Migraine symptoms and conditions

I have been on Yasmin for a little over a year. I also have suffered from migraine headaches for a few years. My doctor kept putting me on different meds to help with my headaches but nothing has worked. These headaches I've been getting lately aren't at all like my normal migraines. I get sharp pains in only one side of my head and it feels like there is so much pressure that my head is going to explode. It hurts to breathe through my nose, and if I sit up or stand it gets worse. I have been depressed and irritable so he put me on anti depressants. Then I find out all of these things that I have noticed happening like my legs feeling weird and my pains in my chest are happening to other people on the same pill. I have an appointment next week and I'm definitely bringing all of this up.

I am so glad I found this website. I had Mirena inserted in May of 2008. Now I suffer from bad headaches that can last several days without much relief from Advil/Tylenol. I never really had headaches frequently and now I get them a couple time a month. They are usually on one side of my head and I can feel it behind my eye. It is throbbing? Do any of you have the same types of headaches? Do you think it could be the Mirena. I would hate to have it removed after spending $500 dollars, but I also don't want to continue with these terrible headaches. I have also noted that recently I have nausea. I am not pregnant but almost feel like I am. Has anyone also experienced this?

I have been on Advair 2X a day for 2 weeks with a history of migraines. The last 3 days I have had 3 separate migraines with preceding scotomas- the third migraine headache on the third day- was the worst ever and didn't respond to migraine medicine. My husband figured out it was the Advair and I stopped the medication. For those with a history of migraines- don't take Advair as run the risk of severe migraine headaches.

I've only been on topamax for about a month and a half and already I'm feeling some interesting side effects. In the first week of taking the medication I had such pressure behind my left eye I thought it was going to pop. It eventually went away and has not come back (thank the Lord). I also experienced some pretty nasty numbness, tingling, and uncomfortable pins and needles in my fingertips and toes/sole of my foot. The tingling in my hands usually lasted a few hours and the tingling in my feet only lasted for a couple of minutes. This tingling is never predictable.

Eventually the tingles went away and I was tingle free for a while. But in the past few days they came back. It actually coincided with my PMS. The tingles came back and with intensity about three days before my period started. I was wondering if it was common to have a side effect return or increase in intensity around your menstrual cycle? My hormones are pretty nutty and the reason I'm on topamax is to stop severe migraine auras and slight seizures that are tied to my menstrual cycle.

The feet tingles are the worst. It feels like I'm being jabbed with needles and I hate when it happens while I'm sleeping because it wakes me up and I can't fall back asleep again until they go away... they are that irritating. The hands I can deal with because I'm used to my left arm going numb when I was having the auras.

My sleep patterns have been disturbed because of topamax... I'm not too peeved about that. I still manage to get enough sleep. However there are times when I'm out with friends or having conversations and I'll know the word I want to say and I'll just bust out the wrong one. Like for example saying symphony instead of sympathy. My friends have gotten used to it and know what I'm trying to say. It cracks them up when my word salad produces sexual innuendos on accident when I really mean something else. BUT it's really messing up job interviews at the moment. I'm a bright and articulate person who is getting her BA in Anthroplogy and Archaeology, minor in History and am trying to get research assistant jobs at museums and universities. It's really hard to get a job when you are sitting there sounding like an uneducated moron high on crack.

I haven't had problems with memory, thank the Lord. Even though I've got the word salad going on (and it's strange... the word jumbles are only when I'm speaking... I'm super coherent when typing) I'm not forgetful. I was able to make it through finals week perfect, while juggling a full work load. I hope I don't start losing my memory.

I haven't lost any weight (AW SHUCKS!!!!!). I was looking forward to that one. How soon should I expect to lose weight by, if I do in fact lose weight? I'm a difficult duck when it comes to weight loss. I've been at a stable weight since I was 13. I'm an athlete so my body is my temple sort of thing. But in the past two years I've put on a little bit of unwanted weight in certain areas when I stopped hitting the weight machines :( My question is, if I haven't lost it yet... will I lose any?

I'm also classified as type II bipolar, obsessive compulsive, and anxiety disordered. I've noticed my mood has stabilized. I'm not as all over the place as I used to be. My highs could get pretty high and when they would get up there my obsessive compulsive would almost go on a little joy ride. And when I was low, I was super low and my anxiety would take the depression out for a spin. But now I feel a calmness and a zen that I never felt previously. It's not an apathy I can certainly tell you that. I feel like I am in control of my life. I thank topamax for that.

