All I have to say is that if you start Yaz and have any kind of leg cramping--see your doctor and insist they make SURE it's not a DVT. I started Yaz last Spring. I am 41 but I'm a fitness fanatic who doesn't smoke or drink. I have a very low resting heart rate and exercise all the time. One would think I'd be a likely candidate for success on Yaz.
I went to my regular doctor in July because I had had a leg "cramp" at night and wanted to make sure it wasn't anything serious. My "cramp" was not the usual tightening of the calf muscle. It was an achy cramp at the side of my calf. I hadn't experienced anything like it previously. My doctor assured me it was muscular so I ignored it and went on to have two or three more episodes over the next few months.
My last "cramp" happened 3 or 4 days before I had what I originally thought were abdominal pains. I woke up early one morning thinking I had the worst gas I'd ever had. I tried all day to make myself feel better (walking on the treadmill, drinking lots of water). Finally that night I went to the ER since I was supposed to board a plane the next morning and wasn't sure what was wrong.
After many tests, I was diagnosed with a blood clot in each lung. I was hospitalized for 5 days and am now on blood thinners. From what I've learned, athletes can be at a greater risk for DVT than the general public since low heart rates and dehydration can mean less viscosity in the blood.
Needless to say, I'm not a big fan of Yaz. I think the hormones combined with the diuretic wreaked havoc on me. I have a hard enough time staying hydrated as it is without taking a diuretic. Little did I know I was putting my life at risk by taking that little pill.