Vitamins and minerals symptoms and conditions

I was taking Lamictal for 2 years. I was diagnosed with a "light" case of bi-polar. Not the highs, only the lows. I am not too sure that I wasn't just going through some really rough times in my life and had had enough. Couldn't take the stress. Anyway at first I had dry mouth, bad constipation, belching in the evenings and lots of it, some female itching and similar issues (sorry but just want to help here), couldn't handle any alcohol, loss of hair, problems sleeping, outbursts of anger towards mate and irritability, aggressiveness at time, loss of memory and loss of concentration, scatteredness, lots of hair loss and sensitivity to sun. I wanted to be a trooper and make my psychiatrist happy so stayed on it. I got lots of good things from it, like can roll with the punches of life better, can really easily speak up for myself and defend myself when I need to. Don't beat myself up like I used to. So, lost some of the sensitivity that I needed to lose but can't do without my memory. It had been so bad that friends and family would comment and I was embarrassed. Also, my mate shouldn't have had to deal with some of the rage that would show up when things were taken wrong. Oh, I had one of the strongest panic attacks that I can imagine a person living through. I had never had one before, and haven't had one since. I stopped this drug cold turkey. It felt like a few weeks of jet lag. Take multi-vitamins and minerals, also fish oils. Only the highest quality. Eat really healthy, exercise, drink lots of water and rest a lot...whatever you do, don't stress out if you are coming off of this drug. This is actually a very useful medication, however, in my opinion it needs to have more research done about it.

Does anyone have any thoughts on after stopping the nuvaring. I was only on it for 2 months but the extreme moods and depression made me stop and never look back. Its been 6 months since I stopped, I have not used any birth control since. My hair started falling out when I was on it, but it never stopped and is now getting worse. I am not feeling well and seem to have all the symptoms of hypothyroidism, I just had a blood test today and am waiting on the results. I am 25 yrs old and otherwise healthy besides this. I feel like all my symptoms, physical and emotional started with the nuvaring, I am wondering if anyone else has developed hypothyroidism after being on and stopping the nuvaring???

I find the above woman's comment very strange and out of the ordinary. I wonder if perhaps there is something in her diet that is causing such an adverse reaction. Vitamin B's, in high quantities, are exactly what women need. As a pregnant woman, it is B6 that reduces and even eliminates my morning sickness. The proper balance of vitamins and minerals in Optivite ensure the proper ingestion of the B6. Love these vitamins!

