Obsessive thoughts symptoms and conditions

Thank god I found this site! My body has been going crazy ever since I started taking Yasmin two years ago and I didn't put two and two together until reading all of these postings and realizing the Yasmin might be the culprit.

I'm a healthy 31 y.o. who exercises regularly, doesn't smoke and has been on various oral contraceptives for the last decade without too many side effects beyond slight moodiness and minor weight gain. About two years ago I switched over to Yasmin. About two months ago I came across this site as I was researching hypertension which I had developed. I was confused and didn’t know what was causing it as I am healthy, unstressed and have a history of low blood pressure. But as soon as I found this site it all started coming together and I realized Yasmin had done much more than raise my blood pressure. I immediately went off the pill and almost right away many of my side effects went away. Here's what I've experienced since being on the pill:

-Weight Gain: Almost right away I gained ten pounds. I’ve effortlessly lost five of those pounds since going off the pill.
-Seborrheic Dermatitis: After a few months of being on Yasmin I developed a painful scalp condition called Seborrheic Dermatitis. Side effects of this are inflamed scalp, redness and most importantly, hair loss. The doctor said it is generally brought on by stress but on further research I saw that it is also caused by hormones, so it wasn’t a stretch for me to realize Yasmin might be the culprit once I saw this site. Over the last couple years I’ve been using all sorts of prescription shampoos to make the problem go away and nothing helped. But as soon as I went off the pill my scalp condition cleared in only a month without the use of shampoos.
-High Blood Pressure: Before I went on the pill my BP was about 100/70. During the time I took Yasmin my BP slowly climbed to above 140/90. Within two weeks of going off the pill my BP was back down to pre-Yasmin levels.
-Irregular Heart Beat: After about a year and a half of being on the pill I started to suffer from seriously irregular heart beat which went away immediately after I got off Yasmin.
-Hyperpigmentation: I know any birth control can cause this but none of them ever have until I went on Yasmin at which point it sprung up all over my face. I’m hoping the dermatologist can clear it up now that I’m off the pill.
-Tightness in Chest: Happened around same time as irregular heartbeat and is now gone.
-Anxiety: I’m not sure I can blame Yasmin for this one since going off Yasmin has not caused it to go away. But enough posters on this site mentioned it as a side effect and it wasn’t a problem for me pre-Yasmin, so I wanted to mention it.
-Irritability: I’m generally easy going and don’t let the little things bother me, but as soon as I went on Yasmin everything started to bug me. Now that I’m off Yasmin I’ve been in a much better mood.

If anyone is on this pill or thinking about going on it, I implore you not to. Too many risks especially since there are so many other pills out there that don’t have many side effects. I mean, there are close to 5,000 postings on this site, mostly against this pill while if you search the web there are almost no other pills that generate this kind of attention. That alone tells me something. I hope the makers of the pill pull it from the market immediately or doctors stop recommending it.

First of all, I want to say that I'm sorry for all of you having physical discomfort in your lives right now. I feel for anyone who is experiencing such problems.
With that said, I have been on YASMIN (not YAZ - those are two different things people!!!!) for 8 years and have NEVER experienced any problems despite experiencing problems on other pills. Pardon me being frank... If you are one of the women who BARELY started this pill in the last 3-6 months, you may have not given it enough time. You must remember that by taking any medication you are changing the chemical balance of your body and it will take time and adjustments. Bottom line, you need to carefully monitor your problems and discuss them with your ob/gyn and possibly general physician. You may just need to try other pills. This is TRIAL and ERROR, there is NO way for a doctor to be able to know how each person's body will react to any particular drug. Be open and pay attention. If you search about any birth control pills, you can find there are side effects for all of them. Second of all, some of you may have these existing problems, but never noted them until you started taking the pill, or as I said before, you have not allowed time for your body to adjust. For example, when you have a headache or indigestion, you take medication and it takes time for your body to adjust to the meds. Please ladies - don't bad mouth or assume, without first allowing for the already published side effects to come - and most likely, pass. And if they don't - talk to your doctor!!! Seriously!!! The makers even say to talk to you doctors if any of the published side effects happen. I do apologize for being harsh, but I must insist on being practical and reading the material provided. I do hope that each of you stay in good health and have no lasting problems.

