Thrombosis symptoms and conditions

I was diagnosed 16 years ago with portal vein thrombosis which is a blood clot deep in the liver. Taking Coumadin or warfarin is not an option for me it is a necessity to live. I experienced headaches and depression early on which I did not connect to the drug because of the trauma I had been through. The symptoms have come on over the years and seem to be worsening. I am experiencing severe joint and muscle pain, cramps in my legs and hands, extreme weight gain, severe water retention ( I take 3 kinds of water pills a day), extreme fatigue, insomnia, heart valve problems, memory loss and have recently found out I have developed severe osteoporosis in the last 10 months. I have recently undergone tests for auto immune disease, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis which all came back negative. I am 42 and feel like I'm 72. I keep asking the doctors if these symptoms are related to the long term use of the drug and they say it is unlikely. I currently take pain killers to manage the pain so that I can function daily. I take 5 mg and 7 1/2 mg alternately and keep my INR around 3.0 to 3.2 and am very stable. After reading these postings I am even more convinced it is the drug. Is there anyone out there that has been these drugs as long as I have and if so, what are your side effects?

Hi there... I came off of Yasmin just 2 weeks ago and thought I should share with you my story since yours is a skin issue. I took Yasmin for 3 years. This past year I would wake up some bumps on my lip.. then on my hands.. then (this is over a period of months) I would wake up and have a slightly swollen lip... this was over the last year or so. I would also get a feeling in my throat, like something was in it and swallowing felt funny.
WELL, 2 weeks ago, I took my bc like I always do, right before I go to bed and my lip starts to tingle and itch.. and in the morning my face was swollen 3x the normal size on on side, mostly at the lips... I couldn't really talk.. it was like those awful photos on google. It was angioedema and can kill you by swelling of the throat. I had also for about a year- an ear issue.. it would sound like I was talking under water and felt like swimmer's ear- related to the swelling I found out later. Turns out I'm allergic. I developed this allergy over the period of time I was exposed.

I just want to say to anyone out there that has FACIAL/LIP SWELLING, or swelling of the hands... GO TO THE ER. It can kill you. I got lucky.. my swelling started slow and after about a year if was full blown. It is not something to mess around with!I was prescribed an epi pen. I developed an allergy to a preservative in it and I'm not an allergen sensitive person. That was just the parms/doctor guess I might add.

The first year I took Yasmin I had numb and tingling toes. and the whole tie I've had on and off leg pain.. no sex drive, that's the truth..definite bloating issues about 6 lbs weight gain, sometimes more without change in diet. I haven't noticed any hair loss thankfully. Migraines. Lots of nausea in the morning, every morning like morning sickness. Car sick even when driving.. not normal! I used to work on an airplane and I never got motion sickness.

I'm now on day 4 of Mirena IUD and I'm having having severe diarrhea and trouble sleeping.. I really, really don't want to get pregnant. Our next step is a vasectomy for the hubby. I'm 25 and I weigh 140 5'10 if that helps. I wasn't an 'at risk' like the pamphlet said.

Hi all. this just an update from my last post having experienced symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pains. last week i was admitted to the hospital for deep vein thrombosis and PULMONARY EMBOLISM. the nuvaring really did a number on my health and now i will be stuck taking blood thinning pills for the next 9 months of my life. the nuvaring is very dangerous

I am a 40 year old female. I found out 3 years ago that I have factor V. I've been hospitalized for 17 PE's. I was being treated with coumadin, plavix, lovenox. My INR will not stabilize. The doctor has now put me on 30mg. of warfarin a day. and my INR still sets at 1.2. My side effects are awful. I feel tired, week, cold, weight gain, but most of all the terrible headaches. The doctor says it has nothing to do with the warfarin. I stay depressed and now losing hair. I've taken my doctors advice and I'm going back to the cancer center where they are more experienced. I feel like I'm dying everyday and its not in my head. I do believe its side effects. And if its not moving my INR than to me it seems useless to take such a high dosage. Its a catch 22.

