Yasmin and birth control pill

My daughter took Yasmin for two months and 18 days. She began to experience anxiety but the nurse told her that Yasmin "took some getting used to." My daughter decided to give it one more month. In the 3rd month she experienced shortness of breath and some "funny little bloody noses." She had no symptoms of DVT's in her legs (pain or swelling). A doctor examined her on Wednesday and diagnosed "anxiety." On Thursday her nurse reassured me that the shortness of breath could definitely be caused by anxiety. Friday morning she collapsed in her dorm room. She turned blue. She was taken to the ER. She DIED eight hours later of massive pulmonary emboli.
Don't let this happen to you or someone you love. Know ALL the symptoms of blood clots in the legs OR in the lungs. These symptoms are buried in small print in the middle of the booklet. If you develop symptoms go to an ER IMMEDIATELY and insist on being checked for blood clots. Tell them you are on Yasmin. Do not accept the diagnosis of anxiety unless blood clots are ruled out. In addition, if you have a family history of blood clots be tested for clotting disorders BEFORE you start a birth control pill. She was my only daughter and my heart is broken. BE CAUTIOUS. We were falsely lured into a sense of safety because it was a "low dose" pill.

I’ve had two goes at taking Yasmin first time at 23, I had all of the above symptoms a breakdown and big anxiety attack which has never happen to me before so that came out of the blue, I was suspicious about the pill so I stopped taking it after that.

But silly me about at now 25 years old second time around I thought maybe it was me and not the pill but the second time has really confirmed it for me. I’ve suffered worse depressed suicidal thoughts sadness and not to mention no interest in sex all… these things have really affected my relationship with my partner and friends.

I am angry with myself for trying it again worst mistake… but now I guess its confirmed for me ill never be putting any type of birth control pill in my body again its not natural and not good for you.

And I will also mention I was on a totally different pill during high school because I had very bad period pain and my doctor recommended it and looking back now, I was at that time a very hostile and depressed girl everyone thought I was going through teenage adolescence and worried about me… but I now believe it was the pill because I never understood why I hated the world so much at school. Now I know that I will never put my children on these types of contraceptives and I hope other mothers think twice.

Possible ovarian cancer triggered by Yasmin.

You need to know this:

The present study suggests that circulating androgens and SHBG levels are *not* strongly associated with ovarian cancer risk,

although levels of fT may be associated with an increased risk among women diagnosed at relatively young age.

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Jan;16(1):23-9

Free testosterone (fT)

Increased levels of estrogen stimulate ***increased levels of testosterone***and androgen (increased body hair).

Unlike all the other BC pills...

"Yasmin birth control pill is different than other traditional combined oral contraceptives.

Though it is combined of estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and progestin (drsp), which has the unique properties than other progestin based pills available in the market. In other combined pills,

***progesin is derived from testosterone***

whereas in Yasmin with drsp, progestin is derived from spironolactone."

We need progesin to come from testosterone to prevent ovarian cancer. We have to LOWER testosterone.

If you have dry eyes...heads up! And get a pelvic ultrasound. If it shows cysts...while most are benign and common...some are NOT.

I was just discharged from the hospital on Saturday. I had been taking Yasmin for almost two years now and until recently, had no problems. Last Wednesday I went to the ER for severe pain and inability to breath with my left lung. They admitted me after finding a blood clot in the right, as a result of Yasmin! Turns out, I had pneumonia in the left and since I had no symptoms that the clot was there, the pneumonia saved my life! I too had to take those fun Lovenox shots in the stomach and now I'm on Coumadin for 6 months. I am 29 years old, never smoked a day in my life. I do not drink, I am a healthy weight and I work out regularly. I do not have a history of blood clots in the family. How could this happen especially with a drug my doctors told me was safe?

With the amount of occurrences, I'm interested in a class action lawsuit as well. I will never take a birth control pill again EVER.

hey everyone
if anyone sees this post and has switched to a better birth control pill because of getting rashes, and itchiness the whole time please inform me to what pill you have switched and if its better or worse using it. email*****
THANK YOU.

I was taking Yasmin until mid 2007 and took a break until 3 months ago. Since starting with Yasmin again I've been feeling very unwell. Constant nausea, sever fatigue, hair loss which I have never experienced before, stomach cramps, no energy, weight loss, kidney infections. I have been to the doctor twice in the last week presenting with these symptoms. I have 5 pills left in my third pack of Yasmin and I'm stopping today. Yasmin should be taken off the market- there must have some change to the manufacturing process since I last took Yasmin last year.

I had been on Yasmin for about a year, then switched to Loestrin, and then back to Yasmin the past 3 months. I've never felt more anxious, depressed and suicidal. Not to mention the cramps are just as bad as they were before. I have never had problems before with anxiety attacks or depression but the past 3 months I have just not felt like myself. I stress over the dumbest things and work myself up into a frenzy over things I should not even worry about. Went to my dr. today and my nurse agreed with me and said she had the same side effects when she was on Yasmin. I am not off it as of this morning and will be starting a new birth control pill. She also now has me looking into anti anxiety meds

you can't seriously think you got PCOS from taking Yasmin. PCOS is a syndrome, and taking the pill is used as one of the treatments for it.
One of the possibilities is the it is genetic, and it can be caused by insulin resistance or problems in your adrenal gland. You can't possibly get PCOS from taking yasmin. And PCOS does in fact increase the risk for cervical cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Diabetes, but has nothing to do with taking the pill or not.

