Yaz side effects

I'm also glad I found this site. I have been on Yaz for nine months for PMDD. I totally thought I was losing my mind. I can't seem to keep focused on one thought at a time, I have had diarrhea since probably about three months into it. Gained weight, sleep problems, anxiety but worst of all my HAIR IS FALLING OUT in clumps. I have super thick hair and now it is so thin that you can see through it and it is getting worse with time. My hairdresser said I have lost 40 percent of my hair. I finally put two and two together and figured out it is the Yaz. I am on no other medications and am going to the doctor tomorrow. I was so scared about my hair. I just hope it grows back soon. I would rather be crazy than bald. I have been on other BC before without any problems. This stuff is too much to handle. Thank you for opening my eyes

I am so glad to have found this site. I really thought that I was losing my mind. I have been taking YAZ for almost 16 months. The first couple of months took adjustments which I gave to taking the new pill. Then I started to get mean. I have almost lost my best friend over this stupid pill. I wanted to hurt people. I became mean and very temperamental. I have never in my life been that way. I am a very kind, loving person. I enjoy people and being with others. I was suddenly closing myself off from the world and didn't want to see anyone or even talk to anyone.
I have been off the pill for a month due to having uterine ablasion and OH MY, what a difference. I am back to me. I am back to enjoying my husband and my children and all my friends again.
This medication really needs to be removed from the market. If someone were to take this who already had a battle with depression, the end results could be catastrophic. My sister's in law's were both on this same bc pill, and when I started to question, they have all the same symptoms that I have been having.
Why does the FDA allow this drug?

I switched to Yaz after searching for help with my PMDD, I asked my doctor about it, because of the commercials I had seen stating it would help severe pre-menstrual disorder, instead I have spent the past month with the same severe symptoms that I was trying to get rid of, but worse I was having them every day; and it was not even close to the time I was supposed to start my period.

The worse side effect was I was down right mean!!! To my boyfriend, my kids, and anyone who would get in my way. Completely irrational, did not care about anyone's feelings but my own.I was saying mean horrible things about the people I love, and thought they were all out to get me. I lost interest in my job, which I love! I have also gained 5 pounds since i started it, and have had diarrhea, and severe heart burn. And I have only been on it for a month and a half. I quit taking it two days ago, and hopefully I will get back to myself again.

Well, I've been on Yaz for 5 months. I was on Ortho tricyclin lo and was fine with it, but my doctor switch me because I stopped nursing my youngest child. So at first I thought that it was great! I stopped getting my periods! What woman actually wants periods? But at the end of each month I was always scared that I could be pregnant and not even know it because I never got my period, which my doctor said was normal... So on top of the $55 a month the yaz cost me, I was also buying pregnancy test each month!

Well, I started having issues in June about a month after I started Yaz, but I didn't put it all together until right now... I have extreme headaches, nausea, diarrhea, terrible menstrual like cramping all the time and like other people said, during sex I am really dry...At this point I have decided to stop taking yaz and switch to something else... I just feel awful all the time.. getting my period once a month is way better than feeling like this!

All the advantages my Doctor told me about taking Yaz... none of them were true for me...

Most comments on here are from women who recently started taking Yaz. Their opinions are biased. When you start taking a new pill of any kind, your body has to adjust to it. Yaz, along with other birth control pills are going to have some unpleasant side effects because look at what they are doing to your body. They are stopping a natural occurring process that your body has done for years. So if you just started taking Yaz, and the symptoms are unpleasant, but bearable, keep taking it. You will feel better. However, if you are on the extreme end, then stop. Coming here to complain really is not going to make you feel any better, because yes, we are all having side effects. When i first started taking Yaz, I was an emotional/anxious mess. My breasts and back were sore, nausea, and flu like symptoms. Yes, they sucked. But now, they were worth it. I feel good. People just need to give their bodies the necessary amount of time for their bodys to adjust, and if you don't want to, stop taking the pill.

My sister at 39 years old recently died from the condition called pulmonary thromboembolism caused by the use of Yaz. Please if you are taking this pill and are experiencing anything negative from it, get off of it immediately. I am currently seeking legal counsel for my sisters death, I believe it is unfair that a product like this can take a human life, and no-one will be held liable. I have been told that it will be virtually impossible to bring a lawsuit against a product that has been FDA approved. My sister left behind three children who love, miss and still needed her. If anyone can give me some type of direction on how to bring a lawsuit against the manufacturer of this product please contact me asap.

