Yasmin and anxiety panic

WENDY.... IN UR POST ABOUT THE BLOOD CLOTS IN THE LUNGS.. WHAT WERE YOU FEELING THAT MADE YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL? THIS PILL IS A LIFE RUNNER....I FEEL FOR EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU... ANYONE THAT EXPERIENCED THE ANXIETY/PANIC ATTACKS ON THE PILL... AFTER STOPPING YASMIN DID THEY GO AWAY?....

I was put on Yasmin for perimenopausal symptoms. I took it for three years. For the first two I had no issues at all. Then I began having intense anxiety/panic issues, dizziness and worsening migraine headaches. My doctor advised me to get off of the pill due to a chance of stroke related to the migraines. Since then the anxiety has greatly improved but I am gaining weight like crazy even though I'm eating less. For the first four months after stopping the pill my migraines were horrible and occurred about half of the month. Now its starting to level off as my own hormones start kicking in. I am having my adrenals tested as my doctor feels there is an issue there but no direct link to Yazmin to this. I know the weight gain is related to me going off the pill. I wouldn't recommend this pill to anyone.

Hi ladies... I'm not surprised that you folks comprise most of the posting population considering the fact that this drug is prescribed to you. Well I'm quite interested in this drug and I do prescribe it to my patients however I am surprised at the magnitude of side effects listed here. I am based here in south-east Asia and I do prescribe Yasmin to my patients and I rarely here of these side effects. Perhaps this can be contributed to the fact that it (Yasmin) is available here under a different brand name however consists of the same chemical position. I am interested in the ones available in the U.S. Does anyone know how I may go about purchasing them. You can contact me personally on ****** thank you.

oh my god!! I have ALL of the same side effects as you do! The only strange thing is that I've been on this pill for 2 1/2 years now and I loved it up until this past week. I missed a pill on Fri so I took two on Saturday night...within 2 hours I was crying hysterically and having a full blow anxiety attack. it was so strange and scary. It came out of nowhere! then i woke up Sunday morning and cried every hour...I've never been like that in my entire life!!!! Now 4 days later my heart keeps "fluttering" (i don't know how else to describe it), I feel like i've been living in a fog...I thought i was going crazy! I am a 23 year old, healthy, active woman so none of my symptoms made sense!! My dr. keeps telling me that I have major anxiety problems (even though i live a very stress-free life and am very upbeat, outgoing and optimistic!) and prescribed me Lexapro. I have had a panic attack in the past, but it feels NOTHING like this. I am also having some inner ear problems, like I maybe have a sinus infection-it kind of pops in and out. anyone else have that? the heart thing and the fog is my biggest concern, should I switch pills or should I just get off BC completely? Any suggestions would help. I have a call into my obgyn right now.

My experience with Yasmin has been terrable. Seven days after starting the pill I began to have anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. Never in my whole life have I felt so miserable. I have a very stressful job and have always been able to cope with it, not lately. I stopped the pill two weeks into the pack and that was three weeks ago. I'm still having some panic attacks and depression. I'm glad I found this website. After reading comments here, I now see that this is going to be a slow recovery, but at least I can see a light at the end of the tunel. I was told my side effects would go away shortly after stopping the pill. That has not been the case with me. To all you ladies that have had side effects from Yasmin, you are not alone.

I think maybe you all need to consider - The side affects you mention could be because you are a woman!! The following side affects that women search for and try to find answers for are all typical symptoms that I have had all my life as a woman. Whether on birth control, off birth control, pregnant or not. My life circumstance, relationship, age all make a difference. At any given time I could blame these symptoms on "birth control" but I don't think it is that simple.
-anxiety/mood swings/erratic behaviour
-headaches
-weight gain
-cramps, water retention, swelling etc.
Anyway, I suggest you all try to be reasonable and consider other possible causes of your symptoms? Exercise, eating right, relaxation, relationship building, all of these things can eleviate MOST of these symptoms. By the way, been on Aviane and switched to Yasmin, no difference, sex drive is actually increased, feel good not symptoms if anything , better now and had serious cystic acne and is now gone.

I lterally just starting taking Yasmin today. I used to take Tri-phasil, but found it just wasn't keeping my mood in check over the last 6 months, not to mention I was suddenly getting 2 periods a month. So, I stopped taking the pill for a month, and after seeiong ads for YAZ ended up with Yasmine after visiting my Dr.
My questions for the ladies with symptoms of anxiety and mood swings: Did you not have these symptoms before starting the pill? If so, are you saying that Yasmin made them worse?
Also, I would be curious to find lout what BC pills you NOW use, and how the hormone dose compares to Yasmin. The Tri-phasil I used to take was stronger than Yasmin. If I begin to feel any side effects using Yasmin, I will have to assume that I just need something stronger and will begin with Tri Phasil again.

Hi Everyone,
I am a fourth year medical student and recently I started having horrible panic attacks, I feel like crying all the time and I actually feel depressed. I am a "hypochondriac" generally (I guess it comes with the territory of knowing about different diseases out there), but I have been feeling like I am going crazy. I started Yasmin in November of 2006 and I was fine for a few months. Lately, with stress at school and exams, I started feeling like I've just crumbled. I get anxiety/panic attacks (the latest one was at the movies), horrible heart palpitations, nausea, I am sweating, I can't sleep, I feel this knot in my stomach. It's horrible. I thought it was me cracking under pressure, but I was never like this before I started Yasmin. Recently, I was placed on an antidepressant because everyone assumed it was depression, but after reading this post, I really think it might be the pill. I got off it a week ago, so I hope I will see a difference. Thanks guys!!!

Hi Kim123,

Your story sounds like an exact exact replicate of my own. I stopped Yasmin in May 06, and until now am still suffering from it's effects. The first 4 months off were the absolute worse. I became an exact opposite of my former self. All of sudden, I would get SEVERE panic attacks esp. while eating.... I too lost 14 pounds and went from somebody who couldn't stop thinking about food, too somebody who absolutely detested and feared it.

