Ortho novum symptoms and conditions

I'm in the middle of my third month on Loestrin 24 Fe. I used to be on Estrostep years ago, before I had children, and now am on this because of the low dose and my age (37). The first month, there was some staining near the end, then a lighter period (mine used to be 7-10 days, around 5 oz of fluid). On Loestrin, it's about 4 days, only a couple of oz. However, month 2, in the first week of pills, I took one pill about 8 hours late, then a few days later, took a pill about 6 hours late. The day of the second late pill, by two hours after I normally took the pill, I was cramping pretty badly and started bleeding like a full period. The bleeding lessened over the month, but never went away. Light period following. Now, on month 3, about 2 weeks in without having been late on any pills, I have had spotting the last few days and light cramping. Plus, the one time my husband and I had sex about a week after my period, there was some brownish blood afterwards, which he hates. So basically, he now refuses to touch me.

I have also noticed being more emotional, like I felt the two weeks after giving birth, crying more easily. I think that might be lessening now, though.

I am going to call my doctor to see if he recommends trying it one more month. I do remember that it takes around three months for a person's body to get used to oral contraceptives, although the first pill I was ever on (Ortho Novum 7-7-7) made me bleed lightly the entire six months I was on it, and when I switched to Nordette 28 that problem was solved. I just know that I can't have this spotting continue since my husband is so sensitive to any hint of blood, and I don't relish the idea of never having sex again. NOT the way birth control pills are supposed to work!! ;-)

I've been on lo24 for about two years I have experience a low sex drive as well as a really bad burning sensation in my upper stomach and chest, I have also experienced being very cold and tired to the point I can't keep my eyes open at work I have experience several yeast infections when I was on ortho novum 777 I never had yeast infection it was just making my blood pressure go up now that I'm on blood pressure pills I think I'll be going back to my old bc. Has anyone experience heart burn with this bc please let me know.P.S. I too have been moody and emotional A lot Lately. Thanks for these posting they really helped me.Sunshine In Kansas

I think it is interesting the symptoms that you mention here. I have been on birth control pills since the age of 19. I am now 28. Over the past year I have had similar symptoms. I have been on so many different BCP's that is is hard to keep count. They don't seem to work the way they claim to. The last BCP I was on was orthotryciclen. While taking these I began to experience severe heart palpitations. So bad that they would wake me up at night. Because I wasn't sure if it was an anxiety attack or just being in my head I decided to ignore it. Four months passed by and it seemed to get increasingly worse. I had enough and decided to go to my PCP. She wasn't really much help either. Although I was tested for Mitral Valve Prolapse, which I was told affects younger women my age. There was nothing found. What I thought was interesting is I really felt that it was the birth control pills, but I couldn't find it as a side affect on the information that was provided in the box. The tech who was doing my echocardiogram began to tell me she also experienced the same feelings and found out it was her BCP. Once she confirmed what I thought was right, decided to stop taking them. After three months the symptoms began to disappear. I figured it was just the particular brand. I began to take loestrin 24. I started to feel the same symptoms again, just not as severe. I would feel my heart beat when I would like down in my back and my stomach. My heart rate would reach 90 to 100 sometimes. I know this is not normal. When I visited my gyno yesterday she told me it was impossible that it was a result of the BCP. Maybe it was just anxiety and or perhaps I should get checked out by a cardiologist. That is serious stuff when you are talking to a young person about getting there heart check out. I think if there are any other women out there who are experiencing any similar symptoms should speak up. So these doctors won't keep telling us it is all in our heads and help to take care of this problem.

I started on Estropstep Fe about 7 years ago and during that time I switched once to Ortho-Novum (which I did not like at all). Ortho-Novum made me gain weight and just did not feel good on it... So I switched back to Estrostep Fe about 2 years ago and I am still taking them. I guess my concern is that I have been super irregular since i have started back on them. For instance, I will have my period one month and then not have it again for the next two months, then I will have it and then not again for one month and the pattern goes on... Is this normal or is there some underlying thing to this?

I started taking Yaz for about 3 months and couldn't tolerate the daily spotting and severely itchy skin from my knees to my ankles. I switched to Yasmin and though I don't have as much breakthrough bleeding, it still occurs daily a week BEFORE my real period. I have very little to no sex drive and I have to use Aveeno 24 hour anti itch lotion immediately after showering (I've lived in a desert climate for over 10 years now and have NEVER depended on anti itch lotion much less regular lotion since starting these pills). It was so bad a couple of nights that I took Benadryl to get through the night. After reading the posts from others, I'm thinking that I must have an allergy as I, too, have constant post-nasal drip in addition to the itching. I have also noticed more hair shedding but luckily for me, I have thick hair. The only benefit is I don't seem as moody as with other birth control pills and have kept my weight somewhat normal despite not exercising and overeating on the weekends. I am going to my PCP to change back to Ortho Novum although I dread the moodiness that comes with increased estrogen. Why can the drug companies come up with incredible drugs like Cialis but 30 years later, we still have @$#! for birth control pills?