Reading all of these posts I just worry that the honeymoon period of my medication maybe over. I worry about other side effects cropping up. I think that I can deal with my tingling extremities and that I can manage my word salads. I don't want the pressure in my eye to come back. I also don't want to start exhibiting the other side effects. What is the possibility that I will start exhibiting more side effects or are you generally stuck with what initially presents in the first month or so? My doctor also does NOT intend on increase my dosage. He thinks 50mg once a day will do me just fine. Oh and one last question, anyone else experiencing the side effect increase coinciding with PMS?

Sorry for the super long post! All replies are welcome!

Jolessa is the first pill i've ever been on and the first two months were okay, but ive been experiencing some depression and severe mood swings. I also get really nervous and anxious, and really nauseas. I've had a migraine, which I never had before in my life, and ive been exhausted. I've also experience some spotting. I just hope it all stops soon. The nausea is the worst!

Muscles spasms, sensitivity to light, burning sensations up and down my arms and legs, racing of heart, horrible sinuses, migraine headaches, chronic fatigue, hair loss, dry skin, Candida, acidity (low PH), low immune system, acne, joint pain, and the list goes on and on.....
My doctor told me I was fine and suggested I go on an anti-depressant. I am not depressed I told her. Since my doctor and other conventional doctors weren't helping me (all they wanted to do was prescribe more horrible drugs) I decided to seek an alternative MD. He said all these symptoms can most definitely be from my birth control. I went off Triphasil (Trivora) 3 weeks ago and am taking some herbs that are supposed to help correct the damage the medication has done. I now have a whole in my kidney, cysts in my ovaries, spots on my lungs, and an infection in my stomach (yeast also known as Candida). I have been sick for over 6 months now and am finally ready for this to be over. I can no longer go to the gym, work a full time job and enjoy social functions/outings. It is emotionally and physically damaging. Those of you who are on it...please stop! It is ruining your insides and making you weak. I am 30 years old and was on Trivora/Triphasil for 6-7 years. What a mistake. This is the ONLY drug I take and I used to be perfectly fine. As a matter of fact, I used to run 10 miles a day and now I can't even walk 30 minutes in the gym. Needless to say, I am very angry at the doctors for prescribing such medication to me, for the FDA for approving it and for our government for not doing their due diligence.

I have been on Advair since Feb. of this year, I have had a lot of these side effects but didn't really realize it was from this med. At first I was told to take it 2x a day, reading the directions it says it has to be 12 hours exactly apart. My work schedule didn't allow that so I just took it 1x....Working 2 jobs I just thought when I couldn't sleep and was always tired, it was from working a lot. When I told the Dr. about not being able to sleep more than 4 hours, I was told since I was taking the meds 1x a day that wasn't it. After a bad cold and bronchitis I was told I had to take the Advair 2x a day, now i'm more tired than ever, still can't sleep and have a headache that won't go away even with migraine medicine. I'm even jittery and forgetful--kinda ditsy now and itchy off and on all day...After reading this blog site I see its not in my mind and i'm going to stop taking this med. I think i'm going to the health food store and find something natural.

I have been using the Nuvaring for almost three years and I am thinking of taking it out in a few days and leaving it out for good. I never thought I had any real side effects until I started reading other people's reviews. I thought everything I was feeling was just me being me, but now I know better. Here is the long list of my side effects: weight gain, depression, severe anxiety, painful intercourse, discharge, itching, migraines, pimples, and zero sex drive. I have been with my boyfriend for almost three years. In fact, I got on birth control because we were beginning a serious relationship and I did not want to use condoms. Our sex life is nonexistent at this point. When we had sex is was good, but it was painful too. I am 27 years old and I have started having the attitude of "I could go the rest of my life without sex". I don't want my boyfriend to even touch me at this point and this is definitely putting strain on our relationship. Last night we were discussing the situation and he said to go off of birth control and we would use condoms. Like I said in the beginning I am taking it out. I am a bit anxious about going off birth control because I do not want any kids right now, but being on this birth control I am practicing another type of birth control abstinence. Doesn't make sense does it? The other side effects I mentioned are also affecting our relationship. This is a serious relationship, I am going to marry this man; we have picked out rings and that is why it is so important that I remedy this problem. The discharge side effect was putting a damper on our sex life in the beginning before I lost all interest. I never had a migraine in my life and rarely had even a headache, but I have had two migraines in the last few years and get headaches more often. I had a random pimple every once in a while, but now I have them everyday. I have gained weight and can’t seem to lose any. I wake up in the mornings with my mind racing due to the anxiety and I have not felt genuinely happy in a long time. The depression has made me even think of suicide several times and my life is fine. I am looking forward to being myself again. I hope this helps someone.

