Yasmin and fear

This contraceptive means that I will never go on the pill again. I was on Jasmine for a year, lost my boyfriend, lost a lot of weight through been sick every morning, and through depression. I didn't have sex for the entire time I was on it. Couldn't bare anyone touching me, including close friends just for a friendly hug. I was paranoid, had panic attacks and was in a constant state of nervousness. I cannot believe that this drug has not been taken off the market, that it is still recommended to people as the "wonder" contraceptive pill is completely baffaling.

Both my 19 year old daughter and my 30 year old step daughter were put on Yasmin. Both began having heart problems. The eldest had heart palpitations, a racing heart and dizziness. The doctor discovered that her potassium level had shot up and her magnesium was down. They put her on magnesium to help control the racing heart. It helped, but then she became pregnant and had to lower the dose. The 19 year old has had the worst side effects. She was fine on ortho tricyclene, but when her doctor switched her to Yasmin her blood pressure shot up to 170/118. She began having chest pain. We pulled her off the Yasmin, but she has continued to have uncontrollably high blood pressure. The doctor ran several tests and has found no underlying cause as of this writing. She began taking 5 mg. of Norvasc, but was increased to 10 mg. to manage the high blood pressure.

Well, I'll share my story with you, and feel free to comment or ask any questions. I had been taking Yasmin for about 3 years. For the majority that time, I was in college (UCLA) while my long term boyfriend and family were back in the Bay Area. I was extremely depressed, which I presumed to be because I missed my boyfriend, and school was very difficult, etc. However, I had terrible anxiety, to where whenever I went to class, walked the campus, etc, I would have trouble looking up, for fear of making eye contact with others. To ask a question in class made my heart race. I would get terrible lumps in my throat that I could not get rid of. I used to be really outgoing, friends with everyone. But at UCLA for two years, I barely made new friends (maybe 3-5), blaming it on being too busy with my studies. Pretty extreme anxiety. As a child, I was a gymnast and suffered from OCD at one point, probably due to the anxieties of a very strict, mature schedule at such a young age. I guess I've been anxious in some way or another during my whole life, however I feel it was WAY worse during the course of being on Yasmin. I have also suffered from depression in my life, but the worst times were during high school, and during the past few years while on Yasmin. I am not saying I blame Yasmin for these things, but I definitely think it made them worse. I also have been having terrible mood swings, crying spells (to where I felt like I was going crazy), and not feeling like “myself”. I did take a break from the pill after I broke up with my boyfriend, and felt WONDERUL, woke up in a great mood, ready to take on the day, instead of forcing myself to try to start the day happy (which rarely worked). It has been a CHORE to be happy and grateful for my wonderful life (family, friends, good job, own apt., dog) for the past few years.

I stopped taking Yasmin 3 days ago (Sunday the 13th was my first day off of it) and already feel more normal, balanced and myself. Happy, hopeful, more relaxed. Of course this could be “placebo effects”, but I now myself really well, am very in tune with my emotions, etc., and I definitely feel different. I am not rhuminating either, which was another effect.

Does anyone have a similar story? Thanks! -Cassie

Hello, I am 26 and this is my first time on a bc. My doctor Prescribed it to me to help me with my pms, cramping, and acne. It seems to be working for the cramping and heavy periods. I'm not too sure if it is actually working for my pms or if i have just been dealing with things in a better way. My acne hasn't changed at all, if anything i feel that it has gotten a bit worse. I experienced horrible horrible headaches and nausea the first month. The second month was a little better, and now the third is a lot better. Ok but now the reason that i am here is that i have been experiencing bad constipation to the point where i have developed hemroids. I have always had a few problems with my bowels but never this bad! Before Yasmin i was pretty regular with no trouble. I haven't changed anything in my diet or life other than started Yasmin. So I think its being caused by the pills. I'm on my last week of my third pack. If anyone else has experienced can you please let me know. If it is the pills, I'm not going to start on a fourth pack! Oh 1 more thing, has anyone experienced sudden heart palpitations because of the pill? It used to happen more during the 1st pack and has subsided a bit but still happens at times. It really freaks me out because it will happen over and over again when it does. Any feedback is greatly appreciated, thanks!

