Urologist symptoms and conditions

I know that for every woman, the side effects or various medications and hormones are different. I personally had the Mirena IUD inserted a little over 3 years ago on the recommendation of a friend who, at the time, had nothing but positive things to say about it. I went on that recommendation alone, and now wish that I had done more research into the side effects before having one inserted.

The initial insertion was not horrible, but not great either- a pinch at insertion, severe cramping and pain within a few hours, and a dull aching feeling in my abdomen for about a week. After that, though, I couldn't feel the IUD at all.

It was not long after that when I began to experience side effects. Like many of you, I attributed my symptoms to stress and life changes. I figured that my migraines, back pain, fatigue, dizziness, increasing urinary tract infections, and weight gain were a result of a changing metabolism and high-stress job.

When I went to my family physician to have blood work done (because I was declared anemic when trying to give blood), I was told that I wasn't getting enough iron and I went on iron supplements. (The supplements then made me constipated- sorry if that is TMI, but that was a very unwelcome result!) When I took trip after trip to my ob/gyn for antibiotics to treat UTIs, I was told that the UTIs were unrelated to the IUD. When I saw a urologist to have three separate tests done (one for hormone levels, another for uterine function, and yet another to test kidney function), all tests came back within normal range. Even when I went to the ER one Saturday morning, when my back was spasming so badly that I could barely walk or stand, I was told that my back pain was stress-related.

All the while, my friend (the one who recommended the IUD in the first place) was dealing with similar problems- weekly severe migraines, back pain, etc. She was being told the same things by her ob/gyn- none of her symptoms were related to the IUD. Since she and I trusted our doctors completely, we went on about our lives, upped our workout regimens, tried to de-stress as much as possible, took OTC pain meds when it was all too much to bear- and yet for both of us, our symptoms continued.

Then, in July, my husband and I decided to begin trying for a baby. I made my appointment to have the IUD removed (which was a painless process), and it was only then that I began to research the Mirena IUD online. My former ob/gyn had moved, and my new one seemed ill-informed about what to expect once the IUD was removed. I wanted to know how soon I could conceive, and she knew very little about the process- heck, she didn't even know what the hormone was called that she had given me to jump-start my period (it was progestin, by the way- a very common prescription that my paramedic husband knew quite a bit about, but the ob/gyn didn't even know the name of!).

Once I got online and found this site (among many others), I finally began to put two and two together. I am now firmly convinced that my symptoms were directly related to the Mirena IUD. Again, different women are affected in different ways, but I know that for me- nothing good came of messing with Mother Nature like that.

Now that I've had the IUD out for about four months, I feel like a different human being. I did experience the "Mirena Crash," but once that passed, I almost immediately began losing weight, my abdomen was no longer blown up like a balloon, my energy level and sex drive increased, my back pain is now gone, and I haven't had a migraine or UTI since.

I've since switched ob/gyns, but I now have a healthy distrust of anything medically new and experimental. I will never have the Mirena inserted again, and I will definitely research anything and everything regarding my body. Ladies, listen to your bodies- mine was screaming at me loud and clear for over three years, and even though I knew that something was very wrong, I didn't listen. I'm just happy that I "accidentally" figured it out. (Oh, and my friend will be having her IUD removed later this week. She and I now call ourselves the "sister skeptics!")

I recently had been prescribed macrobid for a uti I developed a cough after 4 doses that really hurt. After finishing the course of it I came down with the flu ( cough fever,body aches, etc.) and a rash all over my legs and arms of tiny bumps that itched. 2 weeks later I was given macrobid as a preventative measure by urologist to take for 30 days. I took the 1st dose before I went to bed at about 11:30 pm. the next day by 10am i couldn't finish my morning oatmeal due to sudden loss of appetite and nausea. Then I noticed I was starting to get body aches and my temp was elevating by noon. I took some aleve. By 2:30pm my I had a terrible cough that hurt my chest and my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest. Since I work for my PCP I told him about the symptoms and that I thought it was related to the macrobid and that this was listed as some of the side effects he checked my pulse and it was 133. I went home sick and he called to check on me around 6p.m. by then I was much worse my fever went up and I was coughing to the point that I was short of breath. I had headache dizziness, lightheaded and my whole body ached. and i was so hoarse I could barely talk and had what felt like a bruise on my left hip. He told me if I didn't start to feel better or got worse I should go to the E.R. I woke up at 10pm feeling worse and my heart rate was 120 after waking up from sleep. Went to the E.R. and my pulse was 142. they totally disregarded the fact that I told them this was side effects of the macrobid and they told me that could not be. That night I was diagnosed with bronchitis and uti. I was perfectly fine the day I took this med. I have never had bronchitis before. And my urologist had checked my urine 2 days before and said it was fine. i wasn't even having uti symptoms this was supposed to be preventative med. My PCP says he had his doubts but after looking at the side effects of this med in his MPR, I had almost every one that was listed. I will never take this med again. Antibiotics are supposed to help, not cause infections this should be taken off the market.

