Yasmin and chest pain

I CANT BELIEVE THAT I CAME ACROSS THIS WEBSITE.I AM SO SORRY TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE ALL BEEN THROUGH.I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE WITH YOU AS WELL......I HAVE BEEN ON YASMIN FOR ALMOST 4 YEARS NOW. JUST RECENTLY IN JUNE I NOTICED AN INCREASE IN MY BLOOD PRESSURE, I WAS EXPERIENCING CHEST PAIN, HEART PALPITATIONS, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, ANXIETY AND PANIC ATTACKS. I AM A HEALTHY 22 YEAR OLD ,WITH NO MEDICAL PROBLEMS. I NEVER HAD ANXIETY OR PANIC ATTACKS THIS HAS JUST BEEN BROUGHT ON ME OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS.... I HAVE BEEN TO THE ER 4 TIMES SINCE JUNE... I FINALLY WENT TO MY OBGYN AND THEY TOLD ME TO GET OFF THE PILL... I HAVE BEEN OFF SINCE SUNDAY I DO HOWEVER KNOW THAT IT CAN TAKE A MONTH FOR A HORMONE TO COMPLETELY LEAVE YOUR BODY, SOI IM HOPING TO SEE SOME GOOD CHANGES... IM THANKFUL FOR FINDING THIS WEBSITE AND IM GLAD TO KNOW I AM NOT GOING CRAZY! FOR ANYONE THAT HAS STOPPED TAKING IT... ARE YOU NOTICING GOOD CHANGE?

Vitamin D deficiency. Severe.
Fatigue/Exhaustion
B12/Folic Acid deficiency-resulting chest pain
30 lb weight gain post Yasmin
Plugged ears/pressure
Elevated potassium
Depression
Total lack of interest in life
There is a wealth of information of fellow sufferers at Create a Forum, under health, medications if you type in Yasmin. Or google Yasmin Survivors. Its an international forum that has grown exponentially.

Hello-

I took Yasmin for a 1.5 years. I am now 2 years post Yasmin. In hind-sight, had I known what I would live through both while taking Yasmin as well as the 2 years following, I would never have taken it in the first place.

I am going to summarize some of those side effects below:

For the first 1.25 years, it seemed like I was living in an dream. I was that spaced out all the time. No affect, if you will. I felt like a zombie.

Exhaustion/Fatigue:
I became lethargic all the time. Previously, being very athletic, I had no energy at all. A walk made me yearn for a nap. 2 years post Yasmin, I am still trying to recover and bring back all the muscle tone I lost. Reading through alot of possible side effects, ataxia (muscle atrophy/loss) was one of them I suspect could be linked to becoming dehydrated.

Painful plugged eardrums:
Every morning after i would take Yasmin, my ears would have this "popping sensation" much like what it feels like when you are on an airplane and the pressure changes. Over time, my ears became quite painful like I had alot of pressure built up in them. I later learned from a Hearing Doctor that it could well have been the potassium sparing diuretic as the inner ears are composed of potassium/sodium and the diuretic could offset its balance. This doctor also told me that in their field they have known forever that artificial/synthetic hormones are toxic to the inner ears. No other doctor I saw coming off of Yasmin knew this...

Melasma:
I developed brown spots on my forehead, beneath my eyebrows and on both cheeks within starting Yasmin in the first month.

Constant Urination:
I urinated every 15 minutes for 1.5 years straight that I was on Yasmin. Learned later about the potassium sparing diuretic in it a little too late. My blood tests showed I was dehydrated and was deficient in Folic Acid and Vitamin B12. Both 2 common deficiencies seen with artificial/synthetic hormone use.

Chest Pain:
1.25 years into taking Yasmin, at the onset of menses, I developed this pressure in my chest and sharp stabbing pains. The next month, again at the onset of menses, the pressure occurred again, this time spreading across my chest. I went to see a Doctor at that point who discounted that Yasmin could be involved at all. (Not sure why a member of the medical community would say that given I have since read a number of articles that suggest that Yasmin and Yaz both run a higher risk for clots/pulmonary embolisms then other birth control pills). Regardless, I had a chest x-ray to ensure my heart was not enlarged and had an EKG which just showed an abnormally slow heartbeat-Sinus Bradycardia. It was recommended at that time that I have a ECG (echo-cardiogram). Tests start at $5000 each and I did not have coverage for this kind of test.

I went off of Yasmin now, almost 2 years ago. Going off I spent the last 2 years getting sick every month at the onset of menses with severe bronchitis, chest pain that still occurs at menses (I have since learned can also be brought on by low levels of oestrogen and progersterone at menses) and gained 30 lbs.

Blood tests showed I was depleted of Vitamin D, B and Folic Acid, dehydrated and also had elevated potassium (a possible risk with Yasmin's potassium sparing diuretic.

I would encourage everyone to google anti-mineralocortoid (diasperonone) and anti-androgenic effects (Spironolactone)

These are both acting ingredients in Yasmin.

This has been the toughest couple of years in my lifetime. Initially it seemed like a great pill. My skin cleared up, I lost weight and my periods were only 3 days long. On that note, it took a whole year and half for my periods to go back to 5 days from 3 days long so again, doctors telling me that Yasmin would not and could not be affecting my body after stopping, just went to show it took that long for my own body to start re-producing its own natural hormones.

Through all of this, I have met amazing women and other survivors who have offered enormous support. I would suggest to any of you that find your way here to trust yourself and your body first and foremost to what anyone else may discount or try and remedy with anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications. There are a host of amazing authors out there as well who enlightened me enormously on the role of hormones in our bodies, and ultimately, their balance to our overall health and immune function:

Dr. Lee and Dr. Hotze. They both have websites and books which are wonderful. I would also suggest googling Yasmin Survivors online, which will take you to another resource/forum of women who are sharing side effects and healing and survival techniques coming off of Yasmin. The site is: ******

Both my 19 year old daughter and my 30 year old step daughter were put on Yasmin. Both began having heart problems. The eldest had heart palpitations, a racing heart and dizziness. The doctor discovered that her potassium level had shot up and her magnesium was down. They put her on magnesium to help control the racing heart. It helped, but then she became pregnant and had to lower the dose. The 19 year old has had the worst side effects. She was fine on ortho tricyclene, but when her doctor switched her to Yasmin her blood pressure shot up to 170/118. She began having chest pain. We pulled her off the Yasmin, but she has continued to have uncontrollably high blood pressure. The doctor ran several tests and has found no underlying cause as of this writing. She began taking 5 mg. of Norvasc, but was increased to 10 mg. to manage the high blood pressure.