I have been on Yasmin for about four and a half years now. I just stopped taking it because my husband and I want to start having children. I have noticed some horrible side effects. I am SEVERELY bloated, irritated at everything, and even more depressed. I also have headaches all the time. My mind races and I can't control my thoughts. Has anyone else experienced this? I am so glad I found this site. I was really getting down on myself over the past few years because of my depression and anxiety. I even had to go on medication. I have never been like this before so I was so confused as to what was going on. Now I see that it may have been linked to Yasmin. My doctor always asked me how I was doing on it and I never made the correlation between Yasmin and my downward spiral of health. About four months ago I started to get migraines about everyday. I went to the doctor and they did an MRI on my brain. They found lumps in my brain. Not cancer but just lumps. They just come and go. And when they come I can tell because of the debilitating migraines. I wonder if someone else has had this? I don't know if there is a connection but I am not ever going to take Yasmin again in fear of the cause. My doctor said that BC can be linked to migraines. Thank you for making me feel that I am not alone. I should make my husband read the comments on this site so he can see it isn't all my fault that I get moody!!!

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

I have just come across this site, while looking to find out why I have been experiencing heart palpitations for the past two months - out of the blue!!! and usually "exercise" induced. I had some tests and have been told they are Premature Atrial Contractions "PACs". I started taking Yasmin in April, after having tried others over the past year (tri-cyclen lo and alesse) which did not work for me as the progestin was not strong enough. I am in my 40s and never took the pill before. Yasmin was great, it significantly reduced my "physical" pms (severe inflamation, severe bloating, severe sore breasts) which I experience for 2-3 weeks a month. However, sometime in mid to late June, I started getting palpitations/tremors out of the blue. The first episode freaked me out and lasted for about two weeks. At first I thought it was allergy medication mixed with my thyroid med, which can happen - but I cut out the allergy meds and still got them. They seem to come about 6hrs to a day after I fexercise/figure skate and they last from 2 to 5 five days. It's very irritating and nerve wracking, and I feel very agitated. I am also out of breath more than usual when walking up stairs, a little light headed and have some tightness in the chest. My legs also are weak, which makes no sense given my exercise regimen. I then lowered my thyroid replacement from .125 synthroid to .100 - too much thyroid med can cause some palpitations. Anyone who has mistakenly taken a second thyroid pill having forgotten that they already took one will understand. Even with the lower dose I am still getting the palpilations. I am totally at a loss as to why all of a sudden this is happening to me (perhaps perimenopause??). I have had the odd flutter here and there in my live, but nothing like this. It just doesn't make any sense ag ll. Can one's health just change like this overnight?. I am otherwise healthy, slim, have "lower" blood pressure (apprx 100-90/70-60)I skate 3 to 5 times a week, I have a full time job and yes I do push myself, but this is getting ridiculous. The only thing I can attribute it to is the Yasmin, ... but my symptoms only started after a few months not instantly, whereas it would seem that most of the the women here noticed the side effects faster. I hate to stop the Yasmin because I will have to return to pms "hell", but I suppose I will give it a try to see if the palpitations subside. At this point, I have been offered a low dose "beta blocker" and have refused. I am stunned to think that all of a sudden I have heart issues, especially since my Dr has always kidded me my that I will never have heart problems with my blood pressure. I will stop the Yasmin tonight and post another message in a few weeks one it is out my system. Here's hoping it is the Yasmin.
KarenSkaterGirl

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?

So I'll refer to today as Hell Day, the day when all the horrible symptoms of my birth control pill attack me at once and I literally cannot take it. I had this exact same thing happen when I was on the nuvaring, and I stopped it immediately. I'm willing to sacrifice having 100% safe sex if it means I don't have to feel like I'd rather shove a knife through my brain than exist. It's only my second month of Yasmin, and I'm feeling more fatigued than ever before in my life. I feel so horribly depressed. It's beautiful outside and I was lying on the grass, thinking only about being DEAD. I'm not one to be depressed. The only other time I've felt this awful was my third month into the Nuvaring. I specifically asked my doctor for something that wouldn't make me depressed, nor gain weight. Well, I gained about 5 pounds that won't come off no matter how hard I try, and the depression is just getting worse and worse. I'm stopping this pill tomorrow.

Other symptoms included:
*Initially: a sharp breathing pain under my left lung
*Weird, small rash on my leg
*Would rather be in bed than do anything
*Overwhelming feeling of loneliness, questioning self-worth, etc.

