Acne symptoms and conditions

I have been on Loestrin for about 6+ months now. I have a lot of the same symptoms as everyone else. The only thing that is different is that I'm not feeling psycho anymore...because I had my doctor put me on another medication to help with that. The name of it is Lexapro. It is AMAZING! I could tell a huge difference within the first week. I have never felt so rational, level headed, and normal before in my life. My husband loves it! We used to fight all the time. Now, it's only once in a blue moon. Lexapro works wonders, hand in hand with loestrin. As far as the extreme fatigue, weight gain, acne, etc. that I have, I don't know what to do. I haven't had a period in 3 months.

hi everybody !!! How funny Im a 24 yr old and have never had acne just a lil bit when i was pregnant !!! I had mirena put in April 2008 and my doctor talked me into it I was very weirder out by the whole foreign object in my body thing but i ended up just talking myself into it !!! So MY ACNE HAS ONLY WORSENED !!!! And my baby weight will not go away I have always been able to just drop whatever weight i wanted no problem well now after reading everyone elses posts I know its the mirena !!! I am getting this removed ASAP!!! Calling right now to make an app!!! Thank you everyone for posting cause it helped me to make my decision!!!

Hi. I had the mirena put in 8 weeks after my second son was born, that was Feb 26, 2008. Well I didnt feel a thing when it was placed, I felt just fine. The only thing that sucked was I was bleeding heavy every day for 4 months. Then I just started spotting the next 2 months. Then I just stoped bleeding all together. I tell you what Ihave been feeling pregnant ever since. I've taken 10 test and they all came out negative, but i still feel like it. I have my mood swings and i crampy. bloated, depressed, and heck im always tired. Also i have gain so much weight thats its disscussing. I dont even go out in public any more. Cuz when i do people will ask how far along i am and im not even pregnat. But thank god im getting this thing out jan 14th and i hope i start losing weight and get back healthy. Has anyone else can alot of weight with the mirena? I went all the way up to 210 and now im stuck at 190 i dont go past it thats. so hopefully i do when this is removed. Well let me now if anyone has the same problem.

I using Mirena as a method of birth control...until I realized it was inhibiting my weight loss goals.
I had Mirena inserted Jan. of 2008. I was trying to rid the last 20lbs from my pregnancy. Nothing I would do seemed to budge the scale. It was very odd because I've always been small and never had weight management problems. I even started working with a personal trainer 3 times a week. I managed to stump 2 different trainers when my weight would not budge. They would see me at the gym constantly, I wrote down everything I ate.
Finally enough was enough. I had Mirena removed last month. Within days I dropped 5lbs. effortlessly. I don't expect the rest of the weight to melt off like the initial 5lbs but now I know it was in fact Mirena.
I also experienced acne(I'm 28, never had acne before). Fortunately that is starting to clear up as well.
It's a shame because Mirena was a great method of BC but the side effects just aren't worth it, at least for me.

Hi, i am 22 and i got the mirena oct. of 2007 and it was pretty good it seemed for the first year or so, but lil did i know i was having all the same side effects as most of you had/have, the acne i have never in my life ever really had a zit! ha. but it is driving me crazy, and the discharge is my other problem its very heavy. i would just tell myself ohh it will go away but NO! my sex life is pretty non-existent and it has caused my man and i lots of problems and i am very moody! i have had some weight gain which is freaking me out lately. i had lost all my baby weight and now i'm up 8lbs. i didn't get my mirena till 6 months after my daughter was born. i have never had weight problems! i have come to the conclusion that humm maybe it is my mirena, so i had been doing some research and i am having it removed!! i do have an appt. to get it removed. so hopefully it will go away when it is OUT OF THERE!

