Yasmin and breasts

I've been using Yasmin for 2.5yrs now with no problems at all. I used Ortho-tri-cycline for 5 years before that with no problems either. I've noticed that my mood swings are very subdued, my periods are light and regular, my cramping is drastically decreased and I haven't suffered a single bad side effect. My breasts got a little bigger, but not sore or tender (I'm only a 32A so the boost was a pretty nice surprise). I had very bad subcutaneous acne that is gone now. Most of what I've been reading about are known side effects that is anyone is experiencing should definitely get off the medication immediately. Granted these side effects are severely downplayed and should be more obvious or at least brought to your attention by your doctor. But for those that are scared by these side effects, they are rare compared to the population that uses Yasmin. Just make sure you listen to your body and be open with your doctor. If something isn't right make sure you do something about it. There are other alternatives if Yasmin doesn't agree with you.

I was on Yasmin for only a month in November 2008. I quickly got off of it because of the side effects. I wear contact lenses, yet my vision was getting blurry. I was training for a marathon, yet I was gaining weight (and it wasn't the muscle mass I was also gaining from training). I began to have horrible headaches, retaining water and I even got these little red rashes on my arms and breasts. At the time, I didn't know that Yasmin was causing all of this and ruining my life! Now I know it's Yasmin. I went to my doctor, she performed various lab tests (including liver, kidney, thyroid) and I am perfectly healthy. So I did major research on Yasmin and discovered all of my ailments were on there as side effects. My advice for anyone experiencing anything similar is to either change the dosage or just get off of it. It's not worth it. Yasmin is the devil! I mean think about it, we are messing with the natural way our body's hormones function. Oh yeah, and not to mention that I started losing some of my hair as well.

wow. i am so happy i found this website. after reading everyone's posts, i now know that i am not alone. my doctor prescribed me Yasmin about maybe 3-4 months ago. i take BC to regulate my period & ease the pain of it (my cramps are unbearable and cause me to get very sick & sometimes pass out). and almost as soon as i started taking it, i was also having UTI-like symptoms, but with no infection whatsoever. my urethra was SO sensitive it even hurt to wash myself sometimes, peeing was painful, i was constantly irritated, dry, and red down there, and sex was nearly impossible. the lack of sex caused me to become somewhat depressed, because i knew my bf was unhappy, just as i was. & besides vaginal problems, i experienced headaches every 2-3 days, and my breasts were sore 24/7 and felt VERY dense, as if they had knots in them. i already have the beginning stages of fibrocystic breast disease (like my mother), so i figured there was NO WAY this pill could be healthy for me to take. so just a few days ago actually, i switched to ortho tri cylen. i've only been on it for about 4 days, so i'm crossing my fingers that those horrible symptoms stay away. for anyone you know who is thinking of going on BC, please tell them to stay away from Yasmin. this site and everyone's posts honestly made me feel so much better. i wish the best for all of you.

I just started my 3rd month of Yasmin. i definitely experienced mood swings and mild feelings of depression, but nothing uncontrollable. there is a significant increase in size of my breasts and i thought that was all until about the past 2 weeks or so. i had been working out a lot and lost a little weight before starting the pill, now within the past few weeks my whole upper body seems puffy and other people have even noticed a weight gain. i took Yasmin for a year about 2 years ago and never experienced these problems. it can't be in my head! and its not worth it to me. i'm on the 3rd day of my 3rd pack and i'm stopping. should i expect to experience awful side effects: hair loss, acne, more weight gain, etc? since i've only been taking it for 2 full months. and how long will it take to get out of my system? is this all in my head???

I have never before posted on a forum like this, but if my information helps or forewarns one other woman .... I am grateful.

I am 51 years old, been in perimenopause since Lincoln was President, it seems. I was prescribe a generic version of Yasmin, and, because I had been experiencing general symptoms of perimenopause before, did not attribute to Yasmin by increasing feelings of being in hell.

I will say one positive thing about it: I have had only one mid-life zit since I started on it. However, the experiences I am going to list now dismisses that aspect completely.

I have been on it for 4 1/2 months. The awfulness of it crept up on me, but there is no denying that now. I have gained weight. I have always been slender; however, I've gone up a pant size and even those pants are feeling tight. I'm constipated, no matter how much fiber and mild laxatives I take. My stomach pooches out and feels tight. My breasts are tender. They have NEVER been tender or sore, no matter the time of the month. My hot flashes and night sweats have reached an unprecedented level, and I have been having those off/on for a decade. I don't have hot "flashes" anymore. I heat up and I am uncomfortable all day, save for maybe a couple of hours.

Now, here is the WORST side effect: I am so f-ing angry almost all the time and my energy goes into hiding that from others. And there are the companions of anger: depression, feeling SO alone, feeling like a freak and that there is something fundamentally wrong with me... something wrong w/ my very soul. I recognize that some of these symptoms reflect aspects of my personality, but I work on that very hard in a spiritually/practical way and achieve successes along the way. This is different. This is very, very bad.

I will NEVER take another one of those horrid pills. I am going to see a doctor who works w/ women's issues and prescribes bio-identical hormones. And if THAT doesn't work, I will find another answer; rather, another answer will come to me, because I hit rock bottom and my intention is SO strong that the Answer cannot NOT come to me (okay, that's a metaphysical pronouncement, but there you go) .

For those of you who want to talk to me on this forum, or email me personally, I welcome and appreciate your thoughts. We are ALL together in this! Much Light and Love along the Way, K.