Yasmin - Sudden Panic/Anxiety-

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

Has this happened to anyone else recently???

I just started taking Yasmin again in March. I had taken it back in November but stopped midway through my second pack because I was experiencing severe anxiety, nausea, fatigue... to the point my social life and grades in school were suffering. I went online and found this site and read how there were a lot of women who experienced bad side effects from this pill too. Recently I decided that it was in my best interest to take birth control again and because I did have added stress in my life during the time I took Yasmin before I thought maybe I would be okay this time. I WAS SOOO WRONG. I haven't even been on Yasmin again for a month and my life as I knew it has been turned upside down. In less than a week of starting it I started to have severe chest pains and nausea. I thought I was having a heart attack. I have had panic attacks before and this was nothing like that The tightness and pressure in my chest never has gone away. I've been to three different doctors and have had many tests to figure out whats wrong. They all tell me the same thing that I'm a healthy 22 year old and that if anything I just have inflammation my ribcage. My grades are suffering again because I have missed a lot of class because I feel so awful. Every morning I wake up with the chest pain (that gets worse the more active I am) and nausea. Since all these symptoms have come on my relationship has taken a turn for the worse too. All I want to do is sleep, I don't feel like going out, I get annoyed very easily by everything my boyfriend does so I don't want to be around him. I feel so "out of it" sometimes I get dizzy and feel numb all over. Its so scary (esp. the chest pains) The worse thing is that no one really believes me (i.e. my boyfriend) I never feel good and I'm sure the people around me are tired of me complaining all the time. One more thing... I started my period very early (I still have a week and a half of active pills left) I've never experienced that before... weird. Anyways, I stopped taking Yasmin 2 days ago. I still have all the same symptoms... I really hope they go away soon. I want to get back to my old self and my old life. YASMIN SUCKS!!! I'd rather take the risk of getting pregnant than take Yasmin. At least then I'd have a excuse that ppl would believe for being sick :(

I am so happy to have found this site.... I have been on Yasmin for a little over a year. I had read side effects prior to taking it but had to be put on it due to the fact that all my life I have had an irregular period cycle. I figured that everyone was different so I started taking it. I did fine up until a few months ago. I started experiencing nausea and terrible chest & abdominal pain. They found out I had a bacterial infection so related it to that. But after that was cleared up I still had the problems... went to the ER who ran tons of tests... catscan, EKG, x-rays, blood work.. the whole thing, and everything came back 'normal'. Then I started experiencing anxiety and panic attacks... seemed like they always were in the evening making it very hard for me to fall asleep. I felt nervous all the time. Then I found this site and so many here have experienced everything I have. I immediately stopped taking yasmin and went into see my obgyn. Right now I am not taking anything until I get back to feeling like me again... I hear it takes a while for the pill to completely leave your system, does anyone know how long? I am starting to feel a little better, but still experiencing the same problems... just not as strong. The heart palps and chest pain, which makes me feel like I can't breath, scare me the most...

I have been on Yasmin for 2-3 years now for endometriosis. It was great as it helped with the severe cramping, and cleared up my skin. I never paid much to the series of changes to my body months to follow, till it got worse. Within the past 2-3 years, I've had countless exams literally from head to toe -- bloodwork, MRI, X-Rays, CT-Scans, Ultra-Sounds, and other lab work. All of which, despite slight irregulars through bloodwork on liver count, thyroid, lymph, and raised cholesterol, were normal. It got to a point where my family doctor thinks I need to see a psychologist. I considered my self a pretty healthy and happy individual. I know I was not imagining these aches and pains.
About 1 year into taking the pill, I noticed numbing in my legs, severe headaches, dizziness, and trouble falling asleep. I even discussed it to my gyno, who quickly brushed off any relation between these symptoms and the pill. I figured, it might have be induced from stress at work and thought no further of it. I also discussed it with my family, who also dismissed the idea.

I started losing a lot of hair and started getting more emotional, with frequent/extreme mood swings. I also started crying a lot, which was never the case before. I was never so emotional. The pill does not even help with clearing my acne anymore. I also had bloating, frequent urinating, tender/painful breasts, chronic cough, frequent throat infections, nausea, fatigue, back pain, heart palpitations, chest pain and pressure, and chronic abdominal pain. The chest pain and abdominal pain landed me in the ER today. And of course, all test results were "normal".

It's worth getting off this thing, at least to see if Yasmin is the cause. If this little pill is the case of all of our pain and suffering, instead of helping like it should -- the product should really be pulled of the market, along with a class action against the manufacturer.

I feel very lucky to have found this site, that there are others who are going through the same thing and can understand I am not insane for thinking the pill is the cause. I'll have to come back to post the progress.

yaz is horrible.
I recently had a baby 5 months ago, and my obgyn gave me yaz to start taking 2 weeks after she was born. so i did........
I thought I had serious post partum depression or something. I was getting severe headaches EVERYDAY, i was always nauseous, irritable, horrible mood swings (actually thought i was bipolar or something) i was also gaining a lot of weight even though ive been working out like crazy and eating healthy since the day i gave birth. right now i currently weigh only 6 pounds less than when i delivered.....thanks to yaz.
I was also having severe itching spells, chest pain, difficulty breathing for no reason, constant headaches, always sick to my stomach, sleep issues (i would either have to sleep for more than 12 hours to feel rested, or i would be almost on a euphoric *high* with only 2 hours of sleep and function better than ever) and numbness is my arms and legs.
I took this for about 4 months before i finally just realized not to long ago, that all my symptoms date back to around the time i started taking this.

DO NOT TAKE THIS

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

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

I have been on Yasmin for exactly a year now; I switched to it from my last BC because I was having periods for 2 to 3 weeks at time. Yasmin has fixed my period regularity but since then I have had ABSOLUTELY NO SEX DRIVE. That is really really weird for me... so naturally I was freaking out and thinking that maybe something was wrong with me or with my relationship with my bf, until one of my friends told me that she started having the same problem when she started taking Yasmin. Now, after reading this site I feel even better about what's going on with me. I am afraid to switch pills again, though because I had so many problems before. I just want my normal sex drive back!!
Also, has anyone else experienced chest pain?? I have sharp pains in the right side of my chest and in my right arm. It has only recently started and I thought, at first, that it might have something to do with my acid reflux but after reading everyone's comments it sounds like it might have something to do with Yasmin. I would appreciate any comments or advice!

