Started college symptoms and conditions

I have been on Loestrin 24 FE since February. For the first few months I was very irritable, overly sensitive, and just plain moody. I hardly get any mood swings now, although they do occur sometimes and quite randomly. My contacts also bothered me a lot for the first 2 months, then they were fine, but recently they've been irritating me again. The thing that I don't like about this pill the most is that I get two periods. One at the end of the pack when I am supposed to (it lasts 6 days but is significantly lighter than before) and then another one two weeks into the pack (lasts about 6 days too, is very light, has a brownish color..quite frankly, just more annoying than anything). The second period comes with cramps too. The two periods started coming about 3 months ago, I am not sure if it's just from stress or something, because I started college or if other people are experiencing the same thing.
All in all I think this pill is alright, if the two periods continue to occur for another month of two I'm going to have to switch though.

I have been on the NuvaRing for about a year and a half now and it has been the best thing ever! I am a 20-year-old junior in college and had previously been on the pill since 8th grade due to the unbearable cramps I experienced. They kept me from going to school, participating in extra curriculars, and everything! I was literally bedridden for about four days every month. When I started college, and was out in a dorm on my own, there was was little to no stability in my schedule. I was forgetting to take that pill everyday and on tope of this, I was becoming sexually active. My risks of not taking my pill everyday at the same time were growing from just having cramps to actually having a baby! So I decided that there had to be an easier way, because I have heard so many horror stories from friends using condoms alone, and did not want to have one to add to the list.

In my freshman intro to biology class, the professor was going over the different types of birth control methods and discussed one that had just recently achieved FDA approval, and told us that we would start seeing commercials for it. It was the NuvaRing and I started a little research. I asked my doctor if it would be a good option for me, and she agreed, especially since she was going to discontinue writing prescriptions for the patch because of the high risk of blook clots. I picked up my prescription and was very scared because of the entry method. Didn't exactly want to put my finger inside, but "gotta do what ya gotta do."

I DID NOT experience any side effects that even compare to what these women have gone into detail about on this site, and my heart goes out to them. However, my chest grew a full cup size (hooray!) Definetly not a problem for me...it was a good day when I was at Victoria's Secret and explained to the saleswoman that I didn't understand why my bras weren't fitting as they usually did. She measured and indeed, had grown a full cup size, a very nice surprise when I had considered implants previously. I also have increased discharge but not a problem, I just use pantiliners. The increased discharge is not really a con to the NuvaRing, in fact I think it has increased my libido and my boyfriend's as well. No need for lube, it is all natural now (haha). Yes, the male can feel the ring during intercourse, and you can as well, but that is such a small price to pay for the peace of mind. It is never an issue for me or my boyfriend.

I recently thought of switching to an IUD, because of a commercial I saw on tv, about a five year plan. I don't want to have kids for at least another five years, but read about all of the side effects, including infertility, and that was enough to scare me away. I am perfectly happy with the NuvaRing but just wanted something I wouldn't have to worry about for five years.

Also mentionable, I gained a little more than the "freshman 15." It was the freshman 25 for me, and since switching to NuvaRing I have lost 15 lbs. Still not as small as I was in high school, but I am a happy 130 right now, and on my small 5'2" frame, it's not too bad. Don't really know if it was a result of the ring, but I didn't do any exercise, or much change to my eating habits (I have always eaten a tremendous amout of food!) I don't drink any carbonated drinks, only juices and water, but walking back and forth to class and the dorm might have something to do with it!

Just got back from doctor, blood pressure is normal.

Please don't think that the ring is terrible, yes some experience negative side effects, but not all. I love this thing, and will probably continue to use it until I am ready for a baby. I would recommend discussing it with your doctor first, and let them know at the first sight of any side-effects. Based off of my experience, I would suggest everyone get it, and I do to all my friends when they forget to take their pill.

I am 18 years old and finishing up my 3rd pack of Aviane this week. I have tried other brands of birth control and had to stop after only a month of taking them because I had severe depression. My mood swings were horrible the first month but now they are less frequent. I just started college and there is a change in my diet so all weight gain I know is from my pattern of eating and not the pill. Since I've been on this pill I have never gotten my period during the 7 "reminder" pills, I get it 7-14 days earlier and experience pms symptoms for about 5-7 days before that time. On top of that, my periods are lasting 7-10 days on this pill. I feel like I only have about a week where I am not pmsing or on my period. I have noticed a lot of hair loss as well, to the point it's starting to embarrass me. I also get randomly angry for no reason.

Despite these major down points, I am doing better on this pill than other pills. I am less depressed than on other brands, I have no problems with my sex drive, and my mood swings are less often compared to other brands. I can at least tolerate these side effects. But in all honesty, I'm frustrated. This is the third brand of pills I've tried and I don't know if I should switch because I feel like I'm always pmsing or on my period. I feel like I have to choose between emotional side effects or physical side effects with birth control. I do not know if I should consider trying another brand or just accept that this is the best experience I can possibly get while on the pill.

