Yasmin and ankles

Hi, ive been on Yasmin now for 1 month and 3 days. A few days after starting it I got a rash on my chest and upper arms which i thought was sparked by the sun/heat. It went away and then a week later my skin slowly started to get itchier and itchier until I was covered in a rash from my ankles to my neck. I looked like I had a weird disease. Even the doctors were impressed, but no one could help. We suspected the pill as it was the only thing that was new to my system, but then it disappeared and we put it down to being caused by stress. Ive just started the next month (like I say 3 days into it) and once again I find myself scratching an feeling basically itchy and very very tired (not that it is unusual the tiredness I have to say, it just seems a little more than normal). I am now pretty sure it is the pill, but am nervous just to stop taking it. I just don't want to go through all that ive just been through with the previous rash, it was HORRENDOUS! Has anyone else had such a severe rash reaction? They were red, itcy spots with a watery kind of top to them........

I started taking Yaz for about 3 months and couldn't tolerate the daily spotting and severely itchy skin from my knees to my ankles. I switched to Yasmin and though I don't have as much breakthrough bleeding, it still occurs daily a week BEFORE my real period. I have very little to no sex drive and I have to use Aveeno 24 hour anti itch lotion immediately after showering (I've lived in a desert climate for over 10 years now and have NEVER depended on anti itch lotion much less regular lotion since starting these pills). It was so bad a couple of nights that I took Benadryl to get through the night. After reading the posts from others, I'm thinking that I must have an allergy as I, too, have constant post-nasal drip in addition to the itching. I have also noticed more hair shedding but luckily for me, I have thick hair. The only benefit is I don't seem as moody as with other birth control pills and have kept my weight somewhat normal despite not exercising and overeating on the weekends. I am going to my PCP to change back to Ortho Novum although I dread the moodiness that comes with increased estrogen. Why can the drug companies come up with incredible drugs like Cialis but 30 years later, we still have @$#! for birth control pills?

Side Effects: Yaz -- daily breakthrough bleeding
Yasmin -- breakthrough bleeding 2-3xs a week
Both-- severely itchy lower legs, constant post nasal drip, hair loss, severely decreased libido, occasional leg cramping

I'm 29, have been on birth control pills for 10 years, and switched to Yasmin about 2 years ago. I a small varicose vein in my right within 2 months of switching, but didn't think a relationship between my vasculature and the pill existed. I can now trace the entire vein from my right hip to my ankle. In the 2 years since starting Yasmin, my ankles and lower legs swelled heavily...but at very random times. It often began at the start of the 7-day sugar pill regime and finished by the time I started a new pack. I assumed that the estrogen withdrawal going into the sugar pills was too much for my body to handle and that the diuretic effects of Yasmin were obviously absent during that time. I also noticed leg cramping, heart palpitations, and I started waking up in the occasional hot sweat in a drenched bed.

So, after making sure that my heart and kidneys were healthy, my gynecologist prescribed continuous hormone Yasmin and claimed it as the "ultimate solution". For 4 months, I have skipped the sugar pills for each pack and started new packages immediately. I have not had a period since, and the edema has continued (still at random) and has become exponentially worse. In the last few weeks alone, the vein in my right leg has become massive, my legs are so distended by the end of the days on which they swellI that I can't fit into pants which are otherwise loose, I am noticing other large veins "surfacing", little veins are breaking everywhere, and I can now see most of the blood vessels beneath the skin in both legs. My primary care physician told me I have chronic venous insufficiency...a diagnosis I'm not okay with. I'm very worried...the changes and ensuing damage have happened way too quickly to be venous insufficiency. I am going to ween myself off of the pill, but don't know what the next step should be. Endocrinologist? Another OB/GYN? Anyone have ideas or similar experiences to share....

Have any of you developed Leukemia after taking Yasmin? Or do you know some one who has developed it and they just happened to be taking it at the time? Any feedback would be appreciated.

After 5 weeks of taking Yaz, I have developed hives, "lobster red" skin and itchiness from my ankles to my knees. The itching is was so bad, I was using a metal hair brush to scratch (I know, not good). It turns out, I'm allergic to Yasmine. Hives is one of the first side effects.

