Yasmin and emotions

This is a warning to those of you who are going off of Yasmin in an attempt to get pregnant! (along with a few other issues)

I was on Yasmin for almost 3 years, and I'd like to first say that I had SO many stomach issues since being on it that I had eventually been sent to a gastroenterologist by my GP. My gynecologist swore up and down that Yasmin could in no way be the reasoning for my stomach issues (nausea, motion sickness, diarrhea etc) however, I've recently gone off of Yasmin in an attempt to get pregnant. Here's where my huge problem comes into play... About a week and a half after going off of the pill I started having severe dizzy spells as well as fatigue. These symptoms persisted for the next 2 weeks or so and then about 4 days before I was supposed to get my period I started experiencing intense cramps. Of course my fiance and I were a little bit disappointed because this meant that those side effects meant we hadn't successfully conceived. So a few days go back, as does the usual Wednesday that I receive my period. So Thursday I decided to take a pregnancy test and to our complete and utter surprise it came out positive! We were so excited, as were our friends and families. So again, a few days go by (and I never got my period) and my cramps persisted night and day. Then I started experiencing sickness at night time when I tried to go to bed. We of course thought this was due to the pregnancy. Then Monday at about 4AM I woke up in complete and utter pain and went to the bathroom and came to find out I was bleeding. We completely panicked thinking I was miscarrying. I ended up spending that entire day in the hospital and later the next day we found out I was never pregnant. We had gone through a river of emotions within those 2 days and although we were very glad we hadn't miscarried, it was also devastating to realize we were not yet pregnant. False positives are very rare, and I'd have to say that they SUCK. So watch out girls, and make sure to go to the doctors for a blood test ASAP before getting too excited. Just wanted to let you all know.

As for us, we're going to keep on trying and hoping for the best. I of course never intend on going back on Yasmin as I've discovered I've been completely wasting my and my gastroenterologist's time due to this medication.

I have been on Yasmin for a little over a year now. At first I really liked it. I had a horrible time with tricyclen and the effects on my depression and emotional instability ended up ruining a really great relationship. Shortly after that relationship ended, I stopped taking tricyclen and started seeing a counselor. Everything was great and I felt like myself again. I had lots of self-confidence and self-love. When I went back on the pill because I started taking Yasmin. My face cleared up wonderfully and my boobs (which are already an A cup) got even bigger. Both of those things were great benefits to Yasmin. Now, a year later, I'm finding that I'm starting to feel the same way I did when I was on tricyclen. Bouts of depression, anger, suicidal ideations, anxiety, and feeling unmotivated and apathetic. My current boyfriend and I are long-distance now, which might be having even more adverse effects on my emotional state. I am considering going off of it. I've felt this way and it's simply not worth feeling miserable and self-loathing all the time. Other side effects I've felt while on Yasmin are: dry skin, especially around my vagina. I always require lubrication now before sex, which was never a problem before. Also, supposedly being on hormone pills can change the actual morphology of the cells on your cervix. This change makes me bleed after having sex. Not much, but enough that I notice. My physician said this was not a concern though. Altogether, I just don't think my body and my emotions can really handle being on birth control, and I feel as though a lot of people out there are experiencing the same problems!! If you're like me, please let me know of a pill that is working for you!

Hi Guys

I am taking Yasmin since May 2006. I have been suffering from chronic daily headaches since March 2006 and wondered if Yasmin could be a factor in this? For my headaches I have tried so many different things and not been successful and hadn't looked at the possibility that Yasmin could be a problem until I started to google it. What do you guys think? Could Yasmin be adding to my problem of chronic daily headaches? Cos I have the headaches all the time.

Any responses would be greatly appreciated!

Regards
Warda

I am so glad i saw all these other comments or else I would have thought I was going crazy!! I decided this wk end to come off of Yasmin, i've had nothing but a rollercoaster of emotions for the last 5 months and I really didn't think it could be possible for it to be down to just one small pill!!

I know they say you have to try a lot of different pills but i think I'm put off now!!

The symptoms I had were weight gain about 10lbs, I was always hungry, mood swings like no other, crying for no reason, stressing, depression paranoia, dry skin and headache!!

The main reason I'm stopping it is just my mental state I was never the calmest person in the world but I found it impossible to control to control my emotions and temper. The paranoia was the worst. My personality completely changed!

I'm off it now for 4 days and hopefully I'll come back to normal!! I didn't feel right from the start but I decided to give it a few months to level out, now i wished I'd stopped back then!!

I only started taking Yasmin 11 days ago. I noticed that it had an effect on my moods straight away. I felt constantly irritable and like I was about the burst into tears for no reason. I have also completely lost my sex drive. My skin has become really really dry and my vagina is very dry and painful. My eyes are so dry that it's even giving me problems trying to get my contact lenses in. I am going to stop taking the pill now even though i haven't finished the packet because I just don't think these side effects are worth it.