I went to tons and tons of Doctors. The one thing that they finally found was subclinical hyperthyroidism with a tsh as low as .009. Finally in October of 06, after getting to the point of wanting to end it all, I gave in and took fluoxetine 10mg, every other day. I feared taking any more drugs because of what Yasmin did to me., but at that point it couldn't get any worse. At that point I finally started making slow, but steady progress. The fluoxetine helped a lot with the anxiety and also with my gastrointestinal problems. I researched many hours on the drug type and realized most Dr's prescribe to high of a dose and it is better to take the lowest possible dose to avoid the extra side effects.. Btw, I never had any side effects from the drug.

The first four months, I couldn't eat anything. I had chest pressure, tightness, difficulty swallowing/ sometimes breathing, anxiety, panic attacks, all day nausea, chills.

Now at almost a year off, the chest pressure and swallowing problems ceased. The nausea ceased though depending on my cycle I still cannot eat too much and sometimes feel ill after eating. The anxiety is much less and the chills went away. So even after a year off, I still cannot eat as I used to, but I did make progress and so will you.

Kim, it's probably going to be a long hard journey back to health as all of us on these boards now. The one thing that keeps me going is knowing that eventually there will be more good days then bad... and that one day I will have my health back and that I will never ever take for granted again.

Best wishes, and God bless.

Jen

hi syberlib. great ode to yasmin the "peril in pill form" !
i find it really weird that some people get symptoms when they stop yasmin,did you have any troublesome symptoms whilst taking it?
i was the opposite. i had dizziness,insomnia,depression,MAJOR anxiety,panic attacks,tingling and jumping limbs and restless legs as well as a sense of being smothered then there was also the ever present headache! as soon as i stopped taking it within days i felt phsically much better.the palpitations got less and less as did the headaches and the jumping,shaky feeling. The anxiety is proving to be a tough customer. although it is still there it is manageable most of the time and certainly getting less as time goes on. i have been off yasmin 8 months now. maybe age and childbirth are factors,i had taken dianette on and off since i was 14 up to the age of 22 and i never had a problem with it.never gained weight,got spots,heavy periods,nothing,it was perfect although i never stayed on it for more than 18months at a time as i have always been a little worried about the long term effects of messing with nature! i did not go back onto BCP's after the birth of my 1st child, A) because i didn't know when i wanted to start trying for my second and B) because my sex drive had gone into "park" i just couldn't be bothered so it seemed like a waste of time being on bcp's. after i had my second child i breast fed for a year then my doc put me on yasmin the new "wonder drug" he was right about the "wonder" part. within six months i "wondered" what the hell had happened to me. i was a shaky,poorly mental wreck.!!!!!
i have no idea what yasmin really does to the body but it has some really weird side effects. when i went to have blood tests when i was still on yasmin my blood was really thick,in fact the nurse asked if i was taking any blood thinning agents,i said no and she said i should be!! when i had another test 6 months after i stopped yasmin it was normal again as it had been before yasmin.??? not sure if it is linked but it was just another odd thing that has only happened whilst on yasmin. The heart flutterings also seem to be really common. i read a report on the side effects of yasmin i found on the english government site and it had a major number of pulmanary embolisms listed as reported effects,they were reported by medical staff not members of the public so some doctors somewhere know this stuff is poison. they pulled some of the older brands saying they caused blood clots and strokes etc but yasmin seems to be just as bad if not worse! i never heard of any of these side effects with the older brand of pill.the worst you got was a bit of bloating and maybe some weight gain and if you were one of the really unluck ones maybe a DVT.

once again i have ended up writting a hugely long post,i never mean to but once i start ranting about this devil in white i can't stop!

IF YOU'VE EXPERIENCED ANXIETY WHILE ON YASMIN, PLEASE READ THIS:
I started Yasmin back in Feb. 2004, and started experiencing extreme anxiety & panic attacks a few months later. I didn't put two and two together until October 2004, when I finally discovered this website. I was so relieved to discover that Yasmin had caused my anxiety (also some depression, and some OCD tendencies), and that I was not just losing my mind. I stopped Yasmin immediately, thinking the problem would just go away, but unfortunately, it got worse before it got better. The first three months off Yasmin were hell on earth. The anxiety was unbearable. Then after three months, the anxiety got significantly better. (FYI - it takes 3 months for a BC pill to clear your system. Coincidence? I think not.) After that, I still had some anxiety, usually really severe around the time of my period. I tried anxiety programs, relaxation CDs, deep breathing, etc., some of which helped, but the anxiety never completely went away. I resorted to taking Xanax as needed. I know my story is very similar to many of yours, so I wanted to share with you what I've learned since then:
As time went on, my anxiety got better & better. I usually just had it around the time of my period, and in some social situations. Then, this past Spring, a dear friend of mine (who I met on the forum, by the way) found a doctor who did some tests on her hormone levels & discovered that she had no progesterone. He told her that her own hormone imbalance coupled with the hormones in Yasmin, caused her to have her anxiety problems on Yasmin. He prescribed her some NATURAL PROGESTERONE (not the synthetic stuff), and she started feeling so much better! Seeing her drastic improvement, and admitting to myself that after two years my anxiety wasn't completely gone, I went to the same doctor. He did some blood work & guess what? I had essentially no progesterone as well. He put me on natural progesterone too. I am taking 100 mg. in a capsule form each night. I cannot tell you the difference I have felt. I feel normal again. Think about it - the hormones in Yasmin obviously caused our anxiety. Doesn't it make sense that the problem is inheritently hormonal? I have been helped so much by the ladies on this website, so I wanted to share my story so that if just helps one person, it's worth it. Go to a doctor in your area who specializes in natural hormone management & see what your levels are. In my case & in my friend's case, our anxiety disorders have been the result of a hormone imbalance, one made significantly worse by Yasmin. I hate to see so many people resort to anti-depressants & anti-anxiety meds, when it may be that all they need is to balance their hormones. Best wishes to all of you. Please hang in there, life does get better!

This question is for Sarah (Flowerbabies)

I have been off this pill for almost three months, but still get anxiety/panic attacks. My doctor sent me to two different psychotherapists to deal with my anxiety and they have indicated I follow an anxiety disorder workbook to overcome my disorder. I have panic attacks in public, where i start crying hysterically and vomitting, the last attack was yesterday at a mall, it was so bad that people wanted to call an ambulance. The reason I believe this is the pill and not me is because I never experienced these attacks before nor did I experience anxiousness. I was a very calm and collected person before all this. My friends and family saw me as a pillar of strength, now they're afraid to tell me anything in fear that I'll have another attack.

