Health problems symptoms and conditions

PLEASE HELP! My father, age 74, was on lipitor for a year or so and then was switched to zocor a few weeks ago to help control his cholestorol. In the past week, the tightening he experienced in his leg, while on lipitor, has become debilitating leg pain now while he is on Zocor. Ultrasounds have ruled out a blood clot. He has no pain when he sits, but he describes the pain has his calf wanting to explode when he stands and he cannot walk with out the help of a cain. The pain radiates from his leg up to his hip.

His cardiologist has taken him off the zocor for a few weeks to see if there is an improvement. It has been 3 days and he feels a bit of relief. SO here is the million dollar question: His labs indicate his cholestorol is normal now, most likely thanks to the statins.....can anyone suggest another form of meds that will help regulate his cholestorol....say COeq10 and fish oil? Any help is SO appreciated!!! Thanks to each of you for your posts. It is so comforting for my dad to know he isn't developing a new issue and that it can be resolved with the removal of zocor!

started 10 mg in 1998. was controlling everything ok. In 2004 developed weakness in both legs, started slurring words and eye trouble, went to several doctors then in April 2005 had to quit work as I was just to weak. That was at age 54. Finally a neurologist diagnosed me with Myasthenia gravis, and lambert eatons myasthenic syndrome. Had my thymus gland removed, which is supposed to put disease in remission, also had small cell lung cancer surgery at same time. improvement did not come and the drugs for myasthenia only made me sick. started having chest pains and doctors ,.found several blockages in my heart ,still do as to weak for surgery, cardiologist took me off of lipitor and I seem to have stabilized, still have trouble with short term memory, and vision, and really weak

I have been on Prednisolone about 4 times in recent years. the highest dose was last year when i was on 80mg reducing weekly by 5mg. I have had most of the side affects you all talk about above. I have severe colitis so the side-effects of this drug are something i have to put up with. at the moment i have all the classic side-effects i usually get, rapid hunger, swelling to my face (moon face), neck has layer of fat, swollen back (buffalo hump), bruising easily, horrible taste in my mouth, swollen stomach. the one good side effect is it gives me lovely smooth skin lol. anyway the point of my post isn't to rip this drug appart as i have to say for me its a wonder drug and this time has prevented me from having my bowel removed! from personal experience once you finish the steroid treatment after a few weeks you'll notice the swelling go, my hunger usually fizzles out quite quickly (altho i have a large appetite in the first place!!) none of the side effects are permanent, so please all rest assured you will go back to normal just try not to put on too much weight while on the drug.

I'm a 25 year old female. I received my first shot August '07. I had noticed an increase of nausea but blamed it on stress. In October '07 I was hospitalized for a week! I had SEVERE nausea/vomiting and horrific pelvic pain, on my right side only. I received the 2nd and 3rd shots, and none of it connected for me until my grandma asked me if all my health problems occurred AFTER the shots began. Since the beginning of the series, I've been in an out of the ER with severe pain and nausea/vomiting. I had an exploratory laparotomy last November. My Ob/Gyn said she found "spots" on my right ovary and under my uterus. She biopsied 1, said it wasn't endometriosis, but gave me the treatment (Lupron) for it anyway to try it out to see it it helped. Lupron effectively shuts down your reproductive system. I was on the therapy for 9 months, and for 8 months I was essentially pain free (yay! right?) But the pain is back now, worse than before. My Ob/Gyn thinks she misdiagnosed me now. Awesome. I'm taking a combination of Indocin, Ibuprofen, Relafen and when I have it, Vicodin, to help with the pain. I stopped the birth control pills, they've been no help. So now its time to try and find a way to fix me. I hope there is a way. I do believe this is all because of Gardasil.

I took Yaz for 8 months. I suffered bilateral pulmonary embolism in April 2008. I have an enlarged right ventricle and tricuspid regurgitation due to the PE's, which I have to be on medication for the rest of my life. I am now unable to take any form of hormone replacements to control my endometriosis and ovarian cyst, so I am now looking at a possible hysterectomy. I am only 30 years old, which way too young to be having these health problems, all due to a birth control pill!!

I am 30 yrs old and have been on NuvaRing for a year or so. When I first started the NV, I was healthy and had no health problems. Since then a gradual onset of multiple symptoms.