I stopped taking Yaz about 3-4 days ago and the hives went away completely last night (my doctor told me yaz stays in your system 7-10 days).

The doctor also told me, if you do develop hives on this medication, you need emergency help. Hives can spread very very quickly and they can obstruct your airway.

I personally did not go to the emergency room (I didn't know any better), I was able to control them with Benadryl.

I am sad I can no longer take this pill. It was awesome. It took away my appetite, no moodiness, no pms, no weight gain.

:-(

It all finally makes sense!!! I'm 26 yrs old, have been on 3 bc's in my life for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and this past bc was Yasmin. Weird things have been happening and I never thought to link them with the bc but after reading all of these stories it makes perfect sense. Here I'm thinking that I have severe IBS and zero sex drive b/c I'm just a medical disaster but these other woman have opened my eyes. The worst side effect of all is the story that I am about to tell you and I hope that nobody else has this problem. My gyno put me on Yasmin the 8th of Aug. ('07) and at the end of Aug. beginning of Sept. I noticed a big sore knot on the back of my ankle. I thought nothing of it until another one appeared under the skin of my other ankle. I went to my doctor (who is my regular and gyno) and she told me that she didn't know what these lumps were but were NOT caused by my bc. She gave me antibiotics and sent me on my way...one knot went away and another larger one appeared. I went back to her and she gave me a 2nd dose of antibiotics, one goes away and 2 more appear. So this time she sends me to an Orthopedic Specialist who takes x-rays and has no idea what is wrong. He tells me to go see a dermatologist. I went to a dermatologist 2 weeks ago who tells me that I have a blood flow problem. My blood is thick (never had this problem in my life) and has problems flowing back up from my feet in my veins. He diagnosis me with Lipodermasclerosis...ok, so I ask him if this could be caused by my taking Yasmin...YEP! So, I stopped my bc that night. Now I am going to wait the three months for the Yasmin to completely leave my system before I know for sure that this was the cause of the knots on my ankles. Please let me know your thoughts and if anyone has had this same issue. Thank you!

I started taking yaz about 8 months ago January 2007. I started getting some calf pain in the morning but didn't think anything about it, then when I went on vacation at the end of June both calves were hurting, I ended up going to a doctor on vacation and she gave me some muscle relaxers. By the time I flew back home in July, I ended up in the emergency room and given a strong pain reliever. I ended up going on line and went to my doctor the next day and told her that I thought it was Yaz, she send me for an ultra sound and I had a superficial clot in my left calf. Since I have ended up going to a vein specialist and am wearing support hose. Both legs are still really hurting (including my knees and ankles), I also have had severe eye pain and have gone to the opthalmologist, I have been prescribed glasses but feel now that it is the yaz, I have been off yaz for about 2 months and still having severe muscle pain, does anyone know how long this lasts...

I am shocked reading this forum. I thought maybe I had a bit of depression due to seasonal affective disorder. However, I started Yasmin 3 months ago due to a switch in gyno's. He prescribed Yasmin instead of the Ortho Evra patch which I had been using previously for almost 3 years. I noticed several changes, and recently I've even noticed swelling in my legs, and pain in my ankles and feet at night. It's so bad by the end of the day sometimes that I could cry. I have no sexual desire - I'm always moody - I have no desire to do anything worthwhile. It's pretty sad. I feel myself snapping at everyone, and I have treated my boyfriend horribly. The hardest part is realizing all of this, and in a situation where I snap - I think to myself I need to get over this - I need to be happy - and I can only find myself being moody. I am overly tired all the time, and could pass out at the end of the day. I'm stopping the medication today & cannot wait to be done with this HELL. I'll update as to whether or not there are changes. I've never been so happy as when I was on my Ortho Evra Patch.

