Yasmin and gaining weight

I posted a while back about the symptoms I was experiencing from Yasmin. Well, I've been off of the drug for just about a month now. My libido has DRASTICALLY improved, my moods are better, and I am getting along with my boyfriend like I haven't in a long time.

The only problem I'm now having is that my weight is continually creeping up. I have been very busy with various things for the past few months (searching for and finding a new job & new apartment in a different state, going on a week-long food-filled vacation, packing, moving, unpacking etc etc). I thought that I was up a few lbs (3) as a result of being very busy and not having as much time to commit to exercise and eating healthy. Don't get me wrong, I have still been exercising and eating healthy, I just haven't been able to commit quite as much time as normal to these things.

In the past two weeks I have gotten back into my old routine and have been doing 60 minutes of cardio approximately 5 days/week and really not eating very much. Most days I have eaten a big bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and not been hungry until dinner. Since I've gotten back into this routine I have done nothing but gain MORE weight. Additionally, I have absolutely no appetite. My stomach looks poochy and my pants are getting tighter.

I have been able to keep my weight in the same range (127-129) since I started running, 4 years ago. It would VERY occasionally creep up to MAYBE 131, but I haven't seen a higher number than that until now. I feel that I literally LOOK at food and gain a pound.

Has anyone else experienced this? Could it be that my hormones are just adjusting? Honestly, I'd almost rather deal with the side effects of Yasmin than deal with gaining weight as a result of not being on it.

WTH? I got off Yasmin 2 months ago and I have started gaining weight since then! :-o I have always had pretty much the same weight since 16 years ago but now after getting off I've gained 5 pounds in 2 months. This sucks! And trust me, it's not my fault that it's happening.

And the weird thing is that I eat half the sweets and candy now versus when I was on the pill. Is the weight gain going to stop? Am I going to loose these extra pounds then? How long can I expect it to take before it levels off again and my body is back to normal?

I hate that I even started taking this pill in the first place. :-(

I was put on Yasmin for perimenopausal symptoms. I took it for three years. For the first two I had no issues at all. Then I began having intense anxiety/panic issues, dizziness and worsening migraine headaches. My doctor advised me to get off of the pill due to a chance of stroke related to the migraines. Since then the anxiety has greatly improved but I am gaining weight like crazy even though I'm eating less. For the first four months after stopping the pill my migraines were horrible and occurred about half of the month. Now its starting to level off as my own hormones start kicking in. I am having my adrenals tested as my doctor feels there is an issue there but no direct link to Yazmin to this. I know the weight gain is related to me going off the pill. I wouldn't recommend this pill to anyone.

Hi, all. I'm 30 and have been taking Yasmin since Oct. 2006. Yesterday, I finally went to my OB/GYN and asked to take me off it. I can't believe it's taken me so long to realize it was the cause of my many health problems.

Like others have said, I've had many side effects but never connected any of them to Yasmin - until a friend was thinking about using it and told me she'd read it had bad side effects such as mood and GI problems. Once she said this, everything clicked.

Immediately after starting Yasmin, I started gaining weight and had terrible depression. Crying ALL the time. I thought both were because I had started a new job that was very stressful, and I've had struggled with depression my whole life. But this was severe enough that I've had thoughts of suicide and my actions really worried my husband. I asked my doctor to increase my Prozac dosage.

In June 2007, I started having migraines. The first one was so bad that my husband took me to the ER and had me get a CAT scan. It was clear, but the migraines have continued about once a month since then. I've been prescribed Maxalt for when they occur.

Also in 2007, I started having GI problems, especially bloating, cramps, heartburn, gas, and quick-onset diarrhea. The diarrhea got so bad, I'd have to leave parties, work, etc. One day, I didn't make it to the bathroom in time (thankfully, I was at home), was in tears, and my hubby said to see a GI doctor. I got the full workup, including a colonoscopy, which was clear.

In 2008, I started having Restless Legs Syndrome and extreme fatigue. It'd get tingles/pain in my calves when watching TV, in movies, on airplanes, and when asleep. I would sleep 12 hours and still be exhausted. I'd go to bed at 7 or 8 p.m. Finally, I had a sleep study in March 2008 and was diagnosed with RLS and was prescribed Klonopin.

