Calm down symptoms and conditions

I am 25 and have been taking Yasmin for about a year and a half. I switched to it because it would help my acne breakouts (face and chest/back),
as well as "reduce bloating" according to my doctor.
It did indeed help with helping calm down the PMS mood swings around 'that time of the month'.
However, especially in the last few months, I have noticed a very dramatic decrease in my libido and bouts of being down or 'blue' aka depression-like symptoms, as well as breast tenderness. Also strangely enough, one of the side effects listed on the info sheet claims it can cause bloating. So who do I believe? This is my point exactly...

Ladies, take 5 minutes and CAREFULLY READ THE INSTRUCTIONS that come inside the box of your Yasmin pills. When you do, you might be surprised by what you find, like I was.
I have been on several types of birth control since I was about 17, from Tri-cyclen, to Diane-35 and others.

What the doctors and pharmaceutical companies DON'T tell us, is that female sex hormones can cause cancer. This is literally written in the fine print on the info you get with your pills. It's there you just have to look for it.
Think about it... these companies get paid masses of money to keep you ignorant and thinking that there is little to no risk of taking birth control pills. They won't get paid if millions of women stop taking their doses.

Even my mom, who was taking hormones to balance out her menopausal issues, has a increased risk of cancer now due to taking hormones.

Just research it a little bit, google it and you will see.
Birth control pills can have permanent effects, and even temporary effects that cause you to feel miserable.
This is your life, your health, and we have to be aware of what we are putting in our bodies!!!!!!
Is gaining 5 lbs or having a few pimples really worth the risk of depression and the possibility of cancer??

I am not extremest, that is, I am not saying that no females should take birthcontrol pills. I understand there will always be a demand.
But this forum is important because it let's us share our worries. I am worried for myself (will these hormones contribute to breast cancer issues later in life?), and I am worried for all the girls out there who want the benefits of a pill (clear skin, regular periods) don't know that the side effects can be life threatening.

Educate yourself!! , don't believe everything the drug companies tell you, and what the doctors DO NOT tell you.
Remember, YOU are the only expert on YOU!

I know this sounds ridiculous, but I completely had a paranoia attack and thought someone close to me was stealing from me, which makes absolutely no sense at all.

I also had vividly bad dreams, and I can't usually remember my dreams.

I feel "keyed up" and not in a good way.

I now have to take the day off and try to calm down, close the blinds, lower the lights, and drink tea.

This is not a good medication.

I took this yesterday after suffering with asthma problems off and on the past couple of months. After two trips to the doctor, the final consensus was that I had a sinus infection, and that the continuous dripping into my chest was causing the chest congestion.
Anyway, within one hour of taking avelox, I had a full-blown anxiety attack ....I was dizzy, lightheaded, my head felt like it would explode, had diarrhea, couldn't breathe, and thought I was dying. I almost called 911. After about 4 hours of this I took half of a 1 mg lorazepam pill to calm down. I continue to feel completely unwell all evening, shaking and anxious. I finally took a hot bath, and a full lorazepam, which allowed me to sleep. I am telling you that the whole afternoon and evening was a harrowing experience. I am also wondering if the side effects were exacerbated by the Astiliin (nasal spray) I took, since this morning that drug made me feel extremely groggy and tight in the chest.
I will NEVER take this drug again,and now I am so afraid that I am scared to take the zithromax the doctor prescribed in place of Avonex, even though I have used zithromax in the past with no side effects.
At this point, I am ready to consult a naturopath or acupuncturist to help with my condition - most of these new-fangled drugs seem to cause more problems than they "cure".