My question to you is, what did you do to cleanse your body of Yasmin? Is there anything I can do to speed up the process? Now of course I'm afraid of another panic attack happening at anytime, and it is embarrassing.

Please help, Ihave been off this pill for three months and I don't seem to be getting any better.

Hello everyone, I have been off yasmin for almost three months. When I went to see my doctor and told her about my anxiety/panic attacks and depression, she laughed when I suggested it might be related to this pill. Instead she suggested I see a psychologist to help me with my depression, as I am never taking antidepressants, the side effects are just not worth it.
My question is to you ladies, I only took it for three months and I have been off them for about three months but the anxiety/panic/depression episodes continue - how long will the effects of this pill last? Any thoughts?

hi sophie,
sorry to hear you are still suffering so badly,were you on yasmin for long? i was on it for 1.5 years and have been off now for nearly 6 months like you. i think it depends how long you took yasmin and how badly messed up your hormones have become. i'm not sure if i have replied to you before (i think i have ) have you had your thyroid checked? i ask this question of most people who are still feeling bad. your thyroid levels (tsh) should be in between 0.3 - 3.0 .most people feel best around 1 - 1.5. my thyroid was out of whack whilst on yasmin so i had a dose increase (i have hashimoto's) when i had my test 1 month ago it showed that i needed my dose reduced again so bcp's definately can effect thyroid function. thyroxine is afterall a hormone so it is quite likely that it has been effected too. Your periods could be an indication that all is not right with the thyroid. underactive tends to cause depressive feelings,muscle pain and heavy periods and also headaches. yours may be fine but it is worth ruling it out. the previous poster recomended prozac..i know nothing about it or any other anti-depressants as i never took them (apart from a short time on diazepam for my anxiety/panic attacks) but as she says if you are still not finding any relief from your symptoms it might be a route to consider (do rule out the thyroid 1st though). i read many helpful books that helped me learn to handle my anxiety/panic attacks and that has done wonders for me,even if i have a few bad days i KNOW they will get better and i just use what i have learned to work through it,it's not easy, some times are worse than others but i know i am getting better slowly. i hope this will be the case for you and that you will start to see some improvement in your symptoms. with regards to your periods it may be a sign that they are trying to regulate themselves again.mine were 28 days for the 1st 2 cycles but now can be anything up to 38 days apart and are so light they are gone within a day or 2. my periods were always regular as clockwork before i went on yasmin. even after i had my last child and breastfed for a year. as soon as i stopped feeding her my periods came back at 28 days on the dot,then i started taking this rubbish.

best wishes to you sophie.

sarah

Thanks to everyone who has posted on this site. It really makes me feel better to know that I'm not crazy. My doctor seems to think that my anxiety/panic attacks/depression is due to something else and I know it is not as I never suffered from this before. Please beware because some doctors will treat yasmin like its candy, and it is not. I have been off this pill for two weeks exactly and I'm almost back to my normal self. Please hang in there and remember that you'll get better with time.

hi nervousreck,
i really really feel for,the answer to your question of is this side effect normal the answer is no! but it is unfortunately a very very common problem for women who have had the misfortune of taking yasmin. the anxiety and panic attacks are the worst feeling in the world,i felt so bad i couldn't leave my house to walk the 30 metres to collects my kids from school,i couldn't drive my car or even talk on the phone,it got so bad i didn't even open my front door as i felt terrified day and night (i was on yasmin for 1.5 years before i found this site) i thought i had had some kind of mental break down. i was paranoid,my husband was fantastic but i became convinced he was going to die and that i would not be able to cope alone,i also became paranoid about being raped,i was sure that if i went out something bad would happen,luckily i found this site and all these amazing women who shared their experiences good and bad with yasmin,all their advice helped to save my life..literally,i was not far from wanting to end my life. i have been off yasmin for nearly 6 months now and it gets easier month by month,i will not lie and say that you will be cured over night but you will get better. my anxiety/panic attacks started to improve within the 1st week i stopped taking yasmin but as i suffered this side effect for so long my life will take a while to get back on track but i keep telling myself that i will be one day be back to normal. explain to your boyfriend that it is this awful pill that makes you feel the way you do sometimes,confide in him about how you feel,i am sure he will help and support you as much as he can,as far as practical steps go here are a few tips to help deal with the panic/anxiety. distract yourself constantly,sing,dance,read,wash the dishes,whatever but keep busy. drink loads and loads of water (this is one of the best bits of advice for anxiety/panic) take a supplement of magnesium,b complex and b6 and also a little zinc & calcium. keep reminding yourself that a panic attack cannot and will not hurt you,as odd as it seems you are actually at your physical peak during an attack,your body is prepared for fight or flight so although it feels horrible just be conforted by the fact that you could react if you needed to. and finally if a negative idea pops into your mind tell yourself that it is not true and replace it with a possitive thought. sorry for the long post but i know how it feels to feel that you are alone.
best wishes to you,

sarah

Hello ladies,

I was on Yasmin for 2 1/2 months and went off it about two weeks ago. I suffered severe anxiety/panic attacks and horrible depression. I would react to simple events in my life by crying, vomitting and not sleeping for days at a time. My question is how long will it take for my system to be clean?

I'm much better now that I'm off the pills but I still feel deeply sad from time to time for no reason. I have a wonderful life with a supportive network of family and friends. When will I stop having these feelings of sadness?

I have been on BCP for 4 years & the last 10 months it was yasmin & gosh they were not good 10 months at all!!! sex drive went below zero, anxiety & panic attacks, mood swings. I've always had fine hair so i can say nothing about that. Most of my family & friends noticed a big change in me. I stopped taking yasmin in June. Anybody knows exactly how long these symptons will totally disappear. I so wish that I never took yasmin & I cannot understand how its still being recommended by doctors around the world.

