Oral contraceptives symptoms and conditions

i had a history of acute episodic depression that was well under control and no longer needed any meds. i was happy, i was out going, emotionally stable. and not on birth control, in fact i hadn't been on any birth control for about three years. my body hates it. i get fat, i get pimples, i get moody, and become the bitch from hell. so clearly i was hesitant when i went back on birth control, my obgyn advised me that the technology has changed and that the nuvaring was a localized birth control and wont affect my behavior or my body's phisiology. WRONG!!!!!
i started nuvaring on January 15th and took it out ten days later because i was spotting (which is not normal for me). in that ten days, i have been the basket case from hell. i cant stand myself!!! i totally ruined my happy relationship with a great guy, ive been crying, waking up in the middle of the night with nocturnal panic attacks, sweating, crying, thinking irrationally as well as starving and craving junk food... ive gained some weight which i think is all water weight and not the brownies ive been cramming in my mouth at 2 am every morning which will hopefully burn off quickly. ive started looking into therapy thinking that ive fallen back into my previous depression, and the worst of it all is that i have had and am still having the heaviest period of my life!!! i dont know what is going on, but ive never had spotting in my life, ive never had a heavy period like this in my life! nor the clots as well... sorry for the graphics, but this is disturbing to me. i thought i was having a miscarriage until i called a girlfriend of mine and she said she thought she way dying when she took out her ring. is anyone else having the period from hell with this thing?

Well, I have only been on Femcon Fe for a week, but my experience has been great so far. I am 46 yrs old and have been suffering from severe migraines related to perimenopause (fluctuating estrogen) for the past 3 years. After trying numerous migraine medications, which I could not tolerated, I went the hormone treatment route for my migraine headaches. Topical lose dose estrogen patches worked for a short time, but then the headaches came back. I went to see a GYN who suggested that my migraine headaches are due to extreme fluctuations in estrogen, which is quite common in the perimenopausal period. He recommended oral contraceptives. I was quite relucant to take OCP's, as my husband has had a vasectomy, so I don't need it for birth control. I am also concerned about the risk for thromboembolic events and stroke (yes, I am in the medical field). Initially, he put me on Yaz, which I did not tolerate well. I had problems with depression, anxiety and insomnia on Yaz, I then tried Lutera which made me feel like a freak--very anxious and moody. My GYN suggested that I need an OCP with a very low dose progestin (Femcon Fe). I have only been on it for 2 weeks, but I am very excited with the results so far. No headaches, INCREASED libido, INCREASED energy and slightly improved mood. I may post again after being on it a while, but so far it is a thumbs up from me for Femcon.

I was on the NuvaRing for over a year, and came off of it about 6 months ago, when i had an abnormal pap. i haven't had a period since, and just found out from my doctor that i'm in early menopause. i'm 41 - my mom didn't start menopause until her late 40's/early 50's. i had many of the same problems listed here- the burning, sometimes painful sex, mood swings. But loved the ring at first, it was so easy. Never connected the hot flashes, night sweats, etc. to the ring. maybe it's a coincidence, maybe not. but i'm too young to be told i couldn't get pregnant if i wanted to... it's not fair. and i wish i had looked at this forum BEFORE i started on the ring so i could have left some options open with regard to having children. now i have to find out whether my body is still even producing eggs, which my hormone levels say is not likely. more research needs to be done on this product, and if you are in your 30's and on it, having any "perimenopausal" symptoms at all, get your hormones checked! i wish i had!

I had the Mirena inserted in Fall of 2006 after having nothing but bad experiences with oral contraceptives. I have been very happy with it until reading these posts.
About 6 months ago I finally tapered off an antidepressant and since then I just haven't felt like myself. I attributed it to withdrawal but it hasn't gotten better. My symptoms include:
-complete loss of sex drive
-nausea for no apparent reason
-frequent headaches
-weight gain
-the worst acne I have ever had (I'm 26!)
-mood swings
-feeling lightheaded and faint
-right sided pelvic pain
-low back pain, neck stiffness
-trouble sleeping (even with medication)
-sweats
-thick vaginal discharge at times

Given my history of being very sensitive to birth control, it makes sense these could all be due to the Mirena. I plan on talking to my OB/GYN soon and I'm going to ask about the Paraguard. It sounds like a dream come true! "lets you stay free from hormonal side effects like weight gain, mood swings, or reduced sex drive" Does anyone have any thoughts on the copper IUD?
Best wishes to all of you out there and thank you for your posts, I finally feel like I'm not crazy after all!

