Stresses symptoms and conditions

20 pound weight gain in 4 years-ok maybe not all due to Mirena, but I am active and eat right. My mood swings were terrible since day one, but I thought it was just the stresses of life. Constant migraines-that no pain reliever cured-CAT scans discovered NADA. Anxiety and depression that I never experienced prior to insertion. Low energy and fatigue. Recurring BV-this is what helped me to decide to remove it. I loved the fact that I had no period-although it just isn't natural. Sex drive was ok, but no where near what it was.

I have been reading the posts at this site for two weeks, ever since the day I went to my GP for a check on blood pressure and general well being. As I was getting ready to leave the examining room, he asked how I had been since my last visit, and I responded that I'd been OK, except of course that I wasn't sleeping well. I didn't tell him that I'd had obsessive thoughts of death and dying, severe anxiety, morbid depression, horrible mood swings, and compulsive thoughts and actions. Yes, I've been taking Singulair since it was approved for seasonal rhinitis. It seemed to work well with Allegra, although when my allergies were extra severe, I also had to resort to Benadryl or one of the other "drowsy" antihistamines. When I mentioned sleep, he said "You have heard about Singulair, haven't you?" Guess how shocked I was when he told me about the latest information on the medicine I was taking every night for the last 5 years? Unfortunately, I had been under severe stress because of professional and families issues during the same general time frame, so it would never, ever have occurred to me that a prescribed medication could make me so miserable. My psychiatrist had recommending doubling my dose of Cymbalta, but after some trials of that, I became convinced that when I did so, I felt worse. About 6 months ago, my emotional state went from bad to worse. I began to feel a sense of panic when called upon to make the most innocuous decisions, and was always aggravated and nasty to the people I loved most. With my doctor's mention of Singulair, I stopped taking it. I slept better from the second day of not taking it. In the last 2 weeks, my emotional roller coaster has smoothed out, not perfectly, but enough so that I'm much more like my old self. The stresses are similar, but my reactions are different. Zyrtec (1/2 tablet) works much better for itchy eyes and nose than Singulair did in the first place. My husband and son both have continued to take Singulair with no apparent problems. I think that if one has developed unusual or unexpected emotional symptoms it is definitely worth a trial off Singulair. I wish I had been aware of even the smallest possibility of a reaction such as mine when I started taking it.

Hats off to Dr. Engler. Patients need this type of support. He is a unique individual willing to tell his own experiences.

Singulair increases risk of Suicide? Don't just poo-poo the possibility

This analysis is solely the work of the author. It has not been edited or endorsed by GLG
.
Analysis By:David Engler, MD
Physician, The Allergy Clinic

Implications: It is difficult to imagine why taking Singulair would increase the risk that someone would complete suicide. After all, what does a leukotriene receptor antagonist have to do with mental health? I don't know. But doctors, ask yourself, have you ever had a Singulair patient stop taking it because it caused headaches? I have had dozens of them stop taking it because of headaches. When they attempt to try it again, the headache comes back. But the package insert says that the risk of headache is no greater than it is in people who took placebo. Try explaining that to the patient who got the headache--it's very real to them.

Analysis: The story about Singulair and suicide may be based on some cause-effect relationship. I don't know what that is, but I will tell you story of a patient I saw last week. She is a 19 year old college student, with the usual stresses of college. I have been treating her for asthma and allergies since she was 10 years old, and she had been on Singulair for about 5 years.

She was treated in the town's ER for an intentional Tylenol overdose; she took 15 of them for a headache that wouldn't go away. The usual charcoal to the stomach, with Mucomyst to protect the liver from the Tylenol went fine. While under evaluation, the ER doc also noticed she had been "cutting" her wrists and arms. She said that it relieved stress.

They asked her about the Singulair and she said it gave her bad dreams. Astutely, they stopped it. All this happened a week or so before the recent news headlines.

Is that cause and effect? No way....but remember that MRK is the same company that still denies that Vioxx can increase the risk of heart attack. Oh yeah, Vioxx. That drug would have been great as a niche drug if given to treat pain in those already at risk of a GI bleed. But, no, MRK was encouraging dentists to give it out for toothaches, and most patients in my practice who were on it had no history of GI bleed. MRK wanted Vioxx to be a billion-dollar blockbuster; had it been marketed appropriately, it may still be on the market.