Mindy-
The butterflies and nervous feelings that you describe were my experience exactly. Then mine became much worse and turned into full fledged anxiety/panic attacks. It was horrible! I just wanted to let you know that from judging by my experience and hundreds of other womens postings here, your symptoms are much like all of ours on Yasmin. You will be in my thoughts. The Yasmin nightmare is no fun.

birth control pills in general seem to cause problems with regards to depression and anxiety so it is quite possible that your previous contraceptive caused your depression although an unhappy marriage probably didn't help the situation much. yasmin seems to be one of the worst pills for causing emotional instability,i am not sure why. it seems to affect women that had an underlying hormonal problem before they went on it so maybe makes a hormone imbalance worse..... i'm just guessing really. i used birth control before i had my 2 girls and never had a problem but went onto yasmin after i had breast fed my second child for a year as my hormones were all over the place,within six months i was an emotional and physical wreck. anyway,i am glad that you have come off yasmin and are feeling better,see how you feel in a few months time before trying the anti-depressant route again,you may find that you will get better naturally and also deciding to end an unhappy marriage may improve your depression. my doctor suggested anti-depressants but i never took them and now i have been off yasmin for 4 months i am glad i didn't as i am clearly not depressed at all it was just the artificial hormones causing the depresiion/anxiety/panic attacks and horrible horrible physical side effects. i can't stress how important it is to take a good b complex supplement as well as vitamin B6,magnesium and maybe some added zinc. and drink loads of water,it really does help. good luck with your recovery and really enjoy your time with your daughter,my youngest is now 3,they grow up so fast and i felt like i had wasted so much of my precious time with her through my yasmin induced nightmare.

sarah

hi claudia (hope)
i know exactly what you are going through,i have been there myself (as have many many women on this site) i suffered extreme anxiety/panic attacks,they were by far some of the worst symptoms i had while taking this pill as i felt i was going mad or had some kind of mental illness,i really thought my life as i knew it was over,i am 32 years old with 2 young children but i felt that bad i didn't think i wanted to carry on...then i found this site and came across so many women in this same situation and it saved me. i have been off yasmin for 4 months now and my anxiety levels are way way way down,it is now mainly in the background and is a memory rather than a constant feeling of fear. the practical things you can do are...take a B vitamin complex, vitamin B6, a magnesium supplement and maybe a little zinc too. take really good care of yourself with regards to what you eat and how much excercise you do.drink plenty of water and i mean plenty as it is great for anxiety and great for cleansing the body of these hormones. on a mental level try to remember that these feelings are not REAL fear as there is nothing to be afraid of it is just a chemically induced mood,panic attacks although scary will never actually hurt you even though they feel like you are going to die or go crazy. stay positive ( i know,easier said than done!) and face your fear head on,i know it sounds crazy but by taking control you will begin to feel stronger and more able to cope. it WILL get better but it will take some time for your body to get back into it's natural harmony,have faith that it will get better and please please listen when i say you are NOT crazy it is this horrible pill. i started to feel better after the first couple of months with regards to the anxiety and i hope you will too.i still have hormone problems and symptoms but the panic feelings are virtually nil. try the supplements i mentioned and try to reduce your stress levels too. i wish you all the best and hope that this has been of some help to you

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!

eryka,
i suspect the reason you feel worse this week than you did last week is that your body is trying to return to it's normal cycle so if you stopped taking the pill 2.5 weeks ago you are probably ovulating at the moment. i had a similar problem when i stopped taking yasmin,i suspect estrogen dominance is the problem (ie you do not have sufficient levels progesterone to oppose the effects of the estragen) i find that although vastly improved i still suffer a mid month wobble as i call it,i have been off yasmin for 3 months now and i am feeling much better than i did,i suffered severe anxiety/panic attacks which led to agoraphobia but i am now out and about again and enjoying my life once more. hang in there eryka it will get better but it will not be over night but be reassured that it WILL get better.look into estrogen dominance and see if your symptoms sound familiar,if they do have a chat to your health care provider. in the mean time take a good B complex,vitamin b6 and some magnesium as the contraceptive pill can make you deficient in all these essential vitamins and minerals and cause your symptoms to be worse,of course a sensible diet and excercise are also great for helping your body recover. i really hope that helps you,i know how awful and soul destroying the effects of this pill can be,that is why this site has been a life saver for so many women,me included!

I am so glad I found this posting b/c I thought I was going CRAZY while on Yasmin. I was on another pill for the past 10 years and never experienced any problems, but then I was spotting a lot, so my OB-gyn switched me to Yasmin. I can not tell you the hell I was going through this past month. I am usually always in a good mood, and I was experiencing an out of control feeling of anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. I am also so dizzy all the time. I have also been very nauseous in the mornings. I did not understand what was going on and I thought I was losing my mind. I was crying uncontrollably and being very mean to my friends and family. I am so glad I have read these postings and have been off Yasmin for 8 days. I am going to the store to get some B6 and magnesium to start repairing my body. I feel for all of you ladies out there and hope we can all feel better soon!! Take care.

hi everyone.
i too have some trouble during ovulation/mesnstruation with nervousness,shaking,fear etc. and my agoraphobia flares up. i have been taking the following for the last month and have felt sooom uch better. magnesium 400mg,calcium 800mg, vitamin b complex tablet and an additional dose of b6 of 50mg along with a multivitamin. apparently birth control pills can cause a depletion of the b6 vitamin which causes many of the symptoms experienced by some yasmin users like,anxiety,panic attacks,dizzyness,brain fog,muscle cramps,sickness,bowel problems etc. also magnesium and calcium become depleted,these minerals are essential for a healthy body and mind. b6 is directly involved in converting tryptophan into serotonin so it stands to reason that if you are deficient in this vitamin then you are going to experience problems both physically and mentally,it is worse around the time of ovulation/menstruation as the natural hormone shift can take up more of your b6 reserves. try improving your diet and taking supplements for a while and see if it helps,it won't hurt you to try. i totally sympathise with the hell that is caused by the panic attacks,anxiety,chest pains,aching muscles,headaches and all the other horrible side effects that a lot of use have suffered whilst on yasmin, but have faith that your body is an amazing thing,if you give it the tools it will heal itself,eat well,sleep well and take supplements for a while and i am sure that we will all be able to put this nightmare behind us and live the lives we want!

