Anxiety levels symptoms and conditions

18 year old female, first day on Zoloft...in contrast to everyone else, I had TOO much sleep on Zoloft...first night, did have a nightmare, but slept like a baby and kept wanting to sleep...anxiety seemed low after I first took it, but in the morning anxiety levels were the same (high). Don't wish to take it anymore because it seems to put me in such a deep sleep I can't get up...

I've been taking Wellbutrin(300mg/day) and Seroquel (500mg/day) for two years. Wellbutrin gives me lots of anxiety. But it helps me kep trim (I went from 200lbs to 170lbs on Wellbutrin) and not smoke. It also helps stop obsessive compulsive thoughts. It really helps to keep me from staying in bad moods. I can't stay angry for long when im on wellbutrin. Only bad thing about it is the anxiety. If i have an important day ahead and i don't want anxiety, i'll simply not take the wellbutrin the day before and my anxiety levels will be much lower the next day.

Hi, I recently went back on to YASMIN because I thought it would clear my face. However, it did the EXACT OPPOSITE. My face is a train wreck. My mood swings are horrible. I just got married, and all of the sudden, I can't stand my husband and want a divorce, and I have absolutely no reason why. I can't stand anything. Im so tired, hungry, depressed, my breasts are killing me, I just hate it! I am going to start taking the other birth control pill that I was taking. After reading a lot of these blogs, I am glad to know that I am not insane. I certainly feel like a wacko, and now I know why. I have never felt depressed or even anxious. My anxiety levels are through the roof! I am done with Yasmin.

Hi everyone,
Found this site and found it very reassuring, as I can relate to so many of you out there. Here is what is happening to me:

December 08 had Mirena fitted for irregular heavy periods, spotted/bled almost continuously once it was inserted, but gradually the periods became a bit lighter. A typical period lasted around 18 days, which was much longer than before I had the Mirena fitted. Had visual migraines (partial loss of sight), doctor whipped out the Mirena on 7th July, still spotting - into day 26 now! Feel really fed up with all this, have lower back ache, which I didn't have before, pelvic pains as though I am about to start my period, anxiety levels up to around 8/10, insomnia, just generally feeling really low, shakey and tearful thinking something is terribly wrong with me. Have an appointment tomorrow with the gynecologist and am going to ask him for a hysterectomy as my life is being ruled with these ongoing problems. Last year I had a scan which revealed I have fibroids and a thickening of the womb.

Does anybody else have a lot of spotting? Is it a post Mirena symptom?

Has anyone experienced mood instability or anxiety while on Methotrexate? I am on week two and am taking 10 mg to start....

Hi all. Thank you for the posts-- this helps put my own symptoms in perspective. I'm a 28-yr old female and have had severe asthma since I was a toddler--which resulted in a childhood full of long hospital stays and all kinds of toxic drugs which aren't even prescribed anymore. I've been taking advair for about 3 months and have noticed that my mood has been off. I'm normally a peaceful person, not easily rocked, practicioner of yoga, etc. But for the last 3 months I've had sleeping problems (very severe in the 1st month-- to the point that I couldn't sleep at all) and have been experiencing anxiety, with heightened awareness of my breathing patterns and the occasional racing heartbeat. I've *never* had anxiety before. I went in for an EKG and they found that my heart is normal. Since I'm not a worrier or a person who is prone to anxiety, this was very disturbing for me-- I couldn't understand what the underlying cause was. This has had negative effects on my work life and my personal relationships--I'm just not as energetic as I used to be. I'm going to go off the drug and will report back to this website if I notice an improvement in my anxiety levels and sleep patterns. If so, then the cause will be obvious.

