Yasmin and ct scan

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

Howdy,

Mom from Wyoming who's daughter was a non-smoking, non-drinking 20 year old driving, full time college student and part time working young woman. She was diagnosed with polysistic ovary syndrome and she wanted to have "normal" cycles.

The OBGYN clinic gave her Yaz pack to take. After one month and a half, she developed severe headaches, began to throw up, abdominal pain, became covered in acne, anxiety at being alone, and her depression worsened. She could not sleep through the night and was fatigued for the next days activities.

On March 16th, she woke me screaming of a neck ache and demanding to go to the ER.

They did a CT scan and a MRI to confirm that they had discovered she had 2 blood clots one in each sinus area and one blood clot in the base of the brain drain. She was hospitalized for a week.

She has lost her quality of life and her independance. She will need to be on medications and blood thinners for the next 6 to 8 months (maybe the rest of her life) and NEVER use any form of birth control again.

She cannot drive, work or continue college due to the reactions of the blood clots and the pressure on the brain. Her short term memory was affected by the 2 blood clots in the sinus area. She is living in a survival mode and recalling things that happened when she was 13 years old as if they are happening today.

The doctors have informed us her sisters may be subject to the same effects if they take the same birth control.

We were lucky to have a radiologist that could read the CT scan and have us return to the ER and then a professional staff admit her to the hospital. I thank God I have my daughter and she is on the long road to recovery.

Hello, Ladies.. I am 33 yrs old.. I have suffered a stroke from taking these birth control pills yasmin.. I was only taken these pills for about 4 months.. I woke up one day with a serve headache.. I had taken all the amount of tyelnol I could take in a 8 hr day. And the headache did not go away.. I just thought it was the weather or something.. It lasted for 2 days.I am a single parent of a 9 yr old daughter.. I woke up on monday morning still not feeling good. I got up and was going to start the day like I normally would.. Well I got in the shower and then got out and felt very dizzy. Then the next thing i remember was that my arm was shaking uncontollably and would not stop shaking.. I had to get my daughter up and she got dressed and got me dressed and called my dad.. Then she called 911. I was having a seizure.. Then by the time the ems got here my left side was completly numb.. Could not feel anything.. So then they did a ct scan.. I had a blood clot in the main vessel of my brain and it was bleeding.. Then they told me and my family that I may need brain surgery.. Then had to be transported to riverside methodist hospital.. Then I went into a full blown seizure.. I don't remember that at all. I remember curling into a ball and shaking and that is all that I remember.. Then I was at the hospital for 2 weeks.. Then when I came home about 4 days after that I went back.. My right side was going numb.. That was due to I was having more seizures.. I would love to get together with all of u and form a class action suit against this drug company. I am not like this but this is my life and the lives of other people.And not only that I have a daughter to raise and think about.. So if any of u would like to contact me..Please feel free to do so.. My email address is mcottrill2@verizon.net..

I have been on Yasmin for a little over a year. I started taking it because I was experiencing severe PMS Symptoms. I was really happy with Yasmin because my PMS went away and my face cleared up. However, the last six months I have started experiencing a lot of stomach problems. I have constant nausea--feels like morning sickness. I'm sick if I eat but sicker if I don't eat. I've had anxiety, headaches, insomnia, gas, weight gain, and depression. I've been to see the doctor about my stomach--I had a blood test and my amalayse and lipase were both elevated (around 400--normal is 70). He assumed that it was my gallbladder, but after a CT Scan, Ultrasound and Endoscopy, they say my gallbladder and pancreas both look healthy. He's stumped. I'm wondering if it's the pill. I've tried to find research showing that the pill can increase amalayse and lipase levels but with little luck. There are a few rare cases reported. Anyone else experience this? I can handle the side effects, it's just the pancreatic function that I worry about.

I am a 34 year old and have been taking Yaz for almost a year.

I had some minor side effects until this past month when everything came apart at the seams. I do not know if yaz is the culprit - but the number of women with the EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS as me listed here SCARES THE HELL OUT OF ME.

My "minor" sude effects were the following:

* No period for 5 months
* No sex drive (was not the case before taking Yaz)
* Panic attacks / anxiety (no history fo this. My doc has now put me on Zoloft.)
* Bloating / weight gain
* Brown blotches (like age spots) on one side of my face

This is NOTHING compared to the last month of my life. Basically my life has sucked for the last month. Roughly a month ago my symptoms started with a red rash on the left side of my face and pain in my left ear that led to a migraine that has not gone away at all. (The pain level goes between a 5 and 10, but never lower than a 5.) The rash went away in 2 days, but my ear still hurts today (a month later).