Side Effects: Yaz -- daily breakthrough bleeding
Yasmin -- breakthrough bleeding 2-3xs a week
Both-- severely itchy lower legs, constant post nasal drip, hair loss, severely decreased libido, occasional leg cramping

I thought Yasmin was great. I took it for about 3 years. I had light periods, no pain, no weight gain. I wanted to try Yaz, though, because I can get quite emotional before my period. I've been on it for about 5 months now and have had painful periods, headaches before my period, breakouts on my face, and weight gain. So I am switching back to the Yasmin. I think everyone reacts differently and pills aren't for everyone so you just have to shop around and try different ones before you find the one that's right for you. I took Ortho-Novum in my late teens, early-20's and I gained weight from that, too.

I'm 28 and I've been on Loestrin for 5 months now. No real big issues with it. I may have gained a couple pounds but when I was on Ortho Novum 7/7/7 I gained a couple pounds on that too and I had no issues with those pills either. I changed to Loestrin cuz I just wanted my periods to be shorter and lighter. I was on Ortho Novum from 16-25 years old. So if anyone wants to switch to that I had no issues with that one. I think all pills depend on your body type and how your body reacts to the pill. That's why they have so many of them out there. So you can find the right one that fits you. The only issue I have with Loestrin is the fact that I thought I wasn't supposed to cramp anymore while on my period. I also get slight cramps in my back a couple days before my period comes on. But other than that. No issues.

I've had my Mirena for about 15 and a half months and I am having it removed today at 2 o'clock. At first I had sharp pains when I would sit down and I felt like the cords were poking me and irritating me. My OB/GYN requires patients to come back one month after having it put in so he can check it and make sure it is still in place. At this visit he also trimmed the cords although he acted like he didn't believe me when I told him that I could feel them poking me when I sat down and that it hurt. At first I didn't notice any bad side effects, but I did have one good one: my periods stopped, but I still had occasional and sporadic spotting. I didn't think to look for any bad side effects because I got the device under the impression that it had no bad side effects. I thought it only had a rare complication of perforating the uterus, but since mine was in place at the one month check, I didn't think about anymore until I started thinking about having another baby recently. I went online to see if I had to have a doctor remove the Mirena or if I could do it myself, and I found out that it's best done by a professional because bad things can happen and then you'd have to go to the doctor anyway. Plus, I didn't want to hurt my chances of having another baby. While online I discovered this whole world of message boards where women were having a lot of the same problems I'd been having in recent months and they all blamed their Mirenas. Some claimed that their problems had gone away since having it removed. I never thought to link my circumstances to the Mirena, but when I saw how many women are having the exact same problems as me I knew that I needed to go ahead and get mine out ASAP. Here is a list of my side effects, and I've found other women have had them as well with Mirena: weight gain, bloated stomach, depression, short temper with husband and daughter, acne, low sex drive, spotting, cramps, constipation, and back pain. There may be more, but I can't remember them all right now. Some of them may not even be related to the device, but I've read of so many women with Mirena who are having or have had the same issues, so I suspect a link between my problems and Mirena. I hope this helps someone out there looking for answers. God Bless!

All I can say is WOW!!!! I started taking Yasmin to lighten my menstrual cycle. I was severely anemic and had heavy cycles due to fibroid tumors. I was not sexually active but my doctor decided to have me start taking BCP's to regulate my cycle. Everything went fine for the first few months. But the last two months I've been feeling depressed and crying and I had no idea depression was a side effect. Also, I am starting my actual flow on day 18 of the pill pack. My past experience with BCP was Ortho Novum and my flow started about 2 days after the last active pill. Now it's before I finish the pills and last for about eight days. This just started during the last two months.

The last two months as well I've been feeling depressed, and crying....which I never do. When I researched yasmin, I didn't see depression as a side effect. If I did, I ignored it because I have taken meds without any problems in the past. I wonder if anyone has had a problem with the "irregular" menstrual cycle.

I have had numerous side effects from Yasmin that seem to coincide with many that I've read here, but a few different ones as well. My anxiety level has been over the top and I have been having panic attacks related to really bizarre things such as feeling like the rings on my fingers are too tight and choking me. I felt the same thing when having an armband place on me while attending a carnival. It felt tight and constrictive and I felt an overwhelming flood of panic, as it seemed to make me smother, until I removed it. I feel extremely bloated and my back aches constantly. I have been sleepless for the most part and when I do sleep, suffer crazy and bizarre dreams. I have had a sore area on the back of my tongue for about 2 weeks. It feels as though my tastebuds have been scrubbed with sandpaper. I am also having problems with facial hair growth and have had stomach pain. I was on Ortho Novum 7-7-7 for 5 years and loved it. I had no side effects from it and my weight remained stable unlike with other pills I've experienced. The doctor took me off of them and refuses to put me back on because she says they are too high estrogen of a pill for someone my age (I'm 33) and since I am a smoker. Any advice?