My son is 8 and has Autism. In the last two months he has been taking Singulair. In the last two months I have noticed him progressively getting very aggressive and unable to tolerate disappointments etc. He's been very whiney. It's to a point where he is out of control with his moods. He hauls off and hits me, other kids and adults. Like a monster has taken over. He can't seem to calm down and it's hard for him to tell me what is going on because of his Autism. He has never been this extreme and had such a long bout of horrible behavior. I forgot he had started this new medication for his allergy related asthma/wheezing. I did not figure it out but I am convinced this may have been the trigger for his uncontrollable behavior. We had a huge embarrassing incident today at camp where he ran into the school he was not suppose to be in, then came back and pushed this boy and attacked his Mom by pulling her arm nearly knocking her over, pinching her arm and squeezing it very hard! I was shocked at his behavior. Kicked and hit me and the counselor and squeezed my boob really hard,lifted my shirt up several times, just totally out of control. I had to lay on him practically to control him and I cried in shock and fear and wondered if this was my son! It took a long time to calm him down. He is going off the medication today and we are talking to several other doctors and going to a neurologist. He has sleepless nights too and dry mouth. Please watch out if you already have a child with issues. Worried and sad Mom!

Only been on for a few days. I feel incredibly calm, however very crampy & nausea. Worried I may have some of the more severe effects down the road. I have depression and ADD and was on meds for both, however am off the ADD meds and still on 25mg of Zoloft. I'm thinking this may be a good combo. They say women with loads of energy (also I am a comedian) calm down after they give birth.
My thought process is that the ring is obviously mimicking my body being pregnant...so perhaps the "calm" I feel is related to the birth control itself.

I'll keep a journal and let you know how things are in a month or two

I just finished taking my 2nd pill of Yasmin or oral contraceptives ever. I've always been against oral contraceptives, mostly because I feel they're so unnatural to a woman's balance. I don't disagree on people taking it for medical purposes though. Well I got pregnant and it wasn't the right situation nor timing; and now that's why I'm on Yasmin. I had a prescription laying around that my dermatologist had given me back in April for acne. I decided to "cash it in" at the local pharmacy. The first day, maybe an hour after I took the pill I felt a flood of some feeling in my head. I felt mild nausea, and a small pain in the back of my head that went away as quickly as it started. The feelings of nausea subsided at night, because I took it around noon. My second day on it I felt that fullness filling in my head, I was a little hot, and I felt mild nausea. I felt like the only thing to get rid of that feeling in my gut was to eat. I ate gamesa cookies which are like wafers, light, mildly sweet to calm down that feeling. It kind of helped, but food helped the most. I have taken ginger ale for nausea before and it's helped, but you have to make sure to take the fizz out of it first. In the evening I felt like my head was really heavy, almost tired/sleepy. I hope my body adjusts fast, because I'm not use to being out of balance like this.

MT SIDE EFFECT THAT i HAVE , SINCE I HAVE HYPOTHROIDISM HAVE BEEN UP AND DOWN LIKE A ROLLER COASTER. i CAN TELL ALL THE TIME WHEN MY LEVELS ARE OFF. WHEN THEY ARE TOO HIGH OF TOO MUCH THYROID MEDICATION IN MY SYSTEM, I FEEL VERY NERVOUS, IRRITABLE. SHAKEY FEELING INSIDE LKE I CANNOT CALM DOWN IN SIDE. MUSCLE CRAMPING, AND BAD HEADACHE. WHEN MY LEVELS ARELOW , I AMY VEY TIRED AL DAY LONG AND JUST WANT TO SLEEP. i ALSO GET A VERY DEPRESSED FEELING AND WANT TO CRY ALOT, BECAUSE I DONT FEEL RIGHT. WHEN THE LEVELS ARE REALLY LOW I GET DIZZY, AND WHEN i TRY TO DRIVE MY CAR I CAN NOT CONCINTRATE VERY WELL AND i FEEL LIKE I AM DRUNK.. THE FEELING IS AWFUL, AND MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I AM NOT IN TOUCH WITH REALITY.

Kim,

please remember, that being off a bcp (not only Yasmin or Yaz) for only 6 weeks really isn't very long!! Most doctor's say, that it lasts at least up to 3 months for the chemicals of the pill to leave your body completely, because it's not only in your blood but also in your tissue, and getting out of there takes much longer than getting out of your blood!! (That's another reason why drinking loads of water is so important!!!)

So even if your hormone levels maybe at the same stage than one year ago, there maybe still the side effects of Yaz, that you're experiencing, on top of the hormonal problems you've mentioned!!

