Time off symptoms and conditions

I'm partial to Mirena. I had it for all 5 years, but still debate as to whether my weight gain, hair loss and joint pain were related. I got it shortly before my boyfriend of 2 years broke up with me, starting drinking a bit more and was in general stressed out. So stress & alcohol equals weight gain. Weight gain (30 lbs in a year) equals joint pain. The hair loss is another story. It might be stress, but I went long periods afterward without stress and I could pull out rat size clumps of hair once every few weeks from my shower drain. I had it removed on October 6th 2009. I immediately started NuvaRing. 3 weeks later, I'm DONE with that. That's another story. Overall, though, I don't think the majority of the side effects were caused by Mirena and the 5 years I had it in were good. I won't get another one, just because I'm still skeptical. I think I'm going to take some time off birth control with hormones. We'll see how it goes. I can't say I'd recommend Mirena due to all of the horror stories I've read. Maybe in a year, if all my symptoms go away, I won't be so wishy washy.

I've been prescribed Prednisone since April and just recently experiencing hair loss (I'm Female)

i was on the depo shot, and LOVED it! for the first few months i spotted All throughout the month which got really annoying, but after a few months my periods stopped completely!! it was AMAZING!!!! i didn't gain any weight on the shot, but i was Always hungry and Never felt full. after going off of the shot i still didn't have a period at all for like 3 or 4 months! :D .... but then.... i started bleeding ALL the time. off one week, on for a whole week, off one week, on for a whole week...etc. this happened for 2 to 3 months. finally i went a gyn and she recommended that i go on yaz to regulate my period. ... it worked for a little while, but for the passed 3 or 4 months i bleed at least twice a month! both for about a week at a time. this sucks!! and sadly any hormone makes me a little moody :/ i was at a really steady weight of 111 and sky rocketed to 120 when i went on the pill. i go to the gym at least 2 to 3 times a week (as i did before i started the pill)... and im down to 115. but it seems to want to stay at 115 :/ so still a little weight gain involved. sometimes my sex drive is super amazing to where i almost climax at the snap of a finger. but lately... a lot lately, its almost impossible to climax! :( which is super disappointing and frustrating!. (any advice for the climaxing part? :( lol seriously. ) ... i don't want to go off of birth control, because sadly i Hate rubbers! my mom wanted me to try microgestin cause i bleed a lot on yaz, but those pills don't look or sound appealing to me. any suggestions?? lol... overall i would recommend either yaz or the depo shot. both have ups and downs. :)

