Hello all you wonderful women.

I'm hoping to get some feedback about whether my symptoms can be hormone related.

I don't think I am in perimenopause, I'm only 34, but I am having many symptoms similar to perimenopause and I think they may be a result of starting and then abruptly stopping birth control pills.

Here's my story:

I took Ortho-Novum 1/35 for five years to combat terrible cramping and other pms symptoms. I went off the pill a year ago, but after a year of suffering through the cramps my gyno put me on a different pill, Alesse.

Soon after going on the new pill I started having cramps in my calves. I didn't think it was related to the pill. A month later I went on vacation to Paris and decided to skip my period for the trip, so started a new pack of pills without taking the green pills. Two days into my trip I started having chest pains. This scared the begeebers out of me and I stopped taking the pill immediately.

When I got home I went in for loads of tests: ct scan of my chest, xrays, ekg, echocardiogram...all normal.

A couple of days later the chest pain went away but I started with all sorts of new, disturbing symptoms including:

- face numbness
- anxiety
- feet and legs cramps and stinging pains
- pain and clogging in my right ear
- headache
- insomnia

I went to my gp who did and exam and a series of blood tests...all normal. I went to a neurologist for a neurological exam and a brain MRI...all normal.

So now I'm thinking that these things could be hormonal, caused by starting and stopping the pill.

Has anyone out there ever experienced anything like this with the pill? Or heard of anyone who has?

Thanks so much in advance for any insights you can offer.

Hey Trotter

I have been sick for a llloooonngg time and I just figured out what is wrong from reading your post. I cannot tell you how extremely happy this makes me!

I don't ever feel "good" anymore.

About 8 yrs ago I was put on some BCP called Alese for cramps and I took them for about 3 weeks. It was a living HELL. I told my doctor that I couldn't function normally. I had severe panick attacks, tremors, dizziness, nausea and diarrhea. So, I abruptly stopped taking it b/c it was ruining my life. I was off of them for a few days and felt better. BUT ever since then I have had fullness in my head, headaches, popping in my ears, anxiety and other problems. Then they got worse around ovulation and my period.

For all this time I thought I was loosing my mind! I have had CT scans done, blood tests, ENT, etc. All came back normal! Now I know it is completely hormonal.

I am too greatful for your post!!!!!!

Tell me more if you can

trotter did you have your thyroid check, I know everyone always ask that.
I had all your symptoms with major pain in my right ear. Ear pain is not peri-meno.
Anyway all my thyroid tests where normal. But I felt so bad I thought I would die, plus my throat always felt tight and I choke easy. My doctor could not feel any lumps>TG my family doctor believe me and would not give up. He send me for a thyroid scan, which showed I had a big cold spot and after a biopsy I found out I had cancer. Please I didn't mean to scare you, just have it check out. ..
remmeber all my labs where normal> if you feel anything in your throat , even if it just feels tender>ask for a thyroid scan.

Tbird,

I'm so glad to hear that someone else has had the same reaction that I did from the Alesse, though I'm distressed to hear that you're still dealing with it 8 years later.

I've been doing somewhat better since I last wrote, largely because I've accepted that the symptoms are mostly anxiety and that I can control it somewhat with therapy and exercise. The pain and clogging in my ear is always with me, and my face is frequently numb, but the pain in my legs is better.

I'm convinced that the Alesse somehow threw off my hormones and that caused the anxiety. I think the key is to not let the symptoms freak you out. The stress only magnifies them.

If you would like to discuss my symptoms or anything else to do with this email me at ktrotter_98@yahoo.com.

Snowmoon56,

Yes, I have had my thyroid tested. It was one of the many, many things I've been tested for. My doc tested my thyroid early on so I've know that that wasn't the problem.

Thanks Trotter for the info I will e-mail you some time~!

I forgot to tell you I just had a baby back in March and my hormones are even more out of whack than they were. Do you think going on BC again would help or do you think something else would work? I told my Gyno about the problem and she said I would need to get on a low dose BC, but I am afraid to be sick again. They told me 8 yrs ago Alese was low dose......

T-bird