Bcps symptoms and conditions

I'm 41 and have been on BCPs since I was 17. Been on Yaz about 2 years, the best thing I can say about it is nothing. I'm dropping it immediately. My attitude is crappy, No memory, Joint pain,especially in fingers, zero sex drive. Now mostly I've just thought this was my age, but 3 months ago I had to have my gall bladder removed! I've never been unhealthy in my life, so what gives? The more I read on-line the more I see a connection to Yaz and these symptoms. There lots of lawsuits being gathered about yaz. Be careful ladies, the juries still out on this one, literally.

I'm no stranger to BCPs but Loestrin 24 has me quasi-suicidal. Yes, I've actually had thoughts of jumping out the window - I would never do it, but it scared the bejeebus out of me to actually have those thoughts.
I have two young kids and just went back on BCP's after finishing breast feeding my youngest. I have extremely heavy and awful periods so I was looking for a way to manage that. In the past I'd had only good experiences w/ BCPs so I didn't think twice about going back on them.
It's been three months since I started Loestrin and I've suffered from extreme fatigue, crazy mood swings, mental fogginess, forgetfulness, spotting (the least of my concerns), double vision, dry eyes, nausea, insomnia, no sex-drive, menstrual migraines that last up to 72 hours and lots of other fun stuff. Someone below mentioned they thought they had a brain tumor and I chuckled because I was pretty sure I had one too!
I forgot one measly pill this month and boy, did I pay for it.
Loestrin leaves me barely capable to take care of my children because of my fatigue and mental fogginess (it's the only way I can describe what my brain feels like on this drug) PLUS they have to deal w/ a very curt, impatient, unhappy and mean mommy - something I'm normally most definitely not!
When merging on the highway I ALWAYS do shoulder checks to make sure no one is in the way, but the other day I almost got in a wreck because even though I checked, I didn't see a car coming up behind me! I know this was because of my vision changes thanks to Loestrin.
I called my ob today for a new script. She gave me some generic. I hope to Zeus it's better than this stuff.
I think I'm more annoyed because I was never sensitive to meds before. I don't know if it's age (36), having had kids or what, but my body definitely doesn't handle the same as it used to. : (

I am a 30 year old nurse and know first hand how birth control pills are individual. I was on many before Yasmin. 6 months ago I started Yasmin because it was the new hype in birth control medicine since it reduces length of period, flow of period, and reduces acne.
I don't think the ingredient drospirenone that's included in Yasmin (a potassium sparing drug, and diuretic, another form of the same type is Spironolactone) works for me.
Ever since I had experienced these symptoms:
Anxiety-heart palpitations, suspiciousness, racing thoughts.
Headaches-tension, leading to muscle spasms in neck and shoulders.
Dizziness-Vertigo type spinning sensations
Ear fullness-popping and cracking without losing hearing.
Fatigue-no motivation, especially for an early riser and a person who works 12 hr shifts.
Chest tightness, lump in throat feeling, could be due to increase in stomach acid (HCl).
If anyone else has vertigo, or dizziness, I would love to know!
Thanks,
Good luck with trying a different form of birth control.

I started taking Yaz about a year and a half ago. I'm no longer continuing this pill after this month's pack is finished. I have to say that at first, it was a really great pill. The first month was hell. I bled for a month straight, and I was so irritable, and emotional, and my bf would talk about silly shit, like beached whales and I would start bawling. I spent four months living overseas after starting the pill so I didn't notice the loss of sex drive and sensitivity at first. But when I came back I started to notice all the little things that were becoming huge issues. My sex drive is more or less gone. I actually fell asleep last night while my boyfriend was trying to get me aroused. That's awful. I always feel tired lately. I get a lot of headaches. I read that this pill increase your potassium, and my mother's told me she has a lot of potassium so when she eats bananas she gets splitting headaches, and I'm the same way, so I'm starting to realize where all these headaches are coming from. Sometimes they are so bad that Advil does nothing at all and I end up having to rub between my thumb and forefinger while trying to fell asleep to make the pain stop. I've become extremely moody. My moods change so often now. I'm irritable. I am coming off of two really tough years of my life, and things are really great for me right now, and I don't feel great. I never want to have sex. Foreplay doesn't feel as good as it used to. I don't get aroused quickly, and I have a lot of trouble climaxing. I smoke weed and was smoking mixed spliffs with my bf for some time not even thinking about it, and the reaction the tobacco had with the pill was horrible. I'm certain that if I didn't stop I would have ended up in the ER. I would experience fainting spells, momentary blindness!!, I'd go really pale after getting very hot. I nearly passed out on at least four occasions before discovering the link. After I stopped, I felt much better. But now I can feel all the emotional side effects. I've also been sleepless for a long time, and I think that has to do with the pill, too. Lately I've been getting very nauseated if I eat shortly after taking the pill. And it doesn't matter what I eat. I'm constantly burping like I have a nervous stomach, but I've been calming my mind lately so there's really no reason for it. I've got a lot going on with life and whatnot, but I'm usually able to handle a lot of pressure and stress without breaking down, and this pill has made me almost incapable to dealing with the slightest bit of stress. It's horrible. And I don't want any part in it, or in the pharmaceutical business. I'm going to try tracking my own ovulation. At least I won't have some crazy hormones messing up my system.