First of all for those of you commenting on birth control, you all need to understand birth control effects every woman differently by age and by already mental illnesses that are present prior to taking birth control. So, to tell people not to take this because of your experiences, does not mean it will be the same for someone else. Not only that, it seems people do not give it enough time to work. You cannot take it for only a month and expect it to be normal to your body right away. It takes time for your body to adjust to a birth control pill due to hormones in it. I used to start birth control with orthotricyclin. The first day I got very nauseous and threw up. The throwing up went on for a couple of weeks on that brand. Then, my periods were lasting for 2 weeks. My Dr. put me on micrette a generic brand with a lower dose. I still had the same problem and then weight gain. I decided to get off birth control all together because I did not like the side effects. I'm now 28 and realize the not good idea of not having pregnancy prevention back up. I finally got back on birth control and my Dr. put me on Yasmin. I am day 1 starter . I have not had any side effects except tiredness the 1st day. I'm clear of side effects for now and I know I'm in the clear due to the fact my past experiences of side effects on other brands of BCP were immediate. Never had I experienced depression or anger issues on any birth control pill. And honestly, it's not by the cause of birth control. It's by what is already an issue with woman, not the pill causing it. I spoke to my Dr. about this because it was a concern of mine based upon reviews of this brand. He told me just that, it's not the pill it's woman that already have issues and it's just showing because of what's really going on in their lives at the time and they are blaming the pill. They might not have had unusual stress before that time frame. They decide to blame the pill because they feel it had started due to taking the pill when really the problem was present before taking it. PMS effects everyone differently as well. I never had PMS symptoms until my later 20's and that was on the pill or off the pill. Periods change frequently. You may have a normal period without cramps, PMS, etc and then the next few you do. It's your body getting older. And when you get older your body changes as well as your hormones. Plus, woman older in their 30's are advised not to take the pill. Vision problems are not related to the pill. It's related to something else. More than reality it's an allergy.

So instead of blaming a pill, you need to ensure it's not related to another problem first.
I have not had any anger, any vision, any weight gain, or other side effects since I've been on Yasmin.

Hope I helped anyone.

As of October 1, 2009 federal Yasmin lawsuits have been consolidated in multi-district litigation (MDL) in Ohio. MDL is like a class action lawsuit, except each injured person maintains a separate lawsuit and only the pre-trial proceedings are consolidated. Here is a quote from the order transferring the federal Yasmin lawsuits to MDL:
All actions share factual questions relating to at least one of the drospirenone-containing oral contraceptives Yaz and Yasmin, which are manufactured by Bayer. Plaintiffs in the products liability actions challenge the safety of those oral contraceptives and bring claims for personal injuries or wrongful death stemming from use of the drugs.

You can talk to a lawyer about joining the Yasmin lawsuits MDL by calling ****** (toll free).

There are so many of us with depression/emotional issues from the NuvaRing.

For me, the NuvaRing saved me, only by revealing the MESS it created.

I was diagnosed bipolar in 2000 and spent 5 years on heavy medication in an attempt to manage it. In 2005 I went off the medication and my oral contraceptives in order to become pregnant. Following the birth of my son, I never returned to oral contraceptives AND never followed the typical path of a bipolar mother. There were no PPD issues, and I ended up not returning to the bipolar medication. I was symptom free without an explanation.

In May 2009, after years without anxiety symptoms, I went on the Nuva Ring. Within 12 hours, all of my old symptoms had returned. Within 5 days, I realized there could be a correlation and removed the ring. By the next day, I returned to myself.

With a call to my psychiatrist, who I hadn't seen in over a year, I described what had happened. She explained that the hormones do not process through the liver with the NuvaRing, unlike the oral contraceptives. This direct route into the body made the effects of the LOW dose hormones that more apparent. Thankfully, I learned that my issue all along was the hormonal birth control, and not my mental health.

My option is now a non-hormonal IUD, which has it's own messy issues, but I embrace fully in exchange for the emotional instability.

I feel that I have one of those stories that women need to hear. I do believe we are not realizing the full effects of these hormones. I took it as far as one can take it, with a full diagnosis and years of medication. I have to wonder how many women are experiencing milder effects and just don't realize that it could be the hormones.

I am normally a happy person. I first started taking Yaz to help with mild acne I was experiencing. At the beginning, I had no issues whatsoever, but now at the end of the 2nd month, I have literally been going insane. I seriously thought I was going crazy. I snap at my husband for the silliest things, I can't control my crying to the point I am screaming at the top of my lungs, and I constantly feel like I am a horrible person. I have even had suicidal thoughts recently. This is totally NOT me. I am stopping the Yaz and probably NEVER taking oral contraceptives again. It is not worth it. This drug needs to be recalled.

