Vitamin b12 symptoms and conditions

Only on it for 1 month so far and already having issues. I apparently have the worst case of endometriosis all my doctors have seen, including a cancer specialist that had to do all my surgeries because of the severity. Granted, I am only 31 years old and have had a full hysterectomy. So, after 3 surgeries I am still having severe abdominal pain and bleeding (don't know where that is coming from since I don't have a uterus anymore) so they said try Lupron and I finally gave in. Now I started getting such severe pain in my lower back that I can't stand for longer than 15 minutes and terrible side aches. I started getting headaches (which I already take pills for for years now),and have gotten the hot flashes as well. What are we to do ladies? I am so sick of complaining to the doctors about pain. You feel as if you are a big cry baby. What are my options here and does this ever stop?

Hello-

I took Yasmin for a 1.5 years. I am now 2 years post Yasmin. In hind-sight, had I known what I would live through both while taking Yasmin as well as the 2 years following, I would never have taken it in the first place.

I am going to summarize some of those side effects below:

For the first 1.25 years, it seemed like I was living in an dream. I was that spaced out all the time. No affect, if you will. I felt like a zombie.

Exhaustion/Fatigue:
I became lethargic all the time. Previously, being very athletic, I had no energy at all. A walk made me yearn for a nap. 2 years post Yasmin, I am still trying to recover and bring back all the muscle tone I lost. Reading through alot of possible side effects, ataxia (muscle atrophy/loss) was one of them I suspect could be linked to becoming dehydrated.

Painful plugged eardrums:
Every morning after i would take Yasmin, my ears would have this "popping sensation" much like what it feels like when you are on an airplane and the pressure changes. Over time, my ears became quite painful like I had alot of pressure built up in them. I later learned from a Hearing Doctor that it could well have been the potassium sparing diuretic as the inner ears are composed of potassium/sodium and the diuretic could offset its balance. This doctor also told me that in their field they have known forever that artificial/synthetic hormones are toxic to the inner ears. No other doctor I saw coming off of Yasmin knew this...

Melasma:
I developed brown spots on my forehead, beneath my eyebrows and on both cheeks within starting Yasmin in the first month.

Constant Urination:
I urinated every 15 minutes for 1.5 years straight that I was on Yasmin. Learned later about the potassium sparing diuretic in it a little too late. My blood tests showed I was dehydrated and was deficient in Folic Acid and Vitamin B12. Both 2 common deficiencies seen with artificial/synthetic hormone use.

Chest Pain:
1.25 years into taking Yasmin, at the onset of menses, I developed this pressure in my chest and sharp stabbing pains. The next month, again at the onset of menses, the pressure occurred again, this time spreading across my chest. I went to see a Doctor at that point who discounted that Yasmin could be involved at all. (Not sure why a member of the medical community would say that given I have since read a number of articles that suggest that Yasmin and Yaz both run a higher risk for clots/pulmonary embolisms then other birth control pills). Regardless, I had a chest x-ray to ensure my heart was not enlarged and had an EKG which just showed an abnormally slow heartbeat-Sinus Bradycardia. It was recommended at that time that I have a ECG (echo-cardiogram). Tests start at $5000 each and I did not have coverage for this kind of test.

I went off of Yasmin now, almost 2 years ago. Going off I spent the last 2 years getting sick every month at the onset of menses with severe bronchitis, chest pain that still occurs at menses (I have since learned can also be brought on by low levels of oestrogen and progersterone at menses) and gained 30 lbs.

Blood tests showed I was depleted of Vitamin D, B and Folic Acid, dehydrated and also had elevated potassium (a possible risk with Yasmin's potassium sparing diuretic.

I would encourage everyone to google anti-mineralocortoid (diasperonone) and anti-androgenic effects (Spironolactone)

These are both acting ingredients in Yasmin.

This has been the toughest couple of years in my lifetime. Initially it seemed like a great pill. My skin cleared up, I lost weight and my periods were only 3 days long. On that note, it took a whole year and half for my periods to go back to 5 days from 3 days long so again, doctors telling me that Yasmin would not and could not be affecting my body after stopping, just went to show it took that long for my own body to start re-producing its own natural hormones.