I was give Levaquin when I had a Prostate Biopsy and had a reaction to it , Hives, muscle pain oral thrush ,I told the doctor about it so he gave me another anti biotic,CIPRO which made things worse, then I find out they are both from the same family of antibiotics, these doctors don't know what they are giving you and he said all that I should have gotten from them was a little stomach problem, Its two years now and I still have skin
problems, joint pain and pain in my neck amd the doctors say it can't be from the Levaquin, Well how come I was healthy until I took it

Works well.
Retrograde ejaculation not a problem (semen backs up into the bladder - so what, it comes out later)
This forum taught me that Flomax is the cause of
- ringing in my ears (now I'm relieved because I know what it is)
- sinuses plugging up

My urologist asked me to stop the Flomax and "see how it goes" - I've tried 2 times...each time I get kidney pain on the 3rd day. Taking Flomax again cures the pain. Now I take one every other day.

I'd like to stop it, but dribble pee and kidney pain are no fun either - what to do? what to do?

Hi, I had Mirena put in 4 years ago and just had it removed a month ago. The insertion was painful for abut a minute and after that all seemed fine. I did not have a period for 4 years. However after the first year I started having to urinate frequently....sometimes up to 20 times a day. This would happen weeks at a time and then go away. I went to all my doctors and was finally diagnosed with interstitial cystitis by a urologist. This is a chronic condition that affects the inner wall of the bladder. Even though most doctors do not agree with me, I think that my IUD led to this disease. Has anyone else had this experience??

I took Yaz for a month and the whole time I suffered from urinary tract infections. After taking 4 different antibiotics and having my doctor say that the cause could not be the birth control pill I decided to discontinue. I'm lucky to be a researcher and have access to journals and research information that helped me figure out that it was, in fact, the pill. Doctors do not know anything and I lived in HELL for a month because of yaz with people treating me as if I'm crazy because they would not admit it was the pill. Their only suggestions was to see a urologist. As I imagined, once I stopped taking the pill the uti symptoms went away. THIS PILL AND THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM INCLUDING DOCTORS THAT CAN NEVER BE REACHED SUCKS. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAS THE WORST HEALTH CARE AND THEY TREAT PATIENTS LIKE CATTLE. YAZ is a horrible drug that is overrated.

I started taking Lisinopril for high blood pressure and 3 weeks after developed urinary tract symptoms (frequency, pressure, some discomfort, itching). The first time I went to the gynecologist to leave a urine sample, they prescribed me antibiotics, which I took for 7 days and still the symptoms continued (my urine had tested negative), so I went back and gave them another urine sample, it tested negative again, but had blood in it. They gave me a higher dose antibiotic for 3 days, the symptoms were still there. After that, there was nothing they could do, so they sent me to a Urologist.
By the time I got in to see the Urologist, a month and a half had gone by and I decide to quit taking the Lisinopril to clear my body of anything. I ended up getting a kidney scan, which was normal... and then a urinary tract scope procedure, which was normal.
After these procedures, I noticed that I started getting better and thought I might have just had "Acute urethral syndrome (also called noninfectious cystitis) causes symptoms that are similar to those of a bladder infection but that continue for longer periods. It is not an infection. No bacteria or other microorganisms are in the urine. The cause of acute urethral syndrome is difficult to determine. Possible causes include injury or irritation, allergies, stress, a disorder of the nerves, or problems with the immune system. You may be able to relieve symptoms of acute urethral syndrome by avoiding bubble baths and other irritants and not drinking citrus juices and caffeinated fluids."
So, I went back on Lisinopril, which was a few weeks after I quit taking it. After only 3 days, I started getting the frequency, discomfort and some itching... I could only figure out that Lisinopril had everything to do with my symptoms. This is still to be determined, but I feel like my urinary tract is feeling better every day now.

My experience with Lisinopril is brutal! I'm 37 years old and was prescribed this drug for high blood pressure. After 2 yrs. on a 10 mg. dose per day I started having numbness in both of my arms I also had sharp pain shooting down both arms at night to the point where I couldn't sleep.And when I did fall asleep I would just wake up an hour later in tremendous pain. Ive been to three doctors. They tested me for carpal tunnal and told me I had it. But didn't schedule any plan of action, so I thought with some rest it would go away but it didn't It got worse. Then I started to have severe back pain that went clear through to my So the doctor wanted me to get an ultrasound of my testicles to check for testicular cancer. The test was negative. Since the pain was on the right side in my lower ribcage area they then thought it may be my kidneys. They then sent me to a urologist who wanted to go up my penis to scope my bladder with a camera and check for bladder cancer. Which turned out to be a very very painful experience. There was nothing wrong he said. During this time the pain was as bad as ever. Then they wanted to do exploritory kidney surgery on my right kidney. I was thinking my god am I gonna die.....I went through the surgery and the doctor said there was nothing wrong.I could not believe I was in this much pain and they couldn't find anything wrong. I thought I was dying for real. Then I decided to go on web md and try to find out anything that it could possibly be. I couldn't find anything with all the symptoms that made any seance. A few months went by with no relief... I decided one day to google my medication (Lisinopril) and joint pain, w/ arm numbness well. This site popped up and I started reading and Im glad I did. I believe that for the past year that I thought I was dying and no one could tell me why is because of this toxic poisons pill Ive been taking for two years is the reason for all of it. Ive spent thousands of dollars, had two surgery's ,went through all this pain all because of a little poison pill for blood pressure. I have flushed my pills and I,m never taking the drug again. I warn anyone who has high blood pressure if your doctor mentions the word Lisinopril tell them no!!!!!!!!! It is poison for the body.I believe it would killed me if I hadn't stopped taking it and not one doctor mentioned it may be the pill I was taking everyday for my blood pressure.