This is my 2nd post to this med. I stopped taking it and a miracle happened. I am no longer depressed and have very little anxiety I also do not have anymore ocd thoughts. At first I thought I was suffering from ppd which I do have but I found out that bc pills can contribute to mood disorders. So all you ladies out there that are suffering with mood changes you might want to consider going off for a while. I feel so much better I cant even begin

I have been on this pill for almost a month, I starte bleeding on the end of the second week, my doctor told me this was normal. I usually have horrible cramps but with this I ahve been fine so far. BUT....the weight gain is out of control....and the mood swings are bad too, no headaches or any other symptoms. I am very concerned about the weight gain though it reall is out of control, I have not been doing anything out of the ordinary with my diet, and I have no energy to get up and do anything. Is anyone else feeling this too? I am very happy that I only have two more months left on this crap. Good luck to you all, and know that there are other women going through the same thing.

I'm so happy I found this site. I've been thinking I'm crazy or just getting old for the last 3 years while on Yasmin. I started taking it at age 29 and almost immediately after started having mood swings, extreme irritability and depression. I had previously been on Ortho Tri Cyclen and the Ortho Cyclen before Yasmin and was on them for MANY years and never had one side effect. I only switched in the first place because I like to have very very few periods and I run all my active pills together to forgo periods very often and I was having breakthrough on the Cyclen. Hence, the Yasmin trial.

I'm actually a doctor (which is why I CANNOT have frequent periods with all the accompanying issues), but I didn't even realize the possible connection between IBS and Yasmin. This needs to be studied and taken seriously. I never once had IBS symptoms until a few months after starting Yasmin. Now, 3 years later I have almost constatnt trouble, to the point everytime I eat I run for the bathroom, yet my weight has never been higher. I asked a GYN friend at work if they could be related and she said definitely no, but reading all of these "real life" examples, coupled with my own experience has made me think otherwise. Often, the symptoms will occur shortly after taking the pill, even when I haven't yet eaten breakfast. It's crazy!!

I'm going to switch either back to Ortho Cyclen or to something new ASAP and will report back. I'm both excited at the thought that my "IBS" might really be Yasmin related but also scared that it might not go away and therefore might really be IBS. I'll report back... It honestly never entered my mind that all of it could be the Yasmin. I had just moved, started a new job in a town I hate and I thought it was all stress related.

I've also had an interesting side effect no one has mentioned yet- my hair texture has dramatically changed. It isn't falling out, but has gone from VERY curly with a nice soft spiral curl pattern to very dry, straight and hard to manage. Nothing else has changed and now I'm wondering if it's not the DRSP. If pergnant women can have hair changes, why not women on the pill?? It's all hormones.

As always with a drug, there are always possible side effects. No one drug is perfect, and humans are so complex in their make up and they way they process drugs. Therefore, please don't judge your family docs or GYNs too harshly as not even the best doctor in the world can predict every side effect.

GUEST 37772
JOEY-

It would seem that you are right and very smart for listening to your body and to your intuition. What I can share with you is that for many, and in my case, my skin did look the most beautiful that it ever had-but in truth, and upon reflection, I always had compliments on my skin. I have mediterannean in my background so it runs on the oiler side in the t zone and I am therefore more prone to breakouts. However, the upside is less wrinkling/slower pace than women with dry skin.

What I will say is this, the horrible side effects of Yasmin that have been documented here, and on the UK site Flowerbabies/Sarah set up, is no case for taking Yasmin. It is so detrimental to our bodies and our health and as we all come to learn if we haven't already, there is no quality to life when your health is sacrificed.

Yeast infections are very COMMON with BIRTH CONTROL PILLS. Most everyone of them opens a woman up to experiencing these because of the change in hormones and the effect on bacteria and yeast levels in our bodies. It alreay exists, just in healthy levels. When there is over-growth however, it causes yeast infections-one woman here had THRUSH which is yeast in her mouth.

VAGINAL dryness is also a side effect of Yasmin. Please read the insert that came with the Yasmin pills. You can also google Yasmin side effects and read an electronic one online. Many women reported changes to their sexual libido while taking Yasmin.

There are a couple of birth control pills: Orthocept and Ortho-tricyclen Low that i had good results with. Ortho Novum 35 as well has been around a long time. However, after years of being on and off birth control/hormones, what I would say is that if you can find natural method of birth control/non-hormonal, you are far better off in the long run. If you google side effects of birth control pills, you will see LONG lists of side effects. There is so little really known about women's hormones and these synthetic forms do damage.