Hello Everybody,

I just wanted to remind those you are suffering from anxiety, panic attacks to go check your thyroid levels. I have found that a lot of women suffer from thyroid trouble without knowing it. You just need a simple blood test.

I stopped Yasmin and then had an over active thyroid that causes nervousness, anxiety and heart palpitations. I suffered immensely with these issues plus total lack of appetite, nausea, etc.. etc

Jen

hi ladies,
yet another update! i have just been to visit my doctor to tell her about my recent revelation that i think yasmin caused all of my anxiety/panic attack/depression issues not to mention the huge list of physical symptoms, she hmmmm yes that can happen with contraceptive pills especially if you have hormone problems or thyroid problems..which i do! she is running some new thyroid tests to see what my levels are doing now i am off the yasmin as i became hypothyroid while taking them (i have hishimoto's disease but it has been under control for ages). she seems to think there is definately a link between poor thyroid function and contaceptive pill side effects because the tyroid controls your hormones as well as countless other processes in the body.She was totally behind my decision to stop taking yasmin and suggested a total detox from any chemicals and to eat well and drink loads of water as dehydration is also a major factor in anxiety/panic attacks and depression. rather than just dismiss my ideas she actually agreed with me!!! i was shocked as my male doctor looked at me like i was mad for making such a suggestion last year when i started to get all my problems,i was perfectly healthy before i took it! well there you go ladies that is my rant for the day! the moral of the story is...if you were fine before you started taking yasmin and you're not fine now maybe your birth control pill is the prime suspect!

sarah

Little Aussie Battler having issues with YASMIN

Let me start by saying how happy I am to have found this website and to find that I am not alone and other people are going through the same hell as me!

I have been taking Yasmine for about 12months and have experienced really bad anxiety/panic attacks. I really thought I was going nuts and it wasnt until I was referred to the webpage. I have been off Yasmin for about 7 days and boy do I feel sick, dizzy spells and bad mood swings. I was on Dianne 35 ED before this (it is excellent for problem skin) however I stacked on the weight which I hated so the Doc put me on Yasmin.

Does anyone actully know how long I will be feeling like this for? IF so how long? I heard you can get a patch now any news on that?

Let me know guys

Cheers from Down Under :)

I am so glad to have found this page and learned that I am not the only person going through this. Yasmin is Horrible. The worst part is that I am only now realizing it after more than 3 years. I was such and outgoing happy party girl. Then I changed.. Depressed, anxiety, panic attacks, nervous, insecure, angry, short-tempered, thought I was going crazy, heart palpitations and the list goes on and on. Oh yeah and my sex drive non-existent when I always had a very high libido. I didn't understand what was happening to me and never thought the pill had anything to do with it. I also had beautiful thick hair which is now a few strands of oily limpy hair. I stopped the pill and it's been about two weeks. I'm not sure if it's withdrawal I'm having from what I read from other women but my heart palpitations are horrible, I'm restless, my hands are sweaty, I feel confused and dizzy, nauseous. How long until I detox my body? I just want to go back to the person I was. I went to the Gyno 2 weeks ago and mentioned my low libido and asked if Yasmin could be the reason.. The Answer: No, You need more four play. I didn't believe her and that's when I started researching the internet. I can't believe we have all gone through this and these stupid doctors don't care. If you tell them you have anxiety they give you Zanex. I just want to go back to how I use to be. I will never take birthcontrol pills again.. Yasmin should not be in the market. I've read other posts and I'm hoping my third week of post Yasmin gets better.

insomnia
anxiety
panic
heart palpitations
racing heart
heavy sensation in chest
mood swings
anger
heightened sense of fight/flight

Hi,
I was on Yasmin for 2 years and didnt have any side affects while on the pill. Then I stopped taking it May 2005, the first threes months were fine and then I got pregnant and had a miscarriage.... the pregnancy hormone stayed in my system till October! so my hormones have been completely out of control. After that I suffered extreme panice attacks, I really thought I was having a heart attack! I was driving myself to the ER every other weekend, and had every test done under the sun to make sure I was indeed healthy. Thankfully all test came back normal and my anxiety/panic attacks have gotten much better. I never thought any of this had to do with Yasmin until I recently have been thinking about going back on it to help my skin (which has gotten horrible) and was doing some research on line. Now that I'm reading all these post I dont know what to do....

Denise,

I posted on this many months ago. I have had chronic ulcerative colitis for many years, but had undergone a remission that lasted 12 years. Unfortunately, after I had been on the yasmine for about a year or so, I too started having the anxiety, panic, and worse of all, my UC flaired up very bad and I had to go on steroids because nothing else helped.
It was only after I discontinued the yasmine (my internist told me that yasmine was a very, very bad pill and to get off it immediately--she said she had other UC patients who flaired on this particular BC pill), finally my UC went into remission.
It has taken over a year for me to feel really good again. I would warn anyone with any type of intestinal illness to stand very clear of this med.
I hope you feel better soon.

UPDATE

I stopped taking Yasmin April 2005 after being on it for 3 years. The my dehydration levels are just abut normal but it took 8 months to get there. The other symptoms went away after 6 months. Thank G-d I am back to normal.

This is my original post while I was taking it. I cant believe I wrote it! If you have horrible side effects they will go eventually when you stop taking it.

""I have been taking yasmin for over 3 years. I suffered from painc attacks and anxiety about 10 years ago, I thought it was beacuse I was in a stressful relationship, but looking back I was on the pill so maybe that has something to do with it!

Anyway the first 2 years on yasmin was fine, the only side effects I had were spotting and leaky nipples(what the hell!).

During that time I had occasional anxiety, frequent asthma, mood swings, depression, insecurity, lost my social skills, became extremely sensitive, no sex drive, fatigue and constant dehydration. I had no idea that any of the above could be side effects. My doc told me there were no side effects, but thats not what it says on the leaflet

Anyway the last couple of months I have has the worst anxiety, panic attaacks, severy dehydration which can lead to a migraine, zero tolerance to salt, severe social phobia, weight gain, sever mood swings, have fallen out with half my family, inability to concentrate, blurred vision, fuzzy head feeling, no motivation to do anything, don't go out and don't know what the hell his going on!