It started with pain during sex, then not wanting to have sex, and now I haven't had sex with my husband in a few months because it hurts and I have no drive. I have gained weight. I went to the doctor and they told me that my blood pressures were sky high.

I have never ever in my entire life been sad, depressed, or had any mental issues. I feel so depressed, sad, and tired all the time. This past month I have wanted to do nothing but lay around the house. I force myself to go to work and drag though workouts at the gym. I have no reason...my life is great! NuvaRing is the only thing that I could think of. My family MD conducted a physical on me and found no cause other than NR for these symptoms.

My hair is seriously falling out, I have nausea frequently in the morning, bad mood swings, feelings of rage, vaginal discharge, vaginal pain, painful urination, sex drive is totally dead, I hate sex, I'm tired all the time, I'm often constipated even though I eat a healthy diet, I have to take stool softeners, my stomach always feels swollen, I get TERRIBLE headaches 1-2 days before my period starts, cramps are worse, bleeding is worse, and I feel like crap physically/emotionally.

I am taking this out of my body next week. If you read this please spare yourself from the damage this medication can do to your body.

Sadly, I am just another case among many it seems. I am a 26 year old female who was prescribed ciprofloxacin for a UTI at my urgent care center. I have health problems to begin with and did not want any more. You know, I’ve had to take all kinds of meds over the years, including harsh ones, but it was never so bad as to prompt me to write comments on the internet about it. What does that say about Cipro? When I got home from the doctor I read the paper before swallowing the pill, which included the description of side effects. Unfortunately, it did not include the truth about what could happen to you while even taking this drug for a short time. If there had been some kind of warning about the strength and potential risk of taking this drug, I most likely would have steered clear from it since I am sensitive to medications and already suffering. The paper led me to believe false information, listing some common antibiotic side effects, and I ended up starting treatment. Some of the negative effects I experienced while on this medication for only 2 days were: severe muscle/overall body weakness, difficulty breathing, fatigue, mental confusion, difficulty concentrating, anxiety/nervousness, restlessness, mild carpal tunnel pain, slight vision change, stiffness, pain, an overall feeling of terrible heaviness, including of the chest, and possible heart palpitations. It felt like the medication was damaging my body; like it was eating away at my muscles or something. I've never had chemotherapy before, but some how that's how I would imagine it. It felt like it was doing damage to every cell in my body. The worst part is the weakness and altered thinking right now. I hope these symptoms go away completely. I felt better after quitting the drug, but not completely. I am just thankful for my hope in Jesus Christ. Even if things don't improve, I am comforted that He cares for me. I am going to be praying for this terrible situation where doctors are just handing this out for common problems without giving proper warning. May fewer and fewer people have to suffer because of Cipro and this class of drugs. I am also going to report this to the FDA and hopefully to my doctor’s office. I would like to see clear and extensive warnings on this drug, if not for it to be taken off the market. My personal advice to any one who is currently on this medicine and experiencing side effects would be to: drink milk or eat other dairy products to lessen the symptoms. It seemed to temporarily help me.

I had the mirena put in in june after my third child. I did feel a bit dizzy when it was first put in but did not cramp at all. I was still spoting then from giving birth, so it just continued for about 3 more weeks the stopped altogether. I have not had a period since, woooooooohooooooooooo!!!!!!!! I don't feel bad about that at all. I did have a day when I woke up cramping and thought I was going to start but never did. My doctors nurse told me everything I needed to know about the mirena long before i had it put in. I actually made the appointment to discuss it with her. Everyone should have been smart enough to ask questions before it was done, not the day it is. You cant think straight when someone is getting ready to put a device in you. I have to say I love my mirena and would not trade it for a pill, a shot, or any other birth control method. Ladies know your gyn very well before trusting them. I think most of you just think it is your doctors fault. It is not it is yours for not researching it more. And come on what women is not moody a day in her life, not many. How many headaches did you get before the mirena? How were your sinuses before mirena? Probably the same. Some womens health simply changes after having a baby. I also advise against you removing these mirenas yourselves. It is not smart, you could get a bad infection from not being in a sterile environment.