I spent yesterday in the emergency room with my 20 y/o daughter. She was experiencing severe cramping and twitching of her right side, swelling of the joints with shooting pains from her shoulders. The symptoms were those of a person with Parkinson's and severe charlie horses throughout their body. After many tests, I was floored when the doctor told me that he believed that it was YAZ that was causing this. She is also anemic, which she has never been. She has been on this medication for a little over one year. I came to this site to convince myself that the doctor was wrong..... isn't this supposed to be the wonder drug? After reading just a handful of the postings, I have found more symptoms that I have dismissed as 'stress from college'. She was placed on this medication for poly cysts caused by accutane! - Now this!!! What is going on with the FDA that they are allowing so many of these horrible side effects!

Just food for thought, with any hormone that you take into your body you will have side effects and it will change your body. Not just Yaz, but all birth control. There are blood clot and stroke risks with all of it if you look up other brands. Best bet to not suffer is to not take any

I've been taking Yaz for the past 5, almost 6 months. I was struggling with PMDD symptoms. There were times when, for a week or more, I would become incredibly depressed, full of rage and anger, I craved anything within chomping distance, and felt like the ugliest human being in the world. My periods were so painful, and I would bleed so much, that all of this just began to control my life. I was literally planning my life around this time during each month. The YAZ has really made a difference in helping solve a lot of these problems, but now I've new problems.

My husband and I have always been very sexually active. We try to make time for sex during the week if we can squeeze it in (we work different shifts), but whether we do or not, we always make up for it a lot on the weekends. However, now, I find myself with no interest. I even encourage him to just skip the foreplay and get down to the deed so I can get it over with. I dry up halfway through, become frustrated if he loses his erection (usually due to my personal lack of interest. I can't imagine that's very arousing. lol) because that just means we will have to work harder to get through this ordeal, and I don't want him kissing on me or doing much of anything to me while we are in the act. It's really damaging our relationship. We are 30 and 31 years old...way too young for this nonsense. I dare say I've even thought a time or two, "Why can't he just have an affair like every other husband and leave me alone?" Yeah, I don't mean that at all, but it's crossed my mind.

That's my biggest issue with it, well, that and the monthly cost. The other side affects I had were dry mouth, dry hair (?? - not sure if this is directly related), lower abdominal pain, mild weight gain, and a rash that broke out on my lower legs and left forearm. These are the CONS so far. I'll list my pro's, too, just to be fair.

PROS" Periods, while still very painful, last about 2 to 2.5 days. The painful part only the first day. The food cravings usually only a couple of days instead of a week or more. Mood swings, if any, are not as severe and are shorter in duration. I feel like a normal woman just having normal PMS mood swings now instead of mood swings you see in those crazy women on those Lifetime for Women movies or something. lol I also suffer from migraines, and these pills don't seem to have affected them one way or another. This is actually good enough for me because usually BCPs have caused them to worsen over time.

So there you have it. It's my own long, personal experience with YAZ.

EVERYONE....LET'S HELP OTHER WOMEN FROM TAKING THIS MEDICATION AND REPORT THESE SIDE EFFECTS TO THE FDA. GO ONLINE AND FILL OUT THE FORM....IT'S EASY AND WELL WORTH IT! ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THESE DRAMATIC SIDE EFFECTS KNOW THAT THIS DRUG IS HARMFUL

I started taking Yaz only 6 days ago and I started getting headaches and some nausea. This subsided by day 4 or 5. By about day 5 I felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster. I have been sobbing and feeling deeply depressed. I was sent home from work today (day 6 on Yaz) because of my "unexplainable" sobbing and lack of emotional control. Not only is this behavior completely unlike me, it was embarrassing. I have never suffered from depression, nor does it run in my family. Judging from this experience, I would not recommend this Birth Control pill to ANYONE, it is harmful and toxic to your body.

Agree with the earlier post -- read the drug insert that comes with your Rx! Majority of these side effects are well-known. Blood clots are a very well-known potential side effect of hormonal birth control -- non common but certainly devastating if it happens. Chances are good that these individuals have a genetic tendency toward abnormal clotting. The only good news for these gals is that they've had a warning (it's likely to happen again).
Re sexual dysfunction, it is a VERY common side effect of all hormonal BC. But especially with Yasmin and Yaz -- the form of progestin in these BC pills has anti-testosterone action which is great for acne but lousy for your sex life. Unfortunately, you might not be able to have clear skin AND libido.
For those with serious mood disorders on the pill, consider non hormonal forms of BC -- copper IUD inserted by an experienced clinician is worth considering.
And gals in your 40s, guess what? PMS often gets worse with age and then slides right into perimenopausal symptoms (did u know 10% of women never stop having hot flashes?!). Normalizing with BC pills is an option, but the sexual side effects are even worse for us older gals.

i want my body back!! i've been on b/c for the past 4 years. 3 Yasmin 1 yaz. i feel so stupid that i did not notice what it was doing to me . my side effects were no where as bad as everyone else's, but one thing is for sure, i have NO SEX DRIVE AT ALL!! I feel so bad for my husband. For the past three years i have been totally against having sex and always have to force myself. this is not normal for a 26 year old old who has a wonderful, good looking husband who i love with all my heart. my chest gets sore a lot as well. i just want to get off of these pills already so i can be myself with out chemicals interfering in my life. we're going to try condoms for a while until my husband can go in for a vasectomy. i wish there were more birth control options out there that won't screw u up.