Oh. I also had a fibroadenoma (breast cyst) this summer that I had to have a biopsy on (which was really fun, let me tell you...), and I can't say that the pill caused it, but I've never had cysts in my breasts before... The pill did inflate them an extra cup size, and during the third week of pills they are so tender I can't even let my boyfriend touch them or hug me tightly because they hurt so badly. And I live in NYC and there are a lot of stairs to bounce down and it's painful.

I see all the same symptoms with everyone who takes this pill and has a bad experience, and I've decided that it's not for me. The man can wear a condom for a while, while I try to regain my normal self again.

I have been on Loestrin 24 for over a year now and I have to say that it is working really well for me. I have extremely light periods (esp. compared to the ones I was having before), predictable periods, and no mood swings. i have had breakthrough bleeding 2 of the months I've been on this pill. The only thing I've noticed is it is extremely hard for me to lose weight. Now, I only need to lose like 10 pounds, but I was running everyday and eating healthy for about 3 months and did not lose a pound of weight. I don't know if it was due to the pill, but in the past it has been fairly easy for me to lose,

I'm 39 and have been on Coumadin for about a month. Was diagnosed with DVT in right calf after taking Yaz birth control for only about 4-5 months (no other pre-conditions - I'm a non-smoker, fairly active, not overweight, no recent airplane trips or long car rides.) I was on Yaz to treat severe problems with my period which has been the case since I was a teenager, but I was tired of having to call in sick to work every month, and had hoped Yaz would eliminate that problem. I had been on other BCPs when I was in my 20's, and never had any symptoms of clotting, so didn't think that it would be all that risky to try again, despite me being slightly older than the typical woman on BCP. Obviously, I am not taking Yaz anymore, and will not be able to take any other hormonal therapies for the rest of my life. But I guess that's minor compared to the risk of developing PE from an undiagnosed blood clot.

Anyway, I've been noticing I've been getting sudden, severe headaches since starting the Coumadin. I have a history of migraines but I usually only get one or two per year at most. Now I've had what feels a lot like a migraine twice in a matter of a couple weeks. My husband has also commented that I've been irritable and acting "spacy".

My INR has also been all over the place. They've been alternating me between 5 mg and 7.5 mg per day. For the first few weeks I was right where they wanted me - between 2 and 3, but then last Friday my results were 4.6!! Way too high. I go back this afternoon to see if anything's changed over the weekend, after skipping a dose and then doing 5 mg Sat. and Sun. I do hope they can find the right balance and don't have to keep tinkering with the dosage. I'm wondering if that's what's contributing to the headaches. Maybe if they can stabilize how much I'm taking from day to day, my body will adjust.

I wonder if anyone "official" is tracking the number of DVT/PE patients that can trace their onset of symptoms to Yaz. My sense is that this is a much more serious and prevalent side effect than their marketing dept. would like to admit.....

Been on lots of different BCPs for lots of years -- Loestrin24Fe seems to make me very moody/crabby if I don't take my pill at the same time each day (I occasionally forget until evening). If I take it on time (8:00AM sharp, for me) things are fine.

The other BCPs I've taken seemed more forgiving about the time thing.