I have been having this unbelievable sweating every night at about 3:00 AM that keeps me up until about 6:00AM at which point I am totally exhausted but must start my day...I have been feeling flu-like tiredness that causes me to nap EVERY afternoon (didn't even do this when I had babies in the house). I also have almost no interest in sex which is not normal for me. I could care less, but my husband is looking for the same gal who was ready willing and eager. It just dawned on me today that it may be the pills that are causing the sweating. As I look back it started a month or 2 after I started them. We had been blaming it on the new mattress. But after reading all the posts I'm terrified to go off for fear of something worse!! Has anypne gone off and been okay?

Hi Emily!

If that's a side effect of Yasmin you perhaps only can find out by getting off this pill and see, if you feel better in a few weeks / months.

Just a word about Mirena:

Mirena is made by the same company as Yasmin (Schering in Germany, I think "Berlex" in US). And it has nearly the same hormones in it. I read about Mirena the same horrible stories, as I did about Yasmin. The side effects seem to be very similar. And even if your docs might tell you, that the hormones of Mirena only stay in your uterus: Well, who tells the hormones to do so and stay there?? I think the uterus is as well connected to our blood circulation as every other organ in our body. And so I think everything that reacts in the uterus also reacts in our whole metabolism over the blood circulation.

So please do a little research about the side effects of Mirena, I fear you'll find the same stories, as you find about Yasmin...

Please be careful!!

Best wishes
Silke

Hi bitter RN!! Hope you read my last posts... (I fear they were displaced in the meantime to site 2 or 3).

Just had a phone talk with my doc's office. They didn't tell me every result of the bloodwork but I asked them especially for those here:

TSH (Thyroid) 4,1 (!!) --> the highest it has ever been...

Transferrin: 340 (within the normal range but at the upper end of them; so it seems to be a bit high, which could show, that my iron storages are a bit low........

Iron: 76 (which is also still within the normal range but at the lower end of the normal ranges!!)

I have an appointment with my doc to talk about all the results on tuesday next week in the afternoon...

I hope they can finally help me somehow.......

Flowerbabies:

As you told, you have hashimoto's... do you know or could you tell me, how your TSH is??

Thank you both in advance!!

Best wishes
Silke

@ipj:

Thanks for your immediate answer.

Those are symptoms I'm also experiencing......

But here in Germany it's so hard to get a magnesium test (and even some other tests) done. Everything seems to expensive to test for our docs here and so they refuse them... But after reading your posts and the result of your magnesium test I think I should at least ask or beg my doc again, if he perhaps could do that test... I feel that there has to be something still not ok, even being off Yasmin for about 2 years now....

Everytime I got a cold or I got my period I'm feeling worse again, and this time I fear it's gotten very bad... So there has to be still a lack of something in my body which gets out of balance when the slightest change in my body is happening (as my period or a heavy cold with loosing lots of sweat because of the fever, and so on....).

Thank you so much again ipj for sharing your story!!!
Perhaps my doc gets a bit more cooperative if he hears, that there is really someone whose magnesium test came back much too low......

Greetings
Silke

Sarah,
I live in the US. I totally understand your fear about taking hormones. For me though, the natural progesterone has made a huge difference. I don't know how long you have been recovering from Yasmin, but rest assured that as time goes on, you will get better. Two years ago was when I was at my worst. I checked this forum several times a day. It made me feel so much better to hear from other women going through the same thing as me. I don't think I've checked this forum for over a year until today, if that's any indication of how much better I feel. You will too. I also take a multi vit., fish oil & magnesium too. I think they help as well. Do what works for you. Wishing you wellness!

