Silke symptoms and conditions

Hi to all Yasmin victims. I have been off Yasmin for 2 months now and still experiencing anxiety in the mornings and depression. Silke, flower babies, whoever is there to help me believe this suffering will come to an end. I lost the joy in life, and cannot function as i used to. Please please write to me girls, i really need support. I am 26 and living on my own in another city. I had to move next to them for 1.5 months in order to survive. I lost so much weight, my thyroid started to work fast (it is under control now). I have a beautiful and loving boyfriend, and he is suffering with me too, our relationship is damaged a lot because of my severely depressed mood. I need to talk to people who are getting better. I am on antidepressants because I was soooo depressed and with no appetite. I feel much better compared to the previous month, I am trying my best to stay strong but sometimes loose my hope. I really need you guys, I really need your supporting words.

Just reporting back with some information.
I've been off of Yasmin for over a month now. Overall I've been better but there have been a few "relapses" where I've become so dizzy/lightheaded that I hard-core started to panic. Those days can be disheartening.
I've read some previous posts from an RN who said that Yasmin in particular, suppresses your androgens (testosterone) which causes many of these symptoms. This also explains why sometimes it takes a while for these symptoms to "catch up" I know I was feeling great when I first started.
I'm a lot better now that I stopped Yasmin, but I know it's going to take up to six months to get back to normal. Have your doctor check your hormone level. Even if it's " low normal" that isn't healthy for say, a 20, or 30 year old.
For herbal supplements I would suggest Ashwagandha. It's supposed to help production of your androgens. Also keep hydrated and have plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids.
What I also encourage is to talk about your situation. Once you open up, you'll never know who you'll find that had the same issue. We women can be a very helpful resource for one another.
I'll keep you posted on the progress and I hope the best for all of you.

Hallo Silke!
I have the same side effets as you and would like to write you.
I´ve written a mail to you in ciao.
Please answer me.
Thank´s a lot and good wishes.
MiRi137

Hey Hill! So nice to hear from you again! :) And especially to hear, that you're feeling back to normal finally! I feel so happy for every one of us, who can say this after that nightmare...

Well, I'm feeling very down again at the moment. Since my period finally had arrived again in August 2006 (1,5 after stopping Yasmin!!!!...) I've been feeling worse and worse each month again. Two very bad colds in Oct/Nov 2006 also made it worse... It's not as bad as it was whilst taking Yasmin in 2004 and I so much hope, that it won't get that bad again...

I don't know 100% why this is happening again to me but there seems to be much more wrong as I thought and all the docs believed. In my family are already 4 stories of thyroid problems, so it might be, that I've been and still am also suffering from such problems without having known the last years... As I know now I never should have started any bcp, because that makes thyroid problems only much bigger... And Yasmin seems to have totally brought everything out of whack in my body with that diuretic and all that other "new wonderful stuff" in it...

So that's not very good news but I'm working on it and hoping to find a solution in the next few months. I've been given some thyroid hormones but I'm a bit afraid to take them (everybody who took Yasmin knows why...). I'm so done with going through another nighmare as 2 years ago...

But seeing that finally more and more women, that I had met 1 or 2 years ago here, come back to this forum and tell us, they're back to normal. This gives so much hope to all of us!! So thank you Hill for letting us know these great news!!

I wish you all the best for your future and your "new life"!! :)

hugs,
Silke

Hi Girls,
I haven't posted in a while, but I was wondering how everyone was doing with the weight gain. I have now been off Yasmin for 1 yr. I am feeling really great, I am now back to being able to run/walk or rollerblade 4-5 miles a day 4-5 times a week. My cycles are more normal than ever. Not exactly 28 days more like 38, but I'm ok with that.

The thing that is still getting me is that I not only can't lose weight, I'm still gaining it. I think I have now gained 40 lbs. I am taking vitamin b as well as women's one a day. Don't really want to take any more drugs though.

I had my thyroid checked when I was on the pill and going through the awful hell, had most of the side effects you have all posted, tingling, chest pains, anxiety, the list goes on. But they said thryoid normal and of course nothing wrong with me. Like most of you went to a zillion doctors about a yr. ago. But decided I was just going to give my body time to get back to normal.

