March 7th
2009
11:14 AM
October 20th
2008
2:54 AM
I started taking Yaz about a year and a half ago. I'm no longer continuing this pill after this month's pack is finished. I have to say that at first, it was a really great pill. The first month was hell. I bled for a month straight, and I was so irritable, and emotional, and my bf would talk about silly shit, like beached whales and I would start bawling. I spent four months living overseas after starting the pill so I didn't notice the loss of sex drive and sensitivity at first. But when I came back I started to notice all the little things that were becoming huge issues. My sex drive is more or less gone. I actually fell asleep last night while my boyfriend was trying to get me aroused. That's awful. I always feel tired lately. I get a lot of headaches. I read that this pill increase your potassium, and my mother's told me she has a lot of potassium so when she eats bananas she gets splitting headaches, and I'm the same way, so I'm starting to realize where all these headaches are coming from. Sometimes they are so bad that Advil does nothing at all and I end up having to rub between my thumb and forefinger while trying to fell asleep to make the pain stop. I've become extremely moody. My moods change so often now. I'm irritable. I am coming off of two really tough years of my life, and things are really great for me right now, and I don't feel great. I never want to have sex. Foreplay doesn't feel as good as it used to. I don't get aroused quickly, and I have a lot of trouble climaxing. I smoke weed and was smoking mixed spliffs with my bf for some time not even thinking about it, and the reaction the tobacco had with the pill was horrible. I'm certain that if I didn't stop I would have ended up in the ER. I would experience fainting spells, momentary blindness!!, I'd go really pale after getting very hot. I nearly passed out on at least four occasions before discovering the link. After I stopped, I felt much better. But now I can feel all the emotional side effects. I've also been sleepless for a long time, and I think that has to do with the pill, too. Lately I've been getting very nauseated if I eat shortly after taking the pill. And it doesn't matter what I eat. I'm constantly burping like I have a nervous stomach, but I've been calming my mind lately so there's really no reason for it. I've got a lot going on with life and whatnot, but I'm usually able to handle a lot of pressure and stress without breaking down, and this pill has made me almost incapable to dealing with the slightest bit of stress. It's horrible. And I don't want any part in it, or in the pharmaceutical business. I'm going to try tracking my own ovulation. At least I won't have some crazy hormones messing up my system.
Oh. I also had a fibroadenoma (breast cyst) this summer that I had to have a biopsy on (which was really fun, let me tell you...), and I can't say that the pill caused it, but I've never had cysts in my breasts before... The pill did inflate them an extra cup size, and during the third week of pills they are so tender I can't even let my boyfriend touch them or hug me tightly because they hurt so badly. And I live in NYC and there are a lot of stairs to bounce down and it's painful.
I see all the same symptoms with everyone who takes this pill and has a bad experience, and I've decided that it's not for me. The man can wear a condom for a while, while I try to regain my normal self again.
-- By burtonbella149 | Reply | (3) replies | Private Message me
September 24th
2008
4:08 PM
My daughter, 21yo, took prednisone off/on for 4 months, both oral and IV form, with the highest dose of 90mg over a two week period. The risk of bone death (Osteonecrosis, aka Avascular Necrosis) is not disclosed as a risk and 7,000 people a year get this from steroids! They gloss it over under the guise of "bone pain" or "bone fracture" near the osteoporosis risk so you think that by taking calcium and vit D supplements you're protected. What's really going on here is that the steroids cause the bone to die so if you have pain, PLEASE INSIST on an MRI because a regular x-ray will not show ON until it's in the advanced stages..and then you'll most certainly need joint replacement.
I'm not making light of the weight gain, or loss of hair or any of the myriad of other side effects that come with this drug, but when you're told that the joints in your body are dead...and that they'll eventually become brittle and break and cause so much pain it is often compared to bone cancer, then you'll really want to sue someone. But, I've tried that...it doesn't work. Because the drug is FDA approved...the manufacturer can't be held liable.
My daughter has ON in her right shoulder, both elbows, both wrists, both knees, and both ankles. She's considered "collateral damage" by the medical/legal communities because Prednisone is the "gold standard." This disease is a slow progressing disease which is often found as late as 10 years after stopping the steroid treatment. If you find it early enough, some surgical options exist to prevent the collapse of your bones, so if you have joint pain...PLEASE investigate with an MRI
-- By avnmom08 | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
February 18th
2008
7:58 PM
My husband took Chantix before I tried it. He was a two pack a day smoker and honestly, I thought he would never give it up.