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.

Okay, i am a 28 year old healthy woman. I have had a few anxiety attacks due to moving, new job, being a single momma and etc. But they are under control.
However, last month i started Yaz to help with mild PMDD which had developed after i had my daughter ( who is 2 now and awesome!!!). Well I thought it was okay at first then 2 weeks into it i started my period and bled for 2 weeks!!!! i have never had a period that long, i thought my blood would be low by then end of it. Well, i also had migraines, which i have never had before. Every morning when i woke up my head pounded. So, i have started the second pack and it has been awful, my lower back is hurting so bad, my anxiety is peaked and i am all shakey. Not to mention i feel like crying my eyes out. Oh and i have eaten 2 pieces of bacon today due to nausea. I couldn't believe it was the BC. When i was young i had taken Triphasil and ortho tricyclen. And i remember them being okay. But not this one.
So tomorrow my gyn. is putting me on Ortho-lo so hopefully it will work. I hate we all have to go through these side effects, but i guess that's how it goes. God bless everyone i hope we find some answers! :o)

Doing an article on Yasmin, INFO WANTED on Side Effects that occur after you stop taking the pill

Hey okay so I'm doing an article on Yasmin, the side effects that occur when you stop taking the pill, and would like more information on it. I would like to interview ex users of the pills that have experienced either hair loss, lack of period, severe headaches, and just about anything that resulted. I need to write this article ASAP! All experiences are helpful. I too used to be on the pill, and ever since I stopped taking it my cycle has been out of whack. Please contact me either via email gator924@ufl.edu or through AIM: lipsfullbittin or via phone: 786-239-8751.

While most people know some of the side effects of taking the pill, few know the side effects that occur when you stop taking it. It would be a helpful article to any users or future users of the pill, don't you agree?

I think It is wonderful...I don't understand why everyone can blame a little birth control pill. Come on now, is everyone honestly reading what they wrote it sounds ridiculous. My acne has cleared up and I haven't gained any weight except for the weight i put on myself not because of the pill. That whole weight gain thing all depends on you. I have headaches...but they are just headaches I had them before I started birth control -their not gonna disappear. Mood swings -we're woman like I said about the headaches- had mood swings before- their not gonna disappear... Thats all I got--- think about what your saying before you write it.

Has anyone else had problems wearing contact lenses with Yasmin? I've been on it for about three years now -- about a year ago my eyes started completely rejecting my contact lenses. I'm at the point where I can't wear them anymore. I'm thinking of changing to a different medication to see if that helps, but I don't know if it's just my eyes, the Yasmin, or all birth control. I know there is a definite connection, I've done some research. Has anyone else experienced this side effect?

Hi I am 20 year old Female. I have been on Yasmin for the past year and a half...I am on it because i have PCOS....PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome....I have to take it to regulate my period, hormones and etc....I been keeping track....on the week off...the day I get my period....I get 3 day migraines that are so brutal.....I was put on Yasmin because it was the lowest hormone birth control pill out there.....I need to go to my doctor soon and do something about this situation...I can't stand these migraines because they take away from my daily routine...so its either double or nothing....period + migraine...fun combination.... I have been on ortho evra THE PATCH and ortho tri-cyclyn low...that was a while back ago..don't really remember any symptoms from it..but the Patch did make me nauseous......so I am actually feeling depressed today, unproductive, frustrated and it keeps going....

I am only 20 and I am confused having read all these complaints about Yasmin. The thing is that the pills have been prescribed by my doctor because of a low-progesterone level and a high-testosterone level. He says this is the only way I can regulate my hormone levels. I am now having some side-effects like depression,headaches.And it's only been the second day of taking Yasmin. Could anyone help me?

I was wondering if anyone has experienced very irregular periods since coming off of Yasmin. In high school I was extremely regular and could almost tell you to the hour I would be getting my period, but I had killer cramps that usually resulted in nausea and I would not be able to do anything. I went on a birth control pill that I would bleed through for 2 weeks every 2 weeks. I got off that pill and was put on Yasmin to regulate my period. Yasmin regulated my period, but did nothing for my cramps and didn't shorten my period either. I was on Yasmin for about a year and I just couldn't take it anymore. The first month I started taking Yasmin I became very depressed and cried all the time. I decided to give it a few months to see how my body adjusted. My emotions got so out of control that I would find myself crying hysterically during commercials or if someone looked at me the wrong way. I was living with one of my best friends at college whom I never fought with prior to using this pill and we had many blow out fights. I did not feel like the same person I used to be. My period has been so irregular ever since I got off the pill. I know they say it could take a few months to regulate again, but I was just wondering if the same thing happened to others.

I just want to say that I was on YAZ for 1 1/2 years and I had absolutely no problems with it. In fact, YAZ was one of two birth control pills that I was on that didn't make me sick, out of five. Yes, sometimes I have anxiety, I'm depressed, bitchy, etc, but it is because I am Bi-polar and have been diagnosed for years now. I hate to sound insensitive, but maybe some of you ladies are just crazy like me. Also, birth control pills pump hormones into your body, and hello, what do hormones do... they can make us a little irrational, bitchy, depressed, etc. YAZ is not that much different than any other birth control.

I just went on Yasmin, because my insurance covers it better than YAZ. I will keep everyone posted, but I'm not too worried.