I took Yaz for 8 months. I suffered bilateral pulmonary embolism in April 2008. I have an enlarged right ventricle and tricuspid regurgitation due to the PE's, which I have to be on medication for the rest of my life. I am now unable to take any form of hormone replacements to control my endometriosis and ovarian cyst, so I am now looking at a possible hysterectomy. I am only 30 years old, which way too young to be having these health problems, all due to a birth control pill!!

I have been taking Yaz for one month to give it a shot... Yaz isn't making me as horrible as far as moody like depo was, but definitely feeling a little crazy. I started having hallucinations! I checked out other posts and I am not alone...weird how it effects everyone differently...These weren't scary hallucinations, but seeing things that aren't there is scary enough. Also feeling extremely weepy and tired, back pain but thought my body was just adjusting. Always hungry, bloated but then a couple weeks and it seems I am 5lbs thinner. I am just not doing well with the Yaz and will have to think of something else. I never had acne, always regular periods but was starting to have longer PMS symptoms so wanted to get on a low hormone BC to help that. If anyone knows of something that worked for them, please let me know!!

Hi ladies! I started Yaz in June 08 after taking Ortho-Tricylcen-Lo for 6 years (It wasn't treating my cramps or mood swings anymore). The first month was bad. I had mood swings, breast tenderness, lower back pain, anxiety, weight loss, and no sex drive. I didn't attribute this to the pill, I associated it with a very, very emotional and difficult experience that was currently occurring in my life. By the second month, I put 2 and 2 together, and realized it was Yaz. I am a pharmacist, so I am well aware of the types, mechanisms, and incidence of these side effects. I knew that these side effects usually disappear with time after the body adjusts to a new/different form of progestin. By the third month, all of the side effects had subsided, except for the inability to gert aroused, which is very unusual for me! It wasn't so much the lack of interest, but the lack of physical arousal ("getting wet"). I almost got off the pill just because of that, but I decided to tough it out just to see what happens. By the fourth month everything is back to normal and I feel great. I lost a little weight, my breasts don't get swollen and tender during the third week (like a tricyclic pill), a don't have unusual mood swings, and my period is average in length and heaviness. It was a bumpy road, but that is to be expected when you mess with the body's natural balance. It takes time to recalibrate hormones, during which time you will not feel yourself! Weird stuff will happen! I think Yaz is a good drug and patients should stick with it for at least 5 months ( or at the digression of your physician of course), unless you experience a side effect that alerts you to a serious problem (severe leg cramps, difficulty breathing, or suicidal ideation). As for the fact of it being "new and unstudied", that's not completely true. Yasmin is a higher dose of the same drugs as Yaz and it has been around practically forever. This is an excellent forum, but don't be scared off or expect a cure-all from a low dose hormone. Good luck!

I am so glad I found this site!! I have only been taking Yaz for about 1 week but I can already feel the changes. I find myself becoming withdrawn and my sex drive went from 60 to 0 in 2.2 seconds!!! No wonder why, there is a testosterone blocker in this thing! No one has a sex drive without that!!
To make matters worse, I am breaking out with a rash on my face and forearms. My hair has also gotten dry!! Did I mention it's been one week?! I have been so thirsty and could not figure out why until I read that there is a diuretic in the pills. I'm getting these dark circles under my eyes, who know why that's happening but I'm not sticking around to find out. I am getting off now!!!

HELP....I'm getting married in 3 weeks and I've been off of Yaz for two days now and I'm still REALLY bloated with diarrhea, nausea and just overwhelming sadness. I was only on it 7 days. I tried it because the commercial made it look like my answer to PMDD. I've had a tubal so I don't need it for birth control. How long will these feelings continue? Any answers are appreciated.