I have been on Yasmin for 4 years now and I only recently started to question if some of the things that I have been experiencing are related to this pill. After reading your comments here, I'm more convinced then ever! I am a relatively healthy 31 year right now but for over a year now I have had a terrible ongoing ache in the back of my right thigh, just above my knee. I went to a vein specialist who just wanted to inject me to reduce the vein and "hoped" that it would help resolve the pain. He said that I had reticular veins and that they can be painful but as I understand it, you can get pain in your deep veins, which can result in deep vein thrombosis and even pulmonary embolisms (very life threatening). I have also had terrible ongoing headaches that last me 3 days at least once per month. I've always suffered from migraines so I didn't necessarily connect these headaches to the pill. I have absolutely ZERO sex drive. It's like I have to force myself to do it and it fills me with anxiety to even "gear up" for it. I have vaginal dryness, which can be very frustrating during foreplay and painful during sex. I had previously always been pleased that Yasmin resolved my 10 + year battle with painful cystic back acne. I have beautiful, clear skin on my back since I started taking Yasmin. I have also experienced fairly normal periods (for me). I used to have debilitating cramps and periods so heavy that I would wear a tampon and double my pads (with wings) so that I could live through the first part of the day at work without completely breaking through and bleeding through my pants. They would last for 5 - 7 days but with the pill I have more normal periods, manageable cramps, minor bloating, and still a heavy flow but not nearly as bad as before. I have always had good cholesterol levels and low triglycerides until 4 years ago when I started the pill. Since then I have had 2 blood tests where my cholesterol has skyrocketed and my triglycerides are triple the "normal" range. I eat healthier now then ever before and I regularly exercise as well so I cannot explain my cholesterol change, nor can my doctor (after showing a food diary of mostly fruits, veggies, limited whole grains, lean meat and optimal water). He told me to "go on a low carb diet" and "stay away from "sugars". I can't explain it either, I am always thirsty. I drink almost a gallon of water a day. I have this constant craving for a beverage and dryness if I'm not consistently sipping on water. My eyes are always dry, so dry in fact that it makes me feel tired or like I just want to close them to give them a break. I just started using eye drops, which has helped. Also, I'm tired, very very tired. It's summer so my energy is better only because I force myself to go workout, which always makes me feel better. I must say though, all in all, I have some concerning symptoms that seem to be prevalent throughout the blog but I've also had some positive effects from Yasmin. My concerns and your comments however are enough to take myself off the pill (Yasmin and all others) to try and live with my natural hormones instead of the synthetic in the pill. I think the potential risks outweigh the rewards. Thank you all for sharing and helping me in my decision making process.

This is an evil drug, far more dangerous than most illegal drugs. It ruined my life. I wish I had never been put on it. It was the first drug I, a teenager, was put on, having just been diagnosed with my disease.

I hadn't tried other drugs or other treatments; medical guidelines, I know now, say not to use this drug unless the disease is both severe and other treatments have failed. Well, I hadn't tried other treatments yet, so I shouldn't have been put on this drug. And yet the doctor I was assigned, Dr. Anne Sullivan at the University of Iowa's hospital, thought I needed to be on it, told me it was safe, that it didn't have any side effects, and that I would be completely healthy again in a few weeks.

If I had been told about the side effects, as doctors are supposed to do, according to both legal and medical standards, if my doctor had honestly answered my questions about side effects, I never would've taken it. And I'd advise others to never take this terrible drug. I would rather die than take this drug again.

It did nothing for my disease, but it did give me quite a few side effects, some which, according to the doctors I've subsequently went to, are permanent and long-lasting and there's nothing you can do about them; they're just permanent.

People don't talk about the psychological effects of steroids, but they should; they're serious. And, no, they don't just go away when you stop taking the drug. If the drug makes you bipolar, you're not just going to just go back to being you're regular self. Bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, these things don't just go away on their own.

I had no problem with mental illness before taking this drug, and yet I'm still severely depressed to this day, part of that, perhaps, is from what the drug did to me, that is, the physical side effects, but part of, I suspect, is just that it changed my personality, like it changed my brain chemistry.

Go here-******to learn about the psychiatric effects of prednisone.