So how will I change my prescribing habits? For patients who have a psychiatric history, including those who take antidepressants, I'll mention the story of this patient to those on Singulair and start asking questions to try to determine if they are brittle or fragile from a psychiatric standpoint.

This may be much ado about nothing, but what if it's not? I've learned to stop drinking the drug company Kool Aid without a few grains of salt.

I was on Orthocept pills for 10 years with no problems. Short, light periods, no PMS. I can have a temper, but it was when I was younger and in the middle of a fight. That being said...I gave birth to twin daughters in November 2005. 9 months later, I stopped breastfeeding and had to go back on birth control. My old pill didn't work and neither did 3 others (included Yaz). I bled almost the entire month. I was crabby and irritable, but mostly frustrated. It was a horrible 1 1/2 years. 6 months ago I was put on Nuvaring because it should produce no side effects for the most part. Besides heavy discharge (which I could live with if I wasn't bleeding all month), I had heavier periods. I also noticed I was starting to get some nasty PMS, which I've NEVER had in my entire life. I was moody and irritable and cried even more easily than normal. Lately, I've been lashing out at my sweet girls and yelling at them. At first I thought it was because they are going through the difficult "2's" and mealtime is a struggle. I thought, they are more challenging so my patience is worn a little thinner. My husband has a different story. We've both noticed nasty mood swings and it's gotten to the point in the past month that I feel bi-polar. I really feel out of control. My doc said to go off it for a few months to see how I am. This is my "period" week and all of a sudden I've had a little period. I haven't been able to get my hormones under control since giving birth and it's frustrating. My husband wants his wife back and I don't want my girls to remember me yelling and crying for no reason. THAT'S enough to make anyone depressed on their own. I'm not sure what we are going to do for birth control at this point (condoms I guess...which is no fun when you are used to not using them). I will see what happens. I hope it's not the Nuvaring, but after seeing these posts, I feel a little better knowing I may be able to get rid of some of my craziness over the next few months as my body goes back to "normal". Good luck to the rest of you as well. I love being a woman, but boy, we get the short end of the stick sometimes!

First, a huge THANK YOU to all of the women who have posted on this forum. You have been an incredible help! I know this is a long post, but if I can help even one person by sharing my Mirena story, then it's worth it. So many women have similar stories that I feel I'm being redundant, but here goes: I had the Mirena inserted 2 1/2 years ago after the birth of my second daughter. For the first two years I loved it and thought it was the greatest birth control ever invented, plus no periods! I was telling all of my friends to get Mirena (SORRY). About 6 months ago, it was like someone flipped the switch. I started gaining weight although I am a very healthy eater, not previously over-weight (even after kids) and I exercise regularly. No matter what I tried, I just kept packing it on - a steady 3-4 pounds a month. My stomach was so heavy and bloated that I looked about 6 months pregnant, my breasts were sore nearly all of the time. I had terrible back pain (have probably put my chiropractor's kids through college). I had joint pain in my fingers and wrists. I got funny little bumps and a sore scalp just above my temples, and my hair started to thin. There were times I felt pure rage. I was always hot (especially on my palms) and always thirsty. My skin was vrey dry. When we had sex, my husband always poked my cervix (never happened pre-Mirena). I was exhausted, forgetful and irritable all of the time, but blamed it on the daily stresses of having two kids and working full time. The symptoms got worse each month. I went to the doctor for a full blood work up and thyroid testing because I just felt old and sick (I'm only 35 but I felt about 80). Of course, all tests came back normal. My husband was at wits end with me, because I snapped at him all the time, and we never had sex. Sex sounded like as much fun as scrubbing the toilet, and on the rare occasions we did have sex, it was almost impossible to have an orgasm.

As an aside, this is why Mirena is GREAT birth control - what man wants to have sex with a fat, grumpy, sore-boobed, balding woman that is either going to cry or rip his head off?!?!?!