My vertigo began roughly 5 days after the onset of my rash and ear pain and has been non-stop since. I've taken phenergan, valium, etc. - but they are not working. I get spinning/dizzy every time my head moves (up, down, left, right) and with up and down eye movement. It seems like my migraine pain intensifies when my vertigo hits me. If I lie completely still - I have no vertigo - but my migraine is still there. To make matters worse, I have become very disoriented, like I am in a fog all of the time. I am only 34 years old and feel like I am losing my mind. I cannot remember simple words at times and have a tough time completing sentences.

All of these symptoms coincide exactly to the day I began a new packet of the birth control pill called YAZ (Yasmin). I had taken this brand of pill for a year, and though it has worked (not pregnant) I have had some minor side effects up until the last month. The biggest side effect is that I have not had any period at all for the last 5 months. I have also had anxiety (no past history) and have no sex drive (not my normal self.) I stopped taking the pill about a week ago - after reading literally thousands of people with the same side effects I am experiencing on a website called medications.com (My neurologist also told me to stop taking it.)

I am NOT having ringing in my ears or loss of hearing. I mention this because I know other ailments have these as symptoms.

I have already been seen by my dentist, physical therapist, ENT, 2 neurologists and a gyn. So far - they are not helping. I have even been hospitalized for 5 days and all they really did was try and dope me up to sleep and had me take a very potent anti-migraine drug called DHE that must be administered over a 36 hour period via IV. Guess what? It did not work.

The most scary thing is that even though I get severe vertigo any time I move my head (even to the point of waking me up while I sleep) - NOT A SINGLE DOCTOR EVEN MENTIONED I MIGHT HAVE BPPV ( BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO) and they did not test for it at all. They were all interested in treating my month-long migraine with anti-migraine drugs. They all swore up and down that my vertigo was related to my migraine. They also said my fogginess was because I was "tired and sick" and many migraine sufferers are that way.

After my husband and I searched the internet and found dozens of websites, we are pretty much convinced that I have BPPV. We are going to get in front of a vestibular specialist ASAP.

So you know, I have been through a CT scan, two different MRIs, basic blood work on my white cell counts, thyroid levels, potassium, etc.

They have ruled out a sinus infection, brain tumor, pituitary tumor, stroke, blood clots, etc. They have simply treated me with anti-migraine medication - and it has been worthless. I have taken Topomax, Frova and DHE (the drug mentioned above) and my migraine is still there. These drugs have not helped one bit. My neurologist swore that the DHE would do the trick. Guess what? He was wrong.

I discharged myself from the hospital yesterday and am now at home.

I just want my normal life back. I cannot drive, work, take care of my family, etc.

My two biggest questions are:

DOES ANYONE KNOW IF BPPV CAN CAUSE MY MIGRAINE? The reason I ask is that the doctors all think that the migraine is causing my vertigo. All along they have been treating my migraine (with zero success) and have been giving me valium and antivert to simply mask my vertigo (no success there either.) No one has tried to really diagnose and treat my vertigo. Is it possible if I get my vertigo fixed my migraines will disappear?

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL PILLLS CAUSING BPPV? I saw woman after woman on medications.com have the same symptoms of vertigo, migraines and brain fog while taking the birth control pill Yasmin. I also know that my avalanche of symptoms eerily coincided with my first pill from a new pack. If they are related, I am most interested in what to do to get my hormones back on track in an effort to stop my vertigo.

This is all driving me crazy. A month ago I was absolutely normal. Now I am 100% disabled. I just want my life back.

Please help!

i have noticed things as well..none you have had!! i get stomach pains occassionally CT scan ultra sound neg..so idk what that is.. i wuz put on yasmin an i have never had blood in my stool until now..i have my period but never had this before...idk what to do..did anyone else notice this??and my period will last 2-3 days after i start the pill..

Well I have been on yasmin for 6 months. The first two weeks were hell. I had moderate cramping not anywhere close to my period and break through bleeding. I kept thinking it must be my body trying to get used to it.

Well forget it! I now have severe breast pain in my left side and asthma like symtoms. My breast size has gone from a small 34 C to a very full 34 D. My husband says my breast look great, like a got a breast enlargement, but I feel like I did when my breast were engorged after having my son. That only lasted one day, and this has been going on for weeks. Brestfeeding for 19 months is a breeze compared to this pain and discomfort.

I just got tested for asthma last week and its negative. The next step is a ct scan on my chest to see if my heart is the problem. This medicine sucks! I have been on the mini pill before and ortho tricyclen with never these types of problems.

