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I took Yaz for 7 days. In that amount of time, I began experienc...

Posted at 6:48 PM on Nov 14, 2007 by jbaxendale, #25021
I took Yaz for 7 days. In that amount of time, I began experience the most horrific symptoms I have experienced in my life. They included: chest pains, nausea, vomiting, arm pain, and the feeling of imminent death (these caused me to go to the emergency room since they are classic heart attack symptoms for a woman); leg and arm weakness; lethargy; migrane; panic attacks; severe insomnia, diarrhea, and vision problems that caused my contact lens perscription to change and night time vision had profound halos when driving, etc. I was literally unable to stomach any normal food portions I was so nauseous. I normally run 3 miles and could not even make it to the gym for weeks. I was afraid to stay home alone with my 4 year-old and 17 month-old for fear something would happen to me while they were in my care. At the ER they found low potassium levels (which makes no sense given Yaz has a potassium sparring diuretic component). In another blood test, I had elevated iron, which I have never had previously. I am 35 and have been on bcp's periodically for 12-15 years. I have never had any of these symptoms prior to this experience. I have never had anxiety, depression, or any other underlying health condition. I immediately stopped taking the pills once I made the connection. So far, my recovery has been slow, but at least it is improving. I resent that my ob/gyn and internist both said that the pill would be out of my system in 24 hours. The effects are clearly long lasting (I am approximately 7 weeks off of Yaz). Finally, my eye doctor, of all people, said that he has seen and heard of people having problems similar to mine and that it was understandable that I would have anxiety when I felt like I was dying from a heart attack. No one perscribing this medication bothered to tell me of the diuretic component or any component that was going to affect depression. I am attorney and have always thrived under pressure, not turned into a panic attack ridden mess like this medication caused. As for the previous post who stated these are common symptoms described by women, at 35, I know the difference between my normal body function and the hell that began when I started taking Yaz. Unless you have experienced this, then you clearly would not understand. I appreciate that Yaz and Yasmin have worked well for some, but that clearly has not been my personal experience. So, I write this not to discourage someone who has had a positive experience, but to provide support for anyone else who has suffered like I have.
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Reply about 1 year ago on Jan 08, 2008 by aries2890, #3926

Wow this was the worse experience of my life, tired, don't want get outta bed, heart racing so its hard to work out, very anxious and paranoid...one night i felt like i having tingly feeling with heart palpation, i was scared, i thought someone slipped something in my drink the night before, but the feeling stayed for 3 days.. i quit taking it, i hope i get back to my old self, the funny thing is my co-worker takes and shes fine, but i had problems with anxiety in the past, not sure if thats the reason..YAZ is HORRIBLE 4 ME...let me know how long it took for you to get normal i am4 days off and still feeling my old self...

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Reply about 1 year ago on Jan 20, 2008 by stacyj, #4207

I too found YAZ to be HELL. I took it for two weeks after my doctor begged me to take something to prevent Endometriosis from coming back. I didn't need it for birth control because I had my tubes tied a month previous to avoid birth control all together. I have never been able to take birth control pills without feeling totally sick. I still feel like shit and I haven't had a Yaz pill in a week. I was thinking that something was wrong, but after reading your post...I am guessing it is still coming out of my system. Thanks for posting.

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Reply about 1 year ago on Feb 05, 2008 by yellek77, #4600

I too am getting horrible headaches and panic attacks since taking YAZ. I have been off it for one week and am hoping to recover. I wonder how long it will take to feel better? I can't believe a bcp can cause such a horrible nightmare of a life. I'm even scared to leave the house sometimes, some days I just wanted to die, and the panic attacks kept telling me I was going to die. What a way to spend the day driving to the ER and just sitting in the parking lot. I hate this YAZ evil pill!

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Reply about 1 year ago on Apr 08, 2008 by soleil, #6877

I took Yaz for two months. During that time I gained 20 lbs while exercising about 30-50 minutes a dya 4 days a week (at minimum.) I have never experienced anything like this in my life. I was so depressed and my joints and body ached constantly. I was constantly out of breath, unable to get oout of bed unless required fo work and could barely eat due to the nausea. I was down to about 1000 or less calories a day, but kept gaining weight. I was literally swelling up and my breast size also increased 2 cup sizes within the first 3 weeks.

I am off of Yaz now, but it took some time for the swelling, achiness and breathlessness to subside. The weight gain slowed down after the first month off Yaz and has now begun to at least plateau. I am now exercising 2 hours a day to try to get the weight off.

