Yasmin and anxiety and depression

Hi to all Yasmin victims. I have been off Yasmin for 2 months now and still experiencing anxiety in the mornings and depression. Silke, flower babies, whoever is there to help me believe this suffering will come to an end. I lost the joy in life, and cannot function as i used to. Please please write to me girls, i really need support. I am 26 and living on my own in another city. I had to move next to them for 1.5 months in order to survive. I lost so much weight, my thyroid started to work fast (it is under control now). I have a beautiful and loving boyfriend, and he is suffering with me too, our relationship is damaged a lot because of my severely depressed mood. I need to talk to people who are getting better. I am on antidepressants because I was soooo depressed and with no appetite. I feel much better compared to the previous month, I am trying my best to stay strong but sometimes loose my hope. I really need you guys, I really need your supporting words.

I am now 21 and it's been almost a year since I stopped taking Yasmin.I was on it for about 6 months, and I put on some amount of weight at the beginning (about 5 pounds). It was only months later, that I finally suspected I might not be going crazy after all, and that my bouts of anxiety and depression might have something to do with the medication. It was an absolutely horrifying experience. Some research online confirmed that it could be the case and I stopped. The immediate flux in emotion disappeared but it was like a pandora's box of insecurity and self doubt had been opened, and I've only just learned to feel really comfortable with myself again.

I started taking Yasmin a month or so before I got married. I didn't notice too many side effects at that time (probably because I was stressed about the wedding plans) but the two months following my wedding day were terrible. I couldn't figure out why I was so unhappy. It should have been the happiest time of my life. I had so much anxiety and depression, and my poor new husband had to deal with it all! The worst part of all was that in those two months, I gained 25 pounds for no reason at all. I have been off the pill for another 2 months and have tried desperately to get the weight off. It's not going anywhere. I feel terrible about my body now.

The anxiety, depression, and mood swings are gone though... I will never go on a birth control pill again... Especially Yasmin.

Sorry to hear about everyone. It truly makes you think you are going crazy!

Im so happy I found this site, as I too thought I was alone in this. I really beg someone to tell me, oce they came off the pill, how long did it take for them to recover? and for their first period to come? I was on the pill for less than a year, and came off it in Feb 08. It's now Sept 08 and still have not had a single period since. My weight has been fluctuating ridiculously, and the mood swings have made me lose SO many friends its unbelievable. i don't have energy to do anything, ive it a total depression. Im begging someone to just tell me how long after they stopped did everything feel back to normal? im worrying as its been 6 months for me and still nothing!!

I have only been taking Yasmin for a week. I am a healthy 35 year old woman and had not taken the pill in over 7 years. It is so OBVIOUS and striking that only after a week I feel terribly depressed and anxious. During the weekend, my heart was racing, I was crying and depressed for no reason. My "status" on facebook said "I feel lonely" until my friend asked me if I was taking any meds and all of a sudden everything was clear. It is so clear that the cause of this severe malaise is Yasmin. Yasmin caused me to be severely depressed and anxious in only a week of taking it. I will stop it immediately. I am also very upset at the nurse practitioner because I specifically requested she choose a pill that wouldn't cause depression! urg!!!

Hello all Yasmin Survivors.
I stopped taking Yasmin in July 2005 and three years on I am still re-building my life! I feel this pill and its side-effect stole some of my best years, I am 33.
My main side effects were extreme anxiety, agoraphobia, pounding heart, panic attacks, fear of doing anything (even going 10 minutes away from my own home). I was on it for 12 months and the side-effects started very gradually at about 5-6 months, I barely noticed them creeping up on me. It took me another 6 months of taking it to start to question whether Yasmin could be causing the extreme change in my personality. I think if I hadn't stopped I'd have had a major breakdown. I had lots of weird physical symptoms too including, bloating, passing urine all the time, leg cramps, dizziness, hair loss.
Anyway, all the extreme anxiety and stress caused by Yasmin left me with exhausted adrenal glands - which I'm now trying to re-build. Anyone feeling fatigue, nervousness, anxiety, inability to handle stress in the same way as you used to, PMS several months after stopping Yasmin should look into Adrenal Fatigue as a possible cause of their symptoms. It's hard to treat and can take a long time to recover - but there are lots of things you can do to help your body re-build. Visit ******(doctor Andrew W. website on Adrenal Fatigue) as a start to find out more about the condition and how to find out whether you are suffering from it.
It would be good to hear from more people re-building their lives after the impact of taking Yasmin on this site. Also, is anyone out there trying to put together a class action?
Sarah

Hi Everyone,

I myself have been a victim to Yaz. I've been feeling extreme anxiety and depression. Because of this, I have dedicated a support website for women who have or will start taking this medication. Please take a moment and post your comments on the website. Your stories are very important to other women! Take a moment to view ******, or you can email me with any questions or concerns, help at ******

I have been using Yasmin for over 3 years now. I did suffer from tiredness and nausea with everything else that I have tried before Yasmin. However, after reading several comments on this forum, I have to say that I too suffer from anxiety and depression. Although I wouldn't call it severe, its enough to take its toll on me. It makes me extremely paranoid in the sense that I worry over the silliest things and elaborate on every little problem thinking that everything is going to be worse. Basically my mind races over problems all day and I have been feeling like I am losing my rationalization. I did seek help from my psychiatrist and was put on a mild antidepressants and although they provide immediate relief and give my mind a little rest, I didn't benefit from any long term solution that he said the medicine would provide.
I have been quite annoyed at myself really for not being in control of my feelings because the person I know I am, has done an okay job at it before. Something is definitely screwing up my emotions and that could very well be Yasmin since I have tried every other solution. So I am going to give Yasminelle a go as of today and see if the lower dose improves things and if not I will definitely be looking at alternative birth control methods because I am honestly fed up of feeling like I have no control over my own emotions.

Yasmin - Sudden Panic/Anxiety-

I have been on Yasmin for 7 years. I started a new box and pack 3 weeks ago and 72 hours later had what I thought was a "panic attack". I had never suffered panic or anxiety before and I am 32. Then, the chest pain and anxious feeling wouldn't go away (not normal with panic I hear). I went to the Dr and my bloodwork was all "great". I went to a cardiologist and they tested my heart. It was indeed beating "extra" so I had to be one a monitor. Still, the entire time I was miserable and wondering what the heck had happened to me. How could I go from being a normal, well adjusted women to a crazy lady in one day. I was crying and couldn't function, concentrate or eat. I felt like an "out of body" type of experience almost, like it wasn't really me who was feeling all this. Very disoriented feeling. Well, the Dr gave me anxiety pills and I was going to take them. But, in the meantime I went on the "sugar pills" of my Yasmin and guess what? 72 hours after I stopped the pills I felt normal again!!! I'm still not 100%, I'm 90%. Now I have no hard evidence that Yasmin caused this, particularly since I've been on it so long but I can't help wondering if they changed the dosages or something. I have NEVER experienced any level of anxiety or panic before this and going off the pills was the only thing I changed when I started feeling better. Sounds like more than a coincidence to me.