When a class action lawsuit is filed, let me know....this drug should be taken of off the market immediately. We started all of this with an OB/GYN that prescribed this “miracle pill” and now have had to go not only to our primary doctor, but also a psychiatrist, gastrenologist, college campus counselors, psychologists, psychiatrist, and the campus medical doctors; All the while, accumulating enormous doctor bills. All the doctors say, "No, Yasmin won't cause those problems" (except the college campus doctors..wonder why? Hmm.. could it be that they are not in private practice?)....well, I beg to differ. Everyone needs to give this website to their doctor so the doctors can hear from the patients that have taken this drug, and not listen to the pharmaceutical companies that are pushing this drug to be the "miracle pill". Maybe if enough people complain and go to the media, we can get rid of this drug!
My daughter who is 18 was put on Yasmin because of irregular periods, hormonal imbalance, etc. We were told it was the new “miracle pill”. It will make you loose weight, regulate your periods, clear up acne, you name it, it will fix it. Yeah, right.
She started taking this pill in March 2007. She was off at college but called to tell me she was experiencing horrible headaches, behind the eyes. She complained about her stomach hurting, but we just figured it was the stress of freshman year at college. Then she said she got where she couldn’t eat when she went to a restaurant. When she came home in May for the summer, I noticed a total personality change. For example, she was always a neat freak, and now she wouldn’t clean her room. The first day when she drove home, she started crying she was so mad about the traffic. Yes, she has always had a little road rage, but this was ridiculous.
By June, not only could she not be in crowds, like at a restaurant, but now she is having full blown panic attacks and IBS. We called the OBGYN and they said, “Yasmin won’t cause this, go see your primary doctor”. I knew that the only thing that had changed with her was taking the YASMINE. I knew it had something to do with all of this so I “Googled Yasmin” and this website (http://www.medications.com/se/yasmin) was the first one I looked at. All of her symptoms matched everyone else’s! I am so glad we found this website, it explained everything and I had her to stop Yasmin immediately.
So we went to the primary doctor, explained about the Yasmin and how we thought it was the culprit of everything. Of course this doctor also says, “Yasmin won’t cause that”. We told him to look it up on the internet and see how there are over 3000 complaints on this drug, more than any of the other drugs on the market.
Besides the emotional problems she starting having, her pulse and blood pressure was sky high, so he puts her on medicine for that, and puts her on an anxiety medicine and sends her to a psychiatrist. She is very thirsty all the time, and develops IBS. She can’t eat without having pains in her stomach. So, now we’ve have gone from having just irregular periods, to all of the above, plus a psychiatrist.
The psychiatrist doubles her medicine (and puts her Pamine for the IBS) because the panic attacks are gone, but she still is having a lot of nervousness, anxiety, can’t sleep at night, crazy thoughts, worrying all the time, etc. A month later he changes her medicine again, to Effexor. The first 2 weeks, she does okay, but the packet doubles the strength after 2 weeks. It takes 4 weeks for it to take full effect. Right after she doubles this medicine, it is like her senses are on hyper-mode. She can taste everything that is in her food (chili powder, seasonings, etc…), taste the metal in water, and she can hear someone’s phone vibrating, in another room.
Then she goes back to college at the end of August 2007, and it’s horrible. The Effexor is having bad, bad side effects. We called the psychiatrist that she was using at home and he doubled the dose. That was the worse thing they could’ve done. The side effects were worse than ever. I had her to immediately go to a psychiatrist on campus. She told him the whole story and he believed her! Needless to say we switched doctors. He then lowered her dose back down to ½ a dose and hopefully can slowly get her off of all this medicine.
The newest thing she has developed is being hypoglycemic. The campus psychiatrist sent her to a campus medical doctor and he told her that they would get to the bottom of this. He tested her for everything under the sun. Low blood sugar is the only thing they found. But, she hasn’t taken the Yasmin since May. No telling what the results would have came back like if it was done at the time she was taking Yasmin.
Thank goodness she has counselors and doctors there at the campus that believes that Yasmin can cause all of these problems, and are working with her. From what I have read from the people that have used this medicine, although most doctors do not agree, Yasmin takes like 6 months to get out of your system. I think I am going to believe the testimonials of the people who take this medicine, over a doctor who prescribes it.
If everyone goes to the media, their doctors, the FDA, congressmen, and make them aware of these horrible effects, surely we can get this drug off of the market! Does anyone know a class action lawyer that would pursue this? For my child to have to go through all of this is ridiculous, not to mention costly. What do we know of the long term effects this drug will have if it is doing all of this when you first start taking it?
If you have the same concerns as me about this drug, and would be interested in looking into a class action lawsuit, please email: ****** I would be interested to see how many would want to pursue this.

I've been taking Yaz for three months and, as much as I'd like to stay on a birth control pill, this one just isn't working. I've been ravenously hungry, and nauseous too. It's been a vicious cycle of eating (to stem the insane cravings), and then vomiting. Yuck. I'm over it. I've read some of the other posts, and I can relate to the need to pee also. I experienced the same diuretic effect, but only for a few weeks during the first pack of pills. I've also had a mild headache nearly every day since I began taking the pill. And I've had sore breasts too. I'm sure there are some girls who can handle Yaz, but I'm not one of them!