I have been on Yasmin for two and a half months now. It was prescribed to me by my doctor as a means of treating 2 cyst that developed because of my endometriosis as a means of avoiding surgery. He put me on it for 3 months but because I forgot to start the second pack for 2 weeks I had to start the 3 month period all over. The first month I took Yasmin the side effects were minimal but since I started taking it in May I have gotten a constant vaginal itch and pain, my eye sight is blurry, stomach feels sick and I get stomach pains, neck pains, shoulder pains, leg pains and hip pains, pains in my face, little or no lubrication during intercourse, constantly have to urinate, stomach feels like its tightening and has gotten really big, gets short of breathe easily, bad headaches, I feel as though I would pass out any minute when I am standing or walking, I am disinterested in everything, I get nausea, I have lost all interest in sex, I feel bloated all the time, I have lost all taste in my mouth, feels very tired and fatigued all the time, I feel very sad for no reason. I keep feeling sick all the time and have lost interest in food. When I am sitting I feel the pains in my legs and hip even more. I am falling into a state of depression and it is beginning to show at work. I am also gaining a lot of weight, rapidly, and really don't know what to do about it because I am very careful with the things I eat, how they are cooked and the time I eat also and I do exercise. I really don't know if I should continue until I finish the 3 months to see if it works for me or if I should stop taking the Yasmin and ask my doctor to try something else. I just don't feel altogether right now.

Yasmin is great! I am 30 yrs old and have been on Yasmin for 4 years and my periods are reduced to a light 5 days (they used to be 8-12 days and heavy with clots). I have no more menstrual cramping as I did before. I have not had any pimples for 4 years. I have lost 15 lbs since being on Yasmin, but I also attribute that to being physically active and eating correctly. No change in moods, sex drive is better, boobs are bigger, energy is great. I am normal weight, healthy and active. I have no medical problems or risk factors. I just want to inform any of you that had problems with DVT, blood clots, or stroke..that all birth control pills (any brand) carry an increased risk of thrombosis. That is not a side effect unique to Yasmin. You are 2-3 X more likely to have a thrombotic event on OCPs when compared to women who are not on OCPs. Risk of thrombosis related to pregnancy is actually MUCH higher, 5-10 X compared to women who are not pregnant or on OCPs. So I'd stick with my OCPs to avoid the nastier side effects of pregnancy..

I am 29, super fit and healthy. I'd been taking Yasmin for 6 months, in addition to having a high blood pressure 3 months into taking Yasmin, in the last month, in addition to a high blood pressure I started getting rings in my vision (lasting 5-20 mins and then returning to normal), i had problems with my hearing, i started getting dizzy after very light exercise and lost my breath, i found i was slurring in my speech or having trouble getting the words out, i felt pressure at the base of my head. The problems with my vision led me to getting a CT scan and the docs believed I had a small blood clot in my brain caused by Yasmin.

After finding out I had a thrombosis caused by the pill, the rest of my symptoms could be attributed to that. Yasmin has been taken off the market in many countries because of its side effects. Yasmin is indeed evil and I feel fortunate I had a doctor who referred me to a specialist to get checked out. So many doctors will say take pain killers and come back if it gets worse. I will never touch BC pills again.

I've been on Wafarin since September of 2008 because of a massive DVT stretching from my jugular vein to my right arm. Since the initial injection of Heparin and oral consumption of Wafarin I have experienced daily migraines. They seem almost like 'pressure-headaches' pushing on the sides of my head, temples, forehead and the bridge of my nose. My thrombosis doctors have sent me for Ophthalmology tests, MRIs, and plan to send me for Neurology tests as well to discover the cause of my headaches. They've put me on codeine, Tylenol 3's, Gabapentin, Naproxen, and Co Sumatriptan because of the fact that I'm so immune to painkillers in general (For the blood clot pains themselves, I was on Hydromorphone, Morphine and Codeine). Although the Co Sumatriptan along with the Tylenol 3's give me some relief, I can't help but wonder if the cause of my daily migraines are from the Warfarin itself.
My doctors are reluctant to agree with me, saying that they plan to take me of Warfarin within the next few months, but aren't certain of exactly when.

Wow - I'm so glad I found this site. I am 43 years old and had a PE last August in both lungs - every test imaginable has been done and still no idea why I got the PE. I should be on Warfarin for the rest of my life but I can't stand it much longer. I have headaches every day, cold sweats, dizziness, can't remember things, can't concentrate at work and the WEIGHT GAIN! My doctor just tells me to eat healthier but watch those leafy greens! I get no support at all from her. She also put me on Cipralex for depression and I'm now considering going off both medications and seeing a Naturopath. I'm sick of feeling like I'm 80.
L.

i just got off of the phon with my ob's office having spo9ken to her nurse about YAZ. i have been on it for a month and for the last week i have been having pain in my calf and behind my knee. i am worried about a DVT or something serious. i wonder if a doctor would do some tests to tell me if i have blood clots or not because i am worried. the pill has greatly reduced my horrible pms symptoms but i don't want to dye of a pulmonary embolism! they may take me off of the pill, don't other pills also have a risk of causing blood clots?