Has this happened to anyone else recently???

I cannot believe that doctors are not more aware of the potential side effects of this birth control. I'm actually a little angry and needed to post a brief account of my story. Took a break from birth control after 9 years. I had been on ortho-tri-cyclen. I had read studies that said being on it for that long was not good. So after a year off of it my doctor recommended Yasmine. To her credit the symptoms of PMS were reduced however I literally almost went crazy. I have often been described as annoyingly laid back. After a short time on Yasmine I started feeling anxious all the time. I thought it was the stress of life. I was turning 30 and had just caught my boyfriend cheating on me. I felt that dam clock ticking and my job as a teacher was becoming increasingly stressful. So I honestly never even thought my moods and anxiety and depression could possibly be coming from a birth control pill. Well I went on line to find a psychologist because my own mother gently told me she thought I needed one and thats when I stopped for a second. I asked myself if I had been taking any new vitamins first and then I looked at the calendar. I quickly noticed that the depression had started soon after my new birth control. So I decided to look up the ingredients in Yasmine. That's when I stumbled across this sight and was truly horrified. I stopped taking Yasmine that day and literally within a week I was feeling better. If you are struggling with anxiety, mood swings, and depression I suggest you switch your birth control immediately. Life is hard enough without our allies like birth control secretly being an enemy.

Where to start! I started Yasmin in Sept. of 2005. So I've been on it 2 and a half years. Things were fine for a while. It did what it was supposed to do, including no weight gain. That's how its been marketed here, so that's why i got it. Nothing has happened all of a sudden. Its all creeped up on me very slowly. Headaches, pressure in my sinuses, tiredness...all pretty simple. But here's the thing. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression and put on Prozac. The Prozac didnt help. I came off it. Now here's the more troubling symptoms I've experienced. Heart Palpitations, squeezing in my chest making it hard to breathe, increased fear and anxiety (which cause heart attack-like symptoms which can more commonly be described as a panic attack). I've had my finger on the 911 buttons several times in the last 8 months. Now I'm discovering the joy of incontinence. Do you have any idea what its like to be in the store buying groceries and then all of a sudden there's a puddle of number 2 around your shoe? I do. I'm 23. Abdominal pain, stomach distension, constipation followed by diarrhea. Hair loss. Cold feet. LOSS OF SEXUAL DRIVE! My God!

I've said all this to my doctor. He ran blood for everything, there's nothing wrong with me medically. X-rays, mri's, cat scans, ekg's. Nothing nothing nothing. I changed doctors and told the new doctor my story. He figures that because i was put on Prozac for depression, that I must have developed Hypochondria (aka extreme paranoia and a belief that I'm terminally ill). Not true, I know its not terminal, i just need to be put on a new pill. My husband and I have regular sex, he's allergic to latex, and even those non-latex condoms. We're not ready for babies yet, so I dont know what to do. But if this helps someone else, then taking the time to write this was worth it. And as a side note, if you're on the pill and have the choice, and your doc wants to put you on prozac...Don't do it. Try switching your pill first.

I was on Yasmin for about 10 days and wound up with severe depression. I was fine to begin with. I woke up one morning and felt a very hopeless, "don't want to do anything, don't want to get out of bed" feeling. All of these effects on vacation, too! I continued to take the pill for about another 3 days and continued to feel depressed and hopeless about 3 hours or so after I'd take the medication. The feeling was very distinct and it was clearly the symptoms of a depressed person (had to force myself to get out of bed, felt there was no reason to live). I felt like I had a black cloud over my head!!! I was also very irritable and angry with my family....for no reason. I also experienced severe nausea. I felt like I was experiencing morning sickness (and I know morning sickness....I have kids). I went off of the Yasmin and am now starting to feel myself again. I don't know the half-life of this med., but thank goodness I went off it sooner than later! I would take this product off the market or put a severe warning about anxiety and depression on the label!

Oh my goodness! I am so so glad I found this site!! I have been taking Yasmin for about 2 months now, and although it has helped with some acne problems a bit, I felt like I have been going crazy. I have not been using it as birth control (I am only 16 and I have been taking it for an ovarian cyst rupture I had), but I, like almost everyone else that has commented, thought I was going crazy!!! After 2 weeks of taking it, I started getting even more severely depressed than I usually get. My anxiety sky-rocketed! Boys that I used to flirt with and crush on were/are no longer that interesting to me. Even romantic novels didn't give me a tingly feeling I normally get. Nothing has been interesting to me lately!! I also have been a lot more vicious with my parents than I usually am. I have just been a ball of anxiety and depression! I seriously thought I was going crazy and going to commit suicide before I came to this website! I sure am hoping it is the pill that is doing this, because then I will just stop taking it right away, starting tonight. I definitely do not recommend this!!!

I posted yesterday on my experience with Yasmin. This is my update. Today I called and left a message for my GYN, I explained to her that the Yasmin was causing me to have horrible headaches, I was weak all the time, and having horrible mood swings and anger outbursts. On my file it states that I suffer from anxiety and depression, which has been being treated by my primary physician successfully for 6 years now. In my message I asked her to please find me a new pill, I am on Yasmin so I can start having regular periods again. She had her nurse call me back, and explain to me that she will not switch me to a new pill, and suggested that I go and get a psychiatric evaluation, that I needed to see a psychiatrist. There was noway Yasmin or Yaz is associated with these behaviors I have described, it is the drug of choice for women who suffer from horrible PMS. I said I beg to differ, I researched the side effects myself on their site, and joined a forum to hear from other women. They were still adamant about Yasmin not causing behavior changes. In the meantime, I had also put a call in my Primary Care, with the same symptoms I told my GYN. The call back from them was different, they stated that there have been a number of women who have complained of all the symptoms I have been having, and my GYN needs to do her research, and she advised me to stop taking he pill immediately and I might want to consider finding a new GYN. So go figure. I usually take the Yasmin at 11:30 each night, and I skipped it today, well it is now 2 a.m. and I must say I am feeling a bit better. I am so glad I found this site...

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.