I cannot believe I did not make the connection sooner, I went on jasmine for 6 months and was incredibly weepy and so emotional. I had pains in both breasts for about 2 weeks of every month, the pain was unbearable so much so that going over a speed bump was pure agony, I ended up having a Mammogram as I was convinced I had Breast cancer, (there is a very strong history in my family), so that worry coupled with my emotions being all over the place I really was not in a good state of mental health. Not to mention the spotting and Migraines,and my poor new husband dealing with awful mood swings, I even brake down uncontrollably in the Doctors. I had no Idea all these other people have experienced similar symptoms. It is outrageous these are being given to Women. How have these not been removed from the market?

Hello! I'm 27 and I've been taking Yasmin for probably 7 years and never had a single problem. My weight stayed the same, my periods got VERY regular, to the DAY, and things were ok.

Starting about 3 months ago I was on my honeymoon and decided to skip my period that month which I do a few times a year and Yasmin never let me down! Anyways my period came anyways and not only that, but I spotted an extra week after! It was most noticable in the mornings after having sex. It was just brown and yucky. Then I didn't have a period the next month, only 24 hours of brown and this month I had a regular one. On top of that I've suddenly gained 5 pounds without changing ANYTHING. I wonder, can Yasmin suddenly screw me up so many years after I started taking it? I hear horror stories about Yasmin but I only see it from women taking it for a few months or maybe a year? It was always so good to me. What's going on? The weight gain terrifies me too because I so easily gain weight and I've been trying so hard to eat well and I feel like it's been pointless. It ticks me off more because I have to pay $50 a month for Yasmin even AFTER insurance pays 15, and now I think it's messing my body up too.

I have a OBGYN appointment in a few weeks and I'm going to talk to her about it and see about getting on a new pill anyways for price reasons, but do you think all these weird sudden symptoms are from Yasmin? Can you recommend a pill? I can't afford to gain anymore weight. I just can't...

hello all, i've been reading your stories and feel i need to write mine too. i started taking Yasmin about 4 months ago. and i really do not know what to think. i haven't put any weigh on or got acne (which were my worries) and my periods got very light and completely pain-free. i did have constant but mild headaches (which i never have) and my sex drive has gone down (never had any problem before). more importantly, emotionally i am feeling terrible. i cry non-stop and i feel totally unstable. I am going through a lot of changes in my life (change career, country, new relationship, etc) so i thought i could be just that i am feeling stressed. but i think this is more than that. my anxiety has rocketed, I never felt like this before, I have racing thoughts almost constantly, panic attacks, and something that i think it's called 'depersonalization' - has anyone got anything like this? it feels like you're looking from outside yourself, if that makes any sense...not nice at all.
as I have a tendency to feel anxious anyway I really don't know whether the pill is causing this or not, but i feel i am going mad. as i read the postings i became more worried that it might be Yasmin
i went to the doctor who suggested to carry on for a few more months to see if the symptoms go away. i followed his advice (as those days i was feeling surprisingly well, and was optimistic about it) but i am still very concerned.
also, has anyone had a really bad depression/anxiety attack when taking antibiotics + yasmin? i could have killed myself that day. felt better when i stopped taking the antibiotics.
again, is it my mind...? or is it Yasmin...?
any comments would be really great

I have been using Yasmin for over 3 years now. I did suffer from tiredness and nausea with everything else that I have tried before Yasmin. However, after reading several comments on this forum, I have to say that I too suffer from anxiety and depression. Although I wouldn't call it severe, its enough to take its toll on me. It makes me extremely paranoid in the sense that I worry over the silliest things and elaborate on every little problem thinking that everything is going to be worse. Basically my mind races over problems all day and I have been feeling like I am losing my rationalization. I did seek help from my psychiatrist and was put on a mild antidepressants and although they provide immediate relief and give my mind a little rest, I didn't benefit from any long term solution that he said the medicine would provide.
I have been quite annoyed at myself really for not being in control of my feelings because the person I know I am, has done an okay job at it before. Something is definitely screwing up my emotions and that could very well be Yasmin since I have tried every other solution. So I am going to give Yasminelle a go as of today and see if the lower dose improves things and if not I will definitely be looking at alternative birth control methods because I am honestly fed up of feeling like I have no control over my own emotions.

HEART PALPITATIONS
After a year on Yasmin, I developed heart palpitations. They first began occurring at night, while lying in bed, then progressed to the point that my heart no longer had normal beats. My heart was fluttering constantly. My OBGYN said that arrhythmia due to Yasmin is "impossible", and a $1,200 work-up by a noted cardiologist ruled that my problem was due to "emotions". Just 10 days after quitting Yasmin, my heart beat returned to normal, and I have not had one heart palpitation since.

Until reading these comments, I thought I was losing my mind. I could not control my emotions, was depressed all the time, felt abandoned and even tried to break up with my boyfriend. I had logical thoughts, but these were overrun by irrational emotions and random thoughts that made me feel anxious and irritable.