Thu, 18 May 2006 18:00:07 -0500 - #6524

Side Effects of Yasmin
I am so glad to have found this site! It is somewhat comforting to know that I am not alone in my battle with the bad effects of Yasmin.

Here is my story:

Infertility for the first three years of my marriage. Got pregnant and miscarried at 14 weeks. Have had lots of mid cycle pain in my lower left abdominal area since I started college (so for over 10 years now). Had 3 large fibroids removed from the outside of my uterus. Decided to go on the Pill in Sept 2005 to see if it would help with my mid cycle pain. My OB prescribed Yasmin. At first things were great...lighter periods, more dependable period schedule, etc. Then in Feb 2006 I had my first panick attack. I couldn't sleep, I had dizziness, nausea, vomiting. Then my period came and everything went back to normal. Then in April 2006, another panick attack. Severe nausea, severe dizziness, severe brain fogginess, etc. Things are so bad that it is now mid May and I am still recuperating. Lots of unexplained and uncontrolled crying and feelings of despair. My OB suggested that I see a psychiatrist. I know that I am not really depressed. I know it's just that my hormones, which were already imbalanced before, are now really whacked out because of Yasmin.

Here are my symptoms:

Extreme moodiness
Extreme fatigue
Mental cloudiness
Nausea
Dizziness
Weepiness

Just not feeling like myself

I am going to see a new OB at the end of the month because we switched insurance companies. I am asking for a regular PAP and for a hormone level test to see where I am at. I have also done a lot of research online and am going to ask for my thyroid level to be checked. I have also contacted a nutritionist who specifies in dealing with endometriosis (I also have this) through diet and natural remedies to help rebalance my body's hormone levels and to clean out my organs from bad junk.

I have a 15 month old who is very mobile and a busy Stay At Home Mom lifestyle so being completely drained of energy and feeling like my brain is not connected to my body is completely interrupting my life.

For anyone thinking of starting Yasmin or any other scientifically created medicine, please do your research before taking anything. If it's not completely from nature, how can we expect it to act/react with our bodies naturally without causing a host of other problems now and in the future? Take care of your body now, stay off Yasmin.

I also stopped taking Yasmin about 3 weeks ago mid cycle. I immediately got my period about 3 days after stopping the pill (which would be a week earlier than normal). Now I am having feelings that my period will come again just two weeks after my last one. How long until I start to feel better and get back to my regular natural cycle?

Thanks,
Sandra

hello, i am new here so this might have already been posted. i just started college and yasmin at around the same time, and have had some annoying side effects and no one knows what it's from. they include:

~HUGE decrease in appetite
~ Disgust of food, if that makes sense
~WEIGHT LOSS- going on 10 pounds in a few month
~ Nausea
~ Fatigue, general sense of weakness as well. Don't want to do anything
~ Slight headaches
~ Malaise, just feeling sick or under the weather

granted a lot of this could be due from something else, but the doctor's don't know what it is and suggested possibly it's yasmin doing it. but the weight loss seems so drastic, as well as an extreme dislike of food in general. and i LOVE food! now i don't want to look at it or smell it, and that isn't really healthy (obviously). what the heck do i do? the first few listed symptoms are the ones i'm most concerned about, as i didn't really see anyone else list them.

any help out there? is there something ELSE wrong with me? the effects lasted even on the week off the pill, too, and i don't know if that should be happening.

This site is amazing but scary! I have been taking Yasmin for about 2 years now and am thinking about going off of it. These side effects scare me to death!! especially the weight gain. I have PCOS which made me gain all of this weight. Then i started taking yasmin to regulate my periods and hoping to shed some of the weight i gained. I havent lost weight and i cant seem to lose any weight. This is why i now dont want to get off the pill, the FEAR of gaining more weight. Weight gain has been the main focus of my life it seems because i am always thinking about it.

I never connected the symptoms i was having with this pill. I had the terrible nausea in the morning for about a month or two when i started to take it. Then i have noticed the hair lose and i am only 18 years old! And the leg cramps are bad. I get them during i sleep and i have to shoot out of bed and walk around to get rid of them and then i wake up and my leg is sore.

I am also very emotionally and cry often, i am even crying now thinking about all the symptoms i will experience getting off of this pill. I have 3 more yellow pills left then the week of my period. I want to stop but i dont know if i have the courage to. I dont want to gain weight now when i am already at the worst shape of my life. I just started college this year and that has been a big adjusment for me. This is the time i want to experience life and try to improve upon myself, not make myself worse.

Please, if anyone can give me some words of encouragement and help me get off of this pill it would be so wonderful.