Water weight symptoms and conditions

Hi! I JUST had the Mirena put in Yesterday...Tues. And within one hour I started to feel foggy, light headed and crazy! I started getting a pressure headache. Being the last patient of the day, I knew the office was closed. So I looked online and found you all. I am horrified at this point! I couldn't sleep last night at all! I was so nauseous and had the poops. (sorry, tmi) Today I feel full of anxiety and my heart is racing. I feel like I'm on drugs or drunk! My head is still pounding. I kept calling my OBGYN and didn't talk to him until about 2 hrs ago. He said none of these symptoms are from the Mirena. So I hear that is most of the Docs words around here! He suggested I give it more time and call him in a few days and if I want it out, he will take it out. Well the thing is, I am ready to pull it out myself! I feel like I'm crazy! Seriously! I don't know what to do! I called my PCP and they refuse to take it out b/c they didn't put it in. They suggested going to the ER. Well my insurance for sure won't cover that!! So what do I do? I feel like I'm going crazy and no one will listen! We are moving to Italy in a month nd I need this resolved AWAY before then! Any advice will help! I just know when I call my doc, he will try to make me keep it in! What do I do?? HELP! Thanks for being here! Wish I had found you before. I am really good about researching things and I didn't with this. I trusted my doc! The other thing is I hear a ton of you have gained weight!!! I JUST had a full tummy tuck June 5th and I freaking better not gain weight!! LOL I want this out!! Calling my doc tomorrow and demanding he take it out. Has anyone had a doc refuse taking it out and if so, what is our recourse? It's our body right?? Thanks again for listening to me gripe!!! ;) God Bless!!
Danielle

I was on Loestrin for 4 years, and though I've been on depo, pop, yaz, and ortho-tri lo since, Loestrin was far and away the best pill. All the others caused depression, mood swings, weight gain (depo was the worst for all of these. stay away) and loss of libido, which were serious problems for me. I'm either done with pills altogether, or going back on Loestrin.

Yaz made me vomit, the pop gave me acne, ortho made me so bloated I gained 4 lbs in a week (and I'm an athlete--it was water weight that came off days after I stopped the pill). I don't know how anyone stays on those things. Maybe you can handle them if you don't miss your sex drive.

Loestrin has gotten terrible reviews, but it *can* be a good choice, so don't discount it entirely.

I got my Mirena fitted about 5 weeks ago. I've had spotting since she put it in except for about 5 days a week after, which was great I was able to resume my sex life for a few days. But after those 5 days it's been non-stop. It's not a huge amount of bleeding it's just enough to not have sex. So I'm trying to wait it out but the weight gain is something that I've started to notice and the acne as well. I used a topical creme for the bumps on my face and they've since gone away. And for the weight gain I've noticed it's really just water weight. I started taking Diurex (NOT RECOMMENDED) and removing fatty foods from my diet. The Diurex worked within a weeks time just remember to drink gatorade with it. I'd have to say the worst side effect that I've had so far is the spotting/bleeding. I can't have sex with my fiance. My son is 8 months old and after talking about more children we've decided to try again after our wedding next July so I'm thinking of removing the Mirena to get back into tip top shape. I WISH I would have found this forum before I got my mirena fitted because I would've chosen some other form of BC. I've also had severe cramps (never had those before), migraine headaches, and I've been sleeping quite a bit and with an 8 month old that's not the best thing. UGH... The question remains... Should I take it out or not?

The worst birth control i have ever been on in my life. I started this pill about a month and a half ago and its been hell since. First off, I gained 15 pounds in a month. I talked to my doctor and she said that it does increase appetite but the pill itself should not make you gain more than three pounds from water weight. BULLSHIT. I am constantly tired, moody, and anxious. My appetite is crazy, i am always starving and feel like i haven't eaten enough. My boobs are uncomfortably larger than they have ever been and are always sore. I am mood swing central and its like my brain is switching gears constantly, one second happy, the next angry and miserable. I am finishing up this months and will be going off the pill completely. Its not worth it to have all these unhealthy side effects.

I lost 30 pounds on Weight Watchers in 2005 - lost it in 6 weeks (on the proper diet) because of my insanely fast metabolism. Shortly after that, I was put on 25 mg of Toprol XL for PACs/PVCs. Upped that to 50 mg after I started getting migraines. Gained 55 pounds in the process, though I tore a hamstring in a couple of places and put a lot of the weight loss up to months of inactivity.

