Two and a half years symptoms and conditions

I'M SO GLAD THAT I FOUND THIS WEB SITE BECAUSE I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME. I THOUGHT I WAS JUST FALLING A PART. I HAVE HAD THE MIRENA FOR 14 MONTHS AND I HAD HEAVY BLEEDING FOR THE FIRST 8 MONTHS AND THAT ENDED. I HAVE SEVERE HEADACHES, INSOMNIA, DEPRESSION AND NUMBNESS AND TINGLING IN MY FEET. SOME MORNINGS I WAKE UP AND IT'S LIKE I CAN'T GET OUT THE BED BECAUSE I HAVE JOINT PAIN. I'M ONLY 38 YR OLD. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE THE MIRENA. ONE LAST THING I HAVE ALSO LOST THE DESIRE FOR SEX! IT'S GONE. I'M IN THE PROCESSING OF TRYING TO GET THIS THING OUT OF ME. ASAP . LADIES THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU GET THE MIRENA.

i started using nuvaring about two and a half years ago. i have always had a small problem with eczema (on the inside of my elbows only), though for the past two and a half years, it has consistently been flaring all over my body. it looks awful and has brought me to an emotional low that NOBODY should feel. i have spent thousands of dollars on medical visits (including a patch test - "inconclusive"), medicines (a variety of steriods, protopic, allegra), vitamins/teas/etc, and countless hours reading and online trying to figure out what could be causing this uncontrollable flaring. about two months ago, i decided to stop using the ring and see if it is the problem. so far, things have been clearly up, SLOWLY but there's some hope now. if anyone is experiencing these symptoms, i urge you to try and remove the ring, don't waste as much time as i did and have to recover from two + years worth of damage to your skin.

Well I was on the Nuvaring for two and a half years. I was taking it purely for the birth control, my periods prior were fine. I had no side effects until about 2 years in. It was December of this year and I started pulling over on the side of the road with horrible panic attacks. I was scared to drive feeling like I was about to pass out. I started going to and acupuncturist in hopes of relieving my anxiety. Right away he said it was my hormones in the birth control, but I didn't want to believe him. About 3 months later I asked my Gyno and she swore that the hormones from the birth control would not cause anxiety. Well slowly it got worse. I was panicking on an airplane- which I had never done before. I had panic attacks in the middle of the day, when I saw the sun set; I was feeling claustrophobic in my own house. I was constantly nervous, and had lost my appetite. So I decided to take out the nuvaring. Within 4 hours I felt better. It has been amazing the change I have felt. I am not 100% feeling better, because I scared myself with bad thoughts while feeling nervous, but I am on my way back to my old self. I caution the use of the Nuvaring, only because it caused me to feel like I was going crazy, and it took years to see those side effects.

I have been with my boyfriend almost two years. I have had mirena for two and a half years. Keep in mind Im only 20 i have no sex drive, im always tired, i don't want to do anything. I am a emotional person nut lately i cry over everything. And last night me and my bf had sex(normal positions that we have never had issues with) and it was the worst pain ever. We kept switching it up thinking it would go away. WRONG!!! It only got worse to the point of me sobbing, feeling like i was going to get sick, and my bf feeling terrible. So i thought today i'd feel better but i feel even worse. I feel like im being stabbed in my stomach. I have a terrible pain in my butt. When i cough it hurts when i pee it hurts. All this pressure it seems like i cant do anything without pain.if i move to fast the pain is sharp and quick. What should I do?

Wow- until I found this website I thought I was losing my mind. I started using Nuvaring about three years ago. I was initially happy because it was the first time in my life that my periods were regular. Over the past two and a half years, I have had the worst acne I could imagine. I've been to dermatologists, discussed it with my gyno and my a estetician. I've been on tetracycline and minocycline(alternating) for three years-neither has really helped! My relationship with my husband is suffering because we have always had an amazing intimacy between us. I can't tolerate the slightest touch to my breasts, I've lost the amazing lust that I had for him. I am always extremely tired and irritated. This is not me! I started believing that I was an unstable person and possible experiencing mental issues. I am nauseated often....
Oh...the weight gain....I don't eat terribly and am an active person. I constantly yet gradually gain weight with out any changes to my diet/activity levels. I have put on 30 lbs over the past 3 years. I am 33 years old.....
my legs cramp at night, my hair is drab and hasn't grown an inch in 6 months. I have a constant yet dull headache, I've even consulted with my doctor about anti-depression meds. I've NEVER had any of these symptoms before. I truly believe that nuvaring is the culprit. I can't believe that I didn't figure this out sooner. Further, I can't believe that my gyno didn't suggest Nuvaring as a potential cause.