Hello,

I read about how YAZ birth control pill affects the body and psych and I am now scared. This is my 2nd day of YAZ (I've never been on birth control pills ever and I am 27 years old), it's all new to me but after reading all these negative posts about Yaz I don't know what to do. Before the birth control pills, I was depressed, annoying, serious weight problems - 210 lbs :~~((, low energy, low libido, always tired, terrible migraines every 2nd day, ridiculously increased appetite and excessive hunger, hair where it shouldn't be, menstrual blood clots, excessive cramping etc
I have all these problems for 3 years now and now that the family doc. put me on YAZ birth control pill I am even more scared - mainly of more weight gain, it would be a tragedy for me, I am fat enough already and what's worse I can't lose the weight, exercise doesn't help, diet doesn't help, NOTHING. Will YAZ birth control pill worsen my already tragic condition? I just don't know what to do and what to believe ... I appreciate any advice or help you can give me ... Thank You to all!

Yasmin gave me IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrom for those of you who don't know.) I was on the pill for eight months. My pre-symptoms were I had 5 yeast infections in a row, in the second and third months of taking it...this didn't ring any bells, even though I had never had a yeast infection before in my life, and my doctor just said I had a yeast imbalance. So a month after those stopped the IBS started. I was in the bathroom about 8 times a day, I thought maybe it was a flu, so i didn't go to the doc right away. I eventually gave up on that thought and went to see my doc, who even he, thought that it was IBS, so he sent me to a specialist right away. I had a colonoscopy and nothing, so the specialist told me that I needed to stop searching and just accept that I had IBS (I told him that I had been trying to figure it all out, because you literally don't wake up one day, go to the bathroom and your life changes forever, I KNEW something else was going on.) Anyways, I had a dumb specialist, he said that I had to accept this, I asked if it could possibly be my birth control and he said no and prescribed my a whole bunch of other drugs. Well I still just couldn't believe my life just all of a sudden changed, so I went to my family doc, lied, told him i was getting moody off Yasmin, and he switched me onto another. IT WORKED no more IBS, the results were immediate, it took a while for my poor damaged bowls to fix themselves, a few months actually, but now things are getting back to normal. Oh, and I've stopped birth control pills, back to condoms for me...my doc put me on Alesse, which didn't work either - moody! and then he put me on Marvelon, which inflamed my gallbladder (had to go for an ultrasound to see if i had gallstones) I figured at this rate, in two years i'd be dead from taking b/c so I was done, I would recommend the same to anyone!!

Hello Yasmin Sufferers out there, I have currently been taking Yasminfor four months exactly, I started my cycle today which means that I would start to take my new pack of pills come this Sunday, except I have most definately decided that I am going to stop. Especially after reading all of these posts and have come to the realization that all of my health problems seem to be Yasmin driven. I will now list the long list of symptoms that I have expierienced over the last four months:

Water retention, dry mouth, dehydration ( also note: drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day), blurred vision, shaking, headaches, backaches, crying at the drop of a dime, moody, irritable, constipation, nightsweats, coldsores, breast tenderness, as well as numbness in legs. I also have naturally thin hair, but have noticed that my hair has become thinner. I have also gained 10pds.

I am 24 years of age and have been taking this pill for four months. When I was younger I took Ortho Tricyclin for years and gained approx: 60pds. I went off of that pill and dropped the weight almost immediately along with changing my nutrition completely. So, it wasn't just the pill. I then stayed off of the pill for years, and was absolutely fine. Last year I tried to take Yasmin, I went on the pill for one month and withing the 1st week gained 8pds, I stopped taking it after one month, because I am so weight conscience because the pill had made me gain weight in the past.

I tend to have moderate adult acne. I went to my Dr. for an acne treatment, and he suggested the Birth Control Pill. He suggested Yasmin because of the water pill which is in it. This time my Dr. convinced me that I did not give the pill enough time last time and should give it three months minumum.

So, I have given it four months and the symptoms seem to be getting worse as well as the weight gain, and irritability.

I have also felt depressed and wondered if have been depressed which I have never had thoughts of in the past.

One thing that Yasmin has done well for me has been clearing up the acne, which was what I wanted to stop, but after enduring all of these other symptoms, I would rather have adult acne in trade for all of these.

Like I mentioned above I took my last pill last Saturday because that was the end of my pack and I do not plan on starting a new one this Sunday. I can only hope that I do not get any negative side effects when coming off of the pill.

I hope that this helps you ladies out there looking for info and highly recommend researching a birth control pill extensively before taking it.

Wishing you all the best of luck, thank you all for voicing your symptoms as I didn't even realize that these were all pointing to one problem.YASMIN.

I have been taking Yasmin for three years now. The only side effect would be upset stomach. This really depends if I take it on somewhat full stomach. Otherwise, I am very happy with this birth control pill. Just to let you know that I am a 40 year old female.

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

So i began taking the birth control pill as a way to regulate my period and decrease cramping. Needless to say, i started with Alesse and all was fine, except i broke out badly on my back (i have never had acne especially in that area before).. so i switched to Yasmin and have been on it for a few months. Yasmin was great in removing the acne and regulating my period. I now have it for 4 days instead of 6 and my cramps are entirely gone. Recently however i began experiencing headaches and slight bouts of depression. The depression isn't very extreme, but i am feeling a lot more tired than usual, i'm sleeping a lot, and most importantly i've been feeling melancholic and indifferent about things. Therefore i have decided to stop taking it as of today (during my pack) and see if my mood changes. It isn't worth doing this to yourself.

Hi everyone, I've been off Yaz for two weeks now and have had severe depression, emotional numbness, anxiety, muscle weakness, migraines, and on and on. The symptoms are actually getting worse in some ways since I went off the Yaz.