Additionally, I was feeling so nauseous, I couldn't eat and lost about 3kgs in two weeks.

I have stopped taking Yasmin for 3 days now and am feeling so much better already. I would never recommend this product to another woman.

I was on Yasmin for a few years and never had any of these symptoms. as far as decreased libido this is common with almost all birth control pills and all other pills have the blood clot risk as well, the majority of the pills have very similar side effects. Before Yasmin I was on ortho tri cyclen and that was a big mistake it really messed up my emotions and threw me into a big depression. I know quite a few other people on Yasmin who have not experienced any of the side effects listed and love it. I only switched form Yasmin because there is no generic and it was too expensive so I switched to another low dose that had a generic and to be honest I miss Yasmin.

Oh my goodness! I am so so glad I found this site!! I have been taking Yasmin for about 2 months now, and although it has helped with some acne problems a bit, I felt like I have been going crazy. I have not been using it as birth control (I am only 16 and I have been taking it for an ovarian cyst rupture I had), but I, like almost everyone else that has commented, thought I was going crazy!!! After 2 weeks of taking it, I started getting even more severely depressed than I usually get. My anxiety sky-rocketed! Boys that I used to flirt with and crush on were/are no longer that interesting to me. Even romantic novels didn't give me a tingly feeling I normally get. Nothing has been interesting to me lately!! I also have been a lot more vicious with my parents than I usually am. I have just been a ball of anxiety and depression! I seriously thought I was going crazy and going to commit suicide before I came to this website! I sure am hoping it is the pill that is doing this, because then I will just stop taking it right away, starting tonight. I definitely do not recommend this!!!

I, too, thought I was crazy while on Yasmin and then on Yaz. I took Yasmin for 4 years until my doctor didn't have it and I was leaving on a trip and needed it so he gave me Yaz instead. I was paranoid, depressed, nauseas, etc. I also had horrible mood swings, which I never had before. My step dad died last year so I attributed a lot of my anger and other emotions to that, but now after reading all the other posts I believe all of this was caused by Yasmin. I was never like this before. I never acted like a crazy person before or was irritated by people. I am so thankful that I know it isn't me and it was the pill all along. Who knew such a small pill could cause that much drama.
When I started taking Yaz all of the symptoms got worse. Since I was only taking the pill to regulate my period and have lighter period, which never happened, I stopped taking the pill altogether. Since I stopped in August I have only had one natural period. I was really thinking I was pregnant for a bit because I was constantly sick to my stomach, had monster migraines, had to urinate a lot, and had cramps. I took a pregnancy test (even though it has been almost two years since I have had intercourse) and I am not pregnant. I went to my general practice doctor and he said that not having a period after you stop taking the pill is normal. I have missed two periods now and he says if it gets to the third one I should go see my gyn. Has anyone else had this problem? Is it indeed normal? When will my period come back (not that I am missing it, but I'd like to know what is going on in there).

I was wondering if anyone has experienced very irregular periods since coming off of Yasmin. In high school I was extremely regular and could almost tell you to the hour I would be getting my period, but I had killer cramps that usually resulted in nausea and I would not be able to do anything. I went on a birth control pill that I would bleed through for 2 weeks every 2 weeks. I got off that pill and was put on Yasmin to regulate my period. Yasmin regulated my period, but did nothing for my cramps and didn't shorten my period either. I was on Yasmin for about a year and I just couldn't take it anymore. The first month I started taking Yasmin I became very depressed and cried all the time. I decided to give it a few months to see how my body adjusted. My emotions got so out of control that I would find myself crying hysterically during commercials or if someone looked at me the wrong way. I was living with one of my best friends at college whom I never fought with prior to using this pill and we had many blow out fights. I did not feel like the same person I used to be. My period has been so irregular ever since I got off the pill. I know they say it could take a few months to regulate again, but I was just wondering if the same thing happened to others.

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!

Headache, Disconnected feelings, Feeling of nothing really mattes, No emotions at all, shortness of breath, and worse of all the dizziness!!! Is it ever going to get better? I have been off of them for 2 months and still don't feel myself!

EVERYBODY REPLY TO THIS Let's see exactly how many women have had negative side affects from Yasmin. Just reply with the sideaffects. I see lots of posts and was wondering how many women are out there sharing similar problems. So me.... migraines, extremely horrible mood swings all from taking yasmin for 8-9 days next..........? lol

hey i am 19 yrs old and i have been on yasmin for 2 yrs. Never really thought i had any side effects till last week. I all of a sudden lost some of my sex drive. Since then i have not been myself at allllll. I feel like im crazy. Like i am here but my emotions arent. I feel different around my boyfriend of 2 and ahalf yrs and i feel different at work and at home. I'm just driving myself insane wondering if somethin is wrong with me. The only thing i can think of is my birth control. I also have rediculous anger problems now. I freak out over nothing..start yelling and screaming and crying. I have had heart palpatations and an upset stomach for a few days and it happens off and on..but mostly i just DO NOT FEELLIKE MYSELF ..Have any of you experienced any of that?