Hey everyone. I just want people to be aware of how dangerous this drug is. I know there are people out there that can take this for years and nothing bad will happen to them and they love it, but just keep these things in mind before you start taking it. And keep it in mind if you are taking it now, things to watch out for. I am 25, healthy, I don't smoke and I just got out of the hospital from a pulmonary embolism caused by YAZ. I was there for a week and now have to be on blood thinners for a period of months to a year. I was lucky because if the clot would have been on the other side of everything it would've gone to my brain and I would've had a stroke. Not that it was all fun and games being in my lung. It caused 2 blood clots, one pretty big. I didn't have the classic symptoms of blood clots so the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I had a rapid heart rate (not too fast but faster than mine is usually, it was around 90-110 bpm), I got out of breath real quickly, I had pain in my neck which turned into a really bad pain in my back when I would breathe deeply. I didn't have the swollen legs which is a classic blood clot symptom. I just want to make sure people know what they are risking when they take this pill. They say there is a risk of blood clots and for women over the age of 35 to not smoke, etc. I would recommend just not taking this pill or any birth control at all, but if you do please don't smoke and please watch for these symptoms!!

Hello All -

I just wanted to update everyone on how I am feeling after getting OFF Yaz. I feel like my old self again! Thank you God! The mood swings are gone, the sadness is gone, the upset stomach, back pain, calf cramps... just all the physical and mental pain is gone and I finally feel good again.

After my 16 year old told me she is sexually active with her boyfriend, I took her immediately for an exam and birth control. The OB/GYN wanted to give her Yaz and I said HELL NO, and then told her about all my troubles. She was shocked and said No one she has given it to has had any issues. Which to that I said, that’s odd since there is a website where there are numerous posts to the contrary.

For anyone considering this drug, PLEASE read all the posts on this site and think long and hard if you really want to take the chance on having any of these terrible 'side effects' happening to you or someone you love.

I've heard nothing but good things about Yaz. The commercials make it look like a DREAM drug......one I truly needed. I'm 34 and getting married for the second time. My PMDD has become horrible. I started YAZ 7 days ago because I didn't want to be on my period for my honeymoon but mostly because I wanted to be a normal woman. I have 1 good week out of the month. I'm so tired of the mood swings and everything that is associated with PMS/PMDD. Well after day one I was horribly nauseated just like I was when I was pregnant. That has been daily. My stomach felt very"anxious" like I was nervous all the time and that is NOT me at all. It never dawned on me it could be the YAZ I thought it was nerves because of the upcoming wedding. I felt depression that I hadn't felt in a while since getting engaged. And it was almost a "hopelessness". Last night when I was driving home from work, day 6, I started coughing for no reason. I haven't been sick at all. It was like I couldn't quit. My left chest area was on fire and radiated to my back. I finally started thinking what in the world could this be so I got online and researched side effects of Yaz and boy am I glad I did. It blows my mind at the poor women who have either suffered threw a blood clot, or have died from it and ALL the other side effects I see on here that are just like mine. I'm so glad that I found this because today the Yaz went in the garbage. I refuse to take it anymore. I was worried all night I had a blood clot in my lung that I could barely sleep. I don't think anyone is aware of these problems associated with this medication. I hope they recall it soon!

I took YAZ for 9 months. Within those 9 months I have noticed that my mood was completely different from my mood when I was on Loestro 24. By the end of 9 months I was depressed, worried about everything (especially right before my period) crying all the time, and down right crazy! I don't have PMDD, and I don't think it is good to take this pill unless you know that you have it. This pill emotionally made me crazy and caused me a lot of depression which is something that I am not used to. I switched back to Loestro24.. and felt 1000 times better the next month, my only issues with that pill is that after a long period of time of taking this pill, I get acne all over my legs, which is weird. I recently tried to switch to Femcon FE... and that was terrible, I was really sick from that pill. I don't know that birth control pills are the answer, they all have some kind of weird side effects, but I do know that I would not recommend YAZ to anyone who doesn't want to cry every month. This pill made me crazy!

Hello all! for everyone considering getting off of yaz because of the side effects, from experience i say DO IT!! I took it for about a year and definitely became a different person. I've never been really emotional, i've always been active, and never had many heath problems (fortunately!) - It took me a long time to associate my changes with yaz, because they didn't come suddenly, but became gradually worse after a few months. I started getting worried about everything, and acting irrationally...especially in my relationship. I got insecure, needy and moody, and that obviously didn't help, especially when he was used to being with someone laid back and easy going!! things mattered to me that would never have before. i hate drama, and i just seemed to be causing it! i also gained some weight, but didn't notice that right away either. at one point i began having sharp pains that my doctor said were at my bladder, and i only felt them during sex. I went to two doctors and they couldn't figure out what they were so i just had to deal. they were horribly painful, and i've never had anything like it before, or since. i ended up getting off the pill by accident when i didn't realize my prescription had run out. at this point my boyfriend and i had broken up, and i now know a big part of it was how emotional and irrational i had become. i decided to stay off of it, because i don't medication anyway unless its truly necessary.