hi guest 36018.
i have no idea how we would go about gathering evidence about this pill and bringing a law suit. i live in the uk so it is not something we do often.
you mentioned in your post about ear trouble. i have had problems with my right ear since august of 2005 (6 months after i started on yasmin) i have a constantly stuffy ear that popps about 10 mins after i get up and stays that way for 4-6 hours. feels like when you are on a plane and your ears pop and you cannot get them to clear again no matter what you do! one doc said i had a perforated ear drum. no treatment that i have been given so far has worked for me. i have been off yasmin for 8 months now so i am hoping that it will go soon! I found it interesting that you say your gyn gave you this pill for anxiety... i have read a few posts both on this site and on others that women who have pre-existing anxiety seem to do better mentally and if they also had pre-existing pms it seems to help with that too. (of course that is not always the case,some women do much much worse) i had no pre-existing anxiety or pms apart from the usual get a bit grumpy before my period that many women suffer from! when i was on yasmin i developed pretty much every symptom of pmsa (pmsa is anxiety lead pms) and a few besides but they were magnified a hundred times and i suffered them all day everyday not just pre-menstrually. instead of tender breasts i had agonising,couldn't bear to even be touched or hug my kids breasts, instead of mild water retention my legs and ankles felt like they wobbled when i walked,instead of feeling a little low i thought my world was going to end,and the mild anxiety felt like i was in a state of perpetual terror! If you look up the symptoms of pms i am sure you will find all your symptoms but yasmin just makes them really really bad.
It seems like if you already have symptoms when you start yasmin it can help and if you don't it will give you symptoms, it obviously has a major impact on the hormone balance,if you are already suffering before then maybe your hormones are out of whack and yasmin balances them and if you are hormonally stable when you take it maybe it throws you out of balance,i'm afraid it is all if's but's and maybe's and as most doctors either do not know or don't want to believe that our symptoms are caused by yasmin then we are not likely to find out why or how this happens.

sorry if there are loads of spelling mistakes in this post but i am pre-menstrual and my brain just turns to mush and i cannot concentrate,i lose my line of thought!!!!
best wishes to you all ladies.

sarah.

p.s silke, you asked about leg/foot cramps when standing still. i get that if i am on my step excerciser or if i am standing in one place for too long,my feet also tingle and go numb.

Hi-I have been taking Yasmin for almost two months now and I am really upset. I noticed that my hair has been falling out in clumps, and my hairdresser said it definitely was not normal and that she in fact started to lose her hair on Yasmin, then stopped taking the pill and got cortizone injections in her head every week to make her hair grow back. Also, for the past 3 weeks I have had excessive swelling in my ankles...has anyone else experienced this? I know that it has been extremely hot and humid lately, but this has never happened to me in past summers. My breasts are also incredibly swollen, and my doctor told me to give it a couple of months, but my symptoms are only getting worse. I have three days left of this pack before my period, but I don't even want to finish the pack. Will this completely off set my period, even though there are only three pills left?

Just a question to the ladies off of Yasmin... When did you get your period after getting off the pill. I started taking Yasmin on February 27th and when my period actually stopped was March 27th. So I had my period for a month, cramping & sharp pain in my ankles/feet, bloating & weight gain, insomnia, and along with many other side effects, I decided to stop taking the pill all together. I am hoping that it comes soon. (Never thought I would WANT my period to come, haha!) After taking the pill I am dealing with shooting pain in my legs from my ankle to my thigh on occassion. But everything is getting better atleast! Thanks for the help on my previous inquiry.

My previous side effect post:
"Thu, 09 Mar 2006 15:23:45 -0600 by Guest, #19245

In addition to my post below with longer periods, I am also having a horrible cramping/sharp pain that I get on occassion in my feet. I read someone else had this too.

Thu, 09 Mar 2006 15:20:04 -0600 by Guest, #19244

I've just started taking Yasmin on February 27th 2006. My periods are always normal as far as how long I have them. Usually about 4-5 days MAX. Yasmin was really great for my cramping. I noticed I didnt have any to be honest. But It is now March 9th and I am still heavily on my period. That is 11 days now and it doesn't look like it's getting any lighter. I know it has to be a result of the pill because I have NEVER had this with any other birth control, or even off birth control. I've read alot of people saying they had lighter periods, but has this happened to any others? It is really worrying me. I am also having a horrible time sleeping. I feel tired constantly and I am tossing and turning all through the night. More so I would like to know about the longer periods and if it is normal. "

Hi everyone,
It's exactly 7 weeks today post yasmin. I have to say I have been feeliing really great. My anxiety has been pretty much non existant. Except for last fri. I started to get some of the beginning signs of an attack, but I just turned the radio up breathed deeply and focused on something else, and sure enough it never came on.