Maybe I'm one of the few - but I'm not having terrible side effects like it sounds most of you are having. I have a constant mild headache - which I've learned to deal with. My breasts enlarged - that wasn't a bad thing. And I have this weird fluttering thing with my heartbeats, but my dr. says it's nothing to worry about. However, I no longer have 2 week long periods that have beyond heavy bleeding. And the cramps I do experience don't even come close to what I had before I went on the pill. I've been on birth control now for 8 years (mircette for 6 years, Yasmin/ocella for 2). I would much rather deal with the side effects I'm having, than have to go through life with periods the way they were.

I have been on Yasmin now since November. I have not experienced any of the scary side effects that most of the women here have suffered. In fact Yasmin was a lifesaver for me. I suffered from terrible cramps before and was not on any type of birth control. After trying Yasmin my first period was cramp free. My breasts have grown in size and my sex drive has actually increased, not decreased. I guess different people have different reactions to any type of medication but I am enjoying Yasmin. It's the perfect type of birth control for me definitely.

Hi

HAIR LOSS: I was on the Yasmin Pill for 2 and a half years. I have now been off it for 2months. In the past year i had been experiencing hair loss, but in the past 6mths i have gradually lost half of my hair. I feel so disheartened as my hair was my glory. Its not just the loss, its the condition, each strand has thinning out, and my hair is long with no movement and just a clump. I have heard about people taking VIVISCAL for hair loss, has anyone taken this? Please advise me on whether this works. Does anyone have any other advise on how to bring back my hair and prevent further hair loss through natural remedies?

ANXIETY: Since i have come off the pill, i have noticed myself thinking silly thoughts, and fallen into anxiety, which i have NEVER experienced before.

SWEATING: I have also noticed that i am sweating alot more, and suffer hot flushes, especially at night.

BREASTS: My breasts have reduced a cup size :( - but a very small loss after every other symptom i am experiencing

MOTIVATION: I have lost my motivation, i feel lazy and not proactive at all in my usual interests

If anyone has any advise on the above, to heal naturally please reply

thanks

I've been on Yasmin for about 2 years. My breasts grew from a C cup to a DD-E cup within a couple of months. I am a size 6-8, small frame. I know cellulite occurs in thin women, but within the last 5 months (after never having it at all) I have developed a lot of cellulite in my thighs and bottom. I am absolutely convinced this is hormone related. Apart from this my periods are pain free and my moods are pretty normal I think. I have experienced a low sex drive for a while and it's definitely still not what it used to be. The thing is with the pill is that it is obviously not meant for everybody. Different pills affect bodies differently. I have tried about 5 different pills, Loette, Marvelon, Yasmin, LevlenLD, none with great results. I stayed with Yasmin for so long primarily because it alleviated my cramps and horrible periods. For me it's time to come off. I know my body is reacting badly to the pill and to be honest I can't be bothered with it anymore. In the last month I have experienced a dramatic increase in cellulite and terrible tenderness in my breasts to the point that I cringe whenever I take off my bra. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced the same dramatic breast increase and tenderness?

I haven't yet started Yasmin but I was taking Yaz for a few months and have had my OBGYN switch me to the lower dose of hormone, Yasmin, because I was literally having my period every 2 weeks! And this wasn't just spotting-this was a full blown period! My skin had remained fairly clear and I don't get nearly as many breakouts as I used to. However, I am on an antibiotic and wash my face with benzoyl peroxide and use a cream so that could be why my skin is clearing up but I think Yaz contributed. I noticed with Yaz that I wasn't nearly as emotional and crazy as when I took Ortho Tri Cyclen low. But once I started getting a heavy cycle (cramps included) with Yaz, I switched to Yasmin so we'll see how that goes. I noticed on Yaz I still got cramps but they weren't unbearable and usually only lasted the first day of my period. I also tend to get mild yeast infections that I attribute to birth control but no headaches like others were getting and my sex drive has increased or decreased-it's about the same. Yasmin is about $10.00 cheaper on my insurance than Yaz so that's another plus. I can't say much about Yasmin right now but I know Yaz caused bi-weekly periods and I definitely wanted to eat everything in sight so, because I was eating and had low energy and did not want to work out, I obviously gained a few lbs but nothing too obvious. Maybe like 2 or 3lbs. Mostly there is bloating in my stomach. My breasts arent tender though like others get and I didn't have stomach pains or constipation with Yaz. Compared to Ortho Tri Cyclen lo, Yaz was a miracle pill. If not for the bi-weekly periods due to the high levels of hormes, I wouldn't have switched to Yasmin.

headache,nauseous,leg cramps, pain in my left breast, around heart...now, around each period my breasts hurt, and i have terrible stomach ache, like cramps, which i never had before..i also started having acne on my back and shoulders...but the worst thing is, my room-mate, she was using Yasmin for 9months, died a week ago. she wasn't sick at all.she actually did have a few headaches, and weird stomach ache, but we didn't seem to connect the two...

started Yasmin almost 3 years ago. my doctor gave me samples for a bit over a year because I didn't want my mom to know I was on it so I couldn't use our insurance and didn't have money (i was just barely 16). Everything was great. I didn't notice any weight gain, it didn't give me any acne, and I thought I noticed my breasts get a little bigger. When he ran out of samples, I went to a free sex health clinic because they sell packs for $5. They didn't have Yasmin so I took Alesse. just after a week of being on it, I started feeling really bloated and got a crazy amount of acne (I had never had acne before) and so at the end of the month I stopped being on it and took a break from birth control for 3 months. Then, desperate, I got Yasmin with my family's insurance and the bloated feeling went away and the acne got a little better. although, the acne is still there now, nearly a year later. i have been on Yasmin for the past 9 or 10 months (im guessing) and i still have some acne. it is not horrible, but really annoying because i am sure i would have never had it if i hadn't switched to alesse. also, since i tried alesse, my hair and face gets greasy really fast and constantly have to wash it. i think i may stop taking Yasmin at the end of this cycle and take a break for a half a year or so to try to get my body back to normal. any suggestions?