I didn't start feeling any different for about three months. i didn't know there would be a completely different set of side effects for coming off of it either!! so about 3 months later i started having these awful stomach pains. i had no idea what it was, i had never felt anything close to it. a friend suggested it was gas but i knew better...it was very odd and lasted almost 2 weeks. i felt nauseous almost every day. i didn't know what was wrong with me! i couldn't find anything exact online, so i planned on seeing a doctor shortly. i lost weight suddenly, and another friend asked me about it. i hadn't changed my diet or activities so i was confused! then i thought....maybe i lost this weight bc of my birth control, and we continued to look up symptoms online. WOW. everything i felt was described perfectly, and many sources said it took about 3 months to get out of your system!

i noticed i felt emotionally stable again too. it was me again! i figured it was relationship probs that made me feel crazy before, but at this point i was able to sit back and think about everything rationally. i think my craziness caused a good amount of them...i cant believe all of the changes i had, and didn't even know it.

anyway, ive been off of yaz for almost a year now and its great. i have a new boyfriend, and everything is great- i'm no emotional wreck, i don't make issues out of nothing, and when we do have an issue we're able to discuss it like normal people. life is much more simple. and its nice knowing the decisions and acts i make are all just bc thats how i am...not because of some medication!!

i know that was long, but hopefully it was helpful :)

I'm a 22 year old newlywed and Yaz has been a nightmare. I was on Diane when I was 16 for a year for cysts on my ovaries, and after my period became regular I stopped it... Cysts came back at 19, took Yasmin, and cleared up again, it also helped with my acne. I wanted to get back on the pill for birth control purposes before my wedding, so I started September 2008. The wedding was in December 08, and about a month later, the side effects started to show up. My eyesight (previously 20/20) had gone back 2 points. I was always very slim, but I immediately noticed my bloating, and by the third month, I had gained 15 pounds. I became a miserable mess, irrationally emotional and anxious. But the major side effect of this poison as I like to call it was something that affected my marriage. Before the pill it'd be very very easy for me to get aroused/wet/in the mood/. Now I am dry, no amount of foreplay will get me wet, and this has lead to bigger repercussions. Due to the dryness, there was of course a sharp pain with intercourse. After trying for so long, and growing more frustrated, I developed a condition called vaginismus, where the vaginal muscles involuntarily clench up and become tense right before intercourse. No amount of trying and coaxing and trying to relax will help, this has become another condition altogether that needs treatment and therapy. I was becoming more and more emotional due to the buildup of these side effects. and geting even more frustrated by my doctors telling me its the 'best pill around'. I decided to stop the pill on my own cold turkey. I was on Yaz from Sept 08 till July 09 and I'm slowly getting my old self back. Its a process that takes time, but this was the best decision I've made. Nobody deserves this kind of distress over a stupid pill. As others mentioned, my period was a lot lighter but with a different and dark, sludgy consistency on the pill. I'm about to start my second natural period off of Yaz and I don't care that my periods are heavier and more natural now, with PMS discomfort. I'd rather live with that than unnatural hormones that almost ruined my life.

DON'T TAKE THIS PILL!!!!

Hello everyone. I have been taking YAZ for a little over two years now. It started off great. My mood was better, my cramps and back pain was diminished. However, over the last few months all of these symptoms and more have come back in a rage. I have not had a period in months and I have extreme pain in my uterus when I have sex. I have decided to stop taking my pill and see if I become regular again. I will keep you all posted. I don't know if it is all because I have been on it for so long or what, but it's freaking me out. I'm supposed to have a period. I've taken 4 pregnancy tests over the last 4 months and they are all negative. I also have HPV and I'm not far from cervical cancer. So if this pill is causing all of these problems, I want to stop them and have a baby before I have to have my cervix removed. Good Luck to all of you.

Also if anyone else is having any sort of similar issues please let me know.

I'm on the third week of my second month on Yaz, and I am so grateful for this site. Just last night I had calve spasms - I had NO idea that had anything to do with my birth control. I have the complete opposite libido effect, my body wants sex ALL the time. I say I have suicidal thoughts, but I have never seriously thought about doing physical harm, I've just had the "I should just take fifteen Advil and put an end to my misery" thoughts.. which I guess are, normal? I have awful mood swings. It's like I live in two realities, the one I lived in before, where my life was wonderful, and the one I live in now - It's almost like I can SEE the evil in people, I can see them manipulating and taking advantage of me, people I love. People that would never do these things to me. I never had these feelings before I got on Yaz. Something is definitely wrong, and this has pretty much ruined my birth control experience.

(EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS) I started taking YAZ two and half months ago and everything started out O.K. Then after missing one pill, I started having the worst cramps I've ever had in my entire life. I kept taking my pills on time in hopes of stopping the period and cramps but instead while I was bathing a Huge Fleshy Mass came out of me followed by several blood clots. My husband immediately put the mass in a sealed bag and put it in the refrigerator. I took it it in to see a specialist which claimed it probably was some weird side effect to YAZ causing my Uterine Wall to shed. He also admitted the pill hasn't been out long enough to study all the potential side effects. He suggested I finish out my supply and switch to another type of birth control pill. Yesterday I just started my period again, prematurely, and my cramps are again unbearable...I'm dead tired and moody and hope I'm not passing another mass...and I've made it up in my mind to throw away this year supply of YAZ and suggest anyone taking it with harsh side effects to do the same. REMEMBER LADIES THE RECALL ON THE PATCH THAT MADE SO MANY WOMEN VERY SICK??? DON'T BE A GUINEA PIG AND END UP NOT BEING ABLE TO GET PREGNANT. I wish you all the best in finding the right form of birth control...Take Care!!!

I was thinking about taking YAZ just for the PMS symptoms I am having. I am bipolar and on lamictal but I am not at a high enough dose to where it will help me with PMS symptoms which are as worse as what is described below. I love my lamictal so I will go up to a higher dose before I try YAZ. I have and IUD so it is not for bc. Just for you to try if you are taking this for PMDD. My gyn prescribed 25mg of zoloft one week before your period starts and during your period. This worked great. I was calm, I didn't overeat, I felt normal. The downside is when you stop taking it you experience withdrawal which for felt just like PMS.
So thanks for the postings they helped me decide to try other things first.

Hi, I have been taking Yaz for about 6 months. I struggle with PMDD. I was really nervous to try as I've heard horrible things from all of these forums. However, I noticed IMMEDIATE improvement in my irritability, rage, crying, insecurity. For the first time since having children, I feel confident, and my moods are steady through the whole month. My periods are also only 2 days and very light! The only complaint I have is that my sex drive is completely gone. So, I feel I need to make a choice between "faking i'm interested" or keeping my emotions in check.

I took YAZ for 2 weeks and for the first week i felt kind a drunk and experienced mood swings,crying ,fatigue,dizziness,migraines.intense anxiety,panic attacks and depression and severe Acne on my face and back. I decided to get off Yaz 3 days ago. I am still experiencing many of these symptoms,and yesterday while shopping I got really panicky and turned pail and dizzy thought i was going to pass out :( that sick feeling to my stomach.Today I got my period 1 week early. I used this drug in hopes to help my PMDD,but instead it magnified everything i had 10x worse. Im confused??? I called the doctor and she said you aren't even supposed to start getting symptoms of side effects for three months of being on the pill??

Does no one realize that this is normal for MOST BC. The low sex drive is normal! Mood swings.... normal. It can take up to 6 months for the meds to get out of your body once you stop taking them. I would suggest getting on a non hormonal birth control. Does no one read the side effects to Meds before they start taking them?

I am only seventeen and i have been experiencing horrible anxiety. I have only gained a couple of pounds but every time im with my boyfriend i don't want him to touch me because i feel so self conscious about my body, then all of a sudden i'll start crying. Why? i don't know. And i will randomly be so angry that i just have to scream and punch a pillow. This is horrible i feel depressed and im normally never like this. Bad Pill.

Thank God for this Site!!!

Just wanted to add a recent post. I have all the same symptoms... fatigue, emotional roller coaster, dizziness, headaches, as well as feeling incredibly insecure. I want NOTHING to do with sex. TMI warning... My boyfriend and I used to have sex AT LEAST on a daily basis, now I cant stand to think about it. I am 25 and have played sports all my life. I even coach for a high school team. This BC is aweful. On top of not having enough energy to do ANYTHING, when I pushed myself to workout, there were absolutely NO results. This is a debilitating drug that has been branded with an incredible amount of false advertising. It seems the pro's that the company braggs about the most, couldn't be further from the truth.
So once again, if you don not want:
Dizziness
Eye sensitivity and pain
Extreme mood swings ( from throwing things to crying over commercials)
Severe cramping (even when not on your period)
Insecurity
Weight gain and inability to loose weight
Food craving
Migraines
Oily hair
acne
Fatigue
DO NOT TAKE YAZ!!!!!