I have 2 wondeful kids and an amazing husband. I stopped yasmin 2 days ago for good. I feel poisoned. I had no idea yasmin was a diuretic and thats why I have suffered from dehydration.

This is the wierd thing, yasmin was fine for 3 years then all my side effects became much worse in one go. I just want my life back. ""

It scares me to think that I was taking something that could mess me up so bad. I use the diaphragm now which can be a little inconvenient but at least my hormones are normal.

Hi everyone,

I too had BP of 140/100 (or MORE) when I was on Yasmin. My face was extremely bloated - looked like I had 3 chins and a very round face. My hair fell out in clumps when I was on Yasmin - now my hair is fine and I don't "shed".

After quitting Yasmin, it took a few weeks, and the facial bloating was GONE! When the doc saw me she said "half your face is gone" :-) My family cannot believe that my face looks so different.

My BP now is 110/80 average. I do not take BP medicine and I do not take BCP any more.

My chest pains are for the most part GONE!!! They really had me scared.

I am on Paxil CR 12.5mg once per day for the extreme anxiety that I have which I attribute to taking Yasmin for about 9 months. I also have trouble staying asleep at night. I have observed that my anxiety is peaking when my pd is due.

I had an anxiety/panic attack on Dec. 21, 2005 and I took my last Yasmin in late January 2006.

Thank you all for your informational posts and concern. I had a few minutes so I thought I'd post an update.

PS- I think that the manufacturer better read this site and DO SOMETHING!!!!

Dear Time 2 chng,and of course everybody!!!

The IBS you are having ,it coused by serotonin problems...
Depression,anxiety,panic,is a serotonin problem...Yasmin couses depression,anxiety,and panic,disorders...So you have to understand ,it is from Yasmin...I'm off know 2 mounth,clear skin,less anxiety (i can go out!!!!),depression OK. Yesterday i was cleaning ,and i found a box of YASMIN...Now it is in the trash...

Good luck!

To Julie,

My advice to you is simple....GET OFF YASMIN NOW. Please dont waste any more time and bother seeing out the three months. Take it from me who was on Yasmin for a year before I started suffering heart palpitations, severe anxiety and panic, severe depression (never having suffered any of this before)...I wanted my world to end when I'd always been a positive person who loved my life. The only change was YASMIN.

I stopped Yasmin in Feb this year after making the connection to my 'loss of spirit' and this evil pill. It took me 8 months to feel completely back to myself, with the help of a herbal rememdy called 'Agnus Castus' to rebalance my hormones.

Consider yourself lucky to have experienced these symptoms fast enough to stop it immediately and not have to endure such a long time before you are feeling your old self.

I finally feel like me again now. My family and friends notice the old 'mel' again as well. Every month I'd feel a little better, but it has taken this entire time for the anxiety (panic, horrible thoughts etc) to stop.

Good luck and god bless everyone going through the hell of Yasmin. Believe me, I know what you are all going through/ This site was my life line for a few months when no one else really understood how psychotic this pill had made me, and how long it took for it to get out of my system.

xxxooo

I'm so glad I found this site (through www.aphroditewomenshealth.org) -- I have been on Yasmin for four months and have been experiencing the anxiety, panic attacks, depression, sudden bouts of anger, that many of you describe. I've also had a slight increase in hair loss and decrease in sex drive. I've been seeing a therapist about the emotional issues, which do seem to be related to hormones/the pill.

A question: Has anyone here switched from Yasmin to another pill, with good results? I'm not quite ready to stop being on the pill, and would like to try something else. But I want to know whether any of these post-Yasmin symptoms are likely to happen if I'm still taking another type of pill.

I'm seeing my doctor on Monday and plan to share this information about Yasmin with her! She should know that it isn't the perfect dream-pill they advertise it to be. (She prescribed it for me because I had side effects with Necon, and this one is supposed to be good for women who've had trouble with other pills. Ha.)

I've been off Yasmin almost 7 months and had the same withdrawal symptoms: anxiety, panic, ocd in the form of completely irrational frightening thoughts. I thought it would never get better, but it has gotten much better with time. I never felt this way before yasmin and it has been the scariest time of my life. Now I only feel a bit of anxiety during my period and around ovulation. It is not near as severe as before. Good luck to all of you in Yasmin recovery. Remember, the thoughts are just thoughts, they're not real. Don't believe everything you think. It does get better--hang in there.

Joanne,
I understand completely what you are going through. I have been off Yasmin for 6 mos and I thought I was going crazy for 5 months after stopping Yasmin in February. It was so bad, that I also told my family I felt like I had a brain tumor. Fortunately, women on this website helped me to see that it was the Yasmin that was causing my anxiety, panic, depression, mood swings, and feeling of being totally out of my mind at times. If you want to be sure you are healthy, you can always get a workup done with your internist, but I honestly think you're just suffering from a bad case of Yasmin. Hang in there because it does get better. I'm 6 mos Yasmin free and still have anxiety the week of my period, but it is way more tolerable and I am back to my normal life.
Take care and God Bless

Hi Voicesi
I was one of the frequent writers when I stopped Yasmin 6 mos ago around the same time as you. Glad to hear you are doing better. I went through the same thing with the anxiety, panic, depression, and crazy mood swings, and I am doing much much better 6 mos later. I have gotten back to my normal life and feel overall pretty well and much like the old me. Occasionally during my period and around ovulation, I do get a bit anxious and have irrational thoughts (which I didn't have before Yasmin), but they are nothing like what they were a few months ago and they are tolerable. I hope within the next few months, I will feel 100% back to the old me--at least I'm getting closer. Good luck to everyone in Yasmin recovery out there. It does get better with time. Hang in there.

I left a message on sat 27th Aug about anxiety/panic attacks, I now realise that this is due to me stopping Yasmin, I was fine on this pill but 7 weeks after stopping I got these problems.
Is there any advice for me to help my anxiety as I have two children aged 6 and 8 and I do not want to go on medication and is there anything out there to help us get a little back to normal???

Joanne.

