Let me start out by saying that I am taking Tramadol for headaches and panic attacks, and it helps more than any pharmaceutical I've ever taken. It's a pain medication in a class of its own that has a useful adrenal side effect that wards off some panic attacks, and it also increases seratonin level. That's my understanding. (But all my doctors know is that it's a pain medication. The rest I discovered by chance).

Also, would like to mention this most peculiar Mirena side effect:
When I was using Mirena, there were a few days during which I felt as though I was on a VERY heavy dose of dissociative drugs (i.e. ketamine, DXM, PCP, et al). That is, I felt very detached, would lose ability to speak (incapable of forming words/sentences), altered perception, hallucinations, hazy thoughts, hazy memory... I was not under the influence of drugs. Well, only Mirena. Has anyone else had a similar experience? I thought it was quite bizarre.

So this is kind of long winded, but I am in desperate need of a little direction... Also I think it's an extreme case worth sharing...

I was on numerous atypical antipsychotics (risperdal, seroquel, zyprexa, abilify, geodon) and vistaril at various times during the past two years. (Diagnosed bipolar/schizoaffective/something like that). All gave me terrible reactions. I stopped taking Seroquel after about four days because I noticed that after I took it I experienced panic and twitching and heart palpitations and paresthesias so severely that I was unable to sleep at night, and feared that I was dying. Nearly went to the ER, but just stopped taking the medication instead. The newer antipsychotics have been linked to all kinds of horrendous side effects, including permanent movement disorders and pituitary tumors, which most doctors don't seem to even know.
( http://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/news/20
060531/schizophrenia-drugs-tumor-risk )

I have a pituitary tumor that may or may not be caused by the medications, but was certainly made worse by them. My doctor didn't know about the tumor risk and didn't see it on my first MRI, which I got after Risperdal caused me to have a grand mal seizure in my sleep in March 2008. Since taking Geodon for four days in late March 2009, I have been having constant headaches of increasing severity, on a daily basis, and some panic attacks.

The morning panic attacks started when I was using Mirena IUD and have not ceased. I got Mirena removed in the ER about four and a half months ago, and later got an MRI that revealed a 13mm macroadenoma on my pituitary gland (i.e. a sizeable "non-cancerous" but growing tumor on my brain). Upon examination of the 2008 MRI, my doctors determined that it has grown since then--during a year of antipsychotic treatment. All the while, the information that those drugs are linked to such tumors was out there... and I don't think my doctor had a clue.

I wake up every morning with my heart beating out of my chest, with feelings of absolute horror. Unless I medicate with one of the few depressant drugs that doesn't send my body into twitches, the panic will last for hours.

As time goes by, some of the symptoms seem to get worse. My blood Sugar is completely out of control. I am on a diet of whole foods, yet every thing I eat sends me panicking or into very painful migraines and mental haze. I can't seem to gain weight. I was not large before, and I've lost a good 25 pounds since Mirena. I've started having muscle stiffness and pain all over my body, radiating out from the base of my skull and between my shoulder blades. I feel like there is clay under my shoulder blades. And it hurts. It may be an autoimmune intolerance for starch, or maybe something else. I really don't know. The whole thing has just been a crapshoot.

And my doctors don't seem to have anything to say except "Go see a psychiatrist."

Which is the same thing that my GYN told me over the phone when I called with these symptoms while I had Mirena. My psychiatrist advised me to go to the ER.

I have a consult with a neurosurgeon in a couple weeks. Maybe he'll have something else to tell me.

Comments? I'll be reporting back with news if anyone is interested...