Side effects of the pill symptoms and conditions

I began using the loestrin 24 almost 5 months ago. I was having severe cramping and heavy bleeding, which prompted my doctor to prescribe this pill. It was my first time in more than 20 years trying a bc pill and in the past I only used the pill about 2 months, because it caused severe bleeding then. When I began Loestrin 24 fe, I was not sexually active, and only began a sexual relationship within the last 2 months. My boyfriend, uses a condom in addition to the bc I use. Recently, we talked about trying to conceive. He stopped using a condom close to a month ago. I had noticed nausea from time to time, but didn't really think about side effects of the pill. The other day, after getting nauseated again, it occurred to me I might be pregnant. I have spent the last 2 days trying to figure out if that might be the case. I was loving the Loestrin, my last couple of months have been virtually pain free. However, after reading the signs of pregnancy and side effects of Loestrin, I am noticing they are very similar. I have been experiencing headaches for about 2 weeks now, non stop, nausea, abdominal cramping (although nothing compared to my menstrual cramps), fatigue, depression, increased appetite and recently frequent peeing. The only side I haven't experienced that many women above describe is breast tenderness. The tenderness, however, was something I'd experience before BC. I'm getting off because I decided to conceive, but I was very disappointed with the false signs of pregnancy. I don't think I'd like to go through that on a regular basis.

Hello, this is E. again. My son took a nap, so I was able to read a lot of the posts. Many things that occurred to me over time were things that I thought came with the change of life of being married and having a child. Just life, in general also. But, now that I think of who I was before motherhood and being a wife, it just doesn't add up. I believe now the additional things that were happening to me were indeed extra side effects of the pill. They include, no sex drive, weight gain, migraines/headaches, fatigue/tired, joint pain, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, insomnia, nausea, and stress. I have been hospitalized and have had certain procedures done for some of these symptoms. Today I am stopping the pill due to the reasons of my previous post. Within time I will let you all know if there have been any improvements. Take care, E.

hey. its great to see that i am not the only person going mad with the side effects of the pill!

I started taking Yasmin in august 2008 and stopped in January 2009. after 2 months i found i had slight leg cramps and very itchy calfs and underarms that turned my skin into tiny red dots after i scratched them. i also got extremely red and blotchy inner thighs. the constant itchiness and the fact that i felt disgusting, made me go see my doctor who put me on yasminelle. ive been on yasminelle for about 2 weeks now. the itchiness has gone but i have major leg, foot and arm cramps. its hard to point my toes and sometimes difficult to stand or walk. extreme sore pins and needles in my hands and feet are also an issue.

i know side effects are different for everyone, but why are doctors still prescribing something that will give so much pain to people.

im finishing this pack of yasminelle and then stopping for good. i'm only 18 and my life's just beginning. im way too scared to take the risk of staying on the pill! if this is what its like after half a year, what is it going to be like after one year. or even more.

Wow I'm glad I stumbled across this page.
I only started taking Yasmin 1 month ago after switching from LevlenEd which I was on for 4 months.On LevlenEd I found I was developing a redness in the face (not acne but almost like rosacea) which is something very uncommon for me as I have always had very clear and even toned skin. After visiting the doctor he switched me to Yasmin - something about the different combination of hormones in the tablet and that this should clear things up. Well it hasn't. In fact I've experienced so many horrible side effects of the pill that I decided tonight that I'm just going to stop taking it all together. Side effects include:
Extreme emotions
Massive increase in appetite resulting in excessive weight gain
Lack of motivation
Tiredness
Skin redness and swelling of the pores
Hot flushes at night resulting in sweat break outs (usually I'm actually cold at night and never sweat)
Decrease in libido and dryness during sex
Puffiness in the skin and a hot feeling
Sensitive muscles all over - around the ribs, tummy, arms - just touching and they feel lightly bruised
I'm usually a very active and fit person but have just felt so lethargic on the pill. Combine this with an increase in appetite and I now have a task ahead of my to loose this excess weight that I have put back on after working it off for so many years.
Before taking the pill I generally did not take any medications at all.
I am particularly interested to hear from anyone who may have experienced the same skin conditions that I found when on the pill.
The funny thing is that my sister is on Yasmin and has had no problems at all.
The only plus was that my breasts went up a whole size! A great thing for me!!
My boyfriend is just going to have to deal with the change in how we manage birth control because the side effects I've experienced over the last 5 months are just ridiculous!

Ok. I am in the 3rd week of the pills and I've missed about 4 pills total. Me and the Hubbs aren't really worried about getting pregnant or not getting pregnant because we're not on the pills for that reason. The past 5 days I've had severe breast tenderness and yesterday I started having "drawing" in my breast (if you've breast-fed before then you understand what I mean, you feel like you need to nurse your baby before your boobs explode). Last night I squeezed my breast a little and bubbles of "milk" came out. My doctor says that its the normal side effects of the pill but I have NEVER experienced anything like this before due to the pill; and I can't find ANYTHING that says this is normal. Can anyone give me some insight to this, please?