(SIGH) well, with great relief i can say i'm not alone in the war against BC pills and side effects. the weirdest things started happening to me when i began taking yasmin - the 1st night i got my period after taking it i has THE WORST period pain EVER!!! so bad that i popped a mersyndol and no lie, within 30mins my sister was driving me to the emergency ward - i literally thought i was dieing. Anyway, turns out i had a MONSTER of an anxiety attack and a (viral) ear infection at the same time... GREAT!

at the time i had no idea what was causing my 'so called' spazo attacks - i just thought i had some horrid ear virus which would last a couple of months and clear up (the docs agreed). when it didn't start clearing up i started seeing docs on a regular basis, paying thousands for all sorts of tests even did the whole allergy testing thing thinking i'm seriously intolerant to something but to no avail... 4 years later and i'm still struggling with the following symptoms: dizziness (and i mean ALL the time), it's more like being lightheaded not so much dizzy spells, nausea, bloating, sore throat, tired/no motivation, weight gain 8 kgs in 3-4 yrs, i'm 29 (female) so i guess my body thinks it about to have babies... pressure headaches, ear ringing, my sex drive has packed up and left town, blah blah blah, i could go on... anyway, last month i went off yasmin (only cos i ran out) and spent 4 weeks al'natural. i got my period only a couple of days last and last sun i went back to the doc for gen exam and thought while i'm here i'll get a script for yasmin again... took my 1st pill on mon just gone - i can't tell you how rotten i've felt this week, i just thought it's prob pms or something no joke, everything has come back new and improved - now the dizziness is worse 10 fold, the bloating horrid... i've had a headache for 3-4 days now, constantly running to the loo. i feel like a TOTAL wreck!!! my husband thinks it's just women's stuff... pfffffft!!! he noticed i've been edgy all week and keeps asking 'what's up with you' and me thinking it's pms or something kept saying 'nothing honey' - well thanks to everyone who posted here i now know better!

oh, forgot to mention, after having my HUGE panic attack, the doc prescribed by 5mgs of lexapro daily and i've been taking that for almost 3 yrs - not sure if that's even good for my poor body...? helps with anxiety but purely masks the symptoms, hasn't cleared up - even the psychologist gave up cos she couldn't work out what was causing the anxiety... PFFFFT doctors... honestly!

good luck to everyone and head up guys, i know it's a painful process but eliminating the cause can take FOREVER and still i may neveer know what caused it...

Anyone who's had a blood clot in the lung or pulmonary embolism- what did it feel like? How would you describe the chest pain? I'm having awful chest pain.... I've had fleeting pains while on Yasmin but this is different, much more severe and constant. And I just flew on a plane so I'm worried it could be a clot. Just wondering what they feel like from someone who's had them...

i have been taking Yamine for about a month and a half, after being on a generic pill for a couple years. I didnt know if these symptons i was having was caused by yasmine, but now i think it may be. I have been getting lightheaded, blurry eyes, shakiness, hot flashes..almost like a panic attack, and i have become very dehydrated, even though i have been drinking alot of water. I even went to the doctors for these symptons and they still don't have an answer, so i think it may be yasmine.my newest sympton as of yesterday is chest pain. also i feel like my heart is beating fast all the time, and i feel fatigued way too often, which is causing me to eat more, becauase i am starving way to often, and if i don't eat i feel like i am going to collapse. Also my sex drive has gone to non-existant- is that common? I workout all the time, and eat pretty healthy, so i don't know what else these symptons could be coming from. Is anyone else experiencing these sympons?

Hello, I'm a 27 yr old, married female, who has been on BC for about 9 years. I started Yasmin about 5 years ago, and just got off of it 2 weeks ago.

I never realized how NEGATIVELY it effected me. Some of my side effects were: cysts in my breasts, severe hot flashes, tingeling of my hands etc, I've been hospitalized for heart palps, and chest pain...And I NEVER slept through the night. Not 1 night! UNTIL now of course...Imagine!

I just decided to come off the pill b/c 1. I'm married now, and 2. I wsa so tired of taking meds. I feel AMAZING now! I sleep thought the night, no more panic attacks, or feeling anxious. I'm still a little hormonal and have some hot flashes, but nothing like I used to. And, the week I'd be off the pill and have my period, I was in SUCH a better mood...the second I'd go back on the pill, I'd be so cranky and defensive, I'd feel sick to my stomach- and my eyes were SO dry! Esp. that first week getting back on it- man, it was brutal.

So now, my cysts in my breasts are gone, I'm happy, pain free, and able to sleep though the night!

This is such a great site...I think that different meds work differently on each person, but with Yasmin, there are a LOT of cases in which the effects are not healthy, or worth it! Good luck to all hoping to get off this pill- you'll feel like a different person~

Best,
M

Hi all,

I am 27 and I have been on Yasmin for about 5 months now. Initially the doctor put me on it for depression/anxiety and moodswings. Apparently the constant dose of hormones (especially progesterone) helps your body control emotions and moods. And even in Singapore, there has been a LOT of advertisements on this drug and i know many of my friends are on it too. THe doctors here are huge advocates of this drug.

In the first 3 months of being on the pill, i had really bad side effects - ranging from sore breasts to chest pain to insomnia. But the last two months have been relatively symptom free. Infact, I have lost weight and my skin looks great! My boyfriend and parents claim that my mood is more stable and I am more confident.

But for some reason after reading all these posts about how for some women the nightmare continues even after stopping the pill, I am so scared to stop it!! Do you guys have any idea how long the symptoms continue after stopping the pill??

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 took yasmine for years with no side effects. However, after taking Yaz for only 2 months, I have experienced a LOAD of side effects: irregular heartbeat, chest pain, lightheadedness, anxiety, depression, and sore breasts. Has anyone else experienced breast soreness and lumpiness since taking this pill? I have never experienced cysts in my breasts before starting Yaz.

i just found this site. I went off of yasmin three days ago. My fam. dr. asked to stop taking it immediately when i went in for chest pains. She said she's had others on yasmin come in with chest pains. So i have stopped (against the advice of my gyno ) and i feel so strange! i feel really sick and i just snapped at my kids today like never before, i think i scared them. what is happening? I feel like throwing up every two minutes, ZERO energy, headache and this is after stopping it and i'm bleeding like crazy. Anyone else go thru this? does it get better ? please tell me it does.

This whole past year i felt like crying ALL of the time and i attributed it to stress. Heart palpitations and chest pain almost every day. This is all new to me are there any other sites out there on this? thank you!!

andrea

Guest 39074,

Your experience very common to many other women's here and in other forums. It took me 1.5 years to add up everything I was experiencing as well as to develop an arrythmia, chest pain and heart murmur.