Has anyone had similar problems with their weight. I just don't get it, I couldn't feel healthier, or be any healthier with my activity and lifestyle, but I just feel like I'm getting bigger and bigger, and according to the scale I'm right!

Any thoughts would be great. Silke how are you feeling?
Thanks,
Hill

@nkgulri:

This is a thing which many women are suffering from within hormonal changes. Some women have those problems after pregnancy or during menopause and so on....

And remember: Stopping the pill is a real big hormonal change your body has to go through, so it seems to be "normal", that you're loosing that much hair at the moment. As soon as your hormones are back in balance, this hair problem should stop!!

I have discovered, that my hair falls out more during special times within a month (ovulation or shortly before period)... Well, it's not that much but it definitely is there!!

So please try not to worry too much and give it some time... I know it sounds hard, but that's the only thing that can heal our bodies besides a good diet, drinking enough water a day and some supplements (B-Vitamines, Minerals (Magnesium, etc.)...). Those things seem to be very helpful as I experienced within the last 2 years...

I wish you all the best and keep us updated on how you're doing!!!

Greetings
Silke

Dear Jen,

wow, this TSH of 0,009 (or 0,09?) sounds very very low.... The normal ranges (well, here in GErmany, I think it's in US the same...?) lie between 0,5 and 2,5...

Didn't they do anything for your thyroid? I think you should get checked this again.

In my case it's the opposite, I'm experiencing a subclinical hypothyreoidism, my TSH was a bit high (4,1). And I read very often, that the pill is also interacting with our thyroids.

So perhaps time will heal that thing but everyone should get checked for thyroid-problems, I think, because this can also cause all those symptoms of anxiety, dizzyness, tiredness, nervousness, muscle weakness and many more...

I wish you all the best, Jen, and keep us updated on how you're doing!!

Greetings
Silke

Hi Emily!

If that's a side effect of Yasmin you perhaps only can find out by getting off this pill and see, if you feel better in a few weeks / months.

Just a word about Mirena:

Mirena is made by the same company as Yasmin (Schering in Germany, I think "Berlex" in US). And it has nearly the same hormones in it. I read about Mirena the same horrible stories, as I did about Yasmin. The side effects seem to be very similar. And even if your docs might tell you, that the hormones of Mirena only stay in your uterus: Well, who tells the hormones to do so and stay there?? I think the uterus is as well connected to our blood circulation as every other organ in our body. And so I think everything that reacts in the uterus also reacts in our whole metabolism over the blood circulation.

So please do a little research about the side effects of Mirena, I fear you'll find the same stories, as you find about Yasmin...

Please be careful!!

Best wishes
Silke

Hi Guest, #37371!

Yes, loss of sex drive was also one of the symptoms I had experienced..... But because of the very heavy other symptoms this was my slightest problem, because I wouldn't have had the power and energy to do anything like that in my worst times.

I think this may also be the reason for the fact, that not many women here are posting this problem. It's really one of the slightest things this pill can do to you...... I know what I'm talking about.

So if you can: Please get off Yasmin as soon as possible!! Especially if you are experiencing problems that early... My symptoms even came up after 1,5 years (well, and then I didn't notice for a very long time, that it was the Yasmin...). So please take your chance, you've not been too long on it, yet so that the chance is very good for you, to be back to normal very fast!!

However you decide:

Best wishes to you!!

Greetings
Silke

Hi bitter RN!! Hope you read my last posts... (I fear they were displaced in the meantime to site 2 or 3).

Just had a phone talk with my doc's office. They didn't tell me every result of the bloodwork but I asked them especially for those here:

TSH (Thyroid) 4,1 (!!) --> the highest it has ever been...

Transferrin: 340 (within the normal range but at the upper end of them; so it seems to be a bit high, which could show, that my iron storages are a bit low........

Iron: 76 (which is also still within the normal range but at the lower end of the normal ranges!!)

I have an appointment with my doc to talk about all the results on tuesday next week in the afternoon...

I hope they can finally help me somehow.......

Flowerbabies:

As you told, you have hashimoto's... do you know or could you tell me, how your TSH is??

Thank you both in advance!!