Hello All,

Some recent posts have asked about experiences/symptoms post (i.e. after getting off) Yasmin. Well, it has now been 7 and a half months for me, and it has taken this entire time for me to feel 'mentally' well again. Each month DOES get better, but it is a very slow process and will get worse around ovulation and before your period. You will have good days and bad days, and often feel like you're taking three steps forward and 2 steps back. Thankfully my good days are becoming more and more often than my bad days. In these last few months I have experienced horrible, terrifying irrational, obsessive thoughts, anxiety and panic attacks. I stress, this has gotten better.....but it has been a very long journey back to sanity.

I had been happily on Yasmin for over a year, until almost overnight I suffered from severe anxiety, panic attacks, depression, suicidal thoughts and accelerated heart rate. I have no predisposition to these symptoms, having NEVER experienced any of them in my life (very happy, outgoing, positive person before Yasmin). After fearing I had a late onset of mental illness, I began seeing a therapist and lived in complete fear. Then I was blessed by above to find this website and realise Yasmin had been the poison ruining my life. I stopped Yasmin at the end of January this year. As I say, it has been a long hard road back to sanity, and I have my family and friends to thank for their never ending support....especially when my irrationality made no sense to them (or me!).

I recommend women getting off Yasmin to see a doctor that specilaises in womens health to do a full blood test to look at your hormone, potassium and magnesium levels. Yasmin stuffs these all up. Natural hormone therapy can assist in re-balancing these issues. I am only doing that now, and wish I'd done it earlier....the benefit of now being able to 'think straight'.

I now have so many reasons to smile again. Prayers for all those getting off Yasmin. It is NOT worth the destruction. Find another form of contraception.

Hello All,

As posted by voicei, I get extremely frustrated to read the postings by women whom it seems fail to read close to 2000 postings on this site that describe in detail the life changing effects of Yasmin.

Yasmin is not a pill whose symptoms you can simply get used to. To suggest so demonstrates complete ignorance and naivety.

I have been off this pill for 6 months, and only NOW feel like I am becoming the 'old me'. I only started experiencing negative side effects a year after I started taking Yasmin. These effects included severe depression, severe anxiety/panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, rapid heart rate, and vertigo. Prior to Yasmin I have NEVER experienced any of this.

Yasmin has taken a year from my life, where I found nothing to smile about or laugh. I only now see the bright side to life again....and my whole life I have been an extremely active and positive person.

It is negligence on behalf of fellow women to read these experiences and then suggest somehow that we could 'ride through' these symptoms. I doubt I'd be here right now if I tried such a ridiculous suggestion.

Getting off Yasmin saved my life and my sanity. How many of these stories to woment need to read in order to be convinced?

Love to all those getting off Yasmin. DO NOT BE CONVINCED OTHERWISE.

Like majority of the people writing in this forum, I am SO EXTREMELY happy that I found this website. I switched over to Yasmin from Estrostep about 4 months ago now. Only 3 weeks into taking my first Yasmin pack I experienced my first ever full-blown panic attack and at all places, while taking off on an airplane. Ever since this attack I had multiple people telling me that I was acting "different" than normal. Since this I experienced 1 other anxiety attack along with almost everyday experiencing irrational thoughts and constant anxiety. I do not think one day went by where I thought I was going to die from some outside source. Also in these last 4 months, my fiance has told me that he's noticed that I'm not the same and that I cry at least once a day and become very defensive and aggitated with him at the drop of a hat. While running a couple of times I began experiencing what felt like pin pricks starting from my left arm all the way down into my left leg. My heart seemed to be beating abnormally and my breathing became shallow. I recently have also began having the WORST indigestion.
Until I found this website I thought my constant anxiety, panic attacks, irrational thoughts, moodiness and other physical symptoms were just something I had actually became as a person. I thought I would never be the same person because I thought I had become this horrible, crazy person that no one would want to be around. Just yesterday I called my doctor to request trying my old birth control to see if these effects could possibly be coming from Yasmin. After reading the postings here I KNOW that they are from Yasmin! It makes me angry that I have been subjected to these kinds of symptoms. I am a cautious consumer and did research on Yasmin before even beginning on the pill. However, I did not find this website soon enough. Since taking Yasmin I have been under the impression that my life would always be anxiety-ridden and it could only get worse! Tomorrow I will be calling my doctor again to find out more information about starting my Estrostep as soon as possible and getting off Yasmin FOREVER!
My question is for anyone who has/had only been taking Yasmin for about 4-5 months or less and how long after that the symptoms finally started fading away. I really am afraid that my anxiety will continue with me for awhile and I HATE this feeling!!
Thank you for everyone who has contributed to this forum. I would have continued thinking I was the only one and that I was crazy. In fact, the people who are crazy are those who do not inform consumers of these side effects! These are SEVERE side effects that we are not even warned about...and why aren't we?
Once again thank you for posting! And for those of you who have not experienced these symptoms I realize that every body is different and reacts in different ways, but please realize that these symptoms that people like myself have experienced because of this pill are almost debilitating. I would not wish this on my worst enemy!

Hello All,

Just an update....I have now been off Yasmin for 5 months (as I suffered terribly whilst on it from Depression, anxiety/panic attacks and elevated heart rate with no history of these symptoms prior to taking it). It has been one very long and hard road...I continue to take one day at a time as I am STILL suffering from anxiety. It has definately gotten better (i have been keeping a diary of my anxiety levels to correlate them to my cycle...there is always a link) but let me tell you, it has been exhausting. Thanks to this poison I have spent hundreds of dollars on seeing a psychologist (although he was worth every cent!) for the first ever time in my life. I also have benefitted from cutting out all white bread, white sugar and caffeine from my diet.

I urge all those women going through withdrawals after getting off Yasmin to post their experiences on this site. There have been days when this site has kept me going.

Yasmin has taken a year from my life. It is pure poison. Prior to this pill, I have NEVER suffered from any form of emotional/mental health issues. I am now about 95% better. I eagerly await the day I am 100% the old me.

Take care all of those out there getting off Yasmin and those going through the 'aftermath'.

PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH and TELL YOUR STORIES...we all need to hear them. After all, it is easy to beleive you are going crazy when something continues to affect you 5 MONTHS after stopping it.

