Estradiol symptoms and conditions

I've had most of the side effects mentioned in these posts. But the biggest problem I've had is the massive mood swings I've had. I'm talking really bad temper tantrums. Has anyone else had this? My oestrogen level is sitting under 130 which is way below the normal 750 - 1400 level. I am only 35, but in a psudo menopause state. I tell you what, if I cannot conceive once this thing is removed, I will sue the pants off them! How can no one tell me that I could LOSE my ability to conceive if I use this? I used to have normal levels and now I'm menopausal? At 35? Do me a freaking favour. Take this thing off the market. NOW.

I thought that all the problems I've had the last 3 months that I've been on Yaz were unrelated....I thought between stress, IBS, my job as a teacher, and being a single mother, that all my problems are just stress. I've been on the pill for three months. I am taking the pill to help with adult acne and mood swings. I really think that it has helped both of those things. However, the last month I have noticed some symptoms and I think that maybe I can tie them all to yaz???? Here's the list:
Headaches
Weight gain
Muscle cramps
Extreme GI problems (worse than my normal IBS)
Blanking out (short time frames where I do weird things and I don't remember them). Is this a symptom? I haven't read about this one. I'm scared to death I have some mental disease or something! Anyone else have this problem? I am so scared that I've lost my mind and have gone crazy.
Night mares
Anxiety
Panic attacks (I think)
Abnormal heart beat

I've been on Yaz for about two years. I stopped at one point, because it makes me miserable, but wasn't menstruating after six months (and definitely not pregnant) so my doctor convinced me the Yaz would make me better. Who knows - maybe it just takes more than six months for the 'brain fog" side effect to go away, but I agreed to go back on it. I exercise daily, and I've always been a healthy eater and still am during the day, but after this pill I just want to shove junk food in my face all night or anytime something is stressing me. On Yaz, the wind blowing the wrong way can stress me. Still exercising, but gluttonous, I've gained 20 lbs. I don't remember what having a sex drive feels like, and I've lost all ability to be a patient and upbeat person. I have a B12 deficiency from the pill, and possibly vitamin D as well...the D is fun, because occasionally the joints in my feet and hands swell up, eliminating my ability to function normally, and I get hives. Thanks, Bayer!!

im 17 and started Yasmin when i was 14 maybe 15, it made me so sick, id start throwing up about 8 hours after taking the pill, and that would last for about 5 hours, (like having mild food poisoning). I got heart palpitations every minute or so for days on end, and unbearable depression. I was the happiest person until i started taking this pill, and its so bad that i couldn't enjoy my life properly. Now im tiny, like really really thin mums worried i have anorexia, and although my life is perfect (great friend, good grades, nice boyfriend), I cant enjoy any of it properly. I went off it about four months ago and my happiness returns now and then like it used to be three years ago, but my mind feels so fuzzy and sort of disorientated, and i cant seem to convince myself of things properly. I was wondering if these things get better and better or am i stuck like this???
plz help xxx

I got the Mirena in July because I was bleeding so heavily during my periods and had low Ferritin - not anemia yet, but potentially close to it. SO I chose to have this inserted, and the past few months have just seemed to get achier and achier. I could also have a B12 deficiency which is being looked into, but is this a side effect that has been reported frequently? I've also had more headaches than usual, and numbness of hands/feet, a classic symptom of B12 deficiency. But still - the achiness is freaking me out.

In the past five years I've gone through two six month Lupron treatments. The first Lupron treatment was given without a Laparoscopy. After being told for ten years that I was one of the unlucky few who have "bad periods", I finally found a doctor who would listen. She diagnosed Endometriosis after I listed my symptoms and put me on a Lupron treatment plan. I had one one-month injection and two three-month injections. Most of my side effects were tolerable; weight loss (almost sixty pounds but I was over weight to begin with), hot flashes, night sweats and memory loss. However, I experienced horrible back and hip pain...to the point of following up with a pain management doctor who insisted there was no reason for me to be in pain.