I started this damn pill the Sunday after getting my period (as instructed). By that same Friday I had a light discharge, by Saturday spotting, by Sunday dark bloody mucus, and by Monday I was flowing as I would with a unusually heavy period. I too have experienced severe mood swings; including depression, irritability and anxiety. Not to mention the fact that I have become a total and complete BITCH! I almost broke up with my fiance whom i've been with for almost 4 years. I was surprised to find that some of you have also experienced heart palpitations and feelings and severe heartburn. Saturday night I truly thought that I was pregnant due to the same continuous headache, a feeling of nausea towards foods I used to like, mood swings, bleeding, dizziness and a sudden swelling of my breasts. I have had bad experiences with BCPs in the past so I thought it was my body trying to regulate to Loestrin24. However after finding this site I am sure that what I am experiencing is due to the pill.
Posted on the Loestrin24 site is a statement about blood tests. I find it interesting that a blood test is not required before beginning this particular BCP. I think it would be interesting to arrange a live chat in a medical chat room at some point in the near future to discuss if there is any action we can take as a whole to seek help in correcting the physical and mental hardships we have experienced.
This pill SUCKS!!!!!

I think it is interesting the symptoms that you mention here. I have been on birth control pills since the age of 19. I am now 28. Over the past year I have had similar symptoms. I have been on so many different BCP's that is is hard to keep count. They don't seem to work the way they claim to. The last BCP I was on was orthotryciclen. While taking these I began to experience severe heart palpitations. So bad that they would wake me up at night. Because I wasn't sure if it was an anxiety attack or just being in my head I decided to ignore it. Four months passed by and it seemed to get increasingly worse. I had enough and decided to go to my PCP. She wasn't really much help either. Although I was tested for Mitral Valve Prolapse, which I was told affects younger women my age. There was nothing found. What I thought was interesting is I really felt that it was the birth control pills, but I couldn't find it as a side affect on the information that was provided in the box. The tech who was doing my echocardiogram began to tell me she also experienced the same feelings and found out it was her BCP. Once she confirmed what I thought was right, decided to stop taking them. After three months the symptoms began to disappear. I figured it was just the particular brand. I began to take loestrin 24. I started to feel the same symptoms again, just not as severe. I would feel my heart beat when I would like down in my back and my stomach. My heart rate would reach 90 to 100 sometimes. I know this is not normal. When I visited my gyno yesterday she told me it was impossible that it was a result of the BCP. Maybe it was just anxiety and or perhaps I should get checked out by a cardiologist. That is serious stuff when you are talking to a young person about getting there heart check out. I think if there are any other women out there who are experiencing any similar symptoms should speak up. So these doctors won't keep telling us it is all in our heads and help to take care of this problem.

Has anyone experienced pain in the abdomen on the right side? Seems to have started when I started this birth control...sometimes it's under my last rib, and then there are days it hurts all the way down to my hip.

I am 38 and I have been using the NuvaRing since 3/23/08. My GYN thought it would help regulate my hormones, as I was experiencing vaginal dryness and decreased libido. I have been on BCPs since I was 18, except for 2 pregnancies and breast feeding. I had no problems on BCPs, except the vaginal dryness and decreased libido (which have been coming on gradually). So far, I have breast enlargement and tenderness, emotional lability, and I have not slept well since it went in (waking up frequently and vivid dreams). I'm going to stick it out a little while, but WOW, I didn't sign up for this. If this form of BC has less hormones then why do I feel this way?

I have been on this for 1 month. The first two weeks was fine then I started feeling bloated big time. I do exercises for my stomach and I know I have good core muscles and I can't hold my stomach in. I'm not working right now need to be looking for work but I have been waiting for the bleeding to stop and the bloating to disappear. I am getting off of this. All of the head problems people are having are due to the extra drug in Yaz that deals with moodiness. I have been on tons of different anti- everything and usually it takes at least 3 to 4 weeks to adjust to your brain. If not it's not for you. I am completely off of meds now because I took the steps to freedom in Christ in a book called Breaking the Bondage by Neil T Anderson. I took ortho tri-cyclene before years ago and it did great compared to this stuff. Taking something to help with moodiness just causes a person to be numb to their feelings. The feelings don't go anywhere the pile up and that's why you find yourself at times crying uncontrollably. The only way to heal these things is to face them and the only one that can take that pain from you is Jesus. I know I tried everything. Exercise and changes in your eating habits will help with period problems. Water water water will help with acne.

