Yasmin and ear infection

i am on my last pack of pills for yasmin. my gyn put me on loestrin starting next month. i hope i have a better experience with that than yasmin. at first i didnt notice any side effects at all. then within the past couple of months (ive been on yasmin for about 6 months) i have noticed so many problems.
i am prone to migraines, but i am getting migraines at least twice a week which has severely effected my work and school life.
i had an ear infection.
ive gained close to 20 lbs (!!!!!) when in the past few months my lifestyle has been healthier and more active than it was when i started this pill. it just doesnt make sense to gain so much when i have improved my lifestyle..
i find i am moody and depressed, if something bad happens, even if its something little, i either get so uncontrollably angry or sad and i cry all the time. im not normally this emotional, ive even cried at work. its so embarrassing.
ive also noticed that after any meal i feel like i am extremely bloated and my stomach starts hurting. it doesnt matter what kind of food, it could be healthy, greasy, veggies, or cereal..no matter what my stomach always hurts to much afterwards.
i am also getting night sweats and horrible back pain, especially when i go to bed.
i am gassy, and my cramps last for my whole period. none of those things ever happened before i was on this pill.
my libido went down, however i think this is due to the weight gain. i have never felt so disgusting in my whole life.
i have gone through many pills, and the nuvaring as well. none of them have had side effects on me as yasmin.
does anyone have any suggestions for other pills for me to try? i am willing to give loestrin a chance, especially because it is a lo dose pill..and i know that everyones bodies are different. i just feel so lost..i hope this new pill works out better.

I took Yaz for 7 days. In that amount of time, I began experience the most horrific symptoms I have experienced in my life. They included: chest pains, nausea, vomiting, arm pain, and the feeling of imminent death (these caused me to go to the emergency room since they are classic heart attack symptoms for a woman); leg and arm weakness; lethargy; migrane; panic attacks; severe insomnia, diarrhea, and vision problems that caused my contact lens perscription to change and night time vision had profound halos when driving, etc. I was literally unable to stomach any normal food portions I was so nauseous. I normally run 3 miles and could not even make it to the gym for weeks. I was afraid to stay home alone with my 4 year-old and 17 month-old for fear something would happen to me while they were in my care. At the ER they found low potassium levels (which makes no sense given Yaz has a potassium sparring diuretic component). In another blood test, I had elevated iron, which I have never had previously.

I am 35 and have been on bcp's periodically for 12-15 years. I have never had any of these symptoms prior to this experience. I have never had anxiety, depression, or any other underlying health condition. I immediately stopped taking the pills once I made the connection. So far, my recovery has been slow, but at least it is improving. I resent that my ob/gyn and internist both said that the pill would be out of my system in 24 hours. The effects are clearly long lasting (I am approximately 7 weeks off of Yaz).

Finally, my eye doctor, of all people, said that he has seen and heard of people having problems similar to mine and that it was understandable that I would have anxiety when I felt like I was dying from a heart attack. No one perscribing this medication bothered to tell me of the diuretic component or any component that was going to affect depression. I am attorney and have always thrived under pressure, not turned into a panic attack ridden mess like this medication caused.

As for the previous post who stated these are common symptoms described by women, at 35, I know the difference between my normal body function and the hell that began when I started taking Yaz. Unless you have experienced this, then you clearly would not understand. I appreciate that Yaz and Yasmin have worked well for some, but that clearly has not been my personal experience. So, I write this not to discourage someone who has had a positive experience, but to provide support for anyone else who has suffered like I have.

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

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

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

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

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 am so relieved to find this site and others like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I started Yasmin (by a mistake at the pharmacy! i had been taking Yaz) on Jan. 3, 2007. Within a month, I had an AWFUL COLD and thought, Oh, it's cold season. But the cold didn't go away, and I developed a DOUBLE EAR INFECTION which led to a PERFORATED EARDRUM! It was incredibly painful, and I was in tears. I had NEVER HAD AN EAR INFECTION BEFORE, but at that point, it didn't even occur to me that it could possibly have anything to do with Yasmin. Then, in mid-March, I started feeling SHORT-OF-BREATH in the evenings especially, but I wasn't exercising or anything. This worried me, but I chalked it up to stress. After a week, tho, I decided to google "Yasmin side effects" and found so many women with similar issues, and an explanation of how the pill effects ALL fluid levels in your body, including your middle ear.
I just wrote a letter to the USFDA asking them to take it off the market. This pill has serious side effects, and because of it, I missed work, classes, and had to pay doctor bills out-of-pocket.
I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT YASMIN CAUSED MY EAR INFECTIONS. How could it possibly be coincidence that I'd never had an ear infection before, and after one month, I had not one, but 2?!?
Also - I've felt ANXIETY and have been MOODY - but who wouldn't when they have a double ear infection and perforated eardrum? ;)
I threw the pills away immediately and will see my gynie soon. If anyone's thinking about getting off of it, DO!!! I'm so glad I did!