About four years later I found a really great doctor who performed a laparoscopy to diagnose my endo. She removed fibroid tissue from both ovaries and my colon. My next period was just a horrible so she suggested we follow up with another Lupron cycle. I expressed my concerns with the pain I experienced the first time and she suggested I have add-back therapy. She prescribed a regimen of Estradiol and Norethindrone along with six monthly Lupron injections. The side effects were worse this time around. My depression kicked into overdrive, I was constantly struggling to keep my anger in check, I would wake up dripping from night sweats, hot flashes were bad, blurred vision, memory loss, insomnia and the pain in my back and hips was excruciating. She prescribed Celebrex for my back and hip pain, which didn't help too much. I have a three year old son and had to use a wheel chair when we went to the museum because being on my feet for more than fifteen minutes was impossible.

I've now been off the Lupron for about six months and I have yet to regain any sort of short term memory. My vision is much worse than before I started the second cycle and has yet to reverse. My depression is still bad, as well as anxiety and irritability. However, as soon as the last month of Lupron started to wear off, my back pain did dissipate. I'm still having trouble sleeping but have found solace in Ambien...which could be a bad thing. I don't want to depend on chemicals to help me sleep at night. I just had my yearly exam with my doctor and she apologized for all the pain I experienced. She told me that in all the years she's given Lupron treatments, she had never seen a patient in as much pain as I was in. I don't think I'll be undergoing the Lupron treatments again in the future. I'm currently starting Yaz as a way to keep my periods at bay and only have three or four a year. I'm not real sure if that's a good thing either but we'll see. I have sympathy for all the other Lupron patients out there who experience the bad side of the drug. I don't understand how a medication such as this, which has such drastic side effects, can be marketed to people who are already suffering from pain in the first place.

Possible ovarian cancer triggered by Yasmin.

You need to know this:

The present study suggests that circulating androgens and SHBG levels are *not* strongly associated with ovarian cancer risk,

although levels of fT may be associated with an increased risk among women diagnosed at relatively young age.

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Jan;16(1):23-9

Free testosterone (fT)

Increased levels of estrogen stimulate ***increased levels of testosterone***and androgen (increased body hair).

Unlike all the other BC pills...

"Yasmin birth control pill is different than other traditional combined oral contraceptives.

Though it is combined of estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and progestin (drsp), which has the unique properties than other progestin based pills available in the market. In other combined pills,

***progesin is derived from testosterone***

whereas in Yasmin with drsp, progestin is derived from spironolactone."

We need progesin to come from testosterone to prevent ovarian cancer. We have to LOWER testosterone.

If you have dry eyes...heads up! And get a pelvic ultrasound. If it shows cysts...while most are benign and common...some are NOT.

I am 45 and on BC to help control perimenopausal symptoms. I tried BCs (including NR) a couple of years ago but had to stop because I became severely fatigued and depressed (slept through the month of November!). I'm trying BCs again, and yes, NuvaRing again. I am exhausted, can't think or remember anything, all I want to do is sleep. I have gained 15 pounds and haven't changed my eating habits at all. I noticed that some of you posted increased cholesterol levels. I have not experience this, but I have recently (3 weeks ago) been told I am anemic (B12 deficiency). I wonder if BCs can contribute to this? Any thoughts?

I decided late 2006 that I was tired of the pill. I'm in my early 30's and I wanted something easier... After what I considered a good deal of research, I discussed it with my doctor and he highly recommended Mirena. We've always had a very good dr-patient relationship, and I've never had reason to not trust his opinion. He warned me the insertion could be painful (I had a LEEP procedure a year earlier), and he said I could have headaches. I've always had headaches, so I could live with that.
The insertion hurt horribly! They had to dilate me manually, and it hurt so much I though I was going to pass out. I had the worst cramps, like post childbirth cramps, even Vicodin did not help. After the cramps went away, I had heavy spotting (more than a pantyliner, but not enough for a tampon or pad). The spotting lasted for 4.5 months! I called the dr and they said it was my body getting used to it, symptoms stop after the first six months, etc. After the 5th month, the spotting stopped and my periods became very light (2-3 days) but this was short-lived. In the 7th month, I started spotting again, and the spotting would last for 5-7 days. It was disgusting, dark brown and sticky. I called the dr again, and they said it is due to the way the lining of my uterus is affected by the IUD, it's not serious. I also asked about acne. I've never had a problem before, but now I have acne (pimples big enough to scar) on my shoulders, back, and scalp. They said Mirena does not cause acne. My headaches had gone from 2 Advil to a painkiller and sleeping pill in the evening. When I mentioned weight gain, which was quickly attributed to quitting smoking. I did not believe the weight gain was due to quitting smoking, as I replaced smoking with working out. I had started working out everyday, for at least 20 minutes. I know it's not a lot, but it's better than nothing, After 2-3 months of weight gain, I added weight training 2-3 times a week. I also changed my diet to eat smaller, more balanced meals every 3 hours rather than 3 larger meals per day. I started a food journal in case I was sneaking in food I hadn't thought about. My sex drive was gone.... the 4 months of spotting started the downward spiral, but the continuing spotting, weight gain, bloating, and acne didn't help. Eventually the idea of sex disgusted me, how very sad! I noticed that I cry very easily now, and I've even had thoughts of suicide... to the point of planning it out. Even my vision has changed. In the 15 months since getting Mirena, I've gained 25 pounds, went from a size 9 (USA) to a size 14, my back and shoulders have acne scars, and I am depressed.
Thank you... From the bottom of my heart, I thank every one of you who have taken the time to detail your experiences. I finally feel vindicated, that I am not crazy, I'm not lazy, and something is truly WRONG. I'm calling my OBGYN Monday and scheduling the removal.