I have AIHA and am doing better since getting off the Prednisone.
I posted back in Oct. 2008. I finally got off the Prednisone in Nov. and surely don't want to be on it again, ever, (hopefully). I'm still using Danazol but was at 400 mg a day, am down to 200 mg hopefully will go in remission, if not it's spleen surgery time. All the fat pockets do go away, it just takes time. I would advise anyone using Prednisone to take good daily vitamins and minerals ( got mine from the health food store), also Calcium with Vitamin D (Citracal caplets w/ D maximum dose). Prednisone depletes minerals, stay on a regime. I also have to take prescription folic acid. Eat and orange EVERY day for extra vitamin C, DR. advised me. I eat 3 good square meals a day and made sure breakfast was a main meal. Eat a small container of plain yogurt daily to ward off fungus, such as thrush, and to keep the intestinal track clean, plain is nasty, just wolf it down (Dannon makes a small container) A lot of people taking Prednisone have problems with acne. Wash your face daily then using cotton balls apply "Topical Hydrogen Peroxide" to the facial skin and let dry, then a moisturizer, face and body (Gold Bond is very rich for body). I use to turn on the fan and let the air blow in my face because it seemed to take for-ever for the peroxide to dry and the smell of it will gag you too! My skin stayed very clear while I was on the Prednisone for 9 months. My skin was the softest ever while I was on the high doses and I felt soooo good then also, but my mind was so foggy and feeling of being heavily medicated was hard, plus all the muscular shaking. I use to get mad getting behind people in traffic that drove like the little old lady wearing coke bottle glasses. Then I became that little old lady when I was on the high dose Prednisone. I told myself I would NEVER complain about any one going to slow in traffic again!!!! I still have joint problems after 4 months off but also heard it takes 2 months recovery for every 1 month on Prednisone. hopefully I will be better within the next year. I had a lot of nausea after getting down towards the lower doses, hated to get up in the morning, was like having morning sickness and bouts through out the day also. I would just go home after work and lay down and also on the weekends. I feel for anyone with small kids who have to keep up with work, daily family life and trying to cope with illness and drug life. I'm just glad my kids are grown while I'm going through this mess. My daughters have been very supportive and helpful. Lower doses for me were the worst though. My Dr. wouldn't give me anything lower than 2.5mg. I was having a hard time and cut those little suckers in 4 pieces and took them a week every day and then every other day till I could stop. It's hard at first going off but once off, didn't go back again. I haven't found anything yet to help the joint pain but they say time cures all. I still have racing thoughts at times and some concentration issues also. Sometimes I think I'm a little old lady with ADD!!!! ha ha Had some issues with anger, wanting to slap co workers into next week at times. A lot of problems with taking Prednisone is because the adrenals shut down and it affects what is called the HPA axis. The Hypothalamus in the brain controls numerous things in the body and I think that's why the body balance becomes disrupted, it effects hunger,taste, smell, weight, on and on and on. Everything at first tasted to salty or sugary. Some foods I didn't want to eat because they tasted awful. Maybe that helped me also with not gaining to much weight. The pituitary and hypoThalamus try to balance everything and with out the adrenals not working a person becomes screwy bodily and mentally. I did a lot of reading online while I was off work for 2 months, especially with trying to take care of my self physically. If you have problems with being hungry eat something protein, it will stick with you longer and eat small snacks between meals, like bananas or avocados, raw veggies too. I would make a pot of beans once a week, because of lower calorie intake and they are high in protein, any kind of legumes are good. For awhile I craved liver maybe needed the iron and B12. Try to take a short walk everyday, even if it's 2 blocks. Maybe this will help someone out there cause the Prednisone is crazy stuff. Take care of your selves and you will be better, it may not seem that way but you will get better in time, just don't GIVE UP!!! L. from Kansas

I am schedule for a lupron shot on thurs w/my surgeon. I have large fibroids which causes the usual problems, bleeding, etc. I curretnly have lower back and hip pain already due to the size of the fibroids. I am scheduled for a hysterectomy after putting it off for years. My surgeon suggested the shot stating that it would help with shrinking the fibroids and make my surgery easier lap vs. abdominal. Reading this site is truly scarring me I already live with some pain already and have a family history of depression. I have a career I love and make a 4 hour daily commute and it sounds like my life will truly be altered if I choose this. Help!!!

Hi I am a 44 year old asthma patient. I have had asthma since the age 2 and have been on & off prednisone since that time. As a child until age 20 I was on predinsone daily. My question is has anyone experienced nerve problems due to long time use? I do have muscle weakness and spasms, but I am interested in if anyone has had nerve problems. Please email me at ****** and refer to prednisone.

I was on simcor, which is heavy dose of niacin plus simvastatin.Was taking simvastatin alon and i was fine.
my lipids and trygllicerides were very high so put me on this medication''
I'm sure its the niacin that is the culprit. sever itching on back and inner arms.

Was very red and hot to the touch.

I am now off of it for a week. Continue to have the itching and rash.
It has to be a reaction to the niacin, as that is when it started, I refuse to live with this, Will not take again.