I did not suffer from vaginal dryness while taking Yasmin but I did:
1. Significantly lose vision in my right eye
2. Developed a heart murmur
3. Developed chest pain and pressure and heart palps and irregular beats
4. Clogged painful eardrums

All* of these were directly linked to Yasmin and are even documented as possible side effects in Yasmin insert.

So, with that, I'd encourage you to see the UK site if you haven't already and the host of women who have experienced terrible side effects while on Yasmin as well as coming off of it.

Listen to your wisdom. you'll be ahead of many of the rest of us before we came to decide to come off of Yasmin a little too late.

GUEST 37760
Your side effects-specifically those related to weight loss are experienced my many women. I lost 15 lbs on Yasmin-and I directly attribute it to the diuretic in Yasmin as I went off, gained 10 back immediately.

Diahrhea also common. See insert that accompanies Yasmin. Most to many side effects women experience as well as outline of the enormous risks are there.

I hope that you are off at this time and feeling better.

GUEST 37745
Yasmin can and often does give women nausea and dizziness. Longer term, loads of side effects that can be debilitating. If you haven't already seen many of the side effects here-I encourage you to read through as many as you can as well as on the UK site and at ask a patient.com.

While this may go away, there are so many risks and so many terrible side effects women have suffered and are suffering as a result of being on Yasmin and/or Yaz now (its recent sister to hit the market)-I'd encourage you to get off of it now and explore non-hormonal methods of birth control. its so not worth it. Some of us, many of us have suffered terribly.

GUEST 37679!
HOW DID THEY COME TO DISCOVER THIS? WHAT WERE YOUR SYMPTOMS? THIS IS THE MOST SERIOUS RESULT I'VE SEEN HERE BESIDES THE VERY FIRST ENTRY ON THIS SITE WHICH IS STROKE, AND ANOTHER WHOSE HUSBAND REPORTED HIS WIFE DIED OF A STROKE AFTER PARTICIPATING IN A YASMIN FORUM.

I hope that you have recovered??? How are you today? I hope you will post your experience on www.askapatient.com as well as to the UK site.

Did you have any prior high risk/risk factors?

Are you taking up legal action? A number of us have been wondering how to do so.

I do hope that you are healing. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

GUEST 37673
Your side effects, specifically those of vertigo/dizziness and fatigue also documented here as common side effects. also documented on Yasmin's insert for possible common side effects. Good, very good, that you have stopped taking it.

Also common-irregular heart beats, heart palpitations-risk to women and risk in general with this pill for hypertension/high blood pressure. I experienced this, 1.5 years into taking Yasmin. First heavy chest sensation, then developed a heart murmur, irregular beats and chest pain that continue to this day 5 months off of being on Yasmin. Several other women here and at the UK site Flowerbabies set up also experienced this-multiple trips to the ER, EKG, ECG and a slew of other tests.

If it feels like your lungs are burning, i hope you are off this now? Has this continued? Interestingly, since I got off of Yasmin, I have been sick every month for the last 5 months at the onset of menstruation. A Naturpath I've seen has advised that changes in hormones create inflammation in the body and make this possible-more susceptible to infection. I've had bronchitis for 5 months in a row, each time starts at the onset of menstruation.

Your complexion going to hell is not so common as most women experience the opposite. It is so good that you are listening to yourself-and getting off of Yasmin. Too many of us had side effects over time that we didn't add up/attribute to Yasmin until too late-or until we are already suffering today from longer term side effects.

I also noticed while on Yasmin, I would wake up in sweats and became even more sensitive to cold than I already was. Almost like flu like symptoms-that several women here also experienced.

Nausea-also very common and outlined as well in Yasmin's insert of possible side effects.

To hear that these symptoms are in no way bad compared to those you experienced on Ortho Evra is quite concerning as that path is now under lawsuit and many of us are only waiting until this occurs, or working to figure out how to sue Yasmin and Yaz.

Best of healing wishes to you and congratulations for taking the responsiblity for listening to your body, taking the initiative to research your side effects, and taking personal responsibility for your own health. We can't count on pharmaceutical industry, pedaling doctors who receive financial incentives for prescribing this stuff, treating us like guinea pigs, to learn to take care and education for our own bodies and health.