I have been on Nuvaring for 2 months now and after the first month I went back to the doctor and she said that the side effects were normal and would go away after a few months. I don't think I believe that, cause I just feel so bad. I use to never fight with my boyfriend and now it is an every day occurrence. I get headaches all the time now it seems almost everyday. I feel so depressed and before I got on it I was happy go lucky and the peaceful one and now I am just on edge all the time and I hate it. I get nausea and for a moment i was thinking maybe I am pregnant but I am not and it is just frustrating and irritating. The best things about the ring is I don't really get cramps and no period pimples and no weight gain and no pill everyday. I never had there problems on the pill lo overall or on the patch. I must say though that it feels great to know I am not alone cause I was beginning to think it was just me and also i don't know if anyone has this but does your chest or heart feel tight at time like a palpitation? I am 24 and I never had this until now and I am so tired that all I want to do is sleep and I feel faint from time to time. I feel like i have all the bad symptoms except a few and no yeast. I honestly think this is my last month on this and thank you all so much it is such a relief to know I am not alone. Oh and I do get hot too and everything.

Hello,
Had the Mirena inserted last week, 6 weeks following the birth of my second baby. I chose Mirena because I wanted a long term solution and had bad side effects from oral contraceptives (vomiting everyday + headaches)
Insertion was very painful, stabbing pain in my hip then difficulty walking for about 12 hours. the next day I realized my milk supply had gone down a lot, and I also developed a nasty headache that will not go away since then. Called the doc, getting it removed tomorrow...glad my insurance covered it but very annoyed I went through this. I have had to take Tylenol non stop for the headaches and fennugreek to try and get my milk supply up...hope the side effects disappear quickly. As far as contraceptive method, going back to condoms, unsure what to do next.

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!

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.

YES! I have been on Yasmin and now Yaz for the last four years or so; and recently I wanted to try something else, due the headcaches I was having with Yaz. Sad to the the Loestrin 24fe was not for me. Just started back on Yaz yesterday, and the headaches have returned. Looks Like I will choose to stop oral contraceptives al together. (I am almost 39 and have been on OC off but mostly on for almost 20 years)> Hope this helps someone.

I had a lot of the negative side effects listed above by others including depression, fatigue, trouble concentrating, aching body, restless nights, irritability, my arms and legs falling asleep and so on. Then I found out that i had a vitamin b deficiency - a lot of these symptoms are also symptoms of vitamin b deficiency. Yaz along with other oral contraceptives interferes with the bodies ability to absorb vitamin B. Taking vitamin B supplements a few times a day has helped me. They are water soluble so you do not have to worry about overdosing- if you take more than your body needs you will just pee out whatever is extra.

Although this isn't a side effect I wasn't quite sure where to post it... But my question is: Do you know anyone or did you get pregnant while using the Yasmin birth control pill? I know that these pills make your body think it's pregnant but I think I may actually be pregnant. Although I don't "feel" pregnant my body sure is acting like it is, I.E. sore breasts, weird cravings and aversions to food, headaches, very tired, very hungry etc. Has anyone had these side effects too and you weren't pregnant? Thanks!

I have not had mirena placed yet, but I am meeting with my OBGYN doctor in May, but I think from reading everyone's input on here, I am going to try and seek and alternative......I've not had good luck with oral contraceptives since 2002, but there has to be something out there!!!

I had my Mirena IUD inserted two weeks ago today. I had it inserted on day three of my normally five-day period. My period stopped for 2 days following insertion and then I spotted for one day. After that one day, I have been bleeding heavily ever since, and I'm talking super jumbo tampon every 2-3 hours bleeding. Before receiving Mirena, I talked to my GYN, read the pamphlet and researched online. Each resource told me to expect spotting - so I expected spotting for 3-4 weeks after and I am completely blown away by the constant heavy bleeding that I am now being told could potentially last 3-4 months.

I normally do not use oral contraceptives because of my problems with High Blood Pressure, but my doctor felt the low dosage of hormones in Mirena was "ok" for me. Since insertion, I've experienced a slight raise in my blood pressure but the doctor doesn't seem too concerned about it because I am supposedly "adjusting" to the Mirena. I am slightly worried that my constant bleeding and increased blood pressure are not going to subside in the 3-4 months the doctor is recommending I wait it out.

Not to mention how the constant, constant bleeding is ruining my sex life.

I honestly have no idea what kind of standards or limits I need to be setting here for myself. It has only been two weeks, but how much is too much..? I also have to say I am worried as well since I have to have minor surger in 4 weeks and would hate to have HBP/Anemia complications because of this.

I've been on Femcon for about a month now, and so far so good. I started out on OrthoTriCyclen which made me vomit several times a week, so, strike one. Then went to Yasmin, which was okay, but decided to switch to Seasonique (sp?) for the convenience of a few periods a year, but it made the skin peel off my face at an alarming rate. I was then switched to Yaz, that was great except for one thing: It stole away any sex drive I may have had--no good. Because of this, my doctor switched me to Errin-a progesterone based mini pill-which did give me back my sex drive, but also made my acne horrific, the skin on my scalp peel off, and my breasts painful. Needless to say, it has been a long and difficult struggle with the world of oral contraceptives, so here's hoping that Femcon works out for me!