I wanted to make one more post just to raise awareness about another asthma drug I've tried. I took singulair in the past (about 5-6 years ago). At first it was a wonder drug-- totally clearing up all symptoms allergy and asthma related. But it did a number on my digestive track for the first 3-6 months of use-- I could not digest anything (and I eat very healthily--lots of fresh fruits and veggies everyday and little meat). I eventually went off that drug and tried it again this past year after a bad bout of the flu and some consequent sinus infections. I only took it 3 times and each night I had a horribly violent nightmare. Normally, I'm what you might call a happy dreamer-- maybe an average of 1 nightmare per year, if even. I stopped taking singulair on the 3rd night, and on the 4th night my dreams went back to normal. This was truly a disturbing experience, and I feel sure that singulair was responsible-- all the dreams were of a paranoid nature. I haven't had a dream like that since, and it's been more than a year since I stopped taking that. Asthma medication seems to have the potential for psychological side effects that everyone should be aware of. It is only fair that doctors warn their patients so that they know what any possible changes in their moods might be from. I really wish my doctor would have mentioned something to me. I'm sure I would have tried both drugs anyway, since I also know that people react different to different medications. But I certainly wouldn't have stayed with Advair as long as I have, knowing what I know now.

I wish all of you health, peace and happiness. I hope you are able to get well and live normal lives.

There are a lot of negative experiences on here, so I thought I should share my positive one. I have been on birth control off and on for about 6 years. I was on orthotricyclin for the majority of the time-off and on. After getting horrible near migraine headaches on orthotricylin every Friday before my period for about 5 months in a row my doctor and I decided to try a different pill. I was on trilevelin (sp) for 4 months and gained a few pounds and felt easily irritated and emotionally different-just cried easily and not myself. I've been on Yasmin for a month and have had a great experience. I lost the water weight I'd gained and just verified with my boyfriend that my PMS was hardly even there. Everyone is different and has different hormone levels, but so far I am very happy with Yasmin. I've been migraine free tthe whole month!

hi kim123,
i am sure it is a symptom of your anxiety levels. the excess adrenalin circulating in your system causes muscles to twitch,tense and shake and tingle just like they would if you were in real danger (although you are not your body thinks you are because of the constant high anxiety state) i used to have twitching in my legs,they would jump and shake all the time. i also used to get tingling and numbness in my face. how is it going with the lexapro? is it helping you at all?

sarah

hi kim123,
i think it is a combination of things that are making you feel anxious. the heart palpitations and racing are quite common,i used to get them quite often,in fact i still do around my period. it was always worse at night for me and would prevent me from sleeping. your hormones levels may be fine but chances are that you are very sensitive to the effects of the synthetic hormones which are stronger than your own. also due to the diuretic effects of yasmin you may be lacking in vital vitamins and minerals and electrolytes, the extreme stress that you are suffering at the moment is probably making your anxiety levels worse,make sure you drink loads of water and eat simple but healthy foods,stay away from tea and coffee and also things with lots of fat and sugar.especially high carb refined food as the sugar can make you feel more shaky and anxious. please please try to think positive thoughts,i know it sounds silly with the way you are feeling right now but with practice your brain will accept the positive not the negative. when your heart races instead of panicking just tell yourself that it is fine and it will pass,you are not going to have a heart attack. keep busy . if you are unable to sleep during the night don't lay there fretting and getting more anxious,get up and do something,anything but try to do something that you enjoy. you could try home hypnosis tapes to help you calm down a little. i'm so sorry that there is nothing i can tell you to do that will make you feel better instantly,but all the little tips will help i promise,unfortunately the only thing that will make all this go away is time.as you were not on it for long i hope you will start to feel better very soon. this may sound like an odd question but have you had a "normal period" ie not a withdrawl bleed when you stopped taking yasmin? it may be that you are feeling worse because of impending menstruation or ovulation? a lot of use feel bad for a while at this time of the month? just a thought?