-Tiffany

hi kim123.
i did not take lexapro, i tried diazepam for a very short while but it did not help me long term,it just took the edge off.i stopped it because it is very addictive. i did use the linden method,it is very good but i just did not have the time to do all the realxation cd's as i have 2 small children and getting 20 mins silence in my house would be almost as much of a miracle as me waking up cured! i imagine any kind of relaxation tape would be good.you need to relax your body and relax your mind,the linden method tapes basically tell you that your anxiety cannot hurt you and you do visualisations that include filling up imaginary clouds with your fears etc. if you have the time to do it then i recommend it. i also read loads of books on positive thinking and changing your life by changing your thought patterns. i know how you feel right now. i used to wake up and feel ok then within litterally seconds of getting up i would be full of fear and anxiety.i no longer feel that way.so it will get better for you to. if you do not want to increase your dose of lexapro then try the relaxation techniques.you can do it yourself by finding a comfy spot and thinking of a lovely peacefull scene,relax all your muscles and fill your mind with positive thoughts like how strong you are and how wonderfull your life,tell yourself you have no room for fear and negative thoughts,imagine a cloud and send all your negative thoughts into the cloud and just let them float away. it will take a while but you will feel more relaxed day by day.

sarah

What should I do about the progesterone cream Iam so confused if its helping if I need it if I dont if it is making things worse....RN I think said initially it can cause more anxiety.

I dont need more.

I was suppose to apply the cream this am and didnt what do allof you think.

What about the weight loss my ribs are sticking out???

Iam drinking water getting massages at home
My whole family doesnt know what to do with me its the holidays and my poor daughter is besides herself.

Also I cant go to work and in fear my job is going to be loss

Hello ladies,
I have not written in awhile but check this site every single day to receive strength and encouragement. My nightmare started in July when I began to experience panic attacks, depression and a host of other symptoms that frightened me.

I am grateful to this day that I found this site, because I am not sure how I could have gotten this far without it. Although my husband, family and friends are extremely supportive, I have always relied so heavily on all of you, your stories and your encouragement. Women oftentimes get a bad rap for being catty and bad to eachother. I think this site shows how compassionate and caring women are. To see you all lift eachother up lifts me up, and I am amazed that even when we cannot find the strength to encourage ourselves, we are able to write a post that shows our care and encouragement for others that are experiencing this nightmare.

Thank you to flowerbabies, silke, chris35, sophie, murphy 70 and everyone else for helping me through this because of your posts. I think of you all each day and hope that you are all doing okay. I am sorry for all the mushy stuff, but I just had to show you my thanks for your honesty, compassion and encouragement!

As for my personal experience trying to heal from Yasmin, I am getting through this. I feel pretty normal most days, but sometimes around my period I feel the anxiety again. It is not nearly as intense or scary as it used to be, but my fear is always that I am going to be that bad again, somehow, even though I do not think that is possible. The anxiety itself is not that bad for me anymore, but I guess my fear of what it has the potential to be, because of what it was a few months ago, creates deeper anxiety. I just try to do what flowerbabies says and think positive thoughts. I also want to echo what I heard so many women say and what I wanted to believe so badly...IT DOES GET BETTER. There were some days when I wondered if it would, but like I said, I am almost completely back to normal. I am proof, ladies! You can get through this. Your bodies are strong and amazing, and think of what they can do!
Take care, everyone. I am always thinking of you.
Eryka

Hi everyone! I found this site after being on Yasmin for 6 months and immediately quit taking it because everything I read was way too familiar! I finished the pack I was currently on, had my period, then didn't start a new pack. It's now been 5 weeks and I haven't had my period again. Because I didn't get on a different birth control, I went ahead and took a pregnancy test which shows negative. Most of my side effects have disappeared (probably because I was only on it for 6 months...) however, my husband and I have actually since decided it is time to start our family and now I'm worried that if I'm not having a period I'm probably not ovulating either. So, a new fear has developed. Anyone have the same thing happen after getting off yasmin? How long did it take to have a regular cycle again? HELP!!

Hi Guest 31031!!

Well, out of my experiences with getting off Yasmin, everything looks "pretty normal" (as far as you can say so though....) what's going on with your daughter!!

I've been off Yasmin for about 1,5 years now and still struggling with those problems around ovulation and the time, where my period should start (didn't get it regularly ever since stopping Yasmin!!!).

And another thing: 4 weeks off Yasmin isn't really much, I fear! How long had your daughter been taking Yasmin?

I had been on it for about 5 very long YEARS... And therefor I think I'm having harder times to get back to normal than someone whou only took it for about 1 year or even shorter...

But give it more time, please! At the time of 4 weeks I still felt totally ill and down. And after that time I had those problems every few weeks again, and always around ovulation and starts of my period!

The only thing that you could do is stand by the side of your daughter, keep her going with always telling her, that it WILL get better again after a few days or weeks. And this is one thing I CAN REALLY PROMISE!! It WILL get better again!!

