Time of the month symptoms and conditions

I'm 22 years old and I have been on Yasmin for 3 years. The first year it was fine, but the next year I began getting panic attacks which I never even believed in until I had one myself. I've had severe anxiety that is uncontrollable and doesn't allow me to sleep at night. Let's not even talk about the emotional mood swings during my period. My boyfriend knows when it's that time of the month because I'm not myself. I will cry over things that would never make me cry in a million years. I'm mean and moody and then 20 minutes later I feel bad, but then I'm crabby again. Weight gain has not been a problem for me only about 3-5 pounds, but my breasts did go from a large B to a D. My boobs definitely do not fit my body. I have noticed a lot of hair fall but I just thought it was normal. I too have had problems with my potassium levels as I would get leg cramps in the middle of the night so I began drinking Gatorade and eating bananas every morning which has helped. I love being on birth control because it helps me plan accordingly, but I just don't feel like myself anymore. I am always hungry and am never full. I literally have to tell myself out loud that I'm done eating because it doesn't trigger for me. I have had a stomach ache nearly everyday of being on the pill. I became addicted to TUMS which only made it worse. I thought it was stress related which it might be, but I literally do not go to the bathroom for 4 or 5 days and it is soooo painful. Another thing is that I have no sex drive. I really have to prepare myself for it otherwise sex does not even occur to me. My boyfriend thinks I'm not attracted to him, but I AM! We just moved in together and you would think it was "freedom" but I'm just motivated to have sex. This is not normal for a 22 year old healthy female with an extremely hot man.

Anyway, I just went to the doctor and told her I was interested in Yaz. She gave me a few sample packs which I will begin next week. I'm hoping for the best and I truly do believe that birth control is a trial and error process. Everyone's bodies are different and you need to find the one that works best for you! I will write again once I know how Yaz works out.

-MCL

This is an update to my experience. I got my Mirena IUD removed mid-May, and it has been amazing to see the difference in my body and health. My cycle has always been very predictable. I'm one of those every 28 or 29 days ladies. About every 2 weeks - coinciding with either ovulation or the onset of my period - my body heals a little more. For example, just this last ovulation a few days ago my joints quit hurting. I have seen my energy level, concentration/focus, and mood improve at about every 2 weeks. So for me, my body is getting back to normal by doing what it's supposed to do - Ovulate! Menstrate! No more hormone contraception for me!!! I'm still slowly losing weight (at first it was immediate weight loss of about 7 lbs). The last couple of weeks, since my joints aren't hurting anymore and my energy level has risen dramatically, I'm able to exercise like I used to prior to all my problems with the Mirena IUD. So at every event in my cycle my body is a purging of more and more of the artificial progesterone. My husband and I have grown closer through this too. We have decided to work together and respect my body's natural cycles. I'm aware now of when I ovulate by looking at the signs - mainly the time of the month, a twinge of pain (not uncomfortable at all) telling me I'm ovulating, and cervical music - when it's stretchy and looks like egg whites. By paying attention, I know. I can't believe I didn't trust myself before. We use condoms when I am ovulating (a few days before I predict it to happen and a few days after). I'm fortunate to be so regular, but even if I wasn't nothing could convince me to ever use hormone contraception again!!!

I had it inserted after my second child (she is now 3-1/2). It took 6 months to NOT feel it anymore. I have not had my period. However, at the time of the month, I get all the side effects. Is it b/c my body doesn't release the blood? Twice I have felt tht thing poking me to the point where I could hardly walk. I have a pooch which won't go away, headaches, dizziness, ab pain off and on to the point where I bend over to feel better. I am making an appt to take this dumb thing out. It is not worth it. My breasts get extremely tender too. And sometimes during sex, it pokes me and hurts. Its not worth it. All of you have confirmed it.

It is so funny to read all of the negativity but nothing positive! I came here looking for side effects and get a bashing about how horrid Yasmin/Yaz is! Let me first start off by listing my side effects that I wanted to know about:

breast tenderness
change in appetite
tiredness
red spot in eye

Next, let me tell you that I researched BEFORE taking this medicine because 1. I have MS 2. I suffer from migraines and seizures and 3. I take a whole boat load of medications! My doc recommended Yasmin for PMDD coupled with Sarafem to help my mood right before and during my time of the month. I must say that I have only been on it for about 10 days so I do not know anything of how it works with my period.

