Stressful time symptoms and conditions

In 2003 I started having panic attacks that lasted for 10-12 hours. My family doctor put me on Zoloft. I don't remember the dose, but think it may have been 10 mg. I became horribly depressed and had a severe aversion to eating. This is the exact opposite of my usual self. I fell into deep depression, to the point where I just laid on the couch. I lost 30 pounds in a month. My husband called my parents over, and they all said I had to go see a psychiatrist or they would put me in the hospital. I chose the first, and he put me on Xanax (alprazolam). Within 48 hours I was my old self. Unfortunately he prescribed the Xanax extended release ( just new on the market, so he got a kickback) and I suffered needlessly for months with delayed release of the medication and horrid expense. I finally asked my family doctor if there was a generic, and she said it had been around for years. For pennies a day, I have great relief. I have managed to wean myself down to 1 1/2 mg. a day, and can add more if going through a stressful time. We all have different reactions to meds. For me, Zoloft was a nightmare.

Today is a new beginning for me after finding this site about the harmful side effects of Lisinopril and all this time I thought I was going crazy. I was put on this drug in 2006 for elevated B/P of 130/90. I had just recently completed 20 years in the Marine Corps and was in the process of starting a new career so of course I was going through a very stressful time in my life which may have been the cause of the recent spike in b/p. I went to see the doc for a checkup and she put me on 10 mg of lisinopril. I first noticed the dizziness soon after taking this drug. I was working out with some Sailors since I got a job working for the Navy and we had a bet on who would finish first in a three mile run. I thought this would be easy for me since I used to run everyday as a Marine with run times of under six minutes a mile but this time it was different. I was the first one to the half way point but then my body began to shut down to the point I could barely run. Everyone passed me by and when I crossed the finish line I had to sit down cause I thought I was going to pass. Let me remind you that this was only a three mile run, I was used to running thirty to forty miles a week. It is 2009 now and I very rarely workout due to the pain I experience afterwards. I have the constant feeling of gagging and I thought it was allergies but I refused to start medication for that. I remember the times that I used to stand up at work and shake my arms out because of the numbness in my arms and hands. I always have the funny feeling with the left side of my chest not sure if my heart is just going to give out on me. My wife always notices how I'm always massaging my chest muscle. I tell her it must be arthritis to quell her suspicious. I too had to remove my wedding ring due to the smelliness in my hands something I never had to do even while serving my country overseas. Thank you all for your posts, you have turned the light on for me to all the aliments I have been feeling these past few years. I have been off lisinopril for three weeks now and I am already feeling like my life is coming back. Hopefully, I'll be able to run that marathon that I always dreamed about. Again, Thank you all!

I had Mirena inserted in 2007 due to a lack of tolerance to birth control pills. The experience was very painful for me. However, the doctor explained that the initial insertion process is different for every woman as we are not all designed the same. My cervix/uterus is oddly positioned. According to the doctor they are "crooked". As a result, the doctor had a difficult time properly inserting the mirena, which in turn resulted in major pain! But, this was just my personal experience. Not every woman will encounter this difficulty. However, I would recommend taking at least 2 ibuprofen before the procedure. Throughout the past 2 years, I have experienced a range of symptoms. Major depression, severe mood swings, acne, lack of energy, excruciating lower back pain which mocked mild labor pains, and the overall inability to function normally. I begged the Doctor to remove the Mirena 6 months ago, but she convinced me otherwise considering I cannot tolerate birth control pills either. Nevertheless, I am 35 years old, have one child already, and do not plan on having more. Well, last week, I was basically confined to my bed due to excruciating lower back pain, and severe bleeding. I called the Doctor, and they finally saw me today. I insisted on having the Mirena removed once and for all, and already feel 100% better just 12 hours later! The purpose of my message is not to discourage anyone, as we all have different levels of tolerance when it comes to pain, medications, etc.....Yet, I felt compelled to share my personal experience as it was not a positive one for me! The only "positive" symptom I obtained from the Mirena was a lack of periods. Unfortunately, there was a downfall to that as well. Due to a lack of a regular menstrual cycle, I felt extremely bloated, and had difficulty losing weight despite working out 5 days a week, and eating a proper diet. I sympathize with each and every one of you, and appreciate your efforts in sharing your experiences. Upon stumbling upon this website a few days ago, I finally found the courage to have this thing removed so I can once again "feel normal!" Good luck to all of you!