Then I started back on WW and tried to lose. Did everything just right--nothing. Added exercise and adjusted my points. Still nothing. Finally googled "toprol metabolism" and found tons of people complaining of the same types of problems.

I finally got down to 12.5 mg of Toprol and my body has adjusted to it, and in the last 2 weeks I've dropped 10 pounds. I'm debating going off it altogether, since there's nothing wrong with my blood pressure, and since lowering it clearly helps.

Note to anyone who tries this - every time I lower the dose I tend to gain a little weight (it's mostly water weight--I bloat up when I lower it for some reason) while my body adjusts, but it always comes off. So if you lower your dose (with doctor's permission, of course), don't be disheartened if you gain at first. You'll get there.

I have had the Mirena in for about 5 months now and I feel terrible. I am having awful mood swings that are just getting worse. The moods swings are ripping my marriage apart. I am always tired and get nasty cramps around my period and sometimes when it is not even time for my period. I feel like my weight level has gone up. I have excessive water weight gain and my sex drive has dropped completely. I would not recommended this to anyone.

i was giving the "free sample" packet of Femcon Fe by my ob-gyn to help with the irregularities of my periods due to PCOS.from day one its been a major pain!a headache and insane nausea!it was awful...and this trend continued non stop through the entire 3 1/2 weeks of use.headache nausea fatigue moody tender breast heartburn...heck...i began to think i was flipping pregnant and took a test to reassure myself i wasn't and that this birth control pill was just really working me over. i know one must allow their bodies to get used to the b/c...but this was ridiculous! i finally threw in the towel last night and stopped taking them.in my third week and already i'm spotting with incredibly bad cramps nonstop.makes me think something is seriously wrong...wait i know..its this freaking pill! i think there is a hidden agenda to these pharmacal companies handing out free samples of b/c....using you as little test subjects without being up front about how bad the effects are on the body.heck...i was foolish enough to be convinced....a minty chewable birth control pill.AWESOME!...cha! they should include on the packaging"This product has the tendency to totally annihilate your sense of comfort during the entire duration of consumption".screw this pill...i'd rather deal with the side effects of my last pill which is like cake and ice cream compared to this one here!

I am 17 and i was prescribed loestrin 24 as my first birth control pill. I've been on it for less than a week and i can't stand it and neither can my boyfriend! I have had a period from hell with has been 5 days in counting, I bleed so much i get dizzy when i stand up and my legs feel like 1000 lbs i can barely move them. Also i had diminished sex drive and raging hormones (bad acne, emotional hell) so i have decided to stop taking it. I called my gynec. and she recommended the opposite, and told me to get a blood test to check my iron levels and to see if i was pregnant! I'm almost positive i am not but not shes got me worried and i go for the blood test today. Loestrin ruined the second half of my summer but after reading all these other ladies tales i am very glad i decided to quit now. Thank you for opening my eyes, i realized it probably won't just go away in a week. I stopped it yesterday and i feel better already.

i started taking Loestrin FE just under a month ago. i havnt gotten to the brown pills yet for my 1st period on it.
since i started taking it ive noticed that ive been pee'n 2 times as much as i normally do..
my gums bleed slightly when i brush my teeth and in the afternoons i get nauseas and light headed..i get really week and after a few minutes it goes away.
ive taken a pregnancy test and its came back negative (i took it today)
but idk

what do you guys think?
plz let me know

These reviews are pretty scary to me ... I've been taking Yasmin for about 5 years. Late last year, I started getting what seemed like a full period (not just spotting) almost exactly two weeks into my pill pack. Then I'd get another full period when I got to the end of the pack, and I went ahead and took the sugar pills because I didn't want to mess around with my cycle (which I've done in the past, with negative results). My doc switched me to reclipsen for a month (which I've read bad things about too, but not as bad as Yasmin!). I've had NO sex drive for years now, which I've blamed on myself, but it's really affected my relationship w/ my fiance. It's hard because I just can't get excited. I loved Yasmin and recommended it to all my friends because it kept my water weight down. Last month when I went off of it, I gained about 8lb in just a few weeks. I attributed it to going on vacation and not exercising for a week (I normally eat very well and never miss a workout). But since then, the weight has stayed and is very slowly coming off. I'm a personal trainer and I never usually struggle like this. I've also been bloated and it seems like I have an excessive amount of abdominal bloating.
Anyway, after a month on reclipsen, I decided to switch back to Yasmin to see if the month on another drug "tricked" my cycle back into following Yasmin (wishful thinking!). Sure enough, got my period two weeks in. Also got lots of bloating, constipation (never normally a problem for me), and moodiness/ depression. I've had "stomach issues" for years, and I've even had a colonoscopy with no real diagnosis. My abdomen is always tender to the touch. I never would've thought Yasmin could be a cause, but now I really wonder. Also, in the last couple weeks that I took Yasmin again, I noticed days where it felt hard to breathe, and I just blamed myself and my weight, figuring it was the few extra things I ate that made me bloat. But now reading other experiences, I realize how unusual my recent experiences are for me. Now I'm not sure what to do -- I don't think reclipsen is a good answer. I want to go off pills completely for a while, but I'm really afraid of weight gain (Yasmin is addictive that way -- I love how it's kept my water weight down and I've been afraid to go off of it). Fortunately, I haven't had the blood clotting (to my knowledge) or acne. But I do have overuse injuries that never seem to heal -- now I wonder how much those relate to Yasmin. I won't be taking it anymore!