I certainly didn't think that all of my health issues were related until one night when I was getting really frustrated with the weight gain, I Googled Mirena Weight Gain and found hundreds of posts all over the web of women with very similar symptoms. I was so relieved to see that my health issues had a cause and that I wasn't crazy! Within 10 days I was able to get an appointment with the OB/GYN and get this evil thing out. Removal was quick and painless (easier than a pap smear). My husband was very skeptical that removal would help. Within 3 hours (I couldn't believe it was so fast!!) my breast tenderness was gone. On day 2 I got a very heavy, clotty period and was kind of crampy, but my mood started to improve and my energy started coming back. By week 2 I was exercising more, playing with the kids, cleaning house with a vengeance and actually wanting to have sex. Lost about 4 pounds, the weird bumps on my scalp went away and the back pain was gone. The best part is that I have been so happy!!! Relationship with kids and hubby is much improved. A few days ago my husband gave me a huge hug and said "It's so nice to have you back!!" Lots of good sex and much easier orgasms! Most of the joint pain is gone. On the down side, I have been unbelievably forgetful and spaced out, and I have random days where the anxiety hits. And now that I'm at the end of my third week post-removal I think I am getting my period and all the fun PMS to go with it.... bloating, sore breasts and killer headache like a hangover. And even though I feel happy as a clam, I get teary-eyed over everything and nothing. Thanks to seeing everyone's stories, I see that this is probably normal and will get better with time. I am taking a multi-vitamin, extra B vitamins and magnesium. I've been to the acupuncturist to see if I can get back on track faster. My acupuncturist says the Mirena hormones send the body into "estrogen dominance" and it takes a while to get all the extra estrogen flushed out and to get the body making its own progesterone again. She also recommended lots of exercise and drinking lots of water to help the body cleanse and regulate naturally.

My OB/GYN thought the symptoms I had sounded "weird" and were probably just from my body aging, not the Mirena. She said the dose of hormones released by the Mirena was too small to cause these symptoms. But she said she was happy to remove the Mirena if I wanted to try it (and she said I could always get another one!! LOL!) and that she was interested to see if my symptoms improved. She also said I wouldn't get a period until a month after removal and that it would be very light, getting heavier each month as I got back to normal. Strange that I got the heavy period 2 days post removal that so many other women experienced -- how can the docs be so wrong on all of this stuff? I see her again in 6 months and will happily share all of what I've learned.

Since discovering the downside of Mirena, I have talked to lots of women who have suffered through it, but had mild enough symptoms that they never sought help or answers. They all just assumed it was part of life, part of getting older, part of being a busy mom. So many are relieved to see that their birth control is to blame. SPREAD THE WORD!!!

I can't imagine the FDA getting involved because of only *one* suicide (though the loss of even one life is terrible). The FDA usually turns a blind eye to what pharmaceutical companies do unless there have been enough complaints or enough evidence to convince them that they must step in.

I came to this board in late February--a full two to three weeks prior to the big news story earlier this week--simply looking for a reason for my son's insomnia. There were already over 1000 posts here on the Singulair board, nearly all of which listed the same side effects: fits of rage, depression, insomnia, and suicidal thoughts. I had never dreamed that my son's fits of rage and depression were linked to Singulair--I had assumed it was all part of being 17 and having normal teenage stresses and hormonal surges. He stopped taking the Singulair right then (back in late February), and the difference in him is astounding. He is much more outgoing and talkative; he joins in with family outings and goes places with his friends (before, he wanted to stay home alone in his room). There have been no fits of rage, no more declarations that he hates himself, no more calling himself a loser (I couldn't believe he would call himself a loser--he carries a 3.9 GPA in an academically-challenging private school and was recently accepted to Case Western University), and he is sleeping better. He is just simply BETTER.

If you or your child can take this medication with no side effects, that's wonderful. Please continue to do so. But please remember: millions of people take Singulair. If only 10% develop the serious side effects, that's **hundreds of thousands** of people.

I like to live my life with facts, not speculation and drama. My child is on Singulair and doing fantastic. I remember the trips to the ER when I did not know if my child would live or die. Of course when I saw this report, it caused me some concern so I did some research on my own. Did you know that suicide is the leading cause of violent death in New York State, the United States and the world? In 2002 in New York State there were 1,292 suicides which exceeded homicides by 32%. The statistics show that 1 in 10 teenagers plans to commit suicide. The National Center for Health reports a 10% suicide rate in kids 15-24 years of age and 4 male suicides for every female suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among those 15-24 years old.