Hi all! I just began taking YAZ two weeks ago and things were fine up until two days ago. I started experiencing itching on several parts of my boy an last night, realized I had hives on my waist at my back, near my underarms and have serious itching all over the rest of my body including the palms of my hands. Please, please, please if anyone reads this an has had similar side effects, please let me know. Furthermore, I did not take the pill last night as I knew this could be the only thing causing these issues. Does anyone know the reprecution of stopping the pill mid month? Please let me know and thanks for your help!

My experience with Yasmin was awful!!! I had been on BCPs before with no problems(both were Ortho-something). I'd had no problems with depression, I was never one to cry much and I was very active. Well, I had a little spotting so my doctor switched me over to Yasmin thinking it might help and the spotting between periods did stop. For me, everything was fine at first. The depression came on slowly, but once it did it just got worse and worse. I was always exhausted, I never wanted to do anything, I felt out of shape and my heart would race when I tried to go hiking. I was suddenly crying all of the time and getting terribly upset about nothing, instantly. I began to seriously dislike myself and I was watching what had seemed to be the perfect relationship fall apart before my eyes due to the strain that had been put on it. I FINALLY realized that something was terribly wrong when I was standing in the middle of a beautiful forest on vacation at a resort with the love of my life and I was screaming at him for a reason I could no longer remember. Then I broke down into a hysterical fit of tears. I dug out the pamphlet I got with my pills and somewhere in the back it finally listed depression as a possible side effect. I rushed down to the computer and found so many women with experiences just like mine. I called my doctor to switch my perscription back to the pill I'd been on previously; she wouldn't do it. I finished my pack and haven't gone near the stuff since. That was in April/May. After a month I was feeling better--like a fog was starting to clear from my mind. By three months the mood swings were mostly gone and I was concentrating better and smiling a lot more. Now, I'm finally me again and my boyfriend and I managed to save our relationship (thanks primarily to his patience and understanding) and I'm excited about living again. Yasmin may work for some people but in my opinion it's just not worth the risk.

I have been on Apri since July 07' and the first 2 months were terrible. I have never had such bad mood swings in my life, I would cry if someone looked at me wrong, and the urge to scream at people is crazy, I have a 7 year old daughter and a 10 year old step son and I have been unable to treat them with the quality that they need, I have been getting mad at them for the littlest things and they are things that they should not even be getting trouble for. My husband is going crazy because if he tries to talk to me about serious things I start crying. I get very gassy and bloated all the time, I have changed my diet and that has only made it worse. I have been on so many bcps because of serious side effects and I am starting to feel like a lab rat. I am just starting the new yaz that has came out, I am starting it today I really hope that I have better results. The only thing that I liked about the Apri was the fact that I didn't gain weight. One more thing the periods were so painful, I have never had this much pain with a period, and I have a past with ovarian cysts and I normally have really painful periods, but with this pill it was way worse. I hope this helps anyone that is deciding a bcp for themselves.

I have been off Yasmin for almost 2 weeks and the panic attacks are gone!!! I feel much better. I decided not to use another form of birth control "with hormones" until my hormones are balanced! The only thing is I am having HORRIBLE headaches, the muscles in my legs and arms are still aching and my mood swings are still there. I hope this ends SOON!! Right now I am taking vitamin B complex to see if that helps any.

Like many ladies here, I'm finding it a HUGE relief to come across this web site. Makes me feel sorry for all the people who haven't yet realized that physical and mental problems are being caused by Yaz. I was on the verge of tears at any given moment from my first cycle of Yaz. I was waking up at night and worrying about the most inane things, which I'd never done before I started this particular BCP. I'm really excited to get back to myself. Condoms are looking better than they ever did before; I'll miss the feeling of security from BCPs, but they're not worth this one bit.

I'm about to start this in 7 days. I am switching off of Desogen (taken for 10 years for endometriosis - though I was off for 2 years while conceiving and pregnant 3 years ago). I'm 41 and suspect peri-menopause (hard to tell when on BCPs). My CURRENT complaints are v. dryness, weight gain and low drive... I'm hoping the lower progesterone in Loestrin will help. Any one else had expereience going from Desogen to Loestrin?

2 weeks ago I switched from Microgestion FE to Yasmin. I thought my slight pms would disappear with yasmin. What has followed has made my slight pms feel like a walk in the park.