I suddenly had high blood pressure. I was put on a heart monitor for 21 days because I was experiencing frequent palpitations. I was given 25 mg Metoprolol ER the genic for Toprol XL on June 6, 2008. I had the usual symptoms extreme fatigue, headache, constipation,swelling, weight gain for the first month. I am 59 yrs. old.
The second month I started to have horrible nightmares, and headaches that would not go away. On Aug.12 while driving home I started to hear voices, had blurred vision and hallucinations. I was driving fast and screaming to make the voices stop.. I ended up in a parking lot. I was crying and for a minute I had a bit of reality. I called the cardiologist office and told the nurse what was going on. She said to immediately stop the meds because I was having a rare serious side effect. I sat crying for awhile and was able to call a friend to pick me up. I stayed at home for 4 days. The entire time my hands shook and my headache was horrible. It was one week before I was able to function properly.
I called my pharmacist and she told me that this drug affects the central nervous system. 2 % of 100,000 people have this side effect. I told her that it was not written on my paper with the prescription. She said that because it is so rare they do not have put it on. She printed out the side effects for me from her web site. A site that is only accessible to pharmacists or Dr.'s. My Dr. wants me to try Cardizeim now and I do not want to because I am afraid. I told him that the BP was down to normal but he still wanted to because of the palpitations. I was given the option of the Cardiziem or seeing and Electrical Man at the Cardiology office. As of yet I have not taken the Cardiziem. This is the first time I have read this web site and I hope that this information may help someone. I finally feel good again except for the rapid heart beat and glad to be alive.

I have been on Zocor for one year. I am a former athlete used to dealing with pain associated with playing and training at a high level. Since using Zocor, my energy level has decreased significantly, very tired, before, during and after workouts. Muscle pain specifically in my neck, back and legs has significantly increased without cause. I have a constant feeling of a stabbing pain in my abdomen, accompanied with nausea, bloating and abdominal gas. After seeing some of the posts on this site, has there been a lot of reporting of abdominal pain? Bloating? Gas?
I too, have had trouble sleeping, accompanied by unexplained itching, and now after seeing these posts probably some mild depression. I believe I've had some short term memory loss - but then I can't really remember - LOL. Is the drug worth it? Physicians all seem to downplay the side effects, justifying the desired lower cholesterol, as more important than the side effects.........is it?
At 46 years old and formerly a competitive athlete at an elite level, I'm wondering if feeling better by NOT taking the drug is better than feeling worse and taking it. My training regimen was very intense prior to starting Zocor - NOW - it seems as if I can't keep up any longer. Any response to these problems would be greatly appreciated.

Prednisone
I am 17yrs old and i take prednisone. I was diagnosed with kidney falier when i was 13. i had my transplant at 15. well I have come to hate prednisone, I use to be 127lbs and now well lets just say i am way above that. Today i went online to find out how to reverse the side effects of the stupid medication but i can't.If you take the time to read this you should really look up cushing disease because you might want to know what that is if you are taking prednisone.No matter what i do i still gain weight.One time i went to on of my Ann Arbor checkup's and my food doctor said i was not eating enough i was on the line of developing an eating disorder.I have asked my doctors how to get rid of these horrible side effects and all they say is exercise,exercise.Well i am always active and still no results.They always check me for some of the side effects that i read above like the yellow in your eye, the lumps in your armpits swelling in my legs etc. well i hope you never have to take this medication if you do then you know what i am saying.

