I broke down symptoms and conditions

I was on Nuvaring for 5 months I thought it was the answer to my prayers and I was fine till last month when it got out of hand (or a least I noticed it) I was extremely paranoyed (still am), I had really bad headaches, cramps, wanted to eat everything, OH and I was depressed and wanted to cry all the time, the one that might cause me my relationship is not having trust. I explain it was having no control over my body and what I put in my body. Finally I broke down crying after telling my partner about the side effects and my pain, and agony. he made me take it out and it has been rough I am still not in contol of myself but with in a week I have lost two pounds because I do not have an erge, my partner can definatly tell a difference in me...but now we have to find a new birth contol :-S

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.

Butterfly rash on my face...Doctor stopped the drug temporarilly...she CLAIMS ITS OK>>>>>>on lithium also...My vision is terrible now....had perfect vision.. She wants to put me back on Lamictal...I need support from somewhere...it was a fantastic mood improver....the best...now Dr. tells me..there is NOTHING OUT THERE...besides lamectal........ is this true??? she might put me BACK ON IT>>I AM AFRAID>>

Severe headache- close to a migraine, lump in throa which made me believe I was having an allergic reaction to the antibiotics, unable to sleep while full of anxiety. A basketcase of emotions- for example: my dad called to see how I was recovering from my kidney infection. I broke down and started crying to him. The night before I was up and cooking dinner for my boyfriend...It's like I morphed into whole new person overnight. Odd. Taking 500mlg x10days.

I was prescribed cephalexin for infection in my head and after the third day of using it I broke down into hives and started itching throughout my whole body.

oh I forgot to mention the extreme thirst! I also feel 'full' even though I haven't eaten and when I do eat it's even worse! It is very uncomfortable and makes me feel even more anxious. (It's lunch time and I'm terrified to eat.) I also have this feeling in the middle of my chest like there's air stuck in there so I try to burp for relief (That feeling makes me anxious too...) Good God this sucks! I broke down and got a packet of pills last night because I figured my symptoms were somehow related to being off of the Yasmin. (I was right!) I think I will ditch them and try to push through this - even though that's 50 bucks down the drain! I was off of bc pills for about four months or so but I have bad PMS and hoped that being on the pill would help. (They touted Yasmin as an answer to PMS!) The worst part is that I have Bipolar disorder, so I have to be very careful about what medications I take. I'm about to break down and call my doctor for some Klonopin because I feel like I'm going crazy and I need some relief!! (I'm at work right now, I have no clue how I'm even functioning..) I need to get some Slim fast shakes or something so I don't starve myself...

Sorry for two long posts, but I am so relieved to find this site. I wish there was something we could do: there are so many of us suffering and for what????

Hi Hill!!

So good to hear, that you're also doing better week by week.

I just wanted to let you know, that I had gained about 40 pounds (20 kg) AFTER I went off Yasmin within 3 months without eating more or doing anything else different than before!! I was totally shocked, because before this Yasmin nightmare I always was a healthy fit and very slim person (I'm 31 years old now).

And my weight is decreasing finally since around february 2006!! It goes down kg by kg (around 1 kg, about 2 pounds, a month) and AGAIN WITHOUT changing anything in my life!!

For me another sign for the case, that Yasmin had messed up my whole metabolism and it's only now, one year later, (got off Yasmin in February 2005!!) finally getting better. I'm still not able to excercise very much, because my body was completely broken down after 5 years on Yasmin. From December 2004 to May 2005 I went through a total hell with 100s of symptoms like muscle weakness, dizzyness, fainting spells and much much more... Well, my muscles are still not back to completely normal. But the weight is decreasing nevertheless, just because everything is slightly going back to normal. So I think you should give your body more time to get its metabolism back in order. As I see now in my case, the weight finally even goes back "by itself", because everything gets back in balance again!!

Best wishes to all of you out there, and all of the Yasmin starters: PLEASE be so careful with this medicine!!! I was totally fine on it for about 2 years, when the first symptoms hit my at once (without realizing, that it was the Yasmin!!). After about 5 years on it I broke down completely and thought my life was about to end!! Listen to your body and stop this pill immediately if something unusual is happening to you!!!

Big hugs to everyone!!

Silke

Hi dianamal!

The best advise anyone can give you is:

Get off Yasmin immediately!!

I wish anyone of those doctor's would have put 2 and 2 together and recoginzed that early, what was wrong with me!! I think your doc is absolutely right with his opinion!!

As I know now, Yasmin is causing a very heavy loss of minerals and vitamines in your body (well, every bcp does but Yasmin in a very special and heavy way, because of the diuretic "spironolactone" in it!!!), which doesn't show symptoms at once, but very slightly more and more over months and years!!