Jasmine

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-
Hi, BitterRN here again (still bitter about yasmin too:)
But Im feeling better and I want to share with you my findings and thoughts about what I think about your situation. But first please dont ever hesitate to write me, I check in on this site pretty frequently to see how everyone is doing and it always breaks my heart to see another "victim" of science or someone who is still struggling with this nightmare drug.
So here is what I think, I think your testosterone is low still. I really believe this is the root of your problems I am almost sure of it. You see I think Yasmin suppresses testosterone. This is a side effect of most birth control pills, but I think Yasmin does it even more so. I am proof of that, I took ortho novum for several years, I had breakouts and oily skin as my body had always been this way even before bcp. Then I took yasmin, and yeah my skin had no more breakouts, no more oil, (and no more life in it.) I know for a fact that my testosterone became severely low. And with low testosterone comes all the symptoms you and all the people on this website have been complaining about, and I think the longer your on it the more symptoms develope, because your body is not getting this incredibly important hormone, the hormone responsible pretty much for anti-aging, muscle repair, sleep, sex drive, overall sense of well being. so I think symptoms start to appear one by one as the testosterone is decreased by the yasmin, and the thing I have noticed is that when testosterone starts to go down, anxiety goes way way up!!! I felt this myself, and friends who have been diagnosed with low testosterone have felt it as well, and everyone has said they felt like they were going crazy! Depression sets in. And then when yasmin is stopped its up to your body to replace all the hormones it was getting synthetically with hormones it now has to make. Again I feel this is harder with yasmin because it so severely depresses the androgens (testosterone)
Now your body is trying to balance your estrogen and progesterone and testosterone, and it seems to be unable to do it quickly let me show you my journey..
I stopped yasmin in Jan 06 I started regulating my hormones in april 06 my first testosterone level was 11 and normal is 20-50. God only knows how low it fell in the 3 months between. So april it was 11
may it was 15
july it was 21 (normal range)
I was starting to feel much better at the end of july. So the fact is as my testosterone has been going up, my body has been recovering. As well as the estogen and progesterone balancing out which cause a who new set of symptoms of their own when they are not in balance(menopausal symptoms frequently)
So this is what I am trying to get at Silke, I think your body has been working hard to get the testosterone up, and judging from your symptoms still ongoing, namely the muscle weakness, tiredness and weakness, and the anxiety, I feel very strongly that your body is having trouble getting this hormone to the level it needs to be for you to feel better (yes just like your old self) I have been supplementing with bioidentical testosterone, though I do not recommend this until you have seen a physician who will test your hormone levels and READ THEM CORRECTLY which is key here. I know you said you had your hormones tested before and that your testosterone was "Low normal"? Is that correct? But even if that is so what most people, and even most doctors do not understand is that a "low normal" reading on a woman in her 30's is NOT NORMAL. Thats normal for a woman in her 80's(and I bet she doesnt feel so hot either!)
I know it is hard to find a good doctor. But I happen to have stumbled across a good doctor here in Arizona and he has clinics all over the U.S. and even one overseas in Spain. Now I realize you live in Germany right? So I e-mailed them and asked if they had any other clinics in Europe. I will let you know when they get back to me.
Anyway here is what I found. Since I think your body needs a boost in testosterone (I mentioned this before but sometimes when bcp suppress testosterone for so long, the body kind of forgets how to make it again, so it may need some help) and I think this may be what is going on with you.. But the first step for you is getting your hormones tested to be sure what it is you are lacking and then having them read by a bioidentical hormone doctor, and then you may have to supplement with bioidentical testosterone, but do not be afraid Silke, this is not synthetic hormones like bcp it is identical hormones that your body makes and you will be supplementing not replacing.
Anyway on to what I found, Im sorry I get sidetracked....
These centers I found have a procedure called Sottopelletherapy. What they do is make a tiny incision in your hip or buttock area and insert a bioidentical hormone smaller than the size of a grain of rice with the hormone you are lacking, this is of course after they have tested your hormones and determined which one you are low in. Your body can then absorb the amount of hormone that it needs from this implant whenever it needs it.
But I really think you need a good doctor to test your hormones first and these doctors in these centers really understand hormones. Here is the name and address of the one I found in Spain:
Dr.***

If they e-mail me more info. I will let you know. But my friend who had many of the same symptoms as you silke, the feeling down, tired, anxious, muscle weakness, she went to this clinic (she is a nurse too) and had her hormones tested and they found her testosterone was very low (almost nothing) and she just had this procedure done. She has been on anti depressants for 3 years now as 90percent of the women who see this doctor are because they are mis-diagnosed as depressed (as are a lot of women on this website) and put on anti depressants. She is looking forward to getting off of them soon.
So the bottom line is I know yasmin drops your testosterone (I have seen it in myself) the thing is i think everyones body on this website is trying to replace this precious hormone, and everyones body, depending on age(because the body slows down in production of hormones and you dont make it as fast.) and just your particular situation (length of time on it, pre existing factors?) is just recovering at its own rate. However, I think the people who are taking a really long time(like a year or more) and experiencing setbacks as in your situation silke, need more help as your body cannot seem to fully restore testosterone levels that are normal for you. And I think only when this is balanced are you going to feel like the old you again.
So now I am the one who has written a book again, so write me back and let me know what you think. I hope I did not use too much medical talk. If so let me know and i will try to explain it better.
Look forward to hearing from you Silke,
BitterRN.