I am APPALLED at the fact that there are few, if any, positive comments about this pill! I know for a FACT that it works because I know 7 people personally that are on it that have NO PROBLEMS! So, I ask you all that have negative comments, what is wrong with you, other than you HATE the pill? What OTHER meds were you on while taking it? I read a few comments about stopping for a month and then starting again and then wondering why they felt like crap?? Well HELLO?! You are effing with your body's hormones! And there is a difference between Yaz and Yasmin hormones. If you had a bad experience with Yaz, make sure you are not confusing it with Yasmin! Yaz is a 24 day hormone pill where Yasmin is only 21 days.

I am not a doctor, but like I said, I have done my research. I have suffered with adult acne and PMDD for years. It sucks. If Yasmin helps, I want to know. I don't want to read a bunch of bull about people who mess up their cycles by taking the pill and smoking or taking the pill with meds they shouldn't be taking them with. I know what I can and cannot take. Most of what I take is natural and what is not, well, it CAN be taken with Yasmin. Like the website for Yasmin says and like most of the informational, non-biased websites say, Yasmin and Yaz is not for everyone. Some people cannot handle this type of hormone.

I can guarantee you that some doctor or pharm company can tell you that whatever symptom you are having is from something completely unrelated to the BC you are taking. Warnings are clearly marked...read them and obey!

I started taking Allegra about 2 weeks ago. It has definitely helped my seasonal allergies however, I have been very irritable, tearful, and have experienced menstrual-like cramping when it is not the appropriate time of the month. I am doing to discontinue taking it and see if the depressive symptoms improve.

I am 25 and have been taking Yasmin for about a year and a half. I switched to it because it would help my acne breakouts (face and chest/back),
as well as "reduce bloating" according to my doctor.
It did indeed help with helping calm down the PMS mood swings around 'that time of the month'.
However, especially in the last few months, I have noticed a very dramatic decrease in my libido and bouts of being down or 'blue' aka depression-like symptoms, as well as breast tenderness. Also strangely enough, one of the side effects listed on the info sheet claims it can cause bloating. So who do I believe? This is my point exactly...

Ladies, take 5 minutes and CAREFULLY READ THE INSTRUCTIONS that come inside the box of your Yasmin pills. When you do, you might be surprised by what you find, like I was.
I have been on several types of birth control since I was about 17, from Tri-cyclen, to Diane-35 and others.

What the doctors and pharmaceutical companies DON'T tell us, is that female sex hormones can cause cancer. This is literally written in the fine print on the info you get with your pills. It's there you just have to look for it.
Think about it... these companies get paid masses of money to keep you ignorant and thinking that there is little to no risk of taking birth control pills. They won't get paid if millions of women stop taking their doses.

Even my mom, who was taking hormones to balance out her menopausal issues, has a increased risk of cancer now due to taking hormones.

Just research it a little bit, google it and you will see.
Birth control pills can have permanent effects, and even temporary effects that cause you to feel miserable.
This is your life, your health, and we have to be aware of what we are putting in our bodies!!!!!!
Is gaining 5 lbs or having a few pimples really worth the risk of depression and the possibility of cancer??

I am not extremest, that is, I am not saying that no females should take birthcontrol pills. I understand there will always be a demand.
But this forum is important because it let's us share our worries. I am worried for myself (will these hormones contribute to breast cancer issues later in life?), and I am worried for all the girls out there who want the benefits of a pill (clear skin, regular periods) don't know that the side effects can be life threatening.

Educate yourself!! , don't believe everything the drug companies tell you, and what the doctors DO NOT tell you.
Remember, YOU are the only expert on YOU!

When i was in college i was taking orthotrycyclin low, But stopped it for about to years just to clean out my system. Usually during my period (with no bc) last for one week and very heavy with pain. On top of that i only have one ovary. My doctor suggested that i should get back on some sort of bc to control my periods. I tried the patch but as soon as I placed the patch on my lower abdomen I had a migraine. (I've never had a migrane before). So I immediately was scared and took it off. I went straight to my dr. and he told me to try Loestrin 24. So I did. The first 2 months were not that bad. But recently I have been very moody especially when it comes close to that time of the month, I've felt much anxiety, and have been in and out of depression. Of course i've never had depression before but i come straight home from work and just feel down and like not doing anything. The other day I was busy with work and happened to miss my pill. Well ladies be sure not to miss a pill. I had severe cramps and spotting. I'm at the point that I want to get off of it and am really considering. I tried getting off of it before and realized that MY MOODINESS increased. Believe me my co-workers and boyfriend let me know. and my depression increased. I also gained about 15 lbs. since i've been on Loestrin 24. I consulted with my doctor and he said the bc's don't not make us gain weight. But after reading all these blogs i know I'm not the only one going through this dilemma....