I got my period within 28 days of going off of Yasmin but it is different for each woman based upon her own hormones and body.

Don't worry about the increase in discharge. That is most likely the shedding of your uterus. I had the same thing when I came off the hormones. Assume that you do not have any discomfort otherwise to ensure you do not have a Yeast infection. Those are common with hormone changes.

See the "forums" section here as well. AT the top of this page, a link to them. There is a really informative site that has been created for many women survivors of Yasmin. I think the url is there so you can copy/paste it into your browser.

Best of wishes to you,
Jasmine

Hi,

You name it, I had it. Fatigue, Headaches, Racing heart, palpitations, chest pain, naseau, sleeplessness, melasma. This is the second time this has happened to me. The first time was in 2003 on Ovcon. My gyn then put me on Aviane, a generic brand with lower hormone levels. A year later I went to and endocronolic specialist, who decided to put me on Yasmine, not sure why, but like so many people, I did as I was told (blind trust). I just this month reached the climax of my symptoms and decided to see a doctor. Just as someone else posted, the first thing they said was ANXIETY. They said I have been on Yasmine to long to just now start feeling side effects. I gave a rundown of everything I was feeling and they sent me for blood work.

Results are I am enemic. I have an iron deficiency. This I knew from my younger years. What I am curious about, is whether or not Yasmine has an effect on the level of iron in your blood. Can it worsen your enemia?

Hi Kim 123-

I am after being off of Yasmin for 5.5 months, and any hormone for 2 months, feeling LOADS better. Alot of the foggy head is gone as is the incredible fatigue, contstant urination, the pain in my eardrums, and the arryhthmia, palps and chest pain. I also got very sick for 5 months every month coming off-and that's gone too now. So give yourself some time.

J

i have been off yasmin for 5 mos now and i am still having problems with anxiety, dizziness, lightheadness, and worst of all chest pain if you are new to this forum stop taking yasmin immediately it is dangerous it makes us feel like total crap and no one can figure out why it is a horrible ugly pill. who ever made this pill should be sued for millions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am really getting more and more upset and frusturated reading these women's posts. Just today on teh "forum" post (see above-3 different ways to communciate about Yasmin)a 20 year old who had never been on a bcp got a pulmonary embolism two monhts on Yasmin!!!

Then I read Tricia's post and it makes me angry. How do we stop this stuff and stop the harming of more women!!!

And I got these damn tests back today from an RN who really doesn't know anything about Yasmin, high rates of potassium and suggested I find out an OBGYN and a Doctor! This is making me nuts. I keep finding inofrmation on the web that starts to add up. I know Yasmin increases potassium in the blood-but I went from 4.2 in Dec. 2005 to 5.7 Jan. 2007? One year? And I"ve been off of it for 3 months? The chest pains started in May 2006.

My breasts hurt. I have chest pain and going on 5th month of bronchitis like symptoms every menstruation! What the hell?

CHEST PAIN AND MENSTRUATION LINK

After being completely perplexed as to why every month, I am experiencing these horrendous chest pains I found two pieces of research that are of particular interest about women's menstruation, varying levels of oestrogren and heart disease. I haven't previously found anyone that understood why/how this happens, but loads and loads of women on medication.com who reported sometimes, almost immediate chest pains.

The first published by BBC in 2004 (google chest pains and menstruation) basically confirms that a woman is more vulnerable to sudden, serious heart disease during the time of the menstrual cycle when her oestrogen levels are at their lowest. (Known as 17-oestradiol which circulates in the bloodstream and dip sharply around menstruation. -Experience of chest pains during this time when there is not enough blood flow to the heart. This study was conducted by a team from Laval University in Quebec Canada. Their research confirmed a rise in reported cases of serious heart disease among pre-menopausal women. Aged 35-47. These women were admitted to the hospital for heart attack or chest pain. What is particularly interesting, is that 20 of the women reported heart related problems within five days of the beginning of their period when oestrogen levels are at their lowest. What is particularly interesting is that even though this article points to this being more common in women over 55, yasmin has been identified as having more risk to blood clots and heart troubles than other pills and am wondering how its effects on our hormones make us more suscectible to heart disease.

The second a piece by the Annals and Internal Medicine. Google chest pain and menstruation.

After being completely perplexed as to why every month, I am experiencing these horrendous chest pains I found two pieces of research that are of particular interest about women's menstruation, varying levels of oestrogren and heart disease. I haven't previously found anyone that understood why/how this happens, but loads and loads of women on medication.com who reported sometimes, almost immediate chest pains.

The first published by BBC in 2004 (google chest pains and menstruation) basically confirms that a woman is more vulnerable to sudden, serious heart disease during the time of the menstrual cycle when her oestrogen levels are at their lowest. (Known as 17-oestradiol which circulates in the bloodstream and dip sharply around menstruation. -Experience of chest pains during this time when there is not enough blood flow to the heart. This study was conducted by a team from Laval University in Quebec Canada. Their research confirmed a rise in reported cases of serious heart disease among pre-menopausal women. Aged 35-47. These women were admitted to the hospital for heart attack or chest pain. What is particularly interesting, is that 20 of the women reported heart related problems within five days of the beginning of their period when oestrogen levels are at their lowest. What is particularly interesting is that even though this article points to this being more common in women over 55, yasmin has been identified as having more risk to blood clots and heart troubles than other pills and am wondering how its effects on our hormones make us more suscectible to heart disease.

The second a piece by the Annals and Internal Medicine. Google chest pain and menstruation.

Flowerbabies-

Posted to the site you created as well to see if others would like to weigh in on this:

lowerbabies-

so heres is what I wonder. If the chest pain we are both experiencing is in fact due to the loss of magnesium as part of taking this pill, than how many other women that are experiencing that are having direct heart damage and being told that instead, to cover it up, that it is anxiety and stress? I mean seriously? Afterall, if magnesium prevents the heart muscles from spasming-and Yasmin causes a deficiency in magnesium ......then what, I am wondering is the link to the week before our menstrual cycles that this chest pain shows up?

There is an article in Health magazine I read called A Woman's Heart. Basically cites/talks about the fact that the public nor most doctors are taking the time to understand the single largest killer of women in America-Betsy Berne was the example they provided and that often women do not take themselves and doctors do not take women seriously enough. She ignores her chest pain for a week. Then is encouraged to see an internist who detects a murmur. This is true in my case as well...., then they did an electrocardiogram, and a chest Xray to discover that her heart was enlarged. An transeophageal echocardiogram (a more invasive test) that required she undergo open heart immediately.