I have been on the nuvaring since May of 08 to relieve my endometriosis. At first I loved it; less cramping, lighter periods, but then around November I started feeling stressed. Lots of anxiety during the first few days of every cycle to the point it was like I was paranoid. I'm not one to worry about what to do if my husband dies but with the Ring I was getting these feelings. I thought it was stress of work messing with me, maybe some winter blues. When I finally got around to seeing my Dr. he said it could be the ring and I needed to get off of it. He's putting me on the pill and I look forward to seeing if things change.

I was diagnosed with Diverticulitis and put on the usual regime of Levaquin (500mg a day) and Flagel. The case turned worse and was admitted to the hospital (they thought I had a blockage but turned out did not) and was put on IV of the same medication. Released from the hospital 4 days later and stayed on the Levaquin as prescribed. When I ran out, I called my regular doctor who sent in the renewal prescription. However the his aide made an error and the bottle read 500mg 4 times a day…nobody including the pharmacy caught it. So for 3 days I was taking 2000mg a day of Levaquin. When I started getting worse (truly thought I was dying), I got to the doctor and he said I had taken turn for the worse and could not figure out why. He asked if I was taking the meds and I said yes 4 times a day…his face when white. I had the bottle with me and he panicked. They apologized for the error and I was told to stay off my feet, no heels, they ran ekg’s that day and the following Monday, blood work to check the kidneys etc.

Subsequently, I have had extreme pain in my joints and muscles – everyday, all day. Some days I just cry it hurts so bad. If I bend down I can hardly get back up because of my right knee. I have talked with a doctor I happened to run into about this and she said that Levaquin dosage has saturated my body and gotten into the joint and muscles and takes a long time to work it out. I can hardly lift my arms above my shoulder without severe pain. Stabbing pains in my knees, shoulders, arms and hands.

I have not gone back to the doctor because when I mentioned the pain the when I was in that last time…he just wanted to give me more meds! I have been seeing a massage therapist who specializes in deep tissue restoration and repair. It helps some, but he as well says this is going to take a lot to time to work out.

I have depression to the point of feeling like I am a nothing and what good am I to anyone feeling like this. So like snoop45...that is exactly what i feel like!

dawn62

J.

I have been on Topamax since August 2005. This spring I began to have odd problems that I did not attribute to the drug. In April, my doctor prescribed Lasix for swelling in my legs and feet. In August I developed peripheral neuropathy in my legs and feet and began experiencing numbness in my chin and lower face. My doctor prescribed Lyrica for the peripheral neuropathy. Also in August, I began experiencing extreme fatigue and sleepiness. I became depressed and irritable. By September was falling asleep everywhere--even driving. I was exhausted because I awoke from sleep feeling totally unrested. I had a sleep study done and they told me I spent only 25% of the normal amount of time in the two deeper stages of sleep. At the beginning of November, I suddenly became plagued with excessive thoughts of suicide one Friday evening. I decided to stop all my meds, except the antidepressant. Within 48 hours I felt MUCH better. No obsessive thoughts and no more falling asleep. I felt like a giant weight had been lifted from my shoulders. By Thursday I was feeling rested when I awoke in the mornings. I looked up all my meds, including the clinical trials with ALL the side effects and recommendations on Tuesday of that week. Lasix increases the potency of the Topamax and has many of the same bad side effects as the Lyrica I was prescribed--sleep disturbance, depression, dry mouth, etc., etc. Since stopping those medications the first of November, Topamax, Lasix, and Lyrica, I have returned to normal. Even the peripheral neuropathy is MUCH better. No swelling or sleepiness or fatigue. No more irritability or deep depression. Definitely no thoughts of suicide. I can taste food again. And none of the migraines for which the Topamax was prescribed. My doctor is pleased that I am feeling so much better and concurs with the action I took. The medications were apparently interacting with one another and multiplying the intensity of the side effects. So, if you take multiple medications, please go to the clinical studies themselves and read about ALL the side effects uncovered in the studies. On the prescription information we get at the pharmacy, it lists only those discovered at "high incidence", including interactions with other medications.