I'm hoping someone can tell me whether they've had any success in going on another birth control pill after Yasmin/Yaz in order to stabilize side-effects of depression and anxiety, which are what freaks me out the most. I've been off Yaz for two weeks now and if anything my side-effects have gotten worse. I'm seeing a doctor and trying to figure out what's going on, but in the meantime I am desperate to feel like myself again. I'd rather not go on anything else hormonal for the long-term, but I'm considering going back on an older, completely different prescription (Loestrin) which didn't cause me any psychological side-effects. One of my doctors says it should be fine, but the other doesn't want me to do it. Has anyone else felt an improvement in depression and anxiety from going onto a different pill prescription? Thanks for your help!!

So I'll refer to today as Hell Day, the day when all the horrible symptoms of my birth control pill attack me at once and I literally cannot take it. I had this exact same thing happen when I was on the nuvaring, and I stopped it immediately. I'm willing to sacrifice having 100% safe sex if it means I don't have to feel like I'd rather shove a knife through my brain than exist. It's only my second month of Yasmin, and I'm feeling more fatigued than ever before in my life. I feel so horribly depressed. It's beautiful outside and I was lying on the grass, thinking only about being DEAD. I'm not one to be depressed. The only other time I've felt this awful was my third month into the Nuvaring. I specifically asked my doctor for something that wouldn't make me depressed, nor gain weight. Well, I gained about 5 pounds that won't come off no matter how hard I try, and the depression is just getting worse and worse. I'm stopping this pill tomorrow.

Other symptoms included:
*Initially: a sharp breathing pain under my left lung
*Weird, small rash on my leg
*Would rather be in bed than do anything
*Overwhelming feeling of loneliness, questioning self-worth, etc.

I hadn't been on birth control in a while, but getting into a new serious relationship, we both agreed that we should have some extra protection. I have only been on Yasmin for about 3 months. The first month was OK and I felt fine. But the past two months I have been experiencing extreme anxiety, nervousness (grinding my teeth), depression, stomach problems, and I just didn't feel like myself. I felt so low and didn't want to do things. My boyfriend noticed the changes in me too and I was taking a lot of things out on him just because he was there. I also haven't felt very sexual, like my libido totally dropped.

I know you are suppose to wait until you get your period to discontinue taking any type of birth control pill, because you can throw your whole body off. But I stopped taking them today and I can tell you I feel so much better already. No more pills for me! Back to good old condoms!!

I am so happy that I found this website and read that others have been feeling the same way. Now I feel like I am NOT going crazy. I know that not everyone feels these things and it could be good for some people, but it wasn't for me.

I have been on Yasmin21 for 10 days. As soon as I started taking them I noticed that I was feeling different. Spotting came first and has not stopped for the 10 days I've been using them. A couple days ago I started noticing that my breats are severly tender to the point where just walking hurts them. I feel bloated and like I need to eat every couple of hours. Just yesterday I noticed my feet were looking kind of swollen and my leg has cramped up real bad which resulted in limping today. It also changed my mood from the usual happy to on the verge of tears. My sex drive is also gone and I was wondering if this happened to any other women. I decided to stop taking them until I can see a doctor in hope that he will prescribe me a different pill or another method of birth control. I will not be going back on this pill and I am still a little bit sketchy about going on any other birth control pill. All in all this pill made me feel terrible inside and out.

I am a 34 year old and have been taking Yaz for almost a year.

I had some minor side effects until this past month when everything came apart at the seams. I do not know if yaz is the culprit - but the number of women with the EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS as me listed here SCARES THE HELL OUT OF ME.

My "minor" sude effects were the following:

* No period for 5 months
* No sex drive (was not the case before taking Yaz)
* Panic attacks / anxiety (no history fo this. My doc has now put me on Zoloft.)
* Bloating / weight gain
* Brown blotches (like age spots) on one side of my face

This is NOTHING compared to the last month of my life. Basically my life has sucked for the last month. Roughly a month ago my symptoms started with a red rash on the left side of my face and pain in my left ear that led to a migraine that has not gone away at all. (The pain level goes between a 5 and 10, but never lower than a 5.) The rash went away in 2 days, but my ear still hurts today (a month later).

My vertigo began roughly 5 days after the onset of my rash and ear pain and has been non-stop since. I've taken phenergan, valium, etc. - but they are not working. I get spinning/dizzy every time my head moves (up, down, left, right) and with up and down eye movement. It seems like my migraine pain intensifies when my vertigo hits me. If I lie completely still - I have no vertigo - but my migraine is still there. To make matters worse, I have become very disoriented, like I am in a fog all of the time. I am only 34 years old and feel like I am losing my mind. I cannot remember simple words at times and have a tough time completing sentences.

All of these symptoms coincide exactly to the day I began a new packet of the birth control pill called YAZ (Yasmin). I had taken this brand of pill for a year, and though it has worked (not pregnant) I have had some minor side effects up until the last month. The biggest side effect is that I have not had any period at all for the last 5 months. I have also had anxiety (no past history) and have no sex drive (not my normal self.) I stopped taking the pill about a week ago - after reading literally thousands of people with the same side effects I am experiencing on a website called medications.com (My neurologist also told me to stop taking it.)

I am NOT having ringing in my ears or loss of hearing. I mention this because I know other ailments have these as symptoms.