This article goes on to state how many women are often not taken seriously who complain of chest pain and are often misdiagnosed with panic attacks while what's actually occuring is a misfunctioning valve between the left ventricle and atrium-with severe leakage and improper blood flow. Ordinary MVP is nothing to worrry about . They say it effects between 5 and 20 percent of population-mostly women.

In this article she also mentions that classic symptoms for women are: chronic fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, abdominal pain, dizziness, and swollen feet. Also advises that for women, who have smaller arteries than men, when they have a heart attack there is usually no plaque in their arteries-a heart attack is when one of the vessels occludes-and they're more prone to artery spasms.

Other symptoms/warning signs: uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, or pain in the chest that last more than a few minutes, or pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck and arms. Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating or nausea. Unexplained anxiety or weakness, palpitations, cold sweat, paleness. Shortness of breath, chronic fatigue, jaw pain. Isn't this alot of what many women are describing experiencing?

hi all,
quest 36376, i am not sure what the verification email thing is all about,please try to register again it may just be a glitch,i will look into it for you.
i think some of the ladies have gone straight onto other pills but not sure which. i had an email from a lady the other day saying that she was put onto a high dose pill after yasmin as her Dr said yasmin had messed up her system by dropping her hormones too low.she said she felt fantastic on the older higher dose pill. may be something to research???

guest 36377,
i have no medical training at all just my own personal experience. i only had an ecg,my docotr agreed to do it after much pestering,i was sat at my pc one day when i felt really light headed and my vision went,my heart started to race then flop about in my chest like jelly,i seriously thought i was about to die! the nurse rigged up my ecg and she saw something (to this day i have no idea what) and she went to get my Gp who took a look at the tracing and just said it was just anxiety nothing to worry about and he sent me on my way. i find the flopping sensation and the palpitations are worse when i am tired or if i eat anything really sweet or if i have to many carbs. the chest pain comes along a day or 2 before my period and feels almost like i have been punched or have a cracked rib,sometimes i cannot get a full breath if that makes sense. i take a daily supplemet of magnesium,vitamin b6,b12 and zinc as well as calcium. calcium can be very good for the heart and muscles. i had chest pain when i was on yasmin,it was a stabbing sensation,now it is just a dull ache a couple of days a month. i have been off yasmin for 8 months. hope that helps a little. please try not to worry too much, i know it is scary but stress will make your heart beat more irregular.

guest 36378.
thank-you so much for your kind words,i hope that the new forum will be of great help to all ladies who want to post there and share their experience. we are yasmin survivors because we are looking for answers and we are fighting back!

best wishes to you all.

sarah

hi guest 36372,
i set up the new forum precicely so that people could chat and carry on personal correspondance and leave this site for posting factual information and personal stories as well as seekng advice as i agree that the site has become very hard to find answers from if you are a newcomer. i have been "advertising" daily to keep the link where regular visitors and newcomers can see it because it was only set up on friday and many people are not aware of it yet,as time goes on it will not be necessary to post the link. we have quite a few members already. i am sorry if this has offended you in any way but a lot of ladies on here just need some support and understanding and maybe just someone else that understands how they are feeling to chat too. i do not make any money from the new site,it is not a business it is just something i wanted to do to help people who want help and understanding. i am glad that the information you have found in the guests long postings have helped you,that is precisely the point of this site,if you want to chat about what you have discovered then please come to the new site. i won't post the link as it is on this page already.
I thought that a new site was needed to share personal experiences instead of clogging up this page,kind of like a yasmin support group...as the TV advert says it's good to talk!
once again,i wish you all the best,if you find out anything that could help all the other ladies please post it here and the new forum,we should all be doing as much as we can to help each other get through this nightmare.
Oh and in answer to your question about the chest pain,i get that too,especially before my period,sometimes it goes into my shoulder too and i feltl i am having a heart attack! my pulse races for a while then calms down but skips a few beats here and there,i had an ecg done and was told everything was fine,it was just anxiety,but my doctor would say that as he does not believe that yasmin caused any of my problems anyway. There are lots of reasons why your heart may feel this way but no definative answers,it is all if's but's and maybe's. it could be to do with dehydration,could be to do with lack of magnesium or it could be a surge or lack of the correct hormone peaking at the correct time. the truth is only time will tell,hopefully it will start to improve soon.
best wishes.
sarah

For Newcomers to this site, summarizing information posted about symptoms that are common and steps you can take to learn and research besides trying to read through 2900 entries that start to feel like you are reading through individuals dialogues

Side effects:
Chest Pain
Anxiety
Depression
Dehydration
Weight loss
Extreme Fatigue
Clogged/painful ears
Listlessness
Vision Changes

Overall, not one positive thing posted by anyone who has been on Yasmin/Yaz for more than two years. Seems that women over 35 have the most trouble-and or/women with possible hormonal changes/imbalances to begin with.

Check www.worstpills.org
Report Side Effects: www.fda.gov
Call and report effects to teh pharmaceutical company

Unless you take action, Yasmin and Yaz will stay on the market for years to come. many more women will get sick and some very seriously so as you will find if you read through this site, the negative and damaging effects are lengthy and continue to grow.

Has anyone experience re-current chest pain? I'm talking about 8-9 months of it? My chest often feels heavy but sometimes with pain as well?

I have read that several women experience the heaviness, I'm just wondering after 9 months and 4 months of being off Yasmin, it will go away?

Otherwise, please ladies, save the long dialogues to personal phone calls if you would be so thoughtful because think of all teh women joining this site on a daily basis, trying to gather information in 2900 entries? Its hard to deduce and find between personal dialogues.

SARAH: syberlib, #35391

HOW DID YOU KNOW YOU HAD A MINI-STROKE? WHAT WERE YOUR SYMPTOMS PRIOR, DURING AND FOLLOWING? Were you diagnosed and if so what were the tests they conducted?

I feel so sorry that you were on this pill since it came out. 2001 is when it was approved in the U.S. and now it is being sold like crazy-heavily advertised.

I started Yasmin in January 2004. I went off in September 2006 so I was on it for 2.5 years. It was originally prescribed for me for anxiety interestingly enough because so many women here reported problems with anxiety while on it and then getting off of it.

I got off following 4 months of increasing chest pain. Started on the left side and then a month later, traveled across my chest and another month later primarily on my left side. This occurred usually the week just prior to my menstrual cycle so I expect that it has something to do with the hormone level changes just prior to the menses.

While on Yasmin, it made me so exhausted, I would shower and feel ready to go right back to bed. The Doctor recommended I take it at night so I did and it made getting up in the morning that much more difficult.