Excerpts:

"Although a powerful therapeutic option, corticosteroids are associated with serious adverse effects, both physiologic and psychiatric. While the somatic adverse effects of corticosteroid therapy (Table 1) have been extensively researched and widely described, the neuropsychiatric adverse effects have received less attention."

"In our literature review, we found that the potential psychiatric adverse effects of corticosteroids span a symptom spectrum from subtle mood changes to full-blown affective syndromes and frank psychosis."

"The most commonly reported corticosteroid-induced psychiatric disturbances are affective, including mania, depression, or mixed states."

"Cognitive deficits, particularly declarative or verbal memory deficits, have been well documented during both long- and short-term corticosteroid therapy."

"More severe cognitive impairment consistent with delirium or dementia has also been described."

"In a case-control study of 20 patients receiving long-term low-dose corticosteroid therapy (prednisone, 7.5 mg/d for >6 months) and 14 volunteers with similar illnesses who were not receiving corticosteroid therapy, Bolanos et al9 found a 60% lifetime risk of corticosteroid-induced mood or anxiety disorder."

"The corticosteroid dosage is the most important risk factor for the development of psychiatric symptoms."

"Psychiatric disturbances can occur at any point during corticosteroid treatment, including almost immediately after initiation and even after cessation of treatment."

"Corticosteroid-induced psychiatric disturbances are common and include mania, depression, psychotic or mixed affective states, cognitive deficits, and minor psychiatric disturbances (irritability, insomnia, anxiety, labile mood)."

"It is important that clinicians in all specialties become aware of the potential psychiatric adverse effects associated with corticosteroids and explain these effects to their patients."

"Which patients will experience corticosteroid-induced psychiatric disturbances cannot be predicted. Dosage is the most important risk factor for the development of adverse effects, with patients receiving less than 40 mg/d at minimal risk, those taking 40 to 80 mg/d at moderate risk, and patients receiving more than 80 mg/d at high risk. Most patients will develop symptoms during the first week of treatment, and more than 90% will develop symptoms by 6 weeks."

Side effects: mixed bipolar disorder/manic-depression, suicidal ideation, cystic acne, scars on my face, panic attacks, severe anxiety, rage, euphoria, sadness, impulsiveness, confusion, memory loss, hard to concentrate and remember, thin skin, delayed healing ability, bruises, premature aging, rapid heart beat, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, higher cholesterol, thyroid disease, sweating all over, itching all over, joint pain, increased appetite, massive weight gain, stretch marks, hormones out of balance now, dry eyes, so dry my eyelids stick to my eyes, so dry I can't wear contacts any more, permanent red eyes, blurry vision, vision worsened, eye pain, eyes sensitive to light, migraines, and yellow skin.

Wow you are all a bunch of complainers who try and blame XYZ on Yasmin which probably have ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the pills. I have bee diagnosed with PCOS and have been on hormone therapy since age 15, first zovia, which worked well enough but did not get rid of a lot of my symptoms, only lessened them somewhat, so now I am on yaz. My depression has completely subsided, I feel GREAT and only had some nausea which almost EVERYONE gets when taking a hormone therapy birth control pill. Trust me, if you are going to have SIDE EFFECTS it is not going to happen 4 YEARS LATER, please.... grow up and take responsibility for yourselves, rather than trying to blame a pill

I went to this web site because I want to help my wife. She's been on Jolessa for 8 weeks now. As of this week, her heart has been "fluttering" for lack of a better word. She went to the ER room and they said basically that nothing's wrong with her but she is experiencing premature ventricular contractions (PVC's) which are not dangerous (according to the doctors). She asked the doc's if she should stop taking Jolessa and of course they said,"no."

We're wondering if anyone else is experiencing this feeling with this junk? My wife is 38 years old, healthy, never had heart problems or disorders. As of the past few weeks though,she's been feeling down in the dumps, sluggish and has a slight mode change.

If anyone is experiencing a change in heart rhythm, since taking Jolessa, please post it here. Thank you.