I wrote in December, described the cough, my problems with this drug, I was on 40 mg prescribed from my cardiologist, I went to see my doctor last week, she increased me to 80 mg, bp was lower, but not enough, she had blood drawn, I think maybe by the grace of god, I did not start taking the higher dose yet, this morning I get an urgent call, from my Cardiologist office, to stop the Lisinopril immediately, I am now scared to death, and scared for my life, they said the Lisinopril, is effecting my kidney function, my kidney function lab work is way up, now I am going cold turkey with this medication, hoping my bp does not reach a dangerous level, need more blood work, a visit to cardiologist next week, and now a visit to a urologist, I am scared to death, I feel like crying WTF!

My experience with Lisinopril is similar to many others here. Mine is further complicated by the combination of drugs I am taking.
Due to my BPH I was taking Proscar and Doxazosin (4mg), the Doxazosin helping with hypertension as well (140/90). My doctor decided to add 5mg of Lisinopril to augment and help lower the blood pressure some more. He also liked the overall helpful aspects of the Lisinopril on the cardiological system. After about a week and a half on this regimine I was having dizzy spells and light headedness.....disconcerting when driving. I also had the infamous dry hacking cough noted my almost everyone. I stopped taking the Lisinopril and things went back to normal.
On my next visit to the doctor, he wanted me back on the Lisinopril but trying 2.5mg doses. That seemed to be OK for awhile. I have now added Flomax to my regimine and noticed the same dizziness problem. So I am staggering my pill taking which seems to be helping somewhat.
However, after three weeks on this program, I am having severe dry hacking cough episodes, 5-10 times per day. Also have to be careful when I stand up due to dizziness. Additionally, I am having sporadic insomnia problems that are out of the ordinary for me. Also, runny nose, sneezing and a tightening feeling in the chest and abdomen.....Almost like a mild flu. The tightening feeling is more like a caffeine overdose high...ergo the insomnia.
I attribute the hacking cough to the Lisinopril. The insomnia could be the same or possibly the Flomax. I'm not sure about the tightness. I plan to stop the Flomax next week when I go back to the Urologist and will stop the Lisopril at the same time and see what happens.
I would be interested in any input readers may have on my dilemma.

YAZ AND UTI'S I have been on Yaz for a few years, and I had been getting bladder infections every time I had sex. My gyn instructed me to take microbid every time before I had sex, and I went to a urologist that said if the microbid was working then we would keep up with that. Recently I made an appointment with a uro/gyn. She instructed me to get an ultrasound on my kidneys because polycystic kidneys run in my family. She also instructed me to take a different birth control pill. Yaz has a diahretic in it and that can cause bladder infections. Since December I have been on a different birth control and have been bladder infection free!

I have taken three 500mg doses of Levaquin since Saturday. They were prescribed by my urologist for a "possible" minor prostates that might be affecting my PSA (2.2). The very first night I was unable to sleep, tossing and turning all night. Thought nothing of it, and blamed it on diet or too much sleep the previous day. However, insomnia has continued for three straight nights and last night I woke at 4:30 AM with shortness of breath (had to take long deep breaths to feel like I was getting enough oxygen) that felt like an anxiety attack. Although there was no pain, I felt like my heart was pounding and rapid. Finally got a little more sleep and woke up feeling OK in the morning, but blood pressure was elevated. I continually feel like I'm on a caffeine high. I never associated it, but, I woke up second and third days with a sore throat and have had a few minor muscle twitches in arms, legs and abdomen.

I feel fortunate compared to others on this forum. I have stopped taking the Levaquin and have an appointment with my family doctor tomorrow. As a side note, I had an acute prostates this time last year and took Cipro for over one month with no similar side effects that I can recall. Does anyone know if two drugs from the same group can have such different side effects, or can I expect the same problems if I start taking Cipro again?