i started taking Yasmin after i had my 5th child in July 2002. i was about 70 pounds over weight and my gyno said i would lose weight on this new wonder pill. i did, i lost 30 pounds and felt better than i ever had.
My skin was clear, my period light and i just consistently lost weight. i did notice that i was urinating quite a bit but didn't think much about it. About 3 years into taking the pill, my pharmacist mentioned to me that i should be having potassium levels drawn with this pill. I was a bit confused because i had read the literature that came with Yasmin when i started taking it(im a nurse and i just always research new meds i take) and it never once mentioned blood work. i had to harass my gyno because he thought it was useless but to appease me and because i mentioned to him i take a lot of ibuprofen for back pain he humored me and did the test. It was a little high but nothing crazy so i let it go even tho i mentioned that i was getting horrible muscle spasms all the time. he said my calcium was probably low. i accepted that because i had had 5 kids and figured i had depleted my supply. he mentioned that i could take Yasmin continuously without taking a sugar pill to keep me from having a period, said it was completely safe. so for the next 3 years i only had periods about 4 times a year. i raved to everyone how wonderful this pill was. i was still having muscle cramps but it was a small price to pay for no zits, no periods, no water weight, and i could eat whatever i wanted and had lost 30 pounds after one year of being on it though i never lost any after that.i didn't notice my hair was greasier than normal but i never connected it to the pill. i wanted to take the pill forever! that didn't work out thought when i lost my insurance and was forced to go off it because i just couldn't afford 70 a month. within the first couple of weeks i noticed acne appearing all over my face especially my nose and chin. i was 36 years old! far past the acne stage! i also noticed i felt bloated and my first period that came was like someone had released a flood gate. i went through 2 boxes of super tampons and a bag of pads in 3 days. thats about the time i noticed the weight gain. slowly over a period of 3 months i put on 3 or 4 pounds a week to now a whopping total of 30 pounds in 3 months. i was devastated. i knew that there were side effects of any medication and you assume those risks while taking it but not from not being on it anymore! the only good thing to come from getting off of it was those annoying muscle spasms completely stopped. i had been to the point that i couldn't even flex my toes or they would charley horse i had even gotten them in my jaw from yawning! now they were gone and replaced by fatigue, extreme weight gain and horrible acne and periods. i started blowing up and it didn't seem to be mainly weight, it seemed like fluid. i didn't urinate half as much as i used to it was like my body forgot how to make its own diuretic hormone. i could take a water pill and lose 10 pounds in 4 hours of fluid i knew that was not a good thing. i was scared as well as baffled. i went to my internist and he was shocked when he saw me my lungs were full of fluid, i had put on 30 pounds and was short of breath he ordered thyroid function tests and guess what? out of the blue my perfectly functioning thyroid (i had levels drawn the year before in routine tests) had stopped working when i got off Yasmin! so now i have to take diuretics because i don't seem to make enough of my own which i believe is thanks to Yasmin and i also feel it damaged my thyroid since its mechanism of action is inhibiting your adrenal system and thats what controls your thyroid. i am seriously considering filing a class action law suit based on the fact that for 3 years i never had my potassium levels checked because it wasn't advised by the manufacturer and i have experienced damage from this pill that i was not warned about in the package insert or by my doctor. i had the right to be informed and if they didn't know then the fda should have never approved it. i feel like ive been a guinea pig, and if anyone feels the same my number is ****** if we stand together maybe we can make them take this off the market and find out what has happened to those of us hurt already