hi kim123.
i have been doing a bit more research lately on vitamins and minerals to treat all of our symptoms but for me especially the anxiety that i still suffer from although to a much lesser degree than when i was on yasmin. i came across a very interesting article that made me think of you. it concerns vitamin b12 deficiency. the principle factor being anemia...ring any bells?........ many vegetarians suffer from a b12 deficiency as it is found in animal products...still ringing??????....... it is a KNOWN fact that contraceptive pills cause a depletion in levels of b12...are the bells getting really loud yet????? some of the symptoms of b12 deficiency are, anxiety,depression, tingling of the hand and feet,loss of appetite, problems with the ears and nasal passages and the clincher for me is the sleep problems!!!! those bells should be deafening by now. I suspect (but am not a doctor so don't hold me to it!) that you were already low on b12 and folic acid before you even started taking yaz so may have been feeling mildly blah with some nodescript symptoms,then when you were on yaz any stores you may have had of this much needed vitamin were destroyed and viola..your life was turned up side down! it may be worth you doing a little research into vitamin and mineral supplements and taking a good all rounder,ie b vits,magnesium,calcium,zinc,definately some fish oil if you do not get a lot of ioly fish in your diet. i'm not saying it will cure you but it won't hurt you and it may well enable you to come off the lexapro in a couple of months. i hope some of this will be of help to you.i am going to go and see a homeopathic practitioner in the new year and in the mean time i am going to carry on taking my vits.i know they won't cure me over night but i am sure they will help me in the long run!

sarah

hi kim123,
have you tried a protein drink or even fruit smoothies,i know how hard it is to eat when you feel the way you do, i lost 2.5 stones in weight at my worst,luckily i still had some baby weight to lose when i was ill otherwise i would have been in a terrible state. i physically could not eat but my husband used to make me drink complan or the slimfast shakes just so that i was getting some vitamins and minerals.
if you feel that you need the AD's please try them,anything that will help you until you feel stronger can only be a good thing, it is so hard to get strong when you feel so bad all the time.you just need a break from your feelings for a while so that you can function and get your strength back up. how old is your little girl? my daughters are 8 and 3. my illness had a real effect on my 8 year old as she was old enough to understand that i was ill but she found me crying so many times she became scared that i was unhappy with her and that i wanted to leave her. the truth is my husband and my children were the only things that kept me going,without them i don't think i could have survived. i did have councelling for a while but as there was no solid reason for why i had suddenly developed anxiety and depression it was of very little help in fact i used to get more anxious about going to see my counceller i would physically shake and cry. i was worried they would think i was insane and lock me up! i had never had a problem before yasmin which is why i think the councelling did not help.if i had suffered a trauma of some kind or had a history of depression i could see it may of helped but i have always been a strong person,i have always dealt with everything life had to throw at me,i am very sensible and very strong although i have always been a little shy. i refused to take the pills that the psychiatrist offered me purely because i was sure i did not have a mental problem i was convinced it was something physical and as it turned out i was right,it was yasmin that had made my hormones go haywire but getting my doctor to believe me was an impossibility. i switched to a female doctor hoping she would believe me but i think she just humours me most of the time. i have learnt a very valuable lesson...never just believe what your doctor tells you,check it out for yourself,research any drugs that you are given and make an informed choice. my doctor told me yasmin would cure my problems that i was having after the birth of my youngest child...how wrong could he have been,that pill nearly ended my life,it has certainly affected the quality of my life because even though i have got better and better over the last 7 months the memory of what has happened to me is still with me. i never knew that hormones could cause so many problems both physical and mental,the worst mine had ever done before taking yasmin was make me a little snappy each month and give me a couple of annoying spots! i wish i had left them alone.
if you need someone to chat to kim please email me. ****** i am at my computer pretty much most of the day,i am in the uk so your night is probably my morning,i will always answer you if you need a friend just to rant to,i missed that when i was having a bad night and could not sleep i had no-one to chat to that understood how i felt. i am sure that you will get through this kim,i know you think you are not strong enough but you ARE getting through it now,you must be strong to have endured this much so far. You will get better,it may not seem like it now but it will happen little by little and day by day,it may only be a few hours you feel ok for to start with but then it will be half a day,then a whole day and so on until one day you will think..hey i've felt great all week!
i send you a big computer hug,i really hope you feel better soon for both you and your daughter,be strong and be positive.

sarah

Hi to everybody.
replying to lilahk, i also had a fast heartbeat while on yasmin. I had one episode that really frightened me. My heart just started to race and would not slow down. I had an ecg done that afternoon and it just showed a very rapid heartbeat and pulse.