I am 31 yrs. old and have had 2 children. I had the mirena inserted in late August. Since then, I have had light spotting EVERY day and periods about once a week that last for a few hours. It is so annoying. I am a runner and I can't stand the inconsistency and cramping all the time. I also have had severe acne - which I have never experienced before. Until tonight, I thought it was just a mid-life crisis of acne... but now that I have read all your stories, I am convinced that I too, like all of you, am calling tomorrow to get this taken out.
Thank you all for your stories - they have helped me tremendously.
KS

I take 200mg for partial seizures, added it to neurontin about 9 months ago.
At 300mg I lost the ability to type correctly and would forget what I was saying in the middle of a sentence. I forgot phone numbers and lost a ton of weight. My doctor said that meant I was on too much. I'm glad he put be back to 200 instead of upping the dose, which is what I see most people doing - adding more. I am taking as little as possible to keep the seizures away, and I feel pretty good on it.

My side effects currently are constant movement of my jaw and tongue, and my new side effect is a strange involuntary movement of my arms and legs. I especially notice it when I'm on the computer and I move the mouse, my arm jerks. (At least it jerks in the direction I want it to!!)

Overall, I am happy with it and feel lucky that I'm not having any terrible side effects. The jerking thing is a bit concerning since it is new and I hope it doesn't get worse.

I do think my skin has gotten messed up - not quite acne, but redness under the skin. No bumps though.

Oh - the tip of my tongue gets numb about 15 minutes after I take it. Weird.

I cannot describe how happy I am to have found this webpage. I have been on NR for almost 6 months and have begun to think i am going crazy. I have always been an upbeat person with a lot of energy and a pretty great sex drive. For the past 2 months I have been experiencing severe anxiety to the point where I wake up nervous and have difficulty falling asleep at night. I have chest pain, headaches, loss of appetite, acne (which i thought birth control was supposed to make better), pain in my legs, frequent crying episodes for no reason and absolutely no desire to have sex. I was starting to think I was going a little insane and was wondering what could make me have such anxiety and other symptoms. After reading all of your posts, i realize that it is most likely my NR since I have never had issues like this in the past. I am going to take it out in a few days and see how it goes. Hopefully it is just the drugs and not me going completely insane! I'll let you know how it goes and if anyone else has had these symptoms which have been relieved by taking the NR out, i would love to hear from you!

I had my mirena inserted in Mar/Apr of 2007 and I experienced nothing but hell like the rest of you. Following insertion I was dizzy, had horrible mood swings, was extremely bloated and fatigued all the time. I also experienced horrible acne which included those horrible cysts that form under the skin, they never came to a head and lasted what seems like forever. I bled all the time from light to heavy, never knew if I was actually having my cycle or what, the blood was dark in color and had a horrible odor. I need not forget the joint pain or what felt like a charlie horse, and nausea. I also believed it played a part in my hypertension. Needless to say I had it removed in June of 2008 and I still don't feel I've fully recovered. Now I am experiencing pains on the right side and center of my abdomen and am still experiencing mood swings and joint pain. I also suffered from lower back pain and I'm happy to say that pain seems to have subsided. I wouldn't recommend the Mirena to my worst enemy!! Ladies pay attention to your bodies you know them better than anyone else, if any of these symptoms sound even remotely similar to yours I would advise you have that horrible little device removed asap. If anyone knows of a class action suit I would be happy to join (my cousin as well since her symptoms are the same if not worse than mine). Please post any info you have available so that we may all follow suit.

I had my Mirena inserted about 8 months ago, and although the insertion was so painful that I passed out for a few seconds afterward, I didn't really think I was experiencing any other issues afterward. But after about 3 months I was experiencing pretty bad acne. I went to a dermatologist and she told me that the Mirena may be causing it, and other women have had to have it taken out because of acne problems. I have now been on Doxycycline for the acne for 3 months. And no change. I have large red cysts on my chin and jawline. I can also feel acne on my scalp. I was happy with the reduced bleeding, and no cramps. I really haven't had problems with any other side effects, but the acne is bad, so I am calling tomorrow to have it removed.