Wow... I'm glad I stumbled upon this site. I'm 24 years old and had been on NuvaRing for the last 2 1/2 years. I had used the pill until then since I was 16 to regulate my horrible periods, but I decided to switch when I got married because I was always forgetting to take the pill and since I was starting medical school a few months later, we didn't want to become pregnant at that point in our lives (and with NuvaRing I was much more likely to forget it once a month compared to everyday!).
I was always very happy with NuvaRing: my periods stayed regular and manageable, which was all I expected from BC. But oddly, over the next year I gradually developed symptoms which greatly affected my life (and my new marriage): VERY tired & exhausted all the time, horrible IBS symptoms, an aching pain throughout my body, especially in my hips/lower back and shoulders, inability to get a good night's sleep from this aching, HUGE weight gain (25 lbs in 2 years - can't shed it no matter what I do between gym/diet... Dr. doesn't understand of course), NO sex drive, and worst of all, when we did have sex it was very painful. It was horrible. I keep seeing my primary and he insisted it was from medical school & the stress. Being a rational person in med school, I understood the logic in that, but I still felt like it was more... I've always been a "busy" person, and with the increase in symptoms I gradually let other activities go in my life, leaving the only thing left to be med school; to be honest, it was the "least stressed" and most "health conscious" I'd felt in a while. But when we kept going back in my history, it all seemed to start right after I got married / around the time I started med school. So to him it always made the most sense that med school/stress was the cause of it all (of course, I never put 2 and 2 together that it's the same time I started NuvaRing!)
It became so bad I finally took a year off from medical school to spend time to figure it out. After seeing LOTS of specialists and getting lots of tests, the best anyone could come up with was Fibromyalgia. So, I took steps to feel better w/o drugs (water therapy, massage therapy, etc). I didn't like the idea of a synthetic chemical fixing something that doesn't have an exact known cause (drugs can be dangerous when not well studied - as I'm sure you're figuring out), so that's why I went the holistic route. But it never really got 100% better but it was good enough that when my leave of absence was finished, I was thankfully well enough to return to medical school a few months ago.
Oddly enough, in that time off, my husband and I had a lot of time to think about our future, and we've happily decided to try to get pregnant! So a month ago, I stopped NuvaRing. And ironically (I'm sure you can guess where this is going), things have improved over the last 2-3 weeks: I've had lots of energy, and while I still get tired, I feel like it's the "normal" kind of tired, the kind someone in med school should have (not total complete exhaustion like I used to). And wow, the sex drive... we've gone from once every 2-3 weeks (if that) to 2-3 times per week at least (or more! which seems huge for us after what we've been through!).... and the best part, no pain during sex... for anyone knows what I'm talking about, as I've seen in other posts, that's a huge and wonderful improvement!
I always kind of thought NuvaRing might be the problem (I even asked my gyno about it when I had my annual exam during that year off... she said no, most likely not of course)... it was just this odd suspicion, but I have access to all the med journals I want, and when I looked it up, I couldn't ever find any studies that reported these kind of symptoms, so I kept looking for another answer.
So, for anyone who is experiencing these symptoms and others similar to the ones others have posted, I highly recommend you consider NuvaRing as a possible cause. Everyone's different and everyone reacts differently to the same drug. Also, keep in mind lots of other things can cause these symptoms (such as thyroid or anemia issues) so definitely see your doctor about these things first, but if all of that comes out clear, consider giving yourself a break from NuvaRing, and if things improve, at least you'll have your answer finally! Drugs have lots of effects that aren't life-threatening and therefore usually go unstudied (and therefore unreported), but when this many people report similar possible side effects on a post , it's definitely worth considering!

Hi, had my mirena coil fitted in Nov '08 and have just had it removed Feb '09. Mine had dislodged apparently and was caused me severe abdominal cramps but three days after removal, still getting bad cramps, taking time off work, when will it end?? Not recommended ! I have to say my side effects were spotty face, bloated tummy and stabbing pains in my bottom area and upper back, tearful, bloated tummy, severe lower back pain for about 2 months which stopped me going to the gym, can't comment about the weight really as I gave up smoking at the same time, so it could be a combination of both. Rest assured the removal of the coil didn't hurt, but just wish this pain would end!

I am a 36 year old woman living in hell for 3 months now.

In early October of last year I was admitted to the Hospital with diagnosed bronchitis a possible pneumonia. I was given Avelox which is a member of the Fluoroquinolone drug family. At the time I was in sever distress, could not breath, and was extremely weak from the infection. I stayed in the hospital for 6 days while they gave me Avelox along with various other meds to treat my symptoms and was released after finally getting a clear chest x-ray. The drug had done its job. But it was a week later that hell started. I was re-admitted to the same hospital with sever abdominal pain. They told me that I had hepatitis due to a reaction from the Avelox. My Dr. Also suspected I could have Wilsons Disease so he prescribed a liver biopsy, to say the very least this was a painful procedure. The biopsy came back negative and the liver function began to return to normal just as the pain everywhere else began.

joint and muscle pain
headaches
insomnia
uncontrollable twitching
arm and leg numbness
neck pain/spasms
a mass on my left breast (further diagnosed after mammogram, CT and Biopsy as a side effect to the Avelox)

My internist, Rheumatologist and the liver specialist all suspect “Post infection pain syndrom”.