Hi, I have been on Yasmin for 2 years now. I have ALWAYS been a very confident and outgoing person. For the past year i have had panic attacks regularly. I am very hot at night, I have trouble sleeping, yet my period pains are at a minimun and I have few symptons of PMT. (Mind you it is still bad enough to take codeine and paracetamol on the first day of bleeding).

Other side effects that I thought would clear up but which haven't are:- dark patches on my forehead and above my lip (doc said they would go, but seem to 'come' and go) and a very sore throat accompanied by swollen glands, sometimes on the right, sometimes on the left side of my neck. My fingers are tingly and my joints are swollen. The Chest pains could be related to anxiety. I get a migraine 24-72 hours before I bleed, regular as clockwork now.

The worst is the mood swings and the depression, I just really don't recognise myself, tired and teezy all the time.

I was very happy for the first 3-6 months that I took Yasmin, but after that I have known I haven't been 'right', but my anxiety and depression have made me unable to make a decision or be focused why.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed on the site, it's great to know I'm not the only one.

EVERYBODY REPLY TO THIS Let's see exactly how many women have had negative side affects from Yasmin. Just reply with the sideaffects. I see lots of posts and was wondering how many women are out there sharing similar problems. So me.... migraines, extremely horrible mood swings all from taking yasmin for 8-9 days next..........? lol

Lauren- May 2005 through August 3, 2007: The following is my daughter’s story which I put on paper so that she could bring it with her to the gynecologist in case I couldn’t be with her. I didn’t want her to forget anything. Someone suggested that I post it to a website:
The most recent issue seems to have started when she first went away to college in the fall of 2005. She came home one weekend with a stomach virus (vomiting, nausea), but it seemed to never completely go away. She was taken to the ER a few times, just to be treated for dehydration and sent home because there was 'nothing wrong with her'...Over the next few months she seemed to constantly feel sick, nauseous, fatigued, and get a lot of headaches. We took her to her primary care doctor, who did blood work and treated her for heartburn, acid reflux, etc.. During this time, she actually had appendicitis and had her appendix removed. After that she continued to feel sick. So we moved on to the gastroenterologist who ran many tests: cat scan endoscopies, more blood work, and were told that they couldn't find anything wrong. Then we started with a nutritionist to help her eat healthier and hopefully reduce the nausea which subsided occasionally but never let up. Nothing there helped. Then it was back to another gastroenterologist with no results. Over this time, anxiety was hitting her big time. She was finishing up finals in her first year of college and was constantly skipping classes because she was too nauseous to get out of bed for her 8:00 classes. Home for the summer - no relief. She decides she couldn't go back to her college for her 2nd year so she enrolled in community college - not exactly the plan, but at least she was on course with her classes and doing well. Still stressed and nauseous, we started with the neurologist who prescribed many medicines and ordered an MRI, which showed nothing (no problems, not no brain!). Back to the primary care doctor who finally diagnosed her with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which fit the current symptoms of nausea, severe diarrhea while vomiting and the finale: passing out. So, back to the state college for 2nd semester of sophomore year. But the medication for IBS was making her too sleepy to get through the day, so she discontinued it. The symptoms had subsided a bit but towards the end of the school year got worse again - just in time for finals, again. During that semester at school, she sought counseling at school which seemed to help her stress level, but she still had daily ‘melt-downs’, so the therapist sent her to a psychiatrist for meds. The doctor started her on the lowest dose (25mg) of Zoloft. As she started to feel a bit better, they increased the Zoloft over the next few months until she was at 100 mg. Home for the summer, the symptoms came and went, but about 2 weeks after she started the 100 mg, she confided in me that she was feeling depressed and actually had thought of 'not caring if she died'. We immediately took her to the psychiatrist upstate who had treated her at school and whom she had seen once since she left school. (She had also continued with the cognitive therapy at the college.) The doctor told her to start weaning off the Zoloft, but start Seraquel (another seratonin-based drug). She also said she was going on vacation and Lauren needed to be seen often as she switched medications, so she advised us to find another psychiatrist closer to home to monitor her progress. So the new doctor put her on Wellbutrin, continued to wean her off Zoloft, and continued her on the Seraquel. He also ordered blood work and a fasting glucose-tolerance test (all of which came back normal/negative). The symptoms got severely worse over the next 2 weeks: constant nausea, vomiting, dizziness, weakness, fainting. On Monday, she spoke with the psychiatrist and he told her to stop all meds. We continued to believe that the recent symptoms were caused by either the psychotic meds themselves, still in her system or the withdrawal of the meds. By Tuesday night, she had been vomiting for almost 24 hours and I had to take her to the ER, not because I thought they could figure out what was wrong, but to re-hydrate her because she was becoming dehydrated. After 7 hours, and more blood work, x-ray, EKG, she was released and proceeded to get nauseous on the way home at 4AM. BUT, a very nice nurse came in while Lauren had fallen asleep and asked me why my daughter was on so many meds. I basically told her the above story and she asked me when Lauren started on birth control pills. I told her that I took her to my gyn. in May of 2005, before she was going off to college and we told him about the terrible menstrual cycle (heavy bleeding and 1 day a month home with cramps all through high school) and he put her on Ortho-tricycline low. At her 3 month check, she told him she was losing large amounts of hair. He changed her contraceptive to 'Ov-con 35'. In November, she complained of nausea and he switched her to Yasmin. She has been on it ever since. The nurse asked me if I was aware that every symptom that Lauren has had since October of 2005 could be a side effect of oral contraceptives!! She told me about a book to buy, written by Dr. John Lee about hormones and imbalances. She told me not to stop the b.c. pills abruptly, because since they are synthetic hormones, and with what her body was going through, it might put her into an hormonal chaos, similar to a full-blown menopause! So we are now reading the book, waiting to do saliva- testing and trying to see a gyn. to help us. Her own gyn. has a personal family emergency and is on a temporary leave of absence (as we found out when his office canceled her yearly check-up twice in the last 10 days). We are trying to get her in with one of the other doctors. She cannot start a 3rd year of college still feeling ill!
Added to the above is the fact that my husband’s sister called to see what was going on with Lauren after she got a phone call from her mother. It turns out that my niece, Heather (age 23), has been making the rounds with the doctors and having testing done (MRI, blood work, etc.,) because she has been nauseous and passing out. Guess what medicine she is taking…..Yasmin!