Hello everyone
I am 34 year old mother and i have fibroid tumors this is why I got hte Mirena I have had it for 8 months and I am getting it removed. I have back pain , joint pain, No sex drive dizziness, chest pain, acne and i was one that never had that problem now they are out of control. I be extremely tired sometimes I am so tired I can pass out. I have gained 26lbs. I was already overweight and no matter what I do I can't get it off.The mood swings are out of this world so emotional crying all the time some days I can just bite off your head for nothing.My husband and my three children are asking me what is wrong you have never been like this before. So on that note I am getting this thing out of me ASAP the doctors tried to say that weight gain is not a side effect well I no my body better then anybody and it is .

I had the Mirena put in in March or April (can't remember which one) of 2007. It was absolutely the worst pain I had felt in my life when it went in, but by the end of the day I was fine. (I had to walk home from the Planned Parenthood and could barely do it, the pain was so bad at the time.) I didn't notice any side effects, or at least nothing that I immediately linked to the Mirena. I read the list of side effects, but nothing was listed as "severe" and I had no idea that these side effects were so common and so intense.

By summer I was a wreck emotionally. I thought it was due to the stress of my senior year of college. I visited my boyfriend over winter break and snapped at him for every little thing he did or said. I actually threw rocks at him, punched him, etc., and yelled at him ALL THE TIME. I was also crying almost every day by that point. The acne was beginning but it wasn't too bad yet, just a few large cysts on my face, mostly on my chin, but I didn't think that it was connected to the IUD.

By the end of the summer that relationship was over due to my extreme moodiness (this was a long-term relationship and I had never been moody like that before), depression, lightning-quick temper, etc. The acne was still on my face and slowly but surely getting worse. I was still moody and cried all the time.

Fast-forward a year, and by fall 2008 the acne was taking over my face. I was embarrassed to go out. I spent three hundred dollars on makeup to try to cover it up. I think I still have scars on my chin, but it's hard to tell through the cysts that remain. Like many women who have posted here and elsewhere online, my acne was disgusting: giant, red, painful cysts that never came to a head and took weeks to go away. They didn't respond to any acne medication. I saw a dermatologist and she told me it was probably my toothpaste (my toothpaste causes acne on my forehead??) and told me to take antibiotics. Of course that didn't work. I was also a complete train wreck emotionally. I was in a new relationship but continued the same behaviors as in the previous relationship post-Mirena: short temper, yelling, overreacting to minor things, sometimes physical violence because I just got SO ANGRY with little or no provocation. There were a few months when I literally cried every day, sometimes multiple times a day. I thought it was due to the stressful things that were going on in my life and didn't even imagine it could be related to the Mirena.

A few days ago, on December 30, 2008, I was so fed up with the acne that I was googling, and I knew that sometimes acne can have hormonal causes. So I googled "Mirena acne" and came across this message board and many others, all of them basically saying the same thing. I showed my current boyfriend (who on several occasions almost broke up with me because of my moody, irrational behavior that I now know was caused by the Mirena!) what all of you and the women on the other boards had written, and I called to see how quickly I could get the thing taken out. On the phone with the insurance company, I started crying when she said I would probably have to wait three weeks to have it removed. I wept for a long time and then the next day I went straight into the urgent care center, where I again ended up crying. After much begging and looking completely pathetic, they finally agreed to take it out, and since then, I have felt five thousand million percent better. I haven't cried or felt like crying since I had it removed, and I haven't been moody or irritable or angry or quick-tempered. My boyfriend has said and done things that I know would have made me cry or want to punch him in the face, and I haven't reacted in either of those ways since the Mirena has been out of my body. I actually thought it would take a while for the hormones to get out of my body, but I feel SO MUCH BETTER already.