sarah

hi, sorry to hear that your daughter has gone down hill again. unfortunately this is a really common problem, a lot of us that had depression/anxiety and scary thoughts find we still have problems during our ovulation and also right before our periods, it does get easier each month but it is still there. i can imagine at the moment she is doubting herself and is thinking "what if it is not the yasmin after all and i am actually mentally ill"? she would not be alone in that thought,we have all been there. i have been off yasmin for 6 months now and most of the time i can handle it,my anxiety levels day to day are very low but pre-menstrally it can still throw me know and again and have me thinking the same thought,but i know it is not true,it is just my hormones trying to recover. pms A has most of the symptoms we all suffer so i have concluded that instead of helping with pms yasmin can actually cause it. it seems like all we can do is wait and have faith that it will get better and also take care of our bodies nutritionally and physically. i really hope that your daughter starts to feel better soon,she is sooo young and should not have to suffer this at her age. she is obviously a very responsible young lady and thought that taking yasmin was a positive thing to do, we have all suffered the consiquences of taking this poison but luckily we are all here to support each other and to reasuure each other that it does get better.you are doing a wonderful job of supporting your daughter,that will be a great help to her. i really do wish you and her all the best,look up pms A symotoms and see if there are any tips to help on a monthly basis.

sarah

hi claudia (hope)
i know exactly what you are going through,i have been there myself (as have many many women on this site) i suffered extreme anxiety/panic attacks,they were by far some of the worst symptoms i had while taking this pill as i felt i was going mad or had some kind of mental illness,i really thought my life as i knew it was over,i am 32 years old with 2 young children but i felt that bad i didn't think i wanted to carry on...then i found this site and came across so many women in this same situation and it saved me. i have been off yasmin for 4 months now and my anxiety levels are way way way down,it is now mainly in the background and is a memory rather than a constant feeling of fear. the practical things you can do are...take a B vitamin complex, vitamin B6, a magnesium supplement and maybe a little zinc too. take really good care of yourself with regards to what you eat and how much excercise you do.drink plenty of water and i mean plenty as it is great for anxiety and great for cleansing the body of these hormones. on a mental level try to remember that these feelings are not REAL fear as there is nothing to be afraid of it is just a chemically induced mood,panic attacks although scary will never actually hurt you even though they feel like you are going to die or go crazy. stay positive ( i know,easier said than done!) and face your fear head on,i know it sounds crazy but by taking control you will begin to feel stronger and more able to cope. it WILL get better but it will take some time for your body to get back into it's natural harmony,have faith that it will get better and please please listen when i say you are NOT crazy it is this horrible pill. i started to feel better after the first couple of months with regards to the anxiety and i hope you will too.i still have hormone problems and symptoms but the panic feelings are virtually nil. try the supplements i mentioned and try to reduce your stress levels too. i wish you all the best and hope that this has been of some help to you

hi all, i have been off yasmin for nearly 8 weeks now,in general i am feeling much better but it seems that during my mid-cycle my anxiety levels go up again,has anyone else experienced this and if so does it get better?

hi andiegags,
i can totally relate to what you are saying,i used to find that even on yasmin 14 days before my period was due my anxiety levels would sky rocket, i used to take diazepam for my anxiety but decided to stop taking it and learn to deal with my anxiety,it sounds easier said than done i know! the 1st step is to keep telling yourself that the feelings of anxiety are not important as there is nothing to be anxious about and to just keep thinking positively that it will go away,you are in no danger and there is nothing wrong. now i am off yasmin (6 weeks) i have had 2 periods,i still feel a little more anxious before my periods but now i know that i will i am prepared and it doesn't freak me out so much, i found that by using positive thinking techniques i was a ble to stop taking the diazepam and can now cope on my own as i did not want to rely on drugs to ease the symptoms because as far as i am concerned drugs started this in the 1st place (ie taking the yasmin)
best wishes to you.