Please Kim, try to stay strong and give it more time, 6 weeks off that pill really really isn't enough to say, you have to feel well again at once!! This is no cold or a flu we are or were going through!! Hormonal problems can't be solved within a few days or weeks, it definitely takes months (should be clear alone by the fact, that our cycles last about one month!).

And if you feel that an antidepressant might help you, please give it a chance. I still don't know if you had already tried the Valerian, I've mentioned a few posts before (well, although, as bitter RN told, you should not take it together with other antidepressants as ssri or such!!). I found this a very good little helper during my hardest days. It always helped me to calm down and at night it helped me to sleep. Please think about it.

Best wishes to you and I'll send you all the strenght I have left over to stand this Kim!!

Silke

kim123.
hi, i know it sounds easy for me to say calm down but please try to relax a little,the tingling sensations in your arms will go,i had them for a while,i don't remember how long but they have gone now, i also used to get it in my face from my right eye down the side of my nose and across my cheek,this has pretty much gone now too although sometimes it creeps in around the time of my period. i know exactly how you feel now i promise you i have been there. at my worst i lost 34lbs, i could not eat and i slept for about 45 mins a night,i would doze off then wake up again and be awake all night,my limbs would shake and twitch uncontrolably,i had hightmare type visions and terrible negative thoughts,i was scared i was going to hurt someone and have to be put in an institution,i was afraid to touch my children incase the horrible things in my head came true, i was sure that if i left my house i would be attacked or raped and was also positive that i would have a major panic attack and die. my eyesight grew bad,my head was foggy,i could not think or concentrate on anything. in short i was having at least a dozen panick attacks a day,i would wake up in the morning and within seconds i was hit by such extreme feelings of fear that i would physically shake and cry......fast forward 6 months........ i can go out,i can play with my children,i take each day as it comes,i am no longer afraid to be by myself and i do not panic about every ache,pain and weird feeling, when my heart races for no reason, i let it,i know it will not hurt me. i took yasmin for 1.5 years so it will take me longer to recover than some ladies here who only took it for a short while but i know i will get better,if i look after my body and my mind i will make a full recovery and hopefully be better than i was before as i have learnt some valuable lessons through all this,i will never take my "boring" life for granted again,i am determined to savour every moment that i am on this earth for. i promise you that you will feel that way again. it has been posted on this site many times about taking the right vitamins to help you recover,it is honestly the best thing you can do. keep yourself distracted always,wash dishes,sing & dance,call your daughter or your friends,watch a funny movie or read a book. go out and do some gardening, count to one hundred,do anything but keep your mind busy,if it is concentrating on something else it is too busy to remember to feel afraid.

sorry for the long post, i really hope that my story will help you see that there are other women who have felt that they are all alone and no-ne can really know how bad it is. i promise i know how bad it is. i looked into anxiety a lot and read a lot of books and bought a lot of programmes to help me. i will try to help you as much as i can if you would like my help. and for all of you other ladies that may need some advice on how to deal with anxiety here is my email address.
******. if i can help i will. we all have to support each other as the medical proffesion is zero help!
sarah

Dear kim and dejay,

your posts nearly bring me to tears, because you exactly tell my story from about 1,5 years ago!!

I know it's hard to believe while you're still in it, but: IT WILL GET BETTER!! You will be your old self someday, but you'll need lots of patience and endurance and the support of your family or husband or anyone around you!!

I know exactly EVERY symptom you both have mentioned!! And I remember me sitting in there and thinking "I never will be better again, this is how it will stay the rest of my life, I'm done!" and today I'm BACK!!

It can last a few weeks or months but I swear someday you'll think "oh, today I think I'm doing a bit better finally", that's how it happened to me!! It will be only little steps every day or week or month, but you'll get through this!!!

Remember that the pill is affecting your natural hormones completely and brings them out of whack. Now, after getting off that horrible pill, it will take some time for your body to learn how to produce hormones by itself again!! It's definitely not only a flu or a simple cold we're all going through, it's something more serious, but nothing letal and nothing, that will last forever!!