I went to the bathroom excessively due to the diuretic in Yasmin. no matter how much water I consumed, I constantly felt de-hydrated.

I had incredible fatigue while on Yasmin. My ears stopped up to the point of being painful and noticed right after I would take it that my ears would "pop" like they do on an airplane. This would last for 1-2 hours following taking it. I saw a hearing doc who told me that they've known for years that Ortho-contraceptives are odo-toxic meaning that they are toxic to the fluid levels of the inner ear. The inner ear consists of potassium and sodium fluid, so due to this pill's naturally increasing potassium levels, it made sense although a pharmacist, the prescribing Doctor and RN I saw to have an EKG done did not know this.

I've been off now for 3 plus months. However, to ease symptoms, I went onto Orthocept from September through December. Although some of the symptoms got better, the chest pains still continued to come the week before my period. What I want to know is how one knows if they are suceptible to a heart attack or stroke. The RN told me the EKG was normal but confirmed a returning heart murmur I had had years prior. When I was originally told I had this murmur back in 1999, a Naturopathic doctor said it was due to having low progesterone and said that it would likely go away on something like Orthocept. It did. However, after 2.5 years on Yasmin, it came back.

FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS POSTED OR IS NOT POSTING ON THIS SITE-I HIGHLY RECOMMEND KEVIN TRUDEAU'S BOOK ON NATURAL CURES. I'VE BEEN READING SECTIONS OF THIS FOR MONTHS UNTIL MY BROTHER GAVE IT TO ME FOR MY BIRTHDAY THIS MONTH. HE BASICALLY TAKES THE POSITION THAT ALL PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AS WELL AS NON-PRESCRIPTION CAUSE ILLNESS. DEPRESSION. ANXIETY. YEAST INFECTIONS. FATIGUE. MUSCLE SOARNESS. YOU NAME IT. EVERYTHING I'VE READ TO DATE I'VE KNOWN AT AN INTUITIVE LEVEL. THAT BASICALLY, MUCH TO ALL OF SCIENTIFIC MEDICINE-THAT IS PRESCRIPTION AND NON-PRESCRIPTION TREATS SYMPTOMS AND NOT NOT CAUSE AND CREATES AN IMBALANCE IN HEALTH THAT LEADS TO OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS. I THINK THAT THIS IS BASICALLY TRUE AND I WOULD HEED WARNING TO ALL WOMEN SEEKING RELIEF FROM ANTI-DEPRESSANTS OR ANTI-ANXIETY MEDS. THEY ARE DEADLY.

IN ADDITION-EVERY WOMAN I KNOW HAS INCREASED ENERGY AND IRRITABILITY JUST PRIOR TO HER PERIOD. IT IS A NORMAL RESPONSE TO THE CHANGE IN HORMONE LEVELS IN YOUR BODY DURING THIS TIME. I USUALLY FIND THAT INCREASING ACTIVITY LEVEL, LOTS OF EXERCISE, AVOIDING CAFFEINE AND SUGAR ARE CRITICAL AND RELIEVE MOST TO ALL OF THESE SYMPTOMS.

The other thing I would like to mention is that sensations of feeling "blue" or "sad" are just as normal as feelings of bliss and happiness. We're raised to think that we are supposed to be these jolly all smile faces and if you aren't' "happy", that something is wrong. So, I'd just say, that while some diagnosis about imbalances may be very real, I'd recommend doing alot of reading and research prior to putting anything else into your body or taking any other medications. They all likely cause other problems.

I am, after all this time, quite disturbed by this and what I expect are millions of other responses by people taking an array of medications that cause such severe symptoms and sometimes death. After 6 years on the market, how its still being pushed so heavily. If you read Kevin Trudeau's book, you'll see that much of the pharmaceutical and medical industry isn't concerned with treating the cause of your symptoms, but instead recommending medication after medication to treat the symptom.

Exercise and stress relief as critical as a healthy diet which today has become more and more difficult to create and make a discipline with lifestyle but it is absolutely critical. All these pills, I believe are wreaking havoc and hell on people all over the world.

VOICESI, FLOWERBABIES, SILKE and all the women who have suffered or are presently suffering:

I've been off of Yasmin now for almost 3 months. I've noticed that several people experienced a heaviness in the chest and chest pain? Can all of you say that? My chest pains started in May of this last year. i went off of Yasmin in August. They come and go now, less so, but especially around or just before the on-set of my menstual cycle. Do you know what this could be caused by? I had an EKG and the RN confirmed that I had a slight murmur but that that was not something to be concerned with. There are times at night while I am lying down that my chest feels very heavy, like I can't take full breaths. Is this normal? Does this go away and if so when?

I am between jobs so I only have major medical and I don't want to be panicked about this or rack up more medical bills which I can't afford on this plan or in my current financial state but I wanted to see how common actual chest pain is among users former/current? What is it caused from? It started on the left side in May. Than in July radiated across my chest (felt like it was coming from underneath my breast bone and now when It comes its mostly on my left side. Is that where the heart is or is that rumor?

How and what is the best method to replenish the body after 2.5 years on Yasmin? I've never been fond or responded well to taking vitamins however I've been sick now for all of September and October, two weeks in November and again now for the last week! Alot of chest congestion, stuffed up sinuses and a cough. Sometimes headache. Is getting sick like this for months afterwards common as well?

Unlike many women here, I can't say I experienced anxiety on Yasmin. The prescribing Doctor actually recommended it for anxiety. It helped that enormously however I was in a "fog" alot-tired. They recommended taking it at night and I am now afraid that perhaps the slowing of the heart it created, on top of sleeping and an already tremendously low blood and pulse rate put me at risk otherwise?

I am presently on Orthocept but afraid of going off of it because of the emotional upheaval in the midst of having just moved back across country, looking for full time work.

After reading through so many of these writings now for the last couple of months, I'm absolutely astounded by how many problems women are experiencing. And it is being so heavily advertised I'm sure there are so many more women out there, starting it every day. I see their writings here just starting it...and I just think, this is crazy.

I'm struggling with how to be healthy now and be off of BCP's and stay away from the anti-anxieties and otherwise because my body is so sensitive I've just had so little tolerance for any of them.

HAS ANYONE BEEN ON YASMIN AND GOTTEN OFF IT AND GOTTEN PREGNANT? I'M 37 TOMORROW AND WONDERING HOW SYNTHETIC HORMONES AND ALL THE SYMPTOMS THIS PILL IS CAUSING-HOW IT COULD EFFECT OR IS AFFECTING THE POSSIBILITY FOR PREGNANCY AND HEALTH OF BABIES!!!