I was diagnosed with PTSD, Major depression and social phobia back in 1996, when i was 17. I was being treated by a quack psychiatrist who prescribed me Zyprexa in 1998. I never heard or seen things that others couldn't hear or see until i took this drug. Let me tell you i've probably been on a third of the pills in a PDR but NEVER have i been on a drug that destroyed my life like Zyprexa. It caused me to have angry outburst. Zyprexa caused me to have SVT (Supraventricular Tachycardia) in which my heart would nearly race out of my chest. It also caused me to have Sleep Paralysis in which i was seeing demons. Zyprexa put my athletic body into a chronic fatigue and hypersomnia and i gained 150lbs in 15 months of taking this drug. The quack psychiatrist no longer has a license to practice...it seems he had many patients die on his meds. I filed a class action lawsuit against the drug maker of Zyprexa that is still in effect. 10 years after taking this drug the weight will not come off and it's caused me to develop health problems such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.

My son suffered from pneumonia at age 6 months till age 2. They had him on Flovent and Singulair from the age of 1. For as long as we can remember, he has been an aggressive, mean, bitter, angry child. The slightest thing would set him off. The doctors had just had him tested for tumors and cancers and other serious head related problems because he was constantly complaining of headaches. All tests came back normal. Then we heard that Singulair can cause ADD amongst many other side effects, including headaches. We took him off of Singulair and after only 2 days off of it he was a completely different little boy. He is happy and loving, calm and patient. He isn't dissolving in a fit of rage at the simplest thing. We can not believe the difference in how he is acting.
We found about 2 years ago a natural supplement that has really helped control his and my asthma and allergies. It is called OPC-3. It is an incredible anti oxidant that helps with so many health problems! If you would like more info, just let me know. It has been a life saver for our family and many others! Here is a website where it can be found.
******
It is under the health and nutrition tab on the left side.
Good Luck!!

I started using lipitor from my doctor, it lowered my cholesterol all around but I started to have lower back pains. At first I thought it might be prostate cancer, but after having to MRI's done they found no cancer, thank god. But I went to an orthopedic surgeon to see what the problem was. He looked at the mri's and saw lower dics hitting my nerve endings. He also thought that it might be muscle problems so he gave me 3 epidurals and that helped for a while took away about 50% of my pain, but I still have the pain, It is hard for me to get comfortable when I sit or even when I am sleeping. I don't want to think that it is the lipitor that is doing it to me but after talking with others I feel it is time to talk to my doctor about it. My doctor said that lipitor is the safest one that will do very little harm to my liver. I am not a doctor so I would not know.. My cholesterol level was 246 at one time now it is 175. I am now facing possible spine fusion to help correct my disc problem. But will also ask doctor to prescribe something else.

Alan

Due to the large amount of people who suffer devastating side effects from Lipitor and other statins, I would like to encourage each and everyone of you to tell your story on home video and post that video on****** This will be one of the best ways to alert the world to the dangers of this drug.

I check these posts daily, so I have been posting a lot! I'm still amazed at so many of us having problems and doctors doubting us!, Mine has been out since yesterday morning and granted I did not have the Mirena for long , but I'm back to my happy self!!! Please do not wait it out, it won't get better only worse...the quicker you get Mirena removed the quicker you will be doing your body good! My Doctor said he had never heard of Mirena giving any woman these side effects??? He also said I should get blood work done to make sure there was nothing wrong with me...Mirena is what was wrong with me!!! I am sorry so many of you have these health problems now and wish you all the best!

Since I have taken this medicine I have had elevated blood pressure, dizziness after extended periods of strenuous activity, and a continual groggy detached feeling. I am a young man and have never had any health problems and until I started reading some of the stories about others on this drug I believed there was a major health problem. I have also had trouble sleeping and resting when i do sleep which leads to irritation and the groggy, hazy feeling that I have.

I can't tell you all how glad I am that I found this web site.

I've been taking 10mg Lisinopril daily for about ten months now (for slightly high bp). Beginning last October, I started feeling the following symptoms off and on:

-lightheadedness (including one fainting spell)
-some discomfort and tightness in my chest
-difficulty breathing (when this happened, I would force myself to breathe deeply and usually found that I was breathing OK ... just felt like I wasn't always getting enough air)
-feelings of panic
-muscle pain in back and neck
-diarrhea

I've never really had any previous health problems and I've never suffered from anxiety or panic attacks.