This spring, I've had terrible sinus problems and headaches. I've had allergies before, but never this bad. My Allegra isn't working anymore. I have incredible post-nasal drip and sneezing. Go through Kleenex like crazy. My doctor prescribed Nasonex.

And finally, since Oct. 2006, I've gained about 60 pounds while on Yasmin. I chalked it up to stress from a new job and planning a wedding. Yes, I gained weight WHILE I was engaged. In the time between buying my wedding dress and my wedding, I gained so much weight that my dress had to be let out. I thought it was because of stress, not exercising and a poor diet - but now I realize it shouldn't have caused me to gain THAT much weight. I've continued to gain weight since I've been married.

Now that I put this all together, I realize I am on THREE NEW MEDICATIONS, increased my Prozac, had a colonoscopy, a sleep study, and a CAT scan, and gained 60 pounds ALL since I started Yasmin.

And aside from the medical problems and prescriptions, my lifestyle has changed and I use many over-the-counter drugs. Of course, I'm overweight. I use antacids about 5X a week for heartburn, simethicone about 3X a week for gas, Advil about 2X a week for headaches, sleep all the time, have unusually strong depression, still have diarrhea, and have terrible sinus/runny nose constantly.

I feel so stupid that I never connected the dots. And I realize as I'm typing this that I sound like a hypochondriac because of all my drugs and doctor visits! Most of all, I'm outraged, and truthfully, very sad, that I got married at a very heavy weight because of Yasmin.

I'll post again in a couple of weeks to let you know how I'm feeling off Yasmin. I pray it's much better. Thanks for this forum to share our experiences.

-Katie

I posted not too long ago as my symptoms first began creeping up on me, high chloesterol, depsite a lot of exercise and eating healthy and having a normal body fat percentage. (AND I MEAN SO HIGH THAT I SHOULD WEIGH 500+ pounds)! I also have vitiligo, this causes skin discoloration and began having muscle aches and trouble sleeping at night. I had been on Yasmin for a little over a year and taken a break for 3 months before getting back on and symptoms started creeping up 2-3 months after coming back on Yasmin. I have aslo began to have hair loss in the past few months, gained 17 pounds in 4 months despite excerising and eating healthy. I began having hert palpitations and my late night writing can be attributed to trouble sleeping and overwhelming anxiety. I also have a lower sex drive now and am very depressed. I have been off Yasmin despite my doctor not believing a low dose pill could be causing all this, for one month. I have had withdrawals without a doubt, I am having severe breakouts, my breasts are so tender air caused by a fan hurts them and I want to cry all the time. The worst thing of all is my doctor won;t believe me, but how else can all this be happening. Blood tests ruled out thyroid and anemia as culprits as well as pregnancy (apparently I wouldn't notice that the 17 pounds was really a baby-what are these doctors thinking I know my body!). I hear all your symptoms and I wish I could say that they go away as soon as you get off the pill, but I can say if you just got on and things seem to be great realize I was on it for over a year and swore by it becasue it was the first pill that seemd to help with my emotions and cramps...but that all changed and my life feels like it is crashing down. I may never convince my doctor that yasmin is doing this to my body...they don't blieve me that I'm not eating fast food and siiting on my butt eating fatty foods all day and that is why I'm gaining weight and have dangerously high chloesterol, but I hope I can convince you all. I have had bad luck with all pills, I am allergic to spermicide and can't use diaphrams, I had my period for a month solid on the shot, but what Yasmin is doing to me makes me worry that my life is truly at risk...I would rather deal with cramps that are crippling than be ridiculed by doctors and hate myself the way yasmin makes me fo.