I'm so glad I googled side effects of Yasmin and found this site. All of the sudden my mood swings for the past almost YEAR make sense. I started out fine. The pill was great, and I haven't had to worry about acne at all. Of course I gained a few pounds, but not too much. However, I'm a pre medical student trying to study for the MCAT this summer. I've been SO tired and drained and majorly depressed that I just can't seem to concentrate. I feel like I'm always crying over the stupidest stuff (AKA: no reason at ALL), and my grades are starting to suffer. Hopefully now that I've read this, I can stop taking this pill and see an improvement. It's just not worth the depression. I'm 22 right now, and until recently had never had a suicidal thought. I was starting to panic, because I couldn't identify the cause of my depression. I'm a good student, have lots of friends, and have the most amazing boyfriend and family. Life is good, I shouldn't feel this bad. Now that I have a clue as to what this may be, I can fix it.

Wow, reading all these postings has affirmed my suspicion that Yasmin is the source for my insane PMS. I'm 21 years old now; I went on the pill when I was 15. Everything started out alright. I had never noticed any problems until recently. I would occasionally get depressed, but it never seemed to last too long. Over the past few years my PMS has gotten increasingly out of control. I don't really have many physical side effects, just emotional ones. Exactly one week before I start the white placebo pills I become EXTREMELY irritable, moody, and depressed. I will have occasional anxiety attacks where I feel like I'm going out of my mind. Also, the bouts of depression during this week bring about horrible suicidal thoughts. It's become very clear that this is the only time this every really happens. I can't believe it took me so long to realize it was the BCP's. Before that 14th day pill, I am a happy, upbeat person who would never even dream of harming myself. Then when that week hits, I become so overly dramatic, depressed, and cry a lot.
Another thing I've noticed is that the only time I have any libido is during my period (the one week that I am not taking these synthetic hormones!). This, of course, is quite inconvenient, as I'm sure you can imagine. Out of despair and internet searching, I found this website:
http://www.pmscure.com/?gclid=CLvdzYrdxI0CFRlmWAod-GbvLQ
At first it sounded kind of goofy, but then I read all of it, and was completely shocked! I just downloaded it, and intend to read "What Nobody Told Women About Birth Control Pills" first! Apparently, the longer you take these synthetic hormones (BCP's), the more damage they do to your body, and the less likely you are to regain your normal, natural production of hormones. This doctor's right- hormones are EXTREMELY important to your body, and messing with them can cause serious, long lasting effects all over your body. Condoms may be a nuisance, but at least I'll have my sex drive, health, and SANITY!!!

I have been using Yasmin for almost 10 years. Recently I have began getting migraines (never had them before), nasty vaginal discharge and an embarrassing increase in facial hair. I can somewhat deal with the migraines, but the other two symptoms are extremely irritating.
I have been to my gyno for both. She told me that the discharge was "normal" with the use of Yasmin. I don't think snotty goo coming from your vagina for a straight week before your period is "normal". She assured me that all testing came back negative and it was just something I would have to deal with. As far as the facial hair goes...I can't leave the house without standing in front of a mirror and plucking my poor chin and neck for up to an hour each day. My gyno suggested that I get laser treatment, which would be grand if SHE were paying for it.
I don't know if I want to continue taking Yasmin or not. I have ovarian cysts and used to have severe periods lasting for a week and a half at a time, and Yasmin had helped with those problems.
Has anyone else had these problems...and what are you doing for them?

Hey ladies, mayb u can help me! ever since starting yasmin 4 months ago (goin on 5th) i feel not myself.. i used to love eating salad, hot dogs, or w/e but since being on it i cant eat any of it!! and after i eat something i feel nausated (sp) my periods are longer too its sad!! im only 19! has any of u had theses symptoms and if soo please help and tell me how you got through it. thanks

I'm so happy I found this site. I've been thinking I'm crazy or just getting old for the last 3 years while on Yasmin. I started taking it at age 29 and almost immediately after started having mood swings, extreme irritability and depression. I had previously been on Ortho Tri Cyclen and the Ortho Cyclen before Yasmin and was on them for MANY years and never had one side effect. I only switched in the first place because I like to have very very few periods and I run all my active pills together to forgo periods very often and I was having breakthrough on the Cyclen. Hence, the Yasmin trial.

I'm actually a doctor (which is why I CANNOT have frequent periods with all the accompanying issues), but I didn't even realize the possible connection between IBS and Yasmin. This needs to be studied and taken seriously. I never once had IBS symptoms until a few months after starting Yasmin. Now, 3 years later I have almost constatnt trouble, to the point everytime I eat I run for the bathroom, yet my weight has never been higher. I asked a GYN friend at work if they could be related and she said definitely no, but reading all of these "real life" examples, coupled with my own experience has made me think otherwise. Often, the symptoms will occur shortly after taking the pill, even when I haven't yet eaten breakfast. It's crazy!!