NUMBNESS IN THE TIPS OF YOUR FINGERS AND TOES...thats what my mate gets, her breasts shrunk from a DD to a B, her skin went dry and cracked and she ended up having her blood circulating the wrong way! shes ok now though :) thank god :)

I had been on Yasmin for about 2 years and it was great. I had no adverse side effects. My periods where shorter and lighter and I did not have the horrible cramps I had before getting on the pill. I loved it. Then about three months ago the pharmacy switched me to the generic, Ocella, which the pharmacist insisted was exactly the same, but beware it is not! I have gained about 15 pounds, I had to go up a whole bra size because my breasts are so swollen, my breast are tender and ache most of the time, and as of right now I have been bleeding badly for two weeks and I have never bled when it wasn't time for my period. My OBGYN said the generic was most likely the cause. I know the generic is cheaper but do not take it. Yasmin is well worth the extra money. I am getting back on it immediately! A lot of people do blame the pills for stuff that would have happened anyways. So do not be scared to take Yasmin. Everything isn't for everyone but it was good for me. It's done it's main job which is to keep me from getting pregnant and isn' that the reason most of us take birth control for? So put up with a few side effects, at least you don't have a baby to deal with!!!

I'm definitely going to go off Yasmin as soon as I'm done this pack. I am constantly in pain from my breasts to cramping all month long. My boyfriend can't even touch me sometimes because I'm so tender. Not to mention my lack of sex drive as well. Now to top it off, I have to go see a gastroenterologist for inflammation of my duodenum and a hernia. I never would have associated gastro problems with the pill. But after reading that a lot of you have experienced the same thing, I'm off for good. Just need to get my boyfriend to go under the knife..

Hi
Again just like many of you ladies out there i am so glad i came across this website. I have been taking Yasmin for the last 2.5yrs. I used to have very think long hair, and was always complimented on it. recently my hair has thinned out, and falls out everytime i comb or wash it. I have reecntly started to experience numbness in the tips of my toes, i have just in the past few days experienced knee joint pains. Last year i had very bad chest pains, and i never thought it would be the pill, but i have been complianing to my family about breathing difficulties too. I do feel nauseous most of the time, and i feel tired all the time, i fall asleep anywhere. I am a pretty healthy individual. I have suffered headaches, reduction of vision, pain just under my ribs near the lungs, especially when i wake up in the mornings, i suffer hot flushes, again like others mostly at night... I used to be a pretty calm person, but now looking back i have had my moments of rage !
Thank God i came across this website because luckily im on my 7day break at the moment, and will probably not take them again ! and try lady comp just like another lady has .... hope this helps

I was put on birth control when I was 21 years old and I started with Estrostep FE for irregular and very painful periods. 9 years later, after complaining of unusually light periods and horrible hot flashes I was switched to Yasmin to see if that would make a difference. I was fine with the Yasmin for about 6 months but then I came down with what I thought might have been a stomach virus. I was fine until June of that year when I came down with what seemed to be another stomach virus. I found this odd as I had not had a stomach virus since I was eight years old, but I seemed to have contracted two within six months of each other 22 years later. By the time July hit, I was experiencing these "stomach viruses" just about every other day. I would have horrible acid indigestion and the sensation of needing to vomit (but I never would) which would send me running for the bathroom for hours at a time just in case I did. For over a year I sought the advice of doctors and had been theoretically diagnosed with the following: stress (always the first one), acid reflux disease, IBS, and gastroparesis. I have gone through an endoscopy, gastric emptying scan, colonoscopy, two ultrasounds, two CT scans and an MRI. Drug wise I have been put on Prevacid, Compazine, Zofran, Zegerid, Imipramine, Reglan, Levsid, and Erythromycin. I now am buried in medical bills and the whole thing has caused me to miss a month of work without pay. I also was struggling to eat and, at one point, had dropped 25 pounds which is very frightening for someone with my tiny frame. The mental anguish was unbearable and I was actually at the point of welcoming a diagnosis of cancer just because it would have been answer. The idea to stop taking the Yasmin actually came from a fifteen minute conversation during a birthday party with an obstetrician. Within two weeks of stopping I was absolutely fine. I gained all of the weight back in record time and am once again a person who rarely ever needs stomach aids (in three months I've only taken two tums). Stopping the Yasmin made absolute sense because the nausea episodes would only occur between 9am and 2pm (weird, just like morning sickness) and my thyroid levels were all over the place. One blood test would show them as normal and another would show them as sky-high. I questioned my ob-gyn why she said my blood tests were normal when my thyroid levels were actually twice the normal level. She merely shrugged it off as being "normal because of the Yasmin". No wonder I never felt well! I've been off Yasmin for three months now. I've only gotten one light period that lasted for three days. It was over a month ago and it took almost two months to happen after stopping the Yasmin. I don't know if I'm sterile because I have heard cases of girls becoming infertile after long-term use of the pill (any kind). I am definitely interested in joining a class action lawsuit because I don't feel I should be the one stuck with all of these bills. Has anything been officially started yet?

Funny...Me and my Boyfriend of 3 years just had this big heart to heart today trying to figure out...WHERE MY SEX DRIVE WENT???? So we put two and two together in the time frame is seemed to have been "lost" in, and we came up with YAZ. Thats not why I ended up on this site at 1am though...

As we were lying in bed, I got sudden mild chest pains in my left side and my left arm went numb. All I have ever known about these symptoms is that you are having a heart attack! As I get outta bed Travis says "what are you googling?" Him knowing that I am a hypercondreact!

