February 11th
2009
1:03 PM
Hi Ladies,
I've had the mirena in for about 3 1/2 years. I have in the past recommended it. About 4 months after it was put in, I had no periods and according to my ob/gyn, this was absolutely normal for the mirena. I loved it, having 4 children, who has time for a period. I have always struggled with my weight and I've always been able to control it, but recently within the last year it has gone way up. I started exercising my butt off and dieting, I'm finding very difficult to lose weight. Only losing an pound or two just to gain it plus two the following month. I am 39 years old and my GP keeps telling me that once I hit 40, it would be more difficult for me to lose weight. Out of pure desperation, last Friday, I decided to look up the side effects of the mirena . (Cuz you know my ob/gyn said "there wasn't any side effects except the initial cramping. and absolutely no weight gain like the pill.") I would of never thought that it had so many side effects! ... And I've experienced almost everyone. I blew off most of my symptoms due to high blood pressure, which runs in my family, and the stresses of work, two teenagers, a 5 yr old and a 4year old. I would say if I had to pin point when the symptom started, it would be about 2 years ago. All those years of insomnia, anxiety attacks, dizziness, head aches, bloating, weight gain and yes even depression, that I was prescribe prozac for, could be due to the mirena. I immediately made a doctors appointment to get in removed. Well, that was this Monday and the Nurse Practioner couldn't find the strings. Two ultrasounds later, I still have it in and am waiting the "what are they going to do now, and my next appointment this Friday." I Just want this thing out and wish I never got it in the first place!!"
April 13th
2008
5:48 PM
Hi everyone,
I am a 25 year old female who was diagnosed with Crohn's disease one year ago. I stumbled on this website and wanted to share my experiences to let others know they are not alone and that their side effects due to Prednisone are completely normal.
In Nov of 2007, I was in the hospital for a Crohn's flare up and was put on prednisone through IV (240mg/day). After a three days I was released, but one week later, had another flare up and was back in the hospital in December of 2007. This time, I stayed for 6 days and was on 240mg/day again through IV, along with taking Flagyl and fluids for my flare up and infection.
At first, I lost about 10 lbs due to the flare up and all of the medication I was on. However, within 3 weeks time, I gained 28 lbs and was a complete mess. I looked different, felt different and was emotionally and mentally drained.
My side effects included: Severe moon face, buffalo hump, increased appetite, hair thinning and severe hair loss, night sweats where I would have to change pajamas 3-4x a night, OCD to the point where I would have to clean my entire apartment (even if it was already clean), restlessness, anxiety, no sleep and sometimes I would go days without sleeping, increased thirst and dehydration, swollen eyes and headaches, depression and mood swings, upper and lower abdomen swelling and weight gain (28 lbs in 3 weeks), suicidal thoughts, unbearable muscle and joint swelling and aching, forgetfulness and memory loss, blurred vision and dark hair growth on my face near my sideburns and underneath my chin and on the bottom portion of my face. Bottom line: it was unbearable and nobody warned me about the harsh side effects of the drug.
When I left the hospital, I was put on 60mg/day and eventually weaned off Prednisone over the course of 2 1/2 months and took my last 5mg dose in mid- February 2008.
It is now 2 months since I have been off Prednisone and as of now, I have only lost 7 lbs, but much of the moon face has gone away and I don't seem as swollen in my chest. My appetite returned to normal the day I stopped taking the drug and my mood swings subsided one week after stopping Prednisone. I still have the buffalo hump, but it stopped hurting and I am now able to sleep through the night. The fluid retention seems to have moved south towards my legs, arms, and lower abdomen. My doctors say that within about 6 months after stopping Prednisone, most of the fluid retention should go away and they recommend walking for 45-60 minutes/day to help with the fluid/weight gain.
Overall, prednisone helped to save my life and put my Crohn's into remission, but is one of the WORST drugs I have ever taken. My heart goes out to anyone who has had to take this drug and trust that you are not alone--and the side effects are real and they are harsh. I am slowly seeing that it takes time for the prednisone to leave your system and my doctors say that every day there is less and less in my body.
Stay positive, stay active & stay Healthy!!
-- By vanygirl | Reply | (5) replies | Private Message me
March 13th
2006
7:56 AM
I have a prescription for topamax now for 3 weeks and I have been scared to death to start it just because of the side effects of nurontin. Those were nothing compared to what I have been reading for topamax!! I have badly damaged nerves, plus I take many other meds such as oxycontin, norco, soma, baclofen, phernergan, levid and xanax. I am waiting on my nuro doc to tell me if taking topamax is ok. My memory is my life....I have a great ability to multitask about 12 things at once and do them all at 100% and have a memory like an elephant...I dont want to lose that and from what I have read, topamax will do it to me. I can handle the nausea and anxiety because I have meds for that. I wear strong glasses already because of my bad eyesight...I am afraid of making it worse. Please give me your opinions. I have a home to take care of and a husband and 2 young daughters...my husband does so much for me and the thought of this drug making me hate him or treat him bad is more than I can handle. He does it all for me, get me out of bed, take me to the bathroom, get me dressed sometimes..I am scared. Someone please give me some advice.
Tinay from Houston
-- By tymadden | Reply | (2) replies | Private Message me
June 15th
2004
4:30 PM
What side effects?! The only thing I have experienced are mild headaches during the placebo week which are easily controlled with ibuprofen. I am 38 years old and have been on Yasmin for five years. I was getting huge ovarian cysts while on ortho tri-cyclen, but with the Yasmin, cysts occur less often and not as severe. In the five years I have been on Yasmin, my PMS symptoms have decreased significantly, I've lost weight and have been able to keep it under control, and my libido has increased. (This is probably because I haven't suffered the monthly water retention in the last five years). I do not suffer any unusual fatigue. In fact, I'm able to keep up with my two teenagers more than when they were toddlers. I love the Yasmin!
-- By mjmcintosh | Reply | Private Message me
Topamax (1) PredniSONE (1) Mirena (1) NuvaRing (1) Yasmin (1)
November 21th
2009
3:10 PM
I'm 39 years old with two teenagers. I don't want any more kids and did not want the stress or worry to become pregnant again. Decided to try the Nuvaring. Been taking it for 6 months now hoping that each month would get better. What a crazy ride. I've been feeling extremely on edge with my family, disliked anyone looking at me, especially my husband. I cried, felt tender in the body and numb in the heart and mind. I've also felt tingling in my toes and my eyes have been sensitive to contacts and my ear has been stuffed up. Headaches? Never do I get headaches and had some severe ones. Last night was the final night of Nuvaring. I snapped at my husband and kids, went to bed, felt weepy, but didn't cry. I also couldn't get enough air in my lungs and my side ached. All in all the Nuvaring had me feeling Numb and crazy. I was looking into therapy. I was having fantasies of running away and living on my own for a while. As for Intimacy, Forget it! Didn't have any desire what so every. What's the point, right? I also did not feel very attractive and the discharge from my body was so gross. My periods would start early and I bled half the month. My periods started off with a brownish/grainy discharge and then went into a red. The most disturbing part, I was craving alcohol to take the edge off. I'm Done! I'm looking forward to getting back to my natural nutty self. At least this person I'm more familiar with and I know the ups and downs of my natural Hormones. The only good thing I can say about the nuvaring is that my skin looks fantastic! I'm so happy I found this site and thought I should share my experiences as well. Good luck to all of you and those who have found your way here. I'm off to the herb store for some good vitamins and some natural healing. I will never do this to my body again.
-- By babooshka | Reply | Private Message me