I am 34 years old. I went to the OB today after having Mirena inserted in August. I had a baby last March and was nursing her at the time. I had asked my OB a few months ago if fatigue was a side effect, as I have been just exhausted for months. She said no. I am exercising, eating exceptionally well, and losing very little weight. I have been extremely emotional--on the verge of tears all the time. My marriage is terrible right now.

I mentioned at today's appt that I had some irritation/itching/rawness feeling in my vaginal area. She did a culture of my discharge and said there was no bacteria/infection, but she saw some "premature" cells, (I don't know recall exactly what she said, is a blur, but she gave me estradiol vaginal insert tablets and told me to use them for 3 months. She said that maybe starting me on Mirena while I was nursing got my estrogen too low and that I "shouldn't have to be on this {estradiol} forever." Am I now experiencing premature menopause? No wonder I've suddenly sprouted gray hairs over the last 6 months!

i am on my last pack of pills for yasmin. my gyn put me on loestrin starting next month. i hope i have a better experience with that than yasmin. at first i didnt notice any side effects at all. then within the past couple of months (ive been on yasmin for about 6 months) i have noticed so many problems.
i am prone to migraines, but i am getting migraines at least twice a week which has severely effected my work and school life.
i had an ear infection.
ive gained close to 20 lbs (!!!!!) when in the past few months my lifestyle has been healthier and more active than it was when i started this pill. it just doesnt make sense to gain so much when i have improved my lifestyle..
i find i am moody and depressed, if something bad happens, even if its something little, i either get so uncontrollably angry or sad and i cry all the time. im not normally this emotional, ive even cried at work. its so embarrassing.
ive also noticed that after any meal i feel like i am extremely bloated and my stomach starts hurting. it doesnt matter what kind of food, it could be healthy, greasy, veggies, or cereal..no matter what my stomach always hurts to much afterwards.
i am also getting night sweats and horrible back pain, especially when i go to bed.
i am gassy, and my cramps last for my whole period. none of those things ever happened before i was on this pill.
my libido went down, however i think this is due to the weight gain. i have never felt so disgusting in my whole life.
i have gone through many pills, and the nuvaring as well. none of them have had side effects on me as yasmin.
does anyone have any suggestions for other pills for me to try? i am willing to give loestrin a chance, especially because it is a lo dose pill..and i know that everyones bodies are different. i just feel so lost..i hope this new pill works out better.

I have confusion.Difficulty speaking certain words.Memory seems altered.I have been using the tablets of estradiol for almost a year My problems seem to be increasing in severity. I use this medication due to hysterectomy. I am 47 years old.I also wake up at night with horrible itching on legs.,ankles,knees.What do you think.Possible reaction?.

RN

So my levels are very low correct. Wonder how I functioned before Yaz with them so low???

