Yasmin and condoms

I am at the end of my first month on this pill. Things seemed fine until 3 days ago when I got a migraine (I never get headaches) and it has lasted for 3 days making it so difficult to look after my children or get the simplest things done. I started looking up side effects and found this site. I realised that this month I had also had thrush, no sex drive at all and seem to be very cold in relation to other people. I suffer from PMDD and this is my second pill in attempt to make the symptoms easier to manage. Without the pill I am over emotional, cry a lot, have severe mood swings and painful and heavy bleeding each month. With this in mind I am still going to come off Yasmin right now. I do not want to mess things up even more. I have been concerned about the ingredients of the pill too - I am a vegan and there is no birth control pills which do not contain lactose or animal ingredients so I think I must go back to the diapham for birth control (condoms are just awful!). it is frightening how easily all these pills are prescribed. I was on dianette when I was 16 to combat the same PMDD and when I came off it five years later didn't have a period for a year at which time I discovered I had an ovarian cyst and a tumor, both of which had to be removed. Was told I probably couldn't have kids but thankfully five years later (five years of trying to conceive) I had our first and then 10 months after that fell pregnant with our second). I can't believe I was stupid enough to go back on any pill but my PMDD is difficult to manage and I was at my wits end but after just a month I know I have to come off it. For good this time. My life is to valuable to me to mess up with this rubbish.

I am 18 years old and ive been taking Yasmin for about 2 years, and tonight i came across all of these stories of bad experiences.
after putting together the pieces, ive realized that im not crazy after all! i have had every symptom out there for this pill except high blood pressure and nausea.
i used to be 135 pounds before i got on this pill, and now i am 160 pounds.
i find myself crying all the time, im surprised my boyfriend can put up with it.
i have no energy, all i want to do is sleep. i get sharp pains behind my eyes that cause me to shift them to find a spot where it wont hurt. i have no sex drive at all. i constantly feel depressed and sometimes don't want to live. im so tired of feeling this way.
the only good thing that happened for me was that my skin had cleared up tremendously!
and now i want to just stop and quit this pill right now! im just afraid my acne will come back.
this pill should not be given to women, all of these stories show great reasons on why its harmful.
PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS PILL!! ITS NOT WORTH IT.
im glad i found all this out before it was too late.
my boyfriend wants me to finish the rest of my pill pack but i just want to stop right now.
i don't know what to do.
if i continue taking this pill for the rest of the pack i will feel worse about it each day knowing its harming my body and life.
help.

Well where to start. It started one Weds morning at work. Suddenly came over all dizzy and light headed and felt really really sick. Went home and started with a temperature. Parents say I was pretty spaced out for several days and didn’t really want to talk to anyone. It’s like I was there but I wasn’t. Went to doctor a couple of times and they diagnosed a virus. Problems with sleeping started. Ended up at the hospital out of hours as I was shaking, felt sick, thought I was going to pass out. Nothing found so sent back home. Saw doc again and was referred to a doctor at the hospital who had an interest in viruses. Saw doc and loads of blood was taken for testing. Went back after a couple of weeks and blood tests where clear. By that point I was feeling a bit better so they thought it was post viral fatigue. Went back to work part time and worked myself up to full time. Then it started again. Had to be fetched from work. Colleagues said it was more like I was having a panic attack. Broke down completely. Couldn’t stop crying and was in a right state. Went to docs and was diagnosed with depression and still post viral fatigue. My main symptoms have been, panic attacks, anxiety, faintness, dizziness, nausea, general feeling of unwell, blocked ears, palpitations. There are probably more but I can’t think of them at the minute (Oh yeah, brain fogginess as well !) More blood tests were done and that’s when they said my hormones were a bit low but they didn’t think it was anything to worry about. That’s when I started researching Low hormones and started to come across the problems with Yasmin. I cannot tell you what a relief it’s been. I honestly thought I was going mad and that there was nothing wrong with me and it was all in my head. I sat looking that the screen going ‘that’s me !’ Have stopped taking them straight away. Will see how we get on. Doctor didn’t know anything about the problems and has said he will be interested to know how I get on. I cannot believe they didn’t know. Main thing is I know now and can start getting better.

Oh! And Furthermore, Lest I forget to register MY formal COMPLAINTS about Yasmin...
i was a healthy 160 pounds when i started taking Yasmin 6 years ago (about) I now weigh about 218. 60 pounds in 6 years for me =( I attribute some of that to Yasmin...
also~ signature heart palpitations, depression, moodiness. exhaustion crept up on me over time, worrying about everything, being tired but not being able to sleep, (these all contributed to my lask of ability to exercise overly much....palpitations during exertion are very scary....
horrible overall experience. Just got off, going back to condoms as a 31
year old woman! (tells you how bad the pills are) Will never take ANY pills ever again in my life and really think these pills should be taken off the market. in this site alone you will find over 4000 threads on the topic of bad Yasmin side effects....google it and Im sure you will find tons more, Get off this pill if you value your heart and your hair! and spread the word.... I wish you all the best and pray this isn't something even worse than we realize, or that the damage is not irreparable. =(