forget it! don't let it pass your lips! i am 38yrs old and going through a very stressful time in my life. my periods have always been regular and short. a couple of months ago i started experiencing 2 periods per month with the most recent one lasting 20 days. ugh! gross! my doc put me on this pill to regulate and stop the bleeding. started taking it right away and my period stopped almost immediately. a few days later i would start again with heavy bleeding that would last for about 6 hours and then be completely gone. a few days later, the same thing. this went on for 3 weeks. now i have started a full blown period and have another week and half until my brown pills. as mentioned i am going through a very stressful time in my life, but i am not a person to suffer from depression or be emotional. i always see the silver lining and can make the most of any situation. i eat healthy, i take care of myself. my sex drive has always been through the roof. i am in the prime of my life! now? i am tired. i am gloomy. i could care less about social engagements. i am negative. i have weird discomforts in my calves and abdominal area, i cry over spilt milk. sex? seriously? who cares about that?! if i could lay in bed all day, eat chips and dip, drink wine, cry and watch mindless tv ... life would be grand. this is not me! also, i get pimples in places i never thought possible -- my arms and legs! ew! my doctor wanted me to take this pill for 3 months. not a freaking chance. my other option is to get an ablation. i've known several people who have gotten this done and have never heard nor read anything negative about this procedure. bent over today with heavy (non due) bleeding and cramps, i just called my doc and said, "screw your pill, ablate me."

I wish I had read some more information before starting the Nuvaring. I read about possible mood swings but I never thought I would feel this DEPRESSED. I am going through a very stressful time in life but before I put the ring in I could at least control my worries, not cry too much, not be too angry. Now I feel as though I am going crazy- I cry so much, probably 6 days a week, I have lost motivation- like cleaning, taking my kids outside, even fixing my hair and things like that. Also I have these uncontrollable feelings of anxiety and then I begin to feel paranoid. This has caused numerous, pointless fights with my fiance- and he is wonderful and is sticking with me (the paranoia is directed at him and in my good moments I know there is nothing to be paranoid about). I told him I was taking it out and he 100% agrees. I have never even had to worry before in my life that I even in the slightest had depression or anxiety but now I would definitely say YES!! I really do think these feelings are caused by the ring. They are totally uncontrollable no matter how happy you try to be. So I would definitely say NO to Nuvaring. Especially if you have had depression in the past- or suicidal thoughts/tendencies. Yes those are included in these depressive episodes. I took it out and if this does not help I will be seeing a psychologist but I am really guessing my symptoms will get better. Otherwise the only other side effect I think is bloating. I hope this help someone!! I will post in a few weeks to let everyone know the results!!

I have been on lamictal for about 18 months up to 300 mg. I am going through an incredibley stressful time right now. (foreclosure on the house and bankruptcy). The anxiety is off the charts the lamictal does seem to calm it sometimes. I always know when I have forgotten my pill. I have always been very forgetful and nondetail oriented. I went to the dr. initially to get help with my forgetfullness which was causing me to lose jobs. I believe the lamictal has taken the edge of extreme mood swings and allows me to slow down and say to myself things like "your thoughts are racing, you are now entering a phase of mania, go sit down, take a hot shower, chill out before you do anything you are going to regret."

I do cry a lot but, I always have and I am under incredible stress having to be the sole support of 4 kids and no real job skills.
so I don't know if I can blame the lamictal for the constant crying.

One side effect is I just don't want to be around people. I take that back, I want to desperately be around people, I am just shy of people and will avoid people. I don't go anywhere or do anything other than work. Something I never had before.

My 19 year old daughter also tried lamictal. Her back broke out in terrible acne. But she did get some relief from impulsiveness and mood craziness.

One final comment I lost my pills for a weekend and didn't want to bother my grumpy dr. for more. Nauseus, throwing up, sore muscles, high anxiety, uncontrollable off the charts crying attacks. Finally had to bother the dr on Sunday night, he was really grumpy.

Hi Everyone,
I am a fourth year medical student and recently I started having horrible panic attacks, I feel like crying all the time and I actually feel depressed. I am a "hypochondriac" generally (I guess it comes with the territory of knowing about different diseases out there), but I have been feeling like I am going crazy. I started Yasmin in November of 2006 and I was fine for a few months. Lately, with stress at school and exams, I started feeling like I've just crumbled. I get anxiety/panic attacks (the latest one was at the movies), horrible heart palpitations, nausea, I am sweating, I can't sleep, I feel this knot in my stomach. It's horrible. I thought it was me cracking under pressure, but I was never like this before I started Yasmin. Recently, I was placed on an antidepressant because everyone assumed it was depression, but after reading this post, I really think it might be the pill. I got off it a week ago, so I hope I will see a difference. Thanks guys!!!