I had decided today to stop taking the pill not willing to risk my wonderful sex life and relationship. I said goodbye to my wonderful FULL C breasts :( I will keep you posted on my after side effects! Good luck to you brave women!!!

I started taking Yaz about a year and a half ago. I'm no longer continuing this pill after this month's pack is finished. I have to say that at first, it was a really great pill. The first month was hell. I bled for a month straight, and I was so irritable, and emotional, and my bf would talk about silly shit, like beached whales and I would start bawling. I spent four months living overseas after starting the pill so I didn't notice the loss of sex drive and sensitivity at first. But when I came back I started to notice all the little things that were becoming huge issues. My sex drive is more or less gone. I actually fell asleep last night while my boyfriend was trying to get me aroused. That's awful. I always feel tired lately. I get a lot of headaches. I read that this pill increase your potassium, and my mother's told me she has a lot of potassium so when she eats bananas she gets splitting headaches, and I'm the same way, so I'm starting to realize where all these headaches are coming from. Sometimes they are so bad that Advil does nothing at all and I end up having to rub between my thumb and forefinger while trying to fell asleep to make the pain stop. I've become extremely moody. My moods change so often now. I'm irritable. I am coming off of two really tough years of my life, and things are really great for me right now, and I don't feel great. I never want to have sex. Foreplay doesn't feel as good as it used to. I don't get aroused quickly, and I have a lot of trouble climaxing. I smoke weed and was smoking mixed spliffs with my bf for some time not even thinking about it, and the reaction the tobacco had with the pill was horrible. I'm certain that if I didn't stop I would have ended up in the ER. I would experience fainting spells, momentary blindness!!, I'd go really pale after getting very hot. I nearly passed out on at least four occasions before discovering the link. After I stopped, I felt much better. But now I can feel all the emotional side effects. I've also been sleepless for a long time, and I think that has to do with the pill, too. Lately I've been getting very nauseated if I eat shortly after taking the pill. And it doesn't matter what I eat. I'm constantly burping like I have a nervous stomach, but I've been calming my mind lately so there's really no reason for it. I've got a lot going on with life and whatnot, but I'm usually able to handle a lot of pressure and stress without breaking down, and this pill has made me almost incapable to dealing with the slightest bit of stress. It's horrible. And I don't want any part in it, or in the pharmaceutical business. I'm going to try tracking my own ovulation. At least I won't have some crazy hormones messing up my system.

Oh. I also had a fibroadenoma (breast cyst) this summer that I had to have a biopsy on (which was really fun, let me tell you...), and I can't say that the pill caused it, but I've never had cysts in my breasts before... The pill did inflate them an extra cup size, and during the third week of pills they are so tender I can't even let my boyfriend touch them or hug me tightly because they hurt so badly. And I live in NYC and there are a lot of stairs to bounce down and it's painful.

I see all the same symptoms with everyone who takes this pill and has a bad experience, and I've decided that it's not for me. The man can wear a condom for a while, while I try to regain my normal self again.

Wow. I found this site after looking up causes for lack of sex drive. I've been on Yasmin for 6 years, but never thought for a minute it had anything to do with the problems I've been having. Loss of sex drive, vaginal dryness, hair loss, mood swings (partners always gets the brunt of those), repeated bouts of chest pains (diagnosed with pleurisy recently, don't know if there is a link).

I had got to the point that I thought this is just the way I am, it never occurred to me that something else could be causing this. I can't even remember what it's like to be normal.

I already have 2 kids and don't want any more at the moment so I don't know what the solution is. Well, I haven't wanted sex for the last few years so i suppose the bloody thing has done its job in that way!

I'm just shocked, this has been a real wake up call. I'm stopping taking the evil little things as of now.

I have been off this pill for 6 days...was taking it for 11 months and I feel horrible today. My side effects while on this pill where:hair loss, complete loss of libido, vaginal dryness, headaches, muscle pain and twitching in my legs, rash on my breasts that was very itchy, nervousness, bladder problems: constant need to urinate and feeling pressure in my kidneys. The list goes on and on. I am scared coming off these pills, I have had dizzy spells all day and feel very nauseated, I have bad cramps. I stopped the pack mid-cycle and I have been bleeding fully since yesterday. I am so scared of whats going to happen next.

I've been on yasmin for less than 3 weeks... and I'm getting skin irritations. they look alot like chicken pox, but they are mainly on my breasts. has anyone else had this problem???

im also in alot of pain. which was one of the reasons i was put on this pill. i was put on it becuase i had a stabbing bain on my left side all the time at the beginning of a menstural peroid, however this time the pain has not gone away. +diahrea every day for the past 2 weeks.

Hi - I've been off now for around 3 months. Pleased to say that my initial mood swings of coming off/alienation etc... have gone but the problem now is acne and really greasy skin. Has anyone else experienced this and does it clear up? As I am thinking about going back on Yasmin as I can't cope with the acne. It's on my chin, scalp and breasts - but painful sore lumps rather than zits. Any natural/herbal treatments for acne?

Girls, I thought I was going crazy until I started reading all of these posts on the side effects of Yasmin. I have been off and on different types of pills for 15 years and have NEVER experienced anything like this. My breasts hurt so badly I can't even touch them, I have gained weight, am bloated, EXHAUSTED and so moody and off sex that my husband doesn't know what to think anymore. All of this after only 12 days of this nightmare pill. My doctor and another gyno friend told me to "ride it out" until I finish the pack and go back on Yasminelle (I live in Europe, don't know if it exists in the States), which I was on until last month. I cannot fathom taking this for another 10 days but am also worried about stopping a pill mid-cycle.