Dear worried,
Hi. I am writing to you because you sound like my wonderful caring mother, I too have had a horrible experience with yasmin. However, I am 33 yrs old. I took birth control pills for 14 yrs. with no side effects have been through 2 pregnancies and restarted the pill with no problems. I have always, and my mother would tell you this, always been a Happy go lucky person...until I started to take Yasmin Sept. of last year. I switched from ortho novum to Yasmin because the ob I went to see thought it would help with some stomach problems I was complaining about (turns out I had low Iron and just needed some Iron supplements) but I had already started taking the Yasmin.. so I stayed on them. Let me tell you this... I am a registered nurse, have been for 14 years, I was self confident, self assured and always self reliant.. until I took Yasmin. I started to get panick attacks, which I NEVER ever suffered from my entire life. I became depressed, moody, insecure, and scared to death, these symptoms were only things I had read about out of a text book, I thought I knew what depression was from nursing school books, boy I had NO idea how bad it could be. I really thought I was going crazy. It took me three months on that pill to finally realize it was the pill! I only stumbled upon this realization because I ran into another aquaintance who had a bad experience with Yasmin, and had friends who also had bad experiences with Yasmin. She described the same symptoms I and your daughter have experienced.

Being a nurse, I have dove head first into literature and books on hormones. I have also spent Lots of money on tests and doctors visits, many of whom tried to put me on anti-depressants. But I would not take them, because I KNEW my body. I knew I was NOT depressed with life in general. I KNEW that the Yasmin and all of its horrible side effects was what was making me depressed and anti depressants would not help my underlying problem. Dont get me wrong, lots of women on this website get some relief from them, and if that works for them thats great, but I stuck it out, and it took a while but finally the depression lifted and I began to feel more like my normal self. I know your wondering how long?

Let me just say that with all the reading and information I have gathered this is my best guess..
There are many different bcp, and some have more androgenic (male hormone effects) and some have more estrogen effects. There are many different types of women with different body chemistrys for example lets take
Curvy type-full breasts, no facial or body hair, more body fat (Has more estrogen in her chemistry)
Althletic type-althletic build, more muscular build,prone to facial hair, has some body hair (Has more testosterone/androgens in her chemistry)
We all have estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in our chemistry, but based on the woman own personal chemistry, each of our bodies seems to be different in how much we make and which is more dominant.
So if you give an athletic type person, much like I was, an estrogen based pill, which is what Yasmin is, then it only makes sense that you are going to feel bad. Because this is nowhere near your bodies normal. When I was on the ortho novum, a more androgenic pill, I never felt any of the HORRIBLE symptoms I felt on Yasmin. And guess what, on the yasmin, my breasts grew larger and my facial and body hair dissappeared. It sounds like a good thing but its not, I also lost muscle mass, got itchy dry skin, dry hair, wrinkles, and soo much more I could go on and on.
The thing that seems to be the trend with me and the others on this website is that for some of the girls you get immediate relief when stopping the yasmin, for some as well as myself, you get relief and then it goes down hill again, especially the week before and sometimes on your period and this will cycle month after month and it is a process that takes several months. If this happens she will get discouraged and depressed again, some of the symptoms will come and go, but keep reminding her she will feel better.
My hope is that because your daughter is so young and producing so many hormones right now, her hormonal balance will get right back on track quickly. For those of us in our 30's and up I believe it takes much longer because we do not produce as much of the hormones, including the "mother" hormones like DHEA which converts into testosterone and progesterone, because we make less and less of this hormone as we enter our late 20's and early thirties and age. This may explain why it takes some of us so long to feel better and others feel better right away.
It may also have to do with how long you have been on it, but Im not sure.
Another thing, and Im sorry to write a book, but I have also learned that bcp work by first bottoming out ALL of your natural hormones and then replacing them with synthetic ones (the pill). When you go off the pill, as in my case, your hormones I believe bottom out again and then your body has to replace them again. This can be more difficult for an aging woman.
One more interesting side note:
Testosterone is responsible for a whole lot very important things in your body. Sex drive being one of the main ones but it is so much more than that. If you read any book on testosterone, Suzanne Somers The sexy years is a good one you will find that it is so important for all of your body organs, the mind, and even in aging. I know that I feel a hundred years old when mine is low and only when it starts to go up did I start to feel like my old self.
Also, they have found that testosterone which is suppressed during pregnancy, sometimes does not come back up after birth in some women. Some women need a boost to get it back up and I wonder if this is what brings on post partum depression. The bcp can do the same thing after being on it a while the body may forget how to make it.
I think anyone still having side effects after stopping the pill should get their hormones tested and see if they are low or high in something. Keep in mind that hormones are about balance. Once your hormones are completely balanced again you will probably start to feel better.