I have already been seen by my dentist, physical therapist, ENT, 2 neurologists and a gyn. So far - they are not helping. I have even been hospitalized for 5 days and all they really did was try and dope me up to sleep and had me take a very potent anti-migraine drug called DHE that must be administered over a 36 hour period via IV. Guess what? It did not work.

The most scary thing is that even though I get severe vertigo any time I move my head (even to the point of waking me up while I sleep) - NOT A SINGLE DOCTOR EVEN MENTIONED I MIGHT HAVE BPPV ( BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO) and they did not test for it at all. They were all interested in treating my month-long migraine with anti-migraine drugs. They all swore up and down that my vertigo was related to my migraine. They also said my fogginess was because I was "tired and sick" and many migraine sufferers are that way.

After my husband and I searched the internet and found dozens of websites, we are pretty much convinced that I have BPPV. We are going to get in front of a vestibular specialist ASAP.

So you know, I have been through a CT scan, two different MRIs, basic blood work on my white cell counts, thyroid levels, potassium, etc.

They have ruled out a sinus infection, brain tumor, pituitary tumor, stroke, blood clots, etc. They have simply treated me with anti-migraine medication - and it has been worthless. I have taken Topomax, Frova and DHE (the drug mentioned above) and my migraine is still there. These drugs have not helped one bit. My neurologist swore that the DHE would do the trick. Guess what? He was wrong.

I discharged myself from the hospital yesterday and am now at home.

I just want my normal life back. I cannot drive, work, take care of my family, etc.

My two biggest questions are:

DOES ANYONE KNOW IF BPPV CAN CAUSE MY MIGRAINE? The reason I ask is that the doctors all think that the migraine is causing my vertigo. All along they have been treating my migraine (with zero success) and have been giving me valium and antivert to simply mask my vertigo (no success there either.) No one has tried to really diagnose and treat my vertigo. Is it possible if I get my vertigo fixed my migraines will disappear?

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL PILLLS CAUSING BPPV? I saw woman after woman on medications.com have the same symptoms of vertigo, migraines and brain fog while taking the birth control pill Yasmin. I also know that my avalanche of symptoms eerily coincided with my first pill from a new pack. If they are related, I am most interested in what to do to get my hormones back on track in an effort to stop my vertigo.

This is all driving me crazy. A month ago I was absolutely normal. Now I am 100% disabled. I just want my life back.

Please help!

I am due to start my third pack of YAZ, and I am getting off today. My dr. gave me a three month trial after I switched from ortho-tricyclin low because I had break-through bleeding. I realize with any contraceptive there are going to be side-effects, but this is ridiculous... I have had extreme fatigue, I am sleepy all the time. I also feel like I cannot think clearly, like my head is clogged or something. I also feel very anxious and this feeling like I am going to pass out. Also my eyes feel very dry and unfocused. Nothing is worth feeling like this, and it is very obvious that all these symptoms are coming from this pill. I am scared to try anything else!

It was nice to find this website, finally figuring out a reason why I get my yeast infections, headaches, naseau, pain on my left breast bone, fatigue, mood swings, etc... I always thought it was just me, but I'm now thinking that maybe it's not. I've had recurrent yeast infections ever since being on Yasmin (I've been on it for over 4 years) and my MD has never mentioned it could be the pill. I finally started seeing a connection between the two when I started tracking what happens to me when I miss taking the pill (ALWAYS a yeast infection). And it got me to thinking that maybe there are other women out there who suffer from the same thing. Also, at some points I actually thought I had serious mental/health problems b/c of my consistent headaches, fatigue, and mood swings. I used to be really active up until I was 19 when I started on Yasmin, and it went downhill from there. I guess I just thought that this was just my normal grown up self (I know sounds kinda lame). And I've totally experienced the lack of sex drive, it seems I'm only interested the week before I get my period or when I'm on it.

I just started Yasmin 6 days ago. I have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and depression. I am also on Wellbutrin. Since starting Yasmin I have had severe nausea, chest pain, elevated blood pressure, and pain in my joints. I actually feel like I have the flu all day long. I am glad that I found this site and know that there are others who have similar symptoms and it is not just in my head. I have tried ortho-tricyclen and didn't tolerate that either, it made my heart race.

I am going crazy with this birth control pill ladies! I started last month after my period and my last pill was this monday and I have been experiencing ALL of the PMS symptoms each day and it's getting worse but i haven't gotten my period! I'm supposed to start my pills again on Monday but what if I don't get a period? Is this abnormal? I'm 41 yrs old and PMS and abnormal cramping is the reason I am on Yasmin. I am feeling wigged out, tired, and can't sleep through the night. Can anybody help with some advice?

Thanks IPJ!
that makes me feel better. Did you use an vitmanins when you stopped. Did you go to another birth control pill?
I am not quite sure what to do when I stop.

Guest 37262-

The swelling of the breast is due to adding an un-natural hormone to your body. It is an increase to the existing progesterone and estrogen naturally occuring in your body. We all have progesterone and estrogen receptors in our breasts-that is often why many women's breasts grow when taking hormones. Its not really a healthy thing although many women think its great, I think its actually what's causing breast cancer as there are so many women and the #'s growing. My own personal experience is that it doesn't go away until you go off of all hormones.

On the gaining weight, it sounds like you are one of the unusual women to gain/rather than lose weight on Yasmin. Watch that, discuss with your OBGYN and pay special attention to every other symptom that may develop.