I have found all of this so surprising since I am quite healthy and have never experienced side effects from anything before (though it should be said that I have never taken tons of medication since I am rarely sick). I am also really active, always out and about, doing a million things at once and while I get tired like everyone else I am used to long, active days. Since I started this pill I have been going to sleep at 9.30pm and getting up at 7am!!!! And I'm still tired when I wake up!!!!

I have several girlfriends who have been taking Yasmin for years and absolutely love it, so I thought something was really wrong with me. I actually considered taking a pregnancy test though I think it's highly unlikely since I was on another pill last month and had a regular period two weeks ago.

I just can't wait for this all to be OVER. Something is wrong with this pill and my body.

I just came back from my GP and I am off work now until the end of the week and it's all because of Yasmin. I decided to go on the Pill as I started a new relationship and was told by my friends that this was the best pill available on the market. My doctor put me on it as well but from day one it's been a disaster. I am very thirsty, it makes me go to a bathroom every 20 minutes, I became very moody, irritated and almost depressed. And this is only after 6 days of taking it!. My breasts are very sore, I feel completely out of place, hot flashes and mood swings.I feel like a zombie. I cried in a bathroom at work today. I cried in my manager's office today as she wasn't sure what was going on with me. Thank God, she was very supportive and understanding. It was her who encouraged me to stop it straight way. The doctor I went to see today said to me the same thing - to get off it straightway. Hopefully I will become a normal person soon. I will be trying another type of contraception but will never go back on the pill again. In six days it turned me from a happy person into a person that I can hardly recognize as myself. And from reading all the comments which have been posted here, it makes me think that it's not worth it. I will be trying another method of contraception but will not be messing up with my body again. The price to pay is too high.

I am a 26 yr old newly married woman and have been using Yasmin for 7 months.

I've experienced really sharp breast pain and sore calves occasionally whilst on the pill, but also have seen benefits of using this contraceptive - lighter, more regular periods, clearer skin and less greasy hair (these use to be big problems for me). I haven't had any severe mood swings either, as some have mentioned of having.

I think with all contraceptives there will be good and bad side effects - just depends which brands you can cope better with.

Just wondering if Yasmin can cause infertility if you take it for too long??

Hi, I recently went back on to YASMIN because I thought it would clear my face. However, it did the EXACT OPPOSITE. My face is a train wreck. My mood swings are horrible. I just got married, and all of the sudden, I can't stand my husband and want a divorce, and I have absolutely no reason why. I can't stand anything. Im so tired, hungry, depressed, my breasts are killing me, I just hate it! I am going to start taking the other birth control pill that I was taking. After reading a lot of these blogs, I am glad to know that I am not insane. I certainly feel like a wacko, and now I know why. I have never felt depressed or even anxious. My anxiety levels are through the roof! I am done with Yasmin.

I was on a pill since I was 18 years old until 34, non stop. I left them for three years and now I tried Yasmin for the first time. My breasts are so painful and I have had like panic attacks. I don't want to eat a lot because I feel that I will choke. Last week I finished my first package and after reading all your stories, I guess I will be off the pill again. IN case of. its better to prevent, right?

I am 20 and have been on Yasmin a year and a half now and to be honest I am still not 100% completely convinced that Yasmin is the root of all my evils. To all of you who are having horrible side effects after a few days, give it time. Your body is trying to adjust to all the hormones you are putting into it and it’s doing its best to get back to normal. My first month was semi-bad, some nausea here and there and a little tenderness, but not enough to stop my life over. My doctor recommended taking the pill right before I went to bed so I could hopefully sleep though the nausea, which I usually did. After the first month I was perfectly fine and back to my normal life. I then switched to taking my pill in the morning so it was easier for me to remember. After reading countless “horror stories” on this website even I started saying, “oh my gosh, I have that….i have that too….and that!...its all because of that horrible Yasmin!” But then I had to take a step back and realize Yasmin is not to blame. Sure, I have panic attacks sometimes, but I have had those way before I started taking birth control and sure I get depressed sometimes, but what woman hasn’t at least once in their life? I didn’t lose or gain weight, my acne perhaps got a little better, and my breasts didn’t change an inch. My only questioning factor is that I don’t really have that big of a sex drive, but then I realized I never have. Now, before you all start yelling at me, I am not calling you liars in the least, I believe you and I feel sorry for all of you who have experienced bad things because of this or other birth control pills. For those of you who are thinking of taking Yasmin and are scared after reading all of these articles, remember, every body reacts to pills and medication differently. Thousands of people die every year from taking Tylenol and aspirin, but does that mean we should take these medicines completely off the shelves? Of course not. All I am saying is for every one Yasmin horror story there are thousands of very satisfied customers. Give it a try, you only have three months of your life to lose and so much to gain.

Lately my wife has been experiencing of depression, lack of energy, muscle cramps, nausea, enlarged and soar breasts (nipples are hot also), headaches, insomnia, vaginal discomfort and sourness with and without physical contact, constipation, and other symptoms, which I cannot as a male, properly describe. Is this accumulation of symptoms normal or should we look in another direction for birth control (besides condoms)? A concerned husband, Kenny...

I'm 22 years old and I have been on Yasmin for 3 years. The first year it was fine, but the next year I began getting panic attacks which I never even believed in until I had one myself. I've had severe anxiety that is uncontrollable and doesn't allow me to sleep at night. Let's not even talk about the emotional mood swings during my period. My boyfriend knows when it's that time of the month because I'm not myself. I will cry over things that would never make me cry in a million years. I'm mean and moody and then 20 minutes later I feel bad, but then I'm crabby again. Weight gain has not been a problem for me only about 3-5 pounds, but my breasts did go from a large B to a D. My boobs definitely do not fit my body. I have noticed a lot of hair fall but I just thought it was normal. I too have had problems with my potassium levels as I would get leg cramps in the middle of the night so I began drinking Gatorade and eating bananas every morning which has helped. I love being on birth control because it helps me plan accordingly, but I just don't feel like myself anymore. I am always hungry and am never full. I literally have to tell myself out loud that I'm done eating because it doesn't trigger for me. I have had a stomach ache nearly everyday of being on the pill. I became addicted to TUMS which only made it worse. I thought it was stress related which it might be, but I literally do not go to the bathroom for 4 or 5 days and it is soooo painful. Another thing is that I have no sex drive. I really have to prepare myself for it otherwise sex does not even occur to me. My boyfriend thinks I'm not attracted to him, but I AM! We just moved in together and you would think it was "freedom" but I'm just motivated to have sex. This is not normal for a 22 year old healthy female with an extremely hot man.