emotionally i am doing much better,i am however having major troubles with my (ahem!) bowels! i seem to be going to the loo about 15 times a day,i think it is a recurrence of IBS but it is really throwing me off because i like to know i am not going to need the bathroom when i am out! this brings up my panic attack worry which in turn sets off my nervous stomach! i have not had these problems for about 12-13 years and i can only attribute it's return to all the problems i had while taking yasmin,i am taking various remedies to try and calm it down again,hopefully once the yasmin is out of my system and my anxiety levels are back to pre-yasmin levels my stomach problems will improve again..in the mean time if anyone has any advice on IBS or nervous stomachs i would love to hear from you!

sarah

hi abs528.
sorry to hear things are still bad for you,i'm glad that you have got some help though with your OCD. i never thought of it before but i always used to have to check to make sure i had locked doors and turned of gas/electrical appliances.sometimes i would go out then have to come back to make sure i had locked up or turned everything off then go back to make sure i hadn't switched it on when i checked it by mistake! although i haven't done it for years (since i had kids as had other things to worry about!) i wonder if anyone who has an underlying ocd/depression/anxiety issue is made worse by yasmin..there seems to be a link there. it's strange the things we become obsessed about,over the last year i have had a range of obsessions. ie.. my husband was going to die,i was going to be raped,someone was going to break into my house,someone was going to hurt or steal my children. but what i realise now is that because of my constant state of anxiety my mind was always looking for the danger that made my anxiety levels so high but of course there was no real danger,once i realised that and just accepted that bad things can happen but i couldn't waste my life waiting for them to...i started to relax and my thoughts have relaxed too. having not had your particular fear i cannot tell you how to deal with it but i would suggest telling yourself each time that you have a disturbing thought that it is not real,just realise it is a thought nothing else,you do not have to act on your thoughts or even react to them..just observe them and let them go and try to relax....life is too short ..enjoy every minute of every day! best wishes to you abs 528 and all the other ladies out there that are suffering from this devil pill!

hi all,just a quick update. i have been off yasmin for 5 weeks now and just had my 1st normal period..... woo hooo! i am feeling sooo much better now i am off that stuff. my anxiety levels have dropped to virtually nil,panic attacks are getting better,i haven't had a headache for about 3 weeks,my facial numbness is getting better and less frequent, my bowels are getting back to normal and i just feel happier in myself and more able to cope with whatever may come along. i jst wanted to post this to give hope to all of you that are suffering...it just keeps getting better and better,it may take a week or it may take a year but just knowing that it will get better will keep you going.

abs528,
how are you doing,you have not posted for a while? you must be nearly a month free of yasmin now,is the anxiety easing? i really hope that you are doing better.

here here silke!
i too was surprised at the "2 weeks and great "post! i thought yasmin was a wonder pill for the 1st 6 months i was on it,my skin cleared up,my periods were a doddle,no water retention,no cramping.i went on holiday and took 2 packs back to back and bang........ my life turned upside down! i was sooo anxious i was scared to go out,i was scared to stay in ,i cried,i had nighmares,terrifying thoughts,i couldn't eat,i couldn't sleep,i just cried all the time,i couldn't deal with my kids,i was scared to be around them because i thought i had gone crazy,i lost 35lbs because i physically could not eat or if i did i was sick,i felt dizzy,my ears felt muffled,my vision was blurred and i just felt like i was going to die. i had constant panic attacks,palpitations,racing heart,shaking...the list goes on and on,i was put on diazepam but that made me worse.i struggled on until i found this site by accident,i stopped taking yasmin 5 weeks ago and am already feeling much better,my anxiety levels have dropped massively and the panic attacks are getting easier to deal with. if yasmin works for you then that's great,were all different but please remember that we are not all so lucky! we are all here to share our experiences of yasmin and to give each other help and advice if we can, femalepara...i am glad that yasmin is relieving some of your ailments and i sincerely hope that it carries on working for you as it does for some women but please please bare in mind that if you get ANYTHING unusal,like nausea,bowel problems,depression or any of the symptoms discussed on here,it could be that yasmin has struck again.