I had been keeping a diary of my progress day by day, and sure enough the last anxiety attack I had was exactly the same time of the month as the slight one last fri. to the day and actually to the hr. It's quite interesting, so I'm sure it all has to do with hormone levels.

As for the weight gain, it's still not budging, however I feel less heavy, if that makes sense. I'm still swollen. It's on and off, where my hands are huge and my ankles are huge, but it's starting to be a little bit less frequent. I have found that If I have a glass of wine or something normally the next day it's really bad. I'm thinking it's going to take a few months to get regulated.

I have so much more engerty. I'm still taking Bikram Yoga 2 times a week which I think really helps with no anxiety and stress. It's an hr. and a half of focusing on yourself and your body nothing else. I strongly suggest yoga. I never did it before this but I don't know why because it's really great. I'm also running or walking as well, which a few months ago, was a huge struggle to just get up and move my legs.

So I guess I'm a work in progress, I just can't wait for the day that I'm 100% myself and back to my normal weight. If anyone has any other tips in dropping the weight gain that would be great. Just a reminder I gained 30 lbs very quickly in about 4 months.

Thanks,
Hill

Hello,
I have been reading the forum for a couple weeks now. I am a former Yasmin user. I was on the birth control pill for 2-3 years and stopped it 3 months ago.
While on the pill I started experiencing horrible anxiety and panic attacks. I had dizzy spells and was always tired. My ankles and wrists would swell for no reason, it didn't matter what time of the month it was. I also had high cholesterol and I have never had high cholesterol before in my life. I am a dedicated runner with a petite figure, no family history of high cholesterol, and maintain a healthy diet low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables.
Now since I have stopped the pill I have a bit more energy and no more dizzy spells. I am still experiencing anxiety and panic attacks, sometimes worse. And happy to say that I just got my cholesterol checked and it is within normal limits.
But my questions to you all:
-Did anyone have any issues with hair loss after they stopped the pill? I seem to be having a moderate amount of hair loss, can anyone agree?
-Since I have stopped the pill I have failed in getting my period and I'm not pregnant, can anyone relate?
-How long does it take to get my body back to normal?
Thanks for your time
Desperate for Answers

Hi Ladies, Sorry if this is duplicate I had problems with my email. Silke, have you had swelling in your ankles too? Sometimes I feel like I have fat rolls around my ankles and hands because they are so swollen it leaves indentations. My large heels actually were snug this morning. It freaks me out and makes me think I have a blood clot or something, but I know I had so many darn tests I'm from what the dr's say a completey healthy 27 yr. old.

It's crazy. I must say that I took it for over 3 yrs. and I am way way better than I was, however I guess the set backs are a bit discouraging. It's like I feel great, then all of a sudden my leg is killing me and I can hardly type anything on the computer. I'm sure it's going to take a while, but I'm just glad the anxiety is gone.

I have recently started taking Yoga which I believe has helped my recovery process a lot. Gina I have also found that if I start getting dizzy, I will drink a vitamin water, or a gatorade propell water. I haven't found anything to work yet for the fogginess. I think something in those drinks must help stabalize my electrolites or something, which is a help but not 100%.

I did have some horrible night sweats last night and got winded walking to my car this morning, but like all of you have said 6 weeks compared to 3 1/2 yrs. is a very short time to get back to normal.

I also have tried to report my side effects to the hotline number numerous times and I have left several messages, no one has returned my call. Interesting. Those of you who have made a report, have you gotten any answers from them or do they just take your side effects?

