Yasmin and cholesterol

I was wondering if anyone knows if there is a class action lawsuit against Yasmin.

I started taking Yasmin last October and the first three months I was on it, I was bleeding every day. It was the first time I ever got on a birth control pill. I stayed on the pill for a total of 6 months until one night I suddenly had severe abdominal pain along with nausea. It went bad from worse and I was rushed into emergency room later that day.

My diagnosis was acute pancreatitis due to high level of triglycerides. The doctors ran a series of tests, blood, ultrasound, CAT scan, and X-ray, etc. Their conclusion was Yasmin caused the dramatic increase of my triglycerides, and ultimately caused my acute pancreatitis.

My triglycerides level was below 200 before I started taking Yasmin and by May this year when I was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis, my triglycerides was over 4,300!

After spending 3 weeks in hospital for pain control and being off food and water for a total of 2 weeks, I was able to go home and get on with my life. My doctor told me I should never take any form of birth control pills nor any kind of hormone. I stopped taking Yasmin since the day I was admitted.

If anyone knows of a lawsuit or a lawyer that is working on a case against Yasmin, please let me know.

Words cannot explain just how grateful I am for coming across this web site. I've been taken Yasmin for about 4-5 years now and thought nothing about it. Started getting horrible horrible horrible mood swings. Everything and everyone were affected by my behavior. Pretty much have the same side effects from the weight gain to the thinning of the hair. In the past year or two I started to have these symptoms and could not figure out what the heck was going on. I must of went to 10 different doctors who took blood test after blood test and could not find anything abnormal except my cholesterol, which was strange bcuz i've eaten healthy my entire life and exercised. So here began all the different types of meds to try. Oh gosh has that been terrible. Nothing seems to be working so I decide to go to a psych dr. thinking perhaps I have some kind of imbalance going on. So I take a test that has several questions on it which pertained to alot of the symptoms I was having. I then was "diagnosed" with severe anxiety and at the time I really didn't know too much about it. Great now I know whats wrong so I thought. For the past year I have been taking Wellbutrin XL9highest dose) and lexapro. It seemed to have some effect on me, but it started to take a nose dive after several months. I stayed on it (dr. orders) just uped the dose. Horrible idea bcuz I'm back to my same symptoms. No desire to do anything!!!!! Fed up I googled this morning something to help my severe mood swings down right horrible moods. Cannot believe people don't hate me.....yet. So this web site popped up and realized it had to do with Yasmin. Could not believe it. I too felt and still feel that i'm nuts!!!! But I'm not alone and that is good news for me. Thank the Lord for whomever started this site. I'm going to stop today and not take it anymore. I will be sure to let other women know to be very cautious about this pill.

Wow! I can't believe how many of us suffers from the pill from hell, Yasmin. I stopped taking it September 17 after 5 years and I'm worried as hell as to what's going to happen to my body now. But first things first. I seem to have gotten pretty much every side effect in the book.

About a month after starting it I got gastroparesis- paralyzed stomach- and I also became lactose-intolerant after 30 years of drinking a lot of milk. Go figure! I get a huge bloated belly as soon as I drink a little water even now. I have gained about 6 lbs that I can't shake no matter how much I work out and that has never been a problem before.

I had migraines from hell and headaches nearly every day the last few years.

I got panic attacks and was very nervous, had anxiety and it felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. And that is SO NOT me or anybody in my family. And I know it was the pill cuz I had no reason to feel that way.

I had blurry vision at times. Fainted once in the mall for no apparent reason, I had never fainted before in my life.

I had no interest in my own life or in doing anything whether that was working, going to school, exercising, going out with friends, traveling, whatever it was I was not interested. Again, so not me. I could have died and I wouldn't have cared. I could have gotten a Ferrari and I wouldn't have cared.

I could sleep 10 hours a night, take 1-2 hour naps in the afternoon and go to sleep again at 10 pm, no problem. And the nightmares! Holy crap. Awful dreams about plane crashes, robberies and murderers EVERY night. Thankfully they seem to have disappeared now.

I have high cholesterol, through the roof actually! -no family history there either- and blood pressure is a little high but not too bad. My thyroid was a little elevated last time and the doctor thought it was due to Yasmin.