Best wishes
Silke

@ipj:

Thanks for your immediate answer.

Those are symptoms I'm also experiencing......

But here in Germany it's so hard to get a magnesium test (and even some other tests) done. Everything seems to expensive to test for our docs here and so they refuse them... But after reading your posts and the result of your magnesium test I think I should at least ask or beg my doc again, if he perhaps could do that test... I feel that there has to be something still not ok, even being off Yasmin for about 2 years now....

Everytime I got a cold or I got my period I'm feeling worse again, and this time I fear it's gotten very bad... So there has to be still a lack of something in my body which gets out of balance when the slightest change in my body is happening (as my period or a heavy cold with loosing lots of sweat because of the fever, and so on....).

Thank you so much again ipj for sharing your story!!!
Perhaps my doc gets a bit more cooperative if he hears, that there is really someone whose magnesium test came back much too low......

Greetings
Silke

@ ipj:

Did you have any other symptoms caused by that magnesium deficiency?? Would be so interesting to hear, if you also had cramps in your legs or so. I always wonder, if those cramps HAVE TO BE THERE, if you have a lack of magnesium or if it even can be shown alone by all the other symptoms (nervousness, heart palps, dizzyness, headaches, etc.)...

Best wishes
Silke

Dear Silke, and all

i hear what you say about the bleeding and have had similar problems myself. Update on my naturopath visit as he confirmed my low iron and liver issues from the pill. I am now on a liverdetoxification supplement shake for dinner to let my liver try and renew itself and also a supplement called adenosine that takes you into a deep night sleep naturally to try and repair the damage done to the brain thru yasmin, i must admit i have been on this for over 6weeks now and i feel much better and he tells me that until the liver is repaired then the weight will not go so lets hope this can repair my liver enough to drop the kilos. i am also on a iron supplement as my levels are low. One month in an my period come on time and unlike last month where i had cramping,clots,pain and a 7 day bleed i have had a 26 day cycle and my period is on a 3 day and then back to no period which is great
stay in touvh
lisa

Flowerbabies...... You make me smile a bit, because that's exactly the way how I'm going through the world at the moment, too!! :) Go from one room to the other and until arriving there I've forgotten, what I wanted to do there...

Hope you're feeling a bit better again???

Best wishes
Silke

Hi BitterRN here
Silke, how are you doing? Any results from your test yet. I posted to you earlier (couple of days ago, but I have not heard back from you, maybe you missed it?) I tried to log on to sarahs website but I am having trouble navigating it.
So I am anxious to hear how you are doing and the results of your iron test. Let me know. Ok? I really hope you are doing better.

ALSO I contacted BERLEX about my adverse reaction, I agree we all need to bombard them with calls, those stupid commercials keep airing, I cant believe it. What is the # for the FDA again? Im sorry I know you keep posting it whoever is but I missed it, could you post it again. I have to go for now, I hope everyone is getting better.
BitterRN

Hi Silke, Thank you for the link to the site. I will register and share my story. Has anyone else called Berlex? They are the company that makes Yasmin. They need to be bombarded with calls along with the FDA!
It is so amazing that doctors will not see that there is a correlation with Yasmin and so many incredbily debilitating side effects.
Stay in touch! Thank you for your thoughts and good wishes and all the best to the ladies here.

Metallicat20 - Your story is very similar to mine. I had terrible heart palpitations, leg cramps, short of breath, and my BP was 170/120 - it was 5:00am and it was so scary!!!!
I hope that you are feeling better.

Hi Silke and all of the ladies struggling with Yasmin,
Well, it is officially, as of now, I AM ONE YEAR YASMIN FREE! I thank God every day that I read these posts and associated my symptoms with the Yasmin I was taking Yasmin for 11 months. I stopped Yasmin in Jan. 2006 after a near death experience with my heart racing, leg pains and very high BP.