HELP....I'm getting married in 3 weeks and I've been off of Yaz for two days now and I'm still REALLY bloated with diarrhea, nausea and just overwhelming sadness. I was only on it 7 days. I tried it because the commercial made it look like my answer to PMDD. I've had a tubal so I don't need it for birth control. How long will these feelings continue? Any answers are appreciated.

Hello everyone..
I've been on YAZ for about a week now. My MD prescribed it because of my hormonal fluctuations before my period cause me to get a nasty yeast infection EVERY MONTH! ugh... The purpose was to stabilize my hormones (he wanted me to skip the placebo pills and only have a period once every three months). The first few days that I took this I felt okay. I noticed heart palpitations the second or third day that are still present. Yesterday I started noticing memory problems (little things like not being able to remember if I flushed the toilet or closed the garage door, followed by obsessive thoughts of needing to check on every little thing). I've also been more tired than normal since day 3 or 4. Today I'm almost a week into the pills and I had trouble sleeping last night and woke up this morning with EXTREME moodiness and a headache. I cried for 3 hours this morning for no reason and totally went off on my husband when he called me during his lunch break - the first REAL fight we have had in almost a year!!!! I also started spotting yesterday with cramps and today it's heavier. I'm not due for a period for at least 2 more weeks. I called my GYN and told him I would no longer be taking these pills. I'll happily deal with monthly yeast infections over feeling like a crazy woman. I haven't felt like this since I was diagnosed with post partem depression 3 years ago (which has been completely gone for at least 2 years - cured by 4 months of zoloft). You all know your bodies and yes we respond to things differently, but there's no need to put yourselves through this.. My advice to other women - if you are sensitive to your hormonal fluctuations, don't try YAZ!

I have been reading the posts at this site for two weeks, ever since the day I went to my GP for a check on blood pressure and general well being. As I was getting ready to leave the examining room, he asked how I had been since my last visit, and I responded that I'd been OK, except of course that I wasn't sleeping well. I didn't tell him that I'd had obsessive thoughts of death and dying, severe anxiety, morbid depression, horrible mood swings, and compulsive thoughts and actions. Yes, I've been taking Singulair since it was approved for seasonal rhinitis. It seemed to work well with Allegra, although when my allergies were extra severe, I also had to resort to Benadryl or one of the other "drowsy" antihistamines. When I mentioned sleep, he said "You have heard about Singulair, haven't you?" Guess how shocked I was when he told me about the latest information on the medicine I was taking every night for the last 5 years? Unfortunately, I had been under severe stress because of professional and families issues during the same general time frame, so it would never, ever have occurred to me that a prescribed medication could make me so miserable. My psychiatrist had recommending doubling my dose of Cymbalta, but after some trials of that, I became convinced that when I did so, I felt worse. About 6 months ago, my emotional state went from bad to worse. I began to feel a sense of panic when called upon to make the most innocuous decisions, and was always aggravated and nasty to the people I loved most. With my doctor's mention of Singulair, I stopped taking it. I slept better from the second day of not taking it. In the last 2 weeks, my emotional roller coaster has smoothed out, not perfectly, but enough so that I'm much more like my old self. The stresses are similar, but my reactions are different. Zyrtec (1/2 tablet) works much better for itchy eyes and nose than Singulair did in the first place. My husband and son both have continued to take Singulair with no apparent problems. I think that if one has developed unusual or unexpected emotional symptoms it is definitely worth a trial off Singulair. I wish I had been aware of even the smallest possibility of a reaction such as mine when I started taking it.

Hi
im 16 and was on yasmin for a month
about a week ago, i started going downhill really fast
just into a wierd kind of depression, which for me is so not normal, im always happy, but im having obsessive thoughts, anxiety attacks, ive lost all my energy and i cant get excited about doing things with my friends. My obsessive thoughts are mainly about death, and i cant do anything without thinking what's the point.
I hate this pill, and would rather give birth to a chair than be on it any longer. Im starting to feel a little better now, but I'm still not back to my normal self.
I wouldnt support anyones decision to go on this pill ever.