On top the Yasmin is lacking your body of very important electrolytes and vitamines and so on, because of the diuretic effect!! So, as flowerbabies already told you, please make sure to take some good supplements (most important seem to be magnesium, zinc and b-vitamines, because they are absolutely essential for nerves and muscles!!).

Another thing that might be possible (also because of the diuretic effect of Yasmin): Please ask your doctor for a blood work about your iron levels!! The monthly period (which, I guess, came really regular during Yasmin) AND the diswatering effect of Yasmin can also lack your body of that important substance.

For the very hard times another thing that might help to calm down a bit: VALERIAN. It's a natural medication which doesn't make you addictet and in my very hard times it was always a good thing to help me through!!

But DEJAY: Don't feel weak because you couldn't get through without antidepressants!! I swear there were times, where I thought "Please give me ANYTHING, I will take it, I can no longer stand this agony!" and today I still don't really know, how I got through without that stuff!! So please take something, if it might help you through the very hard times and someday you'll be able to get off it again!! I swear!

Ok, sorry, I'll try not to write a book again. But I really hope I could help somehow.

And please: If you feel bad and hopeless come around here and I swear you'll always find someone to support you (which I know sometimes is the only thing that helps not to give up completely!!).

But always remember: I's NOT YOU!! It's the Yasmin and someday you'll be better again.

Big hugs to you both and every other poor victim of that horrible drug and stay strong! You'll get through this!!

Best wishes and god's bless
Silke

Hello,

I was on Yasmine for 2 years and I have been off of Yasmine for 4 weeks. I had a fast heartbeat while on it and it has become worse lately. I also feel nervous and exhausted, but can't sleep very well. My blood pressure is also elevated sometimes (never had high blood pressure before this pill).

I also had bad stomach aches while on it and started to react to certain things (like eggs) I had never ever had a problem with. All kinds of intestinal complaints but of course the doctor says it is IBS - I wonder if it is the progestin that messes me up so bad. It is so strange. I want to get healthy again but feel really crummy right now, don't want to stand up to long, but try to keep going and doing chores etc, feel like I will pass out and takes a long time to recover from it. Could it bring on the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue or problems with blood pressure on standing???

The fast heartbeat is bugging me. I had an EKG and a sonogram of my heart, stress test 3 years ago and everything was normal (for chest pain while on Ovcon 35).

I hate this and wish I could get well. I've tried magnesium and B vitamins, sometimes I feel more wired-exhausted. This is weird but when I used to get that weird gnawing/stomach hunger while on it I would use baking soda/water to calm down my stomach, this seemed to help some of the other symptoms too??? Maybe sodium is off???

This is really driving me crazy. I have a microbiology degree so I understand a bit about the medical side of this drug but I don't feel like it was researched/tested thoroughly before it was sent out for human consumption!

LilahK

Hi everyone,
I am off yasmin almost 2 months now, and I have to say it does get better, but the week before my period the same old symptoms seem to raise their ugly head, im sure it will just take more time to calm down "I hope". I have been doing some research about other brands of BC'S and I am really unsure about which other brand to try, I think they all have similar effects, has anyone heard of the bc called Ciliest, do you gain weight on it or are there any obvious side effects with this pill. If anyone knows can you please let me know.
Hope you are all doing better soon (:

Am a 28 yr old female and I was given 4 samples of Levaquin for a UTI, i went on the website to read about the drug, since am healthy and have never had any bad reactions to drugs and they listed minimal and rare side effects I took it, the first night I didn't sleep but my UTI was clearing up, but the second night within two hours of taking, it made me crazy, panic attack, anxiexy, my head was racing out of control, and i was soooo hot i run to put cold water over me, i turned on all the lights cause i was afraid i was being attacked by a force, and at one point i wanted to take a knife and stab my head, thats when i began to scream and my husband ran to comfort me, he held me and i began to pray and am not religious, out of deseperation i took some night quill and after 30 min i began to calm down and to somewhat sleep,thank god because we were about to go to emergency room, this all happened last night and am still in bed cause i feel out of focused, and still a bit afraid. i have been on-line today researching and am appaled of how bad this drug really is, i will never take this and i will tell everyone i know about it, and i went n filed a complaint with the FDA and suggest everyone else does so, now i just pray i don't get any other side effects.