It took a long time for these symptoms to show up for me, and a long time for me to realize what was causing them. For anyone who is considering the Mirena, I would strongly encourage you to try the Paragard or one of the other non-hormonal methods. I actually had used the Nuvaring for a while too, and that one wasn't as bad as this. The Mirena has been HELL. The only positive side effect I had from it was that my periods got really light, to the point that I didn't have to use tampons or really much of anything beyond pantiliners. I'm scared to try the Paragard because it's supposed to make your periods much heavier, and also because the Mirena was such a hellish contraption. Other effects I've had that may or may not be due to the Mirena are: constipation, though this may have been due to the stress of living overseas; fatigue; dizziness, like I'm going to pass out and/or fall over if I stand up too quickly; inability to lose weight unless I am literally starving.

I have had the Mirena IUD for 4 1/2 years. The last two years have been hell. I have gained 50 pounds, suffered from depression, anxiety, acne, NO sex drive and have basically become a totally different person. I used to be a fit confident women and now I am a total train wreck. I can't believe I never connected all my problems to Mirena before now. I started researching new birth control since my Mirena is up in 6 months. Now I want to run to the Gyno and get this thing out of me asap. Thanks for everyone sharing -- it's nice to know I am not alone.

Hey there,
I had my Mirena inserted a little over 2 months ago. The inserstion was pretty pain-free as the sister used local anesthetic.
Other than the severe cramps I felt that night, I must be honest that I have not experienced any of the painful side effects I've read about on all the forums I've found.
I spot here and there, but my periods are definitely lighter.
My sex-drive is through the roof! I had a high libido to begin with, so I'm not complaining.
The ONLY 2 negative side-effects I've experienced, are a little bit of acne on my chin, and hair loss. I'm hoping these will calm down though (as it states on the official Mirena website), but if not, I will most likely have it removed.
I had terminated a pregnancy one month before insertion, so I'm really just wanting to give my cervix a break which is why I don't want to have it removed unless I absolutely have to!
Is it possible to only experience these rare symptoms and none of the more common ones?
In Mirena's defence: has anyone ever read the side-effects of the birth control pills so many of us have used? It's become common to just accept the fact that we will most likely gain weight, get varicose veins, have headaches etc...
I suppose, nobody can feel what you're feeling, so if it doesn't work, change it.
I'm really hoping that mirena works for me, so if anyone has a positive experience, please share it!
All the best...

yes, I two have had the back pain screaming at my kids no sex drive also, the acne wow big red pimples with scaring never before have i had this in my life i had the mirena for 2yrs i have no insurance so i pulled it out myself but have a lot of bleeding at times with clots i am scared out of my mind but i have no money to go to a gyn so, can someone help what should i do i was gonna wait a week or so, to see if bleeding stops if not don't know what i should do i have had it out for 4dys and I feel great I swear I can feel the difference so, much more relaxed and not screaming.. I wish i would of never received this IUD it's been a long 2yr nightmare!!

i took lupron only once and stopped because of all the side effects. immediate side effects were back pain, MAJOR DEPRESSION and mood swings, blurry vision with extra sleep in the eyes.

i have endo and had a laporoscopy for it but still had pain so doc said to use lupron. it is the worst drug i have had to take with the most side effects. I ONLY HAD ONE SHOT and i STILL HAVE BACK PAIN 6 months later!!!!! i am a drummer and now cannot play the drums. i have tried acupuncture but did not work for me just made pain worse. i also have gotten more acne, blurry vision, stomach issues. my life is not the same and now i have the side effects from LUPRON AND ENDO.

I went to docs for the back pain told them i took lupron they cannot find anything wrong. i went to a rhumatologist also. i am supposed to get a bone scan to see if they can find anything but they are doubtful. the only thing that helps with the side effects are back rubs, heating pads, tiger balm, taking walks, breaks from the computer and an occasional puff from mary jane seems to be the only things that help.

