Hi, I've never felt compelled to post anything on a blog site ...

Hi, I've never felt compelled to post anything on a blog site before, but in this case, I felt that it was important to share my experience on Yasmin. I've was on Yasmin for 3 years, but last month, I switched to Avianne. At first, I didn't notice any terrible side effects on Yasmin. However, slowly over the years, I noticed or experienced the following: a) marked decrease in sex drive; b) vaginal dryness; c) melasma (darkening of skin on the face); d) depression (especially in the first week of the cycle); e) muscle spasms; and f) dehydration even while drinking 10 glasses of water a day; g) weight gain; and h) fatigue. Most desturbing of all, were symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. In my opinion, the diuretic component of Yasmin is dangerous. It was rare for me to pass a bowel movement every day and when I would, it was difficult b/c of constipation. Usually, I would pass a bowel movement every 3-5 days . I switched my diet to high fiber and eating mostly fruits/vegetables, and cutting out dairy, but that didn't help. Sometimes the pain from feeling bloated and "so backed up," that it was imbearable. Also, I would alternate from symptoms of constipation and diahrea. I never had any of these problems before I started taking Yasmin. It took me a while to put two and two together when I noticed that the ONLY time that I didn't have difficulty passing a bowel movement was the week of taking the placebo pills, and I was on my period. On Avianne, I have 1-2 bowel movements a day. All symptoms of IBS have disappeared. The other symptoms of Yasmin are starting to abate, too. Finally, if you don't notice any decrease in your sex drive at first while on Yasmin, you will down the road. It's rather insidious and it's no surprise-- if you do the research, you'll discover that the unique progestin component of Yasmin (what's usually associated with decreased sex drive) is 6 times greater than other BC pills. Hope this helps.