I'm going to switch either back to Ortho Cyclen or to something new ASAP and will report back. I'm both excited at the thought that my "IBS" might really be Yasmin related but also scared that it might not go away and therefore might really be IBS. I'll report back... It honestly never entered my mind that all of it could be the Yasmin. I had just moved, started a new job in a town I hate and I thought it was all stress related.

I've also had an interesting side effect no one has mentioned yet- my hair texture has dramatically changed. It isn't falling out, but has gone from VERY curly with a nice soft spiral curl pattern to very dry, straight and hard to manage. Nothing else has changed and now I'm wondering if it's not the DRSP. If pergnant women can have hair changes, why not women on the pill?? It's all hormones.

As always with a drug, there are always possible side effects. No one drug is perfect, and humans are so complex in their make up and they way they process drugs. Therefore, please don't judge your family docs or GYNs too harshly as not even the best doctor in the world can predict every side effect.

I'm only 26 years old and have been on yasmin for a little over a year now. Before yasmin, I was on Orthotricylen and on Orthotricyclen-lo before that. My OBGYN kept switching my pills because after a year or so on one, my period would come before I was even finished the active pills. My doctor said it was because the hormones weren't "strong enough" for my body or something to that effect. I'm not good with science or medical things, so I've just gone along with her advice. I've been on BC since I was 18, so this is 8 years now I've been on chemical hormones, and I'm starting to think I need to stop. I'm willing to deal with severe menstrual cramps if it means getting my normal life back in order. I felt okay with the ortho pills, so I never though in a million years that Yasmin could be making me miserable. I used to be the nicest, happiest, and most optimistic person you'd ever want to meet, and lately, I've been depressed, moody, extremely fatigued (even with a full night's sleep), have lost interest in sex and don't even like being touched sometimes, and I've been anxious about everything-my job, my relationship, my investments, my family. I almost feel as if I don't know my old self anymore. I don't have fun anymore and I have a lack of interest in seeing a lot of people sometimes. I just want to sleep or be alone. I feel bad because my fiance is the one suffering. I feel bad that I have no libido anymore, and he's been extremely supportive of me through my depression/mood swings. I'm so glad he hasn't run for the hills with the way I've changed so suddenly. He has definitely noticed that I'm not myself. I've never before felt like this. I also have a sneaking suspicion that my IBS(irritable bowel syndrome) is connected to Yasmin. I was diagnosed with it just around the same time I began taking Yasmin. In addition, (without giving too much information!), I've noticed a drastic increase in vaginal disharge to the point where I'm wearing little panty liners on a daily basis to keep feeling "fresh." Concerned about this sudden increase of secretions, I went to my OBGYN (actually, I went 2 times for the same thing). She assured me that it wasn't an infection or anything and ran tests to be sure and all checked out fine. She just said that my body "naturally" produces more discharge. Well, I'm beginning to think that that's a load of crap--never before did I experience the heavy daily discharge before Yasmin and I hate feeling "uncomfortable." I don't know anyone else who has to wear liners everyday to feel "fresh." Has this happened to anyone else on Yasmin? I read through many posts and no one else mentioned this. I'm so glad that I'm not alone in most of my side effects, and I plan on seeking medical advice from my OBGYN (who I'm beginning to lose faith in) AND also I plan on seeking advice from my regular family Doctor. I have about 3 active pills left... and after that I'm stopping this pill. I'll revert to strickly condom usage to avert pregnancy and get away from these horrible pills! I can't imagine what damage has been done to my body... I just hope it can be undone!

My gynocologist had to put me on Yaz because I had had a Kenalog Injection for a slipped disk and after being injected with Kenalog I kept having menstrual periods....4 in a month a half! So she gave me Yaz, it seems to work so far, but this drug gives me side effects too. Has anyone experienced extreme tiredness? I seem to be tired non-stop even after having a lot of sleep. This wasn't listed as side effect on my prescription, but I thought this may be causing it. Since I started taking this 3 weeks ago I began to feel real depressed and angry for no reason at all. I just get these weird bouts of depression.

I feel as though I have been on yasmin so long...about 3 years...that I forget who I am. I don't know what 'myself' is. I know that I have been depressed and suffering severe anxiety. Sometimes I hate being out in public. I am a singer so I should love people, but I over feel overwhelmed and panicked around a large crowd. I cry at least once a day. My emotions are very out of whack. I also have serious leg cramping and insomnia, which I thought was restless leg syndrome until I read this forum. I basically have pushed aside all of these problems thinking I was being a hypocondriac until now. I also am sad to say I have NO SEX DRIVE as many of you have said. Sometimes I don't even want to be near my boyfriend. And sex most always feels like a chore. This is not good. After my period this week I am switching to Femcon. I hope I will have better results on this. Oh yeah and Yasmin is supposed to be the no bloat pill...yeah I gained 15 pounds. Niceeee.