That's what everyone around me (my husband and my parents) always kept telling me, when I was again at that point, where I thought I couldn't go on any longer. And it was the only thing that helped me not to loose hope!! And they were so right!! The nightmare always stopped again after a few days or weeks and I felt myself getting better again!!

Hormonal problems are nothing which can be solved within a few weeks. And the Yasmin-poison takes much longer to get out of your system than only a few weeks. And only when it is completely OUT the hormonal system can start to rebalance without that artificial hormones.

I can imagine how hard it is to see your daughter in such a bad constitution. It was the same with my parents and husband. They were all so worried but a very important thing is: Don't let her know, how worried you are!! Always try to stay strong and sure in telling her, better times are ahead!!

I wish you all the best and god's bless and I swear, you'll get through this with your daughter. And please tell her, that she's not alone, we're all feeling with her!!

Silke

Hi there!!

Wow, it´s amazing how many women have problems with that pill. I have been taking Yasmin for about 3 years , last January I started having a severe depression, I was anxious, had panic attacks and terrible Zwanggedanken, don´t know the word in English, like thoughts that you are foirced to think!
well however, 4 months ago i stopped taking Yasmin and guess what: the depression got better and better, the fear went away as well as the Zwangsgedanken.
Until now, i took the "Morning after pill" the first time in my life with the result that i am now facing similar effects as earlier that year! anyone with a similar problem???

I have only been on it for like 6 days and yet i already feel fat/bloated constipated, emotional, angrey at every little stuipid thing that goes wrong...i ate nothing out of the ordinary today yet i feel like i had huge meals all day long...i felt better when i was off the pill with irregualr periods and just exersisng regularly...it helped better than the pill, my biggest fear is weight gain and i feel like im screwing myself over by taking this i think im going to stop but i keep getting told its just bad the first few weeks and cycles...i dont know if i want to waste 3 months of my life getting used to fake hormons...im done with it! i hate pills

hi claudia (hope)
i know exactly what you are going through,i have been there myself (as have many many women on this site) i suffered extreme anxiety/panic attacks,they were by far some of the worst symptoms i had while taking this pill as i felt i was going mad or had some kind of mental illness,i really thought my life as i knew it was over,i am 32 years old with 2 young children but i felt that bad i didn't think i wanted to carry on...then i found this site and came across so many women in this same situation and it saved me. i have been off yasmin for 4 months now and my anxiety levels are way way way down,it is now mainly in the background and is a memory rather than a constant feeling of fear. the practical things you can do are...take a B vitamin complex, vitamin B6, a magnesium supplement and maybe a little zinc too. take really good care of yourself with regards to what you eat and how much excercise you do.drink plenty of water and i mean plenty as it is great for anxiety and great for cleansing the body of these hormones. on a mental level try to remember that these feelings are not REAL fear as there is nothing to be afraid of it is just a chemically induced mood,panic attacks although scary will never actually hurt you even though they feel like you are going to die or go crazy. stay positive ( i know,easier said than done!) and face your fear head on,i know it sounds crazy but by taking control you will begin to feel stronger and more able to cope. it WILL get better but it will take some time for your body to get back into it's natural harmony,have faith that it will get better and please please listen when i say you are NOT crazy it is this horrible pill. i started to feel better after the first couple of months with regards to the anxiety and i hope you will too.i still have hormone problems and symptoms but the panic feelings are virtually nil. try the supplements i mentioned and try to reduce your stress levels too. i wish you all the best and hope that this has been of some help to you

SINCE TAKING YASMIN I HAVE ANXIETY ATTACKS, FEAR,HORRIBLE HEART PALPETAIONS AND I CRY FOR NO REASON. i HAVE SOME GOOD DAYS AND SOME REALLY BAD DAYS WERE I FEEL SO DOWN AND HOPELESS. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST MYSELF BEING DAFT AND BLOWING THINGS OUT OF PROPORTION BUT I HAVE NO REASON TO FEEL LIKE THIS. I HAVE GOOD FRIENDS,A REALLY GOOD FAMILY AND A GREAT BOYFRIEND AND MY WHOLE LIFE AHEAD OF ME AND MY JOB IS NOT THAT BAD. SO I HAVE NO REASON TO FEEL DOWN. IHATE THE WAY I AM FEELING AT THE MOMEMENT AND JUST WANT THE FEELING TO GO AWAY I JUST CANNOT GO ON LIKE THIS ITS MAKING MY LIFE HELL I FEEL LIKE IT MAKES ME BE A NASTY PERSON, I REALLY JUST WANT TO BE ME AGAIN. CAN ANYONE HELP ?