My daughter was 16 when her GYN started her on Yaz. She was 5 ft 3 and 100 lbs. Non smoker. No risks. She went on the pill because she was having heart palpitations and extreme fatigue that correlated with her menstrual cycle. The idea was to level her hormones and see if that would level off the physical problems. Within 6 weeks she suffered from a pulmonary embolism. Because she was young, everybody though it was just pneumonia or inflammation of the lining of the lungs (pleurisy). Then her leg swelled up and turned blue from a clot (DVT). I found it fascinating that everybody at the first hospital, during the helicopter ride and at the second hospital all had EXACTLY the same reaction . . . They all said, "you just started taking the pill, didn't you? Probably one of the new ones like Yaz." Apparently, these new 'third generation' pills are worse than the old ones when it comes to clots. It turns out that my hubby's history of blood clots should have been a clue that my daughter has a common clotting disorder and YAZ triggered it into action. The clotting disorder affects up to 10% of Swedes and that is where my hubby's family comes from. Up to 5% of all Caucasians in the United States have Factor V Leiden as well. I notified the FDA and highly encourage everybody else to do so as well. The doctor are not required to file a report unless a patient dies. My daughter is doing better now. If any reporters are reading this, please contact me. B. A. ***** If you have ANY family history of problems that might be due to clots, avoid the third generation pills.

I have only ever taken microgynon and loestrin 20.
I had problems with acne on microgynon so I asked the doctor for dianette but he said no and gave me loestrin instead.
Three years on my acne is worse than ever and I have done my research and apparently loestrin is bad for acne. Ive just joined a good model agency so this is not great!
Ive been depressed on off, had anxiety, and have often stayed off school or uni because of this (thankfully I passed my exams) Constantly paranoid.
Last year I fell out with all of my friends because they were sick of my constant low mood, and this made me worse.
I have no libido and have been suffering from vaginismus for two and a half years (starting when I was 16, not good!)
I either have no period or two per month. Every now and then I will suffer from headaches for weeks.
I also have contact lens intolerance, which has caused episcleritis on off for 5 months. (ive only worn them twice in this time)

My 15year old daughter has just stopped taking Yasmin due to severe depression, anxiety attacks, uncontrollable crying, suicidal thoughts and chest pain with erratic heartbeat. I thank God that we figured out the connection to Yasmin. She has been spiraling down so quickly, I thought I was losing her. While she does not relish the return of heavy, long periods, she is so ready to have her sanity back. Her counselor and gyn confirm the strong likelihood of these being side effects of the Yasmin. I was ready to put her on Prozac and sleeping pills because the situation was so desperate! While I was on Yasmin for years with no adverse effects, there ARE people who are desperate because of this pill! The hundreds of posts are too numerous to ignore the REAL truth. Is is worth it to "just try it out" for a boob inflation? You are taking a serious risk, sweetheart!

I've had Mirena for nearly two and a half years now. About 6 weeks after I got it in I had to take a pregnancy test because I was dizzy, nauseous, bloated, and had sore breasts. I was not pregnant. But I've had a repeat experience every few months since then. Sometimes I feel so sick and tired that I can't do anything but lie on the sofa. After I stopped nursing I got bad pregnancy symptoms and cramps so horrible I thought my IUD had punctured something. Currently I feel sick to my stomach, and I've been getting headaches, and I'm tired and terribly thirsty all the time. I've read about others who had the same problem. I've also had nearly continuous yeast infections and vaginal irritation since I got it in. My libido has dropped incredibly and I'm always kind of dry during sex. I had problems with depression before getting the Mirena, but now I have anxiety on top of that. At the two-year mark I started getting nasty under-the-skin acne under my chin, and I've gained ten pounds since then. Some of that might have been my own fault, but I currently eat healthily and exercise 1 to 1 1/2 hours most days, and it's taken weeks for me to stop gaining, and I know I'm losing way slower than is natural. I put up with it this long because I haven't gained huge amounts of weight or had really bad mood swings, and I'm afraid of what might happen with other types of birth control, but I am sick of being sick all the time. I'm getting this thing out!