Hello, I am 27 and a mother of two. I have only used birth control pills a few times a few months on and off. My doctor said that she didn't want to give me an IUD, but she wanted me to take Yasmin, because of my tendency to be depressed. I was excited because I don't like taking anti depressants because of the sexual side effects. I really felt okay before I started taking the pill. My son was only two months old, and I was happy. After a while I started feeling really down, I was very tired, and I had horrible acne again. It didn't help my PMDD, I felt angrier and more unhappy the longer I took it. My joints hurt all over and I was getting these very painful headaches. I recently noticed that my hair was falling out. I also got a call from my doctor saying that I had an abnormal pap smear. I ran out of the pills two weeks ago, and I didn't get it refilled. I am feeling a lot better, my mood has improved, but the hair is still falling out, and I need more tests to clear up those bad results. Honestly, I would rather use condoms with my husband, than to feel so miserable on the pill. I have to take care of my children and my husband. I don't recommend Yasmin. It prevents pregnancy, (i think it works because no one would want to have sex with a girl who was a wrek because of it), but that is the only thing it claims to do that is right. I am also angry because my doctor doesn't seem to think that it is important to explain the risks of taking the pill.

Im a 21 yr old girl and started taking YASMIN about 1.5yrs ago. At first i thought it was great.. But then it al started really bad Headaches, extremely angry with everything to the point when my bf of 6yrs dropped water on the bench he would get yelled at! (and that's not the person i am) and also my sex drive was at a point of braking up my relationship as i didnt even like the thought of him touching me and a bunch of other things.. so i came of it in NOV 07 and my periods came back to a regular time each month and was not any heaver then when they were on the pill. I got back to my happy self and things picked up i started enjoying having sex and things went so well we are not talking about marriage.
But after so many months not on it and using condoms we decided i should give ti another go. maybe it was me ? I have been back on it for 4 days and i feel back to the bitch i was before... i am so angry and feels like i have OCD because i want everything to be perfect and in order (even to the way i place objects) i have lost my sex drive which last week was great! im crying for no reason and feel just really depressed..
I have came off it last night but i think its going to take a bit to wean off of it. I will NEVER use it again!

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 have been on Yasmin for about a year now and am finally convinced by my horrible side effects that it needs to stop. For the past few months my PMS has been so severe that I'm surprised my boyfriend still speaks to me. The worst time is the week leading up to and during my period. Now that I've decided to stop taking Yasmin, my question is what possible alternatives are there for birth control that don't involve hormonal madness? I've tried several other pills in the past, which just weren't right, and I'm definitely not comfortable with using the coil. Are condoms really the only solution?

After trying two other birth control pills and the patch, I was put on Yasmin three years ago, because my doctor said it wouldn't give me mood swings.
Lately I've been having really bad anxiety attacks and depression. I've noticed a change for the worst in my moods while I've been on Yasmin, but I kind of ignored it because I hate condoms and don't want to get pregnant.
But I'm going to stop taking it because if there's a chance my anxiety will go away, it's definitely worth it.
If Yasmin is the cause of my panic attacks (and it seems like it might be), I definitely wouldn't recommend it.

I'm 33 years old and had a baby back in November (almost five months ago). I never took birth control before, but after having my baby decided to try Yaz. I attributed my frequent insomnia, fatigue, and lack of sex drive to the fact that I had had a baby and was getting used to the pill, but now I am realizing that after all this time, all of my symptoms are probably due to this pill. I'm going to discontinue use of Yaz and see what happens. I can't handle the insomnia and lack of sex drive anymore. I can't have orgasms anymore and it is driving me crazy. I am also hungry all of the time, and my mood swings are much more severe than they should be, even at off times of the month. I hate to make my husband wear condoms, but if it means that I'll actually enjoy sex with him again it will be worth it!

As for myself, i started taking Yasmin when i was 17, i took it for about a year, then i had a break and i started taking it again about 1 maybe 1,5 year ago. i knew there are many side effects connected with birth control, but i decided to give it a shot, and i liekd it. less cramps, lighter periods, perfect. but now that i read all those side effects posted here, i realized that even though i did not have any physical side effects i did in fact suffer mental side effects. i am easly aggrevated, i get hurt over little things and can cry for no real reason, i feel tired all the time, deacreased sex drive.. and all this time knowing about side effects i kept blaming myself for being weird and becoming hard to get along with, which i wasn't before. i am an optimist and rather sensitive, but what happens to me know is way out of proportions.
today i realized that birth control pills are great invetion for a high price of our mental and physical state. condoms work for some, for others they dont bring enough satisfaction, but whats the point of being on the pill, and not having to use some latex, when the sex drive is decreased because of al the hormones?
today was the last day i am taking my bc pill. perhaps i will have to ind another alternative, but for now i need to apologize to all the people i've been hurting without even realizing that it wasn't the real me.
it's good to experiment with birth control to find whats right for us, but we have to make note of not only our physical state but also if how we feel mentally.
good luck to all finding the right ways of protecting yourselves :))

About a year ago I started taking birth control. I don't remember what it was called but it was a generic brand. It made me very anxious right off of the bat. It got bad enough that my husband and I even spoke of getting divorced because I was questioning my love for him. Needless to say, I got off of the pills. During this time, I told my OBGYN what was happening and he looked at me like I was some psycho. It took my about 3 months to get back to my normal self.