This is the list of most of the medicines (besides the 3 oral contraceptives) that she has been on during the last 27 months because of the side effects of Yasmin, and no doctor suggests she stop her oral contraceptive pills for a few months!
Prochloroperaz (5mg), Topamax (25mg), Prevacid (30mg), Zofran (4mg), Omeprazole (20mg), Amitriptyline (25mg), Amitriptyline (50mg), Inderal (60mg), Propranolol (10mg), Amitriptyline (10mg), Sertraline (Zoloft) (25mg), Sertraline (Zoloft) (50mg), Metoclopramide (5mg), Sertraline (Zoloft) (100mg), Seroquel (25mg), Wellbutrin (150mg), Dicyclomine (10mg), Compazine (severe reaction: Extrapyramidal), and other anti-nausea meds in 4 trips to the ER (one due to the reaction to Compazine!)

hi guys! about four months ago my doctor switched me from ortho tri cyclen lo(which I had been on for two years) to yasmin. It was the worst experience I have ever had in my entire life. About a week into the medicine I started getting horrible headaches, terrible anxiety and suicidal thoughts. I was sooo scared from this medicine that I stopped taking it thinking that everything was going to get better! Well wasnt I wrong. I developed OCD really bad to a point where I would sit and worry that I would hurt someone I loved or that I would hurt myself. and I had disturbing thoughts in my head that made my anxiety worse. I have been off the medicine for like 4 months and I am now taking 50 mgs of zoloft for my OCD, anxiety, and depression. I am unsure that it is working yet it's only been two weeks! I hope and pray eveyday that I finally start feeling myself! It's been horrible! Has anyone had this experience from this medicine? and if so do you think that I should get a hormone test, because I am almost convinced from reading other posts that my hormones are wacky! Well thanks for reading! and I hope everyone feels better! :)

wow i red all your stories now i started thinking iv been on yasmins for 7 months and my body just did a big change. my chest is always sore and tender head aches dizziness a loud rin tone in my head that is driving me nuts now this big problem with anxiety and panic disorder i am 29 and on so many medicaations for heart burn asthma inhailers and pills for anxiety and depression . every thing happened so fast with the anxiety depression which i never had before gas like you would not beleive bloating weight gain after i read all your stories can bc do this to your body do you think all this anxiety and panic disorders and stomach problems and foggy head loud sounds be from a bc after i read your stories i will be stopping them and going to see my doc thanx alot and good luck with you all.

I've been on Yaz for 1 year now. I've been in a deep depression since September ( 6 months on Yaz) for which I've had to seek treatment. It took 4 months to get me straightened out on medications and still daily I struggle with it.

Also I've noticed right shoulder pain, weight gain (60 pounds), no libido, chronic fatigue, bloating with horrible gas.Is all of this from the Yaz or is it my depression or what? I'm having a really hard time sorting thru all of this.

I kind of feel stupid for not recognizing Yasmin being the problem sooner. I contributed my panic attacks, anxiety and depression to the birth of my daughter in 2004. I was put on Yasmin Summer of 2005. I switched from OrthoTriCyclen Lo because I thought the pill was making me bloated and crampy. I have recently found that I needed a colon cleansing pill that keeps my colon healthy. By Thanksgiving of 2005 I went to my Gyn for my yearly and mentioned my anxiety. He put me on Paxil. A month later I had gained 10 pounds and had to move up to size 12. I was weaned off of Paxil, absolutely miserable. I took Welbutrin, it made me worse. I tried to take nothing for a few months and could not even handle life. For the first time ever I did not want to get out of bed I had such horrible anxiety that I thought I was going crazy. By spring of 2006 I started going to a different doctor. She put me on Effexor, at first I felt great but then I started feeling bad again. I have upped my dose twice and I feel that at 300 mg of Effexor I feel like I should not be feeling anything but I am still depressed and having anxiety. Just yesterday I had a full blown panic attack while going on a dune ride with friends. Something that I normally would enjoy. In Oct. 2006 I was expressing my concern of weight gain to my friend and she mentioned that just maybe, if Yasmin could give me pregnancy breasts(size B cup to D cup) that maybe it is giving me other pregnancy symptoms. I decided to go off of Yasmin, it has almost been 3 months and I am hoping to see a change soon. My breasts have gone to a DD. I have gained another 14 pounds. I have had 1 period and now am 3 weeks late again. I have been bloated and irritable for 4 weeks now. My stomach is so bloated I look like I could be 3 months pregnant. I hope my symptoms have helped some of you, I know yours have helped me. I now feel like there is some hope.

SassyPixie

Hi all,
I have been off of Yasmin since the end of July this year. I was on it for about 3 1/2 years and didn't have any problems until the end when I started noticing increased anxiety and depression and weight gain of course. I had a withdrawl bleed then and then nothing. At the end of November I had a progresterone shot to cause another withdrawl bleed. I still have not had a real period since coming off of Yasmin. The anxiety and depression are pretty much gone but the weight gain is still here ( I gained even more when I went off of it) and alone is enought to cause some depression for me. I exercise on a regular basis and eat very healthy so the weight gain has to be caused by something. The doctor did test my tsh levels because I have many signs of hypothyroidism and my father's whole family has hypothyroidism but they said my tsh levels were fine. I started taking vitex about 1 week ago, so far I am not noticing anything. Any suggestions?? Thanks!

Jamie

I was on it for maybe 5 years, then I stopped taking it mid-cycle in September because I had a mini-stroke!

I wondered if my current problems are related to a hormonal imbalance caused by stopping taking Yasmin?

I suffer from: insomnia, lightheadedness, a fluttery feeling in my chest, weakness in my hands, tingling feet on waking, anxiety and depression, abdominal pain worse during periods, constipation etc. etc.

What can I do to help myself? How long is this going to last? (I'm 38.)