Yasmin is really not a good birth control pill. There are so many women on this site and the new one in the UK who have suffered horribly with serious symptoms. so my recommendation would be to get off it and practice natural protection/non-hormonal methods.

i had registered at the other board to ask this question but never got a verification email so can't post.

i took my last yasmin saturday night. i was wondering if anyone had gone from yasmin to another birth control pill with any success??? i was thinking about going back to otc-lo that i had tried for awhile (until i was told yasmin was better). i'm thinking i could be playing with fire switching it up though after this whole yasmin experience.

how many of you read all the lists of side effect on every medication you have been prescribed i know one thing i bet u we all will now i took birth control pills for 15 years on and off never had any problems except for pimples or sore boobs minor things so when people or doctors say yasmin could not possibly cause these debilitating symptoms they dont have a clue this birth control pill yasmin is different from all of them dont ask me why becuase i am not sure all i know is that it screws up our bodies and it is an ugly mess to try to fix. doctors even, i think they are unaware of yasmins unique ingredient its different its ugly and symptoms after taking it prove that something is very uniquely wrong women have been off 6 mos 8 mos 1 year and still not feeling 100 percent we are all screaming out do not take this pill its to high risk that you might develop symptoms i did not notice them untill 2 years on this poison i loved it at first and had recommended it to people now look at me a mess 4 mos off if you decide to take yasmin please know that if you devlop bad side effects even if you stop taking this med your symptoms will not go away any time soon read onnnnnnnn dont be a fool take something else do your body a favor and stay away from this devil pill yasmin

For Ladies just joining this site and those posting for months/years, if you read through the post that includes all the possible side effects of Yasmin, I think you will find most of your answers there. This information came directly from the makers of Yasmin-Berlex and it is accompanied with the bcp-its that little pamphlet of size 1.5 font. It outlines all teh risks and many of them I can see are being experienced by women:

Anxiety, depression, changes in vision, pressure in the chest, heart attack atcetera. Please read through this (below) if you haven't already or your own pamphlet if you are now taking Yasmin or plan to and then keep it and discuss it with your prescribing Doctor. Know what you are at risk for in taking this or any birth control pill.

following that information is a letter written by the Dept of Pulbic Health to Berlex about the mis-leading advertisment that was being aired on yasmin and how it discounted the health risks associated with this pill because of its synthetic basis as well as the risk of increasing potassium.

See 3 posts below Flowerbabies most recent.

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.

My daughter was put on Yasmin approximately three years ago to help with her acne and to regulate her periods which it did help with. However, she began having such severe anxiety attacks and mood problems that she ended up being on Zoloft for this. She was due to go in for her annual gyn exam and I was looking on the Internet for information about YAZ, thinking that maybe this would be better for her -- and that is when I found all these different websites discussing the anxiety, mood disorder, depression, etc associated with Yasmin. Well, we decided to finish up this cycle (last week) and for her to go off of them because now we both think that the reason she had the horrible anxiety, etc was because of this birth control pill. We are both really hoping that she will feel better quickly off of it and will then wean her off of the Zoloft. I am so upset to think that she has had to take the Zoloft for over a year now and she never had this problem before the Yasmin!

hi guest 31475,
i do not know what other birth control pill would be better than yasmin as i have only taken dianette (about 10 years ago) and yasmin. a very low dose pill may be ok yasmin seems to have quite high levels of hormones compared to some of the older brands of pills. yasmin is considered a new generation pill so maybe one of the original types may be better. yasmin has not been proven to better than any other brand i think that just because it is one of the newer types it is more readily prescribed. talk to your health care giver about the problems you have had with the artificial hormones and they may be able to recommend a brand. I will not be trying any form of hormonal birth control in the future as i had no idea that something so seamingly simple could have such a detremental effect on my health and my quality of life.
have you considered non hormonal types of birth control? as mentioned below there is a copper IUD and i think there is also a low dose progesterone IUD that does not get into the blood so may not cause the same side effects as oral contraceptives. i don't much about them as i have decided to stick to non hormonal,plain & simple condoms for now at least i know i will not get any side effects from them!

I started taking Yasmin 11 months ago for PCOS. In addition to the Yasmin, I am taking spirolactine and metformin. I have all of the symptoms above....the depression, the anxiety, the unexplained insomnia, the lack of sex drive (I had a major sex drive before Yasmin...it's at ZERO at this point.) and extreme vaginal dryness/painful intercourse. At first I thought I had a yeast infection...and that's what my doctor chalked it up to. And finally I sat down with my boyfriend to find out if Yasmin was the cause of the vaginal dryness....because we checked out the other two drugs I'm taking...and low and behold I found ALL these horrible blogs referring to Yasmin and it's side effects. My question to all of you though...is whether you immediately switched to another birth control pill? And if so...what do you guys recommend? I used Ortho TriCyclen for a long time and don't remember any terrible side effects like this.
Thanks.