However, after hearing now 3 separate times from 3 seperate Dr's about the possible side effect of Avelox I did a little research and every single one of my “symptoms” are on the lists of dangerous side effects for this drug. Now none of my Dr.s can tell me if I will ever get rid of the pain I am in. None of them seem to be able to do ANYTHING but treat my symptoms. By treating the symptoms all they can do is pain management which means pain killers. I simply can not function day to day with most pain killers so I am forced to live with the pain.

More drugs than I have ever taken, Dr.s visits, time off work, stress and a standard of living that simply put is not living, not to mention the tremendous outlay of cash...to say the least I am frustrated.

I have been on Yaz for almost two years. The first year was convinced it was a miracle pill because all my PMDD symptoms disappeared. Since April of this year I have been walking up around 5 am and throwing up. I am on day six of my January pack and have had diarrhea or vomited in the morning. I know 100% I am not pregnant because I use the Yaz as directed and condoms. However I since bc convinces your body your pregnant I think I am experiencing morning sickness. I have talked to several doctors, a nurse, and a pharmacist about this issue and they all think it is highly unlikely I could be experiencing a side affect after having none for so long but I think they are wrong. I have a big training event a t work coming up in February and don't want to go off bc or start another because I'm scared of the PMDD getting bad. HELP!

First off, the side effects listed are not the norm....the "no periods" or very short periods, are the concept of Loestrin 24. Very short, very light periods. The moodiness are often side effects of the YAZ, the other 24 day pill. This is because the progestin dominance of YAZ. Loestrin 24 is known for the very short, very light periods, less side effects due to the shortened time off the pill. The side effects you read are unfortunate (make sure your pharmacist is not switching to a generic - even though there is no generic equivalent) but for the most part, these side effects are RARE!

Hi everyone,
I had the Mirena fitted in May 2007 whilst under general anesthetic for an operation for an Ovarian Cyst. I have endometriosis so my GP fitted me with the coil as a way to control this disease. Having not had children i am really glad i was unconscious when it was fitted as it sounds painful.
I had started looking into side effects of the Mirena a few weeks ago as I have noticed that my libido is very low, and I wondered if it could be connected to the coil.
I have had a headache nearly every day for the last 3 months and have recently started feeling very dizzy. Today I have had to take time off work because I feel as if I am on a boat. It is like a spinning sensation really strange not something i have had before.
I am also experiences a sort of blurred vision, like a black shimmering over everything I look at. I have had my eyes tested by an optician and there is nothing wrong with them. The gp is at a loss because I do not have anything wrong with my ears. He basically has said live with it.
So I have made a decision to have the coil removed. I would be interested to know what that is like as i am quite nervous about that?
thanks

I've been on Lamictal since December, i started out with 25mg, then to 50mg and now at 100mg which is where my doctor said I should be. I am taking Lamictal for a seizure disorder. Now I'm not bashing the drug but when I was taking 25 and 50mgs it was fine, I loved it. Seemed to work instantly. But now that I'm at 100mg the weight gain problem started. I have always tried to watch my weight so the only thing i can blame for not being able to take the weight off now is the Lamictal. I have been eating right, got back into the gym, watch my caloric intake as well as fats and carbs. Seems like for every pound i lose i gain right back in a day, it is awful. I did go thru a bad depression around the beginning of the year which I gained some weight from, but trying to get it off now is the hardest I've ever tried in my life. I am now 20 lbs heavier than I was since December. Has anyone experience this? And please tell me the outcome. I want to know if its me or is that a common effect that is now really greatly expressed as a side effect.

I have taken Levaquin 500 mg daily for the last 7 days. I am quitting it today! I am so tired. Cannot sleep! Have severe pain in both of my hips! I do not have a history of sleep disorder or hip pain!!! I even have severe pain in both of my shoulders now as well. My doctors insist this isn't from the med. My pharmacist differs in that opinion!! This stuff is POISON!!!
I am a registered nurse and will preach this to any and everyone who will listen!!!
I only pray I will not suffer a tendon rupture even after I have stopped this med! If that happens I will contact an attorney! Can we get a class-action lawsuit for all of us and to prevent others from this terrible experience???