Hey flowerbabies!! I have been feeling pretty bad. My OCD is sooo hard for me to handle. I think I have had it slightly my whole life--- checking to make sure doors are locked, being scared that someone was going to break in, etc.- but it blew up while I was on Yasmin. I now have HOCD-- which is fear that your a lesbian of all things!! I am obsessed with it, and its hard for me to think of anything else. It is insane and I hate it. I feel like a horrible person and I just hope I can get through this.

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.

Hi, im 20 yrs old. It is thurs.june 22nd and i started using yasmin last thurs the 15th of june. Since i was 13 yrs old i havent been able to throw up and i fear that. i dont like the feeling. Last night i couldnt sleep because i felt i had soemthing im my throat and i couldnt do anything about it, but hope that whatever it was went down with water, coke, and picot... but it was hopeless so i went to sleep like that. This past sunday my parents were having a barbeque outside with friends and suddenly i started getting nervous and i felt like i wanted to throw up and i couldnt do anything about it but feel worried anxious and i went inside to splash water in my face.... i got over it by like chewing on a minty gum thats how i overcome throwing up feeling. So i dont know whats wrong with me i wish i had like money so i can go to the doctor and do like blood tests and examinations from head to toe. But over all what sucks about everything is me getting used to swallowing the little pills.... i started by taking a bite and then swallow with coke or whatever. Well thats about it hopefully nothing is wrong with me.

-mable

Well, I feel soooooo wierd. The panick attacks are gone, but I still feel nervous all of teh time- and I am obsessing over stupid things. I still don't feel like myself. It is so sad. I just want to feel the way I did before. I don't feel as connected to my boyfriend as I used because of all of my wierd thoughts. I have left my self think about so many wierd fears- that I don't know how to let it go. I guess my biggest fear is that it is me, not the Yasmin.

Okay, I have been on Yasmin for about 3-4 months now, and the first month I had almost no side effects, I felt fine. But then by the second month I had waves of awful nausea that still have not gone away so I have decided to switch methods--I'll probably get the shot, depoprovera. However, I fear nausea with this too, since my bidy doesn't seem to like synthetic hormones. The nausea gets worse whenever I got to work because I have to stand at my job. It's a truly miserable feeling. Even after skipping today's, I still feel sick and am having night sweats. I know I am not pregnant because I just had a full period last week. This is just from my experience, but Yasmin is a horrible drug. It will make you feel miserable. It will make you feel dizzy, incredibly nauseated, and weak. I think combination pills are too much hormones to be injected into a person on a daily basis. After all, we're not lab rats! We're human beings. I hate Yasmin and after I find a new method, I will never revert back to it! Ever!

Hey guys,

I just got out of the hospital after suffering a near fatal pulmonary embolism (blood clot in my lung). It has taken me two months to feel normal and I am permenantly off the BC pills and am on an antidepressant to combat the fear and anxiety that wont let up.

If you choose to be on Yasmin, or any BC for that matter, please be careful. Clots are no joke and I am one of the lucky ones who survived to tell the story.

Sarah

@lisa:

That sounds great!! I feel so happy for you (and your husband ;-) !! :) Isn't it, as if you just recognized, that your husband is a MAN and not just a PERSON... I remember that I felt this way, it was very strange somehow!

Well, now I remember, you've asked me about Agnus Castus a few posts before.

Yes, I had been taking that stuff for about half a year (from July to December 2005), but in my case I fear it hasn't helped as it should have. I still didn't get a period since easter 2005. Just the mental problems seemed to get easier to cope with under Agnus Castus. But I think this might be different between us both, because I see you have a normal period already again?

I think it's worth a try and should not do any harm to you, especially not like our "dear" Yasmin did....!

The only thing they say here in germany, that the libido might get a little bit down again under agnus castus (here it's also called "monk's pepper" because in former times they had given it to monks (so the history says) to help them being chaste...) In my case the first few months on it that didn't happen at all, but the last 2 months or so I slightly felt, that my libido went down a little bit... But this is also a thing that doesn't have to happen to you, too!!