My daughter was born in August of 2007; when I heard about Mirena, I was really excited. My sister in law has the copper IUD and loves it. I thought the Mirena was basically the same thing but with a different name. Boy was I wrong. I had the Mirena inserted in March 14, 2008 and ever since then, I feel like my life is slowly falling apart. I have gradually gained 6lbs despite being an avid running and eating well. During my cycle (I tend to gain anywhere from 3-4 lbs of water weight). For the first month, I bled for about 14 day straight, which was not a good time (ruined lots of nice pairs of underwear).
The worst side effect, for me, has been the mood swings; I think I'm psycho; I want to kill my husband most of the time, the poor guy. I have ZERO sex drive, which is also a huge problem for my relationship, so if I keep going at this rate, I think I can blame Mirena for a divorce. Fortunately, I am having this thine REMOVED TODAY!! I cannot wait! I feel as though I was "talked in to" getting the Mirena because I orginally said I wanted an IUD with NO hormones; for some reason though, I left the office with this horrible product. Something needs to be done about this product!
The insertion was not horrible, but it wasn't fun either.
Mirena is the devil!!

I had my Mirena IUD removed on Monday, May 5, 2008. I had it inserted on November 10, 2005. I was having major side effects from the birth control, and every doc I went to said that there is no way that Mirena would cause the side effects I was having because the "progesterone amounts are too low to cause these side effects". I have had the following side effects:
WEIGHT GAIN
JOINT PAIN
LUMPS IN BREASTS
BREAST TENDERNESS
HUNGER (as if i were pregnant)
DEPRESSION
LOSS OF SEX DRIVE
HAIR LOSS
SWOLLEN ABDOMEN (BLOATED?)
HEADACHES
GROUCHY/ON EDGE
ACNE
CYST (had a couple weeks ago... i was on vacation in Vegas and had a cyst burst.. never had these issues... this was the last straw)
STABBING PAINS IN ABDOMEN AND IN AREA OF OVARIES
PMS SYMPTOMS EVERY OTHER WEEK FOR TWO YEARS
BREAST GROWTH D TO DD
VAGINAL BLEEDING AFTER INTERCOURSE
FATIGUE
TENDERNESS OF ABDOMEN
BACK PAIN
HIP PAIN

As of today, Friday, May 9, 2008 (4 days after Mirena has been removed) I have lost 9 pounds. I am sure this is probably water weight? I am feeling a little better every day. The night I got home from having it removed, I had major mood swings... would be happy one minute and crying my eyes out the next!!! I would not recommend this IUD to ANYONE.. not even on my worst enemy (if I had one). This needs to be taken off the market. It is not safe! I have spent thousands of dollars on ultrasounds on my breasts (thinking i could have cancer because the lumps i had in my breast) and on other doctors bills to figure out what was wrong with me.. only to find out that "Mirena is not the cause"!!!!

I'm 16 years old, I started taking Yasmin on November 3rd, 2007 as prescribed by my dermatologist.
I noticed that even after my period was over(my period came on November 3rd) I started spotting afterwards, for the WHOLE month. It eventually subsided when I started a new pack. I guess they did make me feel moody and to go along with it I had to deal with a bunch of stress. Prior to starting Yasmin, I was also using diet pills which really worked, and after starting Yasmin I noticed that I just retained my weight or gained probably 5 pounds of water weight?
And I guess I'm being taken off of it when I'm finished with my current pack.
Reading all these responses made me feel better about it all, I guess I wasn't the only one on the same page with the symptoms. :D

I have been on the 4 months going on 5. i may have gained a little weight but just water weight. My skin has cleared up and i am not getting the PMS breakouts anymore. I just turned 29 and still get acne so anything that helps is welcome. however i have been noticing slight headaches here and there. i typically don't get headaches and from what i have read on these blogs the ring may be to blame...other than slight weight gain and a headache or two it's been good using the ring. i also don't get ravenously hungry before my period anymore which is a blessing, i would eat anything and a lot of it-lol! i am going to be paying more attention though, and come to think of it i have noticed been tired and i workout a lot so i usually have tons of energy. tough call, i guess every birth control method has draw backs.

