So I started taking YASMIN in December 07. I switched to YAZ in J...

Wow!
I am glad I read this post! It is so much the same as to what my daughter is going through right now!
My daughter started birth control pills at age 16. She has been taking Ortho Tri Cyclen for about a year and has been fine with it. Last month it was time for her yearly exam and she asked to be put on the new YAZ pill. Some of her friends were on it and were saying how it helps your complextion, helps with PMS, and your periods seem to be shorter.
This sounded great! So her doctor put her on it.
A couple of weeks ago, she started Track & Field at her high school, the weather has been nice and sunny so they have been going outside a lot for the practice and the meets.
Everytime she would be out in the sun, she would get this strange rash! It started on the backs of her hands. She also has gotten the rash on her neck and behind her knees. They rash is like small welts and they itch her terribly, when she itches it, it turns very red.
I took her to the doctor twice now. She has never gotten this rash from the sun before. The doctor gave her some kind of cream to put on it, some sun block and told her to take benedryl. Well sure, this stuff brings some temporary relief, but once she is back in the sun, it comes back worse than ever! She said that it itches so bad it wakes her up in the night, she was taking a shower and practically crying in the middle of the night last night.
The only thing that I can think of that is new is the YAZ. No new soap, detergent, lotions......Only the YAZ, which she has been on about 6 weeks now and has been suffering from this rash for about 2 weeks now.
I decided to "google" 'skin rashes from YAZ' and it lead me to this site!
I do believe for sure now that the YAZ has got to be the problem!
I called the doctor back again to let him know of my google search and he is going to change her birth control back to what she was on before.
Thank you for your help. This rash must be more of a common side affect than what they realize.

Good to hear that I am not crazy. Yea so I got off of all bc and my skin rash finally went away after about 2 or 3 weeks. It started to dim down. I now take "Beautiful Skin" (non cystic acne support version) pills from Great Earth Vitamins. And "Ultra Duo Dophilus" probiotics from GEV. My skin glows inside and out. It is a crazy allergic reaction with YAZ and the sun. She needs to quit taking Yaz and Yasmin. Crazy pills. Doctors do NOT know everything. You found it yourself :)

Oh my God!!! This same thing has happened to me! I was on Yaz for a few months and everything was going fine, then I got this insane rash on my legs. Nothing I tried would make it go away. It seemed to get worse with sun exposure. Then I started noticing that my breasts were getting itchy. I know TMI, but thought people should know. I went off YAZ for 2 months and then decided to try it again because I wasn't sure that it was the pill that was causing my symptoms and other than the rash I felt great on YAZ. Well, here I am in my 2nd month of YAZ and my rash is back and worse than ever!! I just got back from Hawaii and the sun definitely has does something to do with it. I got huge hives and a bumpy red rash all over my legs and arms and my breasts are itching again. Nothing helps but taking ridiculous amounts of benadryl which tells me this is some type of allergic reaction. I am going off this pill again but this time for good.

Yikes! I'm in with all of you. I was on Yasmin for two years and actually loved it. I had no problems whatsoever. Then, last week I switched to Yaz, hopeing to reap the benifits of the shorter period it offers. Almost instantly, about a day or so after I was on it, I broke out in this burning, itching rash all over my arms accompanied by terrible headaches. I wasn't sure what was causing it and after much thought, I deduced that the only thing I have changed in the past week is taking Yaz. And it also seems to increase when I am in the sun. It is horrible. I wouldn't reccommed this pill to anyone. I am switching back to Yasmine after I talk to my doctor tomorrow. I had to do tons of research to find out that this is a side effect of Yaz. The biggest concern I have about it, is that it does not list "photosensitivity" as a side effect of Yaz anywhere, but if we are all having increased reactions from sun exposure then it obviously is a problem. I hope doctors become aware of this as a side effect and warn their patients before perscribing on this pill.

Yikes! I'm in with all of you. I was on Yasmin for two years and actually loved it. I had no problems whatsoever. Then, last week I switched to Yaz, hopeing to reap the benifits of the shorter period it offers. Almost instantly, about a day or so after I was on it, I broke out in this burning, itching rash all over my arms accompanied by terrible headaches. I wasn't sure what was causing it and after much thought, I deduced that the only thing I have changed in the past week is taking Yaz. And it also seems to increase when I am in the sun. It is horrible. I wouldn't reccommed this pill to anyone. I am switching back to Yasmine after I talk to my doctor tomorrow. I had to do tons of research to find out that this is a side effect of Yaz. The biggest concern I have about it, is that it does not list "photosensitivity" as a side effect of Yaz anywhere, but if we are all having increased reactions from sun exposure then it obviously is a problem. I hope doctors become aware of this as a side effect and warn their patients before perscribing on this pill.

I've been on Yaz for less than a week. The horrible rash on my eyes, neck, back, arms and chest started two days after I began the Yaz. It itches constantly. After reading the posts above I am sure this is an allergic reaction and will stop taking immediately.

omg im Normal! i started taking yaz before summer of 08. i began to get hives on my arm after spending some time in the sun. the first time i thought it was a sun burn until i got it again after being in the sun for just a short period of time. after seeing a few dermatologists who tried to convince me that it was a sunburn i began to get frustrated because i knew that it wasnt. hives are associated with an allergic reaction. i finally asked my family doctor who finally agreed that it was a sun allergy. i was relieved and devestated at the same time. well after having a reaction a few days ago i decided to research it where i discovered that the photosensitivity can be caused by oral contreceptives. so i googled yaz and sun allergy and came across this post and a few others. excited and relieved.

I have been in the same boat for the past 7 months. I broke out with severe hives and thought it was an allergic reaction to laundry detergent or something. When they did not go away I went to the doctor and he thought they were stress induced and put me on lexapro and a load of antihistimines which are not ideal when going to nursing school. I had been to my GP a total of 8 times in less than 6 months.... NO ANSWERS or help for that matter. Went to a dermatologist... total waste of time and money, which I had no money becasue I am a waitress and was being sent home from every shift due to severe outbreaks on arms and hands during the middle of my shifts. Everything brought these hives to the surface, excersise, work, heat!! Alcohol!! It got to the point it seemed sleeping caused them, I literally thought I was allergic to my own mattress. The most frustrating and emotional time of my life. Went to an acupuncturist and that was the only true compassion I had received from any health professional. Now that I have found this blog site I feel that this could be the answer I have been so desperately seeking! I am going to call my gyno tommorrow and hope that this could finally put an end to the most controlling force I've ever experienced in my life! Thanks for the blogs.