Hello,

I was so happy to hear from all of you. I have been to the doctor 2 times with dizziness, weakness, and migraines. My doctor couldn't figure it out and all along i felt it was hormones. I feel so sick and i am just wondering if anyone has felt this way on yasmin. I hope so because i want an answer and i feel so sick. I was given an antiobiotic because the dizziness could be from an ear infection, but i think from hearing all of your stories i feel the same way as all of you. I stopped taking it, i'm basically waiting for the pill to get out of my system and its nly been a day.

well it seems i've become another "casualty" to this drug. i'm to the point of feeling like i'm losing my mind. i've been on yasmin since march 2005 and side effects have been sneaking their way into my life slowly enough that it's taken me this long to attribute them to the yasmin. the first 5 or 6 months were great. since that time, i feel like i've been perpetually sick. last year, i battled bronchitis for 3-4 months. then my allergy symptoms seemed to be worse all spring/summer. i've had probably 8-9 colds since starting the yasmin, when before i had maybe 1 a year. i'm currently battling a nasty ear infection/ruptured eardrum. my eyes are constantly blurry. i've had the muscle spasm/jerks that keep me up all night. i have scoliosis (that was slight) and has now gotten much worse (which after reading all these posts, i attribute to the diuretic sucking out all things good from my body) i have absolutely no energy or desire to do any everyday chores/tasks. i drag myself out of bed, go to work, come home, sit and stare at the tv, go to bed, repeat. i've been extremely irritable and moody, which i attributed to just a distaste for my job. here lately, i cry at the drop of a hat---weep at times to just feel normal again. yesterday, the heart palpitations started. i've had these before for a couple minutes but these have lasted for 2 days. i went to the doctor today for the ear infection and she did an EKG--normal, just PVCs--which i knew that's what they were but you can't help feeling anxious about them when they make you feel like you're going to die. and thusly, the anxiousness leads to them getting worse. she gave me a month supply of lexapro to try. i don't want to. when i told her my thoughts that all of this was the yasmin (through sobs, which probably didn't help my case), she just looked at me and didn't seem too convinced. my ob-gyn seemed even less convinced when i discussed some initial concerns i had back in october. she told me there was absolutely no harm being done while on it and it would be the easiest thing to come off of if i decided to stop taking it. but after reading all of these posts, i'm just as terrified to quit taking it as a i am to keep taking it! i just want to feel alive again. and to think all of this suffering for regular periods and less cramping. my last pill is saturday. i plan for that to be my last. i hope i'm strong enough to get through it.

I accidentally(thank God) stumbled to this site after typing in a search for : viral infection that causes dizziness,racing heart,lump in throat. Up popped this!!! I was horrified but at the same time relieved. I am 35 yrs old and for the past 2 weeks I have been suffering from panic attacks,dizziness,uncontrollable hunger,constant thirst,tingling in my lower arms and hands.
I've been on Yasmin for a year now and am just now noticing these potent symptoms. I was in a restaurant in a business meeting 2 weeks ago. I suddenly felt hot,sweaty and extremely dizzy. Scared me to death!!
I've since been to my doctor 2 x's this past week. She's prescribed Omnicef,Zithromax,Augmentin XR under the assumption I had a sinus infection or ear infection causing these symptoms.
I took my last pill of Yasmin 6 days ago for my new cycle,and coincidently called my OB/GYN and complained about how expensive Yasmin is. She switched me to Estrostep. Is Estrostep better,the same or worse than Yasmin?? I still feel like a bus hit me,head is light and dizzy,nervous,panic attacks have spread out but not left completely,and hunger has slowed down. Am I getting better? Do I still need to go back to the doctor? Can I be fixed? Do I need a supplement? I need to relax so I can mother my 2 children and function in my daily life. any suggestions?
I thank God I accidentally found this site. Although I don't think it WAS an accident....HE answers prayers in the most awesome ways.