I had my Mirena put in two and a half years ago, and actually just decided this past week to get it out. I can't believe I found this site, I thought I was just crazy and that maybe the Mirena had something to do with it... my hair is falling out by the handfuls, I have no desire to have sex with my husband, in fact, I don't even think about sex anymore. I also have the nasty vaginal discharge with the horrible odor that will not go away. I have been on Clindamycin four times for this infection since the Mirena was placed, and had never had it previously. I can't seem to lose weight no matter how hard I try. Also, I seem to cry at the drop of a hat- these things are NOT normal, but I am glad to know that I'm not crazy or imagining these side effects! I had migraines as a child, they went away for a long time, but have been having them again within the past 2 years, have had maybe 6 or 7 in two years.

Checking in again. Been off the lipitor 3 weeks now. It feels good to feel better. I feel my old self coming back. I laugh sometimes. HOORAH!!! Pain in my legs 50% gone. Hips still troubling. Legs are still weak. I don't know if its from not using them much over the past 8 mo. or the poison lipitor. Still sapping life forces from my body. My life is a wreck . I can tell life is starting to get better. The only thing different, is off the lipitor. Lets get this stuff off the market. It is debilitating, painful, causes depression, to the point you are thought of as lazy, unmotivated. The pain and ache is all you can muster to deal with on a day to day basis. it is indescribable agony. I want to kick something. For the months that I have lost of happiness. Something has got to be done. There was a move awhile back to sell this stuff over the counter. What will they think of next. I am just thankful that I am feeling better. moonman

I am a 35 yo male who has had asthma since I was about six years old. I have always used Albuterol/Proventil to deal with any immediate concerns. Additionally, I have used the combination of Pulmicort/Serevent as a long term medication. I felt like the initial effects of that combo were spectacular. At some point, though, the doctor moved me off of that combo to Advair, explaining to me that the latter was just a combination of Pulmicort and Serevent. To this day I don't know the validity of that.

I have used Advair off and on for several years and I've never felt like I've gotten the same results as the previously mentioned combo. In the last two or three years I feel like it's done nothing. Additionally, in the last two to two and a half years, I've developed a low-level wheeze that is with me all the time 24/7. My albuterol does nothing for it. And -- it feels like I have a lump or something in the back of my throat. Some kind of constant obstruction.

The current theory of my ENT (my asthma doctor is worthless on this matter) is that I may have acid reflux. So now I am taking Prilosec OTC to see if, after a month or so, the low-level wheeze disappears.

Has anyone else with a history of asthma developed a constant, low-level wheeze that is unaffected by short term inhalers?

In 2002 I was on Lipitor for around two and a half years, my muscle deterioration was so bad, fatigue, weakness, ED and joint pain. Doctor took me off and put me on Welchol after about two weeks I felt so much better, continued on Welchol up until about three months ago and stopped, muscle pain was two much, joint pain, butt muscle pain, tail bone pain, no ED, just fatigue, just went back to the Doctor and I told him I quit taking Welcho he was mad, states no side effects, he prescribed sleeping pills and I will try Welchol again. I am 47 now and also have developed a severe case of ringing in my ear.

My Mirena Removal....
So i posted here a few weeks ago after I found this site. I had EVERY side effect listed and was so freaked out that i immediately made an appointment for removal.
For those of you reading and wondering what the removal is like..
Well, NOTHING like the insertion. I was so so nervous and it was over before we actually started. The DR was surprised that i was back in his office to have this removed. He then proceeded to do an ultrasound to be sure it was placed properly before removal. And yes, all was OK on the position of it. I explained to him my reasons and he looked at me like he had never heard this before. I honestly can not imagine with all the women he sees that NONE of them have complained. But...as I was getting dressed afterwards, I took a good look in his office. There was Mirena literature ALL over the place. In fact, that was the ONLY thing he was advertising. Not to mention...they made me pay up front with the insertion back in Nivember...billed my insurance and I still have yet to receive my reimbursement. Oh yeah, and that...they charge more than the actual Mirena costs, then they bill your insurance for the price they know they will pay and the DR then makes about $150 profit. Nice.
Ok, back to my side effects post Mirena. The removal was not painful at all. I did spot for about a week- nothing too heavy but it was clotty and def there.
A couple of days after the removal it felt like I was coming out of my skin something terrible. I figured this was my body adjusting to the lack of hormones. I also had some headaches.
It has now been 2 weeks and the spotting has disappeared. I also can see the bloating of my stomach is starting to go away. It looked like I was about 4 mos preggo while I was on it. I also have an increased sex drive. And sleep-- well let me tell you, I have not slept this good in a very long time. I am actually sleeping more than 6 hours now and the night sweats have also discontinued.
I can't believe EVERY time I come to this site and look up Mirena ALL the people that have posted their experience as being negative. Yet, the DR looks at me like I am crazy! I have been seeing him for years and I have never complained about something like this. I really am so happy that I have it out and wish I would have done my research on this prior to insertion (which was one of the most painful things ever!)
So..for those of you out there that are either contemplating having it inserted...I say NO WAY. And for those of you out there that are nervous about the removal or not sure..I SAY YES, DO IT! For our bodies to be reacting this way, it is clear to me that it should not be inside of us. Listen to your bodies...they really do speak to you and let you know when something is not right. Forget about the DR saying it is safe or he has not heard of any of these side effects...YOU be the judge.
Good luck! And I promise it gets better once you get that lil' demon out!
Mona