About 5 months ago I saw the commercial for YAZ and I really wanted to try it. So, last month I talked to my family doctor about it and he prescribed it to me. When I first started, I had my period for 3 weeks! I feel sick to my stomach all the time and I have a headache, but the worst part of all is that I am back to being depressed and anxious. It took me so long to get back to myself after the last pill. I didn't think I was going to have to go through this again! But after what my last doctor did, I am scared to tell my family physician because I think he will do the same thing.

Is anybody else experiencing these side effects or are my doctors right?!

I have been on YAZ for the past 4 months. Prior to that, condoms were my only form of bc. I strongly believe that is has improved my mood swings. And my relationship with my husband is SO much better. However, I have been experiencing troublesome side effects. I frequently have breakthrough bleeding. The last period I had lasted for almost 2 weeks. I had a few blood clots which were very tiny and after I stopped bleeding I had a clear discharge that would just spontaneously leak out of me creating the most foul odor. It smelled like something crawled inside of me and died! I broke down and bought some feminine spray which only made the odor smell sweet. It took about 1 week after I stopped bleeding for the odor to not be as bad/discharge as frequently. I keep hoping these problems will go away but maybe it will just continue and possibly get worse. Should I see my doctor to see if something else can be prescribed? Or are ALL bc pills likely to create the same problems?

Oh my goodness, you'd think this stuff was evil in a pill. ALL birth control pills, and hormonal methods of birth control (and medication for that matter) has side effects. Everyone's body is different. I have severe migraines, but taking a pill with a higher estrogen level makes it much worse. Not to mention Yasmin was my fourth try before I was comfortable on the pill again after a long time BCP free. I suffered through break-through bleeding, constant bleeding, turning into satan, constant PMS symptoms, infections, migraines, you name it. Finally, I found Yasmin and I lost a little weight and my periods remained the same (sometimes too long, sometimes too painful, but that never changed with any of them -- and I hear the same thing with the new "miracle" pill Yaz), and I was fine. I have spent time off of Yasmin, simply because I was ill and on antibiotics so I didn't fill a couple of months worth, and I noticed no difference in the before and after (other than having to use condoms in the meantime).

I've been on Yasmin for three years, absent two months. Everyone's body is different, everyone reacts differently, and this site is NOT this place to get the information you need to make a decision about medication. A starting point maybe, then go off the pill, see how you fill (talk to your doctor first). What's not being taken into consideration is other medications these users are on, ages, individual physical illnesses or situations, or other things that could be reasons or interferences with the pill. Good luck ladies. :)

Oh, and an acne tip... rather than putting more chemicals into your bodies, try Proactive. I had AWFUL skin in areas that nothing worked for, from cheapest to most expensive to prescribed. I started using it in 1996 or so and my skin is perfect. I use it now because it keeps my face clear and makes it radiant, and I don't even have to use it every day. I don't have to wear ANY make up on my skin at all. Something to think about instead of putting worrying about trying to find a BCP that works for you and for your skin. :]

I'm so happy i found this I thought i was loosing my mind, little did i know all my problems had one cause. I've had time were a headache has lasted 3 days, I used to play sport now i'm to lazy to move let alone go outside. I've been depressed before in my life but none quite like this, I'm happy right now but i have days were i look at my partners face and i'm disgusted by him, i don't want to be touched i just want to curl up in a ball and feel nothing at all. What else... as soon as i started on Yasmin my skin went to hell became dry and itchy and blotchy, dead libido, pimples on my chest, it's just screwed with all my hormones, my hair is dry one second oily the next and it used great no effort, now my only option is to have it tied up all the time. I have also had major anxiety attacks and stress about minisucle things like not having anything to do! ridiculous.
I've tried other pills before with no prevail, i've decided to cease use of Yasmin and have given up on all pills...i say unless you allergic to laytex i say condoms are the way. I'd rather give up sex than live like this any longer.

I need some help. I have been on Yasmin for almost 4 years. Previously I was on ortho and was taken off of it due to an alarming weight gain and emotional side effects. Yasmin seemed GREAT until now... I am experiencing severe anxiety, shaking, headaches, blurred vision, hair loss, low sex drive and depression. I assumed this was all due to stress from graduating and entering the working world, but I have nothing to be upset or stressed about... I have such nervous thoughts and can sometimes say things that are just so unlike me.. I just don't feel myself. I am afraid to go off Yasmin and onto another pill in fear that things could get even worse... My previous experience with ortho was short but definitely not sweet. I am scared and afraid because I am only 22... Has anyone experienced anything like this that can give me some piece of mind?