After the idiot doctor thought it was "mental" rather than hormonal, I struggled through 10 MORE months of hell on Paxil (which also almost killed me a month later), Xanax, and Effexor. With these psych drugs i gained 35 pounds! So, November 1, 2006 I went prescription free and guess what... I feel so much better!!!! I joined Weight Watchers and am trying to get back to a normal life, one year later. The psych drugs also raised my cholesterol, so I am working on that. My cycles are 29-32 days now, which I can live with. I am in my late thirties with two kids, a wonderful husband and I really needed to get my life back.
I am so upset that the doctor did not listen to me and refused to associate the Yasmin with the symptoms that I had. Why won't anyone believe me? I highly doubt that it is a coincidence that I am so much better without Yasmin and all of the psych drugs. I feel better now than I have in almost 3 years.
I hope and pray for you ladies every day. Thank you for allowing me to post my story. One year ago, I was an absolute mess because of the pill that my OB/GYN thought was so wonderful.

IRON DEFICIENCY or ANEMIA

I already told you ladies about iron deficiency in one of my earlier posts. But yesterday my doc finally supposed the same when I told him about my now again upcoming symptoms (tight chest, breathlessness after walking or doing anything, muscle weakness, nausea, tiredness, circulation problems, etc.).

So I'll finally get my iron levels checked on friday (my gyn, whom I had visited a few weeks before, didn't do anything like that at all, he again just told me to "wait and see" if the problems perhaps get better by themselves..... Wow, what a nice suggestion in such a bad situation. Thank you!).

Perhaps one thing for some of you to get checked, too!? I think it might be worth it and could be another chance to find a solution!!

Check the symptoms of iron deficiency over google or whatever, I'm sure you'll find some of yours!!

All the best to you out there!!

Silke

Hi IPJ!!

Well, thank you so much for your post!! It's another peace of hope for me and I think for many others also. Here in Germany the health system is not very comfortable these days so you sometimes really have to "fight" to get any kind of bloodwork done because everything seems to "expensive" to the docs...

So I didn't get my magnesium levels checked, yet, they always just did the "normal bloodwork" and simply don't know how my magnesium levels are. I always just felt the symptoms of magnesium deficiency (muscle problems, racing heart and palpitations, muscle hurting and so on...) and expected that the Yasmin and its diuretic had caused a magnesium deficiency (as I read from so many sites!!) in my body, too.

I'll have another bloodwork on Friday (had an appt. with my fam.doc yesterday and told him about my again upcoming symptoms), hopefully he'll find something.....

I wish you all the best IPJ and keep us posted!!

Silke

Silke
I am still here. I am sorry I have not been checking the yasmin site lately so I did not see your post right away. I am sorry to hear that you are not feeling well again. Can you tell me what your hormone levels were last time you got them done? Especially the testosterone and the progesterone?
I will try to log on to the new web site as well but I cannot get access at work right now. I will write you more as soon as I get home today. I just wanted to let you know I got your message. Talk to you soon.
BitterRN

hi kim, have you tried clicking the link from this page or are you using the link i sent you in my email? i would really love you to post your story on the new forum. I think silke is right,when the ladies are back to their old selves they stop visiting this site,it's a shame because it would give us hope if we knew a complete recovery was possible,maybe the fact that they don't need this site anymore should be all the proof we need that recovery is possible?
I had insomnia for quite a while when i 1st stopped yasmin, i used to drink a couple of cups of strong chamomile tea before bed,i found that helped a lot and the other thing that helped was not stressing that i couldn't sleep, i would just say to myself oh well i will just lay here and read or one of my favourite things was to lay there in the dark and think of as many wonderful images as i could come up with,like a lovely sandy beach or a gorgeous log cabin in the snow or playing in the sun with my kids being happy and laughing.i got to a stage where i would almost look forward to nights that took me longer to get to sleep but ironically once i got to that stage i would fall asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow!

Silke

We are here to support eachother and thats totally what I want to do just hard for me I still feel weird my daughter is so sad and my mom is so frustrated.

I want to be well thats all

Dont know how to do it I have always been the picture of great health

<<>>

YES! One of my severest symptoms!!

<<>>

Don't worry bout that fact, dejay, I think that is just because someone, who is fully recovered, simply doesn't get back to this forum again, cause there's no longer the need to find help. So I still believe, that there are people around, who are completely back to normal after that nightmare!! Well, though it would be so helpful for all of us to hear from someone, who got through this and is completely recovered.....

Greetings
Silke