Anyway, I just went to the doctor and told her I was interested in Yaz. She gave me a few sample packs which I will begin next week. I'm hoping for the best and I truly do believe that birth control is a trial and error process. Everyone's bodies are different and you need to find the one that works best for you! I will write again once I know how Yaz works out.

-MCL

I cannot believe I did not make the connection sooner, I went on jasmine for 6 months and was incredibly weepy and so emotional. I had pains in both breasts for about 2 weeks of every month, the pain was unbearable so much so that going over a speed bump was pure agony, I ended up having a Mammogram as I was convinced I had Breast cancer, (there is a very strong history in my family), so that worry coupled with my emotions being all over the place I really was not in a good state of mental health. Not to mention the spotting and Migraines,and my poor new husband dealing with awful mood swings, I even brake down uncontrollably in the Doctors. I had no Idea all these other people have experienced similar symptoms. It is outrageous these are being given to Women. How have these not been removed from the market?

I have been on Yasmin a month and was actually looking for other info about the pill when I stumbled across this and a few other sites with all these horror stories. It freaked me out quite a bit, considering a lot of the side effects and health problems did not occur in most stories until the women had been on Yasmin for a while or went off of it.
I had been on birth control for about 7 years (only OrthoTriCyclen) and decided to go off because a) I wanted to give my body a break, b) I had lost my sex drive, and c) I was having mood swings that I was convinced were coming from the pill. The year and a half I was off of it, I felt fine. I just got tired of the irregular cycle and worry of impending baby doom, so I decided to get back on birth control. I had heard from several close friends who were on Yasmin how great it was and how they had no side effects, were feeling great, had breast growth (a plus for me), and overall were very satisfied. I decided to give it a go. So, like I said, it has only been a month. I have not noticed any negative side effects, and I consider myself to be very aware of my body. The only thing I can say is that my breasts did get a little tender throughout the month, but they did grow a good bit as well. My period came the second day of the placebo pills and is what seems to be a regular period. No crazy heavy bleeding, no severe pains. I do have a slight headache, but from time to time I get those with my period, so this is nothing out of the ordinary for me.
I just wanted to post a positive comment so that women who read this information will not be scared to death. All you can do is be aware, track your symptoms and side effects, and if you notice anything fishy, stop taking the pill. I hope this helped.

Hello,
I am 23 years old and I have been on Jasmin for 8 days now. After the seventh day of using the pill, my right breast became very swollen and on the outside I have 3 lumps which i never had prior to the pill. Aside from that, under my right arm I got a swollen ball (seems to be a lymph node) and a sore right arm, which I never had before.( I am always examining my breasts and under arms on a regular basis). Therefore, I went to the doctor and they told me that is because of the hormones and its my choice whether I stop the pill or not. Apparently if you stop the pill without finishing the pack you will have a messed up period for a few months. I believe that this pill might work for some people but at the same time doctors should be more careful with what they are prescribing.

Please let me know if a class-action lawsuit is ever filed against this Pharm Co because I will file a suit to get this dangerous drug off the market. Yasmin/Yaz almost took my life in January 08. My OB/GYN put me on Yaz in Oct 07 for bad periods and cysts on my overies. Within a month my entire personality changed and I started losing my hair. I experienced a complete loss of sex drive, became depressed and was either constanting crying or raging at someone. However, my adult acne did clear up. On 1/27/08 I experienced extreme pain in my calf that moved up to my thigh within 48 hrs. I went to the ER and was told that no only did I a condition called DVT (Deep Vein Thrombisis-blood clot) in my leg but that the clot had broken off and moved into both of my lungs and I had bi-lateral pulmonary embolism. I can't even describe how incredibly painful this was. I was admitted into the hospital for 1 week and was put on powerful blood thinners, which I will be on for about a year. It's now been nearly 6 months since I was diagnosed and the DVT and it is still in my uppper thigh. But am grateful to be alive. If you would like to contact me I would be glad to answer any questions regarding this situation and my email addy is ****** PLEASE DO NOT TAKE YAZ OR YASMIN OR LET ANYONE IN YOUR FAMILY TAKE THIS MED, IT COULD KILL YOU.

I CANT STAND YASMIN!!!!
I've just completed one month of pills and I'm losing my mind!

After Just one week of being on this pill, I noticed I was completely irritable, and on edge with everything.
As well my breasts were so sore and by the time I was done my first pack I'd gone up a come size, as well I feel like i've gained a tonne of weight, I just feel bloated everyday.

I only started Yasmin becuase My previous birth control slowly took away my period. I was on Lo-Estrine and after about 5 months my period was smaller and smaller until gone, so my doc put me on Yas, and now i have an awful period.
never had such uncomfort in my life, bloating and mild cramping, which sucks as i've never had a cramp! I HATE THIS PILL!!!
I would never recommend it!