DO NOT TAKE LUPRON THIS DRUG IS BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I HAVE HAD THE MIRENA IN FOR 4 YRS NOW. I LOVE THE CONVENIENCE OF IT BUT I HAVE GAINED ALOT OF WEIGHT IN THE LAST 4 YEARS A TOTAL OF 50 LBS!!!!!! I HAVE BEEN READING THE INSERTS AND HAVE SEEN THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED WEIGHT GAIN, AND I AM JUST WONDERING IF ANY ONE HAS SPOKE WITH A DOCTOR REGARDING THE WEIGHT GAIN?? WHEN I GOT THE CONTRACEPTIVE I WAS TOLD THAT THIS DIDNT CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN, BUT I AM WONDERING IF THAT WAS UNTRUE DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT THAT I HAVE GAINED. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE EXPEREINCED THE SAME SIDE AFFECT. I AM ANXIOUS TO KNOW IF AFTER ANYONE GOT THIS TAKEN OUT IF THEY LOST WEIGHT RIGHT AWAY?? PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

AIMEE

I started birth control a couple months before I got married. I was on alesse and it made me rapidly gain weight. I went to the gyn and she ranted and raved about NuvaRing. I was excited to get off alesse and that I didn't have to remember to take a pill everyday.
The first month was great. I didn't feel the ring and some weight was starting to come off from the previous bc. I have been on it a total of three months and will no longer continue. I cry at the drop of a dime; I am bloated in my midsection as well as even more weight gain; I have zero sex-drive; When my husband and I do have sex, I am crying because it hurts so bad; I have terrible mood-swings; acne; bad cramps (I never have had cramps before); and not to mention, horrible headaches and even my first migrane!
I thought I was becoming a crazy person and have felt like my husband deserves better than me. Come to find out, that person he married is in there still, but hiding under drugs.
What other birth control has anyone gone on that works since the NuvaRing??

After starting NuvaRing a year ago, my 1st 2 periods were much heavier than usual. Now I go through 2-3 tampons throughout my whole cycle. I've had acne for >10 years, and it wasn't as effective in helping my skin.

Other than that, it's been the greatest thing since the invention of birth control. I take several medications which compete for liver enzymes, such as an anticonvulsant, and am often on antibiotics (related to the acne). Plus, I don't have to worry about an oral contraceptive being less effective. And the sex is great!

Shame on me... I had read similar reviews when I was prescribed NuvaRing a year ago, and thought "Side effects vary among women", but the general consensus seems to be that WE are the majority, not the "occasional" exception.

I have been experiencing many of the same disastrous effects of the Ring for the past 12 months I have been on it. Depression, ZERO SEX DRIVE, headaches, intense mood swings that lead to physical aggression, frequent (nearly daily) uncontrollable crying, anxiety, more vaginal discharge, pain after sex (on the rare occasion that it DOES happen) and overall a poor outlook on life. It's ruining my relationship with a wonderful man, who (bless his heart) is nearly at the end of his rope dealing with me and all the tribulations listed above.

To those of you who thought you were crazy, BEFORE you blame yourself, consider that the Ring may be a contributing factor.

I am so miserable. I had the mirena inserted at 6 wks post partem in June 2008. My doctor told me I'd bleed for about 3-6 months initially until my body "stabilized". I spotted on and off for 4 mths, and had my first yeast infection ever within that 4 months! I also began to become very moody, weepy, tired all the time, experienced terrible constipation, bad headaches and had the most irritating acne. I even went to my regular doc about being tired to get my thyroid levels checked and they were fine. I didn't even think that it could be the mirena b/c I didn't do the research on it before hand! I wish I would have! I have also experienced another yeast infection-and think I may have another now! That makes 3 since I've had this thing-in a 6 month period! Then in early October I began having hives on my extremities, and since have it on and off all over-no change in soaps or lotions or anything like that. I have no reason for them...except for the mirena. This past week I've had terrible abdominal cramps and painful intercourse. So I went to check for the placement of my strings...and...they're not hanging out anymore! So I will definately be calling my OB in the morning and having this thing removed...hopefully no damage has occured!