So I think your daughter feels better because she stopped the Yasmin and I would not go on any bcp for a few months and then see how she feels (keep taking the vitamins and eating well and lots of water) she may even be able to quit the lexapro. I would definitely suspect the pill if the depression started when she started taking bcp (whatever type) Probably due to hormonal imbalance which she will probably get from any pill. There are other options out there besides bcp. I hear marena (sp?) is an implant in the uterus that releases progesterone (to block pregnancy) but the hormone does not circulate the blood system. She might want to check out other options with her OB.
Anyway feel free to write back. I hope this helps some of the other women on this site as well. We are all just trying to understand what is going on with our bodies. And please ladies, all these "weird" symptoms you keep writing about and asking do you think this can be related to the pill? I think YES. To all of them. Because knowing what I have read about hormones and how important and intricate the balance achieves in our bodies to maintain our health and sense of well being, then yes messing with this balance can wreak havoc of all kinds. Each body is responding in its own different way and it is going to take time to get back on track.
And YES mood swings are a BIG part of it. The hormones seem to go up and down. Not a steady climb as this can be discouraging at times!
I wish you all the best and keep your heads up. It will get better.
Last but not least the Yasmin is the only bcp that has dsrp in it (the diuretic part of the pill) I cant quite put my finger on it but I feel this "unique" part of this pill may be the part of the problems we all experience. Im sure its why some of the girls on this site have to urinate a lot as that is what a diuretic does. I would not recommend this pill to anyone.

I had a horrible experience with this one. I was switched to ovcon from ortho-novum to help with breakthrough bleeding. Over the years, I taken probably about 5 different brands of birth control pills and I NEVER had such a bad experience as this. I didn't connect it with ovcon at first because when I started ovcon, I was also stopping a series of antidepressant medications that I'd been taking for years but finally felt stable enough to do without. Everything that happened as a result I thought was due to stopping the antidepressants but I'm suspecting it was all due to ovcon.

I took ovcon for 5 months. Besides nausea, I had MAJOR bloating and water retention and HUGE weight gain. I felt like I wasn't even in my own body but a strangers. Appetite shot way up. I was never full, no matter how much I ate. I got terrible swelling in my ankles and fingers and feet. Breasts felt huge. All I wanted to do was eat. Depression and ennui set in. I had mood swings like you wouldn't believe. I assumed this was due to stopping treatment with antidepressants, but I'd never had such mood swings even before seeking treatment for my depression. Libido nonexistent.

It worked for helping control the breakthrough bleeding but hardly was it worth it with all these side effects. The swelling finally sent me to the doctor, it was so uncomfortable. Dr. could find nothing wrong--blood pressure, blood tests, urine sample all normal. She decided to try switching birth control.

I'm my third day on LoEstrin now, and I feel tons better. Having major peeing now it seems my body is ridding itself of excess water. Body beginning to feel like my own again. Appetite back to normal--I get full again like I should! Mood much improved and libido hasn't been this strong in ages.

Ovcon was definitely not for me.

Yasmin should be taken off the market. I had GI bleeding, and when I discontinued taking Yasmin, my body went into Post Partem depression. My heart began beating irregularly, my adrenals got messed up, my thyroid, and my progesterone and testasterone were almost non existent. I felt like I was going crazy. I have been off of it for 1 year now, and by the grace of God I am healed. It has been the biggest nightmare that almost cost me my lif. No more women should have to have their bodies messed up. Our endocrine system is so delicate, and it runs our bodies. This pill messes it up. The damage is severe. I am not alone. Let's get it off the market. There is no need for it. Ortho Novum was just fine-if there is such a thing. This pill is evil. No more woman being hurt by drug companies. We are not test mice.

Thank you all for your comments! You are helping me to believe I am not crazy! I went on Yasmin after my 2nd child almost 2 years ago (Ortho Novum was working fine, but the doctor said this is such a great pill!) and I haven't slept much since. I went off Yasmin for about 3 months last summer, but my doctor again said Yasmin wasn't the problem and put me back on it along with Ambien. Now the crying and anxiety have started along with the insomnia. Doctor thought I should try LexaPro, but after reading all of your postings I am never taking another Yasmin pill again! This stuff is terrible - I wil be posting my side effects with the FDA...

AEB

I've been on Yasmin for about six weeks, as an alternative to my long-time favorite, Ortho-Novum 7/7/7, which started giving me vaginal dryness at 41. The sexual problem cleared up instantly with Yasmin, such a big relief, so I felt I could live with the 2 1/2 weeks of breast tenderness I had the first month.

Now, in my second month, I am troubled with crippling insomnia. I have always been a poor sleeper, but this is really different, only 2-4 hours of sleep night after night for two weeks. I have tried various sleep patterns (with my history I'm pretty adept at manipulating my sleep), but nothing works. I really can't go on like this. No wonder sleep deprivation is often used as a torture device.