I will never put this drug in my body and I will never forget the levaquin night. Dad was already on an antibiotic. He’s been gone 8 years now so this is somewhat of a blur. His catheter sprung a leak so he had to go to the urologist. While there doc noticed a UTI and prescribed the levaquin. Even though dad was already on an antibiotic he was told to start the Levaquin once he was done with the other. Who knows if the infection was even there by the time he took the levaquin.
Dad was on drugs for seizures. (Unexplained seizures to this day)
I filled the prescription. I was the one down on him for being on so many drugs. I should have read and noticed it said not to take this drug if you’re taking seizure meds. I’d programmed myself by then that things are what they are and no one would listen to me about the drugs and side effects etc. They all see me as a witchdoctor as my husband would tell me. The doctor later told me he doesn’t have the staff to stand around checking drug interactions all day long…..
Dad took the levaquin. I said let’s get you out for a while and come down to my house. I drove the 2 miles to my house with him and by the time we arrived he could barely stand. It was all I could do to get him into the living room. He couldn’t get comfortable. He seemed out of sorts and agitated. I assumed it was his surroundings and he just wanted to be home in his chair. I struggled to get him to my car and back home. .
Once back to his house, we were talking, his eyes went off into a dead stair. He wasn’t aware of anything going on around him. They became fixated (seizure). This lasted a long minute or so and I watched his eyes come back and him come back to awareness. It was then I went to the printout info on taking this drug and saw to not take it with seizure drugs. I called the doctor and was told to immediately stop the drug. (if my memory serves me, he took one a day).
Later that evening, I went to check on him lying on the couch. He had this dopey smile on his face and when he spoke this really creepy gibberish came out. He wasn’t making any sense. I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. My sister and her boyfriend arrived. Dad was calling my husband by MY name and insisting he wanted to march. ( He used to march in the front of the parade every year in his sailor uniform) My sister and her boyfriend had to hold him up to march. His legs and muscles were too weak to hold himself up. He was like a noodle. He would not sit down or calm down. It was constant moving him from one place to another.
I offered to spend the night and sit with dad. It didn’t look like either of us was going to get much sleep that night. Dad laid awake most of the night. Occasionally he would speak to me and I could barely tell he was indeed in there ….. somewhere. He looked wired with a somewhat terrified look in his eyes. He could barely speak and just seemed to be on a bad trip. I moved him around the living room all night from couch to chair to chair. He finally fell asleep and I dozed. I woke to find he had slid out of the chair and was on the floor staring at me. Huge wide awake eyes looking at me when I woke. Mom woke up. We helped him to the kitchen for breakfast. He did really well walking. You could tell the drug was wearing off. I felt some relief. I went to work.
After work I went straight to dad’s to take him to the doctor. We all gathered in his office at the hospital to discuss trying to get dad off most or all of his drugs. We were grasping at anything to give him relief. Herbal remedies were finally being considered for some of his conditions. It was time for his next Levaquin dose. He went into what the dr. called a “life threatening” seizure.
He was rushed to ICU and pumped up on more drugs. It was said his seizure drug wasn’t working because…. He had a seizure. No one would even consider the Levaquin causing ANY of this. The “side effect” was simply treated with more heavy duty drugs. The new seizure drug was doing practically the same thing the Levaquin did! Or from what I’m reading and researching online now.. maybe it was the levaquin. Doctors would tell me it was long out of his system and wasn’t causing any adverse effects. You could watch them put the new seizure drug in him and watch him leave reality and his mind. I was later told he had a rare brain disease. They couldn’t explain why this was happening, nor would admit that dad was in there somewhere. I’d see him there when the drugs were wearing off, before the next dose would arrive. We’d hold normal conversations. My husband saw him too. All my other family members were FREEKING OUT at his condition and didn't have their minds about them... in my opinion. They couldn't and wouldn't believe a drug could cause any of this. I can’t recall the name of the seizure drug. I have this all written down somewhere around here!
I do believe though, they would have never changed the seizure drug if not for the levaquin causing a seizure by being prescribed because the doctor has no staff to check drug interactions. I will always believe it was the Levaquin that started him on his downhill climb to not being with us today. He was a strong man before Levaquin. He became weaker and weaker to the point of getting pneumonia and having a heart attack before leaving us 4 months later. Levaquin may not have been the end of him.. it was just the beginning of the end………….

I took Cipro three weeks ago for a UTI. Within days I felt bloated and my bladder felt numb. Doctor attributed it to my UTI. But after seeing a urologist she wondered if it wasn't the Cipro. I've had two ultrasounds, a CT Scan and an XRay. I am bloated, constipated, look 2-3 months pregnant, back ache, hip bones feel so much pressure. I am miserable. I get out of breath easy. Until this, I was a VERY healthy person. I had never had a UTI and I wish I would have known about this drug. Now they want me to see a Gastroenterologist to see what it wrong with me. I am SO ticked off that nothing has been done about this drug yet after reading the horror stories on the net about it.