Sorry, me again.

Claudia:

You're telling the same story, that I went through!!! I too didn't leave my house, sometimes neither my bed anymore in my worst times with Yasmin!! And I really didn't think that this could get better again some day.

But believe me: IT WILL get better!!

All you need is time, as I already told in my last post.

1 1/2 months without Yasmin ist really not very long!! In my case it took about 3 months to feel a real change in me and a slight improvement of my symptoms started (got off Yasmin in February 2005!). But from that point on it got better month by month. Every month the symptoms (especially the anxiety and panic attacks) got less and today I'm nearly back to normal!! Well, as I already said, besides the hormonal chaos (don't have a normal regular period, yet) that really takes much longer for me than for many other women...

But you are NOT CRAZY!!!! I remember me so many times thinking the same thing "What, if it's really NOT the Yasmin and everything is just in my head?" But it WAS the Yasmin and today I feel so much better!!! All you need now is time and patience and hopefully some people around you that understand your problems, listen to you or give you a hug, if you're in need!!

And flowerbabies ist totally right with the supplements! It's really helpful to take some vitamine b, magnesium and other things!! And perhaps some valerian just to calm down a bit, when the anxiety seems to be unbearable!! That always helped me too during the last 2 very hard years!!

I wish you all the best and believe me, you've got the power to get through this, even if you don't really believe it now, YOU HAVE IT!!

Best wishes and god's bless!

Silke

Dear Sophie,

YES, I know that "eye problem", too and it's still coming up sometimes (though very seldom!!!), and remember, I've been OFF Yasmin for about 1,5 years now!! Well, it's not as bad and severe as it was around 4 months off it but it comes up some days, especially, when I'm under stress or so.

And another thing: It gets worse around ovulation or shortly before my period (should) start or starts! My mum was telling me, that around the time of your period you naturally feel a bit nervous, even without taking the pill, and so I think it's normal, that this thing with your eyes is "happening". I always called and call it "nervous eyes". That's how it feels. I then can't focus on anything and it feels as if my eyes go their own way, while I'm trying to read something or watch something...

In my research during the last year I found out, that the hypothalamus, the "central" of your hormonal control, is at that point of your brain, where the optic nerves are crossing. That's how I explain the visual problems, that I always had since taking Yasmin!! During taking it I needed new glasses for reading and such nearly every few weeks, because my visual acuity was permanently changing!! One week the glasses were ok, the other week they gave me dizziness and headaches, because they didn't work anymore for me!!

One very important thing: I NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS with my vision BEFORE YASMIN!!!!! That's absolutely sure!!!!

The headache thing:

Well, if you're afraid, that something might be wrong with your brain, you should really go and see a neurologist, perhaps have a MRI done, just to reassure yourself, that there really is nothing (which I really believe!!). I think that could help you to calm down and not worry about a really severe problem any longer. I had that MRI and thousands of other checks done, too, until I and my family doctor could be really sure, that there was nothing else causing my problems!!

I think you now after reading my posts, what I'm thinking about those antidepressant stuff... I took such stuff for only one week, because I really didn't know what else to do, but I got off it as fast as I got on because it was giving me even more problems than before... Everyone is reacting different and I think, if you really can't bare those headaches any longer, you should give it a try. But think twice about it and have some research (google) done, before you perhaps might get even more or other problems caused by that stuff...

You've asked about my period... Well, it really was another hard 2 weeks to get through for me. I really felt very weak and unsure and was afraid, that everyghing might be coming back....... But gladly I was WRONG!! :) I think my body just has its problems getting back used to that hormonal changes and especially the blood loss (and I had very heavy bleedings for about 3 - 4 days). Around one week after my period everything got better and now I'm fit again!! (and I don't have to tell you, how happy I am!!!).

Sophie, stay strong, look at me and keep going on!! You'll be there someday again, too, I swear!! Keep on posting and if there is anything you worry about: ask here in the forum!!!

It's the most valuable thing we have in all that agony, that we keep going each other by sharing our experiences during that Yasmin nightmare!!