Had a letter today from doctor's saying that when I next renew my prescription I will no longer be getting Atorvastatin- been on that for 4 years now with very little in the way of side effects. Already have dodgy knees and hip, so don't want any side effects like that. I am taking the print out of this when I see doctor later this week. Friend of mine was on Simvastatin for a year - side effects included nausea and vomiting, joint pains. Can't afford to take time off work to deal with side effects. Just another NHS cost saving exercise. Considering paying privately to continue with Atorvastatin, but NHS rules say that if you pay for one thing, all the other prescriptions have to be paid for too.

Oh my goodness, you'd think this stuff was evil in a pill. ALL birth control pills, and hormonal methods of birth control (and medication for that matter) has side effects. Everyone's body is different. I have severe migraines, but taking a pill with a higher estrogen level makes it much worse. Not to mention Yasmin was my fourth try before I was comfortable on the pill again after a long time BCP free. I suffered through break-through bleeding, constant bleeding, turning into satan, constant PMS symptoms, infections, migraines, you name it. Finally, I found Yasmin and I lost a little weight and my periods remained the same (sometimes too long, sometimes too painful, but that never changed with any of them -- and I hear the same thing with the new "miracle" pill Yaz), and I was fine. I have spent time off of Yasmin, simply because I was ill and on antibiotics so I didn't fill a couple of months worth, and I noticed no difference in the before and after (other than having to use condoms in the meantime).

I've been on Yasmin for three years, absent two months. Everyone's body is different, everyone reacts differently, and this site is NOT this place to get the information you need to make a decision about medication. A starting point maybe, then go off the pill, see how you fill (talk to your doctor first). What's not being taken into consideration is other medications these users are on, ages, individual physical illnesses or situations, or other things that could be reasons or interferences with the pill. Good luck ladies. :)

Oh, and an acne tip... rather than putting more chemicals into your bodies, try Proactive. I had AWFUL skin in areas that nothing worked for, from cheapest to most expensive to prescribed. I started using it in 1996 or so and my skin is perfect. I use it now because it keeps my face clear and makes it radiant, and I don't even have to use it every day. I don't have to wear ANY make up on my skin at all. Something to think about instead of putting worrying about trying to find a BCP that works for you and for your skin. :]

There are a lot of negative experiences on here, so I thought I should share my positive one. I have been on birth control off and on for about 6 years. I was on orthotricyclin for the majority of the time-off and on. After getting horrible near migraine headaches on orthotricylin every Friday before my period for about 5 months in a row my doctor and I decided to try a different pill. I was on trilevelin (sp) for 4 months and gained a few pounds and felt easily irritated and emotionally different-just cried easily and not myself. I've been on Yasmin for a month and have had a great experience. I lost the water weight I'd gained and just verified with my boyfriend that my PMS was hardly even there. Everyone is different and has different hormone levels, but so far I am very happy with Yasmin. I've been migraine free tthe whole month!

i have endometriosis, as well. i tried doing the vitamin thing for a couple of months but my peroids didn't get any easier, so i gave-in and went on BCPills. i was on loestrin which worked great for the 1st 3 months but then stopped working and i gained 8-10 pounds of water weight. i took a month off and went on yasmin and LOVED it! for the 1st 4 months, it was a dream come true - i lost the water weight, had TONS of energy. well, when i started working out again, around month 4 - i was fine doing cardio but as soon as i'd add weights to the routine, i would be hit with TOTAL exhaustion, muscle fatigue, etc.. i thought i was coming down w/ the flu or a cold and would take some time off...only to try again and have the same effect. this went on ALL summer - then i found out it might be YASMIN!!! apparently the increased levels of potassium in the blood can mess w/ the acidity in the blood and make the muscles hurt. my OBGYN refuses to accept it could be the pill (suggested i get tested for fibromyalgia, depression, etc.). i'm off of the pill now for a week and am still REALLY muscle-achey (sorta feels like the flu). does anyone else have this? does anyone have experience w/ how long it takes this crap to get out of the body? i just started at the gym this morning, only adding cardio for awhile... i am so frustrated!! i'm getting married in 8 months and want to be buff for the wedding but keep getting sidetracked w/ exhaustion. *UGH* can't wait to get yasmin behind me.

