Non hormonal birth control symptoms and conditions

I never thought I would ever be posting my experience with BC but I think this could be useful to other women worldwide. I have been using Yasmin now for a year and a half and I agree with everyone here at the beginning I felt great, beautiful skin, controlled short term periods, stable weight. My body changed in all the right places. My breast turned a cup larger (I was a 34B) my buttocks got larger and rounder. My boyfriend was enjoying the changes as much as I was!! I thought this was the perfect pill for me and I actually recommend it to all my friends. Things started changing for me about three months ago. I started to feel tired, I use to work out 5 times a week now I can't even work out one. My eyesight started to change, I started getting cramps in my legs at night, my legs started feeling heavy as if I was losing circulation, fast heartbeat, and the occasional migraine to top it all of. Then I found the commercial about the lawsuit on TV and I panicked!! I googled the lawsuit and I found this websi

te and after reading everything here I went straight to my Dr. this afternoon with all my side effects. I am 39 now 18 on diferent types of BC and up until now I have been a very healthy and active person. When I read everything here I was decided to get off thie pill inmediately. But here goes what my Dr. said: (I trust his opinons because he is a friend and has been my obgyn for the last 15 years) " first Yasmin is the best hormone BC on the market, very women has different side effects and giving me another pill wouldn't solve my problem. I could actually get worse. He gave my the option of going of the pills but asked me if I was ready for all the changes that would bring. Weight gain, acne, anxiety, depression etc. Another option he suggested I try was taking an antioxidant complex, omega 3, and lecithin. All natural supplements which he firmly believes will make me feel much better, help my circulation, and minimize the side effects. I will start this treatment tomorrow and stay on the Yazmin for at least another month. PS. My health is in perfect conditions after blood tests and sonograms. thank God!! I will keep everyone posted on my progress. And I hope this is useful to all you ladies. God bless!

I'm 21 and I have never been on any kind of birth control method. I decided to get on the Nuvaring because I had a pregnancy scare. My boyfriend and I have only ever used condoms, but one broke and that was enough for me. I've been on the Nuvaring for about 2 weeks. I normally get my period every 35 days and the only cramping I ever experience is the first and second day of my period. After the first week I noticed I had some light cramping and thought nothing of it, but as time went on the cramping only seemed to be getting worse. I told my doctor about it and she advised me that it was probably my body trying to get used to the ring. Never having used birth control before, I tried not to worry. Then, I noticed some other changes that concerned me since it wasn't like me to feel that way. Aside from the cramping, I had been feeling very depressed about my life and where I was headed for some reason, and my sex drive was depreciating. My boyfriend noticed of course and I had no idea why I was feeling that way. It wasn't until I came across this website that everything started to make sense. I thought I was the only one experiencing these changes. I'm definitely going to change birth control methods. I just don't know what is the best out there. Can anyone help me?

I've been taking Yasmin for 3 years now and have always experienced mood swings, uncontrollable crying, and severe anxiety since I started taking it. I discontinued my other medications systematically with no improvement, and am coming to realize this may be to blame on Yasmin.

I felt like the symptoms were much more severe in the days before, during, and immediately after my period. Has anyone else experienced this fluctuation in mood during and after your period? Do you think it's due to Yasmin? I know PMS is supposed to be normal, but this is ridiculous.

Another question: has anyone found another birth control that does not create these side effects? I've only ever taken Yasmin and don't know where to go next.

I have had the mirena almost two years. Wow now I know im not going insane. My energy has been sucked right out of me, ive been forgetting things left and right and got my first muffin top. I am interested in having mine replaced with the copper t. Does anyone have any experience with this? I like the sound of it because it contains no hormones.
What to do?

Lower back pain,depression, anxiety, mood swings, mind fog, out of sorts,
lack of energy, junk food cravings, terrible acne on neck chin and back

I started taking Yaz about a year ago. I started taking it around the time my brother died in a car accident. I thought that my loss of libido, tiredness, lack of interest in everything, emotional outbursts, arguing with my husband for any reason, crying over nothing, unable to concentrate while studying and unable to remember a thing were all because of my brothers death. I am now thinking that this may be due to Yaz. Does this sound like Yaz side effects? or am I suffering from depression because of my brothers death. I just haven't felt right lately and I cant figure it out.