Hi so glad to read this im calling my dr as i read!! i got my mirena in apr of 2005, i was one of the 1st pts my dr did one on. I have no children and am married, we wanted to wait to have kids and i have frequent migraines so the pill is a no-no. the day i had it put in i passed out while leaving the office. they said "oh wow that never happens"...hmmm wonder how many others passed out after i did!

i cant really report any bad side effects until about 1 yr after insertion. i started having terrible cramping where i couldn't even stand up. this would come and go every few months. then i noticed i couldn't urinate as well anymore...the stream was weak and it seemed like my muscles were tense or something. i now have constant pain and pressure of the pelvic floor, my abdomen is always bloated, i have gained 20lbs and i do weight watchers and cant lose a pound, i retain tons of water, i have fatigue and joint/muscle pain. I attributed the joint pain and fatigue to fibromyalgia which i have been dx'd w/ in 2007 but now i wonder if its this mirena!

i have been to different doctors and specialists because i don't feel well, i haven't for a few years now...now i wonder if its because of this mirena. im going to have mine removed and see how i feel. the urination problem is the worst! i always feel like i have to pee but nothing comes out...the urologist said all my tests were normal.

im so glad i read all these posts...i hope every woman reads this before deciding on the mirena.

60 YO male: three weeks on .4 Flomax

I went on it because after Parathyroid surgery for kidney stones, I was still having symptoms. Mostly a painful urgency to pee, with only tablespoons coming out. That would last for 3-6 hours. I started out with pyridium (the pill that turns your urine orange). That seemed to help, but I was still having some lower-right abdomen KS pain events with the urgency. The urologist suspects I still have some stones that have yet to come out.

My prostate exam and PSA were good. No signs of cancer. I don't think the size of the prostrate was measured or whether BPH was an issue because of the obvious Parathyroid issue.

I started taking .4 Flomax, got the lightheadedness that evolved into a feeling of being slightly high most of the time. And feeling mildly relaxed.
Flow was improved, maybe a few less pees per day. Still peeing at least twice a night; good stream, good quantity.

Not a runny nose, but a thicker discharge. This week (3 weeks in) the nose is better.

Lower volume and clearer ejaculate. After the last ejaculation, I went right into an urgency and lower right KS pain event that lasted 6 hours. I was uncomfortable, but OK on Tylenol and pyridium. My events frequently happen on Saturday/Sunday. I have tried to figure out what, if anything I might be doing to cause or break this cycle, but there seems to be no correlation. I was hoping to get rid of the painful and disruptive urgency episodes, but so far they are still here every week or so.

Dreams have been a bit weird.

I have a swollen knee and toe, but this could be due to some hiking while on vacation. I saw the posts about painful joints, but can't make a direct connection yet.

Since Flomax three weeks ago, there seems to be a low level feeling in my lower abdomen. Not a pain as much as a presence, a tension. I think it's in the testicles, but you know how that is; accidentally smack one and the pain feels like it's inside the body.

I had the Mirena put in May'08. I've noticed increased acne, cramping in my legs, and spotting. I am also dealing with symptoms of bladder infections, however, there is no infection. My OBGYN says there is no correlation between the Mirena and my bladder problems, however, the urologist said that the Mirena could cause problems to other organs around the uterus (including the bladder). He stated it could be traumatic to our bodies, causing muscles in our pelvic area to tighten, nerve damage, etc. My OB diagnosed me with Interstitial Cystitis, a disease of the bladder lining that is without a cure, but my urologist didn't buy off on this and so now I'm having other tests done to make sure it's not bladder cancer, etc. Again, my urologist believes it's related to the Mirena. All I know is that I didn't have bladder problems until I had the Mirena inserted, which was the most painful experience aside from giving birth to my children! After reading the postings on this website, I'm definitely removing this device from my body ASAP! Good luck to all of you women who have had similar experiences. I pray that our bodies will return to some sense of normalcy.

EVERYONE PLEASE READ!!!! GARDASIL HAS DESTROYED MY LIFE! I am 24 years old and a year and a half ago I was graduating college and planning to be a professional dancer and go to law school...I was perfectly healthy and energetic! In February of 2007 I received my first Gardasil shot. After a few days I started to feel as though I had a Urinary Tract Infection and was also feeling more tired than usual. The doctor gave me an antibiotic and sent me on my way.

In May of 2007 I received my second Gardasil shot and yet again, a few days later I started to feel like I was getting another Urinary Tract Infection. I went to the doctor numerous times between the second and third shot...all for bladder and urinary tract pain. For months I was on different antibiotics and they were not making the pain go away. After visiting a number of urologists, I found out that the urine cultures had all been coming back negative - showing no sign of an infection, so the antibiotics were pointless. All tests that I had run, both blood and urine came back normal. It is not standard procedure for a doctor to call you if your test results come back normal, but there was clearly something wrong, so I searched for a urologist who would believe me that I wasn't making up the pain I was in.

In August 2007, I had a cystoscopy done (they took a scope and went into the bladder to look in the bladder wall) and they concluded that I have an incurable bladder disease called Interstitial Cystitis. This is a condition where there becomes a defect in the bladder wall causing it not to have the protective mucus layer inside of it. The pictures of inside my bladder show red, raw skin, obviously showing the severity of my case of it.