Estradiol 10....19-83
Progesterone 2 0.15-1.40 follicular phase

what does all this mean????
so complex gosh

I will try the lowest dose Loprexa dont want to but I cant lose anymore weight I spoke to the pharamacist in my town she said a quarter pill of Loprexa a day is nothing and will take the edge off she said I have lost too much weight and I may get sick from the weight loss..I have a duaghter to raise and Iam a single mom

She said with Loprexa you can go off it after one month even that it is nothing like the others

I may try it to get thru

Kim
Hi BitterRN here.
All I can tell you about your hormone levels is what I too have experienced myself.
I had my hormones tested by blood and saliva 3 months after I quit bcp.
Both tests showed estrogen and progesterone levels as normal.........HOWEVER
On my saliva test My level was 11... Normal is 20-50 (I am sure I run on the higher end of that scale as I have or should say HAD the oily skin, oily hair, smalller breasts before yasmin..) This level is extremely low, and the test level stated LOW.
My blood tests drawn at exactly the same time on the SAME EXACT DAY, read normal (at the very lowest end of the scale) so my gyn said, all levels are normal.
NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I had the results evaluated by a bioidentical Dr. later she said no, the blood levels were not "normal" and her words were "for an 80yr old maybe, but not for you"

So long story short, I kept testing, with saliva tests month after month (they have to be done at a specific time every month) and here is what happened.....

Month 4 after stopping,
My estradiol went to 0.8 now in the low range
Progesterone dropped to 72 now in the low range
Testosterone went UP to 15 still low range but higher.
Cortisol went up to 9.3 High ranges are 3-8. So just a little high probably from stress.
Symptoms, still feeling up and down with ? improvement.

Month 6 after stopping, (I skipped a month due to expense, I pay out of pocket for all these tests)
MY estradiol is range but still all of my symptoms are not gone
Cortisol still a little high at 8.9.
I am feeling better than before and symptoms are resolving, but I am not feeling getting better as quickly as I would like, so I do something REALLY REALLY stupid...

I try to start my old bcp ortho novum, thinking I did well on it all those years (12 yrs) and my hormones are pretty well getting to be more normal...or so I thought, now looking back not really, still had a ways to go, but I was not thinking clearly, and started them, at first I felt like things were getting back to normal, but about 12-15 after being on it, I felt the anxiety coming back. I stopped them on day 15, and it was like all the symptoms started over again (really wanted to die, How could I have been so stupid?) I believe I would have really felt better by now if I had not tried to do this.

Anyway, I saliva tested 1 month after and I already knew before the tests came back that my testosterone had fallen again to 17
My estrogen was normal at 1.3
Progesterone was really low at 16!!!!!! normal is 100-600
cortisol high at 11.

Next month after stopping
estrogen low again at 0.9,
Progesterone coming up at 52
testosterone 15 whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! somebody shoot me!
still feeling like sh*!
I really tried supplementing with bioidentical hormones at my doctors suggestion at this point, but It is really hard to find a dose because they are used to caring for much older women so it was a guessing game, consequently, I think i used a little too much testosterone,

Next month testing
progesterone dropped and testosterone shot up to 80!!
I called the lab and they said this indicated the dose I was using was too high, that since I tested while using this high dose, the test was registering high (in other words this was not my true level and it would come back down as soon as I stopped using it.) I asked why my progesterone went down as I was supplementing with progesterone creme as well, she said when one hormone is too high the other hormones become suppressed. Ahh.
So I quit supplementing altogether.
And now I am waiting for the next results, I should have them by monday or tuesday.
Just a side note, I am feeling better just as I was before I tried to take the bcp the 2nd time. It seems like this time I may be getting better faster? I dont know, depends on the day you ask me.
This is why i have been asking silke about her hormone levels and why I think that it may be her testosterone that is the problem, as some women have trouble getting their testosterone up after being on bcp or after pregnancy. I really feel this may be the problem as I did not feel better until this particular hormone started going up, as i felt crappy again as it dropped (especially with the anxiety) However, a doctor not familiar with hormones will say a Low normal level is normal. Its NOT.
This is just my experience. I cannot write it in stone. Hope it helps.
BitterRN

Silke
Hi, did you get copies of your labs?
Anxious to hear from you.
BitterRN

Silke and RN

My hormones in the 4th day of my cycle were estradiol a 10
Progesterone a 2.0

My doctor said these are low...but she said they are the same they were one year ago this time so she said I may run low

I have all the symptoms of low estrogen and low progesterone but why a year ago I didnt have these symptoms?? Do you guys have any ideas??