My story:
First of all, thank you all so much for your postings. I, as well, am sitting here in tears finally realizing that I'm not the only one going through this. I am 32 with 3 kids (13, 11, 7) and with the exception of my pregnancies always used Depo-provera for my bc method. I was lucky in that I never experienced the terrible weight gain and side effects that many women using Depo often did. After my divorce 5 years ago, I finally decided to stop the birth control. I was not sexually active and it seemed like more of a hassle just to not have a period any longer. The two years I had no bc in me...I felt fantastic. Normal, balanced, happy. Then I met Matt. I decided to try bc pills again, but as historically is normal for me...had severe breakthrough bleeding. (14 day periods..even on Yaz)

So I went back to the depo this past September. I had a little weight gain, and some mild acne. Not severe, but enough to make me talk to the doctor about it at my three month check. So he tells me about Mirena! The same hormone base as depo, but since it sits intra-uterine, the hormones are not quite as systemic, and my symptoms should decrease significantly.

SHOULD! but DIDN"T!

Periods: Since I had already been on depo, I simply did not have periods. I did have some mild spotting right after insertion...and did notice a slight brownish tinge occasionally, especially after intercourse, but nothing significant. It wasn't until the end of February (2 months after insertion) that I noticed a "period." It was nothing more than spotting and only lasted 3 days. But then I had another one 2 weeks later, and again 2 weeks after that.

Weight: My starting weight, late August 2007, was 145 pounds. My last doctor visit on April 7 weighed me in at 175. From September to December on depo...I gained about 10 pounds. From December through now...I'm up another 25 pounds. Please keep in mind that I used to work out anywhere form 2-4 times per week. Around mid-February, I increased to 4-5 times per week...and for the last month have been working out 5-7 times per week. (I'm not any kind of health freak...and am irritated because I don't feel like I have a life anymore. My life consists of working, kids, and my flipping treadmill!) Over the last month, I have also decreased my caloric intake to 1200-1500 calories per day. I'm still gaining.

Acne: Plus the acne went from mild to severe. To the point that I ended up going to a dermatologist in early March and am now on my second course of treatment with no luck. The next course is Accutane...which if you don't know about...simply google it. I have no intention of putting that in my body!

Depression: So I call my doctor and of course they say it couldn't be the Mirena. Now I'm feeling really crazy and Matt's wondering what he's gotten himself into being with this girl who cries at Hallmark commercials, and is moody, and always in a bad mood, and now is getting worse because she can't fit into anything in her closet, and is dreading summer not only for the fear of getting into a bathing suit...but if I go swimming I'm absolutely dreadful of people seeing what my face and skin looks like with no make-up due to the acne.

Pain: Shortly after the first of the year, I noticed pain in my lower back...I figured it was due to shoveling the drive and whatnot...just everyday things. Then the pain in my shoulders started; the right one especially. (I'm a healthy 32 year old. I cut down a tree in my yard by myself two summers ago.) Joint pain is not an option and rather new territory for me. So I go to the doc who wants me in PT 3 times a week...anti-inflammatories, cortisone injections...the works. (I settled with anti-inflammatories.) I had never even heard of this as a possible side effect until I read it on these postings.

I looked at my medicine cabinet this weekend. I feel like I could run a pharmacy out of my home. Medications for acne, joint pain, depression, anxiety. Plus the cost of co-pays and deductibles. And it hit me. With the exception of my Claritin for seasonal allergies...every medication I am now taking is simply to combat the side effects of this T-shaped hormonal vehicle snuggled in my womb! The I saw the Special K commercial: "Who's going to win? The bathing suit? or you?"

Well guess what! I decided it's going to be ME!

I finally decided I've had it and have an appointment on May 6th to have it removed. Matt can wrap it or snip it...but I can't keep doing this to myself. I've made a decision to use no form of hormonal birth control. I'm thinking about trying the FemCap which is basically a silicone cervical cap. It needs to be used with spermicide, but no hormones!

The idea of feeling like I did last year again is the only thing keeping me going right now. To be happy, and confident, and just feel balanced and whole again...I'll post more later after it's removed. In the meantime...if anyone has heard of any class action lawsuits with Mirena, I'd be interested to know about it.

Good luck to all of us!

I started taking Yasmine in 2005 and almost imeemdiatley I started to have severe anxiety, depression, no sex drive at all and worse of all extremely bad migranes especially a few days before getting my period and during. My life had to be put on hold when I had my period because of the migranes. I stopped taking the Yasmine 3 weeks ago because I just couldn't take the migranes anymore. I have noticed I have gained some weight, my skin and hair feels alot oilier, and my hair has been falling out more than usual which is kind of freaking me out, don't have mood swings. My sex drive has gotten better which is a relief. I still don't know if my migranes will have gone away during my period. I'm just curious can anyone tell me if these side effects (hair loss, weight gain, oily skin) will go away after a few months.
When I went off another type of pill I actually lost weight, why is this one different?