There is no evidence as to what causes Interstitial Cystitis, and there is no proven successful way of treating it. The initial signs are exactly the same as a Urinary Tract Infection (painful bladder spasms, painful urination, body aches and back pain). The main difference is the fact that it is not an infection. There are thousands of people with Interstitial Cystitis who are misdiagnosed as having chronic Urinary Tract Infections.

I received my third Gardasil shot in October of 2007 and that is when EVERYTHING fell apart. The bladder pain became constant and there has not been one minute in a day since that shot I have not been in unbearable pain. This is when everything else in my body began to crash down as well. The other health problems and side effects from the Gardasil that I am having are constant sore throat, vicious migraines, vision changes, back pain, body aches, joint pain, sinus problems, vomiting, constipation, dizziness...I could keep going on forever!

I have tried all of the conventional treatment for Interstitial Cystitis and have gotten NO relief from the pain and other side effects. The doctors didn't know what to do, so they put me on OxyContin and a diet consisting of no acidic foods. That has now posed its own set of problems seeing as now my body is addicted to the narcotic, and I have gone from 5'6'' 125lbs to 100lbs over the course of a year due to the diet. I am extremely malnourished and have to take B12 vitamin shots once a week due to the severe anemia. I am 24 years old, and feel like I am 100. I can not live a normal life, I am going to lose my job from numerous absences, I lost my fiancé and am not able to have an intimate relationship anymore, I am extremely depressed, I have to have my family clean my apartment because I am too sick to do it, I can not do social activities because I am too tired and in pain. This vaccine has DESTROYED my life! I am desperately seeking out someone else who is having bladder problems due to the Gardasil so that I can contact an attorney. This needs to be OFF the market a soon as possible so that it does not run any other lives! Gardasil has caused some deaths, but in my mind, I'd rather die than live with the pain I am having. I did notice there are some posts regarding girls getting urinary tract infections... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE have your urine cultured because there is a good chance it may be Interstitial Cystitis!

I am desperately looking for someone who is having some of these symptoms so that I can go to a lawyer and get something going before things like this happen: Numerous states are pushing to make it mandatory that girls receive the vaccine before they enter the 6th grade. We can not let this happen! We all need to stick together and somehow fight this and get out lives back!

Let me know if you are IN - and also what you thought about my post!

You can email me at ******

Bless All of You!

*~Amber~*

I suffered with pre-menopausal symptoms for 2 years before having the Mirena inserted in May 2007. My symptoms included bad menstrual cramping, heaving bleeding, hot flashes, night sweats, moodiness and lack of libido. But since having the Mirena all those symptoms have gone away. My OBGYN is using it for Hormone Replacement because I am too young (34 yrs old) to have menopause. I felt a lot better after about 3 months, I still have some side effects like hand numbness (mostly when I wake up in the morning or at night). Every couple of months I have some mild break through bleeding and I have PMS symptoms before it happens. I would have gone crazy without Mirena. I do have 1 symptom that I haven't heard anyone mention. Increased bladder infections, I don't know if this is caused by the Mirena or maybe its something else. If anyone has had this symptom can you post it?

I started SMZ/TMP DS 800-160 tab 2 days ago. I have bad feelings about this drug and today is 4th July and the weekend. I will quit it to get some other drug for my UTI. But it won't be for 3 days because the doctor is out till Monday to get another drug. Someone tell me a drug that does work for UTI. Someone mentioned Amoxicilln? Can that be used? The headaches are awful. I can't seem to empty my bladder at night so I never really sleep since I pee every 20 mins a few drizzles. I also was given that drug that makes the pee orange. It is Phenazopyrid 200mg. It relieves pain, burning or irritation of the lower urinary tract. Someone offer us info on a positive good drug they have used to help UTI. Thanks!

I get constant UTIs. I have for 5 or 6 years now and my urologist recently gave me this medication to take "as needed" in order to prevent full blown UTIs and in order to prevent me from going to see him every single month, if not multiple times a month.

The medication works great and quickly. I used to take amoxicillin but it is not very strong and no longer works for most people so I needed something more effective. And since I am allergic to other antibiotics most frequently prescribed for UTIs, such as Bactrim, and macro, I had only a few options left. The only side effects I notice is that I get some discharge.

It's very effective, but if you are a female and sexually active, you must be very careful since this medication can cause birth defects!

I had my Mirena inserted about 4 months ago and I have felt like I'm falling apart ever since. I have experienced the following symptoms: numbness/tingling in arms and legs, EXTREME fatigue, depression, anxiety, acne on back, my hair is thinner, bloating, sore stomach, lower back pain, etc. Most recently, I have had a lot of heartburn and my voice is kind of hoarse. Also, when I went to the doctor, they did a urine test and found that I have a trace of blood in my urine. Along with this I feel like I need to pee all the time, but I seem to have no bladder infection. I am fed up with this device and feeling like total crap all of the time. I have no energy and can't seem to get enough sleep. The only thing good about this thing is that I don't have a period. Of course, my doctor swears all of these symptoms can't possibly be due to the Mirena, but I don't see how it could all be coincidental. Please let me know if anyone else is experiencing these weird symptoms like the bladder issue or the heartburn/hoarseness.