I am tearful as I am reading the other women's experience with Yasmin. I took Yasmin for 3 months because of very difficult periods (severe cramping and back pain). During this time I became increasing numb, void of emotions, and experienced severe panic about knives and sharp objects, lost six pounds and no sex drive at all. I stopped the medication and I am starting to feel better. I though I was going crazy and I was afraid to be around my son or to be alone. Now, I know that it was attributed to this medication and biochemical changes occuring. I am so glad to be medication free...this medication is really scary! I am so glad to know that I am okay and my mind is getting back to normal. I would rather have a few days of PMS every month over the craziness of Yasmin.

Hi everyone. My main question, in case you don't want to read my long post, is: what is a normal / average amount of time to have to wait after stopping Yasmin for symptoms to start to fade / disappear? And if some symptoms begin to lessen, but not others, should I be worried that Yasmin was not the cause of those problems?
I started taking Yasmin at the end of May in place of my previous birth control. About a month and a half later, I started having vision trouble--it was difficult to focus, as if everything was moving ever so slightly. This was worst when I wore my contacts, and my vision was also blurrier when wearing them. I immediately went to my eye doctor, but they found nothing wrong with my eyes physically, and said my perscription was correct. About a month after that, I started having random bouts of sudden depression--I'd just start crying out of nowhere, and I've never had any trouble with mood swings or uncontrolled emotions like that before. I found this site about two weeks ago, and asked my doctor about switching back to my previous birth control.
Already, I don't feel so crazy-emotional and like crying, which had been the most recent symptom. However, the eye problems still persist, and they're much scarier to me--I've never had issues like this before, either. I won't be able to see my eye doctor again for about a month, and every day of that month the problems don't go away I'll probably be freaking out. So, my intial questions remain: what would be a normal amount of time for all / most symptoms to lessen / vanish after stopping Yasmin? And is it normal for some symptoms to take longer to dissipate, or should they typically fade simultaneously?

Thank you,
Jillian

Irrational thoughts worrying about everything, uncontrollable crying, going from happy to sad in seconds! Having NO control over my emotions!!!

hi andiegags, sorry to hear that you are still suffering with anxiety,i suffered terrible anxiety and panic attacks while taking yasmin (1.5 years) i never linked it to this bcp as i have taken other brands over the years and never had a problem. The anxiety is now learnt behavior and because you expect to feel anxious every morning when you wake up you do,please believe me when i say it will get better if you tell yourself that there is nothing to feel anxious about,this is not you,try to distract yourself when you feel anxious,sing a song or do something to take your mind off how you feel,if you have negative thoughts replace them with positive thoughts,it takes time and practice but just by starting to put these methods in place you are taking charge of your emotions and you will get stronger and more confident each day and you will feel less and less anxious,i was taking diazepam but decided i was going to face my problems and they started to improve little by little and bit by bit...hang in there,it will get better i promise!

i am so glad to have found this site. i was on yasmin for only 4 months and started having a series of health problems. everything from extreme dizziness to headaches to frequent yeast infections. i thought something was seriously wrong and never attributed it to my pill. i had extensive tests done, but found nothing.

then, i found a website where some people had talked about their side effects on yasmin, so i got scared and decided to get off of it. now, it's my 3rd week off of it, and i have been a wreck! i am extremely irritable and emotional. some days i just get overwhelmed for no reason and start crying. my headaches have been more frequent, and i just don't feel myself overall. i was thinking of going on an anti-depressant/anti-anxiety pill, but hate to put that in my body if it's not necessary. it was encouraging to read that other people have had similar withdrawal symptoms and that it does get better. one of the things that blew me away were the few people talking about anxiety and fear with their boyfriends. mine has been so sweet and patient, but i have been extremely sensitive and always having this fear that he doesn't love me anymore...just weird, unexplained emotions. this isn't me. i can't wait to be myself again. thank you for all of your comments and support.

I have been on Yasmin for about 3 years now and recently decided to read this post. I can't believe what I'm reading! I have had a steady decline in my libido which is now a total zero. Depression and an inability to control my emotions, specifically anger. Increasing weight gain and the reason I started looking up side effects...a discoloration of the skin on my face which is getting extremely bad. I started out with a brown spot on my forehead about 14 months ago. I now have a brown patch covering about 2 inches of my forehead, across my eyebrows, coming down around the outside of my eyes and now stretching across my nose and starting around my lips. I am never taking another Yasmin ever again and have warned my husband that I'm never taking birth control again. I have a feeling my whole life will change very soon. Thanks to everyone who posts their problems and reports their improvements...I will keep you updated.