Through all of this, I have met amazing women and other survivors who have offered enormous support. I would suggest to any of you that find your way here to trust yourself and your body first and foremost to what anyone else may discount or try and remedy with anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications. There are a host of amazing authors out there as well who enlightened me enormously on the role of hormones in our bodies, and ultimately, their balance to our overall health and immune function:

Dr. Lee and Dr. Hotze. They both have websites and books which are wonderful. I would also suggest googling Yasmin Survivors online, which will take you to another resource/forum of women who are sharing side effects and healing and survival techniques coming off of Yasmin. The site is: ******

Hello all Yasmin Survivors.
I stopped taking Yasmin in July 2005 and three years on I am still re-building my life! I feel this pill and its side-effect stole some of my best years, I am 33.
My main side effects were extreme anxiety, agoraphobia, pounding heart, panic attacks, fear of doing anything (even going 10 minutes away from my own home). I was on it for 12 months and the side-effects started very gradually at about 5-6 months, I barely noticed them creeping up on me. It took me another 6 months of taking it to start to question whether Yasmin could be causing the extreme change in my personality. I think if I hadn't stopped I'd have had a major breakdown. I had lots of weird physical symptoms too including, bloating, passing urine all the time, leg cramps, dizziness, hair loss.
Anyway, all the extreme anxiety and stress caused by Yasmin left me with exhausted adrenal glands - which I'm now trying to re-build. Anyone feeling fatigue, nervousness, anxiety, inability to handle stress in the same way as you used to, PMS several months after stopping Yasmin should look into Adrenal Fatigue as a possible cause of their symptoms. It's hard to treat and can take a long time to recover - but there are lots of things you can do to help your body re-build. Visit ******(doctor Andrew W. website on Adrenal Fatigue) as a start to find out more about the condition and how to find out whether you are suffering from it.
It would be good to hear from more people re-building their lives after the impact of taking Yasmin on this site. Also, is anyone out there trying to put together a class action?
Sarah

Sucess Story:

I am a 38 yo female, I have severe endo, I had a bowel re-section because it ate through a portion of my small intestine. I just received my 6th shot today, and my doctor and I agreed that I am going to start the regiment over next month. (another 6 mths)

I have actually had an okay experience with Lupron. I have had hot flashes, night sweats, moodiness, and bone/joint pain and headaches. These symptoms seem to occur more toward the end of the month within a week or so of getting my next shot.

The symptoms are not fun, but neither are they unbearable. I have a good quality of life and the symptoms do not interrupt that in any way.

Additionally, sorry if this is TMI, but I have had no drop in my sex drive/urges, things just take a little longer to get going. My partner understands this and is most supportive.

Every day I take:
Multi-vitamin
Calcium/Magnesium supplement: 1000 mg Calcium/667 mg Mag
Omega 3 Fish Oil: 1000 mg
Vitamin B12: 100 mcg
I drink quite a bit of soy milk also

Good luck to those of you who are either on it, or considering it. My empathy to those who are having a horrific time with it.

I took this drug for UTI almost 10 years ago. A few days after I started taking it, I became extremely nauseaus, losing 10kg (about 22 Lb) in 1 week. I couldn't eat, lost all my energy. Even to this day, 9 1/2 years later, I still suffer side effects from this drug. I cannot absorb vitamin B12, which has also caused pernicious anaemia, and also have anaemia, irritable bowel syndrome, constant nausea, fatigue and am highly susceptible to stomach bugs and food poisonings.
Before taking it, I was fine, perfectly healthy and never had any gastro problems.
But since taking trimeth, I have never been the same.

My mother, in her late 70s, was on Lipitor for some years. She has been taken off the Lipitor when blood tests showed gross abnormalities. She is on a Vitamin B12 therapy for severe anemia and other medications for the complications that has caused. One of the most obvious signs that things were NOT right with her was her rapidly degenerating MEMORY. It was scary. I told her she HAD to address this to her doctor. It was part and parcel of the effects of Lipitor.
Now, I was on Lipitor for 2/3 months...I immediately got what my doctor NOW has called Restless Leg Syndrome. It never went away after stopping the drug (6 mos ago). I am BACK on Lipitor and immediately upon taking it again, I started getting a worsening of Restless Leg, which inclucded severe and many nocturnal charlie horses which would awaken me throughout the night. I have only been on Lipitor for 2 months now and I am noticing muscle "tightening" in my arms (from the elbow down), too. I was given Quinine Sulfate for the Restless Legs...which I don't believe is in itself a separate disease, but a side effect of the Lipitor. I also have hand tremors. (Nerves or Lipitor?) Now, I became a vegetarian, who eats NO red meat (ok, a bite of a burger a few times a year...lol), uses soy products, veggies and beans as the mainstay of my diet. I have excluded, over the past 10 months, all saturated/trans fats and cholesterol from my diet. My cholesterol readings are like a ping-pong ball. Good, too high, too low, good, too high. I'm between a rock and a hard place re taking the Lipitor. My family is genetically predispositioned to higher than normal cholesterol levels. Yet, the doctor feels the enormous stress in my life during these past 10 months (which hopefully will start to disipate within the next month) has caused the cholesterol to be high....the higher readings began with the increase of stress.
What does one do? Is the muscle cramping and the inability to sit down for more than 15 mins a serious issue? Does it get worse? I assume it's time for a second opinion. It's a Catch 22: each side-effect can be attributed to yet another "disease" in itself. I, like most of the people on this site, have attributed most of my symptoms to "getting old".