God bless you all!!

Silke

I was previously put on Lexapro 10mg a day after having my first child with the intention of helping me calm down my new mother nerves. It made me feel aweful and I started having panic attacks. (I have never had them before) My doc then changed me to Paxil 10mg a day for the first week, then 20mg a day thereafter. Well, I am only 2 days into it and I already feel like a shell of myself. I have had crazy dreams and wake up several times in the night. And most frustrating I have been so irratable, biting my husbands head off at minor things. I noticed I am eating like crazy, in fact I have gained 5 pounds since Friday. I know these meds take a while to take effect and the doc said I could experience things like this and even suicide thoughts at first, but now I am terrified that I am toying with my sanity and I was better off before the medications in the first place.

Hi girls,

Im so glad i found this site.. its helped me calm down a bit... ive only been on Yasmin for around a month.. and got off it today. now is about the time i would normally have PMS, and i have felt sooooo horrible... depressed, tired, no appetite and the worst part have been the weird thoughts i have had about my boyfriend. I love him dearly and we are great together, yet all of a sudden i have these panicky moments when i feel its not working, that my feelings have gone... what is wrong with me???

does anyone think that the usual PMS plus the hormones in yasmin has triggered this depression??? im off it now so i'll tell you all how i go. i reallllly hope it goes away, i hate feeling like this. i feel like id rather be dead.

- Kathy

I was perscribed to flexeril for a back injury. It doesnt make the pain (which isnt that bad) feel any better. It does make me sleep wonderfully though. I wouldnt dare take it in the middle of the day, but at night when I take it, I calm down and fall asleep in about 20 minutes.

Dear Sophie,

I'm very sorry to hear, that you're feeling so bad at the moment (and I say AND MEAN at the MOMENT!!). I totally feel your pain, as I was sitting within the same sh...t around after 2 months off Yasmin.

And I remember that I also was thinking, that this nightmare surely will NEVER end and that this is the way my life will stay until I'm gone...

Another thing I remember very well is, that I also was sitting here and posting and searching for help, and look at me now: Today it's ME who is able to help others through this!! A thing I never would have believed one year and a half ago!!

The symptoms we all are going through are very weird. For one are the headaches the most frightening thing, for another one it's the dizzyness or nausea the worst and so on.

And everyone should know, that hormones are interacting every cell of your body and nothing works without them!! So I think it's pretty obvious, that an imbalance of hormones can cause 100s of symptoms and everyone has to deal with different symptoms.

What I want to say is, that your symptoms sound very familiar to me, after going through the same and reading 1000s of postings during the last year.

I still sometimes got bad aches in the upper of my spine, which I never had before this Yasmin nightmare, sometimes my joints are aching, as if I was an 80 year old woman... Another day I feel a bit dizzy again and so on.... But remember: Everything not at all as intensive as it was around after a few weeks off Yasmin!!!! And everything is getting lighter as months go on.

I had days, where I nearly couldn't breathe because of that pain in my upper spine. Another day it was completely gone again. One day I feel like a little genius, I'm able to talk and tell stories and concentrating seems to be so easy, the other day I walk into another room to do something, and the other second I don't know what it was, that I wanted to do...

So I just can give you one advice: Try to calm down (I know how hard that sounds....!!!) and give your body the time it needs to recover and get those hormonal chaos in balance again!! In some cases it's done in about 3 - 4 months in other cases (including me...) it's taking longer to get back to normal which seems to depend on how long you had been taking a bcp (I did it for about 10 years, 5 years of that I took Yasmin).

And if you don't do that already you really should think about taking any supplements. Magnesium and B-Vitamines seem to be the most important here because they are really important for your nervous system and muscles. And another thing you should know is, that all bcp and espacially Yasmin (because of the diswatering effect it has) are causing a lack of vitamines and minerals, especially magnesium and b-vitamines. And especially magnesium is able to help you to calm down a bit, because it's also called the "antistress mineral". In my case it helped very much with the muscle weakness and aching and the sometimes very severy tiredness. So perhaps it might help you with your back pain, too!!