I'm in my early thirties, I was on Gynera for almost 10 years and switched to Femcon about a year ago. After a couple of months with little spotting its now been 2 months without a period and my Gyn said I should not get it at all (that's why I'm not freaking out yet). I'm not so sure if this is normal... I haven't followed on other side effects, maybe migraine but I had it worse before, irritability: I thought it was me, breast tenderness perhaps, frequent yeast infection, yes... I don't know, I was getting them for free, as samples.

Advair made me tired, so tired, I felt like the simplest chore was exhausting. I was told by the pulmonologist that of course the fatigue was unrelated to the medication. Personally, I think the doctors push the meds that they get perks from the pharmacy companies. They may get good results from 75% of their patients but be darned the 25% that may be sensitive to the meds, Modern medicine?

I recently increased my dosage from 25 mg to 50 mg and noticed my hair has been falling out. I just feel tired all the time. I thought I was going crazy until I read this site! I will talk to my doctor very soon. I did not think there would be problems with a "low" dose.

I am 34 and have never had children. Mirena was my only option. I have always had problems with my periods. They are very regular (28 day cycle) but extremely heavy, I always have clots, a lot of pain and I also have migraines just before or after my period.

My doctor told me that oral contraceptives would not work for me as the estrogen would cause more headaches (this is true I have tried all of them) and that Mirena would work well.

I had it fitted 4 weeks ago and I'm due for my first check-up on the 15th of December. So far it hasn't changed a thing. The insertion was uncomfortable but not as painful as I expected. I had major cramps afterwards but 2 pain killers helped. A week after insertion I got my period which lasted 5 days and I experienced more pain than I ever had before. Since the period stopped I have been spotting every single day and my next period is due on the 16th of December. I am already experiencing stomach cramps and had a migraine which I had to get medication for yesterday.

So far I'm not impressed with Mirena but its only been 4 weeks so I dont know whether things might improve. I'll give it 6 months and if nothing has changed I will have it removed. At least then I wont have to constant spotting! I'll just have to live with the migraines and period pain like I did before!

I have quite a few friends who have Mirena and they are all very happy with it so I guess you have to give it a try.

I have been on FemCon for almost a month now. I was on Othro Tryclene before, but due to have Polycystic Ovaries, the doctor changed my pill. He told me that it would help shrink the cysts and help with the pain. This it did do, so far, however I am so agitated all the time, I want to scream. For Thanksgiving I snapped at my best friend, who now won't talk to me. My mom called last night and I felt like I wanted to rip her head off, but did not know why. My boyfriend is always on edge. My son doesn't want to be in the same room with me half the time. I do not like this feeling. I started having a thick white discharge yesterday, at first thinking that starting a new pill and having my hormones changing caused a yeast infection, but there is no itching or burning. I have suffered with a migraine for the past week and every night get a headache after taking the pill. I get so thirsty before bed I feel like I could drink a gallon of water, I thought it was just me, but I read other people had that problem. I am dizzy most of the day and feel like I am coming down with the flu or morning sickness. I have had problems with nausea and diarrhea from the cyst and since taking this pill, it has gotten worse. This pill was supposed to help, but seems as though things are worse. I plan on calling my doctor Monday morning because I cannot live this way.