Other symptoms include unusual fearfulness (not quite physical anxiety attacks), irritability, weepiness, and foggy brain, amounting to loss of function so bad that I really worry about driving my kids around. My refrain has become, "Another lost day!" I thought all of those were triggered purely by the sleep problems, and I've been working up to asking my primary physician for sleeping pills, a first for me in all my years of being sleep-challenged. But after reading most of the posts on this site, I believe Yasmin may be causing those emotional problems directly.

Meanwhile, just 3 pounds of weight gain has caused me to go up a full pants size (it's ALL on my belly, basically overnight), and I hate to think where that is heading. I do have somewhat increased appetite some days, but I've increased my exercise sufficiently, which is a struggle in this state of sleeplessness. Yes, I know that growing belly fat is part of being over 40, but I'm very aware of and careful about my diet and exercise and this undeserved weight/belly surge does coincide with starting Yasmin.

Two questions:

Has anyone gained weight BOTH on and when going off Yasmin? I've read both situations, but from the same person?

Has anyone had insomnia early on with Yasmin that went away after a couple more months of continued Yasmin use? Can those of you who have also had this kind of serious insomnia, and who have discontinued Yasmin, report on how long the insomnia specifically took to subside?

I've just made an appointment with my gyn for a couple of days from now. I just want a different pill or no pill--I don't intend to let him talk me into continuing on Yasmin over my increasingly serious concerns. However, if others on this site have had experiences like mine that then got better, that would be more persuasive.

This is my first month on Yasmin and I am trying to decide whether to stop immediately or if I am just not giving it enough time. I am a 33 year old mother of three and have been off the pill for about 4 years. I have taken Ortho Novum and Ortho Tri-Cyclen in the past. I started Yasmin on the 1st day of my period as per the instructions, I am now on day 14 and still bleeding. My periods usually last about a week. I am also having diarrhea almost every day. Did anyone else have a similar start with Yasmin?

Thanks - AT

I started taking Yasmin four months ago. I've been on and off the pill for YEARS and other than Yasmin, I've only taken Ortho Novum. My only issues with Ortho Novum were breast tenderness, weight gain and my boobs got bigger by at least 1/2 a cup size. Ok, to many of you and my boyfriend, what's the problem? But when you've already been breast blessed, you don't need any help from a BCP.

After the first week on Yasmin, I thought I better look into the side effects because I was having some serious irritable bowel. Read lots on this site about women who had similar experiences. I won't go so far to say no one should take this pill or it should come off the market, but for me, this pill is not right. It hasn't helped acne really and the biggest side effect for me is raging, unpredictible, and painful moments of extreme bowel discomfort. That's the clean version. The first week of the first month was bad, but then no reoccurance. The next month was only a day or two near the end. The third month was back to the same I expeienced in month one. I decided I'd give it a try for one more month, but into my second week now and still have had a couple of episodes. I'm a healthy woman, I've not changed my diet at all or my exercise routine. The only thing that has changed in my life is the addition of Yasmin. Even if these symptoms were to start to subside, I'm so nervous and anxious about being more than 20 feet from a restroom within 2 hrs of taking my pill that I don't think I can continue with this. I keep pepto in my drawer at work and in my purse at all times. That's a crazy way to live just for a BCP. So I'm going to try something else. Good luck to the rest of you.

WOW. Thank goodness I found this site.

I was put on Yasmin one month ago after I was experiencing breakthrough bleeding with Ortho Novum. Almost immediately I felt UTI-like symptoms. Constantly having to go to the bathroom. Because I used to have them regularly, I went back into my gyno to get tested, and hopefully some antibiotics. My test was negative. She sent me home. I came back a week later as the symptoms had stayed...I just could not stop going! But I had no burning or pain, just major frequency. She tested my discharge and said it had some yeats in it. I have only once ever had a yeast infection (from antibiotics). She said the yeast may have travelled up and infected my bladder. She also said my urine was very alkaline, and asked if I was on atkins, which I am not.
She gave me FOUR doses of diflucan, detrol LA for overactive bladder, a peeing schedule to follow, and a sleeping pill to help me through the night.
I told her I was wondering if it was the yasmin, and she did not say anything to confirm this.
For the first 2 weeks of her medications, I did not feel better at all. Now I am off the active yasmin pills and am starting to feel better!

I TRULY think that all of that was because of Yasmin. I was healthy before I started taking it.

Also had:
brown discharge the 3rd week
when it was time for my period, NOTHING, except when having sex
NO sex drive
Hard time getting aroused for sex
Major dizziness
Pain in wrists

If anyone has had an experience similar to mine, regarding the urinary frequency, please email or post!!

I think I am going off BCP's for good...so tired of trying and failing with these...

I have just started taking Yasmin yesterday (Sunday) and I am miserable. My eyes are dry and I am very bloated. I have a few friends that are on Yasmin and have told me to give it about 8 days and all this will go away because it is a wonderful birth control pill. Are there any positive stories out there to share w/ me and make me feel better?? IF not, I am switching back to Ortho Novum.