I am a 50yr old female... was prescribed Lisinopril 10mg for bp.. after a few weeks I started getting a funny hard to explain feeling with my heart beating a certain way.. don't know how to explain it.. fluttering maybe.. feel it pounding. So after I realized it could be this pill I stopped it.. I moved out of state from my dr... and not ins. yet.. however I watch my bp and when it got alittle higher I thought I will take 1/2 one.. which takes BP down to normal, but after doing this here and there.. that same feeling in my heart started..
Has anyone experienced this feeling?? I don't seem to have the other side effects Thank God.. but this one scares me as I don't see anyone mentioning this feeilng..

I am a 34 year old and have been taking Yaz for almost a year.

I had some minor side effects until this past month when everything came apart at the seams. I do not know if yaz is the culprit - but the number of women with the EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS as me listed here SCARES THE HELL OUT OF ME.

My "minor" sude effects were the following:

* No period for 5 months
* No sex drive (was not the case before taking Yaz)
* Panic attacks / anxiety (no history fo this. My doc has now put me on Zoloft.)
* Bloating / weight gain
* Brown blotches (like age spots) on one side of my face

This is NOTHING compared to the last month of my life. Basically my life has sucked for the last month. Roughly a month ago my symptoms started with a red rash on the left side of my face and pain in my left ear that led to a migraine that has not gone away at all. (The pain level goes between a 5 and 10, but never lower than a 5.) The rash went away in 2 days, but my ear still hurts today (a month later).

My vertigo began roughly 5 days after the onset of my rash and ear pain and has been non-stop since. I've taken phenergan, valium, etc. - but they are not working. I get spinning/dizzy every time my head moves (up, down, left, right) and with up and down eye movement. It seems like my migraine pain intensifies when my vertigo hits me. If I lie completely still - I have no vertigo - but my migraine is still there. To make matters worse, I have become very disoriented, like I am in a fog all of the time. I am only 34 years old and feel like I am losing my mind. I cannot remember simple words at times and have a tough time completing sentences.

All of these symptoms coincide exactly to the day I began a new packet of the birth control pill called YAZ (Yasmin). I had taken this brand of pill for a year, and though it has worked (not pregnant) I have had some minor side effects up until the last month. The biggest side effect is that I have not had any period at all for the last 5 months. I have also had anxiety (no past history) and have no sex drive (not my normal self.) I stopped taking the pill about a week ago - after reading literally thousands of people with the same side effects I am experiencing on a website called medications.com (My neurologist also told me to stop taking it.)

I am NOT having ringing in my ears or loss of hearing. I mention this because I know other ailments have these as symptoms.

I have already been seen by my dentist, physical therapist, ENT, 2 neurologists and a gyn. So far - they are not helping. I have even been hospitalized for 5 days and all they really did was try and dope me up to sleep and had me take a very potent anti-migraine drug called DHE that must be administered over a 36 hour period via IV. Guess what? It did not work.

The most scary thing is that even though I get severe vertigo any time I move my head (even to the point of waking me up while I sleep) - NOT A SINGLE DOCTOR EVEN MENTIONED I MIGHT HAVE BPPV ( BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO) and they did not test for it at all. They were all interested in treating my month-long migraine with anti-migraine drugs. They all swore up and down that my vertigo was related to my migraine. They also said my fogginess was because I was "tired and sick" and many migraine sufferers are that way.

After my husband and I searched the internet and found dozens of websites, we are pretty much convinced that I have BPPV. We are going to get in front of a vestibular specialist ASAP.

So you know, I have been through a CT scan, two different MRIs, basic blood work on my white cell counts, thyroid levels, potassium, etc.

They have ruled out a sinus infection, brain tumor, pituitary tumor, stroke, blood clots, etc. They have simply treated me with anti-migraine medication - and it has been worthless. I have taken Topomax, Frova and DHE (the drug mentioned above) and my migraine is still there. These drugs have not helped one bit. My neurologist swore that the DHE would do the trick. Guess what? He was wrong.

I discharged myself from the hospital yesterday and am now at home.

I just want my normal life back. I cannot drive, work, take care of my family, etc.