I had my Mirena inserted in April. The first visit to the doctor, she was unable to insert it, she gave me a prescription for something to dilate me so it could be inserted easily (she said perhaps the fact that I had never had children, made it harder to insert). I went back the next day, and although it was still difficult, she managed to get it inserted. I was fine the first five months, after this I started having headaches (some lasting days at a time), very sharp shooting pains down my buttocks, moodiness, lack of interest in sex, depression, some acne, and bloating. I too was told that this would be the perfect birth control for me, my doctor said she even uses it and loves it. After years of birth control pills taking a toll on my body, I decided to switch to Mirena, now I'm wondering if I made a huge mistake. My fiance swears that he can sometime feel the device while we're having sex, he says it feels like it's "poking" him. I went back to have the string cut shorter thinking this would help, but apparently it has not. I also think I have a UTI now from the Mirena, I have never had one ever in my life until now. I'm very disappointed. I figured it was the "perfect" birth control, and now, I am second guessing my decision. Please...if you are considering Mirena, think about all of your options first!

hey, this is my first time taking the pill ever!!!! i was on theshot almost 2 yrs ago after i had my daughter for about 2 yrs that was cool no weight gain nothing:) but then my doc told me she had 2 take me off because the hormone makes u lose bone mass(yikes!!!) so 2 yrs later i back at it with loestrin so far so good. my period is ramdon i spot here and there no acne thank goodness. i always had depressing moments i don't if i'm having more or this is jus regular ol me crying, lol, but anyway i sorta like it im stick it out until i can't take it anymore. i think it may just b how ur body reacts to certain types of bc, bcuz i kno that my best friend had major issues with her body when it comes to bc but me 4 the most part i'm cool so i goona stick 2 it until then!!! peace

I took doxycycline for a little acne on my back I would get when I worked out.
I am a fit healthy man of 48 years. People tell me I look late twenties early thirties. I have to tell you all my experience with this antibiotic has been a nightmare for me.

Stomach queasiness, severe stomach pain, dizziness, headaches, lower back pain, from no acne on face to small blisters and acne. Depression and panic attacks.

I went to my doctor and demanded my blood get checked for everything
from STD's to HIV. Everything came back negative and no answers other than I had a severe allergic reaction to the medication.

I took this medication for a month twice a day. I have been off for two months now and I am just now feeling better I can eat without feeling stomach queasiness. My face is getting better but still hoping it will return to normal.

I started taking Primadophlius and Ester-c to help build my immune system.

I haven't exercise yet because I am afraid to weaken my body. This drug really scared me. I sincerely hope all of you get better:-)

I am 29 and mother of a 5yr old Angel and 5 mth old Ayden. I started the NuvaRing after I had my son. I liked it for the first month, but the second month was not good at all! See, I was hoping to skip periods to avoid the pain that comes from my endometriosis, and PMS which seems I have had all my life! And of course, it came highly recommended from my doctor's office as well. I started to loose weight pretty steadily in the 6 weeks that followed the birth of my son, but all of a sudden the seventh or eighth week my weight remind stagnant and I actually gained 10 pounds since having it out for only 4 weeks! I have been putting on weight in my mid section and tummy area. It has become difficult to loose any weight even with working out, but the worse part has been the drastic mood changes, irritability, problems concentrating, migraines I don't wish upon anybody, acne, leg cramps, bloating, and horrible post partum depression that I think-now that I have read all your side effects that it wasn't the overwhelming feeling of having the now 2 children and having to return to work even after having 12 weeks of maternity leave after my son was born. I am relieved, and happy that I never put in the 3rd months ring. I think the NuvaRing has a lot to do with it all. I have been off the NuvaRing now for about three and a half-going on four weeks and the side effects have only seemed to become worse. It has put a strain on my marriage because my husband doesn't understand whats going on with me and I have refused to take my Lexapro because I am scared of what it may do to me with my hormones and mind all out of wack...I am desperate to find something that will make this STOP. I am not sure what my doctor may recommend, or if I would even take anymore recommendations from them. They must know that this is happening, right? I guess thats a question we should ask our doctors.