I saw my doctor several different times about these issues. When it first started, my wife wondered if it had something to do with the medication. My doctor (who I really like) said 10 mg is not enough to really do much of anything.

Since I've been on it, my bp has been great. And I knew 10 mg wasn't very much. I believed that the medication wasn't causing it. So I went through the series of tests:

-MRI was normal
-blood tests were normal
-repeated EKGs were normal
-chest x-rays were normal
-stress test was normal

My doctor started thinking it was something mental and talked to me about ways to reduce stress and anxiety. But I knew there was something going on.

Then I found this site. I stopped taking Lisinopril yesterday and am talking to my doctor about changing to something else.

Thanks, all!

I have been on Yasmin a month and was actually looking for other info about the pill when I stumbled across this and a few other sites with all these horror stories. It freaked me out quite a bit, considering a lot of the side effects and health problems did not occur in most stories until the women had been on Yasmin for a while or went off of it.
I had been on birth control for about 7 years (only OrthoTriCyclen) and decided to go off because a) I wanted to give my body a break, b) I had lost my sex drive, and c) I was having mood swings that I was convinced were coming from the pill. The year and a half I was off of it, I felt fine. I just got tired of the irregular cycle and worry of impending baby doom, so I decided to get back on birth control. I had heard from several close friends who were on Yasmin how great it was and how they had no side effects, were feeling great, had breast growth (a plus for me), and overall were very satisfied. I decided to give it a go. So, like I said, it has only been a month. I have not noticed any negative side effects, and I consider myself to be very aware of my body. The only thing I can say is that my breasts did get a little tender throughout the month, but they did grow a good bit as well. My period came the second day of the placebo pills and is what seems to be a regular period. No crazy heavy bleeding, no severe pains. I do have a slight headache, but from time to time I get those with my period, so this is nothing out of the ordinary for me.
I just wanted to post a positive comment so that women who read this information will not be scared to death. All you can do is be aware, track your symptoms and side effects, and if you notice anything fishy, stop taking the pill. I hope this helped.

Glad I took the time to read the noncommercial posts! During my thyroid check last year bloodwork showed high cholesterol. I was put on Crestor in addition to having my Synthroid dose adjusted. A few weeks later I was absolutely miserable. Couldn't get out of bed. Everything hurt. My doctor thought I was "depressed" and asked if I wanted anti-depressants. Not needing to add another pill to my daily repertoire - I declined. Six weeks later I am feeling worse and just want to lay down and cry. The doctor had no idea why I would be feeling that way and was convinced it was either depression or thyroid issue. I was getting ready to leave for a trip to Mexico that had been planned a year in advance and was non-refundable - and I didn't have the strength to even pack the stupid suitcase. The trip was a bust - I laid in a pool chair just feeling crappy. What a waste!

Funny thing - nobody stopped to consider I've had a thyroid problem for 20 years and this horrid nightmare just started after I started taking Crestor! A few weeks later I stopped the Crestor entirely and after a couple of months I felt back to normal. Now, three years later - I've been talked into taking Lipitor. In my naivety (because I explained to the doctor that Crestor made me ill) I trusted that it would be different. It's taken three weeks for me to put two and two together - but here I am again - muscle aches - can't get out of bed. Everything just hurts. My knees, arms, mostly shoulders and in between. With all that is an overall lethargic feeling. Lipitor stops today -and if the pattern continues and I feel better in a few weeks - it's no statins for me ever again. I'll just have to eat like I'm supposed to and hope for the best!

i started taking yaz a couple months ago and developed a blood clot in my lung, a pulmonary embolism. i was hospitalized for a week in may of this year. i have visited many websites to see if other women have developed blood clots due to yaz and i have found a startling number of women that have developed blood clots, and a couple girls who even lost their lives. the side effects of birth control are explained to us before we start taking them, and it is expected that some women will experience the side effects, and this is normal. however, when a disproportionately large number of women start having serious health problems due to yaz, then something is not wrong with us, something is wrong with yaz. i have seen many women express an interest in starting a class action lawsuit and i am trying to do so. i have worked in a personal injury law office for the past 2 years and know an excellent lawyer looking to take on a case of this nature and magnitude. if you or your loved one has developed a blood clot, lost their life, or have developed another serious health problem due to yaz than please email me at ****** with your name and an email address i can reach you at. A class action lawsuit requires a large number of plaintiffs. I have already gotten a few emails but need many more before we can make this happen. please email me... help me and yourself.