I have been on the shot for going on a year now. I had a 3 month break. I was diagnosed with endometriosis about 2 years ago. I am currently 23. I think this shot was the best decision I ever made. It has been the best thing for me and the only thing that really seemed to work. I had the hot flashes and night sweats, but other than that it was amazing! I had heard nothing but horror stories and I was nervous about taking the injection. I can't actually use anything take anything else. I have been on many different oral contraceptives since I was 15 years old because irregularity, pain, and various other things. I also tried increase hormones levels in oral contraceptives and the depo provera shot. I would def not recommend that shot to anyone. I have found this to the be only thing that levels me out and allows me to feel normal! My only other options right now are the nuvaring (to see if it will work) and a hystorectomy (not really an option). I would recommend it to anyone, but do your research and don't expect miracles!

Thus far my experience has been good. I've had it several months now and not much to complain about. Previous to Mirena I had the Paraguard and THAT was a nightmare because my periods were very heavy and I am anemic so it wasn't a great match, and oral contraceptives and I never got a long. So the low dose has been good so far..... The only complaint I guess would be the super uncomfortable insertion, but it hurt as bad getting the Paraguard. It's just not nice having things shoved through your cervix! LOL :-)

I hope I don't end up with any of the symptoms I am reading about here!

For those of your considering the Mirena, like I said, so far I've really liked it and I think something to keep in mind is most people who are on here are probably on here because they've had such a bad experience with it. Most people who are happy (like I am) with it wouldn't bother to post online about it. I just happen to be bored and my husband is watching basketball, again! Ha ha ha. Talk to your Dr. and decide what will work best for you. I think taking the pill is the easiest if it works for you...it just didn't for me!

45 years old, female, diagnosed bipolar II in 2006. On Lamictal for 2 years. Initially, very positive effects of Lamictal - felt "normal" and stable for the first time in years. Didn't notice any side effects. Gradually increased from 200 to 400 mg per day 6 months ago as I still experienced mood swings with a tendency towards depression. I have been on 400 mg/day since August 2008. It is difficult to say what are the side effects of the medication, and what are "natural causes". Since doubling the dosage, I experience memory loss and increasing cognitive problems (slow thought process, difficulty putting together coherent sentences in discussions, fumbling for words. I have spent more than one hour on this posting!). I sometimes wake up during the night drenched in sweat. It could be that I'm menopausal, but I find it unlikely. Mood swings have perhaps become less pronounced, but I would like to regain my mental capacity. I plan to cut back to 200 mg of Lamictal - and perhaps some day learn to live with bilpolar II without medication and a lot of help from my friends and loved ones.

Thank God for this website! I have learned much and appreciate your experiences so much!

I had the Mirina placed in May of 2008. I have endometriosis and had to come off the oral contraceptives due to migraines. The placing of the Mirina was somewhat painful, but all in all, it wasn't so bad that I look back and say it wasn't worth the pain. Just felt like a bad period, but it only lasted a short time. However, I am ready to GET IT OUT! I absolutely hate the way I feel on it. I did bleed for about 6 weeks, but it was mostly spotting, so not too bad, and I really didn't mind, knowing that my endometrium was thinning out. But, I began to get horrible nausea, so bad that I had trouble getting out of bed in the morning. I felt like I could be pregnant. And, my boobs got really, really sore. So bad, that when I got out of bed, I felt the most pain. They felt like swollen water baloons (sorry for the lack of tact here). I also started to get my headaches back. They were not the typical MIGRAINES i had on teh oral contraceptives, but they were definitely there, and they were cyclic. I told my doctor about this, and she was extremely surprised. She said she has a Mirina and has absolutely no problems and loves it. I felt like I must be imagining things until I found this website. The worst for me is the nausea and the headaches. So, it will come out this Monday. I am a little frightened at what I will feel like afterwards, since I've read it can take the body some time to adjust. But, I did decide to "go organic" to try to rid my body of toxins. I don't know if it will help but I hope so. By the way, I want to pass on that if anyone has really bad periods (or endo), it does help to use Flaxseed Oil. It is pricey, and can be bought at a Natural Market like Whole Foods. It is refridgerated and I take 1 tsp per day. I noticed a decrease in my cramping. Just wanted to pass it on in case it might help someone out there.

Oh, forgot to mention, I am very moody on this Mirina. I snapped at work the other day and yelled at my boss. Very unlike me. I was so agitated and upset over something small. Been like that a lot.

God Bless!

Jackie