HAS ANYONE REPORTED THEIR SYMPTOMS TO THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY AND IF SO, WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESULT?

Many thanks in advance,
Jasmine

hi ladies,sorry if this post comes up twice but my pc crashed so i have no idea if it added my last post or not!.

eryka.
yes it is quite common to feel ok for the 1st 3 months then start to feel a little worse again,this is due (i think) to your body switching from the synthetic supply of hormones to it's own natural supply,so it seems like you get a double whammy of hormones for a while. it will settle down again once all the synthetic hormones have been used up and your own hormones take over running the show again.it will happen so keep up with the supplements and have faith in your body.

hi sophie,thanks for your reply.
i also get a sore throat frequently,nothing seems to soothe it. mine seems to come in the 2 weeks before my period.

j.
yes i do still get chest pain even after 8 months. i did have an ECG a while back but everything was fine.i may have another just to make sure. i have been told over and over that all my symptoms are due to anxiety. i also get a feeling of being smothered sometimes like a can't get a full breath but it passes quite quickly thankfully. if you are worried then please get checked over.if you are told it is anxiety ask them to explain what happens during an anxiety attack to cause the pain.it may put your mind at rest if you know what is happening and why and also what the effects are.

sarah

Sarah, Sophie,

Tonight, when I laid down, and on a few other occassions, I have this really heavy feeling like its hard to breathe as if someone were sitting on my chest? Is this like either of your sensations? This follows this fluttery aching squeezing sensation I've had since yesterday morning...

Any other ladies out there who have developed this problem?

I can't believe this-the acid reflux, the plugged up achey ears, and now this chest pain (last 6 months)/been off of Yasmin for 2 months....went onto Orthocept but I think I just have to get off of all bcp's.

J

hiya all! silke! flowerbabies!

i hope every one is doing ok.

i have now been of that evil pill for about 8 months.

flowerbabies
i too have that muscle weakness, its so awful, i cant say that i have it just one place though its sometimes in my left arm but really and truly its in my whole body especially a few days before my periods, during and about 7 days after too, so as you can see its their pretty much most of the time. im sorry i cant be of more help. but if you are really worried about it please go and see a doctor to rule out anything else.

i have developed all sorts of other things recently, which are acid reflux, really bad chest pain, constant sore throat.
please help if you too have experienced any of the above.
i dont know what else to say really im so tired of feeling like this , i just want to feel normal again, it really gets me down.

please please reply

silke,
i havnt heard from you, i honestly hope you are doing ok.

thanks ladies
god bless you all
sophieXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

i too have been off yasmin for 2 mos and yes i still get the chest pain and my ears are really messed up feels like im on an airplane i can feelthepressure of this down to my neck does anyone know if it will ever get better please im starting to lose hpe again

Hey ladies

I've never had any panic attacks or anxiety with Yasmin, in fact I believe mine has decreased... but that is the problem! I hardly feel any emotion, no desire for sex unless initiated by my bf, constantly lethargic and tired.. some chest pain at night, and insomnia/anxiety around ovulation

But my biggest side effect is SEVERE headaches. they are disabilitating, come without warning, and are so intense and severe that I can not make it through my daily day. If I take my pill at the EXACT same time everday, the headaches are minimal, however, if I take the pill a half hour or hour later than I am suppose to, the headaches will persist throughout the entire month... Did anyone else experience headaches like this?

Also, my actual period was not how it was suppose to be...very sticky and chunky it was scary.

In general, I believe Yasmin was just making me feel sick. I had really bad experineces with other birth control (ortho tri cylclen low made me puke every morning as well as get my period randomly) and I have decided to give my body a break. I am using Vivex (chaste tree berry) and St Johns Wort to keep my periods regular and avoid any of the depresssion that hear comes from quitting bcp. I only hope my body can regulate itself and return to normal!!!

Dear Katrin,
Leg cramps and chest pain while on BCPs may be symptoms of DVT and pulmonary emboli which can be fatal. I would suggest going to the ER to rule out the above conditions. If you are having chest pain with shortness of breath, do not delay. A spiral CT scan can diagnose pulmonary emboli. I wish you all the best.

I learn something new every time I visit this site. I thank you all for sharing your stories here-I think I would be insane if I hadn't found this forum and from your posts know that I am not alone.
I have these horrid symptoms for ten months now! Without relief. The most worrisome one being the chest pain when I move (or stop moving for that matter) and leg pains and heavy prolonged bleeding during my period. (14 days and counting with my current one..ugh)
Has anyone found a way to relieve these symptoms? Do they ever stop? I took yasmin for over 3 years..I've been off for ten months. If anyone can give me a clue of how to get better or how long it takes to ride it out I would be grateful. None of the gazillion doctors have come up with anything..please respond if you can. thank you again.

Hi everyone,
I posted here back in January 2006 when I first suspected Yasmin being the cause of all of my health issues. My worst symptom though not my only one, has been crushing chest pain that becomes worse with a change in movement and is worse the more I move.
I haven't been back to this site since, as I have been trying to find out what is wrong with me and/or find a cure.
I have been off Yasmin since January 10th 2006.
I have been to my gynocologist, an internist, two cardiologists, a pulmonologist, and a gastroenterologist. No one can figure out what is wrong with me. Other symptoms that I had have eased up -namely the anxiety, hair loss, vision disturbances and confused thoughts..
Before taking Yasmin, I was never sick and only went for my annual checkups before this happened. I have 3 children and a busy job..this has been a very long nightmare.

I am not well yet. I still have the chest pain-I am getting used to it when it's just "regular" but if I exert myselt the slightest bit, it is awful and I suffer for weeks afterward. I am tired, my chest hurts.
I have been to the hospital and had a gazillion tests.
My question for anyone out there is this..Has anyone who experienced the chest pain found anything that helps?

I used to maintain a vigorous exercise program before this happened..now I can barely walk or stand for very long before my chest hurts. In additon my legs ache ...I'm not sure if that is from Yasmin or just from no longer being able to exercise.
Please post if you've found an answer. I would be so grateful.
thank you and good luck to everyone who has taken Yasmin. My thoughts are with you.

Hi! Flowerbabies-- I had a constant head ache yesterday- but it's gone today. My throat has been hurting all week though. It's wierd how the symptoms come and go. I also have chest pain every once and awhile.
I actually had a good morning and early afternoon today-- but I kept on wondering- when is the panicking going to start? That of course brought on the unevitable panic feelings this afternoon. I am relaxing and starting to feel better. I am glad that now at least I have periods where I don't panick- that makes me happy.
I am taking a multi-vitamin and some magnesium every day. I drink a lot of water. I am not hardley ever hungry though- do you guys notice that?
My main thing that I hate is not feeling like myself. I feel me coming back though-- so there is hope!
Thanks everyone so much--- When I am desperate and sad I go to this website and it brings me hope.