I check this site every day and absolutely love hearing what everyone else is going through, b/c it makes me feel like I"m not alone in this mess. Thanks again for everyone that shares.
Hill

Hi, Twogirlsmom, Lisa, Silke, Chrissy and everyone out there it's Hill.
I am on day 34 post Yasmin. If you read some of my earlier posts, I too got a cold, felt horrible and got some of my symptoms back during the cold. I also had/have the bloating/swelling. I should get my period very soon. If I was still on Yasmin I should have gotten my period last thursday, however, when I stopped my pills, even though I had just menstrated, I got my period again about 4 days after stopping for a few days so it should be here soon.

As for the swelling, yesterday my ankles were the size of my thighs, as well as my hands. My fingers were huge, none of my rings fit. And while I was on Yasmin, my face was rather enlarged, around my cheeks. Right now everything is bloated. I am assuming it is due to almost that time of the month and first real cycle off pills.

Driving to work I almost had an anxiety attack, but I some how controled it. So what I'm assuming is it's just because my little ole friend is due, and he doesn't know how to act with out that horrible drug or something.

So keep sharing your experiences I know they helped me so much,
Hill

Hi Ladies, it's Joodles with a 60 day update.....

To Guest #12137:

I can offer an answer to your question about insomnia.

I too suffered from terrible insomnia while on Yasmin and I also had sleepless nights off of Yasmin. It has been 60 days off Yasmin and just last week has been the best week of sleeping through the night! It will get better!

I still have feelings of being anxious while the hormones are readjusting. I have lost 7 1/2 of the 10 pounds I gained going off of Yasmin so at least that is resolving. I no longer retain water in the ankles, no more racing heart, the blood pressure is returning to a more normal level, dizziness is subsiding and my fear of being alone is subsiding. I still have episodes of being afraid but I have to pull myself together and remeber that my body is working to get well and back to a more normal function. I have issues with my skin though; acne like I was a teenager again and hair loss.

Little did I know how Yasmin would effect me mentally and physically.

On August 2nd I have my 2 month follow-up appointment with my GYN. Boy, do I have something to tell her! I am going to try herbal medicine to get my body back in balance. I will let you know what I am taking and how it is working.

We WILL get better now that we are free of Yasmin!

Take care ladies and know that you are not alone!

Joodles

Hi,

I have taken Yasmin off and on for 3 years. I have had depression, alot of crying and erathyma nodosum ?? which is nodules in the lower part of the leg. This is a rare disorder that feeds off of Yasmin. When I am off of Yasmin I am fine. Within the first month of taking the pill I will experience sore upper leg muscles and then within 1 month the soreness will move to my ankles then nodules will become very prevleant on the bones of my legs. The nodules grow QUICKLY even over night. At one time I had 5 and the largest one was 5 inches long. This is EXTREMELY painful and will last up to 8 months from the time you quit taking them if you allow it to get this far. My Dr.'s did not know that the Yasmin was causing this until it was so developed. It was so bad that I had to have punch biopsies on the nodules and set off for diagnosis. If anyone has had this problem please let me know what you did and are doing??
Thanks E

It is 3:19am and I am posting to a forum about my birth control pill!? I think that has to be a side effect! I have read these posts about those of you who have been on this Pill for years and wonder how you have survived!!! I am on day 6 and feel like I could die. I have never had a cramp a day in my life, kidney stones felt better than the cramping I am having. I get sporatic shooting pains through my thighs, my ankles are swelling (and I'm on prescription water pill), I have lost 20 lbs in 2 months from dieting, I have lost an additional 4lbs in 5 days because I can not stay out of the bathroom. I feel like I can't lead a normal life because I have to have a restroom nearby, I never know when I will have to vomit or have diahrea. My 5 yr old daughter had 14 inches of hair cut off Monday and I couldn't even drive her the 2 miles to my sister's house to show her because I was so nauseous!
With each night my sleep has become shorter and shorter and replaced with restlessness! I am 34 yrs old and my tubes are tied, I am on the pill because I have 3 cysts on my right ovary. My Ob wants me to stop ovulating to ease the pain from the cysts, I would much rather go back to that pain rather than experience this! Heck yank the parts out, I don't need them! I was going to give this pill a month, then I said oh ok, I'll give it a week and maybe I'll adjust....I will be calling the Dr in the morning! I took a different pill 17 yrs ago and had no problems, I originally chalked these side effects up to the fact that this is a whole lifetime later. I am so thankful that so many of you have posted so I know it's not my age or my body adjusting!

