Yasmin and contraception

I want to thank each and everyone of you for writing in and spreading the word, I've been off Yasmin for a week now because of antibiotics and I'm so happy, I am so elated I feel like crying from all this happiness!

Can anyone recommend another contraception that I could use?

I was put on Yasmin because I have very bad period cramps and heavy bleeding.

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

I'm a 30 year old woman and I've been taking Yasmin for 4 months now. I've been reading what people have been posting here and I'm wondering if I'm alone in having the following symptoms:
-severe breast pain for one day in the middle of my cycle, followed by mild breast pain until I get my period,
-painful cramps in the middle of my cycle,
-weird sharp internal vaginal pain, (sorry for the graphics, but especially during climax),
-acne problems,
-depression
The last two, I did see that people wrote about on here. I called my doctor today and I'm requesting a new pill. I thought that after a couple of months the symptoms would equalize, but after this last month, I decided I couldn't live with it. The breast pain especially has been very painful.

I am 21 years old and I was on Yasmin for three in a half months (i stopped the last pack half way through). The first month i was on it, i had a lot of leg pains especially at night and sometimes to the point where i couldn't sleep. I went to the doctors and told her about this and she said it had nothing to do with the pill. My leg pain stopped after the first month i was on it and for two months i was fine. At the end of the third pack i began to get leg cramps again, but this time it was different i had little sharp pains here and there and tingling and my legs became extremely itchy. In the matter of two months i got spider veins and cellulite on my upper legs. Before the pill i had NOTHING on my legs. I searched the internet and found that birth control can cause spider veins because of the hormonal change so I thought my legs were itchy because of the spider veins so i stopped using the pill and made a doctors appointment. Three days after stopping i got my period for the second time that month. I also broke out with lumps that are red and extremely itchy. The doctor told me that the bumps are eczema and i also have a lymph node, which she said is from the eczema (which i find very strange). Two days after i broke out and got a lymph node, i got sick with a fever, extremely soar throat and a swollen neck. Today is my 7th day off the pill and im still sick. Hopefully i get better. But from being a 21 year old whos 95 pounds and having nothing wrong and starting this pill and getting spider veins, cellulite and then eczema all around the same time, i feel like im aging before my time. If anyone else has had any similar effects please let me know. Thank you.

My experience with Yasmin was decreased aggression, mood stability and increased breast size. when I stopped taking the drug, I had an increase in aggression, less fatigue and no weight loss.

My T-3 levels are fine. My blood work is fine. Not many headaches. My mood became more depressed when I stopped taking Yasmin.

Not sure if I am suited to take the drug. So, I am starting Yasmin again to see if I notice side-effects. My estrogen levels were low prior to starting Yasmin the first time. So, I am wondering if my testosterone is a bit too high, and if Yasmin levels me out so to speak.

I think those with normal estrogen levels, prior to taking Yasmin, are badly affected by Yasmin. I wonder if those of us, with lower natural estrogen levels are as badly affected by Yasmin.

Will let this site know in a few months.

ALSO get this pill from Canada - ******
It costs $22 and it is the exact same packaging, etc.

Hope this helps

Hi, I am just after coming off Yasmin 5 days ago...
I 've been on it for 5 or 6 years and it's just really the last year, especially the last few months that I feel like I just can't take it anymore... Previous to taking Yasmin, I had never experienced any period pain, however when I started taking Yasmin the period pain started and got progressively worse from then. The last few months I have been all over the place when I get my period, awful pressure pains in my lower abdominal and emotionally up and down every few minutes, half an hour, I could literally be in great form, and then I'd just get really quite and I can't even tell whats wrong with me because, I feel, there's so many hormones in me my mind does not know how I feel.... Anyway, i refuse to take it anymore, but now I am left with the dilemma of what form of contraception to use and also experiencing very bad back pain and light headaches....If anyone has been in the same situation or has any suggestions at all, they would be much appreciated.....!