Thanks

Anna

hi kim123.
i am not sure if b12 drops would make you more anxious or not. i take it in a b complex. it is so hard to know what will make us worse or better. i just tried taking a high dose fish oil for a few days but that seemed to make my physical symptoms worse. ie palpitations,agitation,racing heart and mild diarroea,not sure why that should happen as epa is meant to be very useful for anxiety and depression but it just goes to show how different we all are. i have tried many "natural remedies" that have given me an upset stomach or other mild symptoms. i used to be able to tolerate most things but cannot now,i don't know why. anything containing pseudoephidrine gives me really bad anxiety for some odd reason. i have taken it for years prior to yasmin. i agree with dejay that our brain chemicals have changed in some way as different drugs affect the 4 different receptors in our brain responsible for mood,sleep.body functions etc. oh joy!!!!!!! i hope that the natural balance can be restored naturally in time. i am going to give accupuncture a try and also maybe some hypnotherapy,i figure it can't hurt at this stage in the game. please have faith kim. i know it sounds easy to say but it will get better,the one thing we all have is time,devote some to your recovery and i'm sure you will feel better soon.

sarah

hi kim123,
have you tried a protein drink or even fruit smoothies,i know how hard it is to eat when you feel the way you do, i lost 2.5 stones in weight at my worst,luckily i still had some baby weight to lose when i was ill otherwise i would have been in a terrible state. i physically could not eat but my husband used to make me drink complan or the slimfast shakes just so that i was getting some vitamins and minerals.
if you feel that you need the AD's please try them,anything that will help you until you feel stronger can only be a good thing, it is so hard to get strong when you feel so bad all the time.you just need a break from your feelings for a while so that you can function and get your strength back up. how old is your little girl? my daughters are 8 and 3. my illness had a real effect on my 8 year old as she was old enough to understand that i was ill but she found me crying so many times she became scared that i was unhappy with her and that i wanted to leave her. the truth is my husband and my children were the only things that kept me going,without them i don't think i could have survived. i did have councelling for a while but as there was no solid reason for why i had suddenly developed anxiety and depression it was of very little help in fact i used to get more anxious about going to see my counceller i would physically shake and cry. i was worried they would think i was insane and lock me up! i had never had a problem before yasmin which is why i think the councelling did not help.if i had suffered a trauma of some kind or had a history of depression i could see it may of helped but i have always been a strong person,i have always dealt with everything life had to throw at me,i am very sensible and very strong although i have always been a little shy. i refused to take the pills that the psychiatrist offered me purely because i was sure i did not have a mental problem i was convinced it was something physical and as it turned out i was right,it was yasmin that had made my hormones go haywire but getting my doctor to believe me was an impossibility. i switched to a female doctor hoping she would believe me but i think she just humours me most of the time. i have learnt a very valuable lesson...never just believe what your doctor tells you,check it out for yourself,research any drugs that you are given and make an informed choice. my doctor told me yasmin would cure my problems that i was having after the birth of my youngest child...how wrong could he have been,that pill nearly ended my life,it has certainly affected the quality of my life because even though i have got better and better over the last 7 months the memory of what has happened to me is still with me. i never knew that hormones could cause so many problems both physical and mental,the worst mine had ever done before taking yasmin was make me a little snappy each month and give me a couple of annoying spots! i wish i had left them alone.
if you need someone to chat to kim please email me. ****** i am at my computer pretty much most of the day,i am in the uk so your night is probably my morning,i will always answer you if you need a friend just to rant to,i missed that when i was having a bad night and could not sleep i had no-one to chat to that understood how i felt. i am sure that you will get through this kim,i know you think you are not strong enough but you ARE getting through it now,you must be strong to have endured this much so far. You will get better,it may not seem like it now but it will happen little by little and day by day,it may only be a few hours you feel ok for to start with but then it will be half a day,then a whole day and so on until one day you will think..hey i've felt great all week!
i send you a big computer hug,i really hope you feel better soon for both you and your daughter,be strong and be positive.

sarah

Hi eveyrone,
I wrote a post but it did not show up for some reason. Oh well if it show up again sorry!!! Anyway I wanted to thank all of you for all your support. I have had all my blood test done on Monday. I was so scared too but then just had it done. It all came back normal. I was glad about that but still hate the anxiety and depression. I have been on the Lexapro for 2 wks now. I was feeling better. I have gone to my moms group this week, helped in my sons classroom and the sleep was getting alot better. The muscle jerking was going away but last night everything came back about 2 in the morning. I woke up with the muscle jerking, panic attack, sweating and just feeling restless and awful. I was so mad, I thought I was getting better. Anyway, I was able to get back to sleep and I woke up about 7 in the morning. I had a horrible stabbing pain in my right ovary. I knew at that moment that it was ovulation cramps. I use to get them all the time before being on b/c pills. I am right in the middle of my cycle. Do you guys think that these symptoms are getting worse again because of the ovulation? I hate the muscle jerking. It was getting so much better and last night was horrible. It has to be hormonal right? It's so frustrating. I just want to be normal again. I went to a therapist the other day because I just am finding it hard living with the new me. She said that I was totally chemically thrown into a depression and anxiety. She explained it really well. WE have 3 major chemical in our brain, seritonin, norphendrine, and someother one. Sorry about the spelling. Anyway she said these 3 control our pain, emotions, and sleep wake cycle. When they get altered even slightly, it throw our whole body off. She said the first sign of them getting affected is having trouble falling asleep. It's really scary because that was my first symptom on the Yaz. I started having trouble falling asleep. I never had that problem before. I had no clue it was the pill at that time. She seemed to know alot about yasmin and yaz and did not seem to please with them. It makes me so mad that it did this to us. i have accepted the having to take Lexapro. I know I would not have gone down this road but the night I wanted to end my life because I could not go on living this way really scared me. I don't want my kids growing up like that. We had a very happy and healty family before YAZ. Right now I have to do whatever I can to function for them. I just wish we all never took these pills. I wish we could do something. How many womens life are going to be ruined from this? Oh yea, does anyone else have the really oily hair? It's really gross. I am also getting these red painful cyst on the back of my scalp because of all the oil. They hurt really bad. I never had oily hair. Well I am glad for this site and for Kim. WE have been helping eachother everyday. It's nice when you have people that know what you are going through. I saw someone lives in AZ. I live in Mesa, AZ. WEll i wil be back to post again.

Hi everyone, so glad to find this website. I am a 28 year old mother of 2 and married. I really need some help. I am so scared of being committed in an institution. I was on Aleese for 2 1/2 years and then switched to Yasmin. I was on Yasmin almost 2 months but could not finish it. First severe abdominal cramps started with constipation, then frequent urination, like every half hour. Then the real nightmare happend. The severe anxiety and depression. For the first time in my entire life I was not able to sleep. I had total insomnia due to bad muscle aches and body jerking. I have been off for 3 wks exactly and still have the body jerking everytime I try to fall asleep. I never had anything like this before. The only time I can sleep is when I take Xanax which was prescribed for me after taking Yasmin. Now I keep thinking I am dying of something horrible like a brain tumor. I lost 4lbs which is not good. I was only 94lbs to begin with. The anxiety is so bad, I can't even function. I feel awful. I went to a Chropractor for the first time yesterday and he can't believe how tight my muscles are. What in the world could be causing these sleep jerks at night. I never ever had anything wrong with me. All of these symptoms started within a week of taking Yasmin. I am so angry. I am on no b/c pills now. Is it normal to have all of these side effects? What about the muscle jerking at night. I am so scared. I can't even take care of my kids. My health has just been declining in the last 2 months. I am so afraid I will not get through this. any help would be greatly appreciated

i'm so glad i found this site. i started taking bc pills again in feb 04. in feb 05, i switched to yasmin because i heard so many good things about it and the other pills were making me sick. when i'm finished with this pack, i'm not refilling it. here's my experience with yasmin: the good: my period is regular, no breakouts, period is lighter and shorter, no worries about getting pregnant. the bad: still get cramps, boobs hurt all the time and am spilling out of my bra, facial discolorations, feel bloated all the time. the ugly: horrific migraines (never had them before), anxiety and depression and i'm a happy person. i'm doing a detox cleanse to get myself back to normal when i'm off. for now, i'll take my chances with condoms and natural methods. nothing is worth what i've been going through. thank you all for sharing your experiences because i thought i was just going crazy.