I had been taking Lipitor for well over six years to help lower my Cholesterol count with no know side affects. A problem developed about two and a half years ago with nerve damage that gave me excruciating pain in my shoulder and arm. After an MRI and three cortisone shots I was referred to a neurologist for help. He had no idea what was causing the problem.

About six months after many doctors could do nothing for me, and referring me to a physical therapist, my wife showed me a story in a magazine, which I can no longer find, that talked about problems with Lipitor that had not been properly documented. The article talked about exactly the side effects I was having. The article said there was a problem with nerve damage. It had been well documented that some people had muscle problems, but it was not know there could also be a problem with nerve pain.

I contacted my doctor and stopped taking Lipitor. Two months later, the pain just disappeared. The very day the pain ceased, I had a visit from a good friend of mine who is a Radiologist and who had studied Lipitor because of a problem he was having.

He explained that Lipitor was doing the job it was supposed to do, namely keeping the liver from producing all fats. The problem I was having was that I had injured a nerve and Lipitor was keeping the liver from producing a particular fat needed to help heal that nerve. It seems that the myelin sheath around the nerve needs that fat to help the nerve heal itself, and Lipitor was preventing the production of that particular fat.

Once I quit taking Lipitor it took about two months for the healing fat production to do it's thing. Recovery of the nerves in that arm has been very slow, but they do seem to be healing now.

I thought this was such an important finding that I notified all the doctors I had seen about this problem. To my great surprise I heard from no one. Not even a thank you. I guess that since they didn't find the solution, they just were not interested.

I hope this discussion helps someone else. Thanks for listening.

I came across this site when looking for information on Mirena lawsuits. I feel I should be part of one. I don't care about the money- just about getting this device off the market. Here's my story:

I had the Mirena inserted in April 2006 (eight weeks post birth of my first child). At insertion I had the usual pain. Nothing compared to birth! Within a week I was experiencing painful intercourse, foul odor, and stabbing pains in my stomach. I had lost a lot of baby weight by this time, but now that I look back, I really didn't lose much since. I worked hard just to stay at the same weight. I also developed a rash all over my body, which I later had diagnosed from a dermatologist as some sort of skin disease, usually caused by an allergic reaction- bad news- once you get it, you have it for life.

After several rounds of varying degrees of antibiotics (I was nursing at the time and for one round had to pump and dump), my doctors felt the infections were gone and I was okay. Soon though, I'm back in the office still complaining of these stabbing abdomen pains, painful intercourse, etc. My doctor tells me it's not the Mirena, it's something else. He convinces me to keep it in, after I asked to have it removed. (I'm the one who spent the money here, right?!) Now I have gone through PID diagnoses, you're in menopause diagnoses (I'm 24 at the time). They check to make sure the IUD is in place, and it is, so they basically write me off as crazy.

My next step is to go to my primary care and ask him if the stabbing pain could be something else- I do that and he sends me to a gastro doctor. I end up with a colonoscopy and endoscopy which reveal nothing wrong. After a few more months of pain, I go to a new GYN. This one says, let's do a new ultrasound and get the thing out. But unfortunately, I had to have shoulder surgery before he could schedule- so I'm out of it for a few months (and pain medicated so not feeling the pain down there).

In January 2008, I finally have the time to schedule to get the IUD removed. I get it out and it's not painful at all and I don't even bleed. I start menstruating normally again (hadn't had a period most of the time I had the IUD in). A few weeks later I start hemmoraging. I get an ultrasound. I have a mass on my uterus. I have surgery to get it removed. Biopsy comes back. It's benign (praise God). But, it's inflammatory tissue, cause from the IUD. More money down the drain and more time and mentally draining. Basically, the IUD got so infected that the tissue formed around it and attached to my uterus. YUCK.