Hi all,
I switched to yasmin from ortho tri-cyclin lo about 2 months ago. I was on the ortho for 6 months, and i couldn't handle the moodiness anymore. My skin also still broke out when i had my period because of the cycling dose of hormones. My moodiness on Yasmin has not improved and has gotten even worse lately, also, I have been having chronic heartburn and stabbing chest pain ever since I started. I really don't know what to do, I need to be on birth control, but I really don't want to have to use condoms, and my periods are so bad untreated that all of the mood swings are almost worth it. Has anyone who's had problems with Yasmin found a hormone that doesn't completely turn them into a man-eating psycho bitch? because i feel like i hate myself and have completely ceased to feel anything but anger and depression. Someone please respond... I know I'm not experiencing some of the horrible things i've read on this site, but I am miserable and lost all the same. Please help me

I started taking Yasmin 9 days ago. I have been moody and depressed since the first day but kept thinking it would get better. I suffer from migraines once or twice a month but am usually able to function. Since I began the Yasmin I have had HORRID migraines every day and since yesterday I have had trouble breathing, chest pain and a very strange pain in the base of my skull that when I move my head causes me to be dizzy. Has anyone else ever had these problems? I am beginning to be scared and am thinking I might not take them anymore.

God lord! I can't believe everything I'm reading! This has been a HUGE help everyone, thank you!!!!! I've only been on Yasmin for three days and already I'm starting to feel nauseous and having chest pain. My heart feels like it's racing!
My boyfriend wanted me to take the pill, and I'm 26 years old and have never been on it before since he's my first,(I'm a late bloomer) but is it really worth it to take this pill for him if it's going to make me miserable? I'm really debating not going through with this after reading all these posts.

So...would the general consensus be....get the heck off the pill while you still can? Or is there any real benefit to it at all?

Searching for answers,

Molly

UPDATE.....
Hi everyone,
My pd started yesterday after 2 days of light spotting (1st cycle off Yasmin). I went to the doc yesterday and told her that my anxiety was terrible in the early evening. She switched me from Paxil CR 12.5 in the AM to Paxil CR 25 in the evening. She also wants me not to take any more xanax unless my anxiety is extreme. I also need to try yoga and an exercise routine (try that with 2 little kids...)!
My chest pain is still there. She listened to my heart but feels that the pain is related to the anxiety that I am feeling. She will see me in 2 months. My BP is 140/100. The cardiologist did not send the reg doc the results of the 24 hour BP monitoring. My heart is racy and I am a bit lightheaded (maybe from my pd??).
My left shoulder pain is now gone. Every so often I get "warm" feelings in the tops of my arms- has anyone else felt this?
I think that the doc (internal medicine) is now starting to see a correlation in the Yasmin I took and the condition that I am in. I can't say for sure, but she noticed an amazing difference in me in 3 weeks. I hope that I can continue on this path to full recovery.

I will NEVER take another hormone.
SILKE- You are right, I will NOT consider MIRENA!

One thing to mention.... I took Yasmin for 8 months, went off for 1 cycle and restarted for 3 months. The last 3 months (Oct, Nov & Dec 05) I was on the Yasmin were living he_ _!!! I advise you that if you stop Yasmin, DO NOT restart unless you speak with your doc and are convinced that you are OK. The pharmacist thinks that the stop/restart thing really did a number on me.

As always, thank you everyone!

Denise -- thank you - hugs back to you too!

Wow! I just stumbled on this site and am very happy I did. I'm 42 years old and am almost finished my fourth pack of Yasmin, which I started basically for skin problems. My skin did clear immediately, but I gradually started having other things happen, but never really attributed it to the pill...actually thought it was more an age thing (I hate to say it) and was happy with my clear skin. I had the chest pain thing and went for an exercise test, which turned up okay. I turn into this "freak" every once in a while, crying and stuff, which I thought was basically because I'm so busy with work and family, etc. I used to run half-marathons, but was feeling so crappy and had gained a lot of weight, so I decided to join a gym and hire a personal trainer, as exercise had always made me feel better. Near the end of one of our sessions, I started to have trouble remembering her instructions. I then went into the change room when we were finished and I could not remember my lock combination. This scared me quite a bit. A woman then came into the change room and was asking me about my trainer and what her name was...and I couldn't remember her name! I managed to get my lock open, but I kinda walked out of there in a fog and it probably took me about an hour to feel "human" again. Later that night I had a pretty good headache. I talked to my trainer about it and we figured that I must have had an extremely hard workout and that maybe I was a little dehydrated. I have noticed that I have not been as thirsty as I usually am, so figured this was the problem. The final straw came a few days ago when I developed this killer headache with some breakthrough bleeding. I've made an appointment with my GP to talk about going on Alesse, but am now wondering if I should just forget about messing about with my hormones and put up with a few pimples in my 40s. Any thoughts? Any Alesse horror stories?

Julia

Hill-

I had the same chest pains. Sometimes it felt like it was in my lungs, sometimes, it felt like it was my heart, and sometimes I couldn't tell where it was coming from it just hurt. Everyone kept telling me it was panic attacks. I'm sure I had a few of those too as I have had an amazing amount of anxiety since starting Yasmin, but I knew it was something more. I take a baby asprin everyday to make sure I don't get clots. I have had ekg's and chest x-rays and nobody has found anything. I have had major fatigue, dizzy spells(almost blacked out), stomach pains...the list goes on. Just wanted to let you know you're not alone. I will tell you that I have been off the pill for about 5 days now and I still have a lot of anxiety but some of the chest pain has gone away. I'm hoping it continues to get better and fast!

Chrissy-

I too had the heart race thing. Although my heart only got up to 120 bpm. At first it would just pound really hard and feel like it was going to jump out of my body. Then it would get faster and faster. When it seemed to subside the chest pain would come. It really freaked me out. I've been really afraid of blood clots. I had some weird sensations in my legs.

Guest-

I have had the worst hot flashes that have not gone away yet. One minute I'm cold the next minute I am so hot and I am stripping off sweatshirts and things trying to cool down. It's the worst! I did also gain weight, but not sure how much of it was the pill and how much was me not working out anymore because I have been so fatigued.

Hope this helps all! Five days off the pill and counting! :)

Has anyone else had chest pain and a really sore stomach from the pill?