Iam trying to piece the puzzle.
All I can think is that my levels were low going into Yaz than Yaz forced the levels way up in the short time than when I stopped the pill they plumeted back down towhere I was orginally thus leading to all this horrible anxiety and Yaz symptoms.

Does that make sense??

My clothes dont fit anymore sad face

hi everybody,
sitting here reading all your posts feeling really crappy.
Off yasmin now for about 8 months and trying to take it one day at a time.

I should be at my works christmas party tonight but am feeling so bad this weekend i pulled out. Cant moan to my husband as he is already annoyed at me for not going tonight.
we were really looking forward to it but i just couldnt face it. I work with such a good bunch of people and i know they will be disappointed i didnt go tonight.

regular posters will know my story. Was on yasmin for 4 very long years. Caused me huge problems, like anxiety, eyesight problems and many more. Eventually saw a very good fertility doctor who tested my hormone levels.

I started my course of hcg injections last sunday for low hormone levels.

For anybody who might know what is normal, mine were estradiol 257 and progesterone 37. Day 3 levels were normal which at least mean that i am not having an early menopause.

My fertility doctor said they are extremely low so prescribed me hcg injections. Have a friend who is a nurse so she showed me how to do the injections myself.

Have 4 injections every second day in the last week of my cycle. Does anybody know if they could make me feel so bad. I felt fine up until yesterday morning. Woke up feeling very anxious and down as well as feeling terribly irritable.

I seem to have lost so much weight in the last few weeks. None of my clothes fit me anymore. went to look for something to wear and even size 8 is too big. Are they making clothes bigger or have i really lost that much weight.

Is there anybody here who knows anything about hcg injections and their side effects. My doctor told me i would have no side effects.

I have so much anxiety again. I was feeling ok but feel like i am back to square one, like i am on yasmin again.
Could this be to do with the hcg.

I am sorry if this post is really depressing but i feel this is the only place i can really talk to people.
I would really appreciate any ideas. Hopefully when i get up in the morning i will feel better as i dont think i can go back to this again.
Thanks everyone
Murph70

Hi ladies. I weighed 117-118 lbs. when I first started on the nuvaring. Within 7-8 months, I gained about 10 lbs, and have grown 2 breast cup sizes from a 34 A+ to a 34 C+. I have been off the nuvaring since last August because I left them at home since I moved to England. I stopped using all sorts of brith control and my husband does not ejaluate in me.

I now swell every month and gain nearly another cup size. My hands are swollen and my body aches, particualrly my knees and feet. While on the NR, I worked out like a freak, 60 minutes or more of cardio 5-6 days a week and did weights to maintain my muscle mass. My stomach was cut, but I was still gaining weight and no matter what I did, the weight just kept creeping up.

I tried on my wedding dress in April and purchased it. By JUly, I couldn't zip it up because my breasts were so huge. I even got my period early, such as on the day before my wedding! I wasn't supposed to start for another week! I had to get off the NR and I am still experincing negative effects.

My cousin is a PA and recommended that I have my doctor perform these exams on my blood: Estradiol, progesterone, PSH, Free T3, T4, CMP, testosterone, and to have a pelvic ultrasound. I think that contraceptive really screwed me up.

I hope this helps someone out there. I am setting up my appointment with the docotr or nurse tomorrow. This is unhealthy and abnormal for me so I hope to get to the bottom of this soon.

Silke
Im sorry I wrote that last post so fast it was confusing and I didnt even sign! Its me, bitterRN. Anyway I got those lab ranges from this website... www.earlymenopause.com/tests.htm

Dont let the name scare you, I dont think you are in menopause, but possibly having some kind of ovarian dysfunction where your ovaries are not producing enough androgens.(testosterone and progesterone)

Anyway please let me know what your doctor says and dont forget to ask him the normal lab ranges for each hormone right down to the measurement (example ng/dl or ng/ml) or better yet try to get a copy and it will have the normals listed next to your results. The other labs the LH, FSH, Estradiol looked pretty normal, I dont know why he tested Prolactin?? unless this was progesterone? But I dont think the testosterone is normal. Let me know.
BitterRN

@ bitterRN!!

Hi you! Hope you're still there!?