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 was put on Yaz (same as Yasmin but with a smaller estrogen dose) due to irregular periods and a presumed hormonal imbalance. That was in September '07. Four month later, on Jan 1, '08, I went to the ER with breathing difficulties, and weakness in my arms and legs. I had been having muscle cramps/ charley horses in my right calf, but that was the only other health problem I had experienced. I thought I was having an asthma attack. So did the ER - at first. After I did not respond to the breathing treatments, and I became completely out of breath and exhausted after walking across the hall to the restroom, the ER doc checked my D-Dimer level to see if I was at risk for blood clots. He said if it came back over 500, he would have to do further testing for clots. It came back 4500!! I was sent immediately down for a CT Scan which showed mulitple clots in both lungs, mostly small, but several of significant size. I was immediately put on oxygen and a heart monitor, and an IV drip of heparin was started. I was in the hospital for 4 days, had to learn to give myself shots of Lovenol in my stomach until my pill form of blood thinner had time to kick in. I am now taking Coumadin blood thinner every day until July, when my D-Dimer will be checked again. Depending on the results, I may come off the Coumadin, or I may have to commit to it for 3 years. However, I was tested for all the hereditary blood clotting disorders and all came back negative, so my doctor feels as though the cause has to be the YAZ! Everyone tells me I was very lucky and that I could have easily died, especially when I was just thinking I was having an asthma attack and put off going to the ER for a few days. If you are taking Yaz or Yasmin, and you begin to have difficulty breathing, any kind of leg cramps, weakness, or tightness in your chest (I had also been having severe heart burn) - go have yourself checked out!!!!!

I started on Yasmin a year ago because I believed the TV advertising. I had no noticeable side effects for several months, then began heart palpitations, anxiety attacks in the middle of the night, crying for no reason, severe headaches, and my blood pressure, which has always been low, skyrocketed to as high as 160/130. I asked my gyn if Yasmin could be the cause and he said maybe, so I took myself off it. I had to go on blood pressure medication, but I'm hopeful that after that poison pill is out of my system I can get off the meds. The doctor's office called yesterday to say my cholesterol was so high they wanted me to go on medication for that. I last had cholesterol checked in Nov, and it was fine. I've been off yasmin for two weeks and already feel more hopeful and less anxious.

My doctor put me on continuous birth control hormones to help alleviate the severe cramps associated with endometriosis. I tried NuvaRing first, but went off because of vaginal/vulvar burning. I switched to Yasmin a few weeks ago. My breasts hurt nonstop for the first packet, but cleared up after that. I noticed I was feeling depressed a lot. My period decided to start before I even finished the active pills in the first pack. My sex drive dropped to zero. I became very irritable, like having constant PMS. I started noticing blurred vision/feeling like a blackout was coming on when I was climbing stairs. I started getting winded just climbing stairs. My energy fell through the floor. I continue to struggle with mild depression. The vaginal burning continues; intercourse is too painful--I suspect it may be linked to the hormones and not the NuvaRing. Honestly, NuvaRing had much fewer side effects for me than Yasmin. I'm not sure what to do next except get off the Yasmin.

LADIES, I'M HAPPY I'VE FOUND THIS SITE JUST RIGHT BEFORE I TAKE YASMIN. WOW WHAT A RELIEF. OKAY, HERE'S THE BEST ADVICE I COULD GIVE. I'VE TAKEN THIS CONTRACEPTIVE PILL FOR MORE THAN 2 YEARS AND THE ONLY SIDE EFFECTS ARE: HAD MORE FACIAL HAIR BUT IT'LL GO AWAY EVENTUALLY. A LITTLE NAUSEA--JUST A LITTLE. A LITTLE INCREASE IN APPETITE BUT NO WEIGHT GAIN IN THE FIRST YEAR(I GAINED WEIGHT AFTER MY SECOND YEAR). A LITTLE DECREASE IN SEXUAL DRIVE, BUT NO PALPITATIONS, NO MAJOR SIDE EFFECTS. HERE'S THE BEST PART. THE BENEFITS: VERY CLEAR SKIN. TAKE NOT, VERY VERY CLEAR. THE COMPLEXION IMPROVES AS WELL. MY DRY SKIN ON ELBOWS GOT BETTER(I THINK). BREASTS BECOMES FULLER. THE NAME OF THE PILL IS DIANE35. IT'S WORTH A TRY. AGAIN, I THOUGHT WITH YASMIN I COULD LOSE SOME WEIGHT BUT WOW THESE SIDE EFFECTS THAT YOU LADIES HAVE SAID ARE NOT WORTH IT! TNX

So I started taking YASMIN in December 07. I switched to YAZ in January 08 and just quit a week ago. So about 4 months of bc. A week ago, I broke out in hives and rashes. I would itch one spot and then others would form. The areas get hot and the welts raise up my skin. It started when I was out in the sun but it couldn't have been sun poisoning because I never got burnt. I am diagnosing myself rather than a doctor because they do NOT know everything. After reading into the YAZ and YASMIN side effects, I am not risking anymore problems. Oh and I got an upper respitory infection along with the rash. This lingering cough has a weaze and phligmy sound. My friends are concerned with it too. I have never been the type of person to suffer from any major sickness or skin problem. I am tough skinned and have never gotten any kind of food allergy. I am 24, 5'6'' and in semi-athletic shape. I am an actor and model and I cannot afford to get rashes and a bad horsey cough! YAZ was great for 2 months and now bam! Downfall happening. Temporary relief-cortozone cream and antihistamines like benadryl.
YAZ benefit-clear skin, no PMS
YAZ side effect-rash, no sex drive/libido loss, difficult/no orgasm, appetite like a hog! Food #1 thought. Packed on pounds quick.
YASMIN benefit-clear skin, lost weight quick
YASMIN side effect- a little loopy, speech impediment, no sex drive/libido loss, no orgasm, couldn't even fake an orgasm!