Help me! I have stopped taking Yasmin for about 4 or 5 months because my husband and I want to conceive. I AM STARTING TO LOSE MY HAIR! I am so worried about this as I am losing at least double the normal amount everyday and this has been happening for about a week now. I have noticed the difference as my hair is not very thick. My husband has noticed. My friend says she can't tell, but if you look in my bathroom and my comb you would think I was undertaking radiotherapy. I went to my doctor two days ago and she thinks it could be thyroid or iron problems. She thinks it could be ceasing the pill but is unsure......PLEASE, is there ANYONE who has experienced this? And if so will it stop? I am so distressed about it.

I've been experiencing severe stomach pains (not period pains) for the last six months. Symptoms are very similar to that of an ulcer (pain after eating, severe heartburn) except the doctors can't find anything wrong with me. Every day I'm in agony. I started taking Yasmin 2.5 years ago and it's been good for me (other pills have made me depressed and gain weight, daily period pains). I was advised to take 3 packs back-to-back then a 7 day break.

Could all this be caused by Yasmin? If so can anyone suggest a suitable alternative contraception?

I put up with Yasmin for just 10 days because it turned me into a completely different person! I was shocked at how quickly it affected me! The doctor changed me to Yasmin because it would be better for my skin (I've been on Trifeme for about 3 years with no problems other than a recent skin pigmentation) and started taking it one Saturday morning. The next morning I woke up feeling terrible, and snapped at my bf really badly. I was really really angry for no reason at all! I got really dry, sore eyes and wasn't sleeping well at all. I'd be so tired during the day I felt like I could just put my head down on the desk and go to sleep!! These feelings continued and worsened every day, until I started feeling like I could punch something if it stepped out of line... and the tiniest things would annoy me so much, like simply my bf sneezing! After a week I looked up the side-effects of Yasmin (disbelieving that something could effect me so quickly) and when reading the many sites like these I suspected it could be the pill. After a few more anger attacks and crying for no reason (and a particularly bad case where I cut my finger and yelled at my bf because he got me a band aid, locking myself in the bathroom and crying for 30 minutes - go figure?) I decided to stop taking Yasmin. I've been off it for 5 days now and I feel so much better!!! Never again! I'm going to try a pill-free lifestyle for while I think and use other forms of contraception... it's just not worth it.

I have been taking Yasmin for a year now. Firstly I took it for contraceptive reasons but then I just stayed on it because I thought it would keep my skin under control. I have suffered migraines, weight gain and I am never rested despite trying to sleep as much as possible. I have joined the gym in an effort to loose the weight but I just can’t shift it, particularly the weight around my stomach. Also my skin is just as bad if not worse for being on Yasmin. My friend suggested to me yesterday that it could be attributed to the pill that I was on and I have decided to stop taking it immediately. I didn’t really think of it before as it is just something you do which becomes part of your daily routine.
The pill offers you a great form of contraception but I am sick of feeling the way I do as a result of being on. I hope everyone else suffering these symptoms stops if possible because it is not a fun way to live.

Dear Worried,
I know its comforting to know that there are similar cases out there. I was panicking and insecure before I found this web site and realised that I wasnt alone. I was using that pill for so long and I didnt realise the slow changes in me. It was when I read everyone elses side effects, I realised I could relate to them and it wasnt normal. I know its an effective way of contraception, not 100 % but its easier to be on the pill when your in a relationship. But when my boyfriend and I discussed it and realised it was messing with my body too much, we both agreed it might be better in the long run as we want children eventually and I have heard that being on the pill for too long can make it hard to conceive. So now we have to use a different method of contraception and I know it can be more risky but thats what we agreed on.
I hope your girlfriend knows shes not alone and it really might be worth considering going off or chaning that particular pill.
Take care and good luck again :0)

hey worried # 42432.
I can see why you are worried about your girlfriend. I was on yasmin for 4 years and stopped taking it about 4 months ago. My boyfriend and I also had a worry like this but it was after I stopped taking the pill and it was the only form of contraception we had been using while i was taking it. I didnt get my period for two months past its due date and i also had symptoms of an early pregnancy; nausea, feeling sick after meals and even the tender breasts. We did three tests in the space of two weeks and i was so worried that i was extremely irratable also.
But this was after i stopped it, while i was on the pill I never spotted between periods and i also suffer with bad pains for the four days I have it. The one thing I did notice when i was on it was it made me a little paranoid at times, which is not in my nature and then about 10 months ago i started having irregular heart-beats and fainting for no reason. I decided to go off it because i was really worried and i got myself cheched out with my G.P and i am now in the process of having tests done. I cant say that these symptoms are caused by the pill but i can say that I feel much better now that I am off it and my heart rate has returned to normal.