I started Yasmin about 7 months ago and i must admit it has definitely took away the acne, have an awesome 4 or 5 day period. BUT i seriously hate the side effect of crying and being so emotional all the time, it really has come to be a problem between me and my husband, i'll tend to blow up over anything and was never that way before.

I've also had so many problems that I never realized until recently were related to Yasmin. I'm so angry at myself for not realizing sooner. I started taking Yasmin about 3 years ago because I was on Ortho Cyclen for a long time and stupidly thought maybe I'd try something new. Ortho was great, the only reason I switched is because I like to run my packs together and skip periods and I was starting to have breaththrough with the Ortho. BIG MISTAKE. I've had nothing but issues since, and I consider myself a stable, normally functioning woman. Since staring Yasmin 3 years ago, my libido has completely dried up. In fact I can barely let my sweet hubby touch me, let alone initiate it. We're starting to argue constantly because things irritate me that never did before. I've had mini anxiety and panic attack symptoms, blurry vision, foggy head feelings, and weird inner ear pain with occasional ringing I never had before. The worst part is, shortly after starting this terrible drug I developed IBS when I'd never had it before. Now I literally run for the potty after every meal. I cannot even lead a normal life anymore. I've struggled off and on with depressive type feelings, but for the most part have been able to muster through. Some days I am just so fricking tired though I can barely get out of bed. Oddly enough, I also get very hungover from even small amounts of alcohol....(also unusual for me)

More recently I have developed increasing chest tightness and palpitations. I am only 33 and have been checked out and they say nothing is wrong, except for my BP which always used to be very low, and has risen steadily over the last 3 years. I have also experienced significant bloating to the point most of my clothing no longer fits, despite the fact that I eat little given the IBS. My thyroid has been tested and is fine.

Finally, my hair has gone from great spirally curls that I loved to limp, weird half staright, half frizzy. I've never had this ever before. You literally could see this happen over the last few years as new hair grew in, it pushed the curls out and left this behind. I actually blamed my hairdressers and went from salon to salon before I put it all togehter!

I stopped Yasmin 2 days ago as I have had enough. I want to take something though so I started Seasonale, but this will be it. I'm giving it 6 months and if things aren't better I'm done with hormonal BC. I think with so many women who have had serious problems on this pill, you'd think they would listen. My GYN said no way it could be the Yasmin causing the IBS, but Yasmin does increase serotonin levels and the number one side effect of serotonin is diarrhea...so I think it is the cause!!

Like many ladies here, I'm finding it a HUGE relief to come across this web site. Makes me feel sorry for all the people who haven't yet realized that physical and mental problems are being caused by Yaz. I was on the verge of tears at any given moment from my first cycle of Yaz. I was waking up at night and worrying about the most inane things, which I'd never done before I started this particular BCP. I'm really excited to get back to myself. Condoms are looking better than they ever did before; I'll miss the feeling of security from BCPs, but they're not worth this one bit.

Hello,

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

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

I took Yasmin for a year while in high school, and it cleared up my face and made me lose weight. However, it wasn't very good at relieving severe cramps. I stopped taking it and for the next three years tried many other pills. My acne got so bad it got to the point that I'd rather deal with the cramps than shying away from society because of my face, so a year or so ago I went back to the Yasmin. I had so many horrible side effects! I was nauseous all the time, and several times a week I was vomiting and had diarrea with stomach pain. It was so bad, last June while at a rest stop during a long drive to L.A. I passed out on the pavement, in pain, panting and drenched with sweat. I've missed work and social outings because of this. I was seeing my doctor every month and I kept getting passed around because none of them could figure out what was wrong with me. I had bloodwork and body scans and ultrasounds of my abdomen; nothing. After a year I was diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and they gave me some medicine for that, but it just made it worse. Soon after that there was a really busy week in my life when I forgot to take the Yasmin. I felt better than I had in months and months. I stopped taking it completely and I felt so much better. I gained a few pounds and my acne came back, but now I'd rather have that than be sick everyday. Now I don't get sick thinking about, looking at or smelling food. This pill also enlarged my right breast but not my left. I'm hoping after some time that they will even out. After this whole ordeal I'm sticking to condoms and spermacide.

I just started yasmin. After reading your posts i dont think i want to take this pill. i went to a clinic and this was the only kid of birth control pills they had. I dont want to have any kids ever and i wanted some other kind of birth control besides condoms. I wanted to make sure that i used two types of birth control condoms and something else to make sure that i never will get pregnant. This is the first birth control i have ever taken. I have only taken one pill and i have a headach behind my eyes, i am extemely hungry but get nausea when i look at or smell food, i am tired i can barely stay awake, and i kept waking up like five or six times last night and was sweating. any suggestions on what other types of birth control i should try.

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

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

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

Where do I begin??? I have been taking Yaz for six months. Migraines! The worst migraines ever, I cannot function for one full day and sometimes more, the pain was so intolerable.