My doctor says this is the best pill for me since it doesn't make you gain any weight. Well I think I gained 4 pounds of breast tissue.

Ok ...vented. If anyone else is having severe breast cramps/tenderness/growth; please let me know. I am going to stop taking these pills and find another solution to birthcontrol.

Thanks,

Amy H

Anna here again.

I don't think the hormone imbalances caused my stroke. I think Yasmin did in the way that OCs have a risk of doing, by causing a clot to form. I suspect Yasmin carries a higher risk of blood clotting than other OCs but I can't prove that.

I had a ton of tests done at the ER. Lots of blood work. An ECG (which is the same thing as an EKG I think. Probably what they mean is they're going to put you on one for 24 hours using a Holter monitor? I had that.) A CT scan and later an MRI of my brain. A Chest radiograph. A Carotid Artery ultrasound. (I'm copying from my notes!)

After being released from hospital I had a Trans Esophagal Echo (which found the hole) and a 24 hour brain scan (which was yukky and found nothing.)

I can't remember when my OB-GYN switched me to Yasmin but it was still considered 'new' then. I know it was by Fall 2003 so I was on it for at least 3 years. I'm 38.

These are the things I suspect Yasmin caused when I was on it:

Depression
Insomnia
Hypothyroidism
Increased Heart Murmur
Stroke

And this is what I've been suffering in the way of withdrawal effects/ hormonal imbalance:

Anxiety
Shakiness/dizziness
Fluttery feeling in chest/arms/legs
More insomnia
Abdominal pain
Constipation

Oh what a joyous little pill it is...

Anna

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

I just stopped yasmin yesterday..I only took it for 4 days. I had heart palpitations, got a fever, my anxiety and tiredness got much worse and by the 2nd day I started getting bad chest pains. I went to the hospital cause the chest pains were so bad. They did an EKG and CT scan of my chest and I was fine. So I kept taking yasmin. But 2 days later my left lower leg started hurting. The chest pains have gone away but my lower leg is still hurting (its been hurting for 2 days now) :( Should I be worried? I'm only 24 and don't smoke. Could the pain be something other than a blood clot? I can't afford more tests!
Thanks,
Kate

ANOTHER SIDE EFFECT????

Been awhile since I posted. After 3m on it I had horrific anxiety and panic attacks. It's now 3m since I took my last pill and I am 95% back to normal.....however......

Over the past month I had to see a gastro doc because of horrific left side pain, vomitting and constipation (TMI but some of what came out was bloody mucous). After a CT scan and colonoscopy I have been diagnosed with colitis. I have NEVER had gastro issues my whole life. After reading up on colitis and IBD/IBS I have read that there is a connection with colitis and birth control pills bringing it on.

Anyone else?

Denise

UPDATE

Hi ladies just thought I would give you an update. I have just received my ct scan results and they are fine.
I have been of Yasmin for 5 months and I have to say I am getting better yipeee, I never thought the day would come.
I had dizzeyness, heart palps, BAD anxiety (thought I had a brain tumour), numbness in left hand and arm, persistant headaches, shakes,
I know yasmin is coming out of my system because my PMT has returned, my boobs have shrunk and my spots have returned, but who cares I can handle all those over the HORRIBLE yasmin side effects.
I do get a LITTLE headache, and anxiety around ovulation and when I am having a period but it is NOTHING like what it was.

This HORRIBLE thing does work its way out of our bodies, hang in there.
Joanne.

Hormone tests

Hi ladies I had my testosterone, estradiol, DHEA and estrogene levels checked, my results have come back and the doctor said they are fine, how can I find out if this is true? I am picking the results up tomorrow.
I am also having a CT scan tomorrow so hopefully put an end to my paranoia of brain tumours and the anxiety will ease.

Joanne.

I wanted to write back to Chris--Holy Cow you sound just like me!!!!! I have been off Yasmin for approx. 7 months now and I, too, am STILL having the heart palpitations, racing heart flopping like a fish in my chest feelings! I was in the ER for these symptoms last Friday--every test--blood work, EKG, echocardiogram, and a CT scan (to check for clot in the lungs) came back normal--and yet these feelings persist. Also, my blood pressure (although it has come down since I went off Yasmin) is still too high--I am praying that it will continue to slowly go back down to what it used to be prior to taking Yasmin.

I'm 41--two kids (ages 2 and 3), and NEVER had pressure higher than 120/70 (not even while pregnant). And yet, within about 8 weeks of taking Yasmin, my pressure had shot up to 160/110 (and had been higher than that from time to time!!!!) Now it is about 140/90--still not acceptable, but better than it was. Have you checked your blood pressure?