It's no cold or flu we all have gone or are going through and it definitely takes more than only a few weeks to feel better again. Some women here said, that around 3 months they suddenly felt a lot better (so it was in my case). So keep looking forward to better days, you're almost there!!

Stay strong and hang in and please post here if you need any help or advice. I hope I can help somehow, although I know, that it's not easy to help someone whithin that situation...

Big hugs to you and I send you all the strenght I have!!!

Silke

I started Yasmin a week ago, and it has been the longest week I've ever lived. The first 2 days were okay, but after that I was constantly overwhelmed with paranoid fears such as the possibility of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke. I would feel random pains all over my body at different times. I felt a lot of stiffness and discomfort in my upper chest lung/heart area. I had pains in one calf one day, and the entire time i was unable to sleep. I would wake up after 2 hours having a panic attack. One night I woke up and honestly thought i was having a heart attack. I got up to go to the bathroom after trying to calm down and fainted on the floor. somehow my shoulder got cut in the process. After that happened, I couldn't smell or taste anything for about 2 days. Normally when i had fainting problems (which were due to hypoglycemia) i would only temporarily lose sight, hearing and feeling, not smelling and tasting- and no senses just went missing that way. I honestly thought i had a stroke.

After a few more days of putting up with this when i thought i could just hold on a little longer and get used to it (i'm on it to prevent ovarian cysts which i always get huge ones of) I was feeling better. But last night i heard what sounded like a single, horribly loud clap, and my head has been hurting worse and worse ever since. my dog did not hear anything, if he had, he would have at least perked his ears, but he did nothing so i know the sound wasnt real. at this point i'm afraid a blood vessel must have ruptured in my brain. i will never take Yasmin again.

Hi Sophie!

Different than the last post I don't think that your life is really in danger... Don't worry (sounds very weird, I know.....). But, YES that's exactly the way I felt, too, under and even about 3 - 4 MONTHS AFTER Yasmin!! And so much times I was really about to call 911 (well, though here in Germany it's 112 ;).

The Valerian you can get in every pharmacy / drugstore. It's a herbal medicine which helps you to calm down a bit. In my worst times I had them with me every day. It's not as dangerous as all of the chemical antidepressants or sedatives, which I would refuse to take, if I were you, as long as I could!!

And if the panic attack gets that heavy, that you think you REALLY can't bear it anymore, there's always the chance to call 911 to perhaps give you a slight injection or such to just help this one attack.

You should always keep in mind, that those attacks won't be there every day of your life!! I swear they will get lighter and lighter every month, I definitely KNOW what I'm talking about!!! Today I'm nearly free of them (well, I feel a change every few weeks, when my period "should" come or so, which is because of the hormonal changes a body goes through within a month!!)

Sometimes it helped me also just to hear some music, that I'm really keen on or just read a little bit or even watch TV. You should try to not stress up yourself to much with other things (doing your household or anything). Everything is unimportant besides your health at the moment!!

And you're definitely NOT bugging me, Sophie!! I see which phase you're in and I'm feeling so much with you, because I remember me sitting in the same sh.... as you do now about one Year ago!! And I know that the only thing that can help a bit at the moment is someone who understands you're problems and someone you just can talk with about that agony!!

And another thing, which I guess you are feeling, too: I always thought, I will never get through this and this is the way things will stay for the rest of my life and I always was afraid to completely loose my mind over all this!! And look at me now: I didn't loose my mind and everything is nearly completely gone!! I'm working again, going out again, today my husband and I will do a little shopping tour, which I thought I would never be able to do ever again in my life!!!

Sophie, if I could I would like to give you a big hug right now (My thoughts send you a big hug right now!!) and tell you, that it's just a phase you have to go through now until that Yasmin poison has completely gone out of your system and you're hormones finally get back in balance. And I swear, the sun will shine again for you, too, in a few months!!

Stay strong and hang in there, you have the strenght to get over this, I know!!!

Big hugs and god's bless to you!!

Feel free to E-Mail me or post here again if you're in need for help!!!