Well... I have a 6 week old son and am looking for a new form of birth control. I had blood clots during my pregnancy, so I can never be on things like the pill, the patch, the shot or the ring.Our only options really are condoms or an IUD. At my 6 week PP check up today, my doctor strongly recommended Mirena. After reading this I am not too sure of what I should do. I just can't imagine using condoms for the sole purpose of not getting pregnant over the next 2-3 years with my husband of 4 years. What should I do?

I first started taking Yasmin about a year and a half ago. I was only on it for about 2 months. I got off because me and my husband decided to have a baby. I felt awkward for those 2 months I was on it, but I had also just moved to another country and just chalked it up to stress. I just started taking it again about 2 weeks ago and today was the last straw. My breasts are so sore, I'm nauseated, and I've had crazy cramping and it's not even that time of the month. I've also been very moody and sad. I cry at the drop of a hat and I got angry really fast. I yelled at my 9 month old today for not letting me wipe her nose! That's what made me get off the pill. I've never yelled at her before! I would not advise anyone to take this pill! It's not worth it!!!

I am on my third month of Aviane and I must say that I find it okay. It is the first oral contraceptive that I have ever taken. The first month I was on it was terrible at some points due to the break through bleeding (spotting a week before my period and my period lasted a week after that and was rather heavy), including cramps, occasional headaches, etc. However, I stuck with it and gave my body time to adjust to the medication. By the end of my second month on it most of my symptoms dissipated. I HAVE NOT experienced any unusual weight gain, however, I do find that I tend to be more moody and/or emotional sometimes. My skin has cleared up since I went on the pill, which is a plus, (except for the occasional pimple during my time of the month.) Also, I've gone up a cup size, but my breasts are also a bit tender. I haven't found that it 'dries' me out down there, and my sex drive is somewhat still the same.

To people who are new to the medicine and reading all these other people's symptoms and experiences, I advise them to stick with the pill for the recommended 3 months before changing brands, and also to consider how long most of these people writing have been on Aviane. Your body needs time to adjust to any type of hormonal medication and also, everyone's body chemistry is unique.

I started taking Apri in March of this year...at first everything was pretty much okay...this was the first pill i had been on so wasnt quite sure what to expect. Although, it was only a short while until i started having bad mood swings, i started feeling extremely anxious a lot of the time (i blamed it on school - im a pre-pharmacy major) but it just kept going throughout the summer even when i was out of school. I sometimes get random stomach cramps at any time of the month. This pill has made me so emotional, i just wanna be back to normal. I have 1 more week of this pack and im considering stopping but i really want to find a new pill! Does anyone have any suggestions. PLEASE?!

I am a 19-year-old female pre-med student who has been taking this nasty drug for exacly 1 year now.... The amount I am on continues to change, for my disease keeps returning and leaving remission. I finally get down to 10mg from 40mg, and have to go back up when symptoms return!!! This is SO discouraging. The worst part is, no one understands the physical and emotional agony this drug brings on. I'm 19 and feel like I'm 90. My body aches, my weight is constantly fluctuating, I bruise from simply being poked (being a clumsy person, I look like I am beat!!), my bones feel as if they are about to break, and I am SEVERELY despressed. Being in college and taking rigorous classes, this is just too much for me to handle anymore... My 5-year relationship with the love of my life/best friend is falling apart because of my horrible mood swings.. don't blame him for leaving. I feel as if this drug has ruined my life more than the disease itself...Does ANYONE know if one's body and mind returns to "normal" after FINALLY being off this drug??? I pray to God the answer is yes... I would appreciate someone's reply and/or insight, because my Dr. fails to tell me about ANY side effects until I mention something. PLEASE REPLY!!!

I had my mirena put in almost 7 months ago. I had my first child 1 year ago and chose to use Mirena because I'm terrible at remembering to take the pill. The procedure didn't take very long but I thought it was painful during the insertion it felt like a contraction during labor. I cramped and had lower back pain for the 1st week. I swore to my husband I was going to have it taken out because for the first 3 months if I wasn't having a period I was constantly spotting. I was convinced the reason mirena prevented pregnancy was that you weren't interested in intercourse with all that going on down there. It has stopped finally. I do have a period every month it is slightly lighter then what it normally was, which was pretty heavy, but some periods are worse then others as far as cramping goes. Intercourse is not painful. I have noticed I've been just a little more emotional and it varies depending on what time of the month it is. I'm okay with mirena so far. So I'm going to decide to keep it for now. But it does sit in the back of mind that if at some point I suspect Mirena is causing any kind of harm to my well being I will not hesitate to have it removed.