I'm not surprised at all to hear about Singulair being investigated for causing mood changes and suicide. My son was on singulair 6 years ago for a year when he was 5. He underwent very severe mood changes, including insomnia, rages, severe anxiety and panic attacks. We ended up seeing a psychologist about his violent moods, but it took us a year to connect it to Singulair. When his dosage was raised due to growth, he started experiencing disabling anxiety. He was terrified to leave me and had obsessive thoughts about me dying. Things culminated with him being terrified to swallow any food out of fear of choking and dying. When he stopped eating for three days, I began to search the Internet and found references to Singulair causing anxiety in children. He never took singulair again, and was able to resume eating within a few days. He was back to his normal self within a week. Hopefully, now doctors know about the incredible risks for kids with this medication and can warn parents to watch for side effects if they indeed do put their kids on this medication.

I have been on Yasmin for about four and a half years now. I just stopped taking it because my husband and I want to start having children. I have noticed some horrible side effects. I am SEVERELY bloated, irritated at everything, and even more depressed. I also have headaches all the time. My mind races and I can't control my thoughts. Has anyone else experienced this? I am so glad I found this site. I was really getting down on myself over the past few years because of my depression and anxiety. I even had to go on medication. I have never been like this before so I was so confused as to what was going on. Now I see that it may have been linked to Yasmin. My doctor always asked me how I was doing on it and I never made the correlation between Yasmin and my downward spiral of health. About four months ago I started to get migraines about everyday. I went to the doctor and they did an MRI on my brain. They found lumps in my brain. Not cancer but just lumps. They just come and go. And when they come I can tell because of the debilitating migraines. I wonder if someone else has had this? I don't know if there is a connection but I am not ever going to take Yasmin again in fear of the cause. My doctor said that BC can be linked to migraines. Thank you for making me feel that I am not alone. I should make my husband read the comments on this site so he can see it isn't all my fault that I get moody!!!

I'm a 25 year old female. On my second packet of Yasmin. My doctor put me on it for my skin and after having 2 years of just been natural I have noticed the side effects of depression, emotional out breaks, anxiety, excessive worry, nervous, spotting blood, heavy periods, paranoid, excess gas & gastro & headaches. Excessive eating then days of not feeling hungry at all. Which is not me at all. My great relationship with my boyfriend is suffering massively. I don't feel like my happy social self at all. This has happened over a holiday period when I was quite relaxed and had no real worries in my life. I have had depression and anxiety in my history and do battle with the odd bad day from time to time but this pill has made my anxiety become serve to the point of uncontrollable crying and extreme worry over anything I could find to worry about. Just before my period while on the inactive pills I experience extreme gastro. Headaches that don't seem to let up as well. Spend my hole holiday looking for Panadol. I realize this is a fairly new age pill and that it promises hardly any weight again, good skin and so on but I highly don't think its worth it. How much has it been trailed and tested? I rather have bad skin & even carry a few kilo's taking a pill that women have been taking since the 50's- or just be natural.

The moon face and weight gain did not occur until week 4. But I started really drinking a lot of water - at least 100-120oz daily. This helped the moon face considerably, as well as start me on losing some of the extra weight. Be careful of sodium in the diet - that is the reason for the bloating. So - tons of water (try to get it in early in the day, that way you are not rushing to fit in all that water close to bedtime) and working out four times a week helps with the moon face and bloating. But I still can't get rid of obsessive thoughts - such as cleaning my house or finding a good price on lemons. I hope that goes away when I am off the Pred.