Hives! For the past two months, I keep thinking that I had a food allergy; even my doctor diagnosed it as that. After going to the allergist, I was told that I have developed an allergy to the Yasmin pill. No part of my body has been discriminated with this medication. Hives from the top of my head, in my eyes, right down to the bottom of my feet! This has been the worst experience of my life with this pill.

Fatigue to the extreme! I fall asleep sitting up and never feel rested. Yaz has caused me to go up two cup sizes so far, I went from being a 38C to a 40DD and I can't fit into anything. My boobs are sore a lot.

Weight gain, at least 20 pounds heavier. Nausea; Indigestion; Diarrhea & Constipation; Decreased Sex Drive; and Mood swings; Uncontrollable Rages; Severe body aches; Hot Flashes/Chills; Crying Spells; Blurred Vision; Lack of Concentration; Trouble sleeping; Dizziness; Shaking; Restlessness mainly after 9pm when I should be winding down to go to bed; Terrible night sweats; Never ending cravings for junk food; Inability to cope with stressful situations; Feeling of being inadequate; Can’t concentrate; Gassy; Hate family & partners; Irrational.

I was suppost to start yasmin this past sunday and I didn't. I have been on the ortho ftri-cyclen LO for 7 years and now since I haven't been on any birth control I feel like so wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am already starting to lose weight I don't eat as much and I FEEL GREAT! If you feel that bad get off of it!!!! JUST USE CONDOMS!!!!!!!!!!

I have experienced a lot of muscle spasms, cramping in my calves while on yasmin (14 months). Has anyone

Thank you for this site! I am glad I'm not alone:)...I've been on Jasmin for over 4 years. I had mood swings, felt sad most of the time (for no reason), no sex drive, etc.. Several months ago I noticed, sorry to be so graphic, an excessive white vaginal discharge. I went to several different docs, had every possible test done. They all told me all the test were fine, so basically they did not know what was causing this and what it was! According to medicine there was no problem, although the docs could actually see it! It has no smell, doesn't itch, but drives me crazy and it's embarassing, since it increases after the intercourse. I stoped taking Jasmine about 3 weeks ago. (my husband has been using condoms ever since I noticed the discharge) I appologize if this is a bit too graphical. I just hope to find some relation here between the symptoms and Jasmin.
Did any of you experienced something similar?? Please let me know...it's really important to me, because i just don't know what else to do...any idea how long it will last? :((

I am now taking a multivitamin and we are using they rhythm/counting method with condoms. My friend used some supplements that helped her with her post-pardum depression and she was better within a week. They help get your hormones back in "whack". I'll ask her what that was, I'm sure it can't hurt. She's SUPER healthy.. vegan, looks GREAT. I trust her.

IPJ

wow I am so scared but have no choice because condoms aren't full proof enough!

i WAS ONLY ON yAZ yASMINE FOR 3 WEEKS and 3 months later Iam still not well and yes all the doctors told me its in my head as well and put me on Xanax andLexapro.

I had to stop the Lexapro as it made it impossible to eat and I was getting sicker and sicker on it

I still cannot sleeep does anyone else have chronic insomnia Iam talking about I cant take naps cant sleep I have to take something to sleep or I cant period
Doesnt matter what time of day or night

If I dont take something I will lay there all night long
Last night till 230 and I gave in and took something

What is causing this??????

Dejay had it as well but now she can sleep but she is on Lexapro so Iam wondering if the Lexapro had the opposite effect with her and made her sleep again.

Please someone??

i'm so glad i found this site. i started taking bc pills again in feb 04. in feb 05, i switched to yasmin because i heard so many good things about it and the other pills were making me sick. when i'm finished with this pack, i'm not refilling it. here's my experience with yasmin: the good: my period is regular, no breakouts, period is lighter and shorter, no worries about getting pregnant. the bad: still get cramps, boobs hurt all the time and am spilling out of my bra, facial discolorations, feel bloated all the time. the ugly: horrific migraines (never had them before), anxiety and depression and i'm a happy person. i'm doing a detox cleanse to get myself back to normal when i'm off. for now, i'll take my chances with condoms and natural methods. nothing is worth what i've been going through. thank you all for sharing your experiences because i thought i was just going crazy.

hi charity.
I think that this site is as good as any in demonstrating the side affects of yasmin.
But you should not wait for your doctor to confirm or dispute that your problems are due to yasmin. Most doctors do not agree that yasmin can cause this. But you and how you feel while you are on it are the proof.
Perhaps your hormone balance was different before you had your daughter. That is why yasmin suited you.
Weight gain was definitely one problem i had with yasmin. As sson as i stopped taking it the weight went. All the weight i put on was around my waist and hips. I also had cellulite which i never had before and which is now gone.
Sex drive was non existent while i was on yasmin. I was like a zombie.
And of course as you can see from all the other posts here anxiety is the major side effect all of us experienced.
So waiting for your doctor to tell you what to do is no good.
You must decide yourself according to how you feel.
I suppose our hormone levels change from time to time and what suited us 2 years ago may not suit us any longer.
I personally am using naprotechnology for contraception. This is a completely natural form of family planning. You learn to know the time you are ovulating and either avoid sex at that time or use condoms.
I trust it completely now and wish i had found out about it years ago.
Whatever you decide i wish you well. We have all been where you are now.
Best of luck
murph70