I have been on Yasmin since April of this year, 2008. My doctor put me on Yasmin because of a hormonal imbalance caused by PCOS. At first, all I noticed was my periods had become regular and my skin had cleared up. About 4-6 weeks later, I started experiencing EXTREME pain in my right breast. After the onset of the pain, just my right breast became enlarged. A few weeks later I started having chest/heart pains at random times. It started occurring when I would run and that made me really scared. I had the feeling of having a heavy rock on my chest and wasn't able to get a real breath. After an EKG my doctor confirmed that my heart was healthy. Here is a list of some of the other side effects that I noticed: no sex drive, weight gain, TIREDNESS, forgetfulness, cramps in my legs, but only while sleeping, extreme thirst.

I am so grateful that I found this website. It's just awful to hear some many other women complaining of the same symptoms.

I had the Mirena for almost 7 years. I have to say I really liked the convenience of not having to worry about birth control or my period. I had very minimal side effects of course the cramping when the device was first put in and the first time I got it, the string was a little too long so I could feel it, but I went back in & the nurse cut it and I never really felt if after that. When I had the device taken out, it was painful, but it was because it had gone in too far. I really liked the Mirena I kind of regret taking it out. The reason I took it out was because I wanted something more permanent and I was having trouble with my skin breaking out and I was being told that hormones where causing my breakouts. So I am now on a non hormonal birth control which is permanent (Essure) but I have to deal with period and cramps again, and my face is breaking out a lot worse...I guess like with other birth controls everyone reacts differently. Before the Mirena I used the Depo shot for a couple of years until my period became irregular and then I stopped birth control for awhile and it took me about a year to become pregnant with my son. Before Depo I tried pills (Ortho-Evra or something like that) my skin cleared up but I gained about 15 pounds in just one month...so I guess it's a trial and error process which is unfortunate for those of you experience severe side effects...too bad there is not some kind of test a person could take to determine which birth control would be better suited for their body

Does no one realize that this is normal for MOST BC. The low sex drive is normal! Mood swings.... normal. It can take up to 6 months for the meds to get out of your body once you stop taking them. I would suggest getting on a non hormonal birth control. Does no one read the side effects to Meds before they start taking them?

I have been on bc for 7 years and Loestrin 24 for over a year now and finally found the perfect remedy to my irregular (sometimes 2 week long) periods. This is pretty much the only thing I love about the pill. However, It makes me feel a lot better that so many people are experiencing the many negative side effects that I have been getting from this darn pill. My frequent headaches are getting to be unbearable, I constantly feel so bloated and feel like my weight slowly creeps up despite a distance runner. I think I must be retaining so much water. I went on the scale one morning, then ran about 12 miles, then the next morning I gained about 6 pounds...i am a very healthy eater as well. It's just so mind boggling to me that this tiny pill can have such drastic effects on one's body. And depression is another big thing. I am also constantly depressed for no reason and snap at people for no reason.
But the big issue for me is probably my weight. I am really considering going off birth control completely. I just started a new pack this past Sunday...does anyone know if I can just stop cold turkey, or do I have to wait till I finish the pack?

I had a copper wire IUD, but after having an ectopic pregnancy, likely caused by it, I had it removed. I tried condoms for a short while, but they are so inconvenient, so I went to the NuvaRing. I put in the NuvaRing and felt fine the first day, but by day two I started experiencing pain behind my knees, dizziness, headache, pain in my eyes, spaciness, nausea, lack of appetite, and weakness throughout my body. I didn't have any mood swings, in fact I felt quite good, mentally. However, by day three I couldn’t stand the headache and dizziness and took out the NuvaRing. I was skeptical in the first place to use a hormonal birth control, and this confirmed it. If any one has a suggestion for a non-hormonal birth control form that is convenient and safe, let me know.