Like so many others, I am happy that I found this website. I was convinced that I was pregnant, because I was bloated, gaining weight and had 'odd' sensations in my breasts, similar to that of 'milk let-down' while breast-feeding, very tired, terrible gas. I have been on Yasmin for almost 2 months, as my previous bcp is now off the market. After I read the posts here, I called my Ob-Gyn to ask her to recommend something else. She told me that she has been getting a lot of complaints about Yasmin and was able to recommend a change. I have not experienced the depression and anxiety that others mentioned, but I am sure those may have started and if I had not read the posts, I would not have made the connection.

I thought this was a miracle because pill until after about a month ago.....breast tenderness, bloating, fluid retention.......makes you depressed when you are not even having a period. Been on Yasmin for about 6 months......just started skipping the inactive pills and starting a new pack.....that way you don't have a period at all. The edema itself is a nightmare. I have been on Yasmin in the past....with no problem...then 3 years ago I had a child and only started back six months ago. I thought I was gaining weight from overeating until I realized that my eating habits haven't changed at all. And to top that....I have exercised at least 3 times a week for the last six months (which is more than I have in the last 2 years) and I'm not losing any weight? I've also experienced the terrible muscle cramps in my legs.....thought it was shin splints.....but now that I read what people are saying I honestly believe that my problems might be from taking this because pill for way to long. I've taken my last pill this morning and I am not going to finish the pack. Taking a break from the pill period!!

nursehl

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

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

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

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

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 HAVE BEEN ON YASMIN FOR ABOUT 6 TO 7 DAYS NOW. THE FIRST THING I NOTICED IS THAT I AM VERY TIRED. I GOT TO WORK AND SCHOOL SO IM NORMALLY TIRED, BUT THIS IS MORE THAN USUAL. THE SECOND THING I NOTICED IS THAT MY BREASTS ARE BIGGER. THEY DONT HURT BUT THEY ARE BIGGER. I CAN DO WITHOUT THE EXTRA LUGGAGE BECAUSE IM ALREADY A 40C. ALSO I GET SOME MILD STOMACHE CRAMPS. I USUALLY DON'T NOTICE ANY SIDE EFFECTS TO MEDS BUT THIS TIME I DID. IM A PHARMACY TECHNICIAN AND I WAS RECOMMENED YASMIN FROM ONE OF MY PHARMACIST. I DONT THINK IM GOING TO CONTINUE TAKING IT. IM TERRIFIED OF GAINING WEIGHT. I WORK OUT ABOUT 4 TO 5 TIMES A WEEK BUT IM SO HUNGRY DURING THE DAY IT KIND OF DEFEATS THE PURPOSE.

I recently got off of Yasmin after being on it for 3 1/2 years. While I was on it, I got yeast infections often but I had no other symptoms. However, I have been bloated and constipated for the entire month I have been off of it. I have also gained 5 pounds this month!

Guest 37262-

The swelling of the breast is due to adding an un-natural hormone to your body. It is an increase to the existing progesterone and estrogen naturally occuring in your body. We all have progesterone and estrogen receptors in our breasts-that is often why many women's breasts grow when taking hormones. Its not really a healthy thing although many women think its great, I think its actually what's causing breast cancer as there are so many women and the #'s growing. My own personal experience is that it doesn't go away until you go off of all hormones.

On the gaining weight, it sounds like you are one of the unusual women to gain/rather than lose weight on Yasmin. Watch that, discuss with your OBGYN and pay special attention to every other symptom that may develop.

Yasmin is really not a good birth control pill. There are so many women on this site and the new one in the UK who have suffered horribly with serious symptoms. so my recommendation would be to get off it and practice natural protection/non-hormonal methods.

Wow, the more postings that come up, the more discouraged I get. Gosh, I went on this stuff to take care of cysts that made me nauseous, tired, and bloated but the more I read here the more I realize that the symptoms are just being magnified by the medication that is supposed to help me. Geesh.

As for going to the gym - girl, I feel you! I miss kickboxing SO bad and it took everything I had to go back last night and when I did - BOOM - I puke.

I have a lot of imbalances as it is (OCD and PTSD) and I take Effexxor for it. It does WONDERS for my depression and OCD and unlike Paxil, I didn't gain weight on it. No, I'm gaining weight because I can't get enough energy to even take a pee non-the-less go to the gym:-( I just feel so sloppy floppy right now.