I think the best thing you should do is get your girlfriend checked out by her G.P to make sure everything is o.k.
I dont know if this was any help to you but Best of luck and i hope everything works out for you both.

In case anyone's interested, I looked up info on the trials:

"The effectiveness and safety of Yasmin was established in large-scale clinical trials of up to two years duration. These trials included 2,629 women who completed 33,160 cycles of use without any other contraception. The mean age of the subjects was 25.5 ± 4.7 years, and the age range was 16-37 years."

So, they had no data on side effects produced after more than two years exposure to Yasmin, and only limited data on the use of Yasmin by older women. The oldest person in their trial was 37 and I'm 38 now. I think the trials were inadequate, don't you?

Anna

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

hello peeps...I used to use injectibles for contraception for 1yr and 6 mos, however due to weight gain i have decided to take pills instead..so I told my Gyne I wanted to take pills and I want to take Yasmine because they say it could help lose some weight?(is their any fact to it?), however my Gyne has given me other pill instead, it's called Gracial, but I told myself I would definitely change to Yasmine after the pack is finish...however, after reading all these side effects i've decided not to...just wanna thank you guys for all these comments, i might as well go back to injectibles if the same side effects appear on Gracial (i hope not)...this site is really informative and it could definitely warn people who wants to try yasmin..tnx again :-)

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

I've just stopped taking Yasmin after about 8 months. Everything was ok for the first few months but then i started suffering from loss of balance and generally feeling 'not with it'. Also suffered mood swings, crying one minute and flipping out another. For some reason i seemed to have put on weight round my middle? I do aerobics 3 times a week and watch what i eat so i dont think it's anything i'm doing. Has anyone else had this happen to them. My weight has gone up about 8lbs. Have made decision not to take Yasmin for a while and see what happens. Have armed myself with a jar of Agnus Castus and St John's Wort to help my body. Will be using cap for contraception as i have used it before. Well here goes!!

I have been on Yasmin for 5 months. I'm 19, and decided to start taking the pill for both contraception and my bad acne, which I've had my entire teenage life. Throughout my 5 months I have suffered with a variety of side effects, including nausea, migraines (which I'd never had in my life before), leg and feet cramping, crying a lot - depression, tender and swollen breasts, vaginal dryness and worst of all a decreased sex drive. Has anyone else suffered from this? It's been so bad that Yasmin has been a contraceptive in a way I never expected. And this took me a while to realise, because being only 19 and very sexually inexperienced, I wasn't really sure what my normal sex drive should be.
I have therefore decided, to stop taking Yasmin, and allow my body to get back to normal. I was also wondering how long it would take? And if there is any kind of detox diet I could do, to get this awful chemical out my body.
The only positive thing Yasmin has done, is it's cleared up my acne and regulated my previously irregular period.
But, I'd rather have spotty skin and a sex drive any day. Yasmin is an awful pill, I just can't believe how glorified drs seem to make it seem. Someone needs to do something, people need to know, what risk they are really putting their bodies at when they take this thing.
Please reply.
Binx

Wow! This forum is really informative and scary!

I have tried numerous pills, Marvelon, Ortho Tri-Cyclin, Diane, Alese and all have caused the same symptoms: Depression, lack of energy, emotional outburts, 10-15 pound weight gain and abdominal bloating to the point where people would ask me if I was pregnant (and the rest of my body would look porportional).

Its been 4 years since I have been on and off the pill and now at the age of 26 I am beginning to notice a chance in my hormones which I put facial hair on my chin and sideburns!

Being in a new relationship my doctor has prescribed Yasmin as birth control to help with facial hair and contraception.

I haven't started and am now apprehensive...does anyone have any suggestions or similar experiences with hair growth/reduction?

Dizziness, extreme nausea, and disugsting clotted dark red bleeding mid-cycle. General desire to die. Severe depression. VERY heavy periods. Oh, and it's an appetite suppressant which is not a smart thing to give someone recovering from an ed.

Time for me to rethink my contraception!