Hi!

Wow. I cannot echo enough praises for this website! If it was not for this website, and all of your informative posts, I would have never known that the solution to my problems would be as simple as switching birth control! I was on Yasmin for about 3 1/2 months (I have been off for a week now), and although I didn't notice any side effects right away, about a month ago I started having (1) back pain (2) leg pain (3) tingling/numbness in my limbs (4) heart palpitations and shortness of breath to the point I almost passed out several different times (5)trouble sleeping (6)emotionally fragile, and then about three weeks ago, my feet and ankles started swelling and were incredibly painful.

I was searching the internet, desperate to know what was wrong with me and typed in "swelling feet" and one website mentioned that birth control could be a cause. From there I typed in "Yasmin and swelling feet" and it brought me to this website, where I found EVERY SINGLE one of my symptoms had been experienced by at least one other person on Yasmin. I immediately called my obgyn and mentioned my side effects and teh website, and he took me off the pill and I'm now in a "detox" stage. Already I feel A TON better. My feet stopped swelling almost immediately, and although they aren't completely back to normal, they are very close to being there, and are getting better every day. All of my other symptoms have since subsided as well.

The only problem I'm encountering now are symptoms from "withdrawal" of being off the pill -- bad headaches and I'm exhausted all the time.

Can't wait to have this drug out of my system!!

Hi my name is Kari and I have been on Yasmin for about three months. I have experienced some of the same complications as what I have been reading. I have had shakiness, dizziness, loss of sex drive, moodiness, sore breasts, but most serious was just today when I happened to look down at my ankles and could not see the bones. I have so much edema that it leaves big indentations when I press my finger into the side of my foot even. I have also had tingling and numbness in both wrists and legs. Another thing was last week went to a water park and was burned so badly that I have blisters. I have never had a sun burn in my life, and have been on several other BC pills. I was diagnosed with PCOS and was first put on Metformin, a generic Glucophage, which is the newest treatment I was told. That medication did not agree with me so my doctor switched me to Yasmin. I am feeling very depressed as nothing seems to work and losing hope. I find comfort though in just knowing there are other woman out there that have had these same side effects and that I am not just losing my mind. I was starting to feel like a hypochondriac. Thanks for you messages.

Wow, I didn't realize my pills were doing all these things to me.... I just thought something else was wrong with me. I do have frequent migranes, I get dizzy and light headed a lot, and when I lay down to sleep my heart beats so strong that I can feel it through my chest and hear it without putting my hand over my heart. I'm also experiencing severe water retention. My legs are so tight and swollen and my ankles are huge. I have been on the pills for about 3 months and have noticed all these different things but didn't think it was because of the pills. I'm not having panic attacks and much moodiness but my sex drive is also zilch. I thought I was developing heart disease because of the way my heart felt (strange beating and indigestion and tightness of chest) and with the incredible water retention.

I will go off of these pills... but I don't know what else to take. I haven't had much luck with birth control pills at all. If anybody has any suggestions or some good websites for me to investigate please email me at: ******

Thanks!

I have never felt so psycho, horrible, nasty, alternately aggressive then depressed in my life. I yelled at a very old man in a movie theater! I've been edgy and rude all week. To boot, in 7 days I have gained 10 pounds and have the worst acne of my life --- painful, huge, cystic. My legs are so swollen you can't see the bones in my ankles and my feet keep getting cramps. My boyfriend is completely stunned that his happy positive sweetie has turned into a complete horror show. I keep batting him away from me -- I don't want him to even hold my hand -- how how long after I stop taking the pill will these symptoms subside??? Please post and let me know or email me please!!! Thanks so much everyone for writing in. I am going to go cry now.