Anyone have peripheral neuropathy on Zocor? I had shooting pains down both arms for a few days one month into taking Zocor. This stopped but is replaced with intense muscle pain in arms, hands, shoulders and back - and recently hot flashes. I stopped taking the Zocor 3 days ago AMA (against medical advice) as my doc said the neuropathy is not a side effect of Zocor.

Two years ago I had rotator cuff surgery and fell two days later on my face. I had to stitches and then asked if I had any allergies to drugs and I did not, so they prescribed Levaquin 500. I have never taken it before. After 2 doses, I had a terrible pain in my midsection and began turning yellow. After many many blood tests, it was clear that it was a form of hepatitis but all kinds were ruled out. It was later diagnosed as pharmaceutical drug induced hepatitis. What should have been a short time off from work turned into a great deal longer. I was hospitalized the first night when I came into the emergency room. I was sent home because they said there was nothing that would help other than rest and I could do that at home. I do not remember how long it took for my skin to go back to normal, but I had to go to a doctor in gastroenterology for weeks and having blood tests drawn to see how my numbers were. I wrote a letter to Johnson & Johnson but did not receive a response. I heard the story in regard to Ketek this a.m. on tv and I knew exactly what the guy was describing. If my numbers had not turned around it would have meant eventually being on a transplant list. I was one of the lucky ones and am thankful for that every day.

hello Flowerbabies, thank you for getting back to me and for your words of kindness. Its so good to hear that its just a hormonal issue and not a mental one. Im stronger this month and I am trying to focus on positives in my life and not the negative that is in the past, thats how Yasmin effected me with anxiety, around the time of my period I seem to keep thinking of silly stuff that happened in the past and completly blow them out of proportion in my mind, the rest of the month I wouldnt even give it a second thought and I would be as happy as ever. My doctor said it was brought on by the Yasmin, so he took me off it straight away and suggested I give my body time off birth controll as he said it doesnt agree with everyone, I have to say he was very understanding. Im on Vitamin Bcomplex and a Vit B6 can you recommend anything else to help. Flowerbabies thank you so much for your words of encouragement it really means alot, look forward to chatting to you again soon

Hello Flowerbabies,
Thank you so much for your quick response, and your words of kindness. Its so good to hear that its just a hormonal issue and not a mental one. Im stronger this month and I am trying to focus on positives in my life and not the negative that is in the past, thats how Yasmin effected me with anxiety, around the time of my period I seem to keep thinking of silly stuff that happened in the past and completly blow them out of proportion in my mind, the rest of the month I wouldnt even give it a second thought and I would be as happy as ever. My doctor said it was brought on by the Yasmin, so he took me off it straight away and suggested I give my body time off birth controll as he said it doesnt agree with everyone, I have to say he was very understanding. Im on Vitamin Bcomplex and a Vit B6 can you recommend anything else to help. Flowerbabies thank you so much for your words of encouragement it really means alot, look forward to chatting to you again soon
sweetcheeks (:

Hello Flowerbabies,
Thank you so much for your quick response, and your words of kindness. Its so good to hear that its just a hormonal issue and not a mental one. Im stronger this month and I am trying to focus on positives in my life and not the negative that is in the past, thats how Yasmin effected me with anxiety, around the time of my period I seem to keep thinking of silly stuff that happened in the past and completly blow them out of proportion in my mind, the rest of the month I wouldnt even give it a second thought and I would be as happy as ever. My doctor said it was brought on by the Yasmin, so he took me off it straight away and suggested I give my body time off birth controll as he said it doesnt agree with everyone, I have to say he was very understanding. Im on Vitamin Bcomplex and a Vit B6 can you recommend anything else to help. Flowerbabies thank you so much for your words of encouragement it really means alot, look forward to chatting to you again soon
sweetcheeks (:

Hi everyone,
It has been a while since I posted so I wanted to say hello and let you know that things do get better. I am now 8 months Yasmin-free. I am still on the effexor xr (still 37.5mg/day) for the anxiety that the Yasmin caused. I am totally off of Xanax now and cannot wait to be off of the effexor.
My bloodwork came back this week. Thank God that my thyroid and almost everything else is now OK. However, my cholesterol and triglycerides are way too high. And... since starting effexor, I gained 15 lbs. I need to get off of it, but the doc won't let me.
But the good news is that the tremors, the blackouts, leg pains, palpitations, brain zaps etc.... that I was experiencing on Yasmin are pretty much gone. And, I am so much better to my husband and kids now that I am off of the evil "Yasminpoison"!
I am in my mid-30's and never thought that this would happen to me. I lost so much time off of my life because of that little poison pill.
Your posts are so powerful and help me understand that I am alone in this. You should never feel alone in this, so many of us have suffered and are suffering terrible effects of Yasmin.
take care everyone!

Over 50 and prescribed Zocor after being unable to get my LDL, my ratio, and Total Cholesterol down. The LDL did come down to normal and the ratio improved and Total Cholesterol came down to 208. After 1 month I had to take myself off of it. My right leg is not functioning the way it did before starting this drug. Walking, going up and down stairs, getting in an out of vehicles, is extremely uncomfortable. Also, I can't sleep on my right side now and need to put a pillow under my leg. I've now been off of it 10 days. My Dr. and I keep missing each other. I'd like to know if my leg will return to normal after a period of time off of this drug. I'm hoping someone who's taken this drug can answer this for me.

Hi Ladies!

It's me again, searching for a little advice.

I'm 7 months off Yasmin now and still sometimes got this nervousness and blurry vision again. I started working again 2 days ago (I hadn't been working because of my Yasmin illness now since december 2004 - I really wasn't able to do anything even in my household or such!! I'm working for a lawyer, typing his correspondences) and I feel, that I don't get on even with a little stress like I used to before in my whole life!! I was a very strong person who could do 3 things at one time if I had to!! And now I feel overwhelmed just with typing those correspondences which I did with no problems during my whole life before Yasmin!!! :(

I feel so desperate and anxious again, that I perhaps could never be the old me again in my life and this pill has caused some longterm damage in my body and brain!!

I should mention, that I had been taking Yasmin for very long 5 YEARS (!) before getting off in February this year and that my hormones are not back in balance again at all!! My first period off Yasmin and same time my last until today was at easter this year!! My whole body is completely messed up and I'm having a hard time getting everything back to normal since then. Very much of the symptoms have gone away, but sadly not everything and not completely!!

So please tell me: Is there someone out there still experiencing the same or similar symptoms after this long time off Yasmin???

Anyone out there, who's finally totally back to normal and if so, how long has it taken you to get there???

I'd really need some pep talk!! Thanks in advance and all the best to everyone!!

After five weeks of taking singulair-sinus infections after sinus infection, ear aches, bad sore throat, upper respiratory infection, shortness of breath,hard time sleepn... I am at college and I am sick of being sick. I am going to tell my doctor that I do not have time for this! I questioned whether or not to go home to see if i just need good rest and time off. I thought i might have monno because i am feeling extremely fatigue and have swollen glands. I actually still have all these symptoms. Now that I have knowledge of what all of my sickness is most likely from, I think I will try stop taking this GREAT pill called singulair!!!! ....I want to tell everyone to not trust doctores when they tell you how great this drug is your going to take

I take Guaifen Psa Er Tablets for about 5 days this is my frist time off my bed. this pill teast bed i have to get up every hr at nigth and i still can't hear. when i walk i fall down. but i have'nt got any nose bleed