So go on like this and I promise the sun will shine again someday, every day a little bit longer and more intensive, as you already notice!

Best wishes to you and everyone out there again!!

Silke

Hi everyone,
I can't tell you all how relieved I feel after my husband and I came across this board tonight. I started yasmin in Nov. and at the end of December I started getting migraines and extreme nausea every other day. I felt like I was going to die. I couldn't take it anymore and quit the pill on Jan. 6th to see if that was what was causing my pain. So, I've been off yasmin for three weeks and still feel just as bad. I can't do my job at work, I just want to lay down all the time. I have headaches, nausea, fatigue, am light-headed most of the time. My heart pounds so hard sometimes and my body often tingles. This whole time I've been so terrified thinking that I have a blod clot or something else horrible. But it sounds like I'm not the only one with these symptoms caused by yasmin. It makes me so angry, I've lost the last month of my life to these problems and I fear the future. I actually have an appt with a headache clinic on Tuesday, I'm going to keep it to see if the doc has any helpful suggestions.
THANK YOU all for posting, it does make me feel so much better to know I'm not the only one.
-C

Sherry,

as hard as it seems to be, I fear, we have to be much more patient about that horrible weight gain we're experiencing...

A few days ago I read about a woman, who had the same trouble after going off a bcp and gained about 40 pounds within a few months after getting off her bcp without eating more or doing anything different than before, just like me (it's really 40 pounds!!!! :-( ).

She wasn't able to do anything against it, everything she tried to do seemed to fail... And after about a year the weight gain eased up within a few months and everything got back in balance (the hormones and her weight).

So it seems to last a very long time for some women to fully recover from a bcp, however!! And I fear we are only two of them.... :-(

Everytime I feel that bad again and seem to loose hope completely because of this horrible look of my body I just think about the woman, which I wrote about before, and just hope and pray, that this happens to me, too...

Hang in there!!!

All the best and god's bless! Don't give up!!

Silke

hey everyone,
i haven't looked at this site since a few weeks after coming off yasmin last year. i'm always amazed how many thousands of women write in-- probably thousands more than this horrible pill was tried out on before it was sold! i'm still trying to get the money back from my clinic since this poison is the most expensive one on sale in ireland.
i just wanted to share my experience of coming off yasmin. i was on it for two years and knew it wasn't right for me but i didn't put all the symptoms together until i found this site, and like most of the women here, was pretty relieved that i wasn't crazy. so when i stopped taking it i waited for all the terrible things to happen and none of them did. my periods were irregular for a while. but i lost the weight, my breasts stopped hurting, i stopped waking up in the middle of the night with leg cramps, no more diarrhoea, no more thinking i was the ugliest and craziest bitch in the world and no more telling my boyfriend i didn't feel like it.... don't be scared and just stop taking yasmin before it seriously wrecks your body! i'm so much happier without it. of course everyone has different experiences, but i thought i'd encourage people to stop taking it rather than continue out of fear that they'll feel worse when they stop. all the best ladies!

Hi worried!!

Yes, here I am!! And I fear and am sure we both are not the only ones who are experiencing anxiety because of this wonder pill!!

I've been off Yasmin for 7 months (!) now and still have the irrational thoughts and anxiety. It has gotten a lot better than before, but it's still there!! Some days are better, some worse and every month it gets a very little step better, especially if I look back to the last few months.

Every month there was again some time, when I thought I would completely go crazy, then the better days came around again and so on. I think I can say that the feelings get worse and better through a cycle (around the middle and short before my period should start everything gets worse again --> though I didn't have a period since easter this year....!).

For me it feels as if my head has to work very hard getting back to normal feelings since I've been on Yasmin for very long 5 YEARS (!). You have to know, that Yasmin interacts your whole body, especially the metabolism and so it interacts your brain hormones (like serotonine, noradrenaline a. s. o. which are really important to feel good and have NO anxiety), too. So I think we just have to be patient and give our body and brains the time they need to find their balance again.

A few months ago I read a post from a woman who said, that she really needed a whole year after quitting Yasmin to loose the anxiety brought on by Yasmin. Well, I think every person is different and it surely also depends on how long you had been taken this Yasmin poison. In my case I fear it will take much longer to get the 100% old healthy, fit and good figured me back again...