I was on Yasmin for a year and experienced vaginal dryness, excess discharge at some times of the month and eye dryness. My doctor told me this could mean that my PH is off and that it may be an effect of my BCP. While getting on Yasmin I was really emotional for the first three months, then my body got used to it and it got a little better. The anxiety on Yasmin was always present but I started to deal with it by exercising, yoga, etc. I decided last month I wanted to go off of Yasmin. I stopped taking Yasmin. The week after I stopped, I began to notice a drastic change. I felt SO anxious, depressed, just awful. I was actually suicidal one day, thank god my mom rushed me into psychiatric care immediately. They prescribed me antidepressants even though I had no history of these problems. I found it funny that they didn't think it had anything to do with the BCP. I decided not to take the antidpressants and to go back on the birth control pill. I doubled up the first two days and resumed my pack as usual. Three weeks later (today) I feel normal again. I really want to get off of Yasmin and birth control all together but I am afraid that an episode like I had will occur again. Does anyone know if you can slowly ween yourself off of BC by cutting pills in half or taking one every other day? I know I would have to use a backup method of BC but I just want to do this so I don't experience such negative withdrawal symptoms

Hi,
I have been on Yasmin for about 4 months now, and I have been very moody. Little things make me cry or I get angry really easy. I feel bad for my boyfriend and my family and friends, they are always saying what's the matter and sometimes it's absoutly nothing. My cramps stopped when I started taking this pill but is there another birth control pill that works just as good but doesn't have the moody side effects that this pill has? My best friend is on it too and she said that she was becomming very moody too. I never cry and the smallest things are making me. Should I stop taking this pill and switch to another one? I just don't want anything to happen between me and my boyfriend because of this pill, that would make me very upset.

Thank you!
Kristin

I've been off it for a couple of days now and already starting to notice an improvement. I'm still in shock that a birth control pill could cause so many physical and mental ailments. No more. I'm going to try natural herbal remedies to combat my PMS... I'm fixed so don't need the pill for BC, was just using it to regulate my periods, keep my skin clear, and level out my moods - which Yasmin seemed to do nicely for about four months. Then things changed and boy oh boy, it's not worth it.

Best of luck to those of you who are just starting to detox. I'm right there with you.

Chris

I went on Yasmin a few months ago. I too had the anxiety/mood swings/low sex drive. It is so good to read what everyone has said b/c I now know that I wasn't crazy.I have a husband at home who wasn't helpful and a very active wonderful 2-year old that wasn't getting my full attention b/c I was fatigued all the time (This past month I filed for divorce). I saw a therapist in May b/c I felt angry, sad and hopeless all the time and didn't know how to deal with it. He wanted me to see a psychiatrist and possibly go back on anti-depressents. I was totally against that b/c of the horrible experience I had with Zoloft and with getting off of Zoloft (nightmare!) this past January. The other major side effects I had were night sweats, headaches, backaches every morning and leg cramps. You can imagine what the night sweats did to my sex life! One week after stopping Yasmin the nightsweats, headaches, backaches and leg cramps went away and I started enjoying my time with my daughter. I had been on another birth control pill before the yasmin. It was a progesterone only pill and I'm now wondering if that is what caused a lot of my problems as well (have had the night sweats since I went on the pill in 2004). I can't get the past 2 years back, but I'm wondering how life could have been without being on birth control pills.

I've been on yasmin now for 1 year, my periods are never on time, i also have axiety, depression, and lack of energy, I cant believe this is from a birth control pill. I couldnt find the answer to my problem i thought i was going nuts, Thanks for your site. Im also calling the doctor right away to get off this pill. I would love to get my energy back, maybe this will help.

I am 39yrs so i decided to visit my gp. to change my birth control pill (conova) he recommend that i use Yasmin i started the Yasmin in June of this year approximately one month after taking the yasmin i realised i got nervous scared that i would faint i dont want to be around anyone the nervousness was the worst . I decided to revisit my gp. and i told him in detail how i felt, he said i am suffering from panic attack/anxiety attack he recommended lexotan i still had that same feeling when i didnt take the medication i didnt want to get hooked on it ,so i decided to revisit him a week later i told him i noticed this happening since i took the yasmin his reply was no that cannot affect you that way you are under serious stress thhats the cause of your attack. that day i went to 3 different doctors they all had the same to say I did thyroid test and all other blood test they all showed normal I also try a herbalist doctor he told me the same and he gave me other herbal medication for this panic attack. i got no relief so decided to search the internet and learn about panic attack . I was not satisfied so i continued to do further search until i found your site i have learnt alot and i think it is the yasmin causing these attack i had one this morning i took a lexotan it calmed me down but from yesterday i decide to stop the yasmin I also made an appointment with my gyno. so he can recommend some thing for me probably the coil. thank you very much i have learnt alot . may god bless each and everyone of you who have given me hope.

hi aal,just a quick update on my progress.
i have been off yasmin now for 13 weeks...i feel soooo much better,virtually all of my anxiety has gone,i can now pretty much do all of the things i did pre-yasmin. i have just got back from a holiday in spain.three months ago the thought of leaving my house or going to the shops terrified me. i still have a racing heart now and again,still get the shakes when i am pre menstrual and the anxiety gets a little worse again around ovulation but i know it will go away so it doesn't bother me much any more. i don't have the scary thoughts now (other than occasionally when premenstrual) the dizziness has gone,my appetite is back,the headaches are on their way out. i just wanted to share these things with everyone on this site as it has given me some just knowing that i am not alone and i am not crazy,this pill causes some of the worst side effects i have ever heard of from a birth control pill....if this is the next generation pill i'll stay in the past thank-you! i still have a hormone imbalance (suspect estrogen dominance) am going to see my gp and see what she suggests.other than that i am still taking all the vitamins and minerals and just living with the knowledge that it will get better,i know that it will because of all the amazing women who have posted their stories and updates here as a life line for all the rest of us.

all the best...... love many,trust a few but always paddle your own canoe!