I have just read all of your comments on the Yasmin birth control pill and would like to state a few of mine. I have been on Yasmin for about 2 1/2 years, the first side affect that I experienced is my heart rate felt out of control at times during the first 3 months or so that I started taking it that went away thank god! I also lost about 5 pounds instintly, can't complain there. The only side affect that I am a little conserned about is my horrible mood swings and depression about 4 days before I start my period. I will take a small problem amd make it into a huge deal and I feel like crying my eyes out. Unfortunatly the one that I take this out on is my husband poor guy! Do any of you girls feel your mood swings and depression only during certain times of the month? I am honestly starting to wonder if I should change.

Hello All,

I was surfing the net a few months ago and found this site. Ever since then I have been wondering if my health problems could be my BCP. I have been on Yasmin for nearly 3 years now and I came off of it in March of 05 in order to get pregnant with my daughter. I was taking Lexapro for anxiety and depression that had been diagnosed before Yasmin too. During that time, I felt great. I didn't really have any anxiety attacks or major depression for that matter.

Ever since I had my daughter though, I just keep having these terrible mood swings. One minute I'm happy as a lark, the next minute I just feel like Blah. I don't want to do anything or be around anyone. My sex drive is null in void. I don't even WANT to have sex. Honestly, I could care less about sex right now. I have episodes where all I want to do is cry and I've noticed my anxiety attacks have been getting worse.

My doctor put me on Yasmin because it was supposed to help control weight gain, yet I'm the biggest now that I've ever been. In 3 years I've gained 40 lbs. I am scared to talk to my doctor because I'm afraid he'll think I'm nuts. Do you think it could be the Yasmin and are there any "creditable" sites I can go to and get information about these side effects to show him? Thanks for the help.

Charity

Thanks for your response Murph70! It really is helpful knowing that there are other women out there who have had similar experiences. I actually did go off Yasmin at one point, and my face EXPLODED in cystic acne. There wasn't a spot on my face that wasn't covered. It was horrible! So rather than waiting for it to clear up, I went back on the Yasmin!!!! I could kick myself! But at the time, I never had any problems while on the pill - in fact, it was great! I had light (almost non-existent) periods, no cramps, clear skin...the only bad side effect I had was it killed my sex drive. But I figured that was a better alternative to being pregnant and having frequent, painful ovarian cysts. I decided to stop taking the pill on a whim, really. I just felt like I didn't want to have to keep remembering to take it. Had my skin not broken out, I would never be having these problems. So I went back on, my skin cleared up and I thought everything was great - until the anxiety and depression started. I felt like a shell of my former self - I literally contemplated killing myself b/c I felt like it would be worse to live that way, especially when I could remember how happy I once was. My parents made me go see a psychiatrist and he put me on Paxil, which has really helped with my emotions, but there's always an underlying sense of anxiety and depression. And the night sweats - I can't even tell you what that's been like. I'll wake up in the middle of the night soaked through and shivering. It's all been such a painful experience, and one that no one should have to go through. The fact that it could have been avoided for so many women makes me angry and sad. I truly believe that there are women out there who will do well on the pill and find it to be very beneficial - but there are also women like myself, who don't respond well and are actually harmed by taking the pill. I just wish doctors paid more attention to their patients and realized that not everyone is going to respond the same and what's "normal" for one person may not be normal for another.

Sorry for the rambling, but I just want other women out there to know that they aren't alone and the effect BC can have on our bodies and minds can be dramatic - and it's all in your head and something you can just "shake off." So wish me luck and good luck to you all, as well!!

Clairey,it is so hard to believe that this pill is still being prescribed to women. Any other drug that caused such high levels of anxiety would be withdrawn. From my own personal experience of yasmin I found that low dose naltrexone has made a huge difference to my life. I also take Vitamin B complex and a good multivitamin. I suspect that Yasmin somehow interferes with the level of endorphins realeased by the brain and causes anxiety and depression. I have looked into this a lot and the evidence needs to be looked at quickly. Please be assured that your anxiety was probably caused by yasmin. Although of course you should be checked out by your doctor incase there are any other reasons. Although i think when you look throughout this forum you will see that it the most common complaint of all the women taking yasmin. I had a terrible 3 years on yasmin and am only now starting to recover from the effects. I have been off it for about 6 months.

Hi,

My doctor just prescribed me Yasmin and after researching a bit, I'm not certain if it's for me. I was on Ortho Tricyclen Lo for about 5 years and started having more irritability, anxiety, and depression in January of this year. I tried nuva ring for a month and it was unbearable (as was the nausea). Back on Ortho Tricyclen Lo and a few months later I bled for a month. I went off the pill completely and learned how horrible my periods are and also that I tend to get ovarian cysts. After my last period I said f-this and started taking Loestrin 24 fe. I'm finding after this first month that my anxiety is much worse. I've always been panic-attack prone, but it ebbed during my months off the pill. Now back on...they're back.

I have three options:
1. keep with loestrin for a few more months
2. go off completely, bad periods and all
3. try yasmin (regular, not new).

I'm asking to see if anyone on here reacted similarly to ortho lo, nuva ring, and loestrin but maybe reacted well with yasmin (or reacted especially bad to yasmin). I just don't want to do anything to make my panic worse.

I'd love to hear any input. Thanks!

E

This is only the second month im taking it but i going to stop. LIke another person who posted i have SEVERE upper back pain and its chest pains when im laying down, anxiety and depression (was depressed before this pill to so not sure if the pill made it worst) and break through bleeding im not pregnant still a virgin. The chest pains mainly scare me because my heart kinda beats irregular... Hope the next pill is a bit better...