I was giving Geodon to help with my insomnia, it did help at first . My husband had surgery and during this time I went without my 60mg dose of geodon at night because of how sleepy it made me. During this time I started having uncontrollable chills, then my skin would feel like it was crawling, nausea, and weird obsessive thoughts in my head. After I started back on the medicine the side effects diminished. Even though I noticed that everyday I was having trouble controlling my body temperature and was having all these weird thoughts in my head and confusion.
Finally, I have decided that I have to get off this medication even though everytime I try to go off of this medicine the side effects are terrible. I don't think that this medication should even be on the market. It is a dangerous medication.
I just pray that I keep my sanity while I get off of this medicine. I wonder how long it takes to get it out of your system.

Hello fellow Yasmin Survivors,

I have been reading your posts this afternoon and felt like I was reading my diary of a year ago, when I stopped taking Yasmin. I had been taking Yasmin for about a year with no noticeable side effects when suddenly I became overwhleming depressed, anxious, dizzy, lost about 6 kg in a week....I basically became the shell of the person I had been my entire life (a happy, outgoing, positive woman). My poor family were extremely worried about me, and no one knew what was wrong....then one day in a moment of sheer desperation (and I believe thanks to God above) I found this website. I'll never forget crying into the computer screen as I read other women's avid descriptions of my life. I never took another Yasmin pill.

Well this last year 'post yasmin' has been a challenging one to say the least. I have suffered anxiety (disturbing irrational thoughts) around mid cycle and before my period...the first 6 months were the hardest....but trust me, it DOES get better. I am still not 100% anxiety free, but I am very close to it, and there were times a few months ago I found it hard to trust I could ever be the old me again. I have been taking 'Agnus Castus' for the past 4 months, and have been feeling mentally alot better for it...but then again each month gets better so it's hard to tell whether it's the natural effect of time.

Everything you are all typing about I have lived through...I remember reading this website countless times everyday just to reassure myself that I wasnt crazy and I was going to get better. The great news is I am better now...life is sweet again.

Good luck to all of you, and God Bless x

Hello All,

Some recent posts have asked about experiences/symptoms post (i.e. after getting off) Yasmin. Well, it has now been 7 and a half months for me, and it has taken this entire time for me to feel 'mentally' well again. Each month DOES get better, but it is a very slow process and will get worse around ovulation and before your period. You will have good days and bad days, and often feel like you're taking three steps forward and 2 steps back. Thankfully my good days are becoming more and more often than my bad days. In these last few months I have experienced horrible, terrifying irrational, obsessive thoughts, anxiety and panic attacks. I stress, this has gotten better.....but it has been a very long journey back to sanity.

I had been happily on Yasmin for over a year, until almost overnight I suffered from severe anxiety, panic attacks, depression, suicidal thoughts and accelerated heart rate. I have no predisposition to these symptoms, having NEVER experienced any of them in my life (very happy, outgoing, positive person before Yasmin). After fearing I had a late onset of mental illness, I began seeing a therapist and lived in complete fear. Then I was blessed by above to find this website and realise Yasmin had been the poison ruining my life. I stopped Yasmin at the end of January this year. As I say, it has been a long hard road back to sanity, and I have my family and friends to thank for their never ending support....especially when my irrationality made no sense to them (or me!).

I recommend women getting off Yasmin to see a doctor that specilaises in womens health to do a full blood test to look at your hormone, potassium and magnesium levels. Yasmin stuffs these all up. Natural hormone therapy can assist in re-balancing these issues. I am only doing that now, and wish I'd done it earlier....the benefit of now being able to 'think straight'.

I now have so many reasons to smile again. Prayers for all those getting off Yasmin. It is NOT worth the destruction. Find another form of contraception.

I started on Seroquel to control negative thoughts and eliminate recurring dreams.I find that since taking the drug for about a month I am experiencing an exaggeration of my emotions,hostilities and other negative thoughts.I am still having the recurring dreams and I find that the drug is interferring with my performance on the job.It is causing me to be somewhat confused and I get very frustrated and it is very noticible to others.It has caused me to be more paranoid and it exaggerates my negative feelings for others on the job.I don't like it and it scares me.I am going to take myself off of it tonight in hopes that the side effects will subside.I need my job and I can't go on feeling like this especially on the job.Also I have always had a fear of gaining weight and the stories that I have read here are enough to make me stop taking it and throw it down the toilet.