So now we have 1 child in New York that has committed suicide that just happened to be on Singulair, and it is Singulairs fault? Show me the proof. All I see is one distraught mom who is trying to find blame for her son’s tragic death. Is there only half the story being told, a trend I have noticed in journalism these days. Let’s face it, life happens. I am NOT on Singulair and I have had melt downs, thrown things across the room, been depressed over things, cried, and even for the past week have been having some crazy dreams. I remember as a child putting notes on my room door telling my parents how much I hated them. I remember as a teenager thinking my life would be better if I were dead. I remember my child being cranky and fussy before she was on Singulair, gee maybe she was teething. The term “terrible twos” has been around a lot longer that Singulair. Let’s face it, we have turned into a society of people who always want something to blame. I think it is time people start taking responsibility for themselves and accept the fact that sometimes life just happens. Take accountability for your own lives, and stop trying to blame everything and anything.

I also live my life by reading internet blogs with a grain of salt. These blogs are public forums and places where anyone and everyone can post. How do you know that all these posts are real? Remember the day when kids made prank phone calls for fun? Now they have the internet and can post pranks on these blogs. How do you know that a competitor to Singulair is not posting in order to fuel the feeding frenzy? How about a registered sex offender or a felon in prison? There are a lot of “sick” people in the world and yes, they have access to the internet too. If you are hanging on every single one of these posts as being true and real then I feel sorry for you. The internet provides anonymity and it is easy to create a fictitious identity and a fictitious story. That is probably why if you do a search for “internet safety” you get 15,700,000 hits.

Until I see proof, I am not going to take my child off Singulair. The CDC reports that in 2002 there were 1.9 million visits to the ER for asthma and 4,261 asthma deaths. If I did stop my child’s Singulair, and she died in the ER from as asthma attack, whose head does that fall on? The media?

I came to this forum 2 or 3 weeks ago, looking for a reason for my 17-year-old son's chronic insomnia (every morning, he felt like he had been awake or half-awake all night and was exhausted). I thought maybe he should start taking his Singulair in the morning rather than at night just before bed, and I wanted to see if others had had similar experiences.

I couldn't believe how many of these side effects my son was having! My husband and I had assumed his occasional fits of rage (followed by tears and apologies) and his angst and depression (not severe, thank God, though there were times when he said he hated himself) were just part of being a teenager and possibly helped along by the stresses of high school and impending college. He had been on Zyrtec and Singulair for nearly three years. I had read the labeling when he first started, but of course, Singulair just recently added the warning about depression and suicide.

He stopped taking both medications the same day, and he feels so much better. He's sleeping again, he's more cheerful, more energetic, and much less angst-ridden. He has been going out with our family and with his friends more often, too; he used to just want to stay home in his room.

I'm so glad I did some research.

I started taking Lamictal about six weeks ago for epilepsy. Now keep in mind, I was on Dilantin which worked great for 17 years and then suddenly stopped working. I have been in medication hell since then. First Topamax made me dumb as a rock. I would space out all the time. Worst drug ever. Then Keppra which was better in that my memory/ability to speak came back but I had these intense ups and down. I had rages constantly. Now I'm on Lamictal. So far, it's better than the Topamax and the Keppra, however the dreams are very intense as are the night sweats. I'm also experiencing much hair loss. Fortunately I have a full head of hair but I'm afraid I will eventually lose it all.

After reading all the posted side effects I am very scared to continue this medication. The doctor diagnosed me with anxiety. I have to work through this and try and not take anymore of this medicine. My husband and I want to have an active sex life. I mean.....who wants to be on medicine that doesn't let you enjoy sex! I also don't understand gaining weight. I haven't experienced any weight gain yet. My head is very dizzy and I also feel like I can't think straight. I work in a school and have to work with children all day. I don't want to take this medicine. What else can I do?

I am glad to have read the post below me.

From the majority of posts on this forum, it makes it seem as though Yasmin is an evil poison that the medical community is using to destroy women. I was seriously frightened after reading all the comments. While I do believe all these women about the negative effects of Yasmin, there must be some out there who are pleased with this pill. Everyone's body is different. I have been on it for only 5 days now, so I can't really say anything yet.