I had my second Lupron shot this last mid October that lasts, supposedly, 3 months. So I will be 5 months in this mid December and I have to say I was one of the people who was fine with Lupron...up until now. I had and have all of the typical side effects of hot flashes, headaches, memory loss, mental fog, etc. Then I had my first ever migraine a week ago that knocked me on my butt for 2 days. My memory loss and depression are by far, by far, the worst side effect I have experienced. At this point I am concerned my memory problems and mind fog will not go back to normal, which has already adversely affected by daily life. I was one of the people who spoke positive of this injection even after reading all the horror stories but now I am beginning to wonder if they were right on some levels. When reading all the different experiences I would get confused and wouldn't know what to believe. I am not saying I would change things, the jury is still out as to whether the benefits will outweigh the difficulties, but my personal experience and symptoms have been getting worse just in the last few weeks, so that would be between month 4 and 5 on it. I could lead a pretty normal life up until recently and I'm a pretty tough person, I clean houses for a living and work hard with a packed schedule so I am not just stating little symptoms I experience but ones that actually have affected my daily life. Just being honest so you know what to possibly expect, depending on your body's reaction. That is a point to keep in mind, everyone's body reacts differently but if the majority of people are saying the SAME side effects, makes you wonder if there is a consistent pattern.

One thing I will tell you that has helped me is B vitamins regularly in your system and staying as active as possible. Write things down to remind you for the memory issues, don't over-commit to things because of the mental affects-it hits you hard when you can't follow through, and try to watch your sugar intake, which messes with your emotions. Hope this is helpful.
I would love to know from someone who has the same symptoms (which looks like almost everyone who is on it) and who is now off of Lupron for at least a few months, if the symptoms of memory loss and mind fog go away. Is my memory permanently damaged?

I just finished my first week of Femcon FE and on the last pill of the week got a huge migraine. I thought it was just a headache at first, but when I woke up the next morning with it I knew it was more than a simple headache. I am not sure if it will go away after the three months that it says side effects usually last. I am just hoping it does. This is the first form of BC that I have not had severe nausea...yet. I love it other than the migraines.

My daughter is 14, 3 or so weeks after her 2nd shot she got a yeast infection that would not go away, she also go thrush at this time because the yeast in her body was so bad. She got her 3rd shot the in Sept 2008 and on Oct 26 th she got virus like symptoms with headache nausea dizziness tunnel vision that will not go away. She has had an MRI, CT scan, blood work and been to the hospital 3 different times for fluid due to the nausea. The neurologist says that it is a migraine that is not responding to medicine. but I wonder now if it could be due to the shot.

I was put on Lisinopril (10 mg) back in August for my diabetes. My blood pressure is very normal without medication. About a month or so later I developed a urinary tract infection, something I have never had before, which was followed by severe, migraine-like headaches along with sinus pressure around my eyes. I also felt very anemic. My doctor(s) attributed the headaches to a degenerative disc in my neck. After five weeks of these daily headache bouts, I stopped the Lisinopril when my chiropractor insisted it was the blood pressure medication that was causing the headaches. The headaches subsided within a week.

For me having the Mirena removed just last Thursday was the right decision. I was not using it for birth control but as hormone therapy for heavy, crampy periods. I had it inserted in July 2008 and bled every single day for the entire time, I had it removed last week and now I am bleeding very heavily but hopefully that will stop once all those hormones are out of my body.
While on Mirena I lost all sex drive, I became severely anemic and with that fatigued terribly, and moody, crying at nothing and screaming at my kids or husband for stupid reasons, I felt bloated and gassy and didn't have those problems before.
I am 42 years old and I hate my heavy bleeding in fact I want a hysterectomy, but not sure now what I will do.

For those of you who had the Mirena removed, how long did it take to stop bleeding afterwards? This is draining every last ounce of energy for me and I am taking iron supplements.

What sucks is the cost of this, Even with insurance I ended up paying a lot out of pocket to get this thing and then all the Dr. visits due to bleeding and side affects in the 4 months it was in and now the removal of it. I am wondering if there is any way that we can get a Class action lawsuit against Bayer for this horrible thing they are trying to sell to women.
I know there are some out there who have not suffered all these horrible side effects at least not yet or that they are aware of, but I truly believe that there is nothing good about this IUD and those of us and there are a lot of us who have suffered with this should be reimbursed or compensated for the pain and loss of parts of our lives and expenses with this. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?