I did have a follow up appointment in which the doctors described it as a tachycardia. I stopped taking yasmin shortly after that and never experienced it again.

I can only describe it as feeling a butterfly in my chest. This went on for about 24 hours and then went back to normal.

I cant imagine what it must be like to have it ongoing. At least you are off yasmin now. As you will see from all the other ladies here it takes a while for your body to get back to normal after yasmin.

I really do believe that a good multivitamin helps a lot because i feel that for myself, yasmin depleted a lot of vitamins and minerals in my body. I was on yasmin for 4 years.

Please go to your doctor and tell them what is happening to you. Sometimes reasurrance is a great healer. It is terrifying when something is happening to you and no medical person will help or believe you. Maybe you are lucky enough to have a good doctor. I hope so.

Insist on answers. I had to.

Most of all try not to get too anxious about things. I know that when i was feeling bad i worried and then i felt worse. You will start to feel ok again soon. It just takes a little while for yasmin to leave your body.

Keep us posted on how you are getting on and i wish you the best of luck.
murph70

hi guest 32341,
have you tried switching the time you take your pill until just before bed? some people have suggested that this may ease some of the symptoms because you pretty much sleep them off. if you are reluctant to switch to another brand of pill then give this option a try. i am a little concerned as you say that you are finding everyday things are a chore and that you are feeling overwhelmed, i was the same,i lost interest in everything,my friends,my social life,my marriage and my kids.everything was just too much like hard work,i became very introverted which is so not me! i also started to suffer other mental and psychological side effects that i never for one minute thought could be caused by my bcp. maybe you could try taking them at night for another cycle and if you are not improving or are getting worse then please please talk to your doctor about switching to another brand of pill, maybe a lower hormone dose pill. my hormones were also all over the place after having my youngest child as i breast fed her exclusively for a year and my poor body was lacking essential vitamins and minerals so i was not in the best shape when i started this pill and my life became a nightmare because of it. whilst you are still taking yasmin drink loads of water (as much as you can) take a supplement of vitamin b6 as well as a b complex and also some magnesium and calcium and also some zinc. you may be able to find a good multivit that contains all of these things try to take approx 30-50 mg b6 daily. best wishes to you whatever you decide to do. i hope that everything will turn out well for you and that you can get back to being a caring compasionate mother and friend.

sarah

eryka,
i suspect the reason you feel worse this week than you did last week is that your body is trying to return to it's normal cycle so if you stopped taking the pill 2.5 weeks ago you are probably ovulating at the moment. i had a similar problem when i stopped taking yasmin,i suspect estrogen dominance is the problem (ie you do not have sufficient levels progesterone to oppose the effects of the estragen) i find that although vastly improved i still suffer a mid month wobble as i call it,i have been off yasmin for 3 months now and i am feeling much better than i did,i suffered severe anxiety/panic attacks which led to agoraphobia but i am now out and about again and enjoying my life once more. hang in there eryka it will get better but it will not be over night but be reassured that it WILL get better.look into estrogen dominance and see if your symptoms sound familiar,if they do have a chat to your health care provider. in the mean time take a good B complex,vitamin b6 and some magnesium as the contraceptive pill can make you deficient in all these essential vitamins and minerals and cause your symptoms to be worse,of course a sensible diet and excercise are also great for helping your body recover. i really hope that helps you,i know how awful and soul destroying the effects of this pill can be,that is why this site has been a life saver for so many women,me included!