hi abs528, i am starting to feel better but i have learnt not to take anything for granted i just take it one step at a time,i still wake up with a sore throat most days and still get bad headaches. i will have been off yasmin for 2 weeks on monday. my anxiety levels have dropped quite a lot,i used to have days when i would feel really scared all the time but it does not seem as bad now, i have a long way to go because i have felt like that for a year i had developed a mild case of agoraphobia which is a real problem as i have 2 children and i feel terrible that i have stopped taking them out to fun places as i was always worried i would have a panic attack,but now i feel stronger hopefully i can overcome those once and for all...i am going to do my best! i just wish i had found this site a year ago when all my symptoms atrted,i would have stopped taking yasmin immediately,i only started taking it because my skin kept braking out in spots after i stopped breast feeding my youngest,i wish i had just tolerated the spots.

Hi Tammy, I had exactly the same symptoms that you are having while I was on Yasmin. I also was very nauseous, similar to when I was pg and I had leg pains (SCARY). I took all caffeine out of my diet and I am drinking water every day. It is helping. I unfortunately am also taking EffexorXR 37.5 to control my anxiety which is elevating my BP as well.

Hawkhillmom, I am 36 and am off of all BCP since late Jan 2006. I agree with Hill that I too am better off without them. I had the same type of attack that you did and I can only correlate it to the Yasmin that I was taking. I am so out of balance right now, it is unreal. I also have 2 kids that I need to take care of. I am seeing a nurse practitioner on a regular basis (I live in NJ, USA) and she is helping with my meds. I have my ups and downs with anxiety levels, but I pray that there is a light at the end of this tunnel!

You both should speak with your doctor about the side effects that you are experiencing.

Hugs to all of the ladies here and thank you all for your posts.

Hello All,

Just an update....I have now been off Yasmin for 5 months (as I suffered terribly whilst on it from Depression, anxiety/panic attacks and elevated heart rate with no history of these symptoms prior to taking it). It has been one very long and hard road...I continue to take one day at a time as I am STILL suffering from anxiety. It has definately gotten better (i have been keeping a diary of my anxiety levels to correlate them to my cycle...there is always a link) but let me tell you, it has been exhausting. Thanks to this poison I have spent hundreds of dollars on seeing a psychologist (although he was worth every cent!) for the first ever time in my life. I also have benefitted from cutting out all white bread, white sugar and caffeine from my diet.

I urge all those women going through withdrawals after getting off Yasmin to post their experiences on this site. There have been days when this site has kept me going.

Yasmin has taken a year from my life. It is pure poison. Prior to this pill, I have NEVER suffered from any form of emotional/mental health issues. I am now about 95% better. I eagerly await the day I am 100% the old me.

Take care all of those out there getting off Yasmin and those going through the 'aftermath'.

PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH and TELL YOUR STORIES...we all need to hear them. After all, it is easy to beleive you are going crazy when something continues to affect you 5 MONTHS after stopping it.

Pharmaceutical companies are going to have a law suit on their hands when the truth of the destruction of Yasmin is made known to the wider community.
:)

We are experiencing in-crease in anger control(Short-ness with each other). Drowsy after more than nine days still. Paranoid thoughts still accurring. Sex drive has just started to come back. We are also on HIV medications,Myself also taking xanax for anxiety. Dont know whether this is because of the other medications or not.My anxiety levels has in-creased, as well as my social phobia and sleep is producing realistic dreams now. Other medication i'm on are: Xanax 2.5mg,tenofovir (once at night),3tc(twice daily),propanolol(10mg) 2x at night, Pzotiphan(3 at night)sandomigran, Abacovir(twice daily),losec(Two at Night),imodium(when needed), Panadiene Forte(when needed. The drug avanza also 30mg(one at night) gives me a very strange taste in my mouth every morning and my urine reallly smells as my boyfriend noticed too. I'm a gay man, Aids positve 16 years nearly seventeen years now.