I am at the end of my first month on this pill. Things seemed fine until 3 days ago when I got a migraine (I never get headaches) and it has lasted for 3 days making it so difficult to look after my children or get the simplest things done. I started looking up side effects and found this site. I realised that this month I had also had thrush, no sex drive at all and seem to be very cold in relation to other people. I suffer from PMDD and this is my second pill in attempt to make the symptoms easier to manage. Without the pill I am over emotional, cry a lot, have severe mood swings and painful and heavy bleeding each month. With this in mind I am still going to come off Yasmin right now. I do not want to mess things up even more. I have been concerned about the ingredients of the pill too - I am a vegan and there is no birth control pills which do not contain lactose or animal ingredients so I think I must go back to the diapham for birth control (condoms are just awful!). it is frightening how easily all these pills are prescribed. I was on dianette when I was 16 to combat the same PMDD and when I came off it five years later didn't have a period for a year at which time I discovered I had an ovarian cyst and a tumor, both of which had to be removed. Was told I probably couldn't have kids but thankfully five years later (five years of trying to conceive) I had our first and then 10 months after that fell pregnant with our second). I can't believe I was stupid enough to go back on any pill but my PMDD is difficult to manage and I was at my wits end but after just a month I know I have to come off it. For good this time. My life is to valuable to me to mess up with this rubbish.

I was only on Yasmin for one month. After 2/3 weeks of being on it I started getting really bad migraines. I've had a severe migraine now ever since I got off of it. Does anyone know how long side effects last? Does anyone have this problem too?
I ended up in the hospital twice for the headaches. After the bloodwork, and CAT scan I was discharged, but to this day (I stopped taking the pills during the second week of October) I am still in constant pain. It feels like something is moving in my brain (as weird as that sounds). I am now debating to call a neurologist.
If anyone has any type of help or advise please help me!!

I just started taking Femcon and I have had had the chills, upset stomach, and ended up with a migraine to boot. Again, I have just started taking it and this was my second dose of it last night. Does anyone have nay recommendations on what I should do?

I went on Yaz a year ago because i was having night sweats around my period while taking Mircette. Well, the sweats have mostly subsided, but I have had about 35 migraines this year compared to my usual 6 or so. It only recently dawned on me that the only thing to change in my life over the past year was my prescription to Yaz...And the migraines, they would last for days, especially in the days just before and after my period. It has been so unmanageable, even with my prescription migraine medicine.
Additionally, I have been moody, had trouble sleeping, and have had bouts of weird dizzy/lightheadedness. not to mention ZERO sex drive at all.
I visit my Gyno in 2 days and can't wait to get off of this pill. I guess it is a great thing for some people, but it has been a burden for me this past year.

I have just bought a pack of Yasmin for birth control and heavy periods but haven't taken any yet, nor have i ever tried BC pills before. I suffer from severe migraines daily it ruins everything i do and my GP's have been completely useless they don't even ask me any symptoms about my headaches and refused to let me see a specialist. The only thing he did was tell me I need to go on painkillers indefinitely which does not appeal to me at all.
I am now wondering if i should take Yasmin or not after reading all these bad reviews especially concerning migraines. Has anyone with constant migraine found a way to help them? Please let me know as im desperate to know what it feels like to not have a migraine.

I took Zofran after a terrible Migraine with severe vomiting. I was given it in the hospital and then I was on it for about 4 days. I was constipated the whole time but didn't realize it was a side effect. Now over two weeks later I'm still constipated and I've been off the Zofran for the 1 1/2 weeks. I have to take this Senna-gen lax every evening in order to go to the bathroom. If I don't take the Senna then I don't go. I've tried going off it for 2 days at a time. I get a great vegetarian diet...which is full of fiber. I'm very unhappy that I still have constipation. In fact, my doctor said that I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome now. Please help if you have any feedback. L

I'm writing in behalf of my 15 year old daughter who is trying loestrin24fe to get some relief from her back pain and migraine headaches (which she inherited from me). She had a full period after just 10 days and has had a non-stop headache since starting this pill that won't stop even with her migraine medicine. I know it takes time for bodies to adjust, each is different and the doctor says give it 3 months- but she is considering just stopping because her headaches are so bad. I'm just not sure she can hold out for 2 and a half more months to give it a good try. Her acne is a lot worse too. Moody- yes, this was another thing we were hoping the pill would help with but hasn't. I'm sure this site is biased for people having problems since if it's working okay- why look up information on it? In any case, 30 years ago the lowest dose pill made me depressed, I barely made the 3 month mark before I stopped and I thought it would be different now. I have spent years before and after having kids using an IUD, and for me, that has always been the greatest birth control!