Twogirlsmom: Thank you so much for your reply! You and everyone else are a great source of comfort.

Another question--if I only noticed the anxiety effects of Yasmin the last month that I took it, does that mean my recovery may be a bit shorter than the women who noticed the anxiety, panic and depression for many months before realizing it was Yasmin?

Also, how do we convince people that this is all true? I know in my heart that Yasmin is the reason I am going through this, but the bitchy nurse at my doctor's office refused to believe me and said that all the effects should be gone in a few weeks, therefore implying that any anxiety and depression after that time period is actually MY problem. I was not like this before Yasmin, I swear! I feel like my personality has been stripped from me. I mentioned to the nurse that there are MANY websites out there that have women writing in and talking about Yasmin, and she scoffed and said that you cannot always believe the internet. It is so frusterating because on the pill pack it says to talk to your doctor if you have any adverse side effects, but when we do talk to our health care professionals, no one believes us!

I didn't know that taking a simple BC pill could cause all of these problems and symptoms. I recently started taking Yasmin again after being off of it for a year, and now I am just realizing the changes it makes in my personality and lifestyle. Why didn't my doctor catch this when I was having problems with anxiety and depression a year ago? Instead she just gave me another pill to take (lexapro), which was obviously only to counteract the side effects from the Yasmin.

Now that I am taking it again for the last month, I am starting to get pissy and moody over small things that haven't bothered me for the last year. My libido is completely gone which is causing my boyfriend to think that he is doing something wrong....and I hardly have the motivation to do anything anymore other than lay around. Also my boobs are in such pain that I have begun walking around holding both of them in my hands to protect them from getting bumped!!! How could one little pill cause all of these crazy problems????

One side effect I have not read about though...Has anyone ever noticed any type of musky/fishy odor that only comes right after intercourse? I have gone to the doctor about this and she can't come up with anything that is causing this. I have been tested for all STD's, and given a UA to rule out bladder infections, and she also did a culture to see if I have a yeast infection....all of these came back negative....the problem only started in the last month when I started the Yasmin again!!!

Do you think this pill could be the stinky cause?? I would appreciate anyone's comments being that my doctor can't seem to find the problem and refuses to admit that Yasmin could be what is causing over half of the symptoms I have had!!!!

I'm going crazy on this stuff! Severe anxiety and depression!! Its ruining my relationship with my fiance. We moved in together recently, i was fine at first. THen i started takign Yasmin and ever since i've just been so emotionally messed up its crazy and i want to move back home with my parents. Its awful b/c he is such a good guy and all i am doing is hurting him by being this way. My gyno told me to finish this month out then i'll go back on ortho tri cyclen. I cant wait for the next two weeks to be over with!!!!

I have been taking Yasmin for about 2 years. I had past experiences with anxiety and mild depression and my doctor told me that Yasmin would actually make my moods "better". I took it with no noticeable side effects at all for the first few months. Then I noticed PMS symptoms appearing 2 weeks before my period and each month they were progressively worse. I had cramps, mood swings, bouts of crying, depression, lack of energy, insomnia. Before taking Yasmin I really never had any PMS except for slight discomfort the first day of my period. Now, after 2 years, the symptoms have gotten to the point where I feel psychotic, hopeless, crazy and depressed for a week or sometimes 2 weeks out of the month. I would literally spend the better part of 2 days crying hysterically and I had no idea why. It has effected my relationship with my boyfriend and my children (I get very angry with them and have NO patience at all during the "PMS"). It has effected my job; I've taken many days off because i was so immobilized with severe anxiety and depression that I could not even leave my house for days at a time. I've also broken down into tears IN FRONT OF MY BOSS, just dealing with the normal stress of my job. I have felt very much NOT myself since being on Yasmin. I have always been very active physically, I love being outdoors and enjoying the sunshine. The last few months I have had to struggle to have enough energy to exercise, I hardly ever want to go outside, or anywhere. Some other less serious symtoms that I have experienced are night sweats, contact lens intolerance, insomnia, lack of concentration, forgetfulness and nausea. I'm sure that not everyone who takes this drug will experience what I have experienced, but I think it's important for women to know that this does happen. I was at the end of my last pack this past week and I will not continue to take Yasmin or any other hormone bc pill.

hi there bitter rn and others

im 7 days pre-yasmin but i can,t really call it that because its my seven day break. i took my last pill last sunday and was due to start my new pack monday so i guees thats when the real test starts, as my body will be expecting it.

also i have been suffering from real bad migraines continously this 7 day break but today i have noticed SHARP, SHOOTING PAINS IN MY HEAD, IS THIS NORMAL ANYBODY?????

My dr has prescribed me with a ant-depressant called CITALOPRAM HYDROBROMIDE 20MG DAILY, i told him that i would wait 2 months and if i feel like the anxiety was too bad to handle myself i would only then take it. i just hope i am strong enough to cope on my own without any kind of medication.

however i am thinking of taking homeopathic treatment to regulate my periods and get rid of the cysts on my ovaries, maybe this will control my anxiety after all its the hormone imbalance that causes the anxiety and depression, ISNT IT????
WHAT DO YOU THINK?????????

ANYBODY ELSE HAD THE SHOOTING PAINS IN THE HEAD AFTER STOPPING YASMIN, AND HOW LONG AFTER STOPPING DID THEY GO AWAY?????
PLEASE REPLY!!!!!!!

I DON,T FEEL DEPRESSED TODAY , JUST THE HEAD PAIN REALLY.
IM REALLY SCARED WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID PRE-YASMIN I HOPE I,M STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE IT, IM SUCH A SENSITIVE PERSON WHO HAS ALWAYS BEEN WEAK-MINDED
WELL I GUESS I HAVE TO BE STRONG AND SEE WHAT LIES AHEAD AND HOPEFULLY I,LL BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT WITHOUT THE ANTI-DEPRESSANTS.

THANKYOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS POSTED THEIR EXPERIENCES ON YASMIN I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER KNOWING THAT IT WAS THE PIL AND NOT MY MIND GOING CRAZY

ANY REPLIES WOULD BE APPRECIATED GREATLY

THANKS SO MUCH AGAIN

SOPHIExxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I just wanted to let everyone know that I just came from an eye doctor/surgeon. I have had 2 opthamalic migraines where I have visual field abnomalities. Everything was fine and the first thing he asked me was if I was on a new birth control. Go figure. I take an antidrpessant/anitanxiety and have had worse anxiety and depression over the last month and now these migraine things. I am officially going off of Yasmine. Hey, my friend and I both stopped being able to drink coffee (each started Yasmine at different times) after starting Yasmine?

thanks. AM

Hi Karla!