I took Yasmin for about a year and suffered mild (depending on whom you ask) mood swings and then my last prescription ran out and I no longer had insurance. I got my insurance reinstated and got a new presciption of Yasmin. I have been on it for two months now and I am a mess. The nausea daily is so extreme, I might as well be pregnant. I have become so depressed, that I can't control any of my emotions. I cry all the time, can't sleep, and the things that I really like doing, or people I like seeing, I just have no interest in. It's really effecting my personal and work life. My boyfriend of three years even told me today that the last two months I have been a completely different person and not who he fell in love with. If one more person asks me what's wrong, I might just snap. I decided that due to the nausea that I would stop taking Yasmin because I just can't handle it anymore. After reading some of the entries, I think that due to the time frame of when the depression started coinciding with my new presciption, it may have been the right decision to stop. Although, today I feel worse than I ever have.
Does anyone know how long it takes for your body to get back to normal??
Thanks,
Miserable in Reseda.

Here is how I describe my emotions while on Yasmin or for that matter just about any other bcp.

If you take a pen and draw and up and down wavy line; sort of like roller coaster hills. The first couple of months the tops of steep peaks are me when I am feeling well. The low bottom peaks are very narrow and short. As the months pass; the peaks on top become very narrow and the bottom peaks widen and flatten out. Does that make any sense? It's truly a roller coaster when you think of it. And I want off this ride permanently.

Question: Have any of you had and IUD or considered one? Any experiences? I am considering this option unless I am successful in giving my husband a home vasectomy which I have been threatening for awhile now ;) I refuse to put myself and my family through hormonal hell any longer.

My panic attack for the day has subsided for now. I wonder if they are worse in the morning because I take my pill before bedtime?

Denise

Until I read this board, I thought I was totally alone. Six months into using Yasmin, I find myself with bouts of severe anxiety, shakes, etc... I went to my family doctor and gynecologist 3 days ago (they are located in the same building, so I figured I would make 1 trip). The gyn told me to finish this cycle then consider MIRENA, an IUS (not IUD). My family doctor referred me to a psychiatrist and gave me a prescription for an anti-anxiety medication! When I told her that I was using Yasmin, she concurred that I should consider not using Yasmin. She could not offer an opinion on Mirena as she is not a gyn. She is sending me to a cardiologist for a 24 hour monitor of my BP. I think I will wait to see a psychiatrist until a month or 2 after stopping Yasmin. If the problems still exist, I will go.
In addition to anxiety, I have been experiencing chest pain, shakes, raging emotions, severe weight gain, shortness of breath, etc....
thank you for listening. I'll check again soon.

I can relate to the Yasmin-users who have experienced panic attacks and heightened emotions (crying, moodiness). I am frantically looking online trying to figure out why I feel so wierd. I feel like I am cralling out of my skin. I can cry at the drop of a hat. And- I am really looking toward the dark side of life. Granted, not everyones' system operates the same. Some people can take Yasmin and be perfectly fine. Why else would Yasmin be used by so many people around the world. But, I can testify that it doesn't work for me. I have decided to stop using the pill tomorrow and go back to the Nuva Ring. The Nuva Ring looks like a hair band and is inserted up the vagina. I did not have this creepy feeling and used it for over a year.

Post your symptoms since stopping Yasmin!!!

Hey everyone it's Kay21 here and I just wanted to post my 3 month off Yasmin update. Because stopping the pill is a hard decision, I figured we should all post are updates here to help/support those who are planning to stop or who have recently stopped Yasmin.

I have been off of Yasmin since April 17. As some of you already know, I was experiencing horrible side effects while on Yasmin for 3 years (particularly stomach problems, vaginal dryness, muscle cramps, increased blood pressure and heart rate and anxiety).

The first 1 month off of Yasmin was okay. In fact, I felt the best I had ever felt in a while. My blood pressure and heart rate decreased and the migraines and muscle cramps went away. But when I hit the 2 month (8 week) mark, I felt HORRIBLE. I was severely depressed and anxious. I was crying all the time and felt a severe sense of DOOM! The physical symptoms also started to become problematic. The acne increased and I started growing more facial hair. The worse symptom, however, was that I started losing a ton of hair. I would lose stray hairs all day (probably about 200 a day). Since I have hit the three month mark, the hair loss has gotten MUCH WORSE! Now I am losing CLUMPS of hair all day. I have seen several doctors about this. Some say it's because of stress and a few (a derm, GYN and endo) say that hiar loss is common after stopping bcp. I have already loss about 1/3 of my hair.

I am also really concerned, because I have not had a period since April 22. So my doctor has put me on provera for 10 days to induce a period.

For those who have stopped Yasmin, what have your symptoms been (i.e. increased acne, weight gain, anxiety, etc.). Has anyone experienced hair loss? How long did it take to get a period???

Thanks...

i Started Yasmin about 5 months ago. I recently noticed a very thin spot in my hair. I then also noticed my hearing had not been very good and I even went as far as to make an appt to have my hearing tested. I thank god I came across this website. I have felt like a madwoman my emotions are up and down and i feel like I am raging all the time and little stupid things have set me off. To make matters worse I have had no sex drive at all and feel bloated. I am reeling right now realizing that i have been having a hard time sleeping at night and wake up drenched in sweat. I have a week left to go before my period and I am not starting a new pack. I will look at new options. I will keep you all posted. I am thing class action law suit. we women dont deserve to be caught between a pharmacutical company and the doctors we trust. you must question everything!