Hi Flowerbabies, thanks for responding to my post. Yes I really am considering not taking any other bc, it really had such a bad effect on me I dont think I could handle anything like that again. Just going to use condoms and be super careful. The last few months were just a nightmare, this web site really helped me to get through it so much, i check the site almost everyday, just to see how everyone else is doing, and to everyone on this site I really hope your all starting to feel the benifits of not being on yasmin. Flowerbabies thank you for your responce,

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

Thanks for the response i have had, I find it amazing that a pill can be doing so much harm to so many women and most doctors not believing that it could. Thankfully we have a doctor that thinks maybe it is, because he knows that the pill has been responsible for causing depression and mood swings although he was under the belief that yasmin has a good reputation. My daughter has decided to not take any contraceptive pill for 3 months and then look at trying something else, so we can only hope that condoms are reliable.
She has just had a great week, she looks happy, has enjoyed work, she is extremely lucky that her bosses are understanding, they have been fantastic to her.
I do believe that maybe the diuretic in yasmin may be causing all these side effects or it could be the different type of hormones that are in it, god knows what it is but it will be interesting to see if any of the other little problems she has had for the last 2 years disappear.
Another problem she has had which we dont know what the cause is pain deep in the vagina when inserting a tampon and having sex, she has had a vaginal ultra sound and tests done for infections and diseases but nothing has been found wrong, she is meant to go to a gyno but hasnt as yet because of the depression/anxiety , we have been so busy trying to get her feeling better in herself but that will be the next hurdle. I would be interested to know if anyone else has had this problem while taking yasmine.
In time hopefully she will be able to get off the lexapro, it has been great reading all the other postings, they have helped us realise that the side effects from yasmine vary so much and that things that you think couldnt be caused from the pill possibly are.
Thanks so much to everyone for helping me understand a bit more about yasmin, it looks like my daughter is very much on the improve, we just hope she keeps going like this. Depression is such a dibilitating illness that many dont understand, the doctors kept saying that something must have happened to my daughter to cause the depression but she couldnt thing of anything, little did the doctors realise that the something was probably yasmin

hi everyone-

I really loved being on Yasmin... I lost weight, had regular periods, great skin, etc... I stopped taking it after about 2 years because I split from a long term partner and wanted to use condoms as my prefered method of bc, should i find myself in any casual sexual situations...

anway...

Since coming off Yasmin a month ago I have gained 10lbs, been really tired, and sort of snappy. I hate the weight gain part of it... but my appetite has increased like crazy and I am not feeling all the motivated...

Am I just going to get fatter now?
I had no idea how badly the pill can influence a woman's body....

call me crazy, but this is really awful.

Hi all! I've stopped taking Yasmin (thanks to this site!) a full week ago. I feel 100% better. My husband refers to me as his "new wife"....the one without all the anxiety, tears and crabbiness! I've lost 4 lbs (although I've also been watching calorie intake both before and after stopping Yasmin) and so far the only negative side effect has been a few pimples. I cannot tell you how much better I feel...its incredible and I'd never had thought it was Yasmin causing all of the trouble unless I found this site. My doctor doesn't believe me and said I shoudl not stop taking Yasmin unless I wanted to get pregnant. Well, we've bought condoms and I'm pretty sure we'll be ok :-). I've also switched ob/gyns because my old one wouldn't even listen to me and consider that my problems might be from Yasmin. All she wanted to do was give me more medication rather than try to find the problem. Good luck to all of you! Hang in there...it does get better!

I also forgot to mention I also have experienced (besides the above)...

- a throbbing pain in the lower left side of my abdomen
- painful cyst acne along my jawline and chest

I am so glad I've decided to go off the pill. We'll be going back to condoms.

Hi Everyone,

Am I glad to have found this page! I've been on Yasmin for just over a month now and I am always absolutely exhausted. No matter how much sleep I have I cannot wake up in the morning am tired all day and I fall asleep almost as soon as I get in from work! I'm like an old woman and I'm only 21! I also feel really depressed, I'm not really a depressive person but I spent most of last night crying for absolutely no reason! I thought I was going mad but it looks like it may all be linked to this pill. I know this is a bit personal but I'm also experiencing major soreness after sex and it isn't due to dryness (if you know what I mean!) Has anyone else experienced this? I had this same problem when I was on Mycrogynon a few years ago but that took a while to kick in but with Yasmin it was almost straight away, I didn't have the depression and fatigue then though. Also, does anyone have any ideas as to what would be a better form of contraception other than just going back to condoms? Any advice would be very much appreciated! Thanks all x

Hi everyone,
I'm really worried that I haven't gotten my period yet. I am officially 9 days late. Someone please tell me if this is normal. I was on Yasmin for over 3 yrs. and have been off of it for 4 months. I got what I thought was my real period exactly on time for 3 months. I got it on the thurs. and it lasted until the sun. Now I didn't get it. It feels like I should get it at any time now. I have sore breasts, and I am breaking out like a teenager. However they aren't really zits, kinda more like bumps with clear liquid in them.