Sympathetically yours,
Kelli

HELP me!! ok i literally just started taking Yasmin. i took my 2nd pill last night. ive never been on any BC before. well today i have massive chest pains. im also very scared about the whole gaining weight issue. some people have said that you didnt gain weight till you got off and others have said they have gained weight. which one is it? do you gain weight on the pill or when you get off? and what about the chest pains?

I have been on Yasim for about 1 month. I started it and began gaining weight and quit taking it. After I went back to the OB/GYN she told me that Yasim was one of the best pills on the market so I went back on it not knowing any better. I have been back on it for 1 month and have been experiencing Leg cramping, severe headaches, dizziness, weight gain. I am getting ready to transfer providers I feel that I am not being listened to regarding my systoms being on the pill. Please would someone respond to me?

Thanks

I took Yasmin for 3 weeks. I felt so nauseous I struggled to eat and lost 10lb in weight. I got headaches, dizziness and some mild anxiety. I can totally relate to the lady with the food cravings. I could only eat certain things and just the thought of a lot of foods made me feel sick immediately. I have now been off Yasmin for a month and have only just started to feel better - I am eating more normally now (although not gaining weight) and find that I just feel a bit weird from time to time. Feeling ill for this relatively short amount of time has been a nightmare and I feel for all you ladies who are suffering for much longer. I have now come off birth control completely after 17 years of taking various pills. I'd rather use other methods than go through Yasmin again or risk taking anything else that could cause the same effects.

Rachel, UK

Hey ladies,

ok, variation on what I've seen so far. I've been off Yasmin for about 2 1/2 months now after having been on it for about 4 years & although I work out hard 4-5 times a week & have not changed my eating habits in the slightest I am slowly adding on pounds! Every time I get on the scale there's a new one staring me in the face! My belly's bloated & hard as a rock & I can barely get my rings on & off! Is this water retention or am I really gaining weight??? What the heck is going on with my body & will it stop, or should I start dieting??

Help!
-Victoria

Hello all,

I'm one joining the many sufferers out there, but alas, I'm only a newbie at Yasmin. I just started about two weeks ago, on the first day of my period, and yet, I'm still bleeding. This is a record for me. I have been feeling quite nauseated lately, basically like shit. Always exhausted, lackadaisical, and paranoid whenever it's time to actually fall asleep. I've been waking up a lot lately during the night, thinking someone else is in the room. My nightmares have been getting worse, and keeping down food is iffy. Now I'm worrying if I may be gaining weight, though, because of the fullness I feel. Also, there's been a lot of tenderness in the chest, too much for comfort.

But that's just for now. I'll see if it gets better, or I'm quitting. This was only to get rid of my building "acne", which by the way is getting worse, ironically.

I've just started doing some research on Yasmin becasue I just woke up with horrible cramps and an actual period! I just passed my regular cycle a week ago! Has this happened to anyone?

Also too, I've had some weight gain issues too! I never attributed my weight gain to marriage, stress, moved to NYC 1 week before 9/11 and our business is three blocks away!. Anyhow, just figured my body was changing, different foods...I started gaining weight shortly after I began treatment in April 2001, and gained a total of 30 pounds by the end of the year! I have always been a lean 135 - 140 lbs 5'7" chic, eating whatever and whenever I wanted, with a sedentary life...45 min commute to work, 8hr desk job, then home, eat and sleep...except weekends...

I've also been struggling with loss of my sex drive...Never thought It was because of the pill until found this site! Just thought it was me and some pshycological problem...

I've thought about just trying the rythm, however, I cannot get pregnant now...It's not our time yet. Have any of you been successful with it?

I've been really frustrated with how I look....I've never had to diet before, and now find myself trying the ATkins diet, and anything else, but nothing really helps long term. I don't like myself. I really do believe things will change if I get off the pill.

I truly feel for all of you who have suffered greater side effects. Hope you all start feeling better and are on the road towards improvement.