I am 43 yr old woman and have been on simvastatin on and off for the past 3yrs, it's only since coming across this website that I have actually managed to find a connection between this awful drug and a whole heap of medical problems. The most recent course made me so ill that I thought I had an incurable illness that no one could diagnose, at times I have been in so much pain I thought I was going to die. It started with severe knee pain, I have a little arthritis in the knee but doctors were baffled at why it would hurt so much as x-rays on knees and hips were ok. I ended up having an operation to cut a ligament, that was over a year ago and had been in crippling pain ever-since. Also; foggy head, headaches everyday lasting all day, pain in jaw, shoulders, neck, swollen throat, incredible limb swelling, numbness all down right side, kidney problems, weakness in muscles, aching hips and legs, itching, insomnia, to name a few. I complained to my doctor when I was prescribed 50mg of this poison because as soon as I took it, I immediately felt ill and collapsed from terrible weakness, couldn't even lift a feather. They reduced it to 20mg, and I blindly kept taking it, in the meantime, my leg function was worsening, my back was killing me, I couldn't sleep because of the unbelievable burning in my shoulders, hip, neck and legs, everything hurt so much. I have been in tears from the pain and frustration of not knowing what was happening to me, painkillers, even high potency prescriptions just didn't work. I was a healthy gym-going person with a slightly high cholesterol reading, and suddenly, I was almost crippled, unable to function or look after my family, couldn't even handle simple chores that I had done a thousand times before, couldn't think, speak well, do crosswords, it was unbelievable. I have had ECG's, heart stress tests, been to and fro to doctors, hospitals, specialists, even seen an osteopath with these pains, they must have thought I was a hypochondriac! Finally, I insisted on an MRI on my thigh as it had changed shape as there was a lot of muscle wasting in both my right arm and thigh, and so much pain. A lump had also appeared and was really worrying me. The doctor tried to fob me off and said it was a fat lump, I argued that if it was fat it wouldn't hurt so damn much, so the result of the MRI is that I have a tumor which is getting bigger. If I find out that this is a result of the medication, the gates of hell will open.
I took myself off this lethal stuff immediately as soon as I realized there was a connection between it and my debilitating condition, though it's too late to save my 12 yr relationship, that went down the tubes because I just couldn't function well, oh, and my job. and any chance of working after being ill for so long.
I have been off it just a few days but already I feel almost human again. I know it'll be a while before I can see a marked difference and do some of the things I used to be able to do like walk the dog!! but I am furious with my doctor's and have written a letter of complaint, and have told them that I would rather take my chances with god and be a happy person than ever trust them again. I am in no doubt whatsoever that this drug has ruined the last 3 years of my life and probably caused irreversible damage to my leg muscles. Why take a pill because the doctor said so??NEVER AGAIN from now on everything will be checked via websites like this, I am so disgusted that instead of helping me, my own doctor just prescribed other medications I need not have had because of this pill when all he had to do was take me off it. I find it hard to believe that they don't know of these side effects, or pretend not to, how can they not make the connection?? Absolutely furious. I am in worse health now than I ever was, there should be a serious health warning before this is given to anyone, and the first port of call for any complaints should be the doctors who prescribe them instead of offering alternative solutions. This is a time bomb waiting to explode.

Hello! My name is Lisa and I had a HORRIBLE experience with Yaz. I took Yaz for 2 months after 3 months of Seasonique. I had switched because Seasonique made me extremely moody (all of a sudden I hated everyone on the planet). My OB gave me a few months worth of Yaz. Within weeks I noticed a strong stomach pain. I contacted my OB and he thought I just had a stomach virus. This pain continued on for several more weeks. I called my OB again and he just said, "The pill doesn't do that." I got a second opinion from another OB and he also agreed.... "The pill doesn't do that." Then out of desperation I made an appt with my Fam doctor and he diagnosed me with Gastritis.... said that he thought my diet was the cause of my pain. Uh, let me mention this.... this stomach pain is so severe you literally CAN'T eat anything cause if you do, 5 mins later you will be in SEVERE pain. To get a better picture of this pain just think of glass shards piercing through your stomach walls (I thought just maybe I was getting an ulcer). My Fam doctor gave me a months worth of Aciphex (which never never never helped at all) and I also saw him twice more in that month (which was my 2nd month of Yaz). He got so frustrated with me... it was Gastritis and if I wanted it to go away I had to be willing to make changes in my diet (I still was not eating and was losing weight) and also be patient enough for the Aciphex to take effect. Finally, out of frustration I quit Yaz. Within weeks my stomach pain was completely gone.
Let me say this to all women reading this. I don't care what your OB says.
There is no need to tolerate any pain from a medication.... especially when there are other options out there. To have a doc tell you to "wait it out for a few months" is ridiculous. To not be able to eat for days or even weeks is dangerous to your health. I eventually googled Yaz + Side Effects and found that the severe stomach pain I was having was a possible side effect and it even instructs you to tell your physician if you experience such pain. Why is it I opted to tell not 1 but 3 docs this and no-one would listen??????? Personally I would like to see all 3 docs lose their jobs because they should have known this.
Ladies, tell anyone you know about this pill. Get the WORD out about this pill. I frequently go on Yahoo Answers and girls are always asking advice on birth control pills and I jump at every chance to spread the word. Let's get this pill OFF OF THE MARKET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I spent the weekend reading about the development of Singulair. The early studies recognized that the first phase of the acute asthma response bronco-constriction was probably not caused by leukotrienes. They identified histamines and prostaglandins as the probable sources. I don't think that changed because the Singulair literature states that it should not be considered as a treatment for that. Leukotrienes were a source of inflammation caused by eosinophils and mast cells present in greater numbers (than normal) in airway tissue. So, it was beneficial to find a way to decrease that.

