderful friends to support me, and Jesus Christ to lead me through. I pray that it goes away soon, as the neuroloist says it may, otherwise I think I'll have to be put on disability. I've also put on about 30 lbs due to the exhaustion I guess, so much for those pilates!
-- By allie214 | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message me
August 9th
2003
2:18 PM
I HAVE BEEN TAKING LAMICTAL FOR ONE AND 1/2 YEARS FOR SEIZURES AS A RESULT OF A BRAIN TUMOR. RECENTLY, I HAVE BEEN HAVING A VERY DIFFICULT TIME RETREIVING WORDS, REMEMBERING THE SIMPLEST THINGS, MISSPELLING WORDS AND CONFUSION. ANOTHER VERY STRANGE THING THAT I AM EXPERIENCING IS THAT THE AREA BETWEEN MY MOUTH AND THE NOSE, THE MOUSTACHE AREA, THROBS WHEN I EXERCISE AND NOW THE AREA HAS TURNED TOTALLY WHITE. WEIRD OR WHAT!
-- By judy676 | Reply | Private Message me
Mirena (2) Lamictal (2) Yasmin (1) Lipitor (1) Ambien (1) Levaquin (1) Wellbutrin (1) Yaz (1) Singulair (1) Loestrin 24 Fe (1)
October 11th
2009
3:03 AM
I have been reading these posts for awhile now and am so glad to have found them.
-- By pippy | Reply | (4) replies | Private Message meI am a 25yr female with epilepsy and have been on lamictal for the past 4yrs. I changed from epilim because I was getting married and heard that lamictal was safer in case of pregnancy. Not long after I found myself getting very angry over small things and not being able to sleep. I thought this was just me so I tried to get myself together. It went on for some time before I gave up and got help. I was diagnosed with depression and given fluoxetine. This helped me get back on my feet but I did not want to be on it long term and have been of the fluoxetine 2yrs. I still struggle with my mood but is manageable which I am happy for.
I did not realize that the headaches and the memory loss I had were from the lamictal until I found this forum then it all made sense. I had always thought that I was staying up too late and hence getting headaches. As for the memory I often feel like a blithering idiot. Cant remember words and often the wrong ones come out its so embarrassing. So often I feel like I'm in a daze and life is passing me by.
After all this said I have not heard of any other drug that would be any better. I have found comfort in knowing that I am not alone in this. There are a lot of people that do not understand the effects of medication or take it seriously when I try to explain. If there is anyone out there that is keen to chat about epilepsy or lamictal I would love to talk.