I will report back after 3 months or so, unless I have gone bald, blind, insane and bed ridden with head-to-toe pain at that time. I guess that could happen but I really hope it will simply calm my awful menstruation and help my husband and I delay pregnancy while we work on being able to afford to at least take care of ourselves.

i have been on NR for about 3 years, I did gain 20 pounds in the begining recently lost the wieght after a breakup and not eating. I tend to get depressed any how, so i didn't think the ring has caused it. I have noticed I do get PMS a two weeks before i take the ring out for my peroid, but i think that is because, my natural cycle kicks in and I may swtch the timing to see if it helps. i would be very interested in hearing more from long time users. I was reading these because I have Absolutly No Sex Drive, and I was wondering if the Nuva Ring has caused this. I know I should want sex, but I never have any desire, and the thought of sex stresses me out!, Although when i do finally have sex I do find it enjoyable, but not like it should be, and I definetly have a harder time getting lubricated. I have a new guy in my life and just wish that I had one ounce of desire to have sex!
Now that i have read these comments, i have noticed i do get some other side effects, like chest pain and thigh cramps, and headaches, but nothing i couldn't handle. Doesn't every birth control method have some screwed up side effects?
I am seriodly considering getting of the Nuva Ring just because i really would like a sex drive, but I don't know what else to use, except tuble ligation

I'm so glad I googled side effects of Yasmin and found this site. All of the sudden my mood swings for the past almost YEAR make sense. I started out fine. The pill was great, and I haven't had to worry about acne at all. Of course I gained a few pounds, but not too much. However, I'm a pre medical student trying to study for the MCAT this summer. I've been SO tired and drained and majorly depressed that I just can't seem to concentrate. I feel like I'm always crying over the stupidest stuff (AKA: no reason at ALL), and my grades are starting to suffer. Hopefully now that I've read this, I can stop taking this pill and see an improvement. It's just not worth the depression. I'm 22 right now, and until recently had never had a suicidal thought. I was starting to panic, because I couldn't identify the cause of my depression. I'm a good student, have lots of friends, and have the most amazing boyfriend and family. Life is good, I shouldn't feel this bad. Now that I have a clue as to what this may be, I can fix it.

THANK YOU guest 31854, that was a very helpful response to many women on this site!

Silke
BitterRN here. OMG! you have been stressed! I think you need to slow down! I think we dont realize the stess that adds up in our lives. But your body needs rest right now so that it can keep up with hormonal demands. I think you understand. I think you were taking good care of your body and when you started to feel better, you started to do too much:) This is a common response though, I am guilty of the same thing. Remember you need your tank to be full before your body wont feel the effects of increased stress and activity in day to day life, and it sounds like yours is a busy one!
YES! I think it would be beneficial for you to get your hormones checked still, if you find the right doctor I think you may find you will be feeling better much faster. Try googling or yahoo bioidentical doctors in (whereever you live), or sometimes they are listed under anti-aging doctors. But if you do end up going to your gynecologist again when they test your hormones again, ask for a copy of the last report and get a copy of the report they do again so that you can compare the results to the last. This will give you an idea of which hormones have come up and which have not.
Last thing also a long time ago I gave you this website which has lots of hormone teaching on it. I think you would find it very informative... salivatest.com... look under hormones 101.
Ok Silke, take care, and remember to eat right, REST, and take time out for yourself! OK. I take a B complex vitamin with vit. C in it for stress ( I think you said you were taking these vitamins as well.) Drink lots of water and little to no caffeine ( caffeine stresses the adrenal glands) but I think you are already doing this too. Oh and also Silke I was reading back one of your earlier posts you said your face was swollen and a neighbor asked if you were taking a medication because you looked hormonal, I experienced this too especially on my face, it would feel swollen and almost like I had a sunburn and mushy too!
Well take care and keep in touch,
BitterRN

I have no idea what zanaflex has to do with back problems. It makes me super mad and I seem to be losing my mind. I have very bad leg and back pain and this seems to make it hurt worse because it stresses me out. I have really bad hallucinations that make me think I'm going crazy. What is this zanaflex crap? What is it actually perscribed for?