I'm a 41 year old female. I was diagnosed with asthma at age 9 and had taken a number of different drugs until the birth of my daughter who is nearing age 7. I had never had problems with my weight or loosing any excess after childbirth. However, after beginning Advair 100/50 over the course of 6 months and after ridding myself of the baby weight, I gained about 25 lbs. 2 years 3 months later came the birth of my son with whom I’d gained nearly 100 lbs after changing to Advair 250/50.

My son was born 9 lbs. and gained 3 more before his first peds visit less than a week later. He has had a number of food and skin allergies since birth and at 4 ½ weighs 98 lbs and is 4 feet fall. His bone age is 8.5 and still growing. Both my son and daughter eat the same things but she is lean and healthy at 170 lbs. and 4’41/2” tall with no food or skin allergies and no other health problems. Therefore, I’m inclined to believe he too was negatively affected by Advair.

My normal weight of 133 lbs. and a perfect size 8 was no more. I actually consume less now than before and with a 4 and 6 year old, I’m quite active and as conscious of my diet as my kids’. However, I’m still tipping the scales at between 195 and 200 lbs. I’ve never had hypertension, headaches, chest pains, muscle spasms, fatigue, feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts but I did...often.

I recently changed insurance plans and tried filling the script only to learn that the rate was so far out of my range that I could no longer afford it. I’ve not taken it for at nearly 60 days and have noticed my headaches are less frequent and far less intense, no chest pain or muscle spasms and I feel more in control able to deal more effectively with my children and colleagues and just life in general. I have to take my Albuterol inhaler far more frequently than I should but I’d rather do that than to feel the way I did taking Advair.

Today I got the results back from my yearly pap. While there were no abnormal cells found, there were also no "transformation" cells found either. I guess these cells protect the cervix from cancer. Now, I'm 37, never had any health problems to really complain about and this is the first time encountering anything like this.Some background on me: I have always had horrible periods, missed periods, and weight issues. We found that I might be polycystic, but it wasn't so bad that I couldn't get pregnant.I've had two children, 2003 and 2006. Shortly after the birth of my 2nd child, I had the mirena inserted about in early 2007. At first I was great with it, periods got lighter, no spotting, and very regular. I'd get some weird sharp cramps every once in awhile, but nothing really to complain about. But over the last few months, the hair loss, the weird acne around my hairline, the hairiness everywhere else besides my scalp, the mood swings, the memory loss, scrambled thoughts, no sex drive whatsoever, and moodiness have gotten worse. I kept thinking, ah, must be stress, work related, recent pregnancy, this that and everything else but the Mirena. Well I'm getting it out. I have to go in anyway to do another exam and more testing just to make sure I'm ok, but I'm not risking my life over not getting pregnant. Its nice to know I'm not at all alone in this. I've got two young children and I'd like to be around, and remain married for as long as possible. I'll post again once its removed. Hoping some of these weird symptoms start to vanish.

I had been taking Yasmin monthly for 8 months with no problems. One week I had horrible leg cramping and pains in my calf. I thought it would go away but after going to the doctor and getting an ultrasound done on my leg, it turned out to be a DVT (deep vein thrombosis). I had to go to the emergency room and be admitted for 5 days. That is also where they told me that I had 3 blood clots (Pulmonary Embolisms) in my lung. I'm only 28, healthy, nonsmoker, P.E. teacher and was diagnosed with blood clots that are from Yasmin. I have no previous health problems and no family history of blood clots. I WOULD NOT TAKE ANY HORMONES IF YOU DON"T HAVE TO!!! Yes, for some people it may not be a possibility but at least don't take Yasmin. With blood clots you can not do anything strenuous, no relaxing massages, no visits to the chiropractor, no random medication like Ibuprofen without doctors approval, no alcoholic beverages since I was on blood thinners. I was moody and miserable when this happened since I had to immediately stop taking Yasmin and was in the hospital with blood clots. Thankfully the blood clots are gone but I'm still on blood thinners and have to be very careful for the rest of my life.