I snap at everybody and think that I don't love my husband when I actually do love him a lot. He has put up with me being so unbelievably bitchy for 5 year. Bless his soul!

Since I started Yasmin we have had sex about 1-3 times a year. I'm NOT kidding. I haven't wanted anything to do with sex.

I have heart palpitations at times. Shortness of breath just walking up the stairs in my house.

Dry skin no matter what cream I use. Major hair loss.

I went off Yasmin once before and didn't get my period back for over 6 months so I just started taking it again like an idiot cuz I wasn't planning to have kids then anyway.

I was never happy, never sad. Mostly mad or irritated, no problems there.

What else? How many hours do you girls have to read my post? ;-)

To sum it up. Yasmin has destroyed my life for the past 5 years but I was to blind and scared to get pregnant before that I just didn't care. And not caring about my own health was surely caused by that rotten pill too.

What can I expect now that I'm off the pill since 2 weeks? How long before the hormones are gone from my body? What can I expect and when does it get better? Can I go to the ob/gyn after 2-3 months if I don't get my period and have them give me something to start it? Or would that be bad? What about the weight, should it go up or down? Acne? Hair loss? What else? Have you had any medical problems that you needed medicines for due to Yasmin? How long has it taken you to get your period back? And most importantly; can this pill make me infertile???

If there is a class action lawsuit I want to be in it!

I have been on Yasmin for 4 years now and I only recently started to question if some of the things that I have been experiencing are related to this pill. After reading your comments here, I'm more convinced then ever! I am a relatively healthy 31 year right now but for over a year now I have had a terrible ongoing ache in the back of my right thigh, just above my knee. I went to a vein specialist who just wanted to inject me to reduce the vein and "hoped" that it would help resolve the pain. He said that I had reticular veins and that they can be painful but as I understand it, you can get pain in your deep veins, which can result in deep vein thrombosis and even pulmonary embolisms (very life threatening). I have also had terrible ongoing headaches that last me 3 days at least once per month. I've always suffered from migraines so I didn't necessarily connect these headaches to the pill. I have absolutely ZERO sex drive. It's like I have to force myself to do it and it fills me with anxiety to even "gear up" for it. I have vaginal dryness, which can be very frustrating during foreplay and painful during sex. I had previously always been pleased that Yasmin resolved my 10 + year battle with painful cystic back acne. I have beautiful, clear skin on my back since I started taking Yasmin. I have also experienced fairly normal periods (for me). I used to have debilitating cramps and periods so heavy that I would wear a tampon and double my pads (with wings) so that I could live through the first part of the day at work without completely breaking through and bleeding through my pants. They would last for 5 - 7 days but with the pill I have more normal periods, manageable cramps, minor bloating, and still a heavy flow but not nearly as bad as before. I have always had good cholesterol levels and low triglycerides until 4 years ago when I started the pill. Since then I have had 2 blood tests where my cholesterol has skyrocketed and my triglycerides are triple the "normal" range. I eat healthier now then ever before and I regularly exercise as well so I cannot explain my cholesterol change, nor can my doctor (after showing a food diary of mostly fruits, veggies, limited whole grains, lean meat and optimal water). He told me to "go on a low carb diet" and "stay away from "sugars". I can't explain it either, I am always thirsty. I drink almost a gallon of water a day. I have this constant craving for a beverage and dryness if I'm not consistently sipping on water. My eyes are always dry, so dry in fact that it makes me feel tired or like I just want to close them to give them a break. I just started using eye drops, which has helped. Also, I'm tired, very very tired. It's summer so my energy is better only because I force myself to go workout, which always makes me feel better. I must say though, all in all, I have some concerning symptoms that seem to be prevalent throughout the blog but I've also had some positive effects from Yasmin. My concerns and your comments however are enough to take myself off the pill (Yasmin and all others) to try and live with my natural hormones instead of the synthetic in the pill. I think the potential risks outweigh the rewards. Thank you all for sharing and helping me in my decision making process.

My jaw dropped after reading all of these posts. I started on Yasmin 3 weeks ago. I've never really been on BC's before, so I thought that my headaches, numbness and fatigue were just because of school. I finally connected the dots and looked on the internet to see if it was the Yasmin or if i was just crazy. I am so thankful to have found this website. I wish it was in the paper or advertised. Doctors should not even be able to prescribe this drug.