I'm 23 and I got prescribed Yasmin because I have PCOS, where I only got my period every 3-9 months (very irregular) where I suffered severe period pain and my period would go for about 8 days. The doctor thought regulating my period would decrease the pain, which it did. My period is around 3-4 days, very light and no pain since starting Yasmin. But I have had migraines weekly, constant headaches, usually starting with my vision going blurry and seeing flashing white light. I also lost my appetite for the first month, but have gained weight. I was going to the gym and exercising everyday and now I have no motivation to exercise at all, but feel bloated ALL the time. I have had trouble sleeping since taking it. I suffered from depression and anxiety attacks about 2 years ago, but since taking Yasmin I have been feeling very depressed and had several anxiety attacks, although the anxiety has only started after being on it for 4 months. After having another migraine this week and having to leave work for teh second time in 2 weeks, I decided I was going to stop taking it. (I had also had 3 anxiety attacks this week) since stopping I have instantly felt relaxed, no anxiety, and I no longer feel depressed.

After suffering all of this for 4 months, 8 day periods and 4 days of being in pain doesn't seem so bad. The depression and Anxiety is the scaries part as I haven't experienced it for so long, and don't want to!

Does anyone know how long it takes to be fully out of your system? I just want to get back to normal weight, moods, energy levels etc as soon as possible!

I first started taking Yasmin about a year and a half ago. I was only on it for about 2 months. I got off because me and my husband decided to have a baby. I felt awkward for those 2 months I was on it, but I had also just moved to another country and just chalked it up to stress. I just started taking it again about 2 weeks ago and today was the last straw. My breasts are so sore, I'm nauseated, and I've had crazy cramping and it's not even that time of the month. I've also been very moody and sad. I cry at the drop of a hat and I got angry really fast. I yelled at my 9 month old today for not letting me wipe her nose! That's what made me get off the pill. I've never yelled at her before! I would not advise anyone to take this pill! It's not worth it!!!

I've been on Yasmin for about 5 or 6 months..The first couple of months were fine, I still had energy, a little added size to the breasts, cleared my acne completely. Now people are asking my if I got a boob job, they're freaking huge! Or if I'm pregnant because it looks like I gained about 20 pounds and I feel awful about myself. I'm an avid gym goer and I can't drag myself to gym if my life depended on it, or the fact that I have a layer of fat all over my body that developed after starting the pill. I read another comment about little red bumps someone was having problems with..me too, some of them are itchy, and my acne is slowly coming back. I'm stopping the Yasmin as soon as I get home from vacation next week, hopefully I won't have any of the side effects I've read about after people have come off the pill.

I have read most of the postings on Yasmin but I haven't seen one where women pointed out experiencing terrible amounts of clots and incredible amounts of actual mensing... So it makes me wonder if I have another underlying condition? I have been taking Yasmin for about18 days now, started on my first day of mensing, and 18 days later, still mensing like there is no tomorrow and passing clots the size of the palm of my hands at times!!! It's unreal! And I went and bought 3 packages, I wanted to finish one and see but I think it's all gonna go to garbage now!! And to say I use to have a 30 day cycle with 2 days of pre-spotting followed by 3 days of actual mensing... some clots but not half as big and certainly not as many!!! Very disappointed with Yasmin. I am done with it.

I have been on Yasmin on/off for over 4 years. Every time I am on it for more than three months, I become depressed, my appetite suffers, and recently I have been experiencing headaches, nausea and a severe vaginal dryness that is bothering my boyfriend as well. Good things are that my breasts have gotten bigger and my skin completely cleared. However, the bad side effects outweigh the positive. I also have stomach cramps and blurred vision.

I have been taking the pill for 7 days. Yesterday I woke up at 3 am feeling very nauseous. I decided to just try and go back to sleep, and slept until about 9 am afterwards. Upon waking up I had to run to the bathroom and I threw up bile for several hours. I also have severe lower abdominal pain, I don't ever get cramps so I don't know if thats what it is, and no, it is not muscular pain from throwing up. My moods are out of control, and have been since the third day on it, I cry at everything. I have bad heartburn, and I am exhausted. My breasts are also extremely sore, and my skin is absolutely terrible. Is this normal, or is it possible I am pregnant?

I have only been on Yasmin for 3 weeks.
In the first week,every morning I had an upset stomach,and was often gagging and about to throw up.Then I started to get IBS,every single morning,which became very frustrating,and painful. I knew my first time the me and my bf had sex,that there was something wrong,something very wrong. It was absolutely excruciating,I had to tell him to stop it hurt so bad.I used to have a sex drive over and above what a males is,and it has just plummeted.Its so frustrating cause I just want to make him happy,but at the same time,i don't have the umph to do it.Even wearing a tampon is extremely uncomfortable. When I read about people not having a sex drive for 3 years,I immediately decided to go off it,and find a different pill.I'm looking into tri-cyclen lo,and so far this pill looks good. I'm always tired now,and my breasts always seem to be tender.The pill hasn't cleared up my acne at all.Another reason for going off it is what I've heard about being on it for a long time and then going off it,the side effects can be just as bad.ill let you know how things go.

Like so many others, I am happy that I found this website. I was convinced that I was pregnant, because I was bloated, gaining weight and had 'odd' sensations in my breasts, similar to that of 'milk let-down' while breast-feeding, very tired, terrible gas. I have been on Yasmin for almost 2 months, as my previous bcp is now off the market. After I read the posts here, I called my Ob-Gyn to ask her to recommend something else. She told me that she has been getting a lot of complaints about Yasmin and was able to recommend a change. I have not experienced the depression and anxiety that others mentioned, but I am sure those may have started and if I had not read the posts, I would not have made the connection.