He had all the normal side effects at first. The nausea was the worst but he learned that eating first helped. Then of course there was the dreams but he could also live with that. All in all, he didn't really notice any change in himself at all. But there was a change and it hasn't changed back yet, and he has been off Chantix for over six months now.
At first, we thought it was just nicotine withdrawal that was making him so mean. But as the days turned to weeks, then weeks to months, it is obvious to his entire family that this medicine has caused a complete personality change in him. He is always so angry. We have been married for over twenty years, and it has just been in the past few months that he has actually been really mean to me. Not physically, just verbally. It seems that we argue about everything. I can never do anything to please him anymore. Everything that goes wrong is my fault. He is just basically an unhappy person now.
The worst part is how it effects our teen age children. They hate to go places that includes him. He is so quick to fly off the handle with them. He has embarrassed me by talking down to me in public and he has done the same to the kids. He would have never done that before. He used to really care if he hurt my feelings, but now, it is as if he doesn't care anymore. He agrees that he seems more agitated than normal, but says he just doesn't know what to do about it. It just has effected his whole personality and it seems that it is a permanent change, since he has been off Chanitx for more than six months now.
He says he hurts a lot now, his muscles and joints ache all the time. That is another side effect that I have found occurs with Chantix users. His memory and concentration is terrible now. He will swear he told us something or asked us to do something for him, when in truth, he has said nothing. He will begin to say something and stop in mid sentence, leaving us waiting to hear what he is saying. When we tell him that he did not finish his statement, he gets angry at us. We feel like we are in a no win situation when dealing with him, so we just walk on egg shells around him now. I want my husband back and my children want their father back.
Yes he is smoke free, but at what cost to him and his family? This drug should have never been allowed to be put on the market without further testing.
Luckily I only took it for three days. But during those three days, my vision got so blurry that I could not even see the TV, and could barely drive a car safely. I called Pfizer to ask about this and at first, thought they were really concerned about me. But then I realized they only wanted to document my side effect. After stopping the medicine, my vision cleared up. I then wrote to Pfizer and complained. I demanded they refund my money and they did, without any questions.
So to everyone who is taking this or considering taking this, please don't! Please stop now if you are taking it. It is a dangerous drug. Smoking is bad for us, we know that. But at least it is something we know. We don't know all the dangers of this drug yet. It is just not worth the risk.
-- By warriormom | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
PredniSONE (1) Osteo Bi-Flex Triple Strength (1) Yasmin (1) Chantix (1) Lisinopril (1)
July 19th
2009
10:29 AM
I don't have any of the side-effects that are mentioned. The drug is designed to reduce blood pressure and heart rate. If you do not exercise or are over weight, your days are already numbered if you have had a heart attack. A persons has to exercise appropriately and get their heart back into shape or they will remain unhealthy. One person mentioned that their BP was 129/142. That is a very high BP. Yes it reduces you ability to do the same rigorous exercise. Reducing the drug (breaking it in half), taking it after your evening meal helped me. The pronounced effect is for about 8 hours after taking the drug. Taking it at about 5-7:00 PM or right before you go to bed works well, because it reduced your Heart rate and BP. Taking it in the morning after taking coffee is a mess-up. A number of drugs should not be taken when you want you most energy. The lingering effects are reduced. Certainly everyone is affected differently. I am 59, I have my heart attack at 56. The exercise, weight loss, and salt reduction are very important for anyone. Fluid retention increases blood pressure. If you are on Lisinopril and eat a lot of salty seasoned foods, your body will not react normally and you will feel terrible and have the combined effects of excess sodium on the systems in the body, especially nerve responses. I can not explain the coughing and gagging. I have GERD and keep it under control with Acidifex; however, after loosing about 10 pounds, (I weight 187 at 5'11'') I do not seem to need the drug.
Stop taking the drug and you may die, taking drugs off the market because a few people have problems is stupid. More people have died from tobacco and excess alcohol than all acidents, wars, murder, and the like, and we have done very little in comparison to deep pocket drug companies.
-- By drjimbo | Reply | (1) replies | Private Message meI understand how the drug works and how it doe3s not work. If you don't do what the doctors says....everything, especially dieting properly, exercising, and reducing stress,