I'm wondering if I should take a pregnancy test or if this is normal. I have heard of people taking tests and having it read positive due to messed up hormones as well which would really scare me more. I'm kinda freakin out. My boyfriend and I have been using condoms and there weren't any accidents, but I can't figure out why it hasn't come yet. Was the past 3 months just my fake period or what?

Thanks,
Hill

alrighty, well this is day 7 of taking yasmin and i've been feeling ill all week, but just thought my body had to get used to the pill after being pill free for the past 2 years. so when i got home tonight and had butt pee i figured it was botulism, looked it up, and NOPE that's not it. came on here and read all of your lovely stories.......and now i'm freaked out.

i've not had much of an appetite this past week, which is weird, since i love to eat. i've had butt pee now 3 days of the 7 i've been on it, i've felt nautious like i was going to throw up (as though i'd drank a few shots of jack or something). i have no desire to have sex, which i don't want to effect my soon to be marriage.

i think i'm going to finish out this pack and throw in the towel, i didn't even want to get on the pill in the first place. the doctor said "do you want to get pregnant? cuz if all you're using is condoms, you're going to get pregnant". yeah screw him, i can't do this, this is exactly why i didn't want on the pill. the boyfriend can just continue to invest in trojan....

Hey all! I started Yasmin in February '06 so it's been a few months now. The first month was great, I had never felt better. Around the second month I started crying pretty much everyday and was ready to quit school and move away from everyone and everything. A few weeks ago I had a horrible headache that lasted for a week, which is very unusual for me, I don't get headaches. I was also having the worst vaginal itch imaginable. I went to the gyno and she gave me some samples of migraine medicine...which made everything about 10 times worse and told me I had a yeast infection..which I had also never had before going on Yasmin. 3 weeks later the itching is back with pain as well. I of course jumped to the conclusion of having an STD but I don't have any other symptoms and my boyfriend and I are very careful about using condoms. Has anyone else had any of these symtoms? I'm thinking about stopping Yasmin all together.

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

Depression/anxiety

This was my secound attempy on Yasmin - I tried it in 2004 for about 6 month - I was experience a lot of sadness when I was on it but I had lost both of my grandparents during that period so I assumed it must have been their deaths. This year when I met with my new doctor I told her about my attempt with Yasmin two years ago - she encouraged me to try it again. This year... same thing - I get so blue. I am not a depressed person - I have never have been! The days I am taking the reminder pill are my happiest - 2 weeks into my next packet are the worst!!
My doctor has put me on Microgestine 1/20 starting my next cycle - Please let me know if you have any knowledge of this. I am seriously to the point of going off all pills - and using condoms with my husband.

Sorry, it's me again:

Well, my husband and I are taking condoms because I will never put another chemical hormone into my body again!! And for now it works really good, so far.

Rather I'd have 10 children than go through such a torture again!!!

Hi Two Girls Mom,
Thanks for your response. My cold is actually a lot better and the constant numbing/pain has pretty much stopped. I still have it on and off, but not straight through for weeks like I used to. I took the one dose of Benadryl and didn't take any more. I found that if I breathed into a paper bag, it caused no anxiety whatsoever. (Once I got the numbing I felt so paranoid I would get the anxiety I used the bag). I didn't get it but still I guess at this point I want to be prepared just in case...
I'm still having the weird pulsing in my ear on and off, not quite as constant as I did on the Yasmin, I'm just assuming that it is still Yasmin related.
To be honest with you although I have a cold, this has been the best I have felt in a long time. I have so much energy, and can actually sleep about 8 hrs. a night, granite I'm still up at 6 am, but I've always been like that.
As for the anxiety, I really haven't experienced a full attack in about 2 weeks. I haven't felt anxious, (not that I did on the pill it just seemed to kinda creep up on me for no reason) Keeping my fingers crossed. Like I said I still have a bit of the numbing here and there, but it is nothing like the constant numbing I used to experience. I'm actually anticipating feeling worse this next week, b/c it should be the start of my period. And like you said and others I have read stating it's worse around menstration and ovulation, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
I'm glad you are starting to feeling better. It's a shame that you have to take another drug to cure the symptoms of an old drug, hopefully you will be able to stop that soon as well. I still think's it's absolutely crazy that a stupid birth control pill can cause so many problems. I really don't think I want to take another one. I'm 27 but my b.f. and I don't want kids any time in the near future, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I guess condoms for now. I really don't want to mess with my hormones any more.
I did go to the Dr. on Mon. and they took blood pressure, they said it was fine, so I guess that's OK.
Thanks for your help. Like I said before, I really appreciate this site I think it's great that women can talk to other women experiencing the same thing. I really hope they get that crap off the market...
Hill

@cvl:

You sound just like me about a year ago..... The same things happened to me, but I'd been taking this Yasmin-sh... for very long 5 years and after all I can say, that I have lost 3 years of my life with not knowing, that it was all just this damn pill and I'm still not through (I'm nearly 1 YEAR off this pill now........). So (I know it may sound a bit hard, but...) be thankful that you've recognized it that early, what this pill is doing to you...