I started taking Yaz 2 years ago after my son was born. I didn't have any side effects for a long time and was generally happy with the pill. About a year after being on Yaz I started getting horrible anxiety and depression. It was really beginning to interfere with my life. I always felt on edge, my heart was constantly racing, I felt down, starting binge eating, etc. I also started noticing that my blood sugar was out of wack. I became hypoglycemic and had to eat little snacks every hour to keep myself from having my blood sugar drop too low. I sometimes even had to take a glucose tablet. My thoughts were always racing. I felt like I was going crazy. After going to my PCP and a psychiatrist and not getting any relief from the way I was feeling, I took it upon myself to stop taking Yaz to see if that made a difference. Well, since stopping Yaz my anxiety, depression, and hypoglycemia has completely disappeared. I feel happy again, normal and healthy. I have gained a few pounds and my skin is an oily mess, but I would much rather deal with that than the hell I was dealing with before. I'm not big on taking medicine unless I absolutely have to and this experience has only made me feel stronger about that. I think I will go back to using condoms and give my body a break. (forever)

Hi,

I've been taking YAZ for 2 1/2 weeks. First I should tell you that I suffer from PMDD and I wanted to give this a try. I would eat none stop...bad stuff like donuts and fried foods and I was just very touchy and angry for no reason with no energy. I know it's still early but I did have the extreme fatigue, sharp painful headaches, blurred vision, muscle aches the first couple of weeks but yesterday and today I feel GREAT! To early yet to notice if my moods will continue to improve or not be so drastic before I start my period but this is exactly the time that I would start being a monster before...I did feel a little sad during the first couple of weeks but that has gone away! I'm happy except I have noticed some hair loss just in the last couple of days. I hope this is temporary until my body adjusts to the medication because if you suffer from PMDD you will know that the minor initial side effects are definatley worth it (except I would rather have my hair and be mean) lol...we will see. I hope this helps...Sex drive is fine so far...Please write something regarding hair loss if you have been taking it longer and yours stopped after awhile. I don't wanna lose too much. Take care! God Bless Women...We have to be strong and we are!

Just a quick update on my daughter. After speaking with her OBG-YN I was told to have her stop taking Yaz immediately. So please if you are having the same bad reaction to Yaz, call your doctor and get off of it even if you are not finished with the pack. Now it will be a waiting game to see how long it will take her to be her happy self again. i thank everyone for their post because it opened my eyes to what was happening to my daughter.

My daughter started taking Yaz 3 months ago. The first month she was fine. Then all of a sudden in her second month she became depressed. Crying all the time, moody, very tired and just plain unhappy. She is a college athlete and always has been happy miss social butterfly. She has lost interest in all the things she loved 2 months ago before taking this pill. After all the research I have done, I told her to stop taking this pill now. Hopefully after a few weeks from now she will feel like herself again. She is away at college and I am so worried. I would tell everyone stay off this pill its horrible.

Talk about an enlightening site. I am so thankful to have found this site and everyone's posts. I was on Yasmin then switched to Yaz the moment it was released. I switched because of low libido, fatigue and other symptoms possible associated with the Yasmin. So, I think it's been 3 years now and I guess things have come to a head because my sex drive is non-existent and I have now missed 2 periods (3 pregnancy tests - all negative), all I want to do is sleep, dizziness, and lower abdominal cramping to the point where my internists tested me for Celiac disease and other digestive problems. Tests turned up negative. So, after calling my gyno, and explaining my symptoms to the nurse, another missed period, and neg preg test, she suggested I take some time off of BC. She also said that one of the side affects of BC are low libido. Well, I think I'm going to take my chances, because I feel so dried up inside, not feeling sexual is causing major problems with my boyfriend. I have an ultrasound scheduled this week to rule out cysts or blockages possible causing the lower abdominal cramping. But my big question... HOW LONG BEFORE MY LIBIDO RETURNS? Can anyone give me some assuring words that I'll want sex again?

Hi all. I was on Yaz for over a year. After about the 9 month, and an international move I noticed my mood swings and emotions were out of control. I attributed this to the move, but after about 3 months realized that this could not be it. I became irritable, cried a pin drop, and had zero energy. I felt like I had no control over anything. I started doing research and have had great success with Yasmin. It has the same dosing as Yaz but only 21 days.

Im 18, been on YAZ going on three months now. I was actually looking forward to a little weight gain, but haven't seen any. I got on the pill one for BC, which as far as my periods go is fine. But I also wanted to reduce the mood swings and lately it seems they haven't gotten much better. All of a sudden ill be in a great mood like I want to be, then the next ill be in a crabby mood for no reason. I also got in a car accident a few weeks ago (my fault) and have noticed that since I started the pills I haven't been as alert while driving. I always get side tracked and find myself slamming on the breaks and cutting people off, which was not the case before the pills. Does this have any relation to taking Yaz?

I have been on yaz for at least a year now and the only side effect i have is ZERO sex drive what so ever...i feel that this is going to really threaten mine and my boyfriends relationship....has anyone had the same effect?