The cysLT1 receptor was identified as source of the signals that tell the cells to produce leukotriene. The receptor, a gene, consist of 337 (they think) amino acids. They modified a compound that would bind to that receptor thus blocking the cells ability to produce leukotrienes. This compound is very specific. It was formulated to bind to the "model" receptor. This compound will not even bind to cysLT receptor sub-types. (That is the good thing.) There is an enormous amount of research that discusses the genetic variability of the chemical reactions that occur in the leukotriene (calling it this for simplicity) pathway. We are also seeing that a number of researchers would like to use gene profiles to predict whether patients will respond favorably to different asthma/allergy drugs. ALL PATIENTS HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW IF IT IS INHERENT THAT SOME PEOPLE WILL NOT RESPOND TO SINGULAIR OR RESPOND ADVERSELY.

There are many studies from the 1998 era that conclude that montelukast is not effective for everyone. Those researchers stated that it can be predicted that those people who are going to respond favorably will do that within the first 14 days or so. That conclusion would be consistent with a genetic component for efficacy and safety of Singulair. Those doctors concluded that those who did not respond within that time frame should not take Singulair for fear of harming them. That makes good sense.

The Italian researchers wanted to know if there was more going on than blocking leukotrienes in the action of montelukast. They set up a "test tube" study regarding montelukast, the cysLT1 receptor, and some t-cells that they selected. Why? Researchers always have something on their minds. They observed the death of these particular t-cells.

Montelukast is a quinoline. We basically know of quinilines and quinolones as compounds that were invented as broad spectrum antibiotics. They work because they interference with bacterial DNA so they cannot replicate themselves. Montelukast is a quinoline modified to bind with the cysLT1 receptor (a gene) and prevent that gene from activating. That's consistent with what a quinoline/quinolone does.

So what does montelukast do in blood plasma if it does not bind to the receptor because of genetic mis-match? (If montelukast does bind, then a chemical reaction has occurred and the liver will break down the by-products. Montelukast metabolized in 10-12 hours.) What happens if it doesn't bind? How long before it breaks down? Does it produce toxic by-products?

I want to know what happens to lymphocytes such as t-cells just because montelukast is a quinoline. Maybe nothing but what's up with the Italians researchers? I want to know if montelukast has the capability to interfere with lymphocytes who can clone themselves. That could be a good thing under circumstances when these lymphocytes are causing inflammation. But it could be a bad thing in the case of normal individuals with no problems.

I want to know if the bad side effects are due to the fact that the body has to break down and metabolize a quinoline that did not bind to the receptor for which it was created. The side effects of Singulair are strangely similar to what is observed in the quinolones such as levaquin. I have not as yet been able to compare montelukast as a quinoline to levaquin as a quinolone. I am hoping to find something on these categories. There may be no reason to worry that they cause similar damage. But frankly, I think that there is. There is some terrible chit happening to some people. The scariest is the neurological damage.

All of these questions would be in the everybody pharma knows to ask category. I don't know where the answers are. I haven't found them as of yet. Maybe there are no answers. We have to remember that Singulair and Vioxx were released in the same year. They have continued to be drugs under the current executive management of Merck. If the Vioxx marketing promoters had their ghost writers, why not the Singulair marketing promoters. The genetic component appears to be widely accepted but we haven't heard one thing about even that.

I think that it is sad that maybe the marketing of Singulair as one stop shopping for asthma/allergies may have destroyed the original concept. I really think from reading the original work that they knew that they couldn't engineer a drug for one size fits all. Everybody gets harmed when information is withheld.

Shame on the allergist who yelled at the mother who wanted to discuss issues. Does he know exactly who is allergic to Singulair and who isn't? Get him a dunce hat. Just because Singulair is marketed for allergies does not mean that you cannot be allergic to it. See the power of Madison Avenue? The ad agencies focus group these drugs to death. The ad agencies cleverly craft the product information. A good piece of legislation would be to prohibit consumer drugs ads.