Just wanted to let you know the results of my bloodwork of last week (hormonal test):

LH 3,27 mUL/ml
FSH 5,38 mUl/ml
Estradiol 38,36 pg/ml
Prolaktin 26,00 ng/ml
Testosteron 0,37 ng/ml

I'm sorry, I don't know the english words for the above... I hope it's nearly similar to the german words and you know what those results mean...?

A few weeks ago you mentioned a thought about low testosterone. Does that sound low to you? (Don't have any idea about those results, yet... I have a telephone appointment with my gyn in about 3 hours to talk about it.)

Thank you in advance!!

Best wishes
Silke

Hello everybody. My wife had been complaining about side effects from the pill but I had been very skeptical. After seeing so many testimonials I'm pretty shocked. I now stand by her decision to get off Yasmin and possibly oral contraceptives altogether if need be. She is very happy she found this site, and quite frankly, so am I.
Her symptoms are reduced sex drive, tenderness in her breasts, blurred vision (she thought she needed lasik surgery again), muscle pain all over and ocassional dizziness. Does anyone know if these are all due to Yasmin or are common to all pills? Please comment.
She has been on Yasmin for 6 weeks and had been on another pill (Diane, Etinil Estradiol) for 3 months before that. She's 26 and had never used any pills before those.

Hello there. My wife showed me this site today and it's pretty shocking what Yasmin has done to several of you. I had been very skeptical about side effects of the pill in general, but seeing so many testimonials made me reconsider. I'm now standing by my wife's decision to at least get off Yasmin and possibily oral contraceptives all together if need be.
Her symptoms were decreased sex drive, tenderness in her breasts, blurred vision (she thought she needed lasik surgery again) muscle pain all over and ocassional dizziness. I'm hoping these symptoms are related to Yasmin and not all pills? Any comments on that?
She has only been on Yasmin for 1 month and was on another pill Diane (Etinil estradiol) for 3 months before that, she had never used any pills before and she is 25.

hi flowerbabies,
thanks for the site advice. I am going to try it later on today. I got to speak to my doctor this morning about my results. He explained that both my estradiol and progesterone are low. He is going to correct this with hcg injections. I was afraid that i was having an early menopause or something. But he assured me that is not the case because my day 3 levels were normal. He said it is due to an inadequate corpus luteum. Whatever that means is beyond me. I will google it later. I am convinced this is a long term side effect of yasmin. I never had this problem before yasmin. I think i would have known. I found isotrexin gel the best treatment for the sourge of acne. Now completely gone after using it for 3 months.
I am glad you are feeling so much better flowerbabies. It gives encouragement to the rest of us to see somebody else get through this.
I too wish i had never started yasmin.
Thank you to all of the women here who openly tell of their fight against these problems.
Hopefully we will all someday be ok and never have to suffer like this again. Although when i think back to how i used to feel when on yasmin and while coming off it i cant believe how bad it was. Honestly i think i was close to a nervous breakdown. And having my doctor tell me it was not linked to the yasmin just made things worse. funny how things improved when i stopped taking it.
Sorry if this is so long but i feel that the women on this site are the only people who can understand how i feel as you have all been through it.
Keep posting ladies.
And the best of luck to all of you.
murph70

Hello everybody.
I am hoping that somebody here will be able to answer my question.
I have also had terrible problems after taking yasmin for 4 years. I stopped taking it about 9 months ago. I have gradually been feeling better but have been undergoing hormone testing because of terrible pms and a short cycle.
I had my first hormone testing done at the beginning of this cycle. It was done on day 3 and all the results were normal. However the second part of the test was done on day 7 after i ovulated. This test was for progesterone and estradiol. I got the results today. The progesterone level is 37 and estradiol level is 257.
I spoke to the nurse at the practice and she said they were low. I wont have an appointment with the doctor to discuss the results until next week. When i look it up on the internet i cannot get any definite answers as to what this means.
I hope there is somebody here that can help me.
I am afraid i have been left with some permanent damage after yasmin.
I dread to think what this means.
Does anybody know.
Please reply if you can help me as right now i feel i have gone back to the days immediately after stopping yasmin.
Thanks in advance
murph70