I'm in my early 30s. Prior to Yasmin, I had migraines 1-2 a year (each episode lasted a max of 5 hours). 5 months after Yasmin, my headaches occurred 1-2 A MONTH and lasted 1-3 DAYS!!! In addition, prior to Yasmin (while I was at my heaviest, not exercising, & not watching what I ate), my cholesterol was 181 & my triglycerides (?sp?) were 91. After about a year and a half on Yasmin (and exercising regularly, being 20 lbs lighter, & eater healthier), my cholesterol shot up to 256 & my triglycerides skyrocketed to 262!!! After reading info online, I decided there may be a connection to Yasmin & my cholesterol & migraines - there haven't been other changes in my life. So, this weekend, I decided to stop Yasmin cold turkey. I'll retest my cholesterol in 3 months & post the results. Has anyone else experienced a rise in cholesterol &/or triglycerides on Yasmin?

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.

I also am experiencing high bad cholesterol, which blows my mind as I exercise 2-5 days a week, eat extremely healthy (no fat food, no friend food, very little margarine and oil, etc.). No one can believe that I could have high cholesterol, and recently I have begun to have white areas on my skin with a loss of pigment, called vitiligo. I suspect a correlation with Yasmin, and am so glad to find this site, now I have something to us eto convince my doctor that it is my birth control and it is clearly dangerous to women.

Girls Girls Girls! My experience with yaz was a near fatal one. I took yaz for 21/2 months and ended up in the hosp with a massive blod clot to my left leg and a small one in each lung. I'm 42, and basically healthy except for the killer periods. I also felt nauseaous the first month then things got better, lighter flow, less cramping and back pain. halfway into my third pack is when things got ugly. Sudden onset of shortness of breath with normal activity and a leg that was 2inches bigger in diameter. For you older girls I think the ob/gyn should take labs prior to starting yaz. check cholesterol, clotting time,and potassium and hormone levels then monthly for the first 3-6 months to see how your body is responding. Dont let moderate side effects go on >1month before calling Dr.

I am 36 and I've been taking Yasmin for 6 months now. 13 years ago I took ortho novum 777 for my first 6 months of marriage and it was a nightmare. The anxiety was so bad and I am thankful my new marriage made it through that rough first 6 months. I quit it then and refused to take another for 13 years. I have terrible pms and HEAVY bleeding. It was causing me to stay home for about 2 weeks out of the month. I was put on lexapro for the pms b/c I would not take the pill. I gained 25 pounds in 2 months so quit that. finally decided to go with the yasmin and it has been really really good for me. My last period was so light that I just could not believe it. I feel very good on it. I was always "happy" when pregnant and that is kind of how I feel on it now. Not sure how that will be down the road. I do have skin pigmentation like I had when pregnant and I have dry eyes and some headaches around my eyes. So, I guess the jury is still out. I do think it raised my cholesterol. I will say that if I have to discontinue it, I will be upset because I feel like I have my life back regarding my menstrual cycle. It is also great to skip a period if I am going on vacation, etc. Maybe age has something to do with it. Maybe women who have had children and deal with pms/heavy periods are better candidates for yasmin.

Hi everyone,
It has been a while since I posted so I wanted to say hello and let you know that things do get better. I am now 8 months Yasmin-free. I am still on the effexor xr (still 37.5mg/day) for the anxiety that the Yasmin caused. I am totally off of Xanax now and cannot wait to be off of the effexor.
My bloodwork came back this week. Thank God that my thyroid and almost everything else is now OK. However, my cholesterol and triglycerides are way too high. And... since starting effexor, I gained 15 lbs. I need to get off of it, but the doc won't let me.
But the good news is that the tremors, the blackouts, leg pains, palpitations, brain zaps etc.... that I was experiencing on Yasmin are pretty much gone. And, I am so much better to my husband and kids now that I am off of the evil "Yasminpoison"!
I am in my mid-30's and never thought that this would happen to me. I lost so much time off of my life because of that little poison pill.
Your posts are so powerful and help me understand that I am alone in this. You should never feel alone in this, so many of us have suffered and are suffering terrible effects of Yasmin.
take care everyone!