My two biggest questions are:

DOES ANYONE KNOW IF BPPV CAN CAUSE MY MIGRAINE? The reason I ask is that the doctors all think that the migraine is causing my vertigo. All along they have been treating my migraine (with zero success) and have been giving me valium and antivert to simply mask my vertigo (no success there either.) No one has tried to really diagnose and treat my vertigo. Is it possible if I get my vertigo fixed my migraines will disappear?

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL PILLLS CAUSING BPPV? I saw woman after woman on medications.com have the same symptoms of vertigo, migraines and brain fog while taking the birth control pill Yasmin. I also know that my avalanche of symptoms eerily coincided with my first pill from a new pack. If they are related, I am most interested in what to do to get my hormones back on track in an effort to stop my vertigo.

This is all driving me crazy. A month ago I was absolutely normal. Now I am 100% disabled. I just want my life back.

Please help!

I have only been on doxycycline for 2 days, but last night I couldn't sleep because it felt like small needles were being poked into my chest and head. I am going through a stressful time right now, so I thought it was my nerves. It was better this morning... but about 2 hours after I took the meds this morning... same symptoms. Is this something to be alarmed about... or will it go away with time?

I used to be on Paxil. I was prescribed this drug "to simply smooth life's edges." I didn't always feel like I was in a good mood, was midly depressed and suffered with mild anxiety attacks. Had feelings of being a little lost and confused and the littlest things would upset me to the point of tears. I was over sensitive about almost everything. Paxil was the best thing that ever happened to me during that period of time. It did exactly with the doctor said it would do. It is a mild antidepressant that will just take the "edge" off. I was taking 25mg CR and I only took them for a month and a half until I felt better. I weaned myself off with less and less dosage day by day. A few months later I started having similar feelings like before and took another 1-month session. Fixed me again, just like before. Took me through a stressful time and eased my feelings of anxiety until I was able to control things and pull through my mild depression. It's been about a year and a half and I haven't needed Paxil again.

I've read all of these postings and I was concerned by all the bad side effects. I had heard in advance about the decreased sex drive thing but I was willing to deal with it. Turns out the drug increased my sex drive. I just felt better about everything. Things that would normally bother me didn't. Anxiety attacks with scared feelings and shortness of breath were just non-existent. Never had any trouble sleeping and my mood swings were totally in check. Actually, even though I been off the Paxil for about 1.5 years, I feel like I learned how to control my mood swings and some anger. I am a much more rational person today than I was then. People talk about side effects such as lucid dreams, the occasional lose of touch with reality and weird feelings of not been all there. Are these really bad things? I am surprised this wonder drug is not illegal. I thought it was great.

I used to be on Paxil. I was prescribed this drug "to simply smooth life's edges." I didn't always feel like I was in a good mood, was midly depressed and sufferred with mild anxiety attacks. Had feelings of being a little lost and confused and the littlest things would upset me to the point of tears. I was over sensitive about almost everything. Paxil was the best thing that ever happened to me during that period of time. It did exactly with the doctor said it would do. It is a mild antidepressant that will just take the "edge" off. I was taking 25mg CR and I only took them for a month and a half until I felt better. I weined myself off with less and less dosage day by day. A few months later I started having similar feelings like before and took another 1 month session. Fixed me again, just like before. Took me through a stressful time and eased my feeelings of anxiety until I was able to control things and pull through my mild depression. It's been about a year and a half and I haven't needed Paxil again.

I've read all of these postings and I was concerned by all the bad side effects. I had heard in advance about the decreased sex drive thing but I was willing to deal with it. Turns out the drug increased my sex drive. I just felt better about everthing. Things that would normally bother me, didn't. Anxiety attacks with scared feelings and shortness of breath were just non-existent. Never had any trouble sleeping and my moodswings were totallly in check. Actually, even though I been off the Paxil for about 1.5 years, I feel like I learned how to control my mood swings and some anger. I am a much more rational person today than I was then. People talk about side effects such as lucid dreams, the occassional lose of touch with reality and wierd feelings of not being all there. Are these really bad things? I'm surprised that it is still legal. I thought it was great.

I have been taking Yasmin for 2 months and I am just in my second half of my second packet. Istarted it because I had gained a stone weight during a very stressful time in my life and I wanted to loose it. I have since had mood swings you wouldn't believe I am just waiting for my head to spin, my breasts are swollen and sore, that it I've had it its back to ovranette for me.