Silke

I am severly depressed (no exaggeration) and my depression hasn't responded to Zoloft, Prozac, Celexa, Effexor or Buspar which is really very irritating. After being on so many meds I was close to giving up hope than I found Wellbutrin. I don't want to sound like an advertiser for it, but I have never been helped so incredibly much by a medication. My self confidence has returned, I am twice as productive as I used to be, I actually get out of bed and sex has been great. I am on 400 mg. , I take 200mg. SR twice a day. When it wears off I do notice I get tired, but thats not too bad I sleep well! When it kicks in it's great too, because I have trouble getting up and getting going in the morning and it really does help me get going. Ive cut way down on caffeine because my sensitivity to it has more than doubled. I've also cut down on cigarettes which is great. I do have a few negative side effects but I am willing to deal with them for the amount this med has helped depression. I have a racing pule and heartbeat, pretty bad headahches and nausea. Sometimes I feel almost too speedy, but it ok. I find that OTC sleep aid helps out when I need to calm down. I recommend this to anyone who has a depression marked by fatigue, overeating, cigarette problems etc.

Hey Hill!!

You wrote:
< to take any hormonal bcp ever again in my life!!!

All the best to you!!

Silke

Hey Denise!!

I understand so much how you're thinking and feeling now and what you're going through and to read your post nearly makes my cry again!! Exactly one year ago I was sitting within the same sh... as you do now! I had to stay the first week of 2005 in the hospital, taking such things like xanax (in germany it's called "Diazepam" or "Valium"), every day, because I thought I couldn't bear those weird feelings of anxiety without it any longer!!

And after getting home again (they gave me enough pills for about 1 week longer or so...) I immediately went off that shit again, because I was afraid of every med and especially very afraid of getting reliant to that stuff, too!!

Well, I know that sounds hard, but you will get through your attacks even without that xanax meds I promise!! The only thing that I had been taking when I felt very anxious again was "baldrian", sorry, I don't know how it's called in usa, but it's a herbal medicine which calms down and helps you to relax again just with natural ingredients. Either to mention that it doesn't help that much and as fast as the chemical meds (like xanax), but it calms you down a bit and helps you to get through the attacks by yourself more easily!! During the hard times there was a package of that medicine just right by my side, even when I had to leave the house for a doctor's visit or such I took the pills with me and a bottle of water. Even just to KNOW that I COULD take it, if I thought I had to, helped me to calm down a bit, when I got anxious!!

Today I'm even afraid of taking some vitamines or such, just because of my experience with that Yasmin sh......!! Sounds weird but that's the way it is. I never want to get there again where I was for very long 1 1/2 years (with about 6 very hard months!!) and still not feeling 100% back to normal again!!

I would wish to be able to give you a big hug right now and tell you, that everything will be fine again and you'll get through this!! Anb believe me, I know what I'm talking about!! All you need right now is strenght, patience and the help of your family and friends around you.

If there is any way I could help you, please post again or write me an E-Mail, I and many other lovely women come around here everyday with an open ear for your problems, no matter how weird you thing they might be!!

Greetings and god's bless to you!

Silke

Thank you ladies for your helpful comments about Yasmin! I have been on this for about 3 to 4 years and recently decided that I didn't need birth control as "NOT IN YOUR WILDEST DREAMS" was very effective. I have now been off for 4 weeks and cannot believe the changes so far - I really didn't realise before what "Yasmin symptons" I had:

Tender breasts - they now feel great
Better circulation - I do not feel the cold as badly now
Night sweats - dissappeared
Insomnia - dissapeared. I now have a really good nights sleep. Happy days.
Bad wind - dissappeared
Diuretic effects - I could not believe how urgent I needed to go within 1 to 2 hours of taking a pill. Again this has now gone which makes long journies in the morning less stressful!
Blurred vision - much better
Panic attacks/chest pains/mood swings - hopefully these are starting to calm down. I certainly feel a lot more relaxed about life in general rather than having the "I cannot cope feelings"

I cannot believe how Yasmin has controlled my life for so long.

Thanks again ladies for your comments as they convinced me that I wasn't going mad - just being chemically controlled!

Good luck to you all

Jud

PS My doctor didn't sound at all convinced when I told her I was coming off it!