I've only been on Yasmin for a little over a month. I haven't experienced many physical side effects but my mood swings and such are terrible. In fact I'm sitting here crying as I type this....and the only reason I can figure out is that my boyfriend is an hour late coming. I worry constantly and my mood changes randomly. I get really paranoid and have these big stress and anxiety spells. I also seem to be more impulsive. I haven't had any problems with my sex drive or gaining weight, but I have had more headaches recently.

I was thinking I was getting used to Yasmin and the side effects were stopping. I realized I had a really good week last week...I didn't really connect until today that the reason that week was good was because I was taking the sugar pills.

First, let me thank all of you for posting your own experiences. It helps me and others realize we are not crazy about what's going on!

I've been on Yasmin for almost 3 months. After reading this website, I just made an appointment with my doctor to switch to another birch control...for three months, I have been feeling exhausted, over-anxious, depressed, and emotional! I have noticed periods of time when my heart feels like it is going to beat out of my chest, and I get night sweats even in the AC! I have been to my normal physician 2 times within this period of time thinking there was something wrong with me...I am now more apt to believe it was the Yasmin causing all these problems for me.

Don't get me wrong, I have tendencies towards being anxious, etc, but I cry at the drop of a hat, and I take things extremely personally that I know I normally wouldn't!

I can't say I've had all the side effects listed (bigger breasts? Nope!)...and I sure hope I don't start gaining weight going off this "wonder-drug".

On the issue of weight gain...
I have been off Yasmin for two months now (I stopped due to severe anxiety, heart palpatations, and rashes on my body) and I have been gaining weight rapidly since stopping the pill. The other side effects are slowly going away but I feel bloated almost all the time and have gained about 7 pounds. My diet and exercise have been constant so I am guessing it's water retention. Also, I have had awful gas and digestion issues, along with oily skin and no period at all. I'm trying to give it time to work itself out before trying another pill. I'll keep you posted as time progresses. Hang in there everyone and thanks for the posts. It is nice to know women are being proactive about their health and seeking help from others.

I just started taking Yasmin two months ago....OH MY GOD! I thought there was something really wrong with me. It scared me. I have never taken BCP before. I never knew that there could be side effects like this. I belong to Kaiser and the doctor prescribed it to me, telling me that it eases the bloating. i thought that would be good. ....I was very wrong.

I am not typically a moody person. I am very organized and can usually plan my work week and my personal like in a very, very practical way. I have found that for the past two months I cry at little things, I am anxious, nervous and I have most of these symptoms -dry mouth, moodiness, peeing, insomnia, panic attacks, diarrhea, spotting, vomiting, cramping, gaining weight, tender breasts, HUGE breasts, and eating like crazy.

I find myself up at 4am. I am dead tired at 11am- all sorts of odd things. I have cramping as well.

I also have brown discharge for two weeks before my period begins. I thought something was really wrong. My doctor could tell me nothing. She told me "come in and try another one." I am not sure if I want to. The doctors seem to just prescribe what is popular. I am worried. Any recommendations on something new?

I have stopped taking Yasmin.

I realized the problems I've been having started when I switched BCP from Ortho Tricyclen to Yasmin. Since I switched pills, I've noticed myself becoming incredibly fatigued, until now (after about six months) I can barely get through a workday. I'm depressed, forgetful, and nervous and have no sex drive. I get diarrhea and cramping that hits less than an hour after almost every meal. And I'm steadily gaining weight. I never had any of these problems with the Ortho. It may turn out that the Yasmin isn't the problem at all, but after reading what everyone else has said, it seems like a pretty good place to start.

it's the first day of my period (on the 4th day of the pill-free week) following my first pack of yasmin (after 3 unsuccessful months with nordette). i began the pill 4 months ago after an unfortunately unwanted pregnancy, and have been having trouble finding one that my body accepts. compared to the last one, yasmin seems much better so far (except for the price differential). because i live on an island, nausea/sea-sickness is a HUGE nuisance... but so far, i feel ok. the past few days, however, i have been feeling very sleepy and tired, not much energy to even walk my dog. i sleep at least 10 hours a night, sometimes with a 1 hour nap during the day.