Hi Guest 31105

I just wanted to let you know that It will take some time for your daughters hormones to balance again. Believe me right now they are still very off balance, and since that intricate balance is what gives you a sense of well being, the fact that they are so off (and I believe the YASMIN does this even more so than any of the other bcp for some girls) then she is not going to feel well for a few months. It WILL be on and off too, as I have experienced this as well. Dont go by when other people on this site feel good or bad, because everyones body chemistry is different. I know that personally for me it seems like there is only about a week or so that I felt good and then I would have a lot of bad days, before, during and after my period. Especially just after quitting the yasmin.
Keep in mind though that this gets better and better every month, you see birth control pills suppress the endogenous ovarian production of estradiol and progesterone resulting in low hormone levels which may be seen for 2-3 months after oral birth control pills have been stopped. Levels may return to normal within this time period. (I received my information from a lab where I have been having my hormones tested for the past 6 months.) But, I have been having a really SLOW recovery period of this balancing of my hormones, as I have seen with many girls on this site. So I believe with all the other types of bcp that someone may be on this may be true, but I think Yasmin threw my hormones so out of whack, and so OPPOSITE of my body chemistry that it is taking longer for the body to recover. So I was hoping that since your daughter was so young still and producing so many hormones still that she may recover faster (I wrote you in a earlier post) and she may still as compared to us, but it definitely is going to be months, not weeks. Dont be discouraged if she goes down hill again next month and the one after that as well. Keep telling her it is going to get better, and that as her body ovulates and goes through its cycle each month that it is producing the hormones she needs to regulate and balance her hormones. Tell her it is normal to feel great and happy for a while (it may be a week it may only be a day) and you feel like your improving, and then all of a sudden the next day or the next minute even you can feel like your whole world has fallen apart again and your back to square one. Its not like a steady improvement day to day, its more like month to month and you will only see the improvement in the fact that eventually she will start having more good days than bad, and more of her symptoms will gradually disappear. I dont know if raising the anti depressant dose will help as I said it seems to be a roller coaster of emotions as Im willing to bet in a few days she will start feeling better again as her progesterone and estrogen are going to start to rise again these next few weeks and they will be trying to balance themselves again before her next period where both hormones will fall again (Just before her period) and then the egg is released (her period) and then the hormones start to climb again after her period. So you can see why she becomes emotional at different times.
Being a nurse myself I have done tons of reading on hormones and what the body goes through in a cycle just so I can try to understand what is happening and why, but I have to tell you even knowing all I know and having the scientific facts of why I may be feeling the way I do, even I still fall into a depression and feel like I am crazy at times. Even to the point that my mom has had to do a lot of comforting to me! And Im in my 30's! So please just keep telling her to hang in there and that she is not crazy, what she is feeling is real because hormones (the right balance) are so important to our bodies our minds and our health, and the bcp wiped out that balance and now our bodies have to build this house of cards again, so to speak.
Take care and feel free to write back especially if you have any questions I will answer them as honestly as I can. Oh, and also, if your daughter does not start to feel some improvement in a least 4-5 months and I mean improvement not necessarily total recovery, I would take her to a doctor who specializes in hormones (It will take some research to find one who really does) and have her hormones tested to see if her body is having trouble balancing a particular hormone. But keep in mind it takes a long long time for complete balance as I have not even reached that stage yet, but I did set myself back by trying to restart my original bcp I was on Ortho novum for 14 yrs with no problems, and it threw my hormones off yet again! But Im hoping not as bad as the yasmin did. Only time will tell.
Sorry I wrote a book again!
Take care, I wish your daughter and all the girls on this web site the best of luck!
Bitter RN

Hi everyone,
Noticed the other day a posting which asked if there was anything we could all do about yasmin. Cant remember which poster, but thought you might be interested in my recent experience. If you log on to steadyhealth.com and enter the phrase "yasmin" under search, you will be directed to a discussion forum about different queries on yasmin. As a regular reader of steadyhealth.com i decided to answer one of the questions. I am listed under "fiona72". Click on the query "anyone tried yasmin" t57882. Read the answer given by carifairy". Further on in the forum this poster actually writes that she cannot take any form of hormonal method. Am now almost completely recovered from the terrible affects of yasmin, apart from the B12 deficiency. This according to "carifairy" cannot be caused by yasmin. I never had it before taking this drug. Best of luck to all of you still trying to recover. And thanks for all the honest reports. They really help.