I am a 29 year old female, who DOES NOT SMOKE!!!. I've taken birth control pills the majority of my adult life. However I took Loestrin 24 Fe a little less than a year...I was recently hospitalized for having DVT(Deep Vein Thrombosis) and Pulmonary Emboli....The doctors said the cause may be the birth control pills. Be careful with taking this oral contraceptive because DVT and Pulmonary Emboli is a serious side effect that can easily be overlooked by your doctor. For months I complained about swelling in the ankles and pains in my thighs. Until one day, my whole leg was swollen and was very painful while walking...I admitted myself into the ER the night before Valentines day!...I was then diagnosed with DVT and Pulmonary Emboli!!! The Doctors have taken me off birth control and now I'm taking blood thinners.

Hi, I googled Yasmin as, like GM/Gabrielle, I have problems with hyperpigmentation on my upper lip and my chin (making me look like I have the beginnings of a beard and a mustache, highly attractive!!) I took Yasmin for about a year from 2002-3. I have surfed the net before at various points curious about Yasmin, but decided that I was just unlucky in taking Yasmin and it was one of those things. Having read all the posts here I am disgusted that this drug is available at all. Yes, we are all guinea pigs and yes, the doctors who prescribe this medication and others like it have no idea of the long term effects or maybe they are not really that bothered? How the hell are they made available anyway? Pharmaceutical companies literally get away with murder, to say nothing of their moral responsibility with regard to vivisection. As soon as I started to notice the pigmentation and connected it with the Yasmin I saw my doctor who immediately took me off it,warning me that it shouldn't get any worse but it may not go away. It does get worse if exposed to any sun, so I use a strong sublock and skin lightening cream all year round which thus far has only lightened the skin slightly (I live in the UK). I'm getting married this year and it will be a shame to feel self conscious about my skin, but having read these posts I feel so lucky to only have this to "worry" about - this is minor in comparison to life threatening blood clots. My grandmother died from thrombosis - maybe my vanity on this occasion has saved my life.

I started taking Yasmin March 2008. I did not know I was pregnant at the time. I only took it for 1 month. Once I found out I was pregnant I stopped taking it. Withing just a couple of months I had a DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) in my right thigh. I was admitted through the emergency to the hospital where I stayed for 6 days while they overlooked me & my unborn baby. They wanted me to not move around much for chance of a pulmonary embolism. They were also afraid that if a piece of the clot moved to my uterus it might have killed my baby. I was out of work for three weeks while the swelling & the purplish color went away from my legs. I still has severe swelling in my ankles, calves & sides of my feet after walking for a very short period of time which was not linked to my pregnancy. I was 28 weeks pregnant at the time. I started out with some hip socket paid in within 3 days time my this was swollen down to my knee. I figured I would call my doctor the next morning to see if I could get checked out. Over the course of the night when I had to go to the bathroom I was just about screaming in paid as the tears soaked my face as I tried to walk. It was unbearable. My leg was now a purplish color & the swelling has extended down my calf & into the sides of my feet. I could not wear normal pants since the swelling had gotten so bad. I was on Lovenox blood thinner injections twice a day for the rest of my pregnancy.

Hi, I am so relieved that I decided to finish with Yasmin after just 4 months. ...ESPECIALLY, after reading all the above severe health warnings and symptoms many have experienced. I am 38 with 2 small children and after over 10 yrs of not being on the pill I decided to take it again for PMT reasons and lighter periods. I too have noticed the migraine type headaches are far more frequent but more so I have noticed a worrying tightness in what seems the arteries in my neck which I have been paranoid could be the beginning of clots. Last week I also had a heaviness in my right side mainly my arm and went numb on right side of my face and lips whilst out shopping last week. I was scared to death as thought I was having a mild stroke at the time. This was the end for me. That day I never took another pill from that Yasmin pack. It is not worth it. I also felt quite anxious, wound - up, depressed and neurotic during the last 4 months on Yasmin. I am now back to ovulation cramps and heavier periods again but who cares at least I know this isn't life threatening which I believe Yasmin has the potential to be with regards to thrombosis and other severs health risks etc to some users.

I am brand new to this sight and have been on the generic for Yasmin-Ocella for almost 2 years and have about had it. I have chest tightness and am so moody sometimes that I start screaming at the kids for no reason and then break down in tears because of the way I have treated them. I am exhausted all of the time, I do have 2 small kids (5 & 2 1/2) but even when I do get 8-10 hours of sleep I feel drained. Like a depression. As I type this I am having the chest tightness. Only happens during the first week of a new pack. My OBGYN is having me skip the last week of the pack-which is when I feel like 100% my old self-no exhaustion, no moodiness etc &the only week that I have ANY sex drive too-because she thinks I have a torsion ovary. I will see what she says on the 29th but I want off of these pills... What is the point if you feel like crap, can't breathe and have NO drive what so ever!