Now I'm not one for lawsuits, but if ever there was a product that shouldn't be on the market- I'm going with the Mirena IUD. Every girlfriend I have that has had it, has had it removed within the first year (save my mother- but she had that old IUD in her for over 20 years-another yuck).

It's a money making machine for doctors and the drug company. And it's a super-pain. I'm feeling so much better and I'm losing weight again! Now if I could get rid of this rash! (Not likely!)

I posted a question to anyone who used Tri-Sprintec before, but now it's been several months & I'd like to let everyone else know how it's worked for me! Tri-Sprintec has been the best birth control I've ever taken. I have been on other birth controls over the years, and up to this point Yasmin was good but I still had some side effects. I've just started my fourth month on Tri-Sprintec, and I feel more like myself again. I don't have any crazy mood swings, my skin has cleared up, my periods are regular again & my appetite has gone back to normal. I recommend Tri-Sprintec to anyone who is looking for an affordable & reliable birth control (it's offered at the Wal-Mart pharmacy for $9 a month if you don't have insurance.)

My birth control problems have been an ongoing problem. . I am a 26 year old nurse. I had been on birth control since about age 16.I was on Ortho tricyclen up until about two and a half years ago. I was noticing that I got nauseated each day around 5 pm when supposedly my hormone level dropped. I would eat and then I would feel better. Now that I think of it, I may have been just a little hypoglycemic. I told my GYN about this and he had me switch to the NuvaRing. I was on that for about 5-6 months when I started to have problems with it. When I had to put it back in after the week out, I would vomit for about 12 hours until my hormone level evened out. After deciding that I was not getting food poisoning each month, and it truly was the ring, I went back to my GYN. He then said that it was too much estrogen for me and prescribed Loestrin 24. I was on that for about 5 months when I started to notice problems. I felt extremely tired all the time. My breasts hurt like hell, and my mood was changing significantly. I was watching TV one night when all of the sudden it felt like someone was just murdered in front of me. I had no idea what was wrong. My husband told me he thought I was having a panic attack. I have never had any problems with anxiety or depression. This happened twice in one week. I had never had any problems with acne, and I looked like I had chicken pox on my back. I was also getting abnormal hair growth. I would cry, and not know why. I then decided that I needed to stop my pills. I called the GYN, and of course they were of no help to me. I then spent about 4-5 months off of BCP's all together. I would still get anxiety the week before my period and then after I started it would get better. I then saw a new GYN who decided it would be good for me to go on Seasonique. I was on that for 5 weeks and all of my symptoms came back. I now have been put on Zoloft to help with my panic attacks. I fight them on a daily basis, and they are more constant than ever before. I truly feel like my hormones are so fucked right now. I have all of these strange thoughts and feel half crazy. I have been to every specialist possible and they all agree that my hormones are out of whack. I am small anyway and have lost about 10 pounds. I only weigh about 98, which is also alarming to me. Okay, well how the hell do you fix all of this without going on another damb pill? I was fitted for a diaphragm and am using that for the time being. I am a smart enough person to know that something is not right. I am seeing a homeopathic specialist this week to try a new approach. I have been to a therapist, and have been tested for everything under the sun. Most frightening was the fact that I was almost put on a beta-blocker. I had a 24 holter monitor for my heart. My median heart rate was in the high 90's. I also had a heart rate that went from 51 to 145 bpm in my sleep. My normal heart rate is in the hig 60's to low 70's. Overall, the Zoloft is starting to help, but I am so angry. I really do feel like we are screwing up our natural chemistry by putting all of these females on hormones. In 20 years or so, we will truly see the effects of what hormone therapy has done to women. It is very scary. I just hope I can get myself evened out. Does anyone have a similar story or any suggestions? Please reply or email me. Any support I can get from other women will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Nurse Billie

Has anyone who has been on Yasmin for more than two years noticed post-sex vaginal bleeding? I'm 24 and I've been seeing the same guy for three years, been on Yasmin for two and a half years, and all of a sudden (please forgive me being graphic), when we have sex in the doggystyle position, I start to bleed. It's only a little bit and it doesn't continue. There is no pain.

The only thing I can think of is that having been on Yasmin for an extended period of time has led to this side effect.