I am 42 and started YAZ three weeks ago. Since starting the pill I have been seriously depressed! I have no energy, no desire to see friends or go out, I have no energy to do any of the things I normally love to do. I have no reason to feel so down! Life is good. I wondered if YAZ could be the culprit and then I saw these postings (thank you for sharing!). I have no doubt YAZ is making me depressed. Other symptoms I have are daily headaches, mood swings (crying, no patience, anger),lack of concentration, forgetfulness and no sex drive. I plan to finish this pack and stop. I started YAZ to help control PMS which seems to be getting worse as I get older. I'd much rather have PMS for 6 days than feel this horrible the entire month.

The first week I took yaz, I had a bad stomachache, but after that I was fine. I've been taking it for three months now with no side effects at all.

I have just recently began taking Yaz and am starting to experience side effects. I am in my third week, and am having a lot of anxiety, heart palpitations, mild headaches and shortness of breath. Sometimes I feel dizzy and I take them at night so that I do not experience the nausea that I know comes along with bc pills. I am on them because of my hormones being out of whack but I think I would almost rather deal with that than all of these symptoms. I think it's time to contact my OB/GYN and get off of these things...

I have been on Yaz for eight months and absolutely loved it at first...about three months ago, my boyfriend and i broke up and i had a full blown period when i wasn't supposed to.....I just figured it was from stress. But for the last 5 weeks, I have had two full blown periods that lasted four days each and spotting every week to the point that I have to wear a tampon just so i don't ruin any more underwear...ive heard this could be from stress or weird hormone levels, but its just weird that i did so well on it for the first seven months and now this???? whats going on??

I was prescribed Brazvia (sp) and wasn't too satisfied with it, and was then prescribed Yaz.I'm 20 years old and I'm only on my second week and I can feel the effects. I have ZERO energy. I am always tired and moody and my sex-drive is non-existent. I feel myself craving food more often than I should. My hormones are through the roof. I cry over everything and anything, and I have no temper. I have basically turned into a crazy person since beginning the pills. I will continue for another month just to finish the two packs I have, and if nothing changed I'm returning to Brazvia which is bliss compared to Yaz.n

i have been on yaz for about 1 month now. i am a little scared to start my next pack. i have been feeling a little depressed and not much like myself. i figure i'm just in a rut right now. could it be from the pill? i feel tired and sad a lot. i go to the gym everyday and normally i'm pretty active. i just don't feel like me. i have tried the ring, loestrein, and the patch in the past and all of them gave me nausea and weight gain. so far i don't think i've gained any weight and i don't feel sick but the depression has got me curious. if anyone has experienced this please let me know. i don't know if i should stop the pill or not.

Hi I am 33 and has had a bilateral tubal ligation (cauterization) and I a have stopped having a regular monthly cycle for the last 2 years My doctor prescribed this BC for me over a year ago, however I did not fill the prescription. But about a month ago my period finally came after being absent for about 4 months. It was very heavy, bleeding through my clothes and feeling weak. After having my period for about 2 weeks I decided to go to my obgyn to get some help, she gave me provera for 5 days to stop the bleeding and said that I should take the yaz to regulate it. The provera stopped the bleeding for 3 days then I started to bleed again. She said that was normal. I started the yaz about 9 days ago, and began to feel very sick. I wanted to vomit all the time, my head hurt like crazy, I became very moody, restless in the night when its time to go to bed and ends up staying up all night. I ended up missing days from work and when I did go in I would leave early. I decided to stop taking it and for the last two days have felt better. However I have started bleeding again. I really don't know what to do but I don't think I want to continue taking any form of BC.

WELL i AM AT THE 4TH WEEK 0F TAKiNG YAZ AND iT WAS G00D AT FiRST. EVERYTHiNG iT SEEMED T0 BE FR0M THE WEBSiTE AND C0MMERCiALS. BUT AR0UND THE 3RD WEEK i N0TiCED THAT i HAD G0TTEN A LiTTLE BL0ATED AR0UND MY MiD SECTi0N AND THAT i WAS QUiTE M00DY. AND THiS iS 0NLY THE SEC0ND TiME THAT i HAVE EXPERiENCED iNS0MNiA BUT i HAVE SCH00L C0MiNG UP AND i CANT AFF0RD BEiNG SLEEPY iN CLASS FR0M LACK 0F SLEEP. i HAVE N0 0THER C0MPLAiNTS THAN THAT BUT i THiNK THAT i AM G0iNG T0 ST0P TAKiNG THE PiLL

Thank God i saw these postings. I'm 44 and I'm on my third month of taking YAZ, i thought i was loosing my mind. I have been unmotivated, no energy, depressed, do not feel like doing any of my normal routines, I have not worked out for 3 weeks because i'm so exhausted. I feel like a different person, not my self. I am getting off of this pill today. Can anyone tell me what a good alternative pill would be?