I had my iud for a month and then all of a sudden one night i noticed a horrible pain in my left leg that i couldnt get to go away.I laid on the floor and elevated my leg with no relief. I tried to get up off the floor so that my husband could take me to the er, i then realized that i couldnt walk, i was having blurred vision, numbness in my left arm, slurred speech. My husband took me to the er and they did an ekg, ct scan, x-ray, mri of my entire body during my day 2 day admittance to the hospital. They found nothing wrong with me, i still continued to have leg pain, inability to sleep at night and was forced to take motrin to help me fall asleep. I had another episode two weeks later that cause the same symtoms along with a really bad panic attack, this time the ambulance was called and they took me to the hospital and the drs said noting could be found to be wrong with me. Well i then decided to have it taken out and here i am almost three months later symtom free. I dont reccomend mirena to anyone. I truly felt like i was having a stroke with all the symptoms the two have in common.

I'm so glad I googled side effects of Yasmin and found this site. All of the sudden my mood swings for the past almost YEAR make sense. I started out fine. The pill was great, and I haven't had to worry about acne at all. Of course I gained a few pounds, but not too much. However, I'm a pre medical student trying to study for the MCAT this summer. I've been SO tired and drained and majorly depressed that I just can't seem to concentrate. I feel like I'm always crying over the stupidest stuff (AKA: no reason at ALL), and my grades are starting to suffer. Hopefully now that I've read this, I can stop taking this pill and see an improvement. It's just not worth the depression. I'm 22 right now, and until recently had never had a suicidal thought. I was starting to panic, because I couldn't identify the cause of my depression. I'm a good student, have lots of friends, and have the most amazing boyfriend and family. Life is good, I shouldn't feel this bad. Now that I have a clue as to what this may be, I can fix it.

I've been on the NR for over a year now. When I first started I had some pretty severe breast tenderness but that was all. The only time I have any of these "side effects" is when I'm starting my period. And hello every women has mood swings and is overly emotional around that time of the month. My sex drive is as high as ever. I am only stopping it because my husband and I are trying to get pregnant. But as soon as we have a baby I plan to go right back on it.

I like it so far... but it's only been 4 days. Does anyone have anything positive to say to get my hopes up? I've tried ovcon35 and ortho-low and both made me really naucious from the start but this one only a little bit. I also lost weight on the other ones because I was always naucious and didn't eat but my appetite so far seems normal. I feel slightly lethargic but that's minor to me. My breasts feel a little tender but I'm an A so if it makes me a B I'll take the pain! haha...... I'll post again in a month once it's been in my system awhile.

wow!
it sounds like everybody hates topamax from all the posts that i read... although i didnt read them all...

anyway, at first i had the memory loss thing but it seems to be ok now. i think i always had memory problems though, but it did get worse for the first couple months on topamax and then a little worse when my doc upped my dose. although now i think that my body may have gotten used to it, bc i feel a bit back to normal with my memory.

i also have the leg tingling. mainly i notice something like a slight throbbing if i put my foot down too suddenly, but it doesnt actually hurt. i notice the actual tingling in my legs/feet when i drink though, but only when i drink.

what else? oh, the hair loss. ALTHOUGH, this could also be from my dying my hair a lot... bc i have always had a hair loss problem, but i think the topamax accelerated it.

however, these side effects arent enough for me to get off the drug until my doc thinks so. i had migraines every week or more. horrible ones where i had to stop what i was doing and lie down. i missed a lot of school , missed a lot of work... sometimes they would last for more than a day. i needed help. now i only get migraines during that time of the month, and several docs have said its bc of the lack of estrogen... even when i get those migraines i only get the symptoms , not the pain. i dont even have to take anything. i have my life back... haha, i sound like a lifetime story or a commercial. anyway, i <3 my topamax and im just going to start taking a biotin supplement to prevent hair loss until i can get off this drug when it is time.