Otherwise everything is fine. I haven't become pregnant, my cycles are regular, I haven't experienced mood issues or the dreaded recurring yeast infections that one poor girl described. The bleeding freaks my boyfriend out and dampens the mood, to say the least.

Has anyone else experience this? Please let me know, I'm hoping to eliminate the most likely causes of this symptom so I can figure out if it's my body or what....

I am on my 5th day of taking 25mg of lamictal and I have developed a sore blister cluster on the right side of my lower lip, a slight sore on the side of my tongue, my eye lid rims seem to itch, and I have to scratch a random itch on my body. I was just diagnosed as having bi-polar 11 disorder and had already have been taking prozac for a number of years for anxiety. The prozac was not helping by itself anymore and I am finding it harder and harder to keep a job. I, not to long ago, held Director positions in the Human Service field, and am now settling to take a job at a local retail store for a little more than minimum wage. Anyway, I was hoping to get the help I need from this new med but, feel it is probably not the right one for me. What will I be given next? I was given lamictal because of my fear of gaining weight an either depakote or lithium. I will call the clinic tomorrow and hope I will be squessed in to see a Dr. who can tell if this blister is from this or because i ate alot of fresh tomatoes recently. In the past , my love for tomatoes was worth the sore. but, sometomes i stayed away because i did not feel like dealing with the discomfort. Now I am rambling, but worried about this being a potential harmful side affect. Also, I do not need to become any more scattered brain then I have been lately. My own sanity seemed to deteriorate since my daughters behavior since 6th grade became umbearable. She is now in 10th grade and as of 8 months ago is not living with me. She called the police and I was jailed for a night and a day.My bility to cope with life became more and more difficult. I hope to find a regimen that will keep me from applying for disability. I am now 53 years old and have worked all of my life up until now. I feel like a kid trying to find out what I want to be when I grow up. Rambling again but this certainly has been helpful in that It gives me a chance to sort out my concerns. ThankYou

Been on prednisone for over 6 mos...started at 60 mg a day for COPD's, major lung infections at times. Yes, it helped clear that up, but as mentioned by all of you, the side affects are about to ruin relationships with friends/family. I am supposed to start weaning down to 40, etc...for at least two weeks, then 30, and so on, till off completely, but so far, once I get down to the 30, the infections start back and I end up back up to 60. Weight gain, major hunger, major burning where they go in and where they go out...eyes watery/blurred vision. Personality has become very agressive and have lost two friends this week because of my outbursts. It's like I know what I am doing, yet can't control it. I have never been so depressed, and I am on Wellbutrin but doesn't seem to be helping. Steroids leave permanent enlargement of neck and the new look on face remains for the most part...I believe you call in moon face...I just look in a mirror and don't even recognize the person Ihave become.
age 57/f

this is for my mother, im VERY worried about her. she has HORRIBLE leg pains that come on all of a sudden, it hurts her so bad she literally crys. Her back bothers her alot so she was sent to a physical therapist, she has depression also. the doctor here seems to think its just side effects of tamoxifen, but she is on her 3rd year of taking the drug, why is this happening to her now? she didnt seem to have problems in the first two and a half years. does anyone know what could be the problem?

I have been using Yasmin for two and a half years now and have not experienced any of the side effects listed on this page. In fact, I took Allesse for six months prior to starting on Yasmin and suffered horrible mood swings. I spoke to my gynecologyst and he explained that one women may do well on a specific brand of birth control pill while others may experience side effects on that same pill. You have to find waht works best for you.

I've been suffering from insomnia for 4 years on and off (the off when I used cannabis/alcohol). I took ecstasy every weekend for about 19-20 months, that ended two and a half years ago. And since then i've also suffered depression. Anyway I've been pescribed effexor XL 75mg, the first night I took it I'd been to the local pub (or bar for the Americans) I had a couple of pints of larger and went home. About 2:00am I still wasnt asleep and I felt like I had taken ecstacy. I kept thinking that someone had spiked my drink with XTC, got about 1 hours sleep. My pupils were very dialated and I looked like I was on drugs (the illegal ones). But it turns out it was the Effexor. I'm on my second day with it and feel like i'm on a downer and my head kills, my teeth hurt, my stomach kills, and my eyes look very starnge. Is this normal should I stop or just grit my teeth and bare it (pun intended). There is alot of bad comments about this drug but there is good ones aswell. I start college in less than a week this will be my 4th attempt I only hope I can sleep properley by then.
Stu (Beverley nr Hull, England)