I do not know why the doctor presecribed Yaz instead of the BC pills I had taken when I was younger (which had few to no side effects.) It is terrible that so many women are suffering from the intense and serious risks and side effects of Yaz. I wish my doctor had told me Yaz would cause agoraphobia, anxiety, rapid and potentially fatal amounts of weight gain, along with the body aches and other terrifying side effects I suffered from taking Yaz.
I wish I'd "Googled" Yaz on the Net before I took thsoe pills. What a horrible and needless experience.

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Reply about 1 year ago on Jul 18, 2008 by laurenandgrant, #10253

Oh that sounds like my story...on it for only 4 days. I am usually the most chipper and upbeat person around. Never have experienced depression or a major anxiety episode. Yestday (day 4 of taking it) I was literally crying all day and felt utterly hopeless and paniced. Today, after a visit to my primary care doctor I feel a little better- not as sad...but still very worried and depressed. I have no appetite. I can't stress enough how hard this is and it has only been a few days. Obvisouly, I am not taking anymore. One thing is for sure, this has greatly increased my compassion for those who suffer anxiety and depression on a regular basis.

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Reply about 1 year ago on Jul 18, 2008 by laurenandgrant, #10254

I am in the middle of depression and anxiety caused by yaz...never having experienced this before, could you tell me how long it took to completely return to normal? Thank you for your time, Lauren

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Reply about 1 year ago on Jul 23, 2008 by angelmadore, #10374

I am so glad I found this page! I am 16 and have been taking Yaz for a month and a half.. the first month I felt great. I was loosing weight and getting shorter, lighter periods. About a week or two ago I started feeling pressure throughout all of my head and I just didn't feel like myself, so I suspected a head cold or an ear infection. At the same time I was also experiencing SEVERE panic attacks to the point where I thought I was having a heart attack and might be dying. These would sometimes last until 4:00AM and cause me to loose a whole night's sleep. Finally I had my mom make me an appointment with my primary physician. I had an EKG done, which came back normal, and my doctor put me on the handihaler. The panic attacks, anxiety, and paranoia had all continued. Almost a week has gone by since and I had another severe panic attack just last night... needless to say, after finding this website my mom has already called my OB/GYN and sceduled an appointment to change my BC pill. I took my last Yaz pill day before last and don't plan on ever taking anymore. I never thought that something as simple as a birth control pill could do this to a person.

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Reply 7 months ago on Apr 21, 2009 by energyhands, #19065

So many of these entries say they have never experienced anxiety or depression before, however, YaZ is marketed for just that. Pre menstrual disphoric disorder. I was under the impression that is why most practitioners proscribe it. That is why it was prescribed for me, and I did well on it initilly. I still had incidents of anxiety on occasion throughou the time I took it however, after a few months I wondered it it was effective at all any more. What i WOULD LIKE TO NOTE, IS THAT i AM 42, AND RECENTLY SUFFERED CHEST PAINS THAT LANDED ME IN THE HOSPITAL WITH A MINOR HEART ATTACK CAUSED BY SPASMS OF THE VESSELS. tHE CARDIOLOGIST IMMEDIATELY TOOK ME OFF YAZ. I HAVEN'T BEEN CLEAR ON WHETHER OR NOT THIS PILL WAS A FACTOR OR NOT, BUT I AM GLAD TO BE OFF, AND WOULD RECOMMEND ITF AT ALL POSSIBLE THAT FOLKS IN MY AGE GROUP DO WHAT EVER YOU CAN TO AVOID TAKING YAZ OR ANY OTHER BIRTH CONTROL PILLS. THERE ARE TOO MANY RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH WOMEN OUR AGE AND THESE HORMONES. I WOULD ALSO STEER CLEAR OF THE NUVA RING. AFTER THREE WEEKS ON THE NUVA RING AND SEVERE INSOMNIA, I HAD A TIA. AGAIN, NO DOCUMENTED CONNECTION BUT BIRTH CONTROL HORMONES ARE CLEARLY ASSOCIATED WITH BLOOD CLOTS, DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS AND HEART ATTACK AND STROKE.

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Reply 6 months ago on May 27, 2009 by rikkichantelle, #20159

I've been on Yaz for about two weeks now. I've always been one who's a little paranoid about dying, but lately I haven't been able to sleep because I'm sure that my parents are going to die or I'm going to die, and I keep thinking about how when the world eventually ends nothing we did will ever matter--crazy stuff like that. My girlfriend has been really upset because I have zero sex drive, and I promise that's not usually me. I feel like I have no personality anymore, and I'm usually the most outgoing person you'll find. I'm glad to have read this, I'm not taking that pill tomorrow, no way.
Oh, and by the way, I started another period, not just bleeding, cramps and all, today and I just started taking Yaz two weeks ago? Huh.

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