I was on Loestrin 24 for 9 months and thought it was wonderful....until I was recently hospitalized for 2 weeks with blood clots in both lungs. The doctors determined that it was the Loestrin. If anyone knows of a class action lawsuit against them, please let me know.

Yasmin has caused me to have very itchy skin! ive been taking it 6mths now and after 4mths the side effects have kicked in.
Apart from the insane random annoying itching i keep getting severe abdominal cramps when i eat, ive been breathless on occasions and my hair is lkg limp and dull.

I have been on Yaz for three months, first two were okay, not I totally feel prego, morning sickness, sore breasts, moodiness, weight gain, odd bowels. I tried to talk to my OB Tuesday and she got a page in the middle of my appt. Babies don't wait. She said to keep taking it she'd see me in month. AHHHH I can't do this, I totally broke down to my hubby last night and he said to stop it now. I have two beautiful girls, am 26, and am crazy!
Yaz has made me feel like my gestational diabetes is back, my head hurts often, I am cramping, lower back pain, irritably, want to sleep all the time, am short tempered with my kids....this is nuts!!!! Trying to get ahold of my doctor again, might just go back to my childhood family doctor. Good luck, I was on depo before my second child and had a horrible reaction to it too, even miscarried after I had been off of it for a year and still hadn't had a period. Birthcontrol stinks, I feel like I am poisoning my body, and why, so I don't have another baby. So I am experiancing, nausea, headache, stomach cramps, depression, crazy feelings, irritability, fatigue, sore breasts, decreased sex drive, morning sickness.
Good luck with your decisions.

headache,nauseous,leg cramps, pain in my left breast, around heart...now, around each period my breasts hurt, and i have terrible stomach ache, like cramps, which i never had before..i also started having acne on my back and shoulders...but the worst thing is, my room-mate, she was using Yasmin for 9months, died a week ago. she wasn't sick at all.she actually did have a few headaches, and weird stomach ache, but we didn't seem to connect the two...

i am 17 years old and i have been on birth control for over 2 years,,
for the first 6 months i was on Yasmin && then my doctor wanted me to have a less hormonal birth control and switched me to yaz the only side affect was little weight gain...
i have depression but i never considered that it would be a cause of my birth control.
sometimes it gets bad... but my doctor said it was just an imbalance of serotonin in my body
my mom is extremely scared b.c she doesn't want me to have the dangerous side affects that she has recently been hearing about Yasmin... but are yaz and Yasmin the same?
i have been becoming increasingly worried about the birth control im on now.. i want to have children when i grow up. but after hearing that death could be a result of the birth control im on... im only 17 im just a kid...
im extremely scared now... although i haven't had any of the side affect i have read here.. im still extremely nervous especially since i have been on the drug for so long...

just found out
that the birth control im on could cause

* Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
* Pulmonary embolism (PE)
* Stroke
* Heart attack
* Death
* High blood pressure
* Heart disease
* High cholesterol
* Overweight
* Liver cancer
* Gallbladder problems
* Diabetes

is this true? could i really die?... im terrified right now

I have been on Yasmin since April of this year, 2008. My doctor put me on Yasmin because of a hormonal imbalance caused by PCOS. At first, all I noticed was my periods had become regular and my skin had cleared up. About 4-6 weeks later, I started experiencing EXTREME pain in my right breast. After the onset of the pain, just my right breast became enlarged. A few weeks later I started having chest/heart pains at random times. It started occurring when I would run and that made me really scared. I had the feeling of having a heavy rock on my chest and wasn't able to get a real breath. After an EKG my doctor confirmed that my heart was healthy. Here is a list of some of the other side effects that I noticed: no sex drive, weight gain, TIREDNESS, forgetfulness, cramps in my legs, but only while sleeping, extreme thirst.

I am so grateful that I found this website. It's just awful to hear some many other women complaining of the same symptoms.

My 15year old daughter has just stopped taking Yasmin due to severe depression, anxiety attacks, uncontrollable crying, suicidal thoughts and chest pain with erratic heartbeat. I thank God that we figured out the connection to Yasmin. She has been spiraling down so quickly, I thought I was losing her. While she does not relish the return of heavy, long periods, she is so ready to have her sanity back. Her counselor and gyn confirm the strong likelihood of these being side effects of the Yasmin. I was ready to put her on Prozac and sleeping pills because the situation was so desperate! While I was on Yasmin for years with no adverse effects, there ARE people who are desperate because of this pill! The hundreds of posts are too numerous to ignore the REAL truth. Is is worth it to "just try it out" for a boob inflation? You are taking a serious risk, sweetheart!