But don't despair!! You're not alone and we will get better, I'm sure!!

Best wishes to you and a big hug to every lady recovering from Yasmin out there!! Don't give up!!

@guest 13099:

I completely agree with sherry!!

Perhaps it might help you a little bit to read my post Nr. 12857 (page 4 or 5 on this site) where I had written my and my family doctor's theory about this extreme weight gain after getting off this horrible pill.

A few days ago I got even water in my feet (they looked like they were completely pumped up with water and even poured out of my shoes, I was so shocked!!!) which I never had before in my life!!!

Yesterday I found a website where the effects of diuretics were reported (Yasmin, or better the drospirenone in it is very similar to a diuretic named "spirolacton"!!! and so this pill diswaters your body the whole time while taking it!!!). It was very interesting to read, that if you get off such water pills your body may retain the more water than before taking the water pills. So it's pretty normal how some of us are "bloating up" I fear... :-(

I just hope (and my family doctor also thinks so!), that if I give my body enough time to recover, all this water and bloatedness will go away by itself when everything in my body is working normal again.

So there is hope for all of us but we need much more time and patience!!

A couple people have wondered aloud here about whether or not they should quit Yasmin. I don't think you need to consult a doctor at all about this, just listen to your body. If you are having any of the emotional side effects (such as suicidal feelings) or heart problems, quit now! Fear about acne or weight gain or irregular periods is _nothing_ compared to cutting your life short! Plus, since most people wouldn't consider staying on Yasmin forever, realize that potentially the longer you are on it the more you will struggle with after effects when you stop taking it. That's my advice, anyway.

I felt the need to add these postings with my experience. I'm 23 and have only been on Yasmin for two months (i just took my last yellow pill yesterday). The first month I was fine, my acne has gotten better the cramps lessened (no longer debilitating like they were) and my period got lighter. The second month everything changed. I have been severly nauseas and vomiting for going on two weeks now. Because of the nausea I haven't been able to eat very much and have lost 10lbs in less than 2 weeks, which sounds good but when you are only 100lbs loosing anymore weight is a little dangerous. I can't stand to be nauseas. Vomiting is my only fear in the world and up until recently I hadn't vomiting in 15years (i liked it that way). I have also had a very difficult time breathing. I'm very weak probably because I can't eat anything and something as simple as brushing my hair wears me out completely and leaves me panting. I'm a normally depressed person and am taking wellbutrin for it so I can't say it has made me any more depressed than usual. I also get dizzy very often so again this doesn't seem to make it any worse. I have had lots of cramps, stomach and otherwise as well as lower back pain. I don't know if that is just my upcoming period or the BC. I feel like i'm pregnant although I have taken tests saying i'm not. I hate this...I'm glad i'm not working right now otherwise i would have had to taken off these past two weeks. However I just got a job and can not continue to feel like this. I am afraid to leave my house for fear of vomiting in some remote place therefore I haven't really gone anywhere in the last two weeks. I'm not sure if these are just side effects of the pill or if it is hyerkalemia but either way I can't live like this. I wish I could continue and see if my symptoms subside but yeah I can't take the risk they won't with my new job and everything. More power to anyone who is taking it without severe side effects, i just wish i was one of you. This has been my first attempt at a BCP and i'm not sure what to do from this point on...I can't deal with side effects this severe again. If anyone has any suggestions on what pill might but best please let me know....

My doctor prescribed Yasmin to me to help with the extremely painful periods I get. I had my 1st pill of Yasmin last night. I wish I had come across this website before taking the pill. I've developed Nausea, heartburn. My throat is burning. I'm STOPPING this crappy BCP right now. My only fear is that I might get another instance of painful period for stopping the pill mid way. Does any one know how long it takes to come back to normal if you only took 1 pill?

Severe panic attacks. I would NOT even try this pill because the panic atrtacks do not always go away once you stop the pill. THe problem with panic attacks is that once you've had one, you fear another attack so bad that it brings on more panic attacks. I never in my life had any type of anxiety until starting this pill. If I could go back, I wish I had never tried it and caution others against trying it because you never know if you are the one that might get these panic attacks and it could change your life forever in a negative way.