I have been using Seretide (Advair) for around 6 months and like a lot of you thought the drug was wonderful with how it was controlling my Asthma. I am usually a fit and well person but over the last couple of weeks have been feeling so tired and lethargic, even the smallest task wiping me out. I thought nothing of it really, just stresses and strains of modern life. Then I started to get frequent palpitations and every time I fell asleep my heart would miss a beat and I would wake up. This would last a couple of hours and obviously over a matter of weeks I was getting more and more exhausted. I talked to my Doctor and she said that Seretide could cause abnormal heart rythyms, and along with the frequent oral thrush and dry mouth I have decided to give up on Seretide, hope it hasn't done any long term damage and resolve to using my salbutamol more often. It was great to find this site and discover that these side effects are not uncommon amongst others.

I am extremely relieved that I found this website...I could finally link my recent issues with anxiety to my two months on Yasmin. I was on it for about six weeks, when I began to get fairly severe anxiety attacks, racing heartbeat, a general sense of confusion, unable to make sense of the world around me...instantaneously! I have never had issues with anxiety in this way--other than the normal anxious feelings when an important event is coming up, etc. I'm a healthy, active 25 year old that, as of yesterday reading the stories of anxiety/depression and Yasmin, am throwing away the rest of my supply. My boyfriend saw me balling over the computer screen, and promptly went and tossed my remaining pill packets. NO way can this be a coincidence....that I all of a sudden begin not being able to cope with mild stresses, to the point that I am fearful of being "crazy"--I am the most even-keeled woman!!

Coming off WB SR after 2.5 yrs. Started on prozac for depress, anxiety, PTSD. "stopped" working. Tapered off that & supplemented with Lexapro. "didn't work" so added WB SR, 300 mgs. I didnt split up taking 300 into 3-100s because I kept forgetting a dose, so my doc said better to take all at once than forget & mess up the chemicals all the time. I liked the caffeine effect. No hair loss, some headaches throughout, muscle twitches, shakiness, dizziness. At first didnt affect sleep; I took it at night, then I had to take it during the day cuz it was beginning to keep me up at night. When I missed a dose, Id enter a huge emotioanl rollarcoaster. When I skipped the Lexapro, no effect. SO, 2 mos ago I tapered off Lexapro. Expected w/d affects, but there were none. Now if I take the WB hours after I normally do cuz I forgot to take it earlier, there is no emotional roller coaster effect. Oh yeah-I started smoking & gaining weight since starting all these ADs. Now I am tapering off the WB. I feel OK and dont want this medication crutch anymore. My rape, & subsequent drop-out of college, which started my downward spiral are in the past now. Ive been in therapy for years and am very close with my therapists. I am getting more active in & support from my church as I get rid of my "crutches". I am quitting smoking at the same rate I reduce the WB. Tried to look up w/d symtoms for WB but this is the only place google came up with with actual information. I am grateful to you guys. Ive been off WB for 2 days maybe at this point and am completely exhausted and can sleep all day & all night. Today is the first day Ive been awake much of the morning. As another person mmentioned, my apetite is voracious-I am not feeling full until Ive had the equivalent of two meals, per mealtime! Sure hope this goes away, I'm at the heaviest Ive ever been. Also, all at once my allergy meds seem to have completely stopped working? Yesterday I sneezed every 5 min and nose ran and my nose is just rubbed raw. Today the allergies haev calmed down. Don't kniow what all thats about...Ive been walking the dog each morning, whom I got to help me feel happier, and he does. I started an online business to try to reduce the stresses of working outside of the home. It has its own stresses! But at least I have comforting things nearby...I would not recommend taking Ad drugs without therapy.

SIDE EFFECTS I have noticed: Severe headache 1x per month right before I start period, sporadic heart palpations and the one thing that made me log in to this site: seeing shimmery/glimmery spots and/or lines in my eyes. It seemed to go away after about 1hr, but it still concerns me.

My acne has actually cleared up. I am 34 yrs. My weight has remained the same. I have used these pills for about 7/8 months. I noticed at beginning I would get moody for about a week every cycle, but after noticing correlation, I planned and expected it and have overcome it.

NO fatigue, gas, diarrhea, breakthru bleading, bloatedness but I will say my joints are achy. I have started taking glucosamine sulfate and it's helped a lot! MY EYES ARE SO DRY IN THE MORNING! and perhaps my sex drive is a little down, but that could be due to other stresses. Overall this pill is okay.