Is this normal??? I inserted NuvaRing for the first time August 26th. (During my exam). My NP said it would be okay to start then (although my last period was 08/11), but to use additional contraception. My husband and I have been using condoms since the birth of my daughter 2 years ago - so we continued like normal. Twenty minutes after my appointment, I became very nauseated. The following day I had a severe metallic taste in my mouth and a pounding headache. I became extremely tired (falling asleep at 8:30pm) and got very achy, especially arms and legs. I felt like I was on diet pills or drugs (jetty feeling, trouble spitting out words, racing thoughts). The symptoms would be gone in the morning, but come back as the day wore on. The problems became so bad that I took the Ring out on 08/31. (Holiday weekend, no NP on duty). I called the doctor's office on Tuesday. They said that I probably coincidentally caught a virus. It is now 09/07. My symptoms have become better day by day since removing the Ring, but the metallic taste is now a soap taste and I still have occasional nausea. Shouldn't the hormones be gone by now? How long will this last? Anybody????

I have been on Yasmin for 4 years now and I only recently started to question if some of the things that I have been experiencing are related to this pill. After reading your comments here, I'm more convinced then ever! I am a relatively healthy 31 year right now but for over a year now I have had a terrible ongoing ache in the back of my right thigh, just above my knee. I went to a vein specialist who just wanted to inject me to reduce the vein and "hoped" that it would help resolve the pain. He said that I had reticular veins and that they can be painful but as I understand it, you can get pain in your deep veins, which can result in deep vein thrombosis and even pulmonary embolisms (very life threatening). I have also had terrible ongoing headaches that last me 3 days at least once per month. I've always suffered from migraines so I didn't necessarily connect these headaches to the pill. I have absolutely ZERO sex drive. It's like I have to force myself to do it and it fills me with anxiety to even "gear up" for it. I have vaginal dryness, which can be very frustrating during foreplay and painful during sex. I had previously always been pleased that Yasmin resolved my 10 + year battle with painful cystic back acne. I have beautiful, clear skin on my back since I started taking Yasmin. I have also experienced fairly normal periods (for me). I used to have debilitating cramps and periods so heavy that I would wear a tampon and double my pads (with wings) so that I could live through the first part of the day at work without completely breaking through and bleeding through my pants. They would last for 5 - 7 days but with the pill I have more normal periods, manageable cramps, minor bloating, and still a heavy flow but not nearly as bad as before. I have always had good cholesterol levels and low triglycerides until 4 years ago when I started the pill. Since then I have had 2 blood tests where my cholesterol has skyrocketed and my triglycerides are triple the "normal" range. I eat healthier now then ever before and I regularly exercise as well so I cannot explain my cholesterol change, nor can my doctor (after showing a food diary of mostly fruits, veggies, limited whole grains, lean meat and optimal water). He told me to "go on a low carb diet" and "stay away from "sugars". I can't explain it either, I am always thirsty. I drink almost a gallon of water a day. I have this constant craving for a beverage and dryness if I'm not consistently sipping on water. My eyes are always dry, so dry in fact that it makes me feel tired or like I just want to close them to give them a break. I just started using eye drops, which has helped. Also, I'm tired, very very tired. It's summer so my energy is better only because I force myself to go workout, which always makes me feel better. I must say though, all in all, I have some concerning symptoms that seem to be prevalent throughout the blog but I've also had some positive effects from Yasmin. My concerns and your comments however are enough to take myself off the pill (Yasmin and all others) to try and live with my natural hormones instead of the synthetic in the pill. I think the potential risks outweigh the rewards. Thank you all for sharing and helping me in my decision making process.

okinawak so sorry to hear about your daughter. All I can relate to you guys is my personal experience. I was on Norimin for a couple of years from the age of 19. For the last year (up until a couple of months ago) I was on Yasmin. I experienced anxiety whilst taking these pills which I attributed to stress, but since I have been off the pills I am feeling fantastic. I stopped taking Yasmin because I was experiencing other things like pains in my calves, hair loss and getting spider veins, loss of libido (I'm only 23). :-( I decided upon reading other experiences on this page to stop taking Yasmin. I am happy to report back that I am feeling great... Fantastic in fact. I won't say that its directly related to Yasmin as I have no way of proving that. All I can say is how I felt during and after. And for the last three months I have felt greater confidence in my ability to deal with what life throws at me. I am feeling happier all the time, and I think my libido is improving. All the best to you guys, and all those out there worried about symptoms, please go see your doctor!