DEFINITELY YES!! You must think about the connection, that every hormone in your body (and remember: serotonine is also a hormone!!!) interacts with the other. So in my opinion (and after a lot of research I've done during the last year!!) it's pretty obvious that there is a connection between the pill and anxiety and depressions and so on!!!! Look at thyreoid problems: They also cause problems with anxiety and depression and again it's hormones (thyreoid hormones) that are involved!!!

Hi Guest 18026,
As an RN, have you seen many other cases of women complaining of syptoms (especially anxiety and depression) while on or coming off birth control? Im just interested in the opinion of someone in the health profession. It seems like some docs don't doubt the syptoms while others look at you like you're crazy!

I took Yasmin for a year to clear up my acne and regulate my periods...but I quit taking it in October because I thought it was exacerbating my anxiety and depression. (Also, I quit antidepressants in August, so that probably had more to do with why I feel like I've completely lost my mind...?)

Anyway, now I'm worried that I could possibly have PCOS...I gained like 25 lbs. in the past year (UGH!) while on Yasmin. (Not saying Yasmin was the cause - I really let my eating habits get out of control and I wish I would've stopped myself). Since I've quit Yasmin, my acne has started to creep up slowly again...My back is beginning to look like a warzone. I really hope it doesn't get worse on my face! Also, I looked in a magnifying mirror the other day, and I have BLACK hairs sprouting on my upper lip and chin!!! I have blonde hair and fair skin..This is horrible, I don't know what to do. Anyone have similar problems??
--annie

Have any of you switched to another pill? If so, what has worked for you? Also-for the girls who experienced symptoms of depression...have any of you taken any thing for that? I need to shake this feeling of anxiety and depression. I feel like I don't want to ever be alone-that is not normal for me-at all. Let me know what worked for you all...
--J

I am amazed at what I have read here. It seems like all of the symptoms that have been plagueing me this year may be connected. I was put on Yasmin in April because my gyno said I MAY have PCOS. I didn't test positive but they said I should go ahead and go on Yasmin for it and it would help me shed the 13 pounds I had gained.
I since have gained 15 pounds on Yasmin. I have a very small appetite and I'm a vegetarian, so I know it has not been because of my diet. I started getting severe headaches behind my eyes that would travel to the back of my head on either the right or left side. I had tests and no one has been able to figure out the cause of my weight gain or headaches. I also have become so overwhelmed by anxiety and depression that I basically dropped out of my life. I even have been having recurring thoughts of suicide. Being fat now and having these headaches all of the time doesn't exactly help the depression either. I will not be taking my Yasmin tomorrow. I am not sure what to do about the gyno, but I plan to to something. My physician sent me to the gyno last week to tell her that she thought Yasmin was causing my weight gain. The gyno insisted that Yasmin could only cause me to LOSE weight. She actually convinced me.
Thanks to all of you who posted here and opened my eyes to what is really going on.

Hey girls,

I am so glad I found this site. My doctor prescribed Yasmin after my 2 stays at the hospital over the summer due to midcycle cyst which bursted both times and gave me an appendix-like pain. He said that Yasmin will stop ovulation which was the cause of this cyst forming on one of my ovaries. Anyway, I was happy until yesterday. I've been on a pill for 3 months and yes, indeed my monthly pain stopped and i had no reoccurance of midcycle horrors but there it was - the anxiety and depression which hit my yesterday. I may blame it on PMS but could it be Yasmin? I never felt this way, I never cried over some silly things and never was this upset with absolutely no reason. It scares me, it scared my best friend and it scares my boyfriend. According to the doctor I have to take Yasmin for 6 months but I doubt I can live with this depression any loger, I am just not used to being this upset without any reason.
Thank you girls for all of your comments!

I am in shock after reading all of your experiences...I began taking Yasmin one year ago to help clear up my acne, and it's truly been the worst year of my life. I've finally put 2 and 2 together. It did clear up my skin, but I'd rather have acne than be CRAZY. I have 3 yellow pills left, and after those, I am DONE.

I have a history of anxiety and depression, but it has never been this SEVERE. I quit my antidepressants in July and it's gone downhill since then. I give myself extreme panic attacks by sitting around and constantly dwelling on all of the stupid things I've done and said in the past. I did poorly in my first year of college (I was on Yasmin the whole time). I've quit jobs because I thought I couldn't handle my anxiety on the job. I've decided to go back to college in the spring, but I could kick myself for not doing better.

I was very fit before Yasmin, now I've gained 20 lbs.!!! I just can't stop eating. I will do anything to lose the weight I've gained.

I'm so happy I've decided to quit these pills, but I'm TERRIFIED about the withdrawal effects! It seems a lot of you have gained weight and had anxiety after quitting...could it be possible that I won't experience that because I've had such a bad experience while ON the pill? Now I'm having a panic attack thinking about the withdrawal!

I was on Yazmin for about 7 months and during the time, I would feel down (but I had reasons due to a back injury) so I never thought that the pill had an effect. Now I've been off of it for about a month, and I'm experiencing terrible hair loss... just tons of hair falling out every day in the shower. I'm really scared that I'll eventually go bald if this continues. Does anyone know how long it takes for our bodies to get back into normal conditions???? How long does it take for hair loss to STOP?
I also have had horrible anxiety and depression. I get anxiety attacks for no particular reason (and I'm going through a difficult time because my boyfriend left overseas anyway) but now that I'm off the pill, I feel like I can't deal with it.

I started taking Yasmin the day that I went back to college for my sophomore year. Normally, I would be a little bit nervous and homesick, but nothing like the complete nightmare I have lived the past week. I started having little panic attacks all the time, feeling nervous and anxious, I couldn't eat or sleep, and I cried all of the time. These symptoms started only a day after I started the pill. I called my gyno and she convinced me that Yasmin RARELY caused these problems and that probably wasn't the cause of my anxiety and depression. I am normally a very independent, emotionally strong person, so I knew that the pill had to be affecting me, not school. My problems became so bad that my mother had to come up to my university and stay an entire weekend, because everyone was so worried about me. I ended up talking to lots of girls about my problems with Yasmin, and, as it turns out, almost ALL of the girls I talked to who were on some kind of birth control went through the exact same thing that I experienced. A lot of them went off of the pill totally, and others searched for another kind or a lower dosage. I have been off of the pill for almost 60 hours now (yes, I'm counting the hours) and I already feel a little bit better.