I am going to see my cardiologist (sheesh never thought I'd write that sentence at this age) on Friday--I will get the results of a 24-hour heart monitor harness that I wore after the visit to the ER.

I wanted to also mention that I developed a pretty serious case of acid reflux disease while taking Yasmin (again, NEVER had anything like that before)--treated it (saw an ear/nose/throat guy), and it healed up. I am wondering if some of this feeling that someone is digging a fist into the center of my chest could be reflux related. I've been taking some Pepcid Complete over the last couple days and it has seemed to lessen the intensity of the feeling or make it go away completely for a while. I had been burping like crazy--it made my hysband think maybe some of my symptoms were stomach related and he suggested I try the Pepcid.

I wish you all the best--I plan to print out several pages from this forum to bring to my dr.'s visit this Friday--I just can't fathom that all of this cr*p is "random"--is there anyone else out there with blood pressure problems lingering from Yasmin? I would be very curious to hear about your experiences--esp. about how long it took for it to go back to normal.
Connie

I have been on Yasmin for about 3-4 years. First couple of years was great and it worked for me to have a period. Over the last few years I have had weird issues. Light bleeding for eight weeks, pain on the right side. Had an endometrial biopsy that came back fine. Was put on Yasmin and Provera together. Have been having anxiety issues which was caused by Provera when I was on it a few years ago. Went back for for major pain on right side, had a CT Scan, doctor said it showed some white spots on the ovary that typically mean benign or it could be a dermoid cyst and it was nothing to worry about. Over the last few months have had major back and hip pain that is bad while on the Yasmin and Provera and goes away when off for the week. Have seen a new doctor, am scheduled for a MRI tomorrow and tested for PCOS and will have the results next Tuesday. I do not know if my symptoms are from the Yasmin or not, but I am about to take my self off of it to see if things improve. Also have had the tingling arms and legs and hair loss over the last few months. I can not clearly confirm the symptoms are caused by birth control as I have looked all over the internet and found very little. I have found one article that said arm and leg tingling while on birth control is a symptom b/c of the reducing of B-12 while on birth control and one article that stated that a study overseas showed that women on birth control experience back pain more then women not on.

I am a 23 yr old female and it all started for me after my 3rd month on yasmin. I was just finishing my period when I awoke one night with shooting stomach pains on my right side. I went to the bathroom, came back to bed and must have passed out b/c the next thing I knew, my husband was shouting at me to wake up and on the phone to 911. I went to the hospital right away and after a ct scan on my brain and stomach and lots of blood tests nothing was found....however, we knew there had to be a reason that I passed out and experienced such severe stomach pains. I went off the pill immediately after that night. Then 4 nights later, the panic attacks started in-I went to the emergency room again that night to find out I just had my first panic attack --which I never had before in my life-
It has been a month since I have been taking it-and after numerous doctor visits they now think I am suffering from gallbladder attacks. I read on here once that a girl had to have her gallbladder removed after being on yasmin. I am a healthy person and have never had any serious health problems or anxiety/panic attacks before taking these pills. These last 4 months have been the worst of my life. I am off to the hospital tomorrow for more testing on my gallbladder and liver and I am still having occcasional anxiety/panic attacks. I wish all of us could have one big meeting so we could knock this pill out for good. E-mail me with any concerns you might have-I would love to talk about it!

I loved Yasmin at first. Helped with Acne and facial hair. Periods manageable and sometimes very light. Some PMS, but normal. I had breast tenderness that went away after about 4-5 months.
6 months into it. Severe anxiety and panic attacks. 8 months. Headaches that lasted 24 hours. Very specific spots that I could point to and other times all over pain. Also head sensations and dizzyness very regularly. OTC pain meds didn't work. Nothing helped. CT scan- that was clear. Migrain meds - pointless. Narcotics (Xanex) has become a regular pill to take. Scary.
10 months into it. Leg pains in my calves.
The anxiety, headaches, dizzyness, aches and pains...all of it I didn't attribute to the pill and then suddenly....I just said "it's got to be the pill" My quality of life is horrible.
And so after 12 months on Yasmin, I just stopped yesterday and I'm praying that I will feel normal in a few days.
I wish it would have worked b/c I thought it was working so well for me. No weight gain, good sex drive, clear skin. I was boasting about it to all my girlfriends for months.
It's very disappointing, but at the same time, I am glad to be going hormone free again.

Good luck to all!