Found this site and read the postings for the first time today. I cried when I read the first posting because it was as though I had written it myself. I have experienced so many of the negative side effects such as, depression, apathy, loss of sex drive, crying almost every day, anger for no reason, pain, and more. I am 38 years old and have been using the ring for almost 2 years. I took it out today as soon as I finished reading other's experiences. I am looking forward to being my "old" self soon, and I know my husband and children are too.
Maybe the side effects are worse for women in their 30's and 40's versus 20's. Not everyone posted their age but I was curious regarding this possibility.

I just had my Mirena removed yesterday. I was wondering how long was it before the weight gain or bloated tummy went away? How long before you noticed a difference in your belly?

Getting the IUD taken out was painless.

I'm getting mine removed tomorrow.
I got mine inserted December 28,2007.
I just about lost all my baby weight and have never had a weight problem.
I now can no longer fit comfortable in my clothes have gained about 5lbs around my belly. I swear it looks like im preggers again.
Some say oh its just bloated/water weight. Yeah well i don't want that.
My friends have even asked me that.
I really think its because of this IUD. I'll keep you all posted on how it went..

I'm so glad I found this site. I, too, thought I was going crazy! The first two months were ok on Yaz. Lost some water weight and my periods were light and short. As the months went on things got worse. Depression, anxiety heart palpitations that sent me to the Urgent Care Center, extreme fatigue, irritability, irrational mood swings, absolutely NO sex drive, neck and back pain and an increase in my acne. This has been 3 months and I can't stand it any more. It just amazes me that doctors still don't even consider that extra hormones in our bodies would not cause some of the horrible side affects we are experiencing. Good Luck to all.

So far so good.

I was prescribed Yaz to help with my PCOS symptoms, and I'm still working on my first pack. I was told this medication had an ingredient that helped lower testosterone, so I decided I'd try it out to slow down the growth of unwanted hair.

The first few days I was extremely tired and was having strange dreams, and I would occasionally get an uncomfortable feeling in my chest. I had stopped exercising for a couple weeks, so I began again hoping it would help. The fatigue now is completely gone, and I'm not having mood swings. I lost a lot of weight in the first two weeks, but I'm sure it was mostly water weight.

My period is usually extremely painful, but this month I experienced almost no pain (which was awesome). My period lasted longer than usual, and I'm having spotting, but it's nothing unbearable. Too much caffeine seems to make the uncomfortable feeling in my chest come back, but other than that, I have no complaints.

I'm 27, 125 pounds... I started taking Yaz one month ago. I had to beg my doctor to give it to me. My periods were so heavy and I was carrying 10 pounds of water weight at all times. My fingers and face was swollen with water. My periods would last sometimes the entire month and were super heavy. I tried several different pills and nothing stopped it. Immediately when starting Yaz I stopped bleeding. I peed for like 4 days straight and lost all the water weight. I also get migraines with my period, and Yaz hasn't seemed to help them at all. The first 3 weeks I had horrid migraine.

The most noticeable change though is that I am extremely emotional. I got angry for the first time in maybe 2 years? I never feel anger. I'm a Buddhist very calm loving and patient... Since taking Yaz I feel like a crazy person. I have almost destroyed my wonderful amazing relationship by being overly emotional. Ive been anxious (never had anxiety before) and depressed and super emotional and inpatient about everything.

I still haven't decided what to do. It's only been one month and physically I feel better as far as not bleeding for months at a time and not holding water. I also feel like I have a normal amount of energy and the headaches that initially were there have subsided. I am horrified if I keep taking this pill though that i will lose my emotional calm and optimism. It's definitely not worth it especially what its been doing to my relationship and my spiritual practice.

Is there anyone that can offer any light to my situation? I love the way I feel physically, but emotionally I cannot do this much longer. Will it stop? Any thoughts would be great, thank you.

I just wanted to give an alternative perspective to the comments on this board.

I've been on Yaz for two months, and I'm very happy with it. The first week or so wasn't great: weird muscle aches, fatigue, lightheadedness occasionally. I had light brownish discharge/spotting for about a week. The second week I had some striking headaches, and over the first two weeks I lost 10 pounds (water weight).

But since then it's been smooth sailing. My period came exactly on time and lasted about 2.5 days. I no longer have any symptoms besides breast tenderness (akin to what my breasts felt like before my period, before).

So - keep in mind when you're reading these negative comments that usually the happy folks don't feel the need to post!