5 days into the first week I had terrible nausea, heart palpitations and anxiety. A few days later started the body aches everywhere. i felt like i was actually dying. I found this website and went off the pill after 11 days, within 1 day I was so much better and almost totally better by 2-4 days.

A week later they gave me Yaz samples. Started those 4 days ago. I was vomiting this afternoon and now have seriously bad cramps in my hips and legs. i feel like i got hit by a truck. i have to assume its the pill, since it's so similar to the yasmin. what is strange is that i tried a pack or two of yaz a year ago with no problems that i recall. And although i am having the anxiety and mental side effects these physical ones are not something i am manifesting. I am not sure if my body has changed, or like another posted mentioned a reformulation. Never had side effects to bcps before either.

UPDATE:
I went to my gyn on Monday and told the nurse how I was feeling and that I wanted to switch BCPs. She spoke to the dr. and he refused to switch me. He said if I didn't like it to just stop it but that he wasn't going to give me a prescription for another BCP. That it was too soon to see any side affects and to give it another two cycles. She later said it might be the sudden surge of horomones that might make me feel that way. I told her I don't know but i felt really mad and not myself although it was two weeks everybody else noticed a huge negative change in me as well. Mind you I am a brand new patient and this was the first prescription this dr gave me. I had not take BCP for alomst 10 years so I don't know what his problem was. Now the only thing I can think of is I am very overweight... ... but aside from that I don't have any other health problems. so is this the only pill that can be prescribed to obese women?????? I am so disappointed in my dr, I was excited that he was only 2 blocks from me but I am switching.

First, I don't really like taking BCPs and have avoided them like the plague in the past. After giving birth to my first child this past December I had some complications. My doctor tried to fix the complication with BCPs, not Yasmin, and apparently they worked. I was recently prescribed Yasmin by my doctor as I am SO not ready to get pregnant again. I only took the pills for 5 days and then stopped, at my husband's request, and for my personal quality of life. I am not sure if the pills are the cause of my symptoms or not as I was only on them for 5 days but here they are. I woke up every morning with a headache, a nagging headache that did not go away. I had terrible nausea and hot flashes. The worst thing happened on the 5th day. I was shopping with my mother at a store that I have frequented when I had a terrible reaction. I had vision problems and felt as if I was going to faint. I have never had this feeling in the past when visiting this store, it was a sensitivity to the lighting, I think?

I quit taking the pills 5 days ago. Yesterday I started my second period for the month which may be my own fault for stopping so abruptly. At least I hope that is the cause and it isn't something more serious.

Hi ladies! I wrote here a couple weeks ago...just prior to my mental breakdown!! I laugh now but it was anything but funny. Had numerous symptoms-adverse reactions to Yaz- and was told by my PCP and my bitch gynocologist (not mine anymore!!) that what I was feeling had absolutely nothing to do with the BCPs. That was when I sought out a Naturalistic Doctor...who was completely amazing in every way and agreed that my body was having some sort of reaction to the pills and the excess hormone in my system. She did some acupuncture and made some suggestions as far as supplements and probiotics go and I literally started feeling myself again after one treatment. I had two in all and I feel wonderful and really like myself again-sleeping better and all!!! Also I'd like to mention some magic in a bottle...it's called Bach's Rescue Remedy and it immediately calms me down. The Naturopathic Doctor charged $200 for the first meeting (intake, history, acupuncture and recommendations) and $75 for each subsequent visit...worth every penny!! and the Bach's is like $7.99...well worth every single cent!!!! To be feeling normal again is priceless!!! Best of luck to all of you but do know that there is hope!!! Take care
Kara

lulubae,

Without knowing how long you have been on yasmin, many women here, in over 3,058 results had trouble with libido. LIkely due to the suppresent of adrenal glands, the diuretic, and the change in natural hormone as Yasmin contains a synthetic homrone-drsp-a diuretic actually.

Without knowing how old you are, and having been on bcp's much of my life and now only coming to understanding the problems and risks and suffering from being on yamsin for only 1.5 years-its a hell of a pill-I'd reccomend diagphragm or cervical cap. Or practicing naturally by time of month.

the hormones and bcps just not worth the toll they ultimately take on your system. While its so easy to pop a pill every day, it really is, loaded with side effects.

Hope that helps. Read through this and anything you can find on bcp side effects. It adds up.