Perhaps it would be very helpful to hear, what the doctors in the clinic told you. Looking forward to hear from you again and all the best to you!! It was the right decision to get off Yasmin immediately and you're on the right way!!

@time2chng:

Well, that sounds very hard either... Very bad times you had to go through. And nevertheless I believe, that Yasmin is making everything someone has to go through even worse with causing a total imbalance of hormones and other stuff in your body.

You're asking about another bcp... Well, after my experience with Yasmin I swear I will NEVER take ANY other bcp again!!! I'd rather have 10 children instead of going through such a hell again. And there are so many other ways, like condoms, etc.... Please think twice about what you're doing to your body again with any synthetic hormones....

@lisa:

You sound exactly like me after 3 months off Yasmin..... I wasn't able to work since december 2004 because of my heavy symptoms that either sound just like yours. And at 3 months off Yasmin I thought that this hell would never end and I wouldn't be working again ever in my life!! I swear!! And look at me now: I'm working again since september 2005!! And I'm so happy about that. Because just like you I didn't expect to be able to do that ever again.

At three months I had been asking in this forum the same question as you did: Will this ever get better?? Is it normal to feel that bad after 3 MONTHS off that pill??? And now I can answer it by myself: YES!! It is!!! 3 months off is (I fear) not really very long!! So be sure that it will get better. It seems that there is a "magical" mark at 4 months. I remember that about in may everything changed and I felt slowly getting better!! That was either the first time I went out of my house again (wasn't able to do that between january and avril 2005 at all!!!)

But everyone out there remember: It is a VERY slow process. And there are so many doctors out there telling the women, that it has to be 100% better after 3 months off a pill... Please FORGET that sh......!!! They don't know or should I say "they don't WANT to know" what these synthetic hormones are doing to the women's bodies!!!

I could say that today I'm feeling about 75 to 80% better than a year ago, but I'm still not where I want to be some day again!!

And another thing: For those of you that have either to take care of a child or even some children within that Yasmin mess: I feel so sorry for!! I know what you are going through these times because in my worst days I would'nt have known at all how to handle this either because I didn't get on with MYSELF at all with all the tiredness, dizzyness, weird feelings, anxiety, headaches, exhausted feelings, muscle weakness and so on!! My husband even had to to the housework completely by hisself and even my parents came around nearly every day to take care about me, cooking our meals, and so on, because I even couldn't walk the few stairs up to our living room!! I feel totally with you and wish you all the strenght a person can get to handle this!!

So everyone out there: Hang in, stay strong, you ALL WILL GET BETTER!!

Best wishes and god's bless!!

Silke

I agree that a good yoga workout will help with my stress. I am going to start it back up again after a couple of years lag.

I feel for all of you. We are all having such similar things going on. I am on a Blood pressure monitor for 24 hours. I HAD to start the paxil :-( today per the cardiologist. It scares me to be on this kind of pill but I cannot live where I cannot take care of my kids, myself, husband or home. Xanax just didn't cut it. I am going to see a therapist once every 2 weeks or so just to monitor my "progress".

I was considering MIRENA, the new IUD/IUS (you must have had at least 1 child to use it, I think). But, it will not be for many many months, if ever, until I get myself under control. I must use condoms with any BCP because I get pregnant extremely easily.

Hang in there ladies.
So, who is going to invent a MALE BCP? My husband will never agree to a vasectomy. I have tried.

Hey Everyone, I'm really sorry to hear about all the problems everyone is having. I feel fortunate because mine aren't as severe as others. I do have mood swings, at times I feel like I am totally out of it and in a numb state, other times I'm very energetic and have a super HIGH sex drive. I refuse to take any medication except for a daily viatmin and fiber for IBS (which I think was caused by BC) I know that it's just a matter or clearing these darn hormones out of my system, then everything will be back to normal!

twogirlsmom- keep your chin up! I find that doing yoga and exercise helps a lot, I start my day off by doing that. I also have refused to sleep any longer than necessary, otherwise I feel tired and depressed all day. When I feel panic coming on, I use all my internal power to ignore it and quickly find something else to focus on such as the TV, music, cleaning, reading, etc... You will be fine in time!

Oh yes, I am strongly considering an IUD, my husband doesn't like condoms that much, either do I, and I definitely need some form of birth control. I also do not want to consider the morning after pill, I don't believe in that. Has anyone had an IUD prior to having children? How was it?