the vaginal dryness, however, creates problems. although my sex drive hasn't exactly dissipated, the dryness is another nuisance. i have some irritation, also, which probably became infection.

because it's so early in my experience with yasmin, i'm not sure if i'm really gaining weight, and if i am, is it because of the pill or my inactivity (or both)? as of the past few days also, however, my appetite has taken a very noticeable nosedive.

my period used to last for 7 long and heavy days. since i started the pill, it still lasts for 7 days but is amazingly lighter. the cramps aren't so bad with yasmin; much more bearable than with nordette and without BCPs.

so far, it hasn't been so bad... but i realize it's still early. i will keep my eyes open. thanks for all the posts from other yasmin users (and former users)!

Thank god for these posts. I've been taking Yasmin for almost a year. My previous dr switched me to it because I was getting cists from my previous pill. At first, it was great, my periods went down from 7 really heavy days to 3 really light days, my mood swings and cramps settled down and I was happy.

Then it all went wrong. I started noticing my sex drive fade and blamed it on being tired from work. Then I noticed that I was gaining weight, and again blamed it on work. I quit my job and then noticed I was getting more and more apathetic and tired. I blamed that on not working. When I got a new, ACTIVE job, it seemed all of these issues multiplied to the point where I had NO sex drive at all, I was always either bawling-my-eyes-out depressed, or completely apathetic or flat-out viscious to everyone!

I am NEVER happy. I am gaining weight like crazy. I am always hungry. I am so tired that I can barely force myself out of bed, and even after a full night's sleep, I still can't make it through the day without a 1 or 2 hour nap! I'm constantly broken out, my eyes are messed up and I get headaches every day. My skin is super-sensitive to touch, it's to the point where if my boyfriend tries to touch my breasts, it makes my skin crawl and even the lightest touch on my hip makes me feel like I'm being pinched. My nails won't grow anymore, my hair is dry, my skin is oily and I get joint pain. And to top it off, now my periods are up to 8 days of nasty sticky, thick mess and my pms is back with full force. And I feel like I am never going to be happy again.

I'm 26 years old, for gods sakes, and I feel like a re-animated corpse. After examining everything else in my life that has changed I can only put the blame on Yasmin. I've done everything short of committing myself to the local psychiatric hospital to get myself out of this aweful place and had a feeling it had to be the Yasmin. I even told my boyfriend it had to be the Yasmin and he didn't really believe that such a tiny little pill could have such a massive effect on so many aspects of my life. Then he came here and found all these comments and immediatly called me. "Every side effect you've mentioned is listed by these other women! I read one and thought you had written it! I want you off this stuff NOW!"

We are calling my gyn in the morning and I am switching to something, ANYTHING else. I'm horrified that a pill that's supposed to help me is doing so much physical and emotional damage to me and I was never warned about it! I'm just relived that it's not all in my head.

I have been on Yasmin now for almost a year and my experience has really been nothing like the others on this page. IN the firt month of taking it I did have an extended period that was quite heavy, but that was expected, and my breast were more tender than usual, but after the third month I was back to normal.
I strongly suggest that if you are truly are having serious side effects from this pill you get off, but don't go into it believing you're going to have problems, because it becomes mental. The mind is more powerful than anything and it can make you believe anything. If you're gaining weight, ask yourself what's really going on in your life...is it really the pill or an outside factor?
I have not experienced any weight gain and have been able to keep up with my active lifestyle with no problem.
Sometimes I feel down and not as happy as other days, but when I really look at the big picture, that's life..not every day is perfect. That happened even before the pill.
I just felt it necessary to post something that is not so negative so that if someone else, like myself, chances upon this website who is not having negative side effects happening to them, can know that it doesn't happen to everyone.
You know yourself, and you know if you're placing blame on the incorrect things.
Monitor yourself and do what you need to do.
For me, so far so good :)
Good luck ladies

*Lily

I switched to Yasmin 4 months ago. I have been feeling hungry all of the time and have been gaining weight. My breasts size has also increased. I have noticed I started to get cystic acne since beginning this pill and feel more depressed.