hi aal,just a quick update on my progress.
i have been off yasmin now for 13 weeks...i feel soooo much better,virtually all of my anxiety has gone,i can now pretty much do all of the things i did pre-yasmin. i have just got back from a holiday in spain.three months ago the thought of leaving my house or going to the shops terrified me. i still have a racing heart now and again,still get the shakes when i am pre menstrual and the anxiety gets a little worse again around ovulation but i know it will go away so it doesn't bother me much any more. i don't have the scary thoughts now (other than occasionally when premenstrual) the dizziness has gone,my appetite is back,the headaches are on their way out. i just wanted to share these things with everyone on this site as it has given me some just knowing that i am not alone and i am not crazy,this pill causes some of the worst side effects i have ever heard of from a birth control pill....if this is the next generation pill i'll stay in the past thank-you! i still have a hormone imbalance (suspect estrogen dominance) am going to see my gp and see what she suggests.other than that i am still taking all the vitamins and minerals and just living with the knowledge that it will get better,i know that it will because of all the amazing women who have posted their stories and updates here as a life line for all the rest of us.

all the best...... love many,trust a few but always paddle your own canoe!

hi silke,
dehydration and anxiety are definately linked,when the body is lacking something it switches on it's emergeny mechanisms to survive so it is quite possible that valuable vitamins and minerals are used up in this emergency state. As yasmin has a strong diuretic effect it is not surprising that anxiety etc gets worse.As you were on it for so long i imagine most of your stores were used up a long time ago. i carry a bottle of water with me wherever i go,i am never without one! i drink at least 2.5 litres of water a day. like you i also take magnesium as it seems to help. i take evening primrose oil for pms,garlic pills for good blood circulation,omega 3,6,9 oil for the brain and nerves and calcium to balance the magnesium! it all seems to help me. The other thing that gets me through it all is the faith that i will be back to my old self and hopefully stronger than before. i am still having trouble with agoraphobia which appeared when my panic attacks came on but i am doing my best to get over with the power of positive thinking! I am hoping that now my periods have returned that nature will take over and get my body back to normal! the memories of this nightmare will take longer to heal though i think. best wishes to you silke,i really hope that the water and magnesium work for you and that you soon feel better than ever.

sarah (greetings from england!)

I TOOK MY FIRST DOSE OF 750MG LEVAQUIN LAST NIGHT AFTER STAYING UP LATE WATCHING A MOVIE..ABOUT 2:50AM. I WOKE UP, TOTALLY ALERT, AFTER ONLY 2 HOURS OF SLEEP. THERE WAS NO GOING BACK TO SLEEP. I WAS ALSO HAVING WHAT FELT LIKE A HOT FLASH BUT COOLED DOWN OK AFTER TURNING ON THE FAN.
TONIGHT, I TOOK MY SECOND DOSE AROUND 1 AM AND WOKE UP EXACTLY 2 HOURS LATER. AGAIN, WIDE AWAKE... BUT THIS TIME I AM HOT, BUT ALSO FEEL LIKE I AM HAVING AN ANIETY ATTACK OR SOMETHING...I FEEL LIKE MY HEART IS FLUTTERING IN MY THROAT. ANYWAY, IT SCARED ME ENOUGH TO GET ON MY COMPUTER AND GOOGLE/DOGPILE THE DRUG NAME... AND I WAS CERTAINLY SURPRISED TO SEE A SIMILAR RESPONSE. I ALSO TOOK SOME VITAMINS AND MINERALS AT BEDTIME AS WELL. I WILL NOT CONTINUE THIS DRUG AND HOPE I FEEL NORMAL SOON.

I've been searching for details about what vitamins and minerals are depleted, when taking Zyprexa. Does anyone know where I can find such information? Thanks.

I know this might sound strange, but I actually suffered hair loss from Yasmin. Now that I'm off Yasmin, I've seen a noticeable and positive difference in my hair.

Because Yasmin is a diuretic, many of our essential vitamins and minerals escape our bodies daily. This is not healthy long term.

Most women have side effects from birth control pills. What we have to realize is that there are other options: why don't we just use condoms instead? That way we don't have to worry about hormonal or other problems and most importantly, condoms offer the best protection against STDs. Plus, if we aren't on the birth control pill, maybe we'll actually want to have sex because we won't feel so darn moody!

Going to the bath room day and 3 0r4 times a night do you loose vitamins and minerals?