Here is what happened to me...This weekend the love of my life and I broke up. I blame Yasmin. I had noticed 3 weeks ago I was feeling really different. As explicitly explained by all the others I was experiencing the very same side effects. It started with the depression so a few weeks before my 30th birthday i went to see my doctor. I told him I was having a lot of stress, sadness and general feeling like everyday was a Monday. The brilliant doctor- NOT really....suggest an anti-depressant. I was reluctant as I had never been known to be "depressed" but I said what the hell and I tried it. Mind you this doctor NEVER once mention it could be the Yasmin making me feel blue (that he precribed in Dec so that my boyfriend and I didn't have to worry about getting pregnant). Anyway....what I am telling you is I had zero control over my emotions, I zero control over my actions related to my emotions. I felt possessed. It has cost me my relationship. I tried to explain it but he won't budge. All he can remember is what I did to him on his brothers wedding...if your wondering we were at the reherrsal dinner and I went it a panic mode and felt ignored and completely alone so I tapped him on the leg and told him I was leaving...and left. We talked after but he is angry and admits he will never get over it. So now I am without my bestfriend and more depressed then before. Probably not meant to be.

Im half-way through my second pack of Yasmin and have all the above mentionend side effects. Mostly extreme emotions, crying, depression, constant hunger etc.
I know I have to come off Yasmin but have been on Dianette previously and had similar side effects.
I have PCO's - can anyone recomend a pill suitable for me with little or no side-effects?
Thanks

Hey ladies,
When I was prescribed Yasmin a couple of months ago, I found this website and was more than a little hesitant to start taking it. However, bearing in mind that everyone has different reactions to different pills, I started last month despite all of the crazy side-effects I read here.
I have been taking birth control for about 4 years to regulate my period. I started with Zovia when I was 15 and gained about 20 pounds within the first few months.
I then started taking Levora, which literally made me insane. I was crying all the time and had anxiety attacks to the point where I couldn't eat or sleep. I had increased blood pressure, and I was driving everyone around me crazy.
I switched to Trivora, and it was more of the same.
I have been on Yasmin for over a month now and I love it. I have not gained any weight, and the anxiety and depression I was experiencing with Levora and Trivora are completely non-existent. I feel like I have absolutely no side-effects whatsoever.
After reading this website, I took into consideration all of the side-effects many people were experiencing, and I waited a month before starting Yasmin. I took this time to monitor my moods, appetite, emotions, sex drive, weight, etc to know how I felt being off birth control before starting a new one. I feel that, if anyone else is having doubts about whether or not you should start using a new birth control pill, it's important to first understand your body and emotions so that you can pinpoint and monitor your changes if and when they occur.
Good luck everyone,
Marie

Thank you to everyone who wrote in. It made me realize that I am not going crazy, and I am not the only one out there experiencing side effects due to Yasmin. I am normally a very level headed, happy go lucky person. I asked my gyno to prescribe me Yasmin because I had heard that it was good for people who retain a lot of water before their period. I started taking it over the summer. Around September, I started noticing that I was overly emotional during times that I normally would not be, and that my sex drive was non-existent. My emotions would go from very annoyed and angry to distraught and hysterical in the next moment. By this month, it had gotten really bad. I even think I experienced a panic attack! After that episode, I decided to stop taking Yasmin. My new gyno told me that she calls Yasmin "YASMEAN", and many of her patients experience the same side effects. I will be starting Ortho-tri lo next week. Hopefully, this will work out better than Yasmean!

Ladies,

I posted nearly a year ago on this board about all the side effects and symptoms I was having. I emailed my gyno in NY (I reside in CA) and the woman called me at 2 in the morning and told me to stop taking it because it sounded like I was going to have a stroke.

They keep telling us that Yasmin is this new wonder drug, but I will never take any form of BC ever again. I know that there are other options out there, but that was literal HELL. I am a stable, responsible, healthy person with few problems containing my emotions, but when on this drug, the hormones and moodswings nearly caused me to commit suicide.

Please, Ladies, don't take this drug. It's not worth your life. I'm not being dramatic. From what I've experienced and what I've read, I'm positive that this new "miracle" drug is capable of killing us.

I've been off the pill for two weeks now. The chest pains are gone as well as the anxiety that accompanied them, my face is clearing up, no more constant bleeding, emotions are stable and sex drive is back to normal. My feet still hurt though, which is weird. Oh, and I'm no longer bloated and retaining as much water.

I just started Yasmin 5 days ago. I've never had any birth control before. My emotions this past week are terrible! I cry so much more! And I am tired a lot more. This might be somewhat normal on the week of my period, but it's been over for a week and a half now. I feel so down. And I feel like I'm going crazy feeling like everyone is against me, which makes me cry too. Have I lost my mind?!