Pharmaceutical companies are going to have a law suit on their hands when the truth of the destruction of Yasmin is made known to the wider community.
:)

To all new readers of this site:

It seems that there is some 'discussion' lately over the magnitude of negative posts about Yasmin on this site. It has been my experience that it has been accessed by anyone either thinking of taking this pill, just started taking this pill or those whom have ended it recently. I agree that ALL medications have side effects and that ALL people react differently to medications/pills. HOWEVER, as Yasmin FAILS to list PSYCHOSIS, SEVERE ANXIETY/PANIC ATTACKS, SEVERE DEPRESSION, RAPID HEART RATE, and SUICIDAL THOUGHTS in its little book of 'possible side effects' then where else would you suggest people find out about them.

I trust everyone has enough brains to realise that their bodies react differently than everyone elses BUT as far as I'm concerned, if I had any clue this could 'possibly' have happened to me, then I could have spared myself the last 7 months of complete hell after taking this rubbish and getting through the 'after effects' once finishing it.

I'm happy that there are those out there who have had no negative side effects...thats wonderful. I myself thought Yasmin was fantastic for a year and a half until I suffered almost over night from ALL of the above (and have zero history of any of it). I dont tend to worry only of myself and what has worked for me, rather, I worry about all of those who could use my experience as a deterant, in doing so, save their mental health and that of their loved ones.

Sure, all pill's are different. None though are worth taking the risk.

The shame is, those who have suffered enormously simply for taking a BCP now need to 'justify' their reasoning for wanting to spread the word and look out for their fellow women.

I wish all those reading these posts luck in their pursuit of a safe and healthly birth control option, and a greater understanding of their dangers whilst doing so.

Take care.

About 2 months ago I was having terrible problems with anxiety, nervousness, feeling of dread and doom, feeling of being detached from myself, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, gastrointestinal upset, palpitations, feelings of panic, parnoia, fatigue and leg cramps. I would just feel sick at my stomach all the time. I did not want to be around people except for my family. I did not want to be in public places. I could not understand what was going on. I felt like I was losing my mind. One day I was trying to find a way to help my anxiety when I found this site. I was so thankful to find it because I realized I was not the only one feeling this way and had not linked my Yasmin to these problems. Once I found the site I realized my problems had begun after starting Yasmin. They had gradually became increasingly worse until I felt like I couldn't take it anymore. I stopped taking Yasmin soon as I read the postings. I called my GYN and she said this was probably not the reason for my problems, but to stop taking Yasmin to see if the symptoms went away. She said these were unusual side effects, but according to this site they are not so unusual. After a week of being off I still did not feel very much better so I started taking a herbal remedy as a cushion to help me make it until this was out of my body. It has been 2 months now and I feel physically better, but the emotional side effects still linger. Some days are good but I have days that have waves of anxiety, panic and irrational thoughts rush over me. I just want to be my old self again. Does anybody know if you ever get back to your old self?
Jennifer

hello everyone! I went off Yasmin about two months ago and have been spotting (pretty light) almost every day since then. Is this normal?? I'm worried something might be wrong. Or could this just be a side effect of going off Yasmin and my body getting re-adjusted??

Prior to going on the pill I was very irregular and didn't get my period often...so it is strange that all of a sudden I am spotting daily.

Going off the Yasmin was horrible for me. I had headaches, bloating, and cramping which I never had before. While on Yasmin I didn't think I had any side-effects although after finding this site I now think different. For the past three years I've been experiencing anxiety/panic attacks....something I never experienced before. I never realized though that they could be linked to Yasmin. Funny, but since going off Yasin 2 months ago I have not had any anxiety attacks!!! I'm hoping that this is the answer!

Anyway, please let me know if anyone had any negative aide-effects after going off YASMIN!!!! Please! I have 2 children and hoping for a 3rd. Hopefully the spotting isn't b/c something is worng!

Thanks,
Lisa

Hi all,
Just an update as I have written in before. I took my last Yasmin pill on Febrary 22nd this year and am slowly getting back to my baseline. While on Yasmin I experienced severe anxiety, panic attacks, depression, irrational thoughts along with physical side effects like nausea, vomiting, dizzy spells, diarrhea, leg pains, joint aches, overwhelming fatigue, and weight gain. It has been a rough ride and I still deal with anxiety, irrational thoughts, and depression. The anxiety particularly hits at ovulation (midcycle) and the mood swings and depression hit in conjunction with the anxiety just before my period. It has been so hard going though this knowing I have not been myself--I was not this way before Yasmin. I seem to be more prone to anxiety now and I am scared to take medication of any kind now. I am so freaked out about having a bad reaction like I did to Yasmin. Fortunately, each month seems to be just a bit better, but it is a slow process. The physical symptoms are much better, but shaking the psychological ones seems to be taking much longer. I cannot wait 'till the day I feel 100% me again--I'm counting on it happening by the 6 month mark hopefully. Good luck to all you in Yasmin recovery out there. Best wishes.

Hello!

This is my second post. I took yasmin for about three months - until my heart started racing and went in and out of beat - at the ER, my heart rate was over 250. I was diagnosed with PSVT (a heart condition). At the ER, they stopped and re-started my heart with medication. I thought that was the worst of it until two weeks ago (about 6 to 8 weeks after the heart-racing) - I had a "gallbladder attack". I have never had one before, do not usually eat fried foods, was told I had stones - had my gallbladder out a week and a half ago. I am 35, in overall good shape - the lab results came back a few days ago - I did not have stones as they first told me. I had a "diseased gallbladder". It had huge polyps in it, which were showing up on the ultrasound as gallstones. I am up tonight, trying to calm down from a panic/anxiety attack - they wake me up in the middle of the night. Have any of you ladies had to go on medication for panic/anxiety? I am already on Cartia (a beta blocker) for my heart - I am afraid to take anything else on one hand, but on the other - I need to sleep at night. Are any of you ladies on heart medication and some kind of anxiety/panic medication? I would love to be able to sleep. I am still praying that these effects from the Yasmin are not perminent. It has been a little over two months now since I quit taking Yasmin. . .