I have been on NR for almost a year. Each month, my depression gets worse. Today it was unbearable, so I started researching and found this site and many others telling me that there is a connection. Here is my question: My depression occurs during the week that the ring is out. I took the ring out Saturday and would normally put in a new ring this Saturday. I am not going to do that, but I am wondering how long these side effects will linger. I have seen many posts saying the side effects are gone within 24 hours of taking the ring out, but since my worst side effects occur during the week that the ring is out I am wondering when all of this will be out of my system. Does anyone know? Thanks.

I have been taking Topamax 50mg for 6 months now and feel it is a life saver. I would have 2-3 migraines a week, a couple with auras, and one that lasted 8 days and sent me to the emergency room. I thought I had menengitits the pain was so bad. Unfortunately migraines run in my family. I tried everything, inclunding injectable Imitrex. Nothing helped. Now I can go as long as 3 months without a hint of a migraine. I will still get the once in a blue moon hormonal migraine near that time of the month, but my quality of life is so much better. The first week I was sleepy all the time as I got used to the drug, and my brain felt jumbled, but I stuck it out and after a couple of weeks the symptoms went away. Now I just sometimes forget what I was going to say or what word I want to use, but its totally worth it. Most of the time I feel completely normal. I also lost 25 pounds, but that was just a bonus. Thanks Topamax!

hi bitterrn and everyone else here you are all great women i am not throwing up but it feels just like morning sickness i was on this pill for almost 2 years and did not notice any symptoms untill sept of 06 but when i think back i can think of little odd things like i was never feeling good. i run a business and everyday is a complete struggle its hard because alot of women here complain alot even after being off of this poison a full year how can i avoid not fully breaking down when i know i have such a long road ahead of me this pill has completely destroyed my life. my doctor ordered some blood tests fsh, cortisol, LH, a bunch of other things im not sure what time of the month of my cycle would be the best time to have my blood drawn. i feel the best when i am bleeding is that weird or what. anyway i come here everyday and read these posts all of you women are so wonderful i wish everyone a fast recovery
foggyhead

Hello Flowerbabies, thank you for getting back to me so soon and for your kind words of encouragement it helps alot. Its a bit easier this month but the anxiety I hate, It seems to affect me in a strange way, the week I get my period it starts, i just start worrying and thinking about silly stuff that happened in the past, thinking it over and over until it has me worried sick. its so ridiculous because at any other time of the month i wouldnt give this rubbish a second thought, . Im on vit b6 and bcomplex i really hope this helps. Im trying to focus on all the positives in my life and not the past negatives, I guess you realise how strong you really are. I just want the anxiety to go away, and in time im sure it will. Thank you so much for getting back to me, hope to speak with you soon
sweetcheeks (:

Hello Flowerbabies, thank you for getting back to me so soon and for your kind words of encouragement it helps alot. Its a bit easier this month but the anxiety I hate, It seems to affect me in a strange way, the week I get my period it starts, i just start worrying and thinking about silly stuff that happened in the past, thinking it over and over until it has me worried sick. its so ridiculous because at any other time of the month i wouldnt give this rubbish a second thought, My doctor said the anxiety was from the pill, he was very kind indeed. Im on vit b6 and bcomplex i really hope this helps. Im trying to focus on all the positives in my life and not the past negatives, I guess you realise how strong you really are. I just want the anxiety to go away, and in time im sure it will. Thank you so much for getting back to me, hope to speak with you soon
sweetcheeks (:

Hi Flowerbabies, I posted here before about a couple of weeks ago and you were very kind to respond. I am off Yasmin 2 months now and I got my second period there on saturday and the anxiety came back with a bang, The horrible thoughts I had back when Yasmin really effected me started up again over the weekend, it wasnt as bad this time because I think I am able to handle it better. But it really is not a nice thing at all, is this normal for it to come and go around that time of the month, please help I would be very grateful from anyone on this site if they had any advice. Talk to you soon. Does it ever go away for good, I feel so weak for lettting this get to me.
Marie x

Okay, been off Yasmin since Sept 20, so I know I'm coming up on my first period since stopping it. I've been doing pretty well for the most part, feeling better overall; but then last night the anxiety started up again. I was up all night with it!! I think I've read previous posts about anxiety popping up again around that time of the month, but does that eventually ease?? Out of all of the crappy side effects - anxiety is the ABSOLUTE WORST! I have NEVER felt anything so uncomfortable... I've been taking vitamins and extra calcium so I hope that this just means my body is adjusting. Still haven't decided if I'm going to try a different pill or go without. (I don't use it for BC 'cause I'm spayed.)

Chris