I feel your pain, ladies! I had been on Yasmin before for several months with no side effects, so in February I went back on it. I gained about 5 lbs that month, and just didn't want to deal with the weight gain.

So when the month ran out, I stopped taking it. I gained 35 lbs in 6 weeks!!! I changed nothing about my diet and exercise during that time, so I know it was the Yasmin.

Here it is November and I've lost about 7 lbs of it. I can't change calories or exercise too much because I gain 3-5 lbs in a day. All I know is that it will take time for your body to stabilize, so hang in there.

I get so frustrated with drug companies and doctors only talking to each other, and not listening enough to patients who complain of these side effects. My blood pressure spiked from the weight gain, as did my glucose and cholesterol, which have always been low since I was 6ft tall and 155 lbs (now 189-192.) Just keep speaking up!

UPDATE OF GYN APPT AFTER STOPPING YASMIN!!

Well, I had my GYN visit today. I told her about the symptoms I have been having since I stopped Yasmin 7 weeks ago- hair loss, dry skin, hair growth (on chin and chest), increased acne, no period, etc. She says that I just have anxiety which is causing my hair to fall out. She says that stopping the pill doesn't cause hair loss and being on the pill should not have caused the amount of anxiety I have. When I told her that while on yasmin my blood pressure, cholesterol and heart rate had increased she said nothing. When I told her that I had muscle aches which another doctor attributed to my potassium being low while on Yasmin (the most common side effect due to the diuretuc), she said nothing. When I told her I stomach problems, urinary problems, chest pains and numbness, she just kept going back to anxiety. How can anxiety cause hair to fall out from my head and grow everywhere else? I cried for almost an hour after my appt. For once my mom, sensed my frustration. After a lot of persuasion, she agreed to run hormone tests to check my testosterone and DHEA. Well, I had my GYN visit today. I told her about the symptoms I have been having since I stopped Yasmin 7 weeks ago- hair loss, dry skin, hair growth (on chin and chest), increased acne, no period, etc. She says that I just have anxiety which is causing my hair to fall out. She says that stopping the pill doesn't cause hair loss and being on the pill should not have caused the amount of anxiety I have. When I told her that while on yasmin my blood pressure, cholesterol and heart rate had increased she said nothing. When I told her that my potassium was low while on Yasmin (the most common side effect due to the diuretuc), she said nothing. She just kept going back to anxiety. How can anxiety cause hair to fall out from my head and grow everywhere else? I cried for almost an hour after my appt. For once my mom, sensed my frustration. After a lot of persuasion, she agreed to run hormone tests to check my testosterone and DHEA. But she siad that if they were normal, then nothing was wrong and I should see a therapist. Well, I had my GYN visit today. I told her about the symptoms I have been having since I stopped Yasmin 7 weeks ago- hair loss, dry skin, hair growth (on chin and chest), increased acne, no period, etc. She says that I just have anxiety which is causing my hair to fall out. She says that stopping the pill doesn't cause hair loss and being on the pill should not have caused the amount of anxiety I have. When I told her that while on yasmin my blood pressure, cholesterol and heart rate had increased she said nothing. When I told her that my potassium was low while on Yasmin (the most common side effect due to the diuretuc), she said nothing. She just kept going back to anxiety. How can anxiety cause hair to fall out from my head and grow everywhere else? After a lot of persuasion, she agreed to run hormone tests to check my testosterone and DHEA. But she siad that if they were normal, then nothing was wrong and I should see a therapist. She refused to believe that any of my problems could have been caused from being on Yasmin. I cried for an hour after my appt and couldn't return to work. Am I really just crazy???

So I decided to stop Yasmin after 3 years due to the HORRIBLE side effects. Although I have noticed some postive changes (decreased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, decreased cholesterol, improvement with stomach), I have also noticed some negative things from stopping Yasmin. For example, I am still suffering from anxiety and depression which I know will take some time to go away. Also, I have noticed that I have been losing TONS of hair and have not had a period since I stopped taking Yasmin about 6 weeks ago. Is the hair loss and not having a period normal? I am assuming this is probably because of the change in hormones...right???