In my case everyhing began after being about 2 - 3 years on Yasmin! I suddenly became terribly tired, the way, where I thought I would fall down to the floor and fall asleep immediately, I got muscle cramps, muscle hurting, dizzyness and many more symptoms. But NO ONE thought about that wonder pill Yasmin!!! I had thousands of tests done but none of them brought out, what really was causing me such heavy health problems!! They thought it was just an unspecific virus and I had to wait and see, if it would get better as months go on.

And so I went on an on without knowing, what my body already was going through. I just thought, I HAD somehow to get through and go on, but never felt really healthy again!!

Then after about 4 - 5 years on Yasmin (during 2004) everything got worse and worse... Within one year I became weaker and weaker, always very tired, the dizzyspells got almost unbearable, I was very often nauseous without any reason, etc. Then after a heavy cold (I was ill for about 3 weeks and had sweated profusely during that time.... and without knowing that therefore I lost another amount of minerals and vitamines...).

Another 3 horrible months later (I got weaker and weaker month by month!!) I broke down completely with anxiety attacks, heart racing, hurting muscles, muscle cramping, muscle weakness, dizzyspells, fainting spells, and many many more in December 2004. I thought I was about to die.... And no one was able to find out, what was wrong with me!! Until I finally came to an endocrinologist, who admitted, that such heavy symptoms COULD be caused by a bcp and I just had to try and get off it immediately.

And you know what? Bingo!

Now 1 year later I'm feeling so much better. It was a very slow process and a very hard way getting here, I just felt better month per month very slowly with many setbacks and am still not back to 100% but I'm able again to do whatever I want without breaking down completely. And it all got that bad because I didn't know for so long, what Yasmin was already doing to my body and I went on taking that sh.... every evening...

So I just can beg you: GET OFF THAT YASMIN STUFF IMMEDIATELY!!! You got the chance to prevent that my and the story of many other women here will happen to you!!

I don't want to frighten you, but prevent you from experiencing the same hell that many of us did!!!

All the best!!

Silke

@moore:

And another thing to remember: The side effects can hit you at once even after years!! In my case the first bad time with Yasmin started after about 2 years on it!! After another year with severe symptoms (I didn't notice at all, that my problems were already caused by Yasmin though I know today, that they were!!! The doctor's supposed I had a unspecified virus infection or such...!!) everything got better again, but I never got that fit as I was before this nightmare!! I was just able to live on "somehow".

And in december 2004, after about 4 years on Yasmin, I broke down completely and my life went into a total hell!!

So don't let the doctors tell you, that there can't be any side effects after being on a pill for years!! (I read that many women heard that sh... from their doctors...)

Hi,

My name's Linzi.

I stumbled across this site because i am at an all time low and am trying to find out a reason. My life is fine, with no reason to be depressed. However I finally had to go to an emergencey psychiatrist to get an injection because my panic attacks got so bad i was scared to be left on my own incase i didn't know what i was doing.

All my anxiety, worrying, panicking and depression started in may, when i broke down, convinced i'd gone crazy, and just screamed and cried waiting for someone to come get me and take me in a straight jacket. Never happened. Since that point i have been fighting with my thoughts, being scared that i will not have control of myselft and so on.

I pin pointed the other day that i started on Yasmin after i had my copper coil removed in May, exactly when this started.

Other sideeffects, I weigh 69 kilo, that is 10.5 stone, I am 6 foot tall, 24 years old, have gorgeous boyfriend who i haven't kissed for i don't know how long. Sex drive in non existent, we have sex maybe 1 time per month if lucky, then it is like robot sex, no passion because i feel nothing. That upsets me more. I am prone to tantrums, when i get my period i sink, he sees me spiralling out of control, we discuss everything, i threaten to leave, then next day, bingo! all is ok.

I have done little girly tantrums, jumping up and down, going red in face and screaming with frustration over...a broken plate, a messy table and other such things. I feel the panic building up like a knot in my chest, and i can't cope anymore with simple things like eating at his parents house. I spilled a whole bowl of soup because i couldn't deal with the pressure of trying to be neat and tidy.

Ridiculous i know, but i am going on antidepressents, well a drug for panick and anxiety and nervousness. I have zero appetite, eat maybe 2 slices of toast in a day and don't notice being hungry, i lost weight over christmas, which isn't normal.

I have had suicidal thoughts and still do, but mainly it is a major panic that i will kill myself and not realise what i am doing, even thought it is something i don't want to do. Lost all purpose.

I found this site, and realised it is regularly read. How long will it take before i feel better. I hate this, i am hanging on between shrink appointments just so i don't run in to the street screaming, it is such a horrible feeling.

I was a straight A student, really succesful, got my degree and everything, now i sit at home, stare at a wall and don't go to work anymore.

Will this stop? I need it to before i lose it.

Linzi

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