Wow..this makes me feel a lot better reading all of this. I have been off of Yasmin for about a year now but am still feeling the side effects. When I was on it I felt fine at first & was extremely excited about finally being on BC. Then about a month into it I started getting extremely bad heart palpitations and tingly body and arms. My heart would race and I thought I was about to have a heart attack everyday. I consulted my gyn/ob about this and she stated it was "normal side effects of the pill." I told her I was concerned that I had a blood clot or something else extremely severe. She convinced me it was all normal & I would be EXTREMELY ill and in the hospital if that was the case. I told her it was interfering with my life on a daily basis but she didn't seem to believe me. My boyfriend had also noticed I had been acting extremely anxious, moody and depressed and became concerned. It got to the point where he couldn't even touch me when I was at home since I was having STABBING chest pains on a daily basis. I couldn't even move & I would have really bad heartburn all the time. I went to the doctor a couple of times because I thought I was seriously having a heart attack...Stabbing pains- tingly arms and legs, extreme anxiety...my heart was pounding so hard I couldn't breath and then my heart felt as if it would pop in and out when I took a breath. My doctor said it was normal side effects as well so I told myself I was just the crazy one once again. I went to the doctor about a month later when things got worse..this whole time thinking that Yasmin had nothing to do with it and found my blood pressure was 160/90!!! My doc said it should have been about 120/70. I started blood pressure medication but the heart palpitations did not stop so eventually I stopped with Yasmin. Things have gotten better but it has still left me with permanent damage. My anxiety is still a problem and my blood pressure is still sky high...even on meds. I never had any problems before any of this...now I have major problems for life because of this drug. I know they warn you of issues prior but NO medication should do this to ANYONE. I also gained about 20 pounds when I was on the pill and when I got off I lost about 15 pounds in 2 days..I lost equilibrium in my body and felt sick with all of the sudden weight loss....Is anyone considering a Class action lawsuit against this company? & why are the doctors covering up the side effects of this drug? I know they get paid for referring people to certain drugs but this is SCARY...keep me updated.

This is by far the worst pill I have ever taken. Before Yaz I was on Nordette, Ortho Tri cyclen and Alesse. I saw the commercials and got sucked into trying this pill. All I can say is proceed with caution. I ended up taking this pill for the unhappiness 8 months of my entire life. I had problems with other pills causing weight gain (Nordette, Ortho Tri cyclen) or acne (Alesse). However, those symptoms are mild compared to what Yaz inflicted on me.

I have always been described as happy go lucky and Yaz gave me extreme moodiness, panic attacks about my future and life, and major depression. I did have the best skin of my life and lost about 5 lbs but I was an emotional MESS! I would cry at the drop of a hat and find fault in everyone and everything. This symptom didn't start right away but each month I was on Yaz got worse. My friends coined my "alter ego" "she devil." I almost felt possessed at times on this pill. I finally realized it was the pill and not life causing these problems when 3 of my girlfriends had the same problems and got off and the problems went away.

Prior to having this experience I thought people tried to blame too much on the pill but my experience showed me just how much these can mess with your body. I switched back to Alesse 5 days ago and it's like I am a different person--even my skeptical boyfriend noticed the change. As for the acne, I am going to go to a dermatologist to address that. I will be happy to have a few zits as opposed to being a crazy woman.

Proceed with caution on this pill and watch your moods carefully. Just because you've been on it for a few months doesn't mean you're safe. The majority of my emotional disorder started about 5 months in. I do have some girlfriends that like this but most have found it to bring out "she devil".

I started taking Toprol XL on Wednesday 11-14. I had been admitted to the cardiac unit after having to be given 2 nitro pills and also a nitro patch to get my chest pain to go away and my blood pressure to come down.

That evening my cardiologist put me on 50mg of Toporol XL. I have had a headache pretty much since that night, that just won't go away. I had an anxiety attack last night that left he crying for no reason pretty much all night long, I have not slept well since the night they put me on it, I have been sick at my stomach since that night, I have been dizzy and not feeling like myself since that night, and I also continue to have a feeling of something being wrong, even though all the bllod work and the stress test came back good.

They told me that my problem was stress related and for the next 2 weeks am to try and remain stress free. But everytime I take the medicine I continue to feel worse with these same symptoms.

hi im 19 and im on the second week of my second pack. so far, ive been very happy with loestrin. this is my first time ever on bc. i dont think ive gained any weight (and if i have its been about 2-3) and my face has broken out a little bit... the only major problem that i am experiencing is a loss of period... i was supposed to get it about a week ago but all i had was really light bleeding for about 2 or 3 days. it was REALLY light. i guess that was it? i know i cant be pregnant because ive still been using condoms and none have faile, so im not really nervous about that. ive never missed a pill but i was late taking it one or two days. has anyone else experienced the loss of period?

I JUST started Loestrin 24 Fe (day one) and have been reading many articles and websites (anything from the literature in the research journals to the Mayo Clinic posts). I have just read through this entire site and took in all the feedback from the women who have shared the side effects. I have NEVER taken BC until now. I am trying it to keep monthly bleeding and mood swings to a minimum. BUT, I see some serious side effects (depression, acne, weight gain) - these seem worse than just dealing with the monthly symptoms and taking some pain relievers.

Should I STOP? Any advice from veteran birth control users?
Michele

I've been on Yaz since November 2006. So, for 9 months. My mood swings are MUCH better, however I have NOT changed my eating or exercise patterns and have in the last month and a half gained 6 lbs. I also have noticed - beginning in July, darkness above my upper lip (this is driving me crazy)

Hello there. My wife showed me this site today and it's pretty shocking what Yasmin has done to several of you. I had been very skeptical about side effects of the pill in general, but seeing so many testimonials made me reconsider. I'm now standing by my wife's decision to at least get off Yasmin and possibily oral contraceptives all together if need be.
Her symptoms were decreased sex drive, tenderness in her breasts, blurred vision (she thought she needed lasik surgery again) muscle pain all over and ocassional dizziness. I'm hoping these symptoms are related to Yasmin and not all pills? Any comments on that?
She has only been on Yasmin for 1 month and was on another pill Diane (Etinil estradiol) for 3 months before that, she had never used any pills before and she is 25.

After reading about the side effects posted I am certain its not just me suffering from side effects from yasmin. I can relate to alot of other peoples side effects they have suffered. I have been on Yasmin for about 1 year now. I have always had really thick and really curly hair untill i started taking this pill, it started with Dianette, my hair went really thin and i hardely had any curls left. so i came off that pill and was switched to another pill, my hair got back to normal but i suffered terrible migraines, so my doctor switched me to yasmin. I have not suffered any weight gain but i have suffered from hair loss, and depression. I can get really low on this pill, another undesired side effects i am now suffering from it is a low sex drive. I have decided to get off this pill and switch to the mini pill. My doctor has pescribed me to Cerazette. I am afraid to go on to this pill after reading about the side effects, about hair loss. If anyone has experience in taking Cerazette please could you let me know.

I wanted to thankyou all for this site. I am 19 and have been on yasmin for the past year and half. like many of you when i first went on this pill i thought it was a miricle, a had no side effects for the first year other then my heart raced once in a while, which i never even considered was from the pill. then in the past few months i have gained close to 15 pounds, i work out 6 days a week and eat very healthy so the weight was out of no where. i become so depressed that my boyfriend didn't even want to be around me which was fine with me since i wanted nothing to do with sex anyway. isn't it ironic that we go on a pill to not get pregnant but it makes us not want to have sex anyway? i went off of yasmin almost 3 weeks ago. i've lost 10 pounds and feel like myself again. to all of you that can't stand the side effects of the pill look into the iud. no pregnancy and no hormones! thankyou all for sharing your stories, i thought i was just going crazy until i found this site

I felt the need to add these postings with my experience. I'm 23 and have only been on Yasmin for two months (i just took my last yellow pill yesterday). The first month I was fine, my acne has gotten better the cramps lessened (no longer debilitating like they were) and my period got lighter. The second month everything changed. I have been severly nauseas and vomiting for going on two weeks now. Because of the nausea I haven't been able to eat very much and have lost 10lbs in less than 2 weeks, which sounds good but when you are only 100lbs loosing anymore weight is a little dangerous. I can't stand to be nauseas. Vomiting is my only fear in the world and up until recently I hadn't vomiting in 15years (i liked it that way). I have also had a very difficult time breathing. I'm very weak probably because I can't eat anything and something as simple as brushing my hair wears me out completely and leaves me panting. I'm a normally depressed person and am taking wellbutrin for it so I can't say it has made me any more depressed than usual. I also get dizzy very often so again this doesn't seem to make it any worse. I have had lots of cramps, stomach and otherwise as well as lower back pain. I don't know if that is just my upcoming period or the BC. I feel like i'm pregnant although I have taken tests saying i'm not. I hate this...I'm glad i'm not working right now otherwise i would have had to taken off these past two weeks. However I just got a job and can not continue to feel like this. I am afraid to leave my house for fear of vomiting in some remote place therefore I haven't really gone anywhere in the last two weeks. I'm not sure if these are just side effects of the pill or if it is hyerkalemia but either way I can't live like this. I wish I could continue and see if my symptoms subside but yeah I can't take the risk they won't with my new job and everything. More power to anyone who is taking it without severe side effects, i just wish i was one of you. This has been my first attempt at a BCP and i'm not sure